YOs - "opening times"?

[Chex]

Now I think I'm being a bit selfish here, but would you expect your YO to be available pretty much all the time?

I rarely bother the YO, but have to go to the door when there's no haylage, problem with stables, find out about worming, loose cows, sheep etc. But now YO is saying they don't want anyone to come to the door outwith "office hours", which is monday to friday (not sure what times). Now I totally respect that they want privacy, but its not like I'm going to the door just for the hell of it! And its not like there's a notice board that I can leave a message for them or anything. I'm up before they're up in the mornings, and up late in the evenings so rarely see them about the yard. Its only a small yard with a few liveries so not like there's people at the door all the time. I've resorted to texting YO when there's a problem, just seems a bit crazy!

Is this normal? My last YO was always on the yard, so it was easy to ask for anything we needed. Can't help but feel if you want a run a yard, you need to be around to sort the problems out?

 

[JessPickle]

Our YO lives in a caravan on the yard, if we want them we have to shout over the fence if we go in you get mauled by a guard dog!! allthough they wouldnt say not to bother them in those times if there was a reason. Allthough for smaller issues we are told to write them in the book left in the feed room which is checked when they next come out

 

[Enfys]

Hmm, awkward.
My boarders come and go as they please, if I see them I pop my head out and ask if everything is OK, but they don't have to do anything, I look after the horses as my own and simply charge them as and when for de-worming/farrier etc.

Perhaps you could ask if it was OK if you put up a notice/chalk board on the yard so that she (YO) could let people know what was going on without having to chase around after everyone individually and so that you are not disturbing her.

I'm surprised you don't have one, we had a huge one at my last yard and it was so convenient to leave messages/info/even rants (Fork muck FORWARDS

usually) on it. So much better than bits of paper pinned to doors.

 

[evsj]

I'm sure that some people forget to respect the YO right to a life of their own but having said that, if YO advertise their livery with 'owners on site' or '24 hour supervision' then they should be available in times of need.

Office hours is a bit restrictive as most people who keep their horse on livery aren't able to be there for them during these times.

 

[RunToEarth]

We used to have our a stables as a small livery hours and I really understand where your YO comes from. One of our liveries was just like you- only bothered us when needs be, which is great, but im afraid there is always one muppet to ruin it. We had one livery come home from comps at 11pm at night and start messing about with horses, setting guard dogs off, wandering in the house for warm water (WTF, would people do this on a 40horse yard???) want chats with coffee etc and she ruined it for the other 4 girls who were just lovely.

 

[Tia]

I have a huge noticeboard ..... I am the only one who ever writes on it ..... and to be honest I don't think half of my boarders ever read it ..... hence one in particular coming to my door almost every night and if that doesn't happen then often I receive a phone call at around 10.30pm. This person has no qualms about coming in when we have guests and at weekends.

Frigging rude if you ask me.

 

[Chex]

Yeah, a notice board would be good - if they looked at it

To be fair, its not been a livery long, so I guess these are just teething problems that need to be sorted out. Can't help but feeling a bit snubbed, when generally I only bother them to help them! Think its maybe the change from going from a super-involved YO at my last yard!

 

[Chex]

I'm wondering if one of the liveries has been like this, going to the door all the time for chats, hence the new rules. Only takes one to ruin it I guess!

 

[Madam_max]

I don't see a problem with it to be honest. My yard manager doesn't live on site, so I can't ask. Never found anything that pressing I need to speak to her about that can't wait or I can't deal with. At my first yard you weren't allowed to knock the door.

 

[djb]

I used to be on a yard like that - there would be no haylage, YO wouldn't answer his phone or texts. Then he would turn up ranting and raving that we had disturbed him by wanting to feed our horses overnight!

Now I'm at someone's private house so I try not to bother her unless I need something as it is her house - she's much more accomadating though - there's always hay!

 

[measles]

We have a pad of small sheets of paper and a pen where liveries can leave me a note, or they can text me but if it's too late, say after 9.30pm, I don't guarantee to get back to them taht day. Our noticeboard is for me to pin notes to that are for everyone and for liveries to leave general notes for all to see. However, I police the board carefully or, from time to time when I've one of "those" characters on the yard, I'd find all sorts of unreasonable things there for all to see..

Think office hours is unreasonable but something like 8am - 8pm isn't if that covers the times when all customers (and like it or not they are customers) are up.

My pet hate is liveries leaving for shows at 5.30am without letting us know in advance they'll be up early - we jump out of bed thinking someone is stealing a lorry etc etc then find it's just someone going jumping or to an event. We don't have opening times on yard but to let us know isn't much to ask, is it?

 

[Chex]

See I agree thats rude, and totally not on. I maybe go to the door once a week. Although if they made sure haylage and straw was left out, and kept their stock from escaping I wouldn't have to go to the door ever! Apart from to put the livery money through the door once a month

 

[Gingernags]

Its fair enough not to disturb them if possible, but if you are paying for livery including haylage and here is none when you get there, of course you'll have to go and ask for some.

If you choose to be in that business, there are things you will have to expect being "disturbed" for. Especially if your clients work office hours!

YO needs to be a bit more organised and a bit more flexible if you ask me, though it does smack of someone taking the wee wee.

 

[evsj]

[ QUOTE ]
I used to be on a yard like that - there would be no haylage, YO wouldn't answer his phone or texts. Then he would turn up ranting and raving that we had disturbed him by wanting to feed our horses overnight!

Now I'm at someone's private house so I try not to bother her unless I need something as it is her house - she's much more accomadating though - there's always hay!

[/ QUOTE ]

This happens at my yard too - I get there just after 6pm (not really that late, is it?) and all the hay has been used up leaving me the option of climbing around in pitch-black barn to find some for my horse or phoning YO to ask if I can use some of her soaked stuff. YO doesn't rant or rave but doesn't seem to recognise that some of us have to go out to work either.

I'm moving to a private yard soon so this won't be a problem for much longer!

 

[Chex]

Yeah, thats what happens at mine, except the haylage is along the road and needs to be moved with a tractor! I am partly guilty because I'm not up until about 8 in the evenings, but if I come up early then I have to hang aroung while Chex stable mate eats her tea, which takes about an hour

I generally only went and saw them at the weekends, as thats the only days I am up at a reasonable time, which again is my fault I guess. But thene they're not around during the day either!

 

[JustKickOn]

why not buy a cheap notice board and put it up somewhere, feed room or tach room. and then people can leave messages for each other and the YO can monitor it??

if you have a problem, surely the YO won't mind you knocking on the door?

 

[emma69]

Yes, they do it on 40+ horse yards too.... I'd often find the kettle missing because someone needed hot water to poultice / clean wounds.

 

[Rachel_M]

The customer is always right

TBH I think that the YO is taking the wee wee as well.

They're a YO of a livery for horses and I assume that they are experienced horsepeople. Anyone who opens a livery must recognise that not all people can come down to the yard 9-5 ( Us mere mortals have to work those times) and when it is contracted for them to supply hay, etc then should be open to the idea that the customer has the right to request more for thier horse if the YO has failed to gauge how much was needed.


Tell them by text that they will have to provide alternate ways of contacting them before telling you that you can not knock for them.

 

[Tia]

The thing is, here on my yard all the horses are fed, hayed and are fully cared for by me, so there really isn't much that they need me for. This person just likes to tell me about his riding etc.......waffles on for hours.....and stops me from getting on.

I hasten to add, all my other liveries are very respectful and I think they are great!! THEY are the ones I invite in for coffee and a chat, although admittedly most of my liveries live a long way away so only courteous to offer them refreshment and a break from their journey.

"There's always one though" this seems to be a trademark at all yards.

 

[airedale]

could YO being having problems with her/his OH - and is 'shutting out' the customers to keep her/his relationship intact ? Benefit of the doubt here

otherwise you are lucky to be allowed onto yard outside of yard opening hours TBH

yard opening hours are/should be just that - the hours the yard is open. OUtside those times the yard, tackroom, barns, accesspoints, etc should ALL be locked down and secured - to prevent thieves getting in and horses being let out.

I think the YO is good to allow you up and about at what appears to be 'all hours'.

If I had a horse there I'd object as horses should have certain hours of rest and quiet in their stables - typically from 8pm to 7am - and the yard shut and quiet during those hours.

 

[Chex]

The new opening hours are 6am to 9pm, and I'm usually away by 9 unless there's some sort of problem. The farmers checks on the cows after that, but there's no locks or anything, hoping the security will improve!

Thanks for all your opinions, good to get views from people that run yards, and those that are on yards that are organised and well run!

 

[amandaco2]

i hate opening times.i always ask if they have any and dont like to go there if they do.
but can see how if Yo lives there they would get fed up of being asked stuff at the time by people.
im sure she would cover anyone in an emergancy.

 

[Chex]

Its annoying because when I moved up there, there were no opening times, its just a new thing they've started ( I think its more for potential liverues, than the ones thay already have) It could be worse though, at my old yard horses had to be in before it was dark which was a nightmare!

 

[Acolyte]

Our YO advertises "24 hour supervision" then states the yard is only open between 6.30am and 11pm. TBH she is OK if you go up earlier than that (which I do) as generally she doesn't realise cos she is still in bed asleep!

I wouldn't dream of disturbing her after about 7pm, but then we have our own supplies of hay/bedding/feed etc so am never short of anything like that. I think saying not outside office hours is taking the p**s as many horse owners work for a living so can only do their horses outside office hours!

We do have a whiteboard where YO leaves numerous lengthy messages for us, and we leave nice succinct messages for her

 

[leanne123]

our yo has a cabin kichen and even a lounge with tv all of us know that is the only place to go to see him but he stays in there all day (out of way of mrs). all his family/ friends go there to see him and once the gates or locked and all horses done he goes back up to the house this is the way hes always been even before taking on liverys.
weve got cctv linked up to both cabin and house so he checks that, its like horsey BB.

he is by far the best yo i've had.

 

[fizz-tally]

our yo is fab,he is always about doing the sheep etc anyway & comes into the tack room for morning coffee so any probs & we just say then,he has no problem with us popping over to ask for hay/water etc

 

[emma69]

I think there is a difference between 24 hour supervision and being 'open'. I lived on site when my boss went on holidays so that there would be someone there overnight and it isn't a nice experience to have to jump out of bed running to the stables, torch in hand at 3am because you can hear horses hooves and think someone has escaped - only to find that someone had come down to do the horse because 'they couldn't sleep'... Not having people on the yard while you are normally asleep (as in this case) sounds perfectly reasonable, as it means if you do hear hooves, engines etc you know something is amiss.

We had a few rules that liveries seemed happy to abide by - messages for the next day (leave horse in, new rug, change of feed etc) went on the notice board, which is the first thing the staff checked in the morning. Requests for things went in the office (farrier visit etc) Only in emergencies (need a vet, horses escaped) would people bother staff on site by knocking on the door (but heaven help us if we were on the yard after our work hours !!!!)

We had a couple of liveries who were very early risers (on the yard by 5.30) and the rule was if they were feeding their horses, they had to feed the others on their yard (not the whole yard, just their particular 'bit' where the horses could see each other) Generally tho, they rode, mucked out etc, and then helped one of the staff feed when they came down at the start of work hours.

I would establish things with the YO such as if there is no hayledge, where you can get it from etc, or ask her to ensure that when she does her evening checks before shutting up shop, that there are enough supplies for everyone until the next day.

 

[Weezy]

We can come and go whenever we want BUT there is an alarm on the gate that goes off at the YOs house anytime between 11pm and 6am for security reasons - however if you climb over the gate then that wouldnt go off LOL One person is always at the yard at around 5am but she doesnt open the gate or open the tackroom (also alarmed) - wrks for us!

 

[madgirl]

YO lives there can go anytime !

 

[Tia]

BTW I don't have opening or closing times, however I do ask that if someone is going off somewhere with their horse either early in the morning or late at night can they please let me know.

I am perfectly happy for my liveries to turn up whenever they like - I just don't want to them to have me at their beck and call 24 hours a day. Their horses are all fed, watered and everything is done by me therefore there generally isn't much that they need to see me for.

I personally couldn't keep my horse at a yard which had opening and closing times.