Part/Full Livery for quirky pony ...

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PePo

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Jun 4, 2014
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So, Pete has had more than his fair share of issues in the past and although on the whole he's so much better - he's still quirky & could quite easily become dangerous in the wrong hands.

I've always done DIY livery for pretty much the whole time I've owned horses - bar when I worked with them & full livery on day's off were included (different horse though ...!) and I enjoy the doing-it-all aspect of it.

The issue I now have is that I'm in a more demanding job than I was when I bought him 5 years ago on graduating uni, with longer hours and more travelling - now realistically, if I didn't have a previously troubled soul of a horse, I'd have at best gotten a sharer, moved to full livery and possibly would be horseless and just shared or rode for a friend.

But, Pete owes me *nothing* and I owe him so, so much - the least of which, is a secure future with me. So, for as long as he's with me - which I hope is until we are both old, grey and far less mild mannered :D

Only a minor handful of people have ridden Pete & stayed on (!) and for that reason I wouldn't want anyone to exercise or ride him. Plus, I'd still do the present at various appointments for everyone's peace of mind.

But I'm beginning to see the appeal of part livery to put an end to 5am mucking out in a onesie over my work clothes before catching a train to London or being stuck on a motorway on my way home from Wales knowing I still need to soak his hay.

The only thing really stopping me, is how Pete could potentially react. Has anyone else had a quirky or potentially difficult horse on part livery? How did you & they cope?

There's so much to consider at the moment!
 
In what way is he quirky?

I think it would all depend on if you found a decent yard owner who would care for him as an individual.
 
It all down to the yard staff. I love my yard but I would never out the boys in any type of livery with them. The girls are to 'handy' quick to react. Ginger is very quirky he will push his lucky and rear at the slightish thing even the chance. They would stick him in a chiffney which I will not allow. He also is quick with his back legs when c changing rugs.

But that is just my yard.

It would depend on what you think he would do that makes him harder to handle and also what you want from the part livery. If it is just morning turn out
 
If it were my Storm for example, I'd have to get to know the yard staff first and how they work. Although she can be a handful in some aspects, she has lovely manners and it has taken years to build the trust around certain areas - I wouldn't want this ruining over night. So I'd have to see how the staff handled the horses, cos it does vary. I was on two VERY different yards with very different ways of managing and handling horses. Sorry that's not very helpful is it?! I can understand you needing help when you're busy, I don't know how some of you guys on here cope with full time busy jobs and horses!
 
Ale said:
In what way is he quirky?

I think it would all depend on if you found a decent yard owner who would care for him as an individual.
Click to expand...

He's a funny character to pin down Ale.

I wouldn't describe him as malicious, but it doesn't take an awful lot for him feel threatened and when he does he'll do anything he feels he needs to protect himself. He's got a history of double barelling, biting and bolting but he's gone through an impressive array of tricks over the years. He's quick, sharp as a button and pretty athletic and although most of it comes to down to insecurity - he doesn't 'show' his anxiety in a way you might expect a lot of horse's too so unless you know him well, he can be difficult to read. So, in the past he's just totally exploded when it gets too much as his warning signs have been missed. He'd be an easy horse to assume isn't very generous of character or id unpredictable- he is the most generous of horses, you just have to know him and most importantly, he has to trust you.

When he's on your side, he's got the most generous of hearts and will really graft for you. Five years on, I can muck out around him in the stable or ride him up & down from the field in just a headcollar or work with him at liberty or whatever. But, there's a very select (!) group of few people he trusts to allow him to do everyday things with. My current YM brings him in or turns him out a few times a week and he's known her for four years and she still has to be very careful about what she does with him - for example; putting boots on in the stable is a no-no as he's still protective about his legs in a confined space with her.

I'm not some super special horse person - I just think he's learnt to trust me as I handle him day in, day out.

Anyway, to keep you all updated - I went to look at a few yards and talked it over with my two trainers & I've come to the conclusion that livery isn't the best option for him. It would make my life easier but I don't think it would his and ultimately, I've got to put him first.
 
Rather than moving him, could you not find someone who would do the hardest jobs for you during the day, when you're at work at Pete's out in the field?
So, mucking out, filling haynets, water etc anything that doesn't involve handling him. Obviously you'd be very lucky to find someone to do it for free for you, but even if you paid someone twice a week it would give you a break and still wouldn't be as much as moving him onto full livery.
 
I was just going to suggest that, if you could find a pro groom to do the chores for you, or would your current YO do it regularly if you paid her?
 
In your situation I would not put him on livery. Like @OwnedbyChanter says, yard staff are often very quick to assume an issue is behavioural rather than emotional and to put too much pressure on like chiffneys - or even whacks! Unless it was a specialist or exceptionally good yard with a very horse-focused ethos, I would doubt they would have the patience to work with him in the way he needs. Yards often just don't have the time either. On a busy yard with a routine for turn out/bring in, rug changes etc horses need to just get on with it and do what they are told. Horses that can't cope with that might struggle. Cally was on full livery before I could move her to my current yard as there was no space. She was not hard to catch but she was a baby and needed a little bit of time to decide to be caught. But they just marched over to her in a predatorial way and not surprisingly she would not allow them near her. I was told l she would have to leave! Luckily I wanted her to leave asap anyway.
 
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I've been on part livery for the first time and despite having reservations about losing some control and worrying about my older who is quirky, can be difficult to handle etc. I love it, the yard runs a tight ship and my horses are more settled here than they've been any where. The staff are all very knowledgeable, kind and caring.

I have warned them about Bailey's little quirks and they are fine with them. I think sometimes us being owners worry too much and think the horses can be worse than they actually are!!

They arrange all farrier/vet/dental/physio appointments for you and will hold the horse if you can't be there. I work full times in a job that can be stressful and it's so much easier. Instead of spending my time doing all the chores I have so much more time to ride and groom and actually enjoy my horses! I don't have to try and get time off for the farrier or routine vet visits like jabs. I come up and they're sorted any problems would be relayed back to me.

I think it really does depend on the yard. I think the key is finding the right yard.
 
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@Lissie I totally agree that consistent, knowledgeable handling is all most horses need, and that many horses who are problematic for their owners are actually fine with the routine of a yard. Some horses are basically fine and just need boundaries and clarity so the 'problems' they have are handler-related really. But the opposite is also true - some horses are a lot more troubled than they appear and can easily be misunderstood and then handled in unhelpful ways. From what I have read over the years on NR I think Pete falls in the latter category, personally.
 
From what you describe you might find it hard to find a livery to accept you. He's either as bad as you say or he's not.
If your own YM has to be careful and cautious in some situations, you could find yourself asked to leave if he injured staff.

Perhaps getting in a private groom as someone said would work out the same cost wise, it's a one to one situation. Could your current yard offer more help? They know him already.

Your other option is to help him be handled by others, as on ongoing process.
My other lad wasn't a people pony, if anyone checked on him, he would leap six foot back being offered a carrot. However he could be handled by various people.
Though people didn't ask for a second ride.

If you ever need to take him and leave him at the vet, they need to be able to handle and treat him. It would worry me if my horse couldnt cope with other people dealing with them.
 
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I have a quirky pony too. Gelfy (One-Eyed-Git) is unpredictable and untrustworthy with people he doesn't know and on a bad day he'll take his feelings on me too.

We put him on a livery yard for a while. It didn't work for us sadly. It was a busy yard and there were lots of people coming on and off and it just blew Gelfy's mind all over again. We brought him home in his end. He is after all 19 and owes us nothing.
 
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