Yard rules

[milliepops]

i also got lumbered with bringing in a badly behaved horse because its owner would turn up so late she knew someone would have caught it in.
Since then i've always had 2 at livery and my own field, solves that one! first or last in or out.. doesn't matter

 

[Fieldlife]

i also got lumbered with bringing in a badly behaved horse because its owner would turn up so late she knew someone would have caught it in.
Since then i've always had 2 at livery and my own field, solves that one! first or last in or out.. doesn't matter

When I had two in a group field, I then sometimes needed to lead 3, which wasnt ideal! It was a 20 minute round walk to summer field. So nor was doing two trips.

 

[LegOn]

I agree with other - yard rules can be good, as long as they are followed but also some batshit rules can drive you around the twist at the same time!

The best yards that I've been on, have been clear about rules/guidelines but also the ones that communicate regularly - because we all know with horses, things change so sometimes things need to adjust and move on in order to provide the best service they can to our horses, so I'm happy once my horse is happy. And I know what's going on & what's expected!

Most frustrating rule on a yard I was on, which was full (non-ridden) livery in a very expensive yard that was sold on NOTHING was a problem and everything was tailored to your horse, feed, routine, walker/turnout, everything you wanted - as long as you weren't up that day
So if you came up to ride and left a cooler on your horse that needed to be changed overnight to a heavier/different rug, NOPE not happening. But if you were sat at home and you wanted a rug changed because you didnt like the colour of it (I'm messing here but basically for any reason!) then that wasn't an issue. Never made any sense to me. It was only an annoyance really but it was an expensive yard and when you asked about rug changes they said not a problem -but the detail of this only became clear when you were actually on the yard!

Another is restricted closing days on a yard where you are NOT ALLOWED onto a yard say on a Monday - that drove me insane, my horse, I want access whenever its needed. My current yard has a 'general' closing time of about 9.30pm but its because the YO doesnt like the horses being disturbed and lights going on/radio etc until all hours, but if you had a reason to need to be there like a sick horse or anything, then that of course is no problem.

And of course restricted turnout - one-yard advertised full all year-round turnout but it was only an hour a day!!!!!

I'm a big fan of yards just having general cleaning, safety rules because they benefit everyone!

 

[ew0855]

Starzaan - LOVE the sound of your yard.
I don't think I've ever been told of any yard rules where I am other than lock the tack room if you're the only one about. (But equally I'm on a full service dressage yard and skip out/poo pick the school/put stuff away).

 

[AmyMay]

@Starzaan, read the first two, moved on to the 2ft banks and thought, nope not for me.

 

[Starzaan]

@Starzaan, read the first two, moved on to the 2ft banks and thought, nope not for me.

I’m sorry you feel that way. I know my rules aren’t for everyone, but I’m very proud of the reputation I’ve built for exceptional care. It’s the only thing in my life I am totally confident in, and happy to say openly ‘yep, I’m really good at this’.

 

[Fieldlife]

@Starzaan, read the first two, moved on to the 2ft banks and thought, nope not for me.

My horse loves a cushioned pillow for his head! And he snores!

 

[Juniper Jack]

Awwww .... ! Bless him.

 

[Sossigpoker]

@Starzaan, read the first two, moved on to the 2ft banks and thought, nope not for me.

I agree. Horses don't care about the height of the banks or if there's a poo in the stable. They care a lot more about if they get to go our and be a horse. That's more important to me as well.

 

[Starzaan]

I agree. Horses don't care about the height of the banks or if there's a poo in the stable. They care a lot more about if they get to go our and be a horse. That's more important to me as well.

I’m sorry to read that.

As I mentioned, everything I do is for a reason. Beds are made the way they are because I was incredibly lucky and was involved in the leading sleep study in horses, which has proven that the bed actually has a huge impact on mental and physical health as well as performance and lifespan. I am charging a premium, and offer a premium service. Horses might not mind if there’s a poo in their box, but I certainly do. If I wouldn’t do it to my horse, I don’t feel it’s fair to do it to a client horse when the owner is paying often over £2k a month for their horse to be with me.
My yard isn’t for everyone. My way isn’t the only way. But, it works, I have incredibly happy liveries (both four and two legged), and am so proud of the testimonials and reviews I have gained over the years from both clients and vets I have worked with. Everything I do is focused on giving the horses in my care the absolute best life, with proper opportunities to be a horse. No restricted turnout, plenty of time with friends having a scratch and playing, windows on all their boxes so they can stick their heads out and have a nose as well as looking into the barn. The horses are the most important thing, and yes, the owners paying the bills are a close second. I also have lots of lovely flowers in pots on the yard. They don’t benefit the horses in the slightest but they make it a beautiful place for owners to be, which helps me enormously.

 

[Ample Prosecco]

I’d never be able to cope as a as DIYer on your yard Starrzaan - but it sounds fantastic as a place for full liveries. Interesting about that sleep study.

 

[nagblagger]

Starzaan..when I win the lottery I will bring all my animals to you..

 

[tatty_v]

@Starzaan your yard sounds like heaven to me ? I moved from a yard with no rules (sounds great but honestly very stressful) to my own yard at home. I love it - I get to keep it neat and tidy and be disturbed by no one! ?

 

[TGM]

Haha ok then, I don’t think I can possibly do all of them, but I shall get as many as I can.
I have always had the standard rules about behaviour towards people and horses etc but I have also had (some of these apply to staff too, I have mainly owned and managed rehab and high end livery yards).

- A horse must never enter a stable with poo or wee in it.
- All mucking out finished by 10am at the very latest.
- No clutter outside boxes - headcollar, hoofpick, and two rugs hung up, with the lead rope rolled up. I always make sure there is LOTS of storage space elsewhere, but I hate a messy yard.
- Yard, walkers, all communal spaces, pool barn, treadmills etc must all be swept after use, droppings picked up immediately, and yard always left tidy.
- There will NEVER be a time it’s not ok for a livery to visit their horse. 3am? Fine. Midnight? Fine. Your horse, you have access whenever you want. We all need to snuggle our ponies in the middle of the night sometimes.
- All ridden liveries will have Equilab app used during EVERY session, and a screenshot sent to the owner after riding.
- Photos and videos of all rehabs, full and part liveries sent to owners every day, no exceptions.
- All banks must be at least 2ft high (we measure by a certain brick on the wall) and beds need to be thick enough to hit the top of the shavings forks we use. Beds started with 15 bales of shavings, or half a heston bale of straw, no exceptions.
- HORSES BEFORE HUMANS is my most important rule. If a horse needs something, it comes before us, every time. They are the priority no matter what else is going on.
- Tails must be silky enough to run a hand through at all times, and horses must ALWAYS be groomed every day, trimmed and pulled as needed so that they look immaculate at all times.
- Boots and numnahs are put in the wash after every use, fleeces, coolers, fly and stable rugs are washed weekly, and turnout rugs are washed at the end of the season and put away ready for the next winter.
- Fly masks are washed every evening and put on fresh in the morning.
- Water drinkers and mangers, are to be cleaned every day, and water drinkers checked each time you walk into the stable.
- Tack is wiped down after every use, and stripped on a Sunday afternoon, for a full deep clean ready for the next week.
- An owners request is never too big or at the wrong time. If they need you to stand with them while they mount, walk with them while they hack, have the horse ready and standing by the mounting block when they drive in, then it's done.
- All horses are tested for strangles prior to arrival, and any contagious diseases doing the rounds at the time such as EHV.
- Staff are to have a proper lunch break every day, either from 12 - 1 or 1 - 2, and get two full days off a week without question. Staff horses are done in work time, and any staff horses stabled with me get put on a rota so that staff members don't have to come to the yard on days off if they choose not to, as their horses will be mucked out etc. as normal.
- Every livery is assigned a groom, that groom is the owners main point of contact, and takes responsibility for that horse. They muck out, groom, prep for competitions, take responsibility for rehab work etc. This allows continuity for the horse, the owner and accountability for each groom. Grooms are in teams to provide continuity on days off, so each horse is assigned a groom and then a "back up" for their primary grooms days off.
- All stables have a number, and this corresponds to everything. Buckets are marked with numbers, tack is stored in number bays, etc. for ease of use by staff. Horses are also colour coded, red amber or green, for new staff to know at a glance if they need to check what they need to know about amber and red horses.
- Nutrition is key - pre work and recovery feeds are fed to everything without exception.

.

I think this is different to the other livery yard rules quoted in this thread though. It sounds like these are the things that you are offering to your liveries as part of a service. Whereas the other posts are rules that paying liveries have to abide by. So it is one thing to say that your livery service includes horses being groomed every day, having brushed out tails and being trimmed/pulled as necessary, when that is all done by staff at the yard.

It would be different if you were on a livery yard that didn't offer a full service and you were told that one of the rules was that you should ensure that your horse looked immaculate every day, fully groomed, with a brushed out tail and fully trimmed. That would have a lot of people (including me) running for the hills.

 

[scats]

@Starzaan, read the first two, moved on to the 2ft banks and thought, nope not for me.

At my old yard, a horse actually got cast against the banks because the owner had made them so high they actually just acted like another wall.

Starzaan’s rules wouldn’t work for me, but I suppose hers isn’t a DIY yard so she’s expecting staff to follow them rather than the paying customers.
I like rules that make sense, but if I’ve learnt anything over the last 30+ years with horses, it’s that a degree of flexibility is important.

 

[stangs]

- All ridden liveries will have Equilab app used during EVERY session, and a screenshot sent to the owner after riding.

This is genius. I’m a little wary of Equilab but such a rule must have been very much appreciated by the owners at your yard.

 

[Starzaan]

At my old yard, a horse actually got cast against the banks because the owner had made them so high they actually just acted like another wall.

Starzaan’s rules wouldn’t work for me, but I suppose hers isn’t a DIY yard so she’s expecting staff to follow them rather than the paying customers.
I like rules that make sense, but if I’ve learnt anything over the last 30+ years with horses, it’s that a degree of flexibility is important.

I am lucky to have never had a horse get cast in my beds, and it’s been many years. Even horses prone to getting cast.
The veterinary research has found that banks at 2ft are the optimum height to help prevent horses getting cast. Any higher they can’t get purchase, and any lower and the scrabble on the wall.

I agree, my yard wouldn’t work for DIYs but that’s why I don’t offer it. DIYs would hate me ?

 

[Starzaan]

This is genius. I’m a little wary of Equilab but such a rule must have been very much appreciated by the owners at your yard.

It’s absolutely brilliant! I’ve had so many owners say they have been paying for people to ride their horses and have discovered they haven’t been ridden. This way they have a clear idea of what has been done, and any issues are discussed straight away. It’s been a brilliant tool for us, and lovely for owners to see exactly what their horses are up to.

 

[Starzaan]

I think this is different to the other livery yard rules quoted in this thread though. It sounds like these are the things that you are offering to your liveries as part of a service. Whereas the other posts are rules that paying liveries have to abide by. So it is one thing to say that your livery service includes horses being groomed every day, having brushed out tails and being trimmed/pulled as necessary, when that is all done by staff at the yard.

It would be different if you were on a livery yard that didn't offer a full service and you were told that one of the rules was that you should ensure that your horse looked immaculate every day, fully groomed, with a brushed out tail and fully trimmed. That would have a lot of people (including me) running for the hills.

Absolutely, my rules wouldn’t work for DIYs and that’s why I don’t offer it. I know I’m too picky and would just annoy or upset DIYs ?

 

[TGM]

At my old yard, a horse actually got cast against the banks because the owner had made them so high they actually just acted like another wall.

I've had the exact same problem, I had a mare who was liveried at a yard with big banks and she kept getting cast. Never got cast anywhere else in a number of different yards with smaller or non-existent banks.

 

[Deltofe2493]

I think yard rules or staff rules at least it’s something!!!

I was trying to long line my girl when we started walk work and the dogs would be yapping about her feet resulting in her getting worked up which would p*ss me off!! 0 consideration.

a strong selection of fields to choose from but put the young colts in the field next to the school?! Again winding her up so resulted in me having to put her on the walker until I left.


(if anyone has been following my journey, I’ve got my hands on some Sedalin and vet approved round pen turnout ???)

what annoyed me as well was coming into spring the diy-ers had the luscious fields, but full liveries got the crappy bogged down areas. No wonder she’s had so many accidents fgs.

 

[paddy555]

I’m
. Beds are made the way they are because I was incredibly lucky and was involved in the leading sleep study in horses, which has proven that the bed actually has a huge impact on mental and physical health as well as performance and lifespan.

can you let me have a link for that study please? I have googled but cannot find it. thanks.

 

[Starzaan]

can you let me have a link for that study please? I have googled but cannot find it. thanks.

Of course, I shall dig it out and post it. ?

 

[Fieldlife]

can you let me have a link for that study please? I have googled but cannot find it. thanks.

It’s also discussed on one of the equine research podcasts. Someone mentioned the podcast name recently

 

[Caol Ila]

a strong selection of fields to choose from but put the young colts in the field next to the school?! Again winding her up so resulted in me having to put her on the walker until I left.

That's always fun. During my freelance training stint, one of my clients, who had a mare, moved to a yard with a breeding stallion. YO had her stallion behind some flimsy electric tape, held up by those flimsier plastic posts, and his paddock was on the track between the livery stables and the arena. The mare was in season, and both she and the stallion were getting frisky as we made our way into the school. I said to my client, "This is not very safe." She replied, "Oh, YO says he's fine and won't mess with the electric fence."

"Ummm... Not sure about that," I said. He didn't. That time. Still, it didn't make the mare easy to work with during our lesson. Client was a nervous novice, so in-season mare going apesh1t at the stallion wasn't ideal. It was the last time I worked with that client. She was drinking the YO's Kool-Aid and thought YO was a goddess of horsemanship, and I may have said some honest things about her stallion management.

 

[Deltofe2493]

That's always fun. During my freelance training stint, one of my clients, who had a mare, moved to a yard with a breeding stallion. YO had her stallion behind some flimsy electric tape, held up by those flimsier plastic posts, and his paddock was on the track between the livery stables and the arena. The mare was in season, and both she and the stallion were getting frisky as we made our way into the school. I said to my client, "This is not very safe." She replied, "Oh, YO says he's fine and won't mess with the electric fence."

"Ummm... Not sure about that," I said. He didn't. That time. Still, it didn't make the mare easy to work with during our lesson. Client was a nervous novice, so in-season mare going apesh1t at the stallion wasn't ideal. It was the last time I worked with that client. She was drinking the YO's Kool-Aid and thought YO was a goddess of horsemanship, and I may have said some honest things about her stallion management.

Obviously I don't expect the yard to revolve around me but the reason why she was in that situation was due to poor management from their part in the first place. Then they wondered why I left? The whole month leading up to, staff and owner were like 'you're not going to get the help you do here' or 'they charge you for everything'. GOOD AT LEAST I KNOW IT'S BEING DONE!