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The tack room

Discuss horse riding and ownership on our Horse forum.

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Original poster

Full livery and lockdown.

43 replies

Snoringmouse · 09/02/2021 15:55

What rules do other people have from the yard owners at the moment?
I must admit to getting fed up with the rules at ours particularly as my mare is often to be found without hay and being kept in 24/7 due to bad weather.

I was told off for visiting more than once today despite no one telling me this was even a rule before now.

Her stable is disgusting and I went in to clear it out rather than say anything as the manager just gets defensive.

I am paying £600 pcm if that is relevant, we get one bag of sawdust a week, it’s a big yard in the SE.

OP posts:

LockdownIsDragging · 10/02/2021 17:02

I guess a lot of people are completely unable to take part in their chosen sport/activity so even reduced at least we are getting our fix.

NoProblem123 · 11/02/2021 08:06

My full livery is also 1 shavings per week which is nowhere near enough. I use to buy an extra 2 or 3 per week to maintain a good bed but in the summer I invested in a mattress rubber floor. I also insist on 24/7 turnout during the summer months to ‘stockpile’ my free bale a week (not literally just keep a note of the dates) to help when he comes back in.

Hay is ad-lib though so get a couple of jumbo nets - I wouldn’t compromise on this.

In terms of visits, he’s full livery so I’ve stayed away altogether as it’s an unnecessary risk, partly because everyone seems to carry on like COVID doesn’t affect horse owners

Floralnomad · 11/02/2021 13:42

@NoProblem123 , I think most people in full livery would still want to visit to ride . The yard where we keep our pony now ( full livery) is the first place I’ve felt comfortable to not visit and know that she is being well looked after in a manner that I’m happy with . I am very picky and we’ve used a few places over the years with our various horses / ponies .

NoProblem123 · 11/02/2021 14:26

@Floralnomad my yard started off quite strict with lockdown rules well adhered to, but over the winter it seems to have really slackened off, with lots of owners seeing it as an opportunity to get their whole family out in the fresh air for half a day.
I know people are getting fatigued with everything so I’m just using it as a opportunity to give the horse a holiday until the weather improves !

NotPaloma · 12/02/2021 15:33

Well some of us have horses on vet prescribed rehab exercise plans. I'd love to have the winter off!

countrygirl99 · 12/02/2021 15:40

Get a friend to post on Facebook for you. I've done that for a friend who didn't want to alert her yard owner. Said I was asking for a friend not on Facebook. I did tell my own YO what it was about so she didn't think it was me looking.

Mysa74 · 20/02/2021 07:49

@Snoringmouse

I can’t risk asking on Facebook as it would be seen by the manager/other liveries. I am supplementing the shavings by buying my own but wondered if I was being fussy so it’s good to hear what other people think.

Spurred on by this thread I have emailed a couple of places which are quite a distance but I have heard good things about. They are full but will let me know when they get a vacancy.

How about using the séarch facility to find past threads in your local FB horse group? I know people are always asking for suggestions on all 3 of mine. (I liblve on county boarders). That might give you ideas and you could message any possible places directly?

Mysa74 · 20/02/2021 07:51

I second the idea of your own groom and DIY livery by the way. I'm in Essex and it works out cheaper than full where I am.

winterw · 21/02/2021 06:59

I've never been on Full Livery but I used to work on a livery yard a few years back and I have my own horses on wood chip and pellets.
It depends how messy or dirty your horse is but I'd say one bale a week is not enough I also find mares a bit wetter than geldings so another 1 or 2 to top up a week like i said depending how bad !
I would definitely not be happy with one bale a week I would be moving my horse

Slippersandacuppa · 16/03/2021 22:23

I feel your pain. I have two horses on livery at a local riding school (that we moved to because we were told they could be out a lot and it was great apart from that, except that it isn’t). The riding school ponies have a tiny area at the back of their stables with soaking wet shavings. Only poo removed, if we help with the mucking out, we’re told off if we take any shavings out. I supply my own bedding now and they have big dry beds. I know they think I’m nuts. As for turnout...it’s been limited since about November but for the last few weeks they’ve had none. So they go out in the arena when they’re being mucked out in the morning then whatever I manage to get them out for when I go up. I have been so sad thinking of them in (often with no hay. Today I wondered why my big boy wasn’t eating and saw that it was just a bit lump of mould). No seeking behaviour :( I have finally found an alternative but haven’t worked up the guts to tell the YO...we have to advocate for them. My little one followed me back into his stable (for another 23 hours) like a little lamb with no complaints and it made me feel terrible. I am not okay with them living like this. We will be moving to a barefoot track system where they will live out all year and have actual choices! Good luck

Dobbyafreeelf · 16/03/2021 22:49

I really really don't understand why people think it's remotely ok keeping horses stabled - at all let alone 24/7. Why is it ok to keep them in a space appropriately the size of the average bathroom??? We protest about battery chickens, call it cruel to keep dogs in crates. But somehow it's ok to keep large prey animals in proportionally smaller spaces. They are prey animals they should be out with other horses behaving normally. They are not robots to be pulled out at our lessors. If you think stabling a horse is ok frankly you shouldn't have horses! 😡

Dobbyafreeelf · 16/03/2021 22:50

Leisure not lessors!

Slippersandacuppa · 17/03/2021 02:34

Dobby I couldn’t agree more. In this case, there are too many horses for the land and money is the main factor, which I understand but this place is teaching dozens of youngsters how to view their horses. One of my dreams is to set up an alternative to the pony club, which is horse-focused. Children would learn to understand their ponies’ behaviour, look after them in as natural a way as possible and try to find answers for what is happening. They would learn about the importance of trickle feeding (not just, ‘feed little and often’), herd behaviour and constant opportunity to move. At the moment, they’re going to grow up thinking this traditional way of living is okay. And don’t get me started on the horrors of quick/cheap shoeing...

The attitude here is very much that I’m not the expert and perhaps a little (lot) soft.

Dobbyafreeelf · 17/03/2021 12:23

@Slippersandacuppa the silly thing is in my opinion it doesn't need a lot of land to set up something considerably better for the horses.
My friend keeps 12 on 4&1/2 acres. It's a combination of open barns, (like how we house cattle in the winter) yard space, a sand paddock and farm tracks. The horses a fed a primarily hay based diet.
It doesn't have to mean muddy fields and trashed ground. There are so many ideas and many of them don't cost the earth either.

I really like you idea of the alternative to pony club!

LockdownIsDragging · 17/03/2021 14:46

I totally agree with the need for an alternative to the pony club. Ours care far more about polished boots and bandaged tails than keeping horses happy by allowing them to live naturally.

Slippersandacuppa · 17/03/2021 16:05

Yep. It’s all wrong - emphasis on the wrong bits. I was asked if I was going to pull my horse’s mane today as he was looking a bit scruffy. She likes hogged manes. I nearly replied that I was pretty sure he couldn’t care less how long it is but was probably more upset about being stuck in all day...

NoProblem123 · 17/03/2021 16:49

Completely agree - I must be the only one on full livery who wants 24/7 turnout !
Unfortunately I also like a clean, polished horse and it’s led to a generally exasperated and disappointed life 😔

SansaSnark · 20/03/2021 08:13

[quote Dobbyafreeelf]@Slippersandacuppa the silly thing is in my opinion it doesn't need a lot of land to set up something considerably better for the horses.
My friend keeps 12 on 4&1/2 acres. It's a combination of open barns, (like how we house cattle in the winter) yard space, a sand paddock and farm tracks. The horses a fed a primarily hay based diet.
It doesn't have to mean muddy fields and trashed ground. There are so many ideas and many of them don't cost the earth either.

I really like you idea of the alternative to pony club! [/quote]
See, there are lot of people who wouldn't think this was acceptable either and a fully hay based diet is not great for all horses.

I am not a fan of horses being in 24/7 for long periods but for the odd day with exercise and time on a walker I think it is OK, and certainly preferable to them injuring themselves walking up icy roads to fields etc.

There's lots of ways to keep horses, most of them are imperfect, but your way is very rarely the only right way.

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