Page 2 | Full livery rant

Horseyhound · 2022-01-05T19:38:56+00:00

As the title says. Does anyone have full livery that they are happy with? My gelding is on full livery in the south east, part of a large, wealthy estate and I am frequently turning up to find him with no water or hay. The land is due to be sold off for housing so possibly they have all given up but it’s basic animal welfare. Plus I get told off for daring to want to store my own shavings there as the beds are so bad. I can’t move yards, no spaces anywhere. Really just venting, very wealthy landowners, very poor care. I know they pay the staff badly too but no excuse. Grr.

Original poster

Horseyhound · 05/01/2022 20:33

@PaperDoves

That's awful. I don't know your interests, but would you consider a professional competition/training yard? It shouldn't be much more than you're paying now and (in my experience at least) they tend to provide higher standards of care than the full livery yards I've been on. Could just be my personal experience though.

I did enquire to one yesterday but no winter turnout at all, at least he gets four hours here. My dream would be for him to go on a track system but nothing near me like that. Poor horses, stuck in without even a haynet.

OP posts:

Original poster

Horseyhound · 05/01/2022 20:35

@Elieza

If you got ten owners together would they kick you all off? Thats £6k a month. Not to be sniffed at in this economy. Groups have power.

I don’t know the other liveries very well, I don’t know how they would feel. I know one was upset the other day as her horse got his treat ball taken away because of the noise. But she has been there for years.

OP posts:

AvocadoAndToast · 05/01/2022 20:40

www.liverylist.co.uk/yard/graveney-equine-track-and-rehabilitation-livery/

Contact this lady, she will help you out. She has an amazing track in Kent and even if too far from you she may know other options.

Original poster

Horseyhound · 05/01/2022 20:42

@AvocadoAndToast yes sadly too far but thank you I will still contact her tomorrow and see if she knows of anything.

OP posts:

PaperDoves · 05/01/2022 20:54

Remember if you don't need to go up multiple times a day to sort out your horse, you may be able to travel a bit further afield! Good luck, it's miserable not knowing if your horse is being cared for properly, and I hope you find something soon.

Original poster

Horseyhound · 05/01/2022 21:17

@PaperDoves

Remember if you don't need to go up multiple times a day to sort out your horse, you may be able to travel a bit further afield! Good luck, it's miserable not knowing if your horse is being cared for properly, and I hope you find something soon.

I know, upsets me so much, I feel permanently anxious and sick. You are right in that if I can trust the yard I will end up with more free time.

OP posts:

Iwouldratherbemuckingout · 05/01/2022 21:22

I have found there’ are always compromises with any livery yard but this isn’t acceptable- you are right, completely unacceptable to be leaving them so long without hay. Would moving to a DIY yard and paying for mobile livery work? This is what I do, it costs me as much as full livery did and it’s more work but I have complete control and it works very well for me.

ThePlumVan · 06/01/2022 23:59

I have a horse on full livery and still go to the yard nearly every day to redo water, top up hay, change rugs, and check he’s had shavings. I’m sick of moaning about it. If I don’t go I literally feel itchy all over, it really stresses me out.

When I put him there I thought it was the only livery yard around and I’ve made some nice friends and it does offer all year turnout (24//7 in summer) so it had its plus point. However now I’ve joined FB I see there’s lots of yards I didnt know about as they never advertise spaces so definitely put your feelers out x

Floralnomad · 07/01/2022 00:46

I’m in Kent with full livery that I’m happy with in the Tunstall/ Bredgar area .

RatherBeRiding · 07/01/2022 16:43

I'm in the north in a pretty rural county. I have one on full livery plus some others in privately rented fields. The full livery is bloody brilliant and I thank my lucky stars for it on a regular basis. Facilities decent and the care and attention is hard to fault. Plenty of turnout, specialist feed regime, never left without a haynet, late night checks when another haynet is chucked in. Don't have to worry about farrier, dentist, vet visits - you name it!

Yards like this do exist but maybe because if's fairly rural round here there are a lot of good yards compared to parts of the country where I know people struggle to find ANY livery, let alone decent livery.

arootintootingoodtime · 07/01/2022 17:03

I was on full livery at a yard, I used to go every morning as I start work late to ride in daylight. One day I went about half past seven at night and not a single horse had hay left! I went twice more at night to see, same. I was horrified at them and that I hadn't even thought to check. I was told they all got hay at 5 p.m. and if I wanted it to last longer I'd have to buy a small-holed net. I spent my remaining time (just a couple of weeks waiting for a space elsewhere) stopping by every evening without turning the lights on to add in hay. Insane. This was a place where they had all the latest and most expensive tack, rugs, lorries with pop-outs, 70x40 outdoor, indoor, gallop track, XC obstacles - and no blimmin hay!!!

I had a similar problem with no other local yards offering turnout but ended up in a retirement livery place 24/7 outside and a barn set up for winter. There were no facilities, but kept my stuff in the car and there was a school for hire five minutes down a quiet road (and I negotiated a flat-fee hire for the year). And the other owners were really pleased to have an extra person checking their ponies every day. Win win.

If you want me to do a post on HH asking about yards in your local area, feel free to PM your exact location/requirements and I'm happy to do the post "on behalf of a friend" so no need for a name change.

Original poster

Horseyhound · 07/01/2022 17:10

Really appreciate these messages, so thoroughly pissed off today- even more so about something.

OP posts:

Original poster

Horseyhound · 07/01/2022 17:11

@arootintootingoodtime

I was on full livery at a yard, I used to go every morning as I start work late to ride in daylight. One day I went about half past seven at night and not a single horse had hay left! I went twice more at night to see, same. I was horrified at them and that I hadn't even thought to check. I was told they all got hay at 5 p.m. and if I wanted it to last longer I'd have to buy a small-holed net. I spent my remaining time (just a couple of weeks waiting for a space elsewhere) stopping by every evening without turning the lights on to add in hay. Insane. This was a place where they had all the latest and most expensive tack, rugs, lorries with pop-outs, 70x40 outdoor, indoor, gallop track, XC obstacles - and no blimmin hay!!!

I had a similar problem with no other local yards offering turnout but ended up in a retirement livery place 24/7 outside and a barn set up for winter. There were no facilities, but kept my stuff in the car and there was a school for hire five minutes down a quiet road (and I negotiated a flat-fee hire for the year). And the other owners were really pleased to have an extra person checking their ponies every day. Win win.

If you want me to do a post on HH asking about yards in your local area, feel free to PM your exact location/requirements and I'm happy to do the post "on behalf of a friend" so no need for a name change.

That’s really kind, thank you. I set up a new account, so I could post location. It’s in tack room.

OP posts:

Original poster

Horseyhound · 07/01/2022 17:11

It was a bit ranty reading back…

OP posts:

CountryCob · 09/01/2022 17:11

Sorry to hear this, I think it is unusual but not that unusual sadly. The best full livery I have seen is usually where one person runs the yard, it’s their only place and they are very knowledgeable and care, if only for their reputation. Usually instructors too. I bought land separate from a house but nearby and twice I have had to leave yards for house building and that is only getting worse. Lots of expense and work and steep learning curve even though I have had horses for over 20 years but it is worth it for me and I am happy not to be caught up in yard politics or feel like an underling as not yard owner. I can buy in great hay got example and store it properly. For me that is such a nice thing after having very mixed experiences there. In my opinion once land is being built on or low paid staff are involved too much things will go downhill. I would go on waiting lists and look for other places to put your horse and in the meantime you are doing the best you can. I feel your pain, once I ended up moving three times in one year and where to put the horses has dominate the last 2/3 years and is only just settling down after a mad year of setting up for horses in a field. I think I will be properly set up by the end/ middle of next summer as a lot of jobs need to wait until then due to the weather. Best of luck

BertramLacey · 09/01/2022 19:57

I find the best liveries are small yards that don't advertise, that you find by word of mouth.

I chucked a load of hay in the other stables tonight as none of them had hay. They get a net for over night at 9pm. But this was at 4pm- too long to go without hay IMO.

Whilst it's not ideal, it's not unusual. Keeping some horses with access to hay 24/7 would result in them ballooning. I've known laminitics on diets prescribed by vets who do not have hay all the time. So I'd be a bit careful about haying other people's horses. If they've got specific dietary requirements it might not be as helpful as you think. I mean the yard sounds shit, but I would be aware of that aspect of things.

Russelhobskettle · 10/01/2022 14:20

Graveney Equine is a track livery if that's what you want. Horses live out on tracks and have access to a barn and other shelters. I'm not sure if they have an arena, and check the hacking. Why don't you post on Kent Equestrian Grapevine FB page? I've seen lots of nice looking liveries offering places recently.

Russelhobskettle · 10/01/2022 14:20

Or... get a friend to post on your behalf so you can't be identified!

languagelover96 · 13/01/2022 08:51

Try looking on the internet as it is a excellent source of information. www.liveryfinder.co.uk/. Lots of sound quality advice and tips on what to expect when searching high or low for a livery yard in Britain etc as well.

Recommended as a decent source of information and support for livery yard owners of all kinds. Best of luck and keep us updated on your yard search. Make notes and look around the entire place carefully too. You can find contact details of yards on the website, call or email a few in order to arrange a visit.

HighlandCowbag · 15/01/2022 13:41

I'm DIY on a medium sized yard, if I left my ponies without hay for 5 hours I would be insulted by the yard owner! And she would top my nets up for me and 'have a chat' about management. She's fab and it's not acceptable to be paying all that and not even the basics met.

Is your horse a greedy type? I use trickle nets and they double the amount of time it takes them to eat up, maybe that might help? If they are only putting hay in twice a day, my two would eat their rations within an hour.

SilkLabrador · 15/01/2022 22:23

I had the opposite on full livery, mine was over fed so I ended up having to pay them to ride her too!

But at the time I couldn't do DIY as I had a new poorly baby.

Ohshitiveturnedintomymother · 19/02/2022 11:25

Where in west Kent are you?

Isaacs in Bidborough
Bedgebury in Goudhurst
Bank Farm in Tudely

Are all good and offer full livery with much more turnout than you are getting

Original poster

HorseyHound · 14/03/2022 14:17

@Ohshitiveturnedintomymother apologies as only just seen your message. I am on one of the yards above that you mention. The others are either too far of have no space.

OP posts:

Original poster

HorseyHound · 14/03/2022 14:19

The care is not good, maybe used to be but definitely not now. They advertise as giving individual care but they don’t and the staff change in the last couple years has caused this. Management are defensive if you say anything so still looking to move.

OP posts: