Any YO's see a time they will give up / sell up ?

[BBH]

Just prompted by an earlier thread I was wondering if we'll see the demise of the DIY yard in some areas due to increasing, costs, insurance premiums, health and safety legislation, red tape etc etc. Also liveries expecting the world for nothing.

Also the returns for letting out land to equestrians are not attractive compared to other industries.

 

[Wagtail]

I wouldn't have DIYs on my yard ever, for many reasons:

I like the horses to have a single routine, same feeding and turnout times.

Some DIY clients don't look after their horses to the standards I would like. For example leaving their horses in without food until they can be bothered to turn up some time in the afternoon.

It is not even remotely profitable. I have known yards close down because the DIYs actually cost them more than they pay.

And many other reasons. I was a DIY customer once, and I know there are many lovely people who are, and who care for their horses and respect the YOs, but unfortunatly many are not.

 

[Honey08]

I already did. Having DIYs was costing far more than it was making, and was a lot of stress. Now my lovey yard is just for our horses, with loads of storage for hay in the other stables, and room for friends to visit with their equines in tow! Every now and again I toy with doing full livery (I want to leave my job..) and my husband says "Don't you even think about it!" Then I realise that I would earn more on a check out at Tescos, and think twice!

Its a shame. Riding schools and local shows are already casualties of this. I don't think that livery yards will disappear totally, but prices will go up. Unfortunatly the ones that will suffer will probably be the people with less money who have had horses for years and never thought of claiming, while the "new type" horse owners with money who expect a perfect world will stay around because they have the money to! Sometimes I don't like how the world is going!

 

[Bosworth]

With the liveries I have now I would be happy to offer livery for ever, however I have brilliant liveries, and have made some lovely friends with my liveries in the past. I have however had some liveries from hell in the past and to be honest I would rather close the yard than ever have them back. They are just not worth the money. The cause ill feeling, their ignorance causes problems with their own horses and others and the money they pay does not come near to covering the hassle and damage they cause. Some liveries seem to think that their £30 a week they pay means I am making a fortune, they have no idea of the costs involved, the work involved and the fact I pay upfront for services they pay for in arrears! I am not bemoaning my lot as a livery owner, I enjoy it with my current clients, but some people are liveries from hell and really make life hard for everyone else they come into contact with/