attracting liveries

[allijudd]

how can we attract more full liveries?

 

[Benefice1]

What sort of facilities are services do you currently offer??
Have you seen what prices other yards are charging to make sure you are competitive?

 

[Parkranger]

Where are you based?

 

[crackerjack]

let them have a some input into the routine so ask them their preffered turn out/ bring in times etc and try and work with it.
i always find that most full liveries are too controlling and i think it would atttract a lot of people if they could have a bit if input i know a yard that does that and most people are on full livery because of it. Also just a general aspect judge people carfully and how they will fit in with the yard as you don't want someone to come and upset everyone! good luck

 

[Alibear]

standard of care has to be top notch

do you offer to feed what ever they want rather than a set yard feed?

is the arena lelve, flood lit and not over used? Are they likley to be able to ride in it on their own.

Do you offer parking for lorries/trailers ?

Whats the off road hacking like? Is there all year grazing?

I full livery and hta'ts what I look for especially the feed bit and it's amasing how many places won't do that.

 

[Heidi1]

Also nice well fenced paddocks, individual turnout if possible, if somebody has more than one horse, paddock to themselves (I currently have four and they are all out together, so if they get injured it's only my own to blame), if DIY offer a turnout or bring in on the price.

Good facilities well worth having, nice level well drained school and parking for horsebox/trailer........

Where are you based.

Good Luck

 

[airedale]

Sometimes though it is better to have a vacancy then have the 'wrong' livery - someone who possibly won't fit in with existing customers.

I don't permit horsebox/trailer parking as don't have enough space and even if I did I don't want the responsibility of people's vehicles, their horses are enough responsibility !!

I find that as soon as I say "turnout according to weather and ground conditions" that weeds out a lot of customers - but then I don't mind that because that is how I run the prioperty, if there isn't field turnout then the neddies get to play in the arena, and I personally hate seeing wet, cold, miserable, bored horses stuck out in a freezing cold field when they are telling me they'd rather be in their nice warm stables. So if someone wants 10 hours a day turnout in all weathers then they can go somewhere else - I'll be happy and they will.

also some people now seem to want this "posh livery" idea - so that puts off people who don't want their horses on a working farm.

So if you want full liveries these days it seems you have to have 25 hour a day turnout in herds (most people don't want individual turnout - been reading too many horse magazines ...!!) and if it moves - groom it and if it doesn't move - paint it (and that probably is every 6 weeks in some yards I've seen - bit like painting the Forth Bridge....

no sh1t anywhere - an invisible muck heap. Heated tackroom (don't bother about the electricity bill for the poor yard owner) - hot water horse wash (again they want that but don't want the livery cost to cover the electricity bill - open until 10pm at night to ride under floodlights (ah but don't charge them for the electricity of course - that MUST be included in your "cheaper than anywhere else" livery costs).

Personally I want to know the ratio of staff to horses - how many horses does each member of staff have to do (inlcuding the cover for days off). If it's 4 or 5 then the horses are probably done well, if it's 8 to 10.........then corners have to be cut.

 

[allijudd]

off road riding beach riding transport available hay straw excellent grazing tailored to the horse, flexible attitude, strong built stabling, exercise area with plans to build school (grant funded!)jumpcross course 24 hr supervision etc etc

 

[allijudd]

east cornwall

 

[allijudd]

we already let people designate the ruotine as i feel this is important...they know thier horse better than we do......

 

[allijudd]

yes we offer there own choce of feed and bedding because i feel that it is important that the care is specific to that horse not a generic batch....

we havent got an arena yet..plans to build which liveries would have use...exercise area though fenced off and level with jumps which is not currently over used....

we offer undercover parking and other parking for lorries etc we also offer our own trailer out aswell

all year round grazing if you want it!


we have an off road trak which is 4 1/2 miles long over some gorgoues coastal land with two long gallops
oh and jumpcross course

do you think spending the money and advertising in the back of the hh would help...

am building webby at moment so that should help!

 

[crackerjack]

i honestly cannot see why it isn't renting, if/when you have built the school you may see the liveries flocking in.

 

[ihatework]

Yup, the school will be a HUGE factor.
Also your location won't be ideal, there is far more land available down your way that surely a lot of people will have their own?

 

[Zebedee]

You are joking? Land down here is at a premium. Any that comes on the market is snatched up within days, or makes silly prices at auction. Any land that is in the remotest vicinity of a town or village is brought up by developers for its 'hope value' at an even sillier price!

 

[SSM]

Have you put ads up in your local tack shop, feed shops?

Is there a local riding mag, we have Equestrian Life up here and most people buy it for the events listings.

 

[allijudd]

exactly right...we are actually far enough away from plymouth to be remote but close enough to be practical......

land is sooo much at a premium down here....

as for the school we have to wait for another round of grant funding from objective one.....

 

[ihatework]

Okay, was just a thought, don't really know the area well enough to comment i suppose.
Perhaps it might be worth asking your current liveries what they like/don't like as a starting point.

What other local facilities are available ... is there too much supply and not enough demand ...

How much do you charge, are you able to undercut the competition slightly, or offer discounts for owners with more than one horse

 

[pixie]

i presume your school is going to be floodlit - otherwise not much riding will get done during winter! Also how big is it?

 

[Alibear]

It'll be the lack of the school that's stopping you at the moment I'm afraid.

I wouldn't go anywhere without one when, when you work full time (so have full livery horse) you need somewhere safe to ride all year round that's doesn't get unusable in bad weather.

I'm definitly not one fo rhte "posh" livery yards though as I find the horses are generally not that well looked after people are just paying through the nose for the extras.

 

[Judie]

Move to the Forest of Dean, we're desperate for a good yard!