to move livery yard or not?

[melissa1787]

I am unsure if i should move yards?
I have been thinking about it for some months now.
But am unsure as there are good points and bad about where i am.
Good Things,

2 menages and nice ppl.
friends.
good hacking.

Bad things,

Owner (husband) is nice but over picky on cleanliness.
Tells you off all the time for not getting one blade of hay or straw up if it is yours or not.
Everything is not good enough for him.
You get it in the neck if it is your mess or not.
Cannot muck out without being told to tidy up.
Tack room has to be locked after you but he tells you to lock it before you have finished.
Tells you to clean up after someone else who has used menage.

Worst is he shouts at you if you defend yourself and says "it is yours and you know it, come on clean up now"

I've had it with him.

Would you move or not.
It is cheap there and good facilities and well kept, apart from going ott (above).

Advice please.

[2 bays & a grey:D]

Well, I think your cons out weigh your pros . You are clearly not happy. I have been having the same dilemma and have made the decision to move (in fact put a deposit on a yard yesterday . My current yard has good facilities and hacking but the cons far out weigh the pros.
My horses do not get enough turnout, I asked them today if they went out and her reply as to why they don't go out that they don't want it to be their responsibility if something happens to the horses as it is slippy and if they run around and hurt themselves they would be responsible- hello- you run a yard so your responsibility to have the capabilities to manage horses!!! I understand if it is dangerous to take them but it isn't, more like they can't be bothered. Plus, if they are going out regularly they won't feel the need to run. I put them out at the weekend and 1st day went mad, 2nd day calm as anything. That is just one of my bug bears, so because my bug bears out weigh the things I like I am moving.
Hope this helps- I would say move, but then I am having a bad time at my yard as regards to my horses happiness so I am feeling angry about the YO attitudes to animal welfare
wow what a rant- and it isn't even my thread- feel better now.
Move if you are not happy as your mood will transfer to your horse

[anastasia55555]

i think maybe you could try talking or if not talking, send him a letter, about his 'behaviour' see what happens then? maybe he doesnt realise he is being such an a*se?!
then at least u have tried on ur behalf, no harm in looking at other places i guess, and then at least your prepared if you need to move :-)

[Cetan + Molly]

I think you should stick it out.
It sounds like the only problem is the owner who is nit-picking. I appreciate that this is annoying but I think it would be a shame to leave a yard where you have friends and good hacking because of this.
I think it's very difficult to find a yard you're 100% with and you may find the next yard you end up on having even more downsides.

[melissa1787]

Thanks guys. I just dunno.
May look around anyway and think.

[DebbieR]

Hi Melissa,
I think it all depends on what other yards have to offer in your area.
It certainly won't hurt to have a look round and then you can list the pros & cons against your current yard.
Do the other liveries feel the same as you about YO's husband?
If he is a reasonable person it may help to write or speak to him but he doesn't sound very reasonable from what you've said & it may just make things more awkward.
Hope you manage to sort it out, we spend a lot keeping our horses & it's great when we get the chance to enjoy them in peace at the yard.

[Catrin]

I'd stick it out and make sure I was tidy. I would also collect evidence. Before I used the manège, I'd take a photo on my phone of any muck in it and another one after I'd finished. If I'd brushed up, I'd do the same. If he then said I hadn't cleaned up, I'd show him the evidence, with time and date on it. If you have nothing to be criticised for and speak up with the evidence when wrongly accused, he'll stop having a go at you and annoy someone else.

You could end up in a yard in an inconvenient place, with unfriendly people and lousy hacking. If all the important things are good, you'll never find perfect and could do much, much worse.

[steve]

Why is it he's shouting at you and not the other liveries? What do they do/think of this situation? Perhaps you should all get together and try and speak to him or his wife?

I'm afraid I'd be the same about tidyness if I owned a yard! It takes a lot of financial commitment to get a nice place and 2 menages etc, and especially if he's looking after it properly - but I probably wouldn't shout at people all the time - there are ways to speak to people without shouting!

[sazjayp]

I'm not so sure I'd move without doing some serious research beforehand - it sounds like the only thing bugging you is this chap...I'd be tempted to try and tackle this, as you could end up somewhere far worse. Hope it all works out for you! x

[RiP Its A Matter Of Principle]

Liveries are hard work! all livery yards have pros and cons to different people, if the only problem is the owners husband wanting his wifes yard to remain neat and tidy I'd think that thats actually a good thing. True its annoying when you are told to tidy up someone elses mess, but if every livery stuck to the original rules they signed in there livery agreement no YO would have reason to complain.

[ashleigh]

If you are consistently having to tidy up someone else's mess, then it is the person making the mess I would have a word with first.

It is an excellent thing that this guy is insisting on high standards, but if you know that another livery isn't pulling their weight, and you are suffering for it, then either tell him who is making the mess, or have a word with the messy person.

[rosi]

I would do as Catrin suggested and stick it out. There are some truly wonderful livery yards and some blooming awful ones as well. There are also some yard owners who are unreasonable and I have been on some lovely yards run by 'orrible people! One place I stayed a week on, because after turning out my horse on day one, she said I wasn't allowed to turnout again!

That said, our current yard has a number of people who really do take the **** out of our absolutely lovely YO. One treats the wash box as an extension of her stable and leaves it in a disgusting state, another recently shouted obcenities at him when he was cleaning the yard up with a jcb and she was clipping. At the end of the day, it is his yard and we are there at his discretion. I have absolutely no problem with anything that our YO does, as I know that he is sooooooo good and reasonable and will go to the ends of the earth to help you - as long as you don't take the mickey...

Does sound like your YO's husband has a bit of a cleanliness OCD thing going on - but if you prove that it isn't you, he will probably stop making the assumption that it is.

[melissa1787]

That is the problem, even if i try and prove it is not me then he will then start shouting at you and telling you you are disobeying rules and if you do not tidy up then he will have to let you go else where.

But i am tidy and then the girl on the other stable next to me for example will muck out and leave mess out of stable and go home.
I explained this to YO and he said ok thanks.
Then blaimed me again the next day.

He does do it to the others there but some take it and some leave.

[anastasia55555]

i would be tempted to get the broom and swept the mess back into her stable. and leave her a note saying that your getting it in the neck for her mess, so all the abuse u get from YO you will be passing directly down to her till she sorts it out!

[melissa1787]

unless i risk getting booted out i dont think that is optional anastasia55555.
Very good tho, i like it.