Advice on wage/rates of pay etc

Kenzo

Kenzo

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What would you say would be a decent, fair or a good wage for a responsible adult to look after a small pony on a daily basis (that’s morning check and turnout, evening mucking out, bringing in, grooming and lunge work 7 days a week) as well as keeping an eye on the premises, possibly helping/supervising young daughter with riding?

Thanks
 
When I went away recently, the young woman who came to my house, charged £12/hour. She came twice a day, to put them out and bring them in, feed them, pick their feet out and do the two boxes. It cost me £25 a day. Where I live in Surrey it seems to be the going rate.
 
Normally it would be about £10 + travel for the full livery day and then probably near on £10 for the lunge so nothing short of £20 per day min.
 
I do that sort of thing sometimes and charge £10 per hour but have done it for friends at £6 as the horses were on the same yard as mine so no travel and i loved the horses so easy money!
 
lochpearl said:
Normally it would be about £10 + travel for the full livery day and then probably near on £10 for the lunge so nothing short of £20 per day min.
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£20.00 a day, crikey (I wish!), but wouldn't it be cheaper to put the pony on full livery if your paying someone that much to look after it, mind you if you can get that, then great, I'm not knocking it mind you, but I don't think that would be the average going rate in this area unfortunately :D
 
Kenzo said:
£20.00 a day, crikey (I wish!), but wouldn't it be cheaper to put the pony on full livery if your paying someone that much to look after it, mind you if you can get that, then great, I'm not knocking it mind you, but I don't think that would be the average going rate in this area unfortunately :D
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this!
£20 per day is £140 per week!!!
We only charge £120 per week all in for breaking/training!
I think if you put a couple of ads up in tack shops feed stores etc you will be able to find someone good enough for what you want for a lot less than that!!
 
I suppose if it's holiday/emergency groom work then you'd expect to pay more (like £20 for example), but for someone who's paid for looking after a pony as a job then yes I can see that sort of money would be rather generous to say the least (be nice if someone was willing to pay that though).

Thanks for you feed back guys. :)
 
I think its an expensive way to do it because the employee has to travel there twice a day and commit to 7 days a week.
Cheaper option would be if the pony was liveried where other horses were being done. Plus pony needs to lunged or supervise/help daughter with riding, grooming, tacking up etc.
Full livery services would be £10 a day here plus cost of grazing/hay etc. without grooming/exercise. If you are asking someone on the yard who's there already doing their own horses, you might get it cheaper, but otherwise £20 a day seems reasonable.
 
One yard I know does:

Muck out £5.00

Day Livery £8.00 - includes muck out, turn out and bring in. Bedding, etc. is extra.


Another yard did it for:

A large box of chocolates and a great big Thank You :D:D. Though a regular thing would have been paid for :D
 
You'll also have to up the money and consider more carefully the person you get to do the job if you do include supervising/teaching your daughter too - as you won't be able to get that from somebody who may be reasonably priced but doesn't/can't teach.

Looking at it from the point of view of the person - you want them to commit to being around morning and evening at the bare minimum, 7 days a week. Unless they are a professional freelance groom who goes from place to place doing lots of this sort of work, this is going to prohibit them from having much if any other form of income finding work to fit around it, and so the money is going to have to be a reasonable living wage for the hours they do! I'm afraid I'm inclined to think that if you're only going to pay peanuts, you're only going to get peanuts interested in doing it - and you want somebody who is capable of being in sole charge, caring for the horse and it's facilities to a high standard, and possibly even able to teach. A freelance instructor might be out getting £25 an hour from the next client down the road for a lesson, so you can't expect somebody to do it for a fiver because it's part of their job and do it well - not in this sort of set up.

For that reason I ditto those who've reccomended putting the pony in livery instead. Unelss there is a decent reccomended freelance groom in the area :) In which case they'll probably have a price list that you can either take or leave.
 
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£20 a day could possibly be understandable given the cost of fuel and going to/from the yard twice a day. However, to my mind, that does not represent value for money at all. That would put you on full schooling livery with a 4-star rider here! I'm going to try and find someone to do my two this winter from home and I'd probably expect to pay them £10 a day to muck out, bring in and feed. It would probably suit someone looking for pocket money and I would really only get someone local, as the fuel costs are prohibitive.
 
When we went away on holiday I would put four hoses in grass livery+ checks on a proper livery yard. After shifting them I needed a holiday. I used to book it well in advance so she could juggle paddocks and they all went in together. One year we went for a longer holiday and had to go to a different yard, it cost a fortune.
I would expect to pay minuim of £20 a day, and extra if they had to get a vet or spend extra time. If they are charging less who is paying the insurance,is it yours and are you covered, check.
 
What you have to remember is that you are paying for someones time. Usually that starts from when they leave home to when they get back. Remember that they have to pay their tax etc and fuel. I get £10 an hour, but if I am staying at same yard I do it for less. To go to a yard twice a day would prob be at least £25 if not more.
 
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