UNGRATEFUL LIVERIES

[vibe]

i just cant believe how some people are... we look after a fair few full liveries,giving them all are undue care and attention come rain or shine...

take 2 of a liveries as an example...for starters!!!!

1 of them has a lamanitic pony...w keep a close eye on her 24/7,while her dippy owner is killing her with kindness and ova feeding it with both hard feed and hay...she cuts her keg,we are dressing it and walking her twice a day free of charge etc etc
what do we get when she leaves the yard......not even a card and barely a thank you


the other livery has a riggy througbred...speaks for itself alredy...
so we change all the fields around,so it cant ever see a mare...
then she gallops him through a barbed wire fence and tears his legs to shreads and yet again...we are there changing dressings,walking him,hand grazing him...having debates with the vets about keeping the bandages on for longer so he doesnt have proud flesh and be scarred for life...
and yep you guessed it....she left and with no good bye card....nothing

every horse we look after as our own,but it seems its never good enuf

is it soo hard to say thank you.....just a thanks,we dont need fancy gifts etc ( sometimes it would be nice )

a thank you goes a very long way x

[morwenstowstud]

How rude of them to just leave with no thank you. We have 3 in livery and we very much appreciate our livery owner. Ours are on DIY but she's lovely, so easy going, and if anything is 'wrong' she will do her utmost to put whatever it is right, although we have no reason to complain at all. I love the yard ours are on. I do have to say though that sometimes livery owners can be just as rude and unappreciating. Many yard owners take the attitude of 'it's my yard if you don't like it leave', which is horrible for liveries. Liveries like to feel they have a home for their horses, not just that they are renting space. We are lucky in that we feel very much at home in the yard we're on.

[chelle29]

thats awful, manners dont cost a thing and go a long way. we used to rent a field and stables off an ex pig farmer , whenever the fence got broke he would mend it asap, etc when we left[as we'd found a field nearer to home] we got him and his wife a bottle and a card to show our appriciation, he was sooo grateful.

[ponymum]

as the old saying goes, "manners cost nothing"....

[chocoholic]

It works both ways! I am very luckly to be in a fantastic yard now, but as for the owner of the old yard.......................
Going back to the orignal post by vibe, I wish all yard owners/managers were like you. Shame that you are obviously not appreciated!!!

[sicktodeath]

HUH tell me about it!

We thought we'd make it easy and restrict to just a couple of horses on livery, less people = less hassles. No it doesn't.
We found the one who has just grass livery using others stables when theyr at work, taking hay n haylege for the ponies and not paying or admitting to it (thiving IMO) and trying to get away without paying the right livery fees by pretending to ignore its due. Wuldnt mind but they pay a lot less than other yards, even if they did pay at proper times then some don't come to do the ponies until so late that everybody done it for them and it sets the dogs barking when they drive in the yard. Then they expect to use the fields for riding in when its up to knees in mud or moan like crazy if the arena isnt perfect. My dad is getting on a bit and he cant see that they are taking the p*** he trys to make it alright for them cos he feels sorry for them struggling.

Wont be going on much longer tho. ;D We dont need the agro and somebody offerd us loads for our extra land so we wont have enogh grass and space

[morwenstowstud]

Easiest way to avoid liveries not paying is make them pay by standing order. Our livery is paid weekly by standing order.

I couldn't be rude to our livery owner. Bless her, because we've had snow, first thing she said is, if you can't get here let me know what needs doingt and I'll do it. Tonight she took one of our ponies hoods off because her rug had slipped on the lycra, so bless her she unrugged her, took off lycra suit, then re rugged. Livery owners like that are one in a million.

[thecremellosociety]

sorry to say that some may not think so but i think our yard rules ( livery i am at) are fantastic and leave no room for error, run by a nice but firm gent,

All pay livery 10am sat morning without fail weekley not monthly, if cant be there pay friday night or leave !!!!

No feed to be kept at yard, bring it daily !!! No Stealing, or leave !!!!

Everything in lockers !!! Nothing to steal, leave it laying around and it will go in the bin

Do your tack room duty on the rota about once every 7 weeks, sweep mop, wipe and clean or leave !!!!!

Worm as per vet plan, wormers purchased for you and pay for them back and sign your box, ponies kept in 24 hrs after worming

Sweep up your mess

Leave muck heap tidy ( some need teaching !!!!!!)

Basic common sense, all hay & bedding delivered once a week, to be stored on lofts in stables, hence no stealing.

Simple maybe silly rules to some, cut out the stealing and money issues alot ofyards have and creates a good atosphere

[Georgie]

We are on a small private livery yard, about 8 of us, and they are brilliant with everyones ponies - treat them like their own!

There are rules; all feed together; never leave 1 pony in the field; keep your water in the field topped up; respect other people, other people's ponies and posessions, keep place tidy.

However, this is the only yard we've ever been on where it is safe to leave ANYTHING lying around (feed, tack,even money! My mom frequently leaves her hand bag in the tackroom with all her cards etc in, and it has never been touched!)

And yes we do appreciate the family that run it (and try to show our appreciation at xmas etc)!

I know a lot of people who move from yard to yard, looking for the impossible, we should remember nowhere is absolutely perfect, and it must be difficult to have to share your property with people whom you may not choose to under different circumstances! ( See it works both ways!)

[4emms]

Well, I have been a livery (never again), and now am lucky enough to have my own yard, so recently offered to help out a couple of PC mums when they were struggling to find somewhere.

I have to say that I don't really think it follows that people you consider to be friends would show as much respect as they would for a normal livery yard owner. I've had the helping themselves to my haylage bale because their delivery had been delayed, without repaying the vast quantities used (I don't mind helping out, but I think at least the offer to replace is fair). The comments about the fields being muddy -do you want all year grass livery or not? - and the hassle over the fees, which I thought were reasonable at £50 per calendar month for full turnout, access to water, concrete yard for grooming, secure private steel tack room, and the use of the manege. I'd only expect to be treated with respect and consideration, after all it's my personal sanctuary too, but the huffiness and feeling that you are walking on eggshells is really making it untenable.

Please tell me if you think I am out of order....

[Milliesmum]

I agree with OB. It's obviously not worth the hassle. Tell them your insurance renewal has just arrived and you can't afford it.

[morwenstowstud]

We have no 'rules' at all at the yard I'm on as such, thought we all sign an agreement when we go there. We just have thought, consideration and respect. I suppose with there only being to owners and the YO it's easier to work like this, and it all helps that we all know each other from around and about, though none of us are best buddies. I treat the yard as my own in that when I sweep up our mess, I sweep right through the stables. The owner doesn't have time, she runs a farm and works as well as running a B&B. We all keep an eye on each others horses. We don't interfere at all in what each other does. We don't 'borrow' things and we respect each others space.

It seems to work.

[hunter]

i run livery yard but only full liveries ,i just couldnt cope with people feeding at different times of the day upsetting all the others ,mine are all fed 4 times a day at the SAME time ,isome of you might think im over strict but all my liveries understand that when they bring there horses to me from the moment they arrive on the yard they are MINE !!! and are treated as such !! the owners have to fit around the horses routine not the other way round ! exercising is done in the mornings after mucking out then they are all turned out in individual turnout fields ,if the owners are ridding the next day they will tell me other wise it will be exercised accordingly and turned out ,no ridding after 11 am unless specially arranged ! And the list goes on !!! LOL i know i sound like a night mare but my yard revolves around the horses TOTALY !!

[morwenstowstud]

Crikey, do you make the owners salute as they come in the gate???

[Hunter123]

haha that made me laugh

[hottoddy]

Good for you hunter!! My way or the highway! My mum has a private yard with her horses, me and 2 other girls, me and mum end up doing more chores like brushing up etc but we generally all muck in together! They all get fed at the same time and who ever is there at feed times does them all!
The other morning one of the horses got cast so me and one of the girls had to unstick him at 6.30am!! Both went to work covered in s**t!! OK for her she is a vet! Didnt go down so well for me!

[flashthecash]

Hunter your so right. LOL call me old fashioned.. in my day when you had a pony/horse, you looked after them yourself. Is that not why you have one? thats all part of having an equine, the getting up early, mucking out, feeding etc.. in all weathers.. then going about your daily business, then back to see to them at night. I have had horses for over 40 yrs (yes I,m a sad old git) and not once have I had a horse on livery. I've always done my own.. and every other buggers who can't be bothered to get to the stables . I would never see one go without.

you always find on DIY yards that there is someone, who will not turn up Now for the past (14yrs) I lease my own yard.. and if I want a "livery" I can pick and choose. Like hunter says.. any horse on my yard is "MINE" and respect the fact! The last one I had, came as a skinny minny and left as fat as butter... well not that fat but looking very well.... local people didn't reconise the pony.. they just thought I'd bought a new pony

I haven't had another livery since... and don't intend too... unless I fall soft

[morwenstowstud]

No way would I put any of mine on a yard where someone else dictated when I could ride my horse. Fair enough with the feeding etc, although it doesn't cause any problems on our yard that we all come and go at different times, but to tell someone they have to make an appointment to ride their horse?? I find that a little too harsh. Not everyone can ride before 11am and not everyone would want to. I'd hate to miss out on lovely summer evening rides, and if anyone ever told me my horse was theirs my answer would be, when you pay the bills then you can tell me it's yours.

[stephjw1]

I have always been a DIYer and when I left my last yard as they couldnt offer all round turn out I bought presents and made them cry with a nice card, I go back to visit and would be welcome back, never burn your boats, they helped me for years if I was stuck.

[pinkgirly]

I wouldn't stand for bad manners, stealing, huffiness or having the feeling that I was walking on eggshells just MO & I would ask them to leave! I couldn't stand people ruining my tranquility
At one point I was really looking into getting a place of our own as a business, but have changed my mind as the hassle that goes with it really isn't worth it.
the last yard i was on was .......FANTASTIC ;D what a wonderful YO we had, she always helped out & when we were on holiday looked after our pony at no extra cost! of course I got her a card, flowers & chocolate & offered to help her if she ever needed it
but I also saw people take the p out of her or move yards & then call her rotten never understood why
was also on a professional jumping yard a few years ago, again they were wonderful & couldn't do enough for you. but they had strict rules that IMO are the best bet

[culcheth1]

Feb 4, 2009 9:47:54 GMT 4emms said:

Well, I have been a livery (never again), and now am lucky enough to have my own yard, so recently offered to help out a couple of PC mums when they were struggling to find somewhere.

I have to say that I don't really think it follows that people you consider to be friends would show as much respect as they would for a normal livery yard owner. I've had the helping themselves to my haylage bale because their delivery had been delayed, without repaying the vast quantities used (I don't mind helping out, but I think at least the offer to replace is fair). The comments about the fields being muddy -do you want all year grass livery or not? - and the hassle over the fees, which I thought were reasonable at £50 per calendar month for full turnout, access to water, concrete yard for grooming, secure private steel tack room, and the use of the manege. I'd only expect to be treated with respect and consideration, after all it's my personal sanctuary too, but the huffiness and feeling that you are walking on eggshells is really making it untenable.

Please tell me if you think I am out of order....

Have you spoken to them about it?

As you say you are friends - maybe it was all just a misunderstanding?

[matron]

Gosh reading all of this makes me appreciate our yard even more. I suppose I am lucky that I have my own small "square wing" of our yard. But we all muck in together, help each other out often without being asked its just being good friends. If there is anything we need to talk about we do, so no one has the huff or is upset. Our time is precious and we love being with out ponies so don't want to cut it down by having rows. No one takes anything without permission and if they did we all know that it would be replaced.

Appreciate each other time is short - take it from an "old witch who knows!"

Thank you and a smile are easier than a frown.

[fayeandash]

Iwish we didn't have to keep our ponies at livery, we haven't really had problems with the yard owners, it's the other liveries, my mum will do anything for anybody, in the past she has gone down to the yard early in the mornings (before work) to feed everybodys ponies, this was every morning not just a one off, she didn't have to do this for them, just thought it was silly everybody going down really early when she would be there feeding our ponies anyway, but one morning due to circumstances beyond her control she was late - 9.30am instead of the usual 7am, and some of the liveries were at the yard, and had the cheek to moan about their ponies not getting fed! she would also skip some out in an afternoon if she was hanging round waiting for deliveries/vet/farrier, but these people didn't even say thank you, they just moaned when things didn't get done for them, they never thought to return the favour, we moved just after christmas as all the other liveries organised between themselves to do a rota over the christmas period, they never even thought to include my mum, and it may seem petty, but that was the final straw, we are now at a nice yard and keep ourselves to ourselves and its much easier.

[tesstkat]

im a d.i.y livery on a small yard with 14 horses and have been there for 4 years our yo has rules but she is fab and luv her to bits me and my mum share our horse and were all so happy we have claimed squatters rites but you alway have 1 bad apple but were lucky and know what this livery is like so its not too bad but i hate it when its the person you least expect and they up and leave with not a nice word to say and back stab when all the yo has done is help

[jemsyd]

I know im a liverie, but on our yard there's 3 people that have just left but whilst they were at our yard they never paid the rent and £400 is 2 weeks wages! so the yard manager is taking her to court, they also took my new riding hat with them, and i had to look after all 4 of her horses whilst she was at our yard as well as my own! and what do i get! b*gger all! she owes farriers +vets+stud bills etc etc money, best thing about the horsey community is that it's very close knit so if one person knows everybody knows soo it's going to be very difficult to get a farrier,vet and if she moves from her new yard now well let's just say all the livery yards and private farms which hold stables, it's going to be very hard for her!! and the other 2 that came with her!! The girl that left with her though now has my role in lookin after all 4 horses to! it's very tiring as you can imagine i had to balance my gsce's, job etc and im only 15. i know people do it all the time but hey xxxx

[ponypal]

Tell you what really sucks them snotty rich girls what b**ch about the YO behind the backs but are dead nicey nicey to ther face. an they always get everythin they want while us what keep out of it end up with the worst turnout or not alloud in the school or rotten hay.

God I wish I had my own yard

[sophieandcallum]

It is VERY rare to find a nice friendly yard, at the moment I am at a yard which is not fancy and very rough and ready, for the same price I could be at a totally concreted yard with lovely offroad hacking a huge indoor school and outdoor school, shows held there most weekends. Why aren't I there? Because of the man who owns it! Why is the yard I'm at full and his only 6 horses out of 30 stables? when they are 1 mile from each other? Again terrible nasty yard owner!

I think people take it for granted when they have a lovely yard owner such as yourself vibe!

My yard owner isn't great but has never been nasty although have had a few problems about her thinking she knows best for MY pony . We are currently looking to move so I can keep my boy at home, it is sad that so many people are like this nowadays...and how a nice friendly livery yard isn't appriciated when one excists! Which around here I don't think it does

[disgruntled YO]

I am a YO (for my sins) and can tell you that it isn't always money for old rope as some think.

We run a small friendly yard, with turnout all year, including all through winter, provide unlimited access to a proper menege, water and allow buying in all your own feed and bedding (we arent money grabbing) yet still get called rotten by some who think it never gets back to me. We've been called on forums, had the silent treatment, insults beyond comprehension and completely undeserved, or nasty comments out of spite because plans had been thwarted or they were found out breaking yard rules.
The manipulative behaviour of ones who try to ensure their animal gets the best of everything, to the detriment of everyone and everything else, and then play innocent when challenged. Its no joke when they use paddocks that are resting or leave the yard untidy or don't even bother to show up for days on end. Last summer was a joke, one horse was basically abandoned in the fields for three weeks when the owner went on holiday, she couldn't even tell us that she was going away. If we hadn't checked regularly nobody would have seen when it got its back leg stuck through the fillet string.

Sophieand Callum, I wonder if the YO who is a nasty man has turned out like that because of the way he has been treated?

[4emms]

Well, that's about right with livery yards...

I think any yard has to be run on a completely 'I couldn't give a toss what you think, it's my way or the highway' attitude or nobody's ever happy. Just watch how cynical and hard any YO becomes after a short while.

Some liveries spend their time moaning about the others in order to be 'teacher's pet' or constantly trying to wrangle something extra or free. Even worse when there are Yard Managers as well as Yard Owners, there's always resentment and bi*ching or lies and the YO ends up being in the wrong whatever.

More than half dozen on any yard and someone will 'lose' something or it will be borrowed or broken and all hell lets loose, as nobody owns up. Fields get churned up so there's no grass or someone else books the school when you want a lesson, so even more complaints. Then there's those who do a moonlight flit thinking that the scheme will go unnoticed. The owner invariably ends up either telling everyone "tough" or trying to resolve the arguments. Either way he is then going to be the one they all turn against. In my years on livery I've seen arguments over tidying the muck heap, heated debate over care routines or standards and even petty thngs such as using the water tap at an 'inconvenient' moment can cause disputes.

It's no picnic. I wouldn't want to do it for the money you get. Maybe a few years ago it was quite lucrative, but now insurance premiums, health and safety and the hours involved in maintenance etc mean it doesn't pay.

I'm surprised there are still so many considering diversifying

[freya]

Ive lost faith in peeps due to liveries im sorry to say.

We have had one good one and she is a friend-she has been with us for approx 16 years in total. They arent money people but they look after their pony great and treat the yard as if it were their own...and respect it...and never misses a payment.

Ive seen too much bad manners, lack of respect for other peeps property and disgusting treatment of ponies (and that certainly was not tolerated) to put me off ever wanting one again.

Its a shame because i know there are lovely people out there but unfortunately the bad ones outnumber.