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Post by Spirit of Wales on Dec 13, 2011 16:01:17 GMT 1
As a horse owner and yard owner I can see it from both sides.
1) Yard owner should not have gone back on her word and should consider adding a clause to her contract. She should have made it clear in her contract that at certain times it is necessary for horses not to be turned out to protect land as it really does cost more money to manage land than what liveries pay to keep their horse on the yard. So from the yard owners point of view her land is valuable and needs protecting to enable good pasture. I have this clause in my contract and my liveries are more than happy, in fact all prefer not to put their horses out in bad weather when the fields are extremely wet anyway. I also have the same clause for when fields are weedkilled, limed or fertilized and again liveries are more than happy keeping horses in or on the hard standings for a few days.
2) As for your horses, as long as stables are large, airy, in view of other horses then a few days, even every week during the worst weather during winter is not going to have that much effect on the mental and physical well being of your horse. Mine have been in all week and are very happy and content. They get to be ridden out most days, or spend time in the sand school or winter hard standing turnout areas, lunging and have a good free/fun hour in the indoor school to roll and run about so boredom is not an issue. A radio in the stable is also a good idea as are boredom breaking toys.
However, if you really are not happy then find another livery yard, or ask yard owner if there is a hard standing area that can be turned into a winter turnout area so horses can get a couple of hours turnout each, but do try and see things from both sides, as you would probably be unhappy if in the spring/summer the grass was thin on the ground as it had been so badly poached during the winter. As yard owners we are only trying to keep the land good all year round and sometimes hard decisions have to be made.
Hope you get things sorted out.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Dec 13, 2011 16:04:20 GMT 1
I think it's disgraceful that they'll change their tune like that, whatever the land is like if they tell you the horses can go out every day then they should honour that. I left a yard where I had the opposite problem, they kept putting Talin on 3ft long ryegrass without a muzzle despite my pleas for restricted grazing.
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Post by 2 bays & a grey:D on Dec 13, 2011 16:16:08 GMT 1
the sad thing is the land isn't even poached- its a 'little' muddy at the gate, thats it. It really drains well, and what they dont get is that when the horses do get let out then they run round . I'm happy for them to be in on really bad days, but today has been lovely, and because I can't get there and the girl I pay cant get there in the afternoon they have been stuck in all day. thats whats upsetting me the most, lovely day and mine in.
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Post by kizi on Dec 13, 2011 16:53:16 GMT 1
I agree if they said 365 turn out they have to stand by it. I do also have the arena and a bark mulch area that I will put them in if the field is too bad. Nothing worse than horses stuck in all day...for the horses sake that is, And your right if they're in one day and out the next when they do get out they will do more running and actually do just as much damage as being out every day!!! For me it kinda balances as most are ponies so need in in spring anyway for q few hours etc which allows fields to rest/recover If they promised turn out and have changed their minds and talking doesn't work only options are make do or leave... I hate when some yards give all yards a bad name!!
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sazjayp
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Post by sazjayp on Dec 13, 2011 17:27:53 GMT 1
Move to Jen's - that's where mine would be if I lived in that neck of the woods!
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Post by jen1 on Dec 13, 2011 18:25:18 GMT 1
Move to Jen's - that's where mine would be if I lived in that neck of the woods! awww fanks, ;D
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Post by tikkatonks on Dec 13, 2011 19:23:59 GMT 1
I think when you look at yards you have to be realistic about how many horses the paddocks are likely to serve in a wet winter. Most yards round us it is blatantly obvious do not have enough well drained fields for all their liveries to go out in the winter.
But agree it is not on to change the rules, and the YOs shouldn't offer winter turnout if what they really mean is 'only when they decide you can and only at the most inconvenient time of day'
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Post by june on Dec 13, 2011 19:35:39 GMT 1
We turn ours out every day regardless of the weather. It is amazing how the fields recover in spring. We have hard standing in the gateways which is the area that gets the most muddy and that makes a huge difference. We find the fields get less churned up if the horses go out every day as they don't run around. Its when they stay in for a couple of days that the fields get churned up as they charge around with all that pent up energy!
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Post by wabuska on Dec 13, 2011 19:41:16 GMT 1
I'd like to move to Jens, and I mean me not the horses! It looks like blimin' Paradise.
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Post by bramblesmum on Dec 13, 2011 21:50:47 GMT 1
As a yo myself I think any livery has to realise any turnout in wimter is a bonus on most yards I was honest with my livery from day one as said I would always off turnout on the yard or in the school if not in the fields as my fields aee limited and do end up flooded it won't destroy a horse body and mind being kept in its not ideal but sometimes people have to compromise as oyherwise you'll have no grazing next winter
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Post by donnalex on Dec 14, 2011 9:11:24 GMT 1
I would be wary of putting threads like this up. You may end up told to leave before you are ready. Seen it all before, spiteful person tips them off even if they dont come on here themselves.
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Post by 2 bays & a grey:D on Dec 14, 2011 9:42:51 GMT 1
I doubt the YO would be tipped off, they don't know how to use computers lol. Everybody on the yard is not happy, one horse is old and has arthritis and another moved on because of the winter tunrout and confronted the YO yesterday as she also isn't happy as she was told the same as me- she is also now looking and only been on there 6 weeks. Anyway, good news they are allowed out today, got a text last night. On the whole it is a fab yard, just this week has been hard and stressful (and expensive because of the extra bedding I have had to buy (£60 this week on shavings!!)), and I don't like seeing my horses distressed. I disagree that keeping them in isn't bad for them, Nancy doesn't cope well with being cooped up, emotionally she is inward and keeps it pent up, this creates tension in her muscles and when I did some body work with her she was very tight in her shoulders, being stood for approx 24hours a day is not good. its the equivalent of us being sat a desk for 24 hours and not being able to get up and move. And what do you know, when I put them out last night whilst mucking out they had a run round . But I'm happy today cos they will be out when I get there, waiting to come in lol
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Post by horsefeed on Dec 14, 2011 10:53:18 GMT 1
As a yard owner, I don't offer real winter turnout, Everything on my yard is yarded and they get an hour a week out on grass out the size of a school! As they are yarded its not as bad as stabling but I just cannot afford it re-seed and sort the fields out in the spring! The difference is my liveries knew this when they moved in and I ahev never gone back on my word. That is what is wrong in this scenario.
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Post by 2 bays & a grey:D on Dec 14, 2011 11:15:06 GMT 1
agreed horsefeed. I wouldn't have moved on otherwise.
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Post by starbuck on Dec 14, 2011 11:22:34 GMT 1
I've been in the position where I've moved onto a yard with all winter turnout only for it to become heavily restricted and know how infuriating it can be, and I think this is the unfortunate reality in your case. I have however in the last fortnight had to bring mine in from living out to days/occasional half days turnout as it is so wet, and I'm lucky in that I have fairly well drained fields with approx 2 acres per horse but even they can't cope with the amount of rain we've had recently. We also had a wet end of summer and autumn and went into winter wet which has made things difficult.
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