Back story is I have had my horse on this DIY Livery yard for about 10 years. She is 21 now and happy there.
She loves to be out and is out 24/7 for 6 months then just in at night for 6 months through the winter. The fields are great and her stable is the best one there. From her point of view she is happy.
My mum mainly looks after her as I had a baby.
The thing is over the last few years the yard has just become and absolute tip and is dangerous. I know the general tidiness of the yard is down to the horse owners but none of them care at all.
There are 4 stables in an outside block and 8 in a barn. I guarantee you would spot my stable a mile off as it is the only one that is always immaculate inside and out and is kept freshly painted inside and out. The other stables are a mess, all filthy, doors are past their best and the barn stables just stink of wee.
The other day I tied her up in the barn to groom her and as soon as I got home I had to strip off and get in the shower because the smell of wee from the stables was all over my clothes. then I can go in her stable, muck her out, groom her, come home and just have a faint smell of hay at the most. honestly its disgusting.
The yard is full of thick mud, the muckheap is spilling out everywhere and wee is running back to the yard area, gates are all off their hinges and tied up with string, there is a motorway and busy roundabout just near the yard so bad gates is not good enough.
The drainage system is practically rubbish. the yard owners son recently decided to make two new grids, one right in the middle of the yard and one right outside my horses stable. One of them has no grate! Just a big stone over it and the one outside my stable has a loose grate that she could easily fall down and break her leg.
The field gates are as bad as the yard gates and are held together by old lead ropes and some have key padlocks on which I do not agree with and have removed at least 10 of them.
My mare had a touch of laminitis about 6 years ago so we are very careful about her grazing, especially wit all the rain and sun recently so she goes in a smaller paddock which she is fine with as theres usually another horse in there os the others are right next to her. Now others have started putting their bug 17handers in there who are taking all of her grazing. there are no longer nay rules as to who grazes where and there have been a few rigs trying to mount her. she shouldnt be out in that position.
The yard owner does nothing about any of this.
Her son is also living in one of the out buildings. Is this legal?
Sorry for the big ramble, Im trying to keep a young toddler entertained at the same time as typing.
Basically with regards to the lack of health and safety in the business Im wondering if there would be anyone at the local council I could contact? Would they be able to do anything? Maybe a formal letter advising her to sort out the gates and grids etc?
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Yard Health and Safety - Who do I report to?
21 replies
Disasterpiece · 27/06/2011 17:00
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