DIY livery considerations

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Traks

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Hi all

I’ve had some challenges with our current yard in terms of turnout over winter and other issues with slightly bonkers YO..anyway I’ve pretty much exhausted all part and full livery options (been looking for about 9 months) so am now considering DIY with a bit of help.

I’ve got a potential yard that is owned by a friend of a friend that I’m going to look at, but I’ve not done DIY for over 20 years and have forgotten what I need to be asking!

How far is too far for DIY? How far do you all travel? This one is about 15 miles (25 mins) and has all year 24/7 turnout even over winter if you want it although I’d probably get a stable as I do think in winter she’d like to be in for the worst weather. It ticks a lot of boxes! Particularly the price! It’s over £100 a week less than I currently pay 🤪

YO has indicated they can do some of the jobs like bringing in or checks etc but we haven’t discussed exactly what yet, will discuss when I go visit. My friend who is there with her horse has also said she could help and we could possibly help each other a bit as she works too. Realistically in winter I think once a day would be my limit on a week day but I could go twice on a weekend…I would aim for my horse to live out as much as possible in summer (she has arthritis).

I’m used to going to the yard every day anyway even though we are currently on full livery but mainly because it’s only 8 mins away! Plus I don’t trust YO..long story! I’m just a bit nervous of going DIY as some days I do work late and may not get up at a reasonable time or not be able to get there at all.

How do people manage holidays etc? Someone suggested freelancers..is this realistic?

Sorry for all the questions I’m just a bit apprehensive of stepping away from part/full livery!
 
I travel an hour each way on public transport to get to my diy yard. Luckily they put hay n feeds in to horses in the morning so really only need to go once a day. We also have a wee helper who brings in/turn out for a couple of quid. Sounds like your yo would do all these wee extras but make sure they give you a full price list as all these wee extras add up x
 
A lot depends on the people you end up with. We're on a DIY yard and most people have friends they work with. Personally, I share a field with a good friend and we both work and we have a routine where I do weekday mornings as am self employed so don't have to commute or be anywhere by a set time and she does weekday evenings after work. At the weekend we swap ends of the day so I get a lie-in but usually we're doing stuff together, like riding, ragworting or fencing or just catching up.

Others on the yard either split the workload similarly or do their own horses both ends of the day.

We don't routinely share jobs but it is a nice, supportive, yard and if anyone has a real problem, they know someone will step up to make sure their horse is OK. For example, we have one lady who is quite poorly so a rota has been set up to cover her pony and another who is very pregnant so we take turns to empty her barrow.

I love being DIY, even when sometimes it's tough to juggle, but that is partly because the culture at the yard is such that we can sort our horses as we see fit.

ETA - since moving here, our horses have lived out 24/7 with a shelter. We do pay for stables but have never felt the need to use them, fingers crossed.
 
Thank you!

As I’ve been used to full/part livery, what sort of things should I ask? Stuff I had thought of include-
Mucking out tools, I assume I’d need my own?
Poo picking routine
Field management who’s responsible etc
Charges for any extras
Are we allowed to have a freelancer etc or use other liveries to help with jobs?
Hours you can go up
Bedding/hay etc do they provide at additional cost or do you have to buy in?

That’s just on top of all the usual yard questions you’d ask!
 
Good diy yards depend almost entirely on the other liveries being tolerable at the very least! Definitely need all your own tools labelled. Also need to know to the letter turn out bring in rules. Holiday cover rules too. One yard I was in didn’t allow sharers. Another didn’t allow independent instructors. Another had strict rules on keeping in during bad weather even though it was diy. Muck heaps can be an issue too stupidly far or not kept under control. Good luck.
 
I’d ask how they organise the fields, who goes with who. As a YO one of my headaches is trying to put compatible horses together, which won’t fight, have similar feeding needs and can if necessary be left alone. Unless they do individual turnout, which you may or may not prefer.

Also ask how muddy they get in winter especially if they offer 24/7 turnout. Look at the field entrances and see if you can see any sign of how bad it was in winter (my gateways still haven’t totally recovered, we don’t have more mud than anywhere else but it was a wet winter).
 
I always establish when winter/summer turn out starts and how many days was there v. limited or no turn out in winter.

Someone's AYTO can differ vastly to another's but X amount of day's is much clearer.
 
Here's a list in no particular order
1. Ask about the amount of turn out through last winter, as it was so wet.
2. Does the YO mind if liveries help each other out or do they expect you to pay them for services.
3. What size herds and are they single sex/mixed
4. What is the earliest/latest you can be on the yard
5. Is it extra to park your trailer/lorry
6. Can you use your own farrier/vet/physio
7. What is the worming programme
8. Are there any restrictions on what bedding you use
9. Who is responsible for fixing damages eg fencing
10. Is there a contract (if there is it will probably cover most of these questions!)
11. How do they expect to be paid weekly/monthly
12. Do they want a deposit
13. Does the yard have Public Liability Insurance
14. If there's a school ask about any rules for using it
15. Are there a lot of midges at certain times of the year (worth knowing if horse has tendency to switch itch)
16. If relevant - are children / dogs allowed?
17. Poo picking rules
18. Who does field maintenance eg ragworting
19. Do you need to do a worm count / strangles test before going there
20. Is the an isolation procedure for when you first arrive
21. What's the hacking like?

I'm sure there are others but as a YO these are the usual ones xx
 
find out what they expect in terms of worming, wether they want the yard doing all together at certain times or are happy for you to egg count etc.

i’d ask YO what the charges are for everything, if you make it clear you’re willing to pay then it won’t seem like you’re taking advantage of the offer to help out on occasion.
 
jules9203 said:
Here's a list in no particular order
1. Ask about the amount of turn out through last winter, as it was so wet.
2. Does the YO mind if liveries help each other out or do they expect you to pay them for services.
3. What size herds and are they single sex/mixed
4. What is the earliest/latest you can be on the yard
5. Is it extra to park your trailer/lorry
6. Can you use your own farrier/vet/physio
7. What is the worming programme
8. Are there any restrictions on what bedding you use
9. Who is responsible for fixing damages eg fencing
10. Is there a contract (if there is it will probably cover most of these questions!)
11. How do they expect to be paid weekly/monthly
12. Do they want a deposit
13. Does the yard have Public Liability Insurance
14. If there's a school ask about any rules for using it
15. Are there a lot of midges at certain times of the year (worth knowing if horse has tendency to switch itch)
16. If relevant - are children / dogs allowed?
17. Poo picking rules
18. Who does field maintenance eg ragworting
19. Do you need to do a worm count / strangles test before going there
20. Is the an isolation procedure for when you first arrive
21. What's the hacking like?

I'm sure there are others but as a YO these are the usual ones xx
Click to expand...
excellent thank you! I had a lot of these on my list but some if not thought of!
 
Be sure you go to a yard which allows you to pay freelancers amd/or swap favours with other owners, otherwise you can be just as stuck as in full livery if the YO turns out not to be trustworthy.
.
 
Last edited:
Bobthecob15 said:
Hi all

I’ve had some challenges with our current yard in terms of turnout over winter and other issues with slightly bonkers YO..anyway I’ve pretty much exhausted all part and full livery options (been looking for about 9 months) so am now considering DIY with a bit of help.

I’ve got a potential yard that is owned by a friend of a friend that I’m going to look at, but I’ve not done DIY for over 20 years and have forgotten what I need to be asking!

How far is too far for DIY? How far do you all travel? This one is about 15 miles (25 mins) and has all year 24/7 turnout even over winter if you want it although I’d probably get a stable as I do think in winter she’d like to be in for the worst weather. It ticks a lot of boxes! Particularly the price! It’s over £100 a week less than I currently pay 🤪

YO has indicated they can do some of the jobs like bringing in or checks etc but we haven’t discussed exactly what yet, will discuss when I go visit. My friend who is there with her horse has also said she could help and we could possibly help each other a bit as she works too. Realistically in winter I think once a day would be my limit on a week day but I could go twice on a weekend…I would aim for my horse to live out as much as possible in summer (she has arthritis).

I’m used to going to the yard every day anyway even though we are currently on full livery but mainly because it’s only 8 mins away! Plus I don’t trust YO..long story! I’m just a bit nervous of going DIY as some days I do work late and may not get up at a reasonable time or not be able to get there at all.

How do people manage holidays etc? Someone suggested freelancers..is this realistic?

Sorry for all the questions I’m just a bit apprehensive of stepping away from part/full livery!
Click to expand...
Our assisted DIY is great.

Staff will do fdc (full day care) which is feed, rug up, turn out/bring in, muck or skip out, water, hay, etc if you don't want to go to the yard that day.

Or they can bring in/turn out (one is chargeable the other is free weekdays only) at weekends they charge both ways.

Anything that takes staff time I.e holding for the vet/farrier is chargeable as is leg washing/ change rug in the winter. Do if your horse is brought in at 3.30pm in the winter it's cheaper to chuck them in the stable, obviously costs more for legs/feet and rug changing because it's time.
 
Birker2020 said:
Our assisted DIY is great.

Staff will do fdc (full day care) which is feed, rug up, turn out/bring in, muck or skip out, water, hay, etc if you don't want to go to the yard that day.

Or they can bring in/turn out (one is chargeable the other is free weekdays only) at weekends they charge both ways.

Anything that takes staff time I.e holding for the vet/farrier is chargeable as is leg washing/ change rug in the winter. Do if your horse is brought in at 3.30pm in the winter it's cheaper to chuck them in the stable, obviously costs more for legs/feet and rug changing because it's time.
Click to expand...
That sounds a really good set up, I don’t think this YO will do as much as that but hopefully enough to make it work 🤞
 
If you have to go twice a day , don't underestimate how time consuming and tiring that extra visit can be. So if there's an option of paying for one end of the day to be done , I'd take it.
 
I’ve just moved from assisted livery and it’s the best thing I’ve done. I was in the same boat as you, YO was nuttier than a fruitcake amongst a list of other issues. It is hard to go back to strict diy, my yard is approx 15minutes away(10minutes on a quiet day) so not the worst but you do have to factor in twice a day unless you can pair with another or pay someone. Funnily enough mine is cheaper too but I’ve factored that money in to fuel money/extra help. I dont really go on holidays but there are people that would be willing to help and there are a few freelancers out there that cover holidays, normally a search or word of mouth on social media finds someone.
 
Little update! I went to look at the DIY place and we are going to move there 🙌 ticked a lot of boxes but the 100 acres of all year turnout and great hacking swung it! My horse won’t know what to do with all that grass and turnout over winter!! They can be out 24/7 all year if you want so ideal for her. It’s a family farm with a couple of liveries so owners are there all the time. I’ve been wanting to move for a long time so feels good to have somewhere nice on the horizon!

Fingers crossed I can juggle with the distance, YO and a freelance person that works there 3 days a week are going to help me over winter so hopefully will be great.

Now just dreading telling my current (slightly psychotic) YO…they are not going to be happy…I can go immediately if I need to and not stay my whole notice period..so I think we will go next week and I’ll just pay the extra! Wish me luck!
 
I was going to say that it sounded like grass livery would be better for you if you struggle with work. Can check once a day in the morning before work and then if you don’t get up later it’s not such a disaster.

Hope it goes well!
 
Ask about others feeding horses, I've known of an owners husband regularly visiting the yard and giving all the horses carrots, leading to bullying at the field gate and door kicking. He just thought he was being nice and treating the horses.if children are allowed will they be supervised or left at the yard while mum goes for a hack or uses the school? What are the rules regarding dogs? And just generally absorb the atmosphere. Although reading posts can lead one to believe livery yards are awful in my experience I've never truly been on a really bad one and most were friendly and refuges from everyday life. Hope it goes well for you.
 
maya2008 said:
I was going to say that it sounded like grass livery would be better for you if you struggle with work. Can check once a day in the morning before work and then if you don’t get up later it’s not such a disaster.

Hope it goes well!
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Yep she’ll be out 24/7 till the worst of winter then stabled overnight, if needed x
 
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