ihatework
Well-Known Member
Or the liveries won’t pay a suitable rate that would allow the YO to finance such activities ..... just saying ....
Do ANY livery yards have.............this?
- Thread starter chocolategirl
- Start date
Or the liveries won’t pay a suitable rate that would allow the YO to finance such activities ..... just saying ....
Nativelover
Well-Known Member
Totally agree with you, I would have been happy to pay for grazing. But I’m sure many wouldn’t.
whiteflower
Well-Known Member
Exactly this, yard owner has a choice....many liveries have no idea of the cost of maintaining land, the cost of seed/fertiliser, maintenance of equipment, diesel for the tractor, time to carry out the maintenance. So they can either put up livery significantly and allow more turnout but have liveries moan about the price or manage the land when wet/overgrazed to save the grazing so it requires less maintenance and costs can be kept down. The liveries then loan they can't turn out.....it's a no win situation. There are multiple liveries having closed in the last couple of years in my area, either to building houses or just as they don't want liveries anymore and in a no win situation I feel this will continue
Cortez
Tough but Fair
Farmers keep cattle off the land in winter for the same reason that yards restrict or stop turnout on saturated ground. It's not about having pretty green fields to look at, it's to save the land from catastrophic and often irreversible damage. There is a reason so many horse establishments have rank, weed-infested pastures: they are not managed properly. It would appear that many livery yard managers are not farmers, and that many livery customers haven't the remotest idea about pasture management either.
I like to have my horses out as much as possible, just like the majority of horse owners, but I will be living on my land for many years to come (hopefully) and want to keep it healthy and productive, so when it's very wet the horses stay off the fields, they are exercised more and I am not presented with disaster areas come spring time.
I like to have my horses out as much as possible, just like the majority of horse owners, but I will be living on my land for many years to come (hopefully) and want to keep it healthy and productive, so when it's very wet the horses stay off the fields, they are exercised more and I am not presented with disaster areas come spring time.
samleigh
Well-Known Member
Yes and we have too much grass, we all have a acre + per horse, our individual paddocks are rested twice a year for a few weeks, we bring in 1st Oct but TO is 6.30 to 4pm and summer 1st April 24/7. I fence off but usually ask YO to top or she uses the excess for extra hay, even now I have loads of grass left.
chocolategirl
Well-Known Member
Whiteflower, it’s not just that livery clients have no idea of the costs involved in running/maintaining a yard, it’s that the majority of them couldn’t give a rats a**! I get increasingly frustrated with people who want it all, but are only willing to pay £30 per week for it😡 when you take into account the actual cost of just buying half decent grazing land alone, the sums just don’t add up, but sadly the only way most YO’s can make them add up, is to over populate and scrimp on maintenance. Most people are happy to have the cheap livery.............until they’re not!🤨
windand rain
Well-Known Member
Then charge what you want to keep you happy and they can vote with there feet it is simple it really is people will pay for a good service that is if it is a good service and the one they expect. I still maintain livery is too cheap if the land owners are doing this you need to have enough money coming in to allow you to have the horses out not compromise the horses welfare by keeping them shut in. I also think if people are unwilling or unable to pay for their horses to have proper care then they shouldnt own a horse Harsh and would likely be imposssible to do as there are always some charlatans that will take money for postage stamp patches of land and owners of horses that will always compromise the welfare of the horse for the prospect of owning a horse to ride
MagicMelon
Well-Known Member
I have 2 horses on 1.5 acres, did have them and a pony for a couple of years too. They live out 24/7, but what I think is a big factor is to have an area of hardstanding where the hay is. I have a hardcored yard outside my stable block which is in their field so I leave the stable doors wide open for them to come and go, and their round bale feeder is on the yard. Its brilliant especially in winter, they spend most of their time at the feeder and thus off the field. My field has never looked so good - there's a tiny patch of mud round the yard edge but otherwise its all green and could be autumn looking at it. I do have good draining soil, of course that helps hugely as well. I would never have thought I could keep 2 horses so easily on 1.5 acres.
chocolategirl
Well-Known Member
I wasn’t referring to my own yard, I definitely DON’T scrimp, and our horses never have to stay in, however, I do not get back any of the money I spend on the maintenance, but fortunately because we make our own hay and straw, I make up a little in that way. We are also very fortunate that our other business does very well so subsidises the livery. I know lots of yards though that never spend anything on fencing, tending to land etc., and it’s because they’re just not charging enough. Very difficult though for those of us who do everything by the book, to charge a fair price when there are so many operating ‘under the radar’.ðŸ˜. It’s no wonder so many yards are closing tbhðŸ˜
ILuvCowparsely
Well-Known Member
So agree with some of the comments here.
I used to be grass livery then diy then bought this place
From a livery point of view = I saw grass livery as the best as the yards's grass feeds my horse 24.7 and all I pay is 10 per week (what it was then) so cheap to keep my mare, Diy I had a stable but had to add hay and feed to the cost.
From a Y/O's point of view = I view grass livery as no profit for me, I spend all the money on maintenance and grazing dee po , harrow etc I make £ 0 which is nothing on the back of what I shell out fields covered in poo and fields look a mess, which is why I won't do grass livery.
I am always updating and improving things, thinking of new ways to make my life easier and things for the liveries to use.
I used to be grass livery then diy then bought this place
From a livery point of view = I saw grass livery as the best as the yards's grass feeds my horse 24.7 and all I pay is 10 per week (what it was then) so cheap to keep my mare, Diy I had a stable but had to add hay and feed to the cost.
From a Y/O's point of view = I view grass livery as no profit for me, I spend all the money on maintenance and grazing dee po , harrow etc I make £ 0 which is nothing on the back of what I shell out fields covered in poo and fields look a mess, which is why I won't do grass livery.
I am always updating and improving things, thinking of new ways to make my life easier and things for the liveries to use.
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