DIY livery - how do you manage yourselves? Am i doing enough?

Its crap this time of year isnt it:mad: I noticed that the horses at a livery near me all have round bales in their fields and spends the days with their heads deep inside them! I would personally put in a round bale if I could only visit once a day - at least that way you can rest easy knowing they have forage and it takes the pressure of a bit:)
 
I rent a couple of fields and have my two cobs and my shetland in there. I go twice a day. But today for example, I gave them a big feed, loads of hay and didn't go this evening and I feel very guilty :( they are living out 24/7 so i know they wont starve!!

our water doesn't freeze but I would be worried about using something the size of a tennis ball as Mac would try to eat it!!

If I put a round bale in the field they would eat the lot in a week! The trouble I have at the moment is my large mare keeps charging through the fencing dragging it down and the others follow her so my grazing is getting knackered :(

I spose once a day is enough for most people, I just think its what suits you and I feel better knowing that after another 10 hours they are all OK.
 
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Hey hun here is my day!!!

Go up to yard at 6.30am if Kia is in he gets turned out with his feed and a rug if he needs it or bare if not. I have rested my paddocks well so there is plenty of grass.

I muck out bed and leave it up if he has been in then I head home for a shower then go to work.

After work I go back up and put bed back down hang haynets and make up feeds for next day then he gets brought back in if he is staying in and thats me. If he is out then he gets his rug on at night and a feed and he is happy.

I was putting out two leafs of hay in the paddock when it was icy bit he wasnt for eating it really. prefered the grass all frozen.

Nikki xxxx
 
so they don't want a rota - but they do want to hay your horse and give it water ????

seems to me they just want to add to the guilt you already feel.

Put the football in the water and go once a day - its all you can mange - load of the above posters have said once is fine, and forget the angst, and the others.
 
BabyBear said:
I'm just wondering what little ASBO would do with a football!:D
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i know! :D i was thinking of getting her one of those ones like you get for dogs with a rope harness round it so she can pick it up and chuck it about:D
 
pepsimaxrock said:
so they don't want a rota - but they do want to hay your horse and give it water ????

seems to me they just want to add to the guilt you already feel.

Put the football in the water and go once a day - its all you can mange - load of the above posters have said once is fine, and forget the angst, and the others.
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thats why i suggested a rota cos i was feeling guilty that they had put hay ou for mine:eek: also yo/friend who is away at he moment suggested it before she went- she unofficially checks them all everyday when she's there, but as i said i dont want to put on her.
 
I've done DIY all my life sadly haha

It can be shattering sadly esp if you work as well.

We are on a quiet yard like yourselves. With one other livery except for myself and Marsden. Hers live out and and she copes well coming up once a day. Before we moved on she was on her own for a year here i think and never had any problems. We don't help her out but she knows we cast an eye and if needed to would contact her.

I have to visit twice a day. I see it as my responsibility as a horse owner. I just personally can not go and leave them for that amount of time without checking they are ok. Sadly there has been a few occassions that have confirmed that accidents can happen in the hours and i have been needed. I just couldn't forgive myself if they were injured. Even though it can still happenwhen i'm not there at least the hours in between checks is less. No matter how tired i am or how ill i am, i'm there. I know this is not the same for everyone just how i am and feel about it.

During the week i get up at 5am and i'm up at our yard for 5:30am. I feed sky and vol, change rugs and turn out. Muck out voltan, leave and be showered and ready and in work for 8am. Thankfully OH walks dogs in morning

Work my day at work ( sometimes this is my major stress) then head home. Home at 4:30pm, collect and feed dogs, feed cat, get changed all in 10 mins and leave for yard, normally arriving at 5pm.
Bring in, work one or both of them if needed, grrom, feed, rug change. Make feeds for next day, Haynets for next day. Walk dogs. Head home for anything around 7/8pm

Make dinner and see OH, normally in bed for 10pm as i've been on the go for the past 14 hours.

Do the exact same for every other day in the week.

Weekends only thing that changes is i am at the yard for 7/7:30am (couple of hours extra in bed) and instead of work, i do house cleaning, ironing etc or actually some social time.

Some days i get really tired and some days i can get really down about my work load. Esp if a horse is ill or some other exciting event has happened. My stress seems to pop easily sadly. But at the end of the day I wanted it this way if that makes sense. I wouldn't be without Voltan or Chinook before him.

I have questioned if i would have another horse after Voltan....... but not sure i could actually be without one.
 
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ahh you gotta love DIY livery:D:rolleyes:
my typical day:
-go to yard at 6.30am give bonnie feed, put on a rug, and head off for the treck to bonnies winter field (worst part, pitch black alone in deserted fields, i have to drag open 3 big gates through a bog of mud before we get to bonnies field:mad:)

- go to school fall asleep in my lesson(im not the earlybird type lol)

-go to yard, muck out, do hay get bonnie in and feed her.

There really isnt much organisation at our yard,you order your own hay+straw, organise your own farrier and vet ect.
 
my mum goes up in the am [muck out & chuck out] & me & my mum go up @ nite.[bring in, ride, (clip sometimes,) groom, put to bed etc.] but mines in @ nite.:rolleyes:

so yes, i do think you are doing enough. but do you net your hay & tie it to the fence or is it loose? if it is netted it will probably last longer. or maybe put hay @ a couple of different points in your field? just a few ideas i think will maybe prolong the life of your hay/lege lol :p

you cant help the ice breaking up. it's not your fault but an idea might be one of those automatic drinkers. i don't think they'd be as likely to freeze because the water moves every so often when a horse drinks. however if you cant afford it it's expensive.
ETA - anna15, how do you do it?? :confused: i'd be falling alseep @ school! :rolleyes: :plol
 
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*-crazy-chaz-* said:
my mum goes up in the am [muck out & chuck out] & me & my mum go up @ nite.[bring in, ride, (clip sometimes,) groom, put to bed etc.] but mines in @ nite.:rolleyes:

so yes, i do think you are doing enough. but do you net your hay & tie it to the fence or is it loose? if it is netted it will probably last longer. or maybe put hay @ a couple of different points in your field? just a few ideas i think will maybe prolong the life of your hay/lege lol :p

you cant help the ice breaking up. it's not your fault but an idea might be one of those automatic drinkers. i don't think they'd be as likely to freeze because the water moves every so often when a horse drinks. however if you cant afford it it's expensive.
ETA - anna15, how do you do it?? :confused: lol
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yeah, its the automatic drinkers we have, they still freeze:rolleyes: i thought about haynets, but im sure little asbo would either haul them down or climb them and get her feet stuck!
 
I fully admire anyone who can do DIY. The amount of work and dedication it takes must be immense.

Tyler is on Full livery as just now I just can't do DIY or part livery. I wouldnt be able to provide him with the routine that he needs.

Hats off to you guys

Jenny and Tyler
x
 
well..for my horse who lives in i go up once a day and i am on more of a part livery basis where i can get muck out, turn out etc.

for my horse that lives out me and my friend take turns of going down to feed them once a day. there's two ponies out with ours and i've never seen the owner - we just feed her ponies as well.

its completely natural to feel the way you are and remeber emotionally with tally going etc you will be feeling down. i think if you have a pile of hay, feeds made up etc for the horses in the feed room or whatever and takes turns to feed all - this will only work though if the other liveries dont need to go up every day but i dont see the problem in giving your horses their dinner if its made up?
 
My horse is on DIY but because i have to rely on lifts from parents, i only get to go up once a day usually.
He get's fed in the mornings by a woman who does every horse in exchange for reduced livery costs and he used to get turned out every morning by someone who has just decided to stop with no explanation :mad:
Sometimes i go up in the mornings, leave home about 7.45am to turnout, go to school, walk back to the yard when i finish, do my jobs then bring in and ride.
When i can drive i think i will definately be going up twice a day, just so that i can turnout everyday :)
If your horse lives out then i dont think it's as important to be there twice a day, as long as they have enough food and water :)
 
PatchyPony said:
yeah, its the automatic drinkers we have, they still freeze:rolleyes: i thought about haynets, but im sure little asbo would either haul them down or climb them and get her feet stuck!
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o rite....






erm...

dno then lol.
mine gets her feet stuck in her nets aswell - she oaws at them when she on the yard, hence she now gets very bored when im grooming etc. it's her fault. some people probs think i am being mean by not giving her a net but the truth is im letting her put herself @ risk by giving her one!:rolleyes:

you could always try putting [loose] hay/lege in a few places around your field. [thats if you have time]
 
Palomino Mare said:
well..for my horse who lives in i go up once a day and i am on more of a part livery basis where i can get muck out, turn out etc.

for my horse that lives out me and my friend take turns of going down to feed them once a day. there's two ponies out with ours and i've never seen the owner - we just feed her ponies as well.

its completely natural to feel the way you are and remeber emotionally with tally going etc you will be feeling down. i think if you have a pile of hay, feeds made up etc for the horses in the feed room or whatever and takes turns to feed all - this will only work though if the other liveries dont need to go up every day but i dont see the problem in giving your horses their dinner if its made up?
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thank you PM.:eek: I have a lotof other commitments and I feel things have run away with me slightly. I started out on grass livery at a livery yard with YO checking horse everyday, doing fly spray etc, so i didnt actually have to be there every single day. . . because of the way things happened ive ended up on total DIY ,little asbo is no bother, but i know when another horse comes it will need more feed/hay etc.
 
*-crazy-chaz-* said:
o rite....






erm...

dno then lol.
mine gets her feet stuck in her nets aswell - she oaws at them when she on the yard, hence she now gets very bored when im grooming etc. it's her fault. some people probs think i am being mean by not giving her a net but the truth is im letting her put herself @ risk by giving her one!:rolleyes:

you could always try putting [loose] hay/lege in a few places around your field. [thats if you have time]
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yeah cheers, thats what im doin now. only it doesnt last long:rolleyes: was thinking of putting in a big round bale....
 
It is hard work on DIY but there are always ways around it if you have people near you with horses. I am on a small yard all DIY but we all help each other out. I am a bit more stuck with Morse being a youngster and having a few 'youngster' moments so I am quite fussy about WHO deals with him cos I don't want to put anyone at risk.

Thankfully my YO turns him out for me mornings if I am working and I help out then on the evening by helping bring all 4 in, watering, feeding, haynets etc., or if I am on lates I muck out and get everything reading in morning, help turn out, and someone puts him away for me on the evening. If I am on nights I go up at 7 on my way home and do it all before I go home to bed:D

If you are putting plenty of hay out I wouldn't worry too much, I would just ask if it is likely that the water may freeze if someone could have a quick check on it and offer to help them in some way, maybe by checking their horses once a day or something.
 
we have to go twice a day as we have to bring in at night now and I want him out as much as possible as he's a welshie whose never been stabled regulary before so its a bit of a shock to the poor wee boy

when he was still on 24/7 turnout we went once a day but we are on a large livery yard and someone would call me if there was a problem so once a day was fine as in reality he'd be checked about 30 times a day by other liveries bringing in and turning out so I was relaxed about once a day

Now, hubby leaves house at 6.30, just turns out and goes to work. I do school run (14 miles each way so takes a while!) and then go to yard on way home, most days muck out and leave stable floor clear and then go back on way back to do afternoon school run and make up bed. Hubby then brings in on way home from work.

Otherwise I muck out and make up the bed but I prefer to leave the floor in the day when I can

If she's riding, (3x a week in the week) then I go back to the yard and bring him in before I collect her from school and we then skip out before leaving him for the night - I don't do a full muck out a second time

its a right pain in the botty but there is NO WAY I'd not have him as the joy he brings our little girly - well, you can't put a price on it


a few on our yard just take out the poo and then do the wet at the weekend but I like to fully muck out every day and have a deep bed to keep him warm and comfy

How does he repay us? by pooing everywhere and lying in it every night :rolleyes:
 
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