Cost increases; it's happened

[abbijay]

Just got my bill for livery and they have announced our annual price rises. It has shot up 16% from last year from £510 to £590pm (and last year we were hit with about 7.5% so it's not like it's a few years price increase stored up). In the same period my wages have gone up just under 3%.
I have been on my yard for 10 years and am really happy there but I am genuinely questioning whether I can justify staying there any longer. In 10 years my bill has jumped from about £350pm to £590pm! I am in a good job and have always had savings but with my domestic bills increasing too I'm not sure I can afford to have my ridden horse any more.
I am seriously considering going DIY on my parents' field to save cash or looking at the smaller more rustic yards in the area.
Has anyone else experienced similar yet?

 

[shortstuff99]

Yes, I did one year of full livery (after being DIY for over 20 years). My bill in one year went from £400 pcm to £750 pcm per horse.

I went back to DIY pretty sharpish!

 

[dogatemysalad]

Not heard anything yet, but wouldn't be surprised if price increase is announced before the winter season.
Our full livery increased by £30 last year bringing up to £480 p/m. Liveries get 2 bales of shavings, feed and unlimited hay or haylage and a standard of care that is faultless.
Obviously hoping prices don't go up, but totally understand if they do.
As my other horses died, I've not replaced them because I could see that with current global trends, it would be wise to limit outgoings. Keeping one horse well, is my limit.

 

[Birker2020]

Just got my bill for livery and they have announced our annual price rises. It has shot up 16% from last year from £510 to £590pm (and last year we were hit with about 7.5% so it's not like it's a few years price increase stored up). In the same period my wages have gone up just under 3%.
I have been on my yard for 10 years and am really happy there but I am genuinely questioning whether I can justify staying there any longer. In 10 years my bill has jumped from about £350pm to £590pm! I am in a good job and have always had savings but with my domestic bills increasing too I'm not sure I can afford to have my ridden horse any more.
I am seriously considering going DIY on my parents' field to save cash or looking at the smaller more rustic yards in the area.
Has anyone else experienced similar yet?

Yes ours went up 7% last year or it might have been the year before and this year another 10% which came into affect in August. But I'm happy with that, its not very often we have a price increase and I could understand it this time around with energy bills.

The yard that I've been on for 18 years have tried to make considerable cost savings by having the roof lights (which aren't lights as such but polycarbonate sheets in the roof of the barns replaced - example photo) which saves a lot on electricity as most of the time you can see what you are doing in your stable unless its very wet and gloomy outside when you have to switch them on.

If I'm down in the morning doing box rest or at weekends when its dark outside then I just put my strip on and always turn it off afterwards.

Tbh my livery still represents value for money at around £250-£260 pcm with assisted livery and trailer parking included. The winter will be a killer but I might ask for my boy to be left out until I can get there and get him in at 4pm at least for the first few weeks. I can't do the other way around and turn him out as I have to be at work for 7.30am and the earliest the horses are turned out would be 30 -60mins later.

I save myself money by getting my horse in (in the summer) or turning out (in the winter) at weekends, when its £3.50 each way.

 

[maya2008]

Makes me grateful to be off grid to be honest! We run electrics off a car battery, and bring our own water. The cost of even just arena lights on a commercial premises will be staggering this winter!

 

[AandK]

Mine went up 1st August, £10 per horse, so £20 pcm increase for me. Not much in the grand scheme of things. I have been there 10yrs next month, can't remember any other price increases since I have been there tbh. It's a fairly rustic DIY yard, but suits me and my two as I get my own field and there are no restrictions on turnout (I have mine out 24/7/365 but have a stable for emergencies), there is also no extra charge to park my trailer there.

 

[ihatework]

It’s inevitable really.
Even on DIY energy rates will go up, feed, bedding, forage prices etc.
I’m quite surprised my yard hasn’t gone up yet.

 

[Ossy2]

Our yard does price rises on 1st April each year so had an increase then, not sure if we’ll have a mid year but who knows what the rise will be next April.

Can I ask if that price is full or part livery?

 

[Bernster]

I’m waiting on my livery yard - I’ve got 2 on full livery ? She’s not raised the price since I’ve been there (18 months) but with increasing costs it’s got to happen soon.

I did get price rises from my ins and physio with the increased fuel costs earlier this year. As expected, they’ve not come down with the decrease in fuel price!

 

[Birker2020]

Our yard does price rises on 1st April each year so had an increase then, not sure if we’ll have a mid year but who knows what the rise will be next April.

Can I ask if that price is full or part livery?

If that's referring to my reply then assisted DIY on a smashing five star yard.

 

[Ossy2]

If that's referring to my reply then assisted DIY on a smashing five star yard.

No sorry was meaning the OP

 

[abbijay]

No sorry was meaning the OP

It's part livery plus 5d muckouts (using my own yard's definition of part livery which i know varies greatly - turnouts, bring ins, feed/hay up inclusive of haylage and 1 bale of cheap shavings a week)

 

[Crazy_cat_lady]

I could see this coming (both house and horse related) which is why I got out of horses as I was struggling before but couldn't have coped with household costs and horses on my salary - not being with horses means I can contribute more to living costs at home as well. I couldn't justify pouring so much into horses when household costs have increased so much.

 

[lottiepony]

I do wonder if our yard will go up to soon.
Unfortunately its inevitable.
Don't forget if full livery then there is wages to pay and everyone is looking for pay rises to help them in these tougher times! Increased wages means increased pension and paye costs that employers have to pay...the never ending cycle of increased costs across the board...
Everyone will be looking to save money where they can!

 

[Annagain]

I'm on DIY and had a price rise in August last year but nothing since. I'm really hoping there won't be. I'm trying to do my bit and find a solution to my old boy turning on his stable light to try to save some electricity. He does it every night he's in and has done it every night for 17 years, we just can stop him. The switch is right outside his stable (he moved from his first stable as he was also tuning the main yard flood light on when he was in there. We tried a cage over the switch and he still managed it. All I can think is a plank of wood sticking out down the side of the switch to block his access but there's a tie ring on that bit of wall too and I think other horses might bang their heads on it. A grill over his door is the only other solution I can think of but that seems very drastic, especially as he's such a friendly boy who loves a groom over the door with any horses tied up outside.

I've bought my bedding for the winter, which was more than last year but not a crippling rise and our hay is included - there was sort of a rise there as previously we paid £15 a week for the time they were in but now we pay £7.50 a week all year round (apparently it made the accounting easier), last winter they were only in for 21 weeks though. I'm sure it will even up in the end.

 

[Ossy2]

It's part livery plus 5d muckouts (using my own yard's definition of part livery which i know varies greatly - turnouts, bring ins, feed/hay up inclusive of haylage and 1 bale of cheap shavings a week)

I think for the facility’s you have and location the new price is not too far out of the going rate. Certainly there are lower costing yards in the area with less facilities say just one outdoor ect so that could be an option. At ours we pay for feed separately and that has gone up out with the April rises.

 

[abbijay]

I think for the facility’s you have and location the new price is not too far out of the going rate. Certainly there are lower costing yards in the area with less facilities say just one outdoor ect so that could be an option. At ours we pay for feed separately and that has gone up out with the April rises.

I'm not questioning if it's the going rate, just questioning if it remains affordable to me. Hard feed isn't included but haylage is. There is a nice yard round the corner from my house but the hacking is atrocious and I want to hack!

 

[Birker2020]

No sorry was meaning the OP

No worries x

 

[Ossy2]

I'm not questioning if it's the going rate, just questioning if it remains affordable to me. Hard feed isn't included but haylage is. There is a nice yard round the corner from my house but the hacking is atrocious and I want to hack!

Sorry I thought you were from your OP so my point was the more faculties you have as a general rule of thumb to more you’ll have to pay so moving to a smaller yard with less, as you say in your OP is a good way to look at savings and their should be options for that in your area. It’s people’s own personal choice what they are willing to pay for what facilities and what they’re willing to compromise on, only you can make that decision for yourself.

 

[SatansLittleHelper]

So far I've been lucky. I pay £130 pcm for BOTH horses. It's DIY grass livery but literally down the road from my house. If I had to move to a yard I doubt I'd afford one let alone two. No mention of a price increase yet but it will be negligible if it happens.

 

[Fieldlife]

Just got my bill for livery and they have announced our annual price rises. It has shot up 16% from last year from £510 to £590pm (and last year we were hit with about 7.5% so it's not like it's a few years price increase stored up). In the same period my wages have gone up just under 3%.
I have been on my yard for 10 years and am really happy there but I am genuinely questioning whether I can justify staying there any longer. In 10 years my bill has jumped from about £350pm to £590pm! I am in a good job and have always had savings but with my domestic bills increasing too I'm not sure I can afford to have my ridden horse any more.
I am seriously considering going DIY on my parents' field to save cash or looking at the smaller more rustic yards in the area.
Has anyone else experienced similar yet?

I think yards you are really happy at are worth staying at. And looking at other ways to save, unless there are no other things could cut back? Or could you offer to work a half day at yard every weekend to lower costs?

 

[Lexi 123]

Yeah it happened the last 2 years there has been massive increase. My livery started out as €415 when I first arrived in 2020 than in 2021 it increased to € 430 last April it increased to €450.

 

[abbijay]

I think yards you are really happy at are worth staying at. And looking at other ways to save, unless there are no other things could cut back? Or could you offer to work a half day at yard every weekend to lower costs?

He's unshod, fed a handful of cheap stuff daily, etc. I'm pretty frugal. I have had him trained by a pro twice a week but cut that down to once a week as the house bills were increasing.
Unfortunately with a young family and both of us working full time already I don't think I can manage yard work as well. Might have to look at a bit of freelance work in the evening in my specialism though but that will cut into riding time that is already tight

 

[SO1]

My part livery went up by £100 in April sadly lost my pony on 29 July.

Local yard has put up prices for part livery from £753 to nearly £1,100 so I expect all others will follow as the prices tend to be fairly similar for the local part livery yards.

Friend who keeps horses at home said her hay was now £8 a bale.

I don't think many people will be comfortably able to afford over 1000 for part livery plus the increases in energy bills it could mean for some people having to find an extra £500 a month if there energy bill went up by £200 and the livery by £300.

I have to be on part livery due to work reasons as I travel for business and can need to work irregular hours and also as my parents are elderly and don't live locally so need to be able to provide them with support. Ponyless at the moment and looking to get a new one within the next 6 months but may delay to save up a bigger emergency fund.

The problem is once prices go up they never come back down again even if costs were to fall such as a glut of hay or wages dropping due to high unemployment and people be willing to take lower wages out of desperation as better than being unemployed.

 

[bouncing_ball]

Yeah it happened the last 2 years there has been massive increase. My livery started out as €415 when I first arrived in 2020 than in 2021 it increased to € 430 last April it increased to €450.

That is not really a massive increase! Not when you look at the extent costs of hay, feed, bedding, energy, labour have risen! So you had a 3.6% increase in 2021 and then a 4.7% increase in 2021.

 

[hollyandivy123]

we had an increase of £30 January 2022, another £30 in July 2022........know it is going up again and wish they would say by how much now so people can make plans...........now just under £500 for 5 day part no hard food........expecting to go to £550+ month from October/November

 

[meleeka]

Some of these amounts are more than my mortgage ?

 

[maya2008]

Some of these amounts are more than my mortgage ?

Me too! Although to be fair, I spend more on my horses than on my mortgage (but that’s for a whole herd, not just one!).

 

[Crazy_cat_lady]

Some of these amounts are obscene

 

[Flowerofthefen]

A yard I know (I'm not on it) has put their rates up stating the hike in electricity prices as the reason. Funnily enough they have a heated spar and pool in their back yard and have turned the electric fencing off!!