You can't please everyone..

MrA

MrA

Well-Known Member
Feb 8, 2012
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But some people would like you to try anyway!

I'm on an assisted DIY yard and have offered to sort out the field hay this winter as the lady who used to do it has left.

So I suggested a few dates to everyone and a price, let them choose. Problem sorted or so I thought!! I took the time to go and speak to all 11 liveries individually about it and everyone agreed a date and a price.

Tonight while I was trying to muck out they kept coming up to me and making demands. Now 2 of them have decided they don't want hay as their horses don't eat it (haha yeah right!) And they can't afford it (again yeah right)

How on earth am I supposed to work around that?? It's not my yard and we have to get hay. Otherwise they will just fight and be miserable.

I got up at 4am today as had a work meeting, I've cycled 30 miles and I still feel awful with my tonsils. Last thing I want to hear is people making unreasonable demands haha!

We have always had hay in the fields every winter, we have 12 geldings on 4 acres of course they need hay!!
 
If it were me and possible, I would buy in my own hay and part stable. Then when mine goes out she can rummage.
Does anyone stable? Is that issue from two?

For a start imo 12 on that little grazing is pretty disgusting!
It bugs me actually that places call themselves a livery yard but dont have anywhere for the horses to live.
DIY or grass livery means you rent grazing, imo if the grass runs out the yard should provide hay since you are still paying rent for unusable land with no grass.
I maybe alone on this but my first pony I had on winter loan wasn't given hay because we got to move paddocks when the grass run out and she lived with the farmers stock.
 
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That's actually a very valid point NF makes about the grazing and if it runs out. I haven't been on a yard where that happened ( we had limited turnout but that's a whole other can of worms). I feel sorry for you when you have tried your best to sort it. I also think that might be an idea, getting your own hay in and keeping him in for a few hours each day? I know you are busy with work etc and can probably do without the hassle of having to bring in turn out more times etc but it's a thought......
 
Oh and just wanted to add - feel extra sorry for you with your poorly throat. I'm staring with my first cold in almost nine years and mine feels just awful - you must be so fed up with yours hurting.
 
I would stable at night. I also agree that if you don't have land for 12 ponies then don't have them. You need double the amount of acres for th amount of horses you have if advertising grass livery.

Doesn't happen in the real world though. I would just be feeding your own with hay over night in a stable or pen ale. I know not ideal but needs must if people aren't chipping in.
 
Whoops sorry everyone forgot to say we all do stable over night in winter. Also I live in SW London so we actually have a lot of land compared to some people. Some of the horses only go out for a few hours or half a day so we just about manage on that much land
 
We have the hay in the fields simply to stop them play fighting and causing chaos and I don't want my horse out from 6am till 5pm with nothing to eat
 
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But my thinking is he shouldn't be out without anything, as a yard should have grazing. Supplented with hay for poor doers, or poor grazing, but there should be grazing.
You have 8 horses too many in reality for your winter paddock.
 
very difficult situation, Im not sure how you could work that one out if people are refusing to pay. Did the folk pay last time round?
 
I am not a fan of feeding hay in the field. It ruins the grass and horses fight over it which creates more problems. You also have the problem of the greedy horses scoffing the lot. I know that if my horse was turned out with hay in the field, he would chase all the other horses off it and eat as much as he could until his stomach split open.

Rather than put hay out, I would recommend that the fields are managed more effectively and the horses that really need extra food are brought into their stables for it. If all the horses are stabled overnight anyway then they should be getting enough food overall.

I know that it's ideal for horses to be out as much as possible, but this can only work if you have adequate grazing. If you put a pile of hay in the field and the horse stands at that exact spot all day eating the pile of hay, I don't see how that is any better than being stabled? The whole point of keeping horses out is that they can move around, graze naturally and exercise. Unfortunately if I were on your yard, I would be in the 'no hay for my horse' camp which would cause you problems.

Could you have a separate field for horses being fed hay, and a separate one for those not?
 
Id perhaps see if you can seperate those who dont want hay off, I understand you cant magic more grass and I too wouldnt want mine spending all day with nothing in their bellies, big bales dont seem to cause fights like putting a handful out here and there.
 
I don;t think it is reasonable for this to be your problem to sort out.
Is there a YO? Even on a DIY yard, a YO should lay down some ground rules.
 
Personally, as another who is on the South East where land is an absolute premium - I think it's unreasonable to expect horse's to be out in the winter for 12 hours a day. You can't expect a YO to manage the grazing adequately & I'm another that hates haying in the field. Pete's a thug about sharing food and old horse was pretty low in the pecking order - there's no way to manage all horse's get equal shares.

Can you not bring him or have him arranged in earlier so he's not out so long? Then just feed your own hay when stabled.

We've got 18 horses on a 25 acre field winter field but at this time of year it's limited to 4-5 hours a day turn out. My previous yard had I think 14 horses on 7 or 8 acres. It only works in winter by accepting 'grazing' is going to be turn out and social interacting/play time, IMHO.
 
I think this is why the YO needs to take control! I have been on both sides: I have brought my own horses in to give them haylage in the day and have not wanted to hay in the field too, because it is extra food they don't need.

At other times I have had mine living out and have hayed the field and ended up feeding other people's horses just to make sure mine got enough. There is no right or wrong, it's just different people managing their horses in different ways. On our yard the YO decides. So Oscar and Xav are in a field that is not hayed. And Cally is in one that is hayed.
 
Pete's Mum said:
Personally, as another who is on the South East where land is an absolute premium - I think it's unreasonable to expect horse's to be out in the winter for 12 hours a day. .
Click to expand...

It all depends on how much grass there is. I am also in the South East but my horse stays out for 18 hours including overnight, with some in the field being out 24/7. It all depends on the size of the field and how well the grazing is managed. Our boys are on 20 acres with a maximum of 7 in the field. Even at this time of year there is more than enough grass for them. My horse gets a small haynet when he comes in for a few hours during the day, but the rest of his diet is grass alone.
 
Horses are not sardines, but yards pack them in.
I know of one with no winter turnout except a yard area that's hayed and another that's stabling overnight. Both places charge you for the hay.
Now I realise it appears to be acceptable and people pay this. But if you have no grass your hay should be provided. The yard still wants their fee for grazing and you are paying for it twice!

I have been somewhere where I didn't have enough grazing. After paying my livery, buying in hay and bedding to stable for six months, I was miffed to have to buy more to be able to turn out on top of everything else.
 
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And you have all summed up why I want out of here asap.

But in the meantime I have to make do. There is a yard owner but we are DIY so its our job to sort it.

I disagree with them being out with big bales being the same as being stabled. Obviously it is not ideal but they do move around. Quite often they will have a little play with their buddies and go off to graze when there is some grass. They also switch between bales which keeps them moving a little.

I know big bales in the field are terrible but its yard rules and that's that. No option to seperate those who don't want hay. If we did those horses would just stand by the gate all day anyway as nothing to eat.

I would much rather put out a pile of hay in the mornings and then at lunchtime for each horse to cut down on how much they eat and so they move around more. But on a DIY yard with 11 other horses it is simply not possible.

Again the hay is a yard rule. In my opinion if you don't agree with it then you move yards.
 
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If it's yard rules why you sorting it out? It's down to the owner to say you pay xx in summer and xx in winter.
 
Not sure, always just thought as we are DIY its our responsibility!
 
If it's the yard rules you should be clear all you are doing is sourcing and arranging. So yes, if the rule is that a large bale or a ring feeder goes into a field then all liveries using that field need to pay for it. That will suit some more than others but that's life! It sounds like some people are using the fact that you have volunteered to be helpful to try and change the rules. The YO needs to confirm to ALL liveries that bales are put in fields in winter and everyone has to pay. It is not your responsibility imo.
 
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