MiJodsR2BlinkinTite
Well-Known Member
This is really for any YO's who do DIY livery.
A month ago, I had a new DIY livery arrive on the yard, a little pony, plus mum and daughter just learning to ride.
She paid a months livery in advance & we'd both signed a livery agreement, which was basically an amended version (to suit both of us) of the BHS one. I don't offer any "frills", just basic livery, they're responsible for everything including food & bringing in and the livery agreement says this very clearly.
As I have had some health issues affecting my arms/strength, I do not handle other people's horses as if I did let something go, no-one's gonna thank me for that. This is why they sign saying its strictly DIY.
During the winter the horses are out by day, in by night. This is by mutual agreement with everyone so that (1) it saves the grass as much as possible and (2) it means no horses are left out on their own at night [OR, (3) to put the same thing another way, that no horse is left on its own at night without company as we're only a small yard with room for 2, max, plus my boy].
Anyway, here we are with new livery. The first difficulty arose when (because of her work really, not deliberately) I noticed that the pony would sometimes be put out at say 7.30 a.m., but the next day not put out till 10.00 a.m. or even later. The other horse in the yard was put out at 9.00 a.m. because it needed to be, so this meant the pony was in the stable, on its own, stressing out on the mornings the owner was later coming. One or two mornings it nearly tried climbing over the door, and I had to literally stand guard over it to stop this happening.
Then, one day last week, I went down to the yard (which is adjacent to our house) and noticed that it was 10.30 a.m. and no-one had seen to the pony. It was standing in its poo from the night before, plus had no water and no hay. So I had to water it and muck out, and give it some of my hay. I'd had no word from the owner and so began to seriously worry that something awful had happened. The owner had still not arrived by 2.30 in the afternoon, by which time I'd managed to speak to her on her mobile. Apparently there had been a family problem and she'd had to go off to see to that, and had asked a friend to come and see to the pony, but friend had not turned up. Owner did turn up later that afternoon and saw to the pony.
After this little problem, I did mention to her that IF she was unable to come to see to the pony because of anything, i.e. emergency situation, then please would she ring me coz I would have tried to help. Also, if anyone else was going to be in the yard, please would she let me know as if I'd gone down there and found a stranger messing around I'd make the assumption they might be up to no good and might call the police! I said I'd been very worried about the pony being banged up all day and stressed out, and it would have been good to have known what was happening earlier in the day as I could have turned the pony out if necessary - it being an emergency (tho' turning-out not in the livery agreement). There was no unpleasantness involved in this interchange; we got on fine throughout the duration of the livery.
So why am I miffed? Well, this evening I came home at dusk; my boy was at the gate waiting for me like he always does, but I sensed he was a bit stressy. I put him in the stable and fed him etc; normally about this time the other pony (livery) comes in and he looks for that and whinnies to him.
Today, the livery pony didn't come in. It got dimpsy, then got dark, then got darker, and started to rain & sleet. Still the livery didn't bring hers in. I had visions of this pony (veteran) being up in the top field in awful weather, stressing up because he hadn't been brought in, and didn't know what to do. I thought perhaps another family emergency had occurred and she'd been unable to come to see to the pony.
So I rang her mobile, saying I hoped she was OK coz her pony hadn't been brought in and hoping she was all right.
I noticed she'd cleaned out her stable, but thought she might just have done that to replenish the bedding.
I then went to re-charge my mobile, thinking I'd text as well just to see if she's OK.
I'd received a text, from the owner, saying basically that she'd moved the horse today as she needed to find somewhere closer!!!!
I'd only seen her yesterday evening; she didn't say a thing about moving.
I was worried about this blessed pony, all for nothing! I feel so angry, and hurt, that she didn't tell me she was going - she picked today of all days coz she knows I am out all day and so wouldn't know if she was loading hers up and going. All she had to do last night was say, look, I'm so sorry but I'm moving mine tomorrow as I'm finding the travelling a bind.
My poor boy, whilst in the past being perfectly OK on his own, is stressed because his little pony next door has gone and is looking all mournful about it. She obviously didn't think of that and I'm soooooo cross!!!
If she'd only said she was going, I wouldn't have worried about thinking her little pony was up on its own in a snowstorm, plus would have been a bit prepared to deal with mine missing it.
Grrrrghhhhhh!!!!
I've had some super people as liveries in the past and have never had to deal with anything like this!; tho' have learnt a few lessons for sure; for anyone coming in the future I shall introduce a rule that firstly all horses have to be out of the stable in the morning not later than a certain time; and secondly something about if they can't see to the horse themselves that whoever they nominate instead must be notified beforehand to the yard owner.
A month ago, I had a new DIY livery arrive on the yard, a little pony, plus mum and daughter just learning to ride.
She paid a months livery in advance & we'd both signed a livery agreement, which was basically an amended version (to suit both of us) of the BHS one. I don't offer any "frills", just basic livery, they're responsible for everything including food & bringing in and the livery agreement says this very clearly.
As I have had some health issues affecting my arms/strength, I do not handle other people's horses as if I did let something go, no-one's gonna thank me for that. This is why they sign saying its strictly DIY.
During the winter the horses are out by day, in by night. This is by mutual agreement with everyone so that (1) it saves the grass as much as possible and (2) it means no horses are left out on their own at night [OR, (3) to put the same thing another way, that no horse is left on its own at night without company as we're only a small yard with room for 2, max, plus my boy].
Anyway, here we are with new livery. The first difficulty arose when (because of her work really, not deliberately) I noticed that the pony would sometimes be put out at say 7.30 a.m., but the next day not put out till 10.00 a.m. or even later. The other horse in the yard was put out at 9.00 a.m. because it needed to be, so this meant the pony was in the stable, on its own, stressing out on the mornings the owner was later coming. One or two mornings it nearly tried climbing over the door, and I had to literally stand guard over it to stop this happening.
Then, one day last week, I went down to the yard (which is adjacent to our house) and noticed that it was 10.30 a.m. and no-one had seen to the pony. It was standing in its poo from the night before, plus had no water and no hay. So I had to water it and muck out, and give it some of my hay. I'd had no word from the owner and so began to seriously worry that something awful had happened. The owner had still not arrived by 2.30 in the afternoon, by which time I'd managed to speak to her on her mobile. Apparently there had been a family problem and she'd had to go off to see to that, and had asked a friend to come and see to the pony, but friend had not turned up. Owner did turn up later that afternoon and saw to the pony.
After this little problem, I did mention to her that IF she was unable to come to see to the pony because of anything, i.e. emergency situation, then please would she ring me coz I would have tried to help. Also, if anyone else was going to be in the yard, please would she let me know as if I'd gone down there and found a stranger messing around I'd make the assumption they might be up to no good and might call the police! I said I'd been very worried about the pony being banged up all day and stressed out, and it would have been good to have known what was happening earlier in the day as I could have turned the pony out if necessary - it being an emergency (tho' turning-out not in the livery agreement). There was no unpleasantness involved in this interchange; we got on fine throughout the duration of the livery.
So why am I miffed? Well, this evening I came home at dusk; my boy was at the gate waiting for me like he always does, but I sensed he was a bit stressy. I put him in the stable and fed him etc; normally about this time the other pony (livery) comes in and he looks for that and whinnies to him.
Today, the livery pony didn't come in. It got dimpsy, then got dark, then got darker, and started to rain & sleet. Still the livery didn't bring hers in. I had visions of this pony (veteran) being up in the top field in awful weather, stressing up because he hadn't been brought in, and didn't know what to do. I thought perhaps another family emergency had occurred and she'd been unable to come to see to the pony.
So I rang her mobile, saying I hoped she was OK coz her pony hadn't been brought in and hoping she was all right.
I noticed she'd cleaned out her stable, but thought she might just have done that to replenish the bedding.
I then went to re-charge my mobile, thinking I'd text as well just to see if she's OK.
I'd received a text, from the owner, saying basically that she'd moved the horse today as she needed to find somewhere closer!!!!
I'd only seen her yesterday evening; she didn't say a thing about moving.
I was worried about this blessed pony, all for nothing! I feel so angry, and hurt, that she didn't tell me she was going - she picked today of all days coz she knows I am out all day and so wouldn't know if she was loading hers up and going. All she had to do last night was say, look, I'm so sorry but I'm moving mine tomorrow as I'm finding the travelling a bind.
My poor boy, whilst in the past being perfectly OK on his own, is stressed because his little pony next door has gone and is looking all mournful about it. She obviously didn't think of that and I'm soooooo cross!!!
If she'd only said she was going, I wouldn't have worried about thinking her little pony was up on its own in a snowstorm, plus would have been a bit prepared to deal with mine missing it.
Grrrrghhhhhh!!!!
I've had some super people as liveries in the past and have never had to deal with anything like this!; tho' have learnt a few lessons for sure; for anyone coming in the future I shall introduce a rule that firstly all horses have to be out of the stable in the morning not later than a certain time; and secondly something about if they can't see to the horse themselves that whoever they nominate instead must be notified beforehand to the yard owner.
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