DIY Livery Charges 2024

[Tabs]

2 questions.

What are youre DIY livery charges of 2024?

Total DIY, no mucking out, no feed or feeding, No checking in on, no field turnout during winter. Muck out skip removal and occasional harrowing of arena done. what would you price?

 

[JBM]

I’ve seen anywhere from 30-60 where I am (a week)
But livery is cheap here
Some Chuck in forage in the morning some don’t (no charge)

 

[Kirstd33]

Shropshire here, and when I had a stable I was paying £120/month now he’s on grass livery only £60/month.
Very cheap I know but very basic facilities, no school, ok hacking. No checks or hay etc true DIY

 

[starbucker]

£25 a week, with school nice yard limited facilities but good fields, £36 if want 2 nets a day included
£2 turn out or bring in, £2 pm net/ rug change etc, £8 full livery (1 day) £15 bank hol, £25 xmas

 

[dottylottie]

£36 a week for stable, arena, haylage, and own field. it’s not posh and the arena isn’t anything special, but it’s harrowed regularly and he fixes stuff when it needs doing

i’ve paid up to £60 for diy but that included morning feed and net out in

 

[The Xmas Furry]

Adjacent to me its £320pcm, but that includes hay, breakfast bucket popped in field and a morning glance over.
Also included is use of arena, stable, fields big enough for no need to do poo picking but harrowing, small box parking.
Anything extra is charged.

 

[ihatework]

Around me it’s about £50/week no services at all.

 

[MidChristmasCrisis]

Total DIY for me currently is £132/month per horse.

 

[humblepie]

£215 per month. No services. All year round turnout, hay and straw included.

 

[MiJodsR2BlinkinTite]

2 questions.

What are youre DIY livery charges of 2024?

Total DIY, no mucking out, no feed or feeding, No checking in on, no field turnout during winter. Muck out skip removal and occasional harrowing of arena done. what would you price?

^ Re. the above. I'm a YO and run a small "strictly" DIY yard. If you are mucking-out or skipping-out then this isn't strictly DIY surely.

I run year-round turnout - we are on Devon pink clay here and the only thing that's worked for us to be able to offer year-round turnout (even now) is running it on a Track system. Previously on one of our fields the livery that was there then had to move hers as the mud was up round her horse's knees; however with the current livery who has run her area on a Track system the pasture seems to have held good, or as good as it gets.

Prices? Well how long is a ball of string really. If you are not offering ANY winter turnout at all then obviously this is for your own good reasons but I think this needs to be reflected in your prices.

I live on-site and keep an eye out: in the past I've needed to do a "rescue" in certain situations such as old lad lying down absolutely lifeless (we all thought he was dead but thank god he wasn't!), as well as needing to push a livery to get the vet asap when hers colicked and she just didn't recognise what was happening. But on a day-to-day basis I do not do "duties", end of. When people come here I make it very plain that I do not offer any services other than in a dire emergency.

OK: so here's my place. Livery 'L': has approx 5 acres of her own area which currently she has three horses on: pony, youngster & oldie. She has a spacious American barn-style area which she can utilise as her tack-room, feed storage and for standing-in for her three; she also has an outdoor area of hard standing which is nice & roomy and gets hers off the wet ground right now. Mains electricity and mains water. She pays £160pcm.

Livery "N": has 4 acres in a separate field. No facilities such as mains electricity but she does have mains water and access to our yard across the road if she needs for stuff like wash-down, electric for clipping etc. With my permission she has put up her own movable field shelter and ReoLink. She pays £100pcm.

This is East Devon; private DIY livery with all-year turnout is hard to find here. When I first started out 30yrs ago you couldn't give livery away, now people will bite your hand off for it.

These are lovely liveries. We all support each other and everyone piles in to help if needs be which makes for a great atmosphere. I live on-site and can't be arsed with "atmospheres" on my doorstep.

 

[teddy_]

A friend of mine is paying £250pcm for DIY which includes forage, however, turnout is restricted in winter months and the facilities are seriously lacking / poorly maintained - East Sussex.

 

[Mrs B]

Another one in East Devon on DIY - all-year turn out inc. use of 2 fields (one winter, one summer) for just mine, good sized box, well kept arena with floodlights and hacking straight out into forest - £130/month BUT only 2 of us are DIY, the rest are full livery.

 

[meleeka]

It seems to be around £120-£150 here in the South

 

[Icedance]

Around 150 per month here, no facilities but stable field tack room water and electricity

 

[pistolpete]

I may well be going back to diy this year. Currently grass livery. Will be very relieved if I can get some of these prices.

 

[SussexbytheXmasTree]

I’ve been looking a lot recently. I’ve been quoted £350-£360 pcm at two places which is just box, field space and use of facilities. No services, hay or bedding supplied in that price. Another is around £250 more local again just basics. Current yard which is closing down is £200pcm. Other local yards have ranged from £145-£175 no school to £185-£200 with school. None have on site services or hay/straw provided.

 

[HorsesandParrots]

Going rate is 30 a week with no hay/bedding near me

 

[AandK]

West Sussex, £160 a month pure DIY, stable and field. Hay/bedding/services all extra. I have use of all facilities, storage, school etc. Yard is fairly rustic, but works for me and my horse. I can leave him out 24/7 all year round, fields are not closed in any weather (I have been there 11.5yrs)

 

[Fieldlife]

^ Re. the above. I'm a YO and run a small "strictly" DIY yard. If you are mucking-out or skipping-out then this isn't strictly DIY surely.

I run year-round turnout - we are on Devon pink clay here and the only thing that's worked for us to be able to offer year-round turnout (even now) is running it on a Track system. Previously on one of our fields the livery that was there then had to move hers as the mud was up round her horse's knees; however with the current livery who has run her area on a Track system the pasture seems to have held good, or as good as it gets.

Prices? Well how long is a ball of string really. If you are not offering ANY winter turnout at all then obviously this is for your own good reasons but I think this needs to be reflected in your prices.

I live on-site and keep an eye out: in the past I've needed to do a "rescue" in certain situations such as old lad lying down absolutely lifeless (we all thought he was dead but thank god he wasn't!), as well as needing to push a livery to get the vet asap when hers colicked and she just didn't recognise what was happening. But on a day-to-day basis I do not do "duties", end of. When people come here I make it very plain that I do not offer any services other than in a dire emergency.

OK: so here's my place. Livery 'L': has approx 5 acres of her own area which currently she has three horses on: pony, youngster & oldie. She has a spacious American barn-style area which she can utilise as her tack-room, feed storage and for standing-in for her three; she also has an outdoor area of hard standing which is nice & roomy and gets hers off the wet ground right now. Mains electricity and mains water. She pays £160pcm.

Livery "N": has 4 acres in a separate field. No facilities such as mains electricity but she does have mains water and access to our yard across the road if she needs for stuff like wash-down, electric for clipping etc. With my permission she has put up her own movable field shelter and ReoLink. She pays £100pcm.

This is East Devon; private DIY livery with all-year turnout is hard to find here. When I first started out 30yrs ago you couldn't give livery away, now people will bite your hand off for it.

These are lovely liveries. We all support each other and everyone piles in to help if needs be which makes for a great atmosphere. I live on-site and can't be arsed with "atmospheres" on my doorstep.

Is that a surfaced track? Or if not how do you stop track becoming boggy in winter?

 

[ycbm]

In early 2023, the yard I was at as a full livery charge £35 a week for DiY, all services extra, forage charged by the kilo, bedding charged by the bag, 2 decent footing arenas 20x40 and 40x40, well managed all year mud free herd turnout (restricted hours in winter) very short farm ride in summer, otherwise no safe hacking without boxing up. 50 box yard was generally full, with a core number who had been there years, but turnover was fairly relentless.
.

 

[Sealine]

Herts. £27.50 a week (£191 month). Pure DIY i.e. stable, herd turnout and storage. Fields have good fencing and are never closed. Daytime turnout out in winter, night or day from May-October with 24 hour turn available in July and August. No poo picking. Hay, straw and trailer parking available at extra cost. 20x40 arena with floodlights and jumps available at extra cost but surface is awful. Grazing is well maintained and managed but the yard not so much! Good hacking for the area. The only services available are other liveries charging for turn out etc. 30 box yard. Low turnover of liveries and a nice bunch of people.

 

[hock]

I’m just wondering how livery pays? The prices in 5 years have hardly gone up for the actual livery part. You can see why the space it takes to have a stable and 2 acres per horse for £30 average is offering a terrible return.

On top of that having to deal with all the grief from clients and fencing and rain etc. How many livery yards will there be on 20 years time, it’s quite a sobering thought!

 

[Comet1]

£300 a month for DIY, but includes unlimited hay.

 

[Fieldlife]

£330PCM for field, stable, haylage (school not really useable), and there is some barn and shed storage (but nothing secure). There is running water, lights to stables / yard and electricity.

No field / fencing maintenance. Not really any on site management or services. I use some freelancers.

I pay separate £120pcm to have access to arenas I can hack to.

 

[Fieldlife]

In early 2023, the yard I was at as a full livery charge £35 a week for DiY, all services extra, forage charged by the kilo, bedding charged by the bag, 2 decent footing arenas 20x40 and 40x40, well managed all year mud free herd turnout (restricted hours in winter) very short farm ride in summer, otherwise no safe hacking without boxing up. 50 box yard was generally full, with a core number who had been there years, but turnover was fairly relentless.
.

What was driving the high turnover?

 

[Fieldlife]

I’m just wondering how livery pays? The prices in 5 years have hardly gone up for the actual livery part. You can see why the space it takes to have a stable and 2 acres per horse for £30 average is offering a terrible return.

On top of that having to deal with all the grief from clients and fencing and rain etc. How many livery yards will there be on 20 years time, it’s quite a sobering thought!

My post is down below. I am far from paying the cheapest, but I LOVE my yard, and hope it is sustainable for very long time.

 

[ILuvCowparsely]

around here mine is £ 58 per week.

storage for hay
storage freezer for rugs
room for feed bins
outdoor school
indoor school
good hacking
local shows
owners on site
x country jumps
show jumps
and summer field show jump course

 

[ILuvCowparsely]

What was driving the high turnover?

I find there are too many yard hoppers.
Either pee people off the yard and move on
recently found one liver left the yard very quickly we then found out why she was a divide and conquer livery.
some area pain and you find out they were kicked off previous yard and lie why they left and you find out the hard way

Others genuine

move out area
move on to suitable yard for their needs
sell horse etc

In my days people stayed until horse died - gave up or moved out the area. Now it is too many hoppers

 

[vmac66]

£130 a month including hay. All year round turnout although whatever the weather. Very basic yard.

 

[SussexbytheXmasTree]

I’m just wondering how livery pays? The prices in 5 years have hardly gone up for the actual livery part. You can see why the space it takes to have a stable and 2 acres per horse for £30 average is offering a terrible return.

On top of that having to deal with all the grief from clients and fencing and rain etc. How many livery yards will there be on 20 years time, it’s quite a sobering thought!

Mines gone up from £150 to £200 in about 6 yrs that’s 33%. No yard I know had 2 acres per horse. Max would be 1 and usually it’s less. Having said that I don’t think it’s massively profitable. The yard I was on would have had a gross income of 50k. I don’t know what the water/ rates or electricity costs are but labour is minimal. The school hasn’t been harrowed for 6 months, I had to put my own fence posts in (old used posts supplied) as the rotten ones broke and I’ve bought my own seed and fertiliser. Apart from emptying the muck trailer every three days and mending the odd automatic waterer sod else is done. I cleaned the gutters out myself. In 2020 we restained the whole yard and painted all the stable doors ourselves put up flower holders and made the yard look fab. 3 weeks ago we were all given notice by email as they want to use the land to graze Sheep. I’ve been there 14yrs.