Going from DIY to full livery

[OldSpeclkledHen]

Am I nuts? I've had horses for 25 years, always DIY...
An opportunity has arisen to put my girl on full grass livery (same village as home) .... am I mad to take it?

She's pretty much retired. I can visit whenever I want.

I feel so old (I'm not technically but I feel it! And the mud last year made me want to give up)

Who's done it... and how did you feel relinquishing control?

Tia

Full grass livery wouldn’t require much of a mindset change I wouldn’t have thought - presumably it covers daily checks, feeds if needed, rug changes if you use them and poo-picking so if it’s affordable and convenient for you then why not? I don’t think horses have any closer a bond with the person that shovels their shit 😉

I agree with @Pleasedontdothat that full grass livery is totally different to actual full livery and shouldn’t be an issue at all . We put our 3 horses onto full livery when I had my first difficult pregnancy and frankly I didn’t relinquish much control , either myself , my mother or my sister visited every day to check that all was well - it often was not . All of those horses are long deceased and the pony we own now is on a lovely yard that belongs to a long term friend and I feel absolutely no compulsion to go up at all ,( pony is 31 and retired ) .

Thanks both!

I guess you're right, I just feel wierd as the lady will sort the farrier, feed and rug changes, also the wormers

I think it's the farrier part that worries me most ...

Can but try I guess 🙂

"Relinquishing control" implies that you will not have say at all in what happens to your horse, which simply is not the case. I have 2 on full livery at a yard local to my home. I attend daily (even though I don't really need to do so) and have full say in which farrier is used, what they are fed etc. If you go for the new arrangement, discuss everything with the person in charge and ensure that know who/what etc you want for your horse. Good luck ......

@NagathaCrispy it’s less about feed and farriers and more about how the beds are laid and turnout time in my experience and finding people who don’t say one thing to your face and then do something different when you aren’t there .

My retired purebred Crabbet Arabian gelding is on a private yard owned and run by his breeder. He's on full livery and it's absolutely perfect for him. The staff are excellent and very calm if he has one of his "shan't/won't/can't " tantrums, running around screaming and doing acrobatics. They go and catch the others and then get him. His feed and hay ration are managed according to his body weight and the prevailing weather and turnout. I go and see him twice a week. If the yard have any concerns about his welfare, they contact me immediately. It costs a fortune, but he's worth every penny. I'm 79, and he will be my last horse. I started riding (on a seaside donkey), when I was two years old and didn't stop until last year when M E messed up my balance.