DIY vs Part Livery

rubydog

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So I have decided next year I am definitely going to take the plunge and get my own horse, I am currently sharing at present. So my question is would I go for DIY livery or part livery? how much do you all pay and does the price include bedding or is this extra on top? I work full time and I am not sure if I would have time for DIY. I would prefer DIY as like to do it myself and think you get a greater bond with your horse. My work is an hour away and I start at 8.30am so it would mean getting the horse done and home for 7.30am. I finish work at 4pm so I would be able to get to the yard for say 5.15-5.30pm, is it do able and does anyone else do similar? Or do you think part livery would work out better for me and how much would I be looking at for this?

Thanks in advance guys
 

Jazzy B

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I'm on DIY at the moment and paying £30 a week but do get a "school" but that doesn't include my hay or straw so pay for that on top currently £35.00 bale of hay and £15.00 bale of straw.

Was on part livery a good few years back (2008) and was paying £65.00 a week but that included my hay but not my bedding and I had to do weekends.
 

be positive

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I think it varies from yard to yard, my idea of part livery is, all basic feed, bedding, hay included, horse fed, turned out, mucked out am. bring in and leave for owner to groom, ride etc in the evening, although everything should be left ready for the night. Some yards will offer 5 day full or part which could suit you so at the weekends it is down to you to do it all.
I do this in the winter for liveries they then have 24/7 turnout in summer so go onto DIY and they can save money but many yards would not be so flexible.
 

smellsofhorse

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Cost wise yes part will be more but it depends how much they do, just turn out, bring in as well muck out.

Time wise it's how much time you want to spend at the yard.

From your hours it is very doable, very reasonable hours to have a horse around!
 

zoon

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I had mine on full livery when I worked full time, but I worked 7am-3pm or 3pm-11pm shifts so it was difficult to have a routine on DIY. Loved it at the time, but now I work part time I have my new horse on DIY and am loving it - I love pottering around the yard doing silly things like filling nets and making feeds. Only thing I do hate doing is poo picking!
 

rubydog

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Thanks for the responses, I was thinking of part livery as feed, rug change and turnout either am or pm and me to muck out and do everything else. I am glad to hear that you think I could fit it around my working hours, just wish I worked closer to home as an hour to work and an hour home could equal 2hrs riding instead!*🐎🐎🐎*
Do most DIY yards have set times horses can go out from or what time they have to be in for?
 

Boxers

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I think you may have to see what the yards around you offer. I have DIY with 'add-ons'.

For instance, I have 24/7 turnout for the summer and so completely DIY, but in winter they have to be kept in and have limited turnout, so I go in the morning, muck out etc and turn him out, then I pay for the YM to get him in, change rugs, pick out feet, then I or my daughter go in the evening and do him and ride.

I pay £20 per week for the stable and grazing, use of floodlight outdoor arena, use of tack room and feed store. I buy bedding, feed and haylege on top, and only pay for the 'add-ons' when I need them.

So basically I have it tailored to suit me.
 
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xspiralx

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Times for horses going out totally depends on the yard. Usually not too strict on DIY though.

You might find assisted DIY is the best option for you - have someone feed and turn out in the am and then you do the rest after work.
 

indi4

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Sounds like assisted DIY would proberly offer the sort of thing you want. Proberly best to have a look round and see what the yards round you offer, as round by me it's hard to find anything other than DIY livery.
 

trojanpony

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When I was similar hours and commute to you I was doing two on diy so it can be done. However it was much nicer when I changed fire a few months and had them brought in for me in the evening. I could get up a bit later do all chores I'm the morning, then want rushing back at night and it didn't matter if I got held up at work a does happen
 

ReggiePerrin

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I have my new boy on DIY in Epsom and I work in Central London so at least an hour each way. I love having him on DIY but it would be much harder if I didn't share duties with a friend. We have a rota and we do one end of the day or the other based on what our diary commitments are. They both have the same regime and get fed together and if on the odd occasion one needs to come in for the night, they both do. If you're going to go DIY you need to find somewhere where you're in a field with horses on a similar regime. We have 4 in our field and 2 of them come in at night and our 2 stay out. If they all came in at 4pm I'd obviously have a problem. On the days I'm doing mornings the alarm goes off at 5.50am and I bring our two in for their breakfast, give mine a quick groom, stick them back out and hay the field. I do get to work from home on a Wednesday which makes a huge difference as at least I see my horse in daylight 3 days a week!

Good luck!
 

Hedwards

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I have done both Part and DIY livery.

I think the part livery I was paying was about £58 a week, which included one rug swap, turn out/fetch in, stable, grazing, haylage and straw bedding - at this yard it was very strict and you werent allowed to help firends out at all, it all had to be done by the yard - at a price.

I'm now on DIY, a friend and i work together with our horses, she does one morning I do the next, and we do the same some evenings too. However as we both work 9-5 we cant be at the yard to fetch in, so we pay the yard manager £2 a day to fetch in, but this is only over winter. I pay £28.50 for stable, grazing and haylage, and £7 per bale of shavings (I tend to use 1 a week) - so about £45.5 a week in all over winter, more like 35 in the summer (no cost for fetch in and less shavings used too - we turn out overnight and stable during the day)
 

Inchy

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We do DIY with add ons - liveries pay DIY (£35 pw) for stable, all year round individual or paired turnout, use of school + lights, xc jumps and sj paddock when ground decent.

They then pay extra on top for turnout/bring in/muckout/feed/ride/hold for farrier etc etc - so they can be here as much or as little as they can manage around work. We are DIY only at weekends, unless owner on holiday or something!
 

Belperdeb

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I have two TBs although one is my sons, and we are on DIY. I pay £28 per week each which includes haylage and use of indoor school (although it's not massive) 24/7 turnout if needed. I also work full time start at 9 and finish at 5 and am also about 40 mins away. Both me and my son (hes now 16) get up at 5.45 everyday and go up and muck out and turnout, although in the summer they are out all the time, and then get back up to the yard at about 6pm. I really enjoy doing it all myself but there is always someone else up there if I have a problem.
 

Kat

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If you are a first time owner I would advise part livery, or at least a yard that has the option of part or full livery if you need it.

Buying your first horse is a big commitment and you won't be used to the demands on your time, you may be very glad of being able to have a day off once in a while! Also it gives you the back up should you start having difficulty. Say your horse starts being bad to lead or catch or whatever having the back up of putting him on livery and having experienced staff handle him for you will take out a huge amount of stress. Also if you haven't owned a horse before it will be useful to have experienced yard staff around to help out when you are unsure or need help.

I've loved every minute of owning my horse but I have also been very glad that our yard offer services, despite having a package that means that I don't have to go up if I don't want to, I go up pretty much every day. We do have a good bond because I am the one who spends time fussing, grooming etc and I am the one who rides her (I'm also the one with the treats :eek: shhhhh). She doesn't care who mucks her out or poo picks the field.

Finally being on a yard that offers part or full livery will make it far easier if you want to take a holiday, are ill or need to go away for work as the staff are already on hand and able to look after your horse. No worries about trying to get a friend to help or move your horse to holiday livery.
 
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