# Yard owner doesn't let us use trailer locks!?



## Orchard14 (16 February 2019)

So I've just moved to a new yard, parked my trailer and went to put my trailer locks on (hitch and wheel) when the YO stopped me and told me that he doesn't want locks used on the trailers so he can move them if he needs to (not sure why he would need to though).
Stupidly, putting on my "I'm a new livery so trying to make sure they like me and not cause friction the second I arrive" face, I left the locks off. Now I've gotten home and looked through my trailer insurance documents which states that it won't be covered without locks if it gets stolen.
The yard security is OK, locked gates with keypad entry at the front, owners on site and yard alarms but no CCTV and it's not exactly an impenetrable fortress. A trailer was reported stolen in the next village over in the last year. My trailer is less than a year old and I paid Â£5500 which I saved years for and can't buy twice. Hopefully I'm worrying for nothing and it will never get stolen but I don't want to wait until it happens to worry about it.
What would you do in this situation? Obviously I need to speak to YO and explain it's not covered without the locks but what if he refuses to budge? I don't have anywhere else to store it and don't think I'll be sleeping much at night from now on!


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## Red-1 (16 February 2019)

I would explain that the trailer is not insured without the locks and offer to have a spare set of keys cut so the YO can have a set. 

If they were not reasonable about that, then I s=would suspect they won't be reasonable about other stuff either.


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## Fiona (16 February 2019)

Offer the YO a set of keys, and explain the insurance situation.  

Good luck x x 

Fiona


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## Orchard14 (16 February 2019)

Thank you, both! That sounds like a plan. I do have a spare set at home so I will offer to leave spare keys in the tack room and see how that goes. None of the trailers on the yard have locks on I don't know why everybody seems to be OK with it.


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## waggit (16 February 2019)

Please don't leave them in the tack room, give them to the yard owner. And ask that they don't leave them on the yard. If thieves break in and use the keys to open the locks and make off with your trailer not sure if your insurance will hold up. My workmate found that out after his motorbike was stolen from his garage. He left his bike lock keys hanging on a tool rack at the back of the garage and they just helped themselves.


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## Orchard14 (16 February 2019)

OK fair enough, thank you waggit. How bloody annoying for your colleague, I hate that we even have to think about these things. They will have to stay off the yard and in the main house then.


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## waggit (16 February 2019)

No problem. Frustrating that you have to even negotiate such a thing as security with the yard. You would think someone with a thieving mindset would see a yard with unlocked trailers as an open invitation. In trying to make it easier for themselves your Y.O is painting a target on the yard !


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## Orchard14 (16 February 2019)

...That conversation didn't go particularly well. I was fairly blunt but reasonable because I figured if I give in now I'm just going to set the tone for the rest of my time at the yard. Apparently I'm over reacting and quote "wasted my money because I don't need trailer locks anyway". I stuck the locks on and took all the keys home - he'll have to let me know if it needs moving.

Thanks again


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## Hanno Verian (16 February 2019)

Bl**dy Hell - yet another YO who fits into the megalomaniac basket. Iâ€™d be asking him if he would be prepared to give me Â£5.5K because sure as hell your insurance company wonâ€™t.
And for all the YOâ€™s whoâ€™s hackles have risen 6â€ Iâ€™m fully aware of just how awkward clients can be wanting their Darling or if particularly unlucky several Darlings to have 90% of the yard resources and staff time. But I donâ€™t think the poster is unreasonable


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## YorksG (16 February 2019)

I 


Orchard14 said:



			...That conversation didn't go particularly well. I was fairly blunt but reasonable because I figured if I give in now I'm just going to set the tone for the rest of my time at the yard. Apparently I'm over reacting and quote "wasted my money because I don't need trailer locks anyway". I stuck the locks on and took all the keys home - he'll have to let me know if it needs moving.

Thanks again
		
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I hope you have somewhere else to keep your trailer, as I can see the YO asking you to remove it. Do you pay extra to store it at the yard?


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## Orchard14 (16 February 2019)

Yes YorksG, I pay Â£12 a month or Â£3 a week to store it there. I don't know what I'll do if he demands the locks are removed because I really don't have anywhere else to keep it


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## Orchard14 (16 February 2019)

I thought I'd found the perfect yard - it has it all. Guaranteed daily turnout in winter, good hay and shavings included in livery, 14x14 stables, arena with floodlights and mirrors, horse walker, 290 acres of off-road riding, solarium, gallops, BHS approved with HC in all categories and only 15 minutes from home but speaking to other liveries today it sounds like YO is going to be very difficult to deal with. Why oh why do they act so nice when you come to view!? Wish I had the chance to talk to other liveries before paying rent up until the end of March. That's another conversation for another thread I think!

Thank you for replies, I don't feel like I was just being difficult now.


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## SusieT (16 February 2019)

Always difficult, I would just keep an eye for other yards in the area as that seems such a minor thing! I wouldn't really be wanting anyone moving my trailer round either as it risk sgetting dented et.c unless it is stored in a passageway or somesore.


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## HappyHorses:) (16 February 2019)

Your not being difficult at all. You've explained that no locks makes your insurance invalid and that's why you need the locks on.

If the yard is nice as it sounds then maybe give the yo a spare set for if it needs moving in emergencies and apologise in advance if it's an extra faff


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## SOS (16 February 2019)

I have had a trailer stolen. It had locks on, there was CCTV of it being stolen, followed all protocols of reporting etc. The insurance tried every way possibly to get out of it! So definitely lock up and be aware that insurance may ask if you if there any signs of â€˜forced entryâ€™, apparently cutting the locks off isnâ€™t a valid answer, in their opinion it should be behind locked gates or in a locked barn. 

Also this got stolen on a bright sunny Sunday afternoon on a private farm a mile off the main road. Not the middle of the night so donâ€™t let him fool you into leaving it unlocked during the day or anything ridiculous.


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## JFTDWS (16 February 2019)

I've also had a trailer stolen (and recovered - surprisingly!) - there's no way in hell I'd be leaving mine unlocked on any yard


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## be positive (17 February 2019)

Orchard14 said:



			Yes YorksG, I pay Â£12 a month or Â£3 a week to store it there. I don't know what I'll do if he demands the locks are removed because I really don't have anywhere else to keep it 

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If you are paying to 'store it' then I would expect him to have full insurance to cover if it was stolen, highly unlikely I suspect but he must be at risk of being sued by an owner if one does get stolen when he is charging and setting this odd rule, he cannot have it both ways to gain from keeping them yet have no comeback. I would ask to see proof of insurance cover for this side of his business and see where that leads you.


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## Hanno Verian (17 February 2019)

be positive said:



			If you are paying to 'store it' then I would expect him to have full insurance to cover if it was stolen, highly unlikely I suspect but he must be at risk of being sued by an owner if one does get stolen when he is charging and setting this odd rule, he cannot have it both ways to gain from keeping them yet have no comeback. I would ask to see proof of insurance cover for this side of his business and see where that leads you.
		
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Good point!


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## Cortez (17 February 2019)

be positive said:



			If you are paying to 'store it' then I would expect him to have full insurance to cover if it was stolen, highly unlikely I suspect but he must be at risk of being sued by an owner if one does get stolen when he is charging and setting this odd rule, he cannot have it both ways to gain from keeping them yet have no comeback. I would ask to see proof of insurance cover for this side of his business and see where that leads you.
		
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Absolutely this ^^^ There's no way I'd be entrusting my property without adequate guarantees of security and liability in the case of theft or damage.


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## MiJodsR2BlinkinTite (17 February 2019)

I'm a YO and livery parks her horse-wagon on the premises (she's not charged any rent or storage).

I certainly wouldn't interfere with whether she keeps the outfit locked or not!! If I need her to move the article, for instance when last autumn (sadly) we had to have the oldies PTS and free access to that area was needed, she moved her lorry without a problem!

I certainly wouldn't wish to dictate to any livery that they should leave their trailer without it being security protected! Tho' having said that, can appreciate that IF there is a problem and/or emergency i.e. a fire or something, then YO might need to be able to shift trailers etc out the way quickly and easily to enable evacuation of the yard and/or emergency services to have free access. 

If I were the YO in these circumstances then I'd look at a solution such as getting everyone to hand YO a copy of their trailer security keys (and giving them a receipt for same!), and keeping the keys in a secure locked cabinet in case they are needed in an emergency.

I personally wouldn't be happy to leave an expensive trailer without a security device on it especially as insurance would then be invalid.


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## Beausmate (9 March 2019)

I used to lock my trailer, I would have been more than happy to have unlocked it if it had needed moving.  The YO moved it with the loader on his tractor and couldn't see why I had a problem with that.  I took it home, and to hell with the neighbours!  

Had I not been able to do that, I would have rented storage.  We have an old car in storage at a caravan site, it is indoors and fairly secure.  The owner has no problem with things being locked, as long as he has a key to move it if necessary.  Costs us Â£25 a month.


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## Orchard14 (9 March 2019)

Your trailer was moved with a tractor loader Beausmate!? Geezus! I live in an apartment in the middle of the city centre - we have underground parking but I don't think the trailer would even fit through the barriers and I only have one allocated parking space! Storage could have been a solution but a bit of a pain having it away from the yard because I use it most weekends.
Well anyway to update YO not happy with me at all. I'm at the yard twice a day everyday and would be happy to move it if needed which I did tell him but apparently that's not good enough...
In short - I posted the spare lock keys through the house letterbox with a kind note and got them handed back to me and told off. Had random extra charges added to my livery bill that nobody else has and a couple of weeks ago a fellow livery came up to me and told me that the YO has been talking about me behind my back to other liveries which I find particularly unprofessional. Clearly I've hit a nerve! I've been nothing but polite and followed all the yard rules bar this bizarre one, I even offered to help with his horses when he went away on holiday for the weekend. So I handed in my notice last week and will be going back to my previous yard before the end of the month. No facilities in the world are worth being made to feel unwelcome and uncomfortable for. Funnily, now that I've handed my notice in and said I am leaving I seem to be doing everything wrong! Getting told off daily for mucking out wrong, wasting water, not clearing up my mess quickly enough...you name it, apparently I can't do anything right so I'm looking forwards to getting the hell out of there.


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## Leo Walker (9 March 2019)

I think it was always going to end this way sadly. There seems to be such a high proportion of absolute nut cases running livery yards, yet it still shocks me when I run into one like this.


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## Mule (9 March 2019)

Reading posts like this makes me realise how lucky I am to have land.


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## waggit (9 March 2019)

WTF. I think you've had a lucky escape from what sounds like a whack job ! If that is the reaction after you've bent over backwards trying to pacify them and after all only wanting to protect your property imagine the reaction if your trailer had of been stolen and you asked them to replace it ! I know you have to be nuts to run a yard but crikey!


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## Hormonal Filly (12 March 2019)

Orchard14 said:



			Your trailer was moved with a tractor loader Beausmate!? Geezus! I live in an apartment in the middle of the city centre - we have underground parking but I don't think the trailer would even fit through the barriers and I only have one allocated parking space! Storage could have been a solution but a bit of a pain having it away from the yard because I use it most weekends.
Well anyway to update YO not happy with me at all. I'm at the yard twice a day everyday and would be happy to move it if needed which I did tell him but apparently that's not good enough...
In short - I posted the spare lock keys through the house letterbox with a kind note and got them handed back to me and told off. Had random extra charges added to my livery bill that nobody else has and a couple of weeks ago a fellow livery came up to me and told me that the YO has been talking about me behind my back to other liveries which I find particularly unprofessional. Clearly I've hit a nerve! I've been nothing but polite and followed all the yard rules bar this bizarre one, I even offered to help with his horses when he went away on holiday for the weekend. So I handed in my notice last week and will be going back to my previous yard before the end of the month. No facilities in the world are worth being made to feel unwelcome and uncomfortable for. Funnily, now that I've handed my notice in and said I am leaving I seem to be doing everything wrong! Getting told off daily for mucking out wrong, wasting water, not clearing up my mess quickly enough...you name it, apparently I can't do anything right so I'm looking forwards to getting the hell out of there.
		
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Wow, well done for getting out of that place! I have had awful experience with YO's. One was a old farmer set in his ways and a real fruit loop. 
The last yard was a lady who lived opposite the stables and also a fruit loop. She came across LOVELY when I visited, I also made the mistake of not asking other liveries.
She would be nice one day, next day a crazy witch for no reason. 
My gelding was kept in the stable a few feet away from her house, he was excellent in his stable no hassle. She complained he would whinny constantly after 7am as he was waiting for me, how can i stop that?! There was a hosepipe outside my stable with a side walk to the other stable block but I wasn't allowed to use the hose pipe or use the side path, so had to carry water buckets from the other stable block which was through 2 gates and quite a walk every day. She said I was cruel for turning my 2 out in the snow for a couple of hours (with haylage) as they'd be shut in all week yet hers lived out 24/7 in the other half of the same field.  I put some jumps up in the school once and the poles made a mark on the arena surface, I got told off for that and told to brush it over. 

Thankfully now found a ideal yard, but went through a fair share of nutters and weird rules. 

Its a shame some yards which sound so lovely have such nutty yard owners! 
Anyway, hope you are happy back at your old yard. At least you know what to expect and are happy even if it has less facilities.


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## hopscotch bandit (13 March 2019)

Orchard14 said:



			So I've just moved to a new yard, parked my trailer and went to put my trailer locks on (hitch and wheel) when the YO stopped me and told me that he doesn't want locks used on the trailers so he can move them if he needs to (not sure why he would need to though).
Stupidly, putting on my "I'm a new livery so trying to make sure they like me and not cause friction the second I arrive" face, I left the locks off. Now I've gotten home and looked through my trailer insurance documents which states that it won't be covered without locks if it gets stolen.
The yard security is OK, locked gates with keypad entry at the front, owners on site and yard alarms but no CCTV and it's not exactly an impenetrable fortress. A trailer was reported stolen in the next village over in the last year. My trailer is less than a year old and I paid Â£5500 which I saved years for and can't buy twice. Hopefully I'm worrying for nothing and it will never get stolen but I don't want to wait until it happens to worry about it.
What would you do in this situation? Obviously I need to speak to YO and explain it's not covered without the locks but what if he refuses to budge? I don't have anywhere else to store it and don't think I'll be sleeping much at night from now on!
		
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They shouldn't really need to be moving your trailer, it sounds like a random rule she's just decided to make!  I had the same sort of rule imposed on the yard I was briefly at, it wasn't for locks though it was for keys.  The YO said she wanted our trailer and horse box keys in case she should need to move them. I gave her a spare but kept the original key.. When I decide to go out somewhere in the trailer the first thing I do when I arrive is to hitch up my trailer so if there is a problem with it or a flat tyre I know straight away and don't leave it to the last minute to find out.  I didn't like leaving the key but I did trust her and felt at the time I had no choice but it did'nt' sit well with me. I am suspicious when people ask that, but maybe that is the way my mind works. That yard sounds dreadful. I'm glad I am on a sane yard. And glad to hear you are leaving/left.  Good luck in the future.


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## MagicMelon (13 March 2019)

Sounds like you've made the right choice to get out of there!  Sounds bizarre and if he's that grumpy over something so simple (and thats a stupid rule anyway) then imagine what a nightmare he'd be about other things... what a muppet!


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## Roasted Chestnuts (13 March 2019)

Pfft Iâ€™d tell him to go fcuk himself and just not talk to him from now on. Ear buds in music up loud and ignore. 

A friend has had her trailer damaged by the YO moving it without her permission. It was locked but was just tied to a tractor and dragged but jockey wheel not taken up so bent and damaged. 

Mine has two wheel clamps and a hitch lock on it, if the YO needs it moved he knows to text me for the keys and Iâ€™ll leave them for him by posting them through his letter box.


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