DIY livery not allowed any help?

[Indoorvoicesbluey]

We’ve been at a yard for around 8 months now. It’s a diy livery but usually everyone helps everyone apart from the owner and her daughter. Since our girl has been in over winter Iv been paying a woman £2 a day just to pop her out in the mornings as I struggle to get over at the time they all go out due to school run. The woman is lovely and also helps another woman bringing a horse in in the evening. She’s a god send.

today she’s been told off and told she’s not allowed to help us because it’s a diy yard. In the past the owner has said we could ask her for help but we’ve always felt we couldn’t.

So are we being unreasonable?

Does the yard owner charge for extras like turn in/out, rug changes etc? If she does then I could understand she might not want to miss out on extra cash or be undercut by someone else. There might also be an issue of someone ‘working’ at the yard who’s not insured?

When we were on DIY there were two freelancers who offered services, most people used them but not everyone. Those who didn’t want to pay were at liberty to help each other out but the rules were if you were paying you could only use the two ‘official’ freelancers.

No; they don’t offer it. Tbh they aren’t the friendliest so you wouldn’t feel comfortable asking for help lol.

Then the answer is to ask the YO to put your horse out and if she declines then ask her what she suggests you do if you can’t ask the original helper . Would she have the same issue if you were paying for an independent groom to come and turn out for you .

It sounds madness to me. Surely on a DIY basis the whole point is everyone helps each other out. No point everyone going twice a day when one person can do all horses am and the other pm. I would ask them what they expect you to do? What would happen if you were ill or unable to get there for any reason?

We don't pay each other on our diy yard for brining in or putting out or rug changes. We all just help each other. If someone is sick or goes on holiday then we employ a groom to come in and muck out. No restrictions on who we have though

I would guess it's probably insurance that's worrying the YO or something along those lines, the fact you are paying your fellow livery even a notional amount could mean she's technically acting as a freelance/self-employed groom and the yard's insurance probably doesn't cover that. And she could even be worried about tax/NI/employment issues. I know it sounds silly, arrangements like this are of course very common and in 99.9% of cases there's no issue but I guess the implications if the very worst thing should happen (a serious accident on the yard or similar) are quite big. A bit similar to how technically anyone looking after someone's else's child in their own home in exchange for money is technically operating as a childminder and ought to be regulated and registered with the council even if it's one mum helping out another for the price of a pizza takeaway or a bottle of wine later on, of course it doesn't stop people doing it all the time pragmatically speaking, but if it comes to the attention of a person in authority they would be obliged to give the technically 'correct' answer rather than the real world one.

I'm sure the yard owner doesn't mean that liveries aren't allowed to help one another out in a friendly/casual fashion (surely all DIY livery yards would collapse if no-one could ever touch one another's horses), it's almost certainly the paid element that's worrying her particularly as this lady is now doing the same for multiple 'clients'. I think I'd just ask your lady to keep quiet about that part in front of the YO and you should be grand, or alternatively it might actually be worth her getting insured as a proper self-employed groom...

No I don’t think it’s to do with insurance. Bevause she says why don’t we ask her for help, but as she stated it’s a diy. I think she’s more pissed that the woman’s getting paid. There’s been a few comments that are making me think we should move.

its my daughters horse (shes 15) and originally there was another 15 year old at the yard (everyone else much older with retired horses apart from the one who helps us). She was loaning and her pony went back to be sold so she’s currently looking to buy. They have became really good friends, have sleepovers etc and she comes to the yard to help muck out because she misses it. YO commented to her “are you even buying your own horse or just picking at other people’s”? Which I think was mean.

Move , everyone knows lots of horse people are a bit strange but she sounds nasty .

The YO wants to make any money that's going.

We moved! Best thing we’ve done. 2 other people moved around the same time.

heard they are still not allowing overnight turn out.

The new place is so friendly. Everyone waves and talks to you, my dd has made 5 friends with other teenagers and they go and stay at the yard for day. Go on hacks around all the fields and do gymkana (so?) in the school.

even adults go on hacks with her.

Pony seems happier too, she’s in love with the grey in next grazing.

Excellent news , it’s always a bit like jumping into the unknown when you move but it sounds like it’s worked out very well for you all .