would you say that the yard owner has a responsability for keeping the yard gritted. At the moment it is like a skating rink and has been for most of the winter, if we complain we get told to go elsewhere. People have fallen but they don`t seem to care.
Keeping yard ice free
- Thread starter Christie442
- Start date
TBH I would say first and foremost the YO does have some responsibility, however I would say it goes hand in hand with everybody who is on the Yard.
I only have a little 'yardy bit', slabs outside the stables, but they do get very slippery. I scrape them, salt them etc.
Have a day on a w.end when everybody is up there and scrape the areas
that are the biggest worry and put salt down.
If the YO isn't going to do it, do it for yourselves.
I only have a little 'yardy bit', slabs outside the stables, but they do get very slippery. I scrape them, salt them etc.
Have a day on a w.end when everybody is up there and scrape the areas
that are the biggest worry and put salt down.
If the YO isn't going to do it, do it for yourselves.
Sometimes it is impossible to keep a yard icefree on top of all the other jobs cold weather brings. I suspect you would be even less happy if the YO did what I do which is to close the yard to people for their safety.....yet another reason why I would never have liveries!!
I don't think YO's do have a responsibility. Same as shop owners clearing the snow/ice outside their shops - by doing it you're almost opeing yourself up to problems as someone will slip on the bit that got missed.
I can guarantee that no-one would want to pay increased livery costs over winter to allow for someone to keep on top of the ice, which is what it would take. And there'll be some muppet that pours the water bucket over the yard
I can guarantee that no-one would want to pay increased livery costs over winter to allow for someone to keep on top of the ice, which is what it would take. And there'll be some muppet that pours the water bucket over the yard
I think they have a responsibilty of sorts - both yards we were on got lethal during the bad weather, I even offered to pay for some grit but they wouldn't let me! So slippery neither of us could turn out horses out or get to the school. I don't think it is unreasonable to expect a bit of grit throwing down - it isn't that expensive afterall. As for the claim and blame thing - well, where do you stop?! I mean, you could turn around and say a YO is responsible for everything that goes wrong - I think as liveries people have to be reasonable and sensible when it comes to things like that. I am just lucky now ours are at home and I can grit the stable base. Wouldn't fancy keeping them in for a week which is what once happened. It isn't fair on the horses.
Our YO provides salt and grit and leaves it up to us to use it as needed if we think there will be a risk of ice overnight. When we had the snow and ice for the weeks before xmas, YO got out the tractor and scraped away all the snow and ice from a section of the yard, the main pathways to the muck heap, hay store and straw store. Everything else was at our own risk. She didn't do any turning out or bringing in becuase she wouldn't take any responsibility if there was an accident, which is fair enough in my books!
I'd get together and try as best you can to clear the main pathways to the stables/muck heap. Your YO by law doens't have to do anything at all...
I'd get together and try as best you can to clear the main pathways to the stables/muck heap. Your YO by law doens't have to do anything at all...
I would have thought that as a buisness owner he would have had some responsibility for health and safety of the buisness users.
As for closing the yard, who is going to see to the horses?
As for closing the yard, who is going to see to the horses?
I just can't see what the big deal is about throwing a bit of grit down! As I said, one yard we were on were really weird about it, wouldn't even let us put our own down! I think its a poor do when the horses suffer because of it, ie, not being able to even get them out of their boxes! (You try walking a fizzy horse up a cobbled icy track)!!!
I think if everybody applies a bit of common sense and doesn't do stuff like wasting it and chucking buckets of water out at night - then there shouldn't be a problem. I do understand YO's don't want claim's being made for areas that people slip on, but if folk are going to make a claim for that, then they're going to make a claim if it ain't gritted anyways?! (Hope that made sense!).
I think if everybody applies a bit of common sense and doesn't do stuff like wasting it and chucking buckets of water out at night - then there shouldn't be a problem. I do understand YO's don't want claim's being made for areas that people slip on, but if folk are going to make a claim for that, then they're going to make a claim if it ain't gritted anyways?! (Hope that made sense!).
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