DIY to rehab livery, any YO's successfully done this?

[chocolategirl]

Hi all, as title really, I am seriously considering doing this after my horses have had to have several stays at rehab livery yards doing water treadmill therapy etc. After years of doing DIY and making very little money, I've come to realise how lucrative this must be in comparison. Has anyone successfully made the transition and do you need any special qualifications? I have over 40 years experience with horses but I'm guessing theres more to it than that?!

 

[gunnergundog]

I have over 40 years experience with horses but I'm guessing theres more to it than that?!

Correct! A water treadmill is not the be all and end all of rehab livery! Yes, you do need suitable facilities: large airy loose boxes, maybe with individual concrete yards and then small paddocks attached for horses on box rest as they progress. Safe tracks with suitable surface for walking/long reining in hand. A competent jockey with 'feel' who is happy and of suitable weight to ride all sorts. A good surface. Qualification as or access to a good chartered physio who can provide laser/ultrasound treatment on a daily basis. A good all round knowledge of anatomy and physiology such that you can talk to vets in their language. Access to a good remedial farrier. The list goes on. It can be VERY labour intensive.

I would question why you have not made money on DIY and why you think rehab may be more profitable?

 

[chocolategirl]

Correct! A water treadmill is not the be all and end all of rehab livery! Yes, you do need suitable facilities: large airy loose boxes, maybe with individual concrete yards and then small paddocks attached for horses on box rest as they progress. Safe tracks with suitable surface for walking/long reining in hand. A competent jockey with 'feel' who is happy and of suitable weight to ride all sorts. A good surface. Qualification as or access to a good chartered physio who can provide laser/ultrasound treatment on a daily basis. A good all round knowledge of anatomy and physiology such that you can talk to vets in their language. Access to a good remedial farrier. The list goes on. It can be VERY labour intensive.

I would question why you have not made money on DIY and why you think rehab may be more profitable?

The 2 places I have used have only had water treadmill and or dry treadmill, no turnout at all, one place says they walk them in hand daily as well as their time on the treadmill and the other place I am currently using has a vibrating plate therapy facility. It basically seems to me that it's full livery but with daily 20 mins on treadmill? Mine have never had a physio treat them whilst there, I use my own every 4-6 weeks at home, and certainly no vet or farrier visits? Where I am in Cheshire, there is a large number of yards offering DIY, hence I have a ceiling price which I can charge which just isn't really enough. I can only make money on services, hay and straw sales. Our paddocks get trashed every winter and cost a small fortune to put right and quite frankly, I just don't think it's worth the hassle sometimes :-(. I have noticed there is a distinct shortage of rehab yards so was just pondering if this was possibly something to think about. I am under no illusion it would be 'easy money' but I am fairly confident it would be far more profitable and probably more rewarding in other ways than DIY ?

 

[be positive]

As a YO who has a mixed livery yard and has had a few rehabs in over the years, I can tell you that having a rehab horse in may seem lucrative but the time spent every day doing the essential exercise regime is intensive, it is 7 days a week with no days off not to mention the extra stablework keeping the beds immaculate, the extra hay so they have genuinely ad lib and don't get bored, dealing with the owners who want regular updates, changing dressings and giving meds, staff if you want to take on more than a couple on top of the other liveries.
I don't have fancy facilities such as a water treadmill but the time required is the same as walking in hand, you cannot just leave the horse while you do other jobs so in the long run you are no better off in reality, by the time you have invested in what you need I don't see how it will pay for itself.

 

[Mrs G]

In reality, if done properly, rehab livery is going to be far, far more labour intensive. Dealing with horses on box rest can be very difficult, it means more mucking out/skipping out, some horses go stir crazy, giving meds can be tricky, bandaging injuries, changing dressings, walking in hand, liaising with vets and stressed/worried owners. I wouldn't choose to do any of this if I were you OP!

 

[Goldenstar]

I do know someone who does rehab work .
I think you need to realistic for instance long reining horses four times a day is time consuming and you need to really good .
The person I know does it because they love it .

 

[AmyMay]

I know someone who does rehab, alongside other livery clients. Horses have access to excellent, well managed individual turn out. All weather gallop, indoor and outdoor school and solarium. And an excellent jockey for the ridden part of rehab. It's obviously pretty intensive and more or less 24/7.

 

[chocolategirl]

Thanks for all replies so far. It seems there must be different types of rehab yards then as the 2 I've experienced so far as I said, are nothing like the ones described on here??there is literally water treadmill, dry treadmill, solarium and vibrating plate therapy and that's it? Both my horses only had treadmill therapy and even the daily rate isn't cheap. I'm paying £250 per week for full livery with 20 mins per day on water treadmill. I would only be interested in offering this sort of therapy really and it seems extremely popular so it was just a thought I had. I wouldn't want initially to offer long reining etc as I can see how Labour intensive that would be! I'm only going on my personal experiences which are clearly different to everyone who has replied so far. Need to do more research I think, but im definitely going to look into it!