If you pay for help

[Springersrock]

do you, by and large, expect them to do as asked?

We have 2 horses, one of which is retired due to arthritis

We have a helper at our yard, we pay him to give them their breakfast and turn them out. We go up after work to muck out/bring them in, DD rides, etc. Once it starts getting dark earlier, we’ll swap round.

DH and I work full time, it’s a massive help and it saves us going up twice a day and I am very grateful.

He also looks after someone else’s horses at our yard. Their horses share a field with ours and one of them has bonded with our retiree. Ours isn’t bothered at all if they’re separated, but theirs kicks right off.

The other person has her horses brought in a lot earlier than ours and doesn’t like putting her horses out if it’s raining, if they’re out when it starts raining, she gets the helper to bring them in.

As one of her horses kicks off when it’s separated from our retiree, the helper has started bringing ours in as well.

I really don’t want ours left in or brought in that early. They don’t melt in the rain, there’s plenty of natural shelter in the field and our retiree needs to be out as much as she possibly can. There’ll be time soon enough when the weather will be horrendous and a duvet day is required, I really don’t want them brought in due to a bit of rain.

I had a gentle word last week and all was ok for a couple of days. Then on Saturday morning I got a message to say he’d brought them back in as it was raining - it was a passing shower in an otherwise pretty nice day, so I very nicely asked him to put them back out again.

This is all presented as he’s doing me a massive favour bringing my horses for me in so now I’m obviously persona non grata in our barn and he’s all offended.

I don’t want my horses’ management dictated by someone else’s schedule. Our retiree is doing pretty well at the moment, I don’t want her standing in her stable just because someone else’s horse kicks off if it’s separated from her. In the nicest possible way, it’s not my problem. If they asked us if our retiree could keep the other pony company as it had farrier or something, then not a problem, but not as long term thing. I’ve offered to bring the other pony in with ours if they want to leave it out but they want all of theirs brought in together.

[LG93]

I'd be annoyed too. Maybe reiterate that you appreciate he thinks he's doing you a favour but she gets stiff stood in and needs to be out at much as possible so please don't bring her in unless asked by you? I would also be a bit worried when you swap ends of the day he'll be bringing in early to suit the other horse - I had a similar issue on my last yard with my horse being put to bed at the end of the day at 3pm in winter as she wanted to get done before dark, and I couldn't swap ends due to distance and my dd's bedtime. We've moved closer to home so it's not an issue anymore!

Don't worry too much about losing the help, not sure where you are but if it's anything like round here there are freelance grooms 10 to the dozen who would feed and turn out/in as needed!

[Springersrock]

I will have to have words again.

It’s all “you’re throwing his favour back in his face” when it’s not a favour as I don’t want him to bring them in in the first bloody place.

It’s a PITA, we don’t really have a tie up area so we either have to turn them back out and bring them back in again, or muck out round them.

Plus, I don’t want my retiree standing in longer than she needs to as she stiffens up. She’s doing really well at the moment - absolutely full of beans so I don’t want her in.

He a lovely bloke, I really appreciate his help and I don’t want to upset him in the slightest but it’s pissing me off.

Unfortunately there isn’t another field.

[Pleasedontdothat]

That would infuriate me! DD’s horse is on an assisted DIY yard with two freelance grooms who arrange the work between them. We usually get dhorse turned out or brought in depending on our schedule so we only have to go up once a day. They do exactly what you ask them to and I would be really annoyed if they didn’t. There is a yard rule that no horse is to be left out on its own so if you go up to the field and your horse is there with only one other companion you’re obliged to bring them both in (having said that, our horse was on his own in the field yesterday because of a mix up and being the dude that he is wasn’t bothered at all ..)

I think you’re going to have to have a less gentle word with both the helper and the owner of the other horses. Is there another field yours could go in?

[Springersrock]

Sorry, posted too soon

I don’t want to lose his help, as it does make our life a million times easier, but at the same time it’s pissing me off.