expectations of full livery

r0450111

r0450111

Well-Known Member
Joined
3 October 2009
Messages
183
Location
hospital!
Visit site
You put your horse on full livery. What's your expectations on treatment of tack, rugs, boots and how clean do you expect your bed? Does it depend on how much the livery is?
 
I would expect the bed to clean, maybe not immaculate.
The tack to be at least looked after if not clean (clean if it was including in livery)
Rugs and boots to be respected and only used on my horse, and to be told if there was any damage to any of them so i could get it repaired

Full livery is so variable though, most full liverys i have seen i wouldnt want my horse in that situation
 
The description of full livery varies depending on which part of the UK you are in. Up here it usually means fed, watered, turned out, brought in, feet picked, legs hosed, kept in for farrier, rugs changed etc - includes bedding/feed/roughage etc. (likey more that I have missed, but generally all the horses basic care needs met, not including any aspects of riding/exercising).

However down south I've heard of it including riding, tack cleaning etc also! (which to me would be schooling/working livery).

So to answer your question... Full livery wouldn't touch your tack or boots, so would be as you left them ;) Id expect rugs to get put on the rail ( as opposed to on the floor!) but not a lot else! - is helpful if they mentioned when one was ripped etc as they saw it when changing :)

As for your horses bed, how bad was it?

It just totally depends on what is exactly included in your type of livery, give us a clue!
 
Last edited:
Depends on the contract . . . personally, if I was looking for full livery, I would want the following included:

Turn-out/bring in
Fed/watered/hayed (basic feed supplied by yard, supplements/balancers ordered by yard staff but paid for by me)
Rugs changed
Groomed/feet picked out
Mucked out (to a good standard and a decent-sized bed)
Tack and boots cleaned
Rugs sent out for cleaning/repairs (paid for by me)
Farrier organized and charged to me
Vet organized for jabs and charged to me
Dentist organized and charged to me
Physio organized and charged to me

I would expect to pay extra for schooling.

Honestly, if I was looking for full livery it would be because I was unable to take care of Kal myself due to time constraints - so I would expect him to be taken care of properly - and to pay accordingly.

P
 
Agreed, I'm a groom on a part/full livery yard, and unfortunately with over 30 horses, we haven't got time to strip clean tack (however it does get wiped over and the bit washed after exercise) and our beds are clean (I'd die if I missed poo in one of my beds) but we haven't got time with so many horses to make sure that the beds are at a 90 degree angle to the wall, or the banks being precisely 18 inches high etc. however we take utmost care with our liveries belongings, and are always happy to stop what we're doing to have discussions with owners. We don't get any complaints :)
 
I would expect the bed be clean, the horse to be groomed daily, boots and rugs on and off as necessary. daily turnout. fed as per the contract, ad lib hay/haylage.

I would not expect the horse to be ridden or my tack cleaned without extra charge.

I would expect to pay between 100 and 125 /per week depending on facilities. and I live in cheshire
 
For us everything is included in full livery, and I mean everything, we do not do this but we could just turn up to ride I always clean my tack after hunting and plait up my horse/wash down afterwards. I do not have too but I choose to as such. The person who is in charge of the yard where mine is kept only uses my bridle and uses her own saddles. My fathers horse is on the same but his horse is plaited up for him and washed down as well (father always present though) he has to work full time including week-ends. I think as stated above, is what is decided between you and the yard owner plus the size of yard. Where my horse is there are 2 horses for breaking then mine. Where my fathers horse is kept there are 4 other hunters so these arrangements work with these systems.
 
Full livery can mean many different things, and the cost varies a lot accordingly, however I would always expect a good thick bed. Not quite sure what you mean by a clean bed, but I would expect it to be mucked out properly once every day and afterwards skipped out regularly if the horse was in. I wouldn't be fussed if occasionally there were 2 piles of droppings to be found in an otherwise clean bed.
 
I would say the same thing as alainax; we are on the same yard.

Cleaning my tack is one of those jobs I just about never get around to doing, but it would be really weird if someone else were to do it.
 
On our yard full livery means the usual services, plus exercise, daily hot clothing and grooming. Plaited and prepared to travel for competitions/hunting, plus all care on return. Owners can ring to say they are coming to ride and the horse will be brought in, groomed and tacked ready.
Saddle pads, boots and fleeces are washed after use and tack cleaned. Vets, farriery, rug cleaning etc, etc is organised by the YO and clients billed.
Basically owners can do as much or as little as they choose.
 
Full livery in my yard means we do everything other than clip.
Feed
Rug for field
Turn out
Muck out - beds up and new bedding daily
Hay nets filled
Buckets changed
Feeds made up
Catch
Groom
Put to bed
Trim up as needed
Tack cleaned daily
Rugs , boots and saddle cloths washed
Bath and wash as needed
I dont inc show prep
Feed, and lib hay and bedding included
Evening skip, water check
 
I've recently moved to full livery from DIY
Charges from £40-70pw depending on size
Included is

Turn out/ bring in each day

Muck out x1 (they supply sawdust I wanted shavings so I pay for this also )

Skipped out x2

Fed x2 (I supply my own hard feed as they only feed cool mix)

All riding grooming washing legs ect down to me . . So they only use my head collar and lead rope and if I ask change a rug for me . .
However I always do this myself

I usually muck out my own stable as I like doing it :)

My stuff is always left as I left it.
They don't use it ect
The vet / farrier comes at arranged times n u put ur name didn't ect
:)

This to me is full livery
But others have said more like part livery . .
But I've found it hard handing over so much control to others n actually do most if it myself still as it's part if having a horse to me . .
But good knowing if I'm sick/snows /stuck in work that he has the basics at least sorted :)
 
" Owners can ring to say they are coming to ride and the horse will be brought in, groomed and tacked ready" OMG do people really do this????? I'd be completely embarrassed if I couldn't even be bothered to tack up my own flippin horse!!!! I know people lead busy lives but that takes the biscuit {8-O !!!
 
PolarSkye said:
Depends on the contract . . . personally, if I was looking for full livery, I would want the following included:

Vet organized for jabs and charged to me
Physio organized and charged to me

P
Click to expand...

To be honest, I would never expect the yard to organise this for me - I would do it myself if my horse needed it and I used to be a full livery when I had a horse a while ago (I now do DIY livery instead with my new horse due to now having a mortgage too!). The farrier yes if the others horses were being done too, same with the dentist as it makes sense for all the horses to be done toegther. However, vet and physio visits no - that's the owner's responsibility.

Unless of course your're talking a huge, £200/£300 a week competition yard.
 
When mine was on full livery they did everything. Organised vet, farrier etc. I was there 7 months before I even met his new farrier. He was exercised 5 times a week, brushed daily, clipped, mane and tail always pulled and neat and my tack was cleaned. All his feed, haylage and bedding was included and it cost £185 a week.
 
£185 a week? :O All of that is good for the price, it's only sounds a lot to me because my DIY costs me less than that a month. I'd love full livery again just for the sake of me working shifts and it would take the pressure off a bit. Maybe one day....
 
Full livery I would expect to pay about 160 or upwards horse kept immaculately clean ,bedding perfect and a constant supply of hay, Vet farrier dentist and any other therapies I would expect to be told of their impending visit and advised if needed but charged according to use, Ridden for an hour per day minimum and be turned out for a minimum of 6 hours, Rugs bandages and tack kept clean but not stripped every time but clean for the horse's comfort and of course all the stuff you would do for your horse if you were there. A traditional full livery horse was kept that way so the owner only had to turn up and get aboard everything else was done for them.
Not for me but I do like to see it done properly and if you expect it done properly you need a good yard and you need to pay for it. A good yard with full liveries will have either a few horses or a lot of good staff as proper care takes time and cant be rushed
 
Cheshire Chestnut I work shifts too, ranging from a 2am start to a 11.59pm start, that's why he was in full livery. I always knew he had a routine and was looked after.

Now he's DIY he doesn't always look quite as smart and tack isn't always quite as clean :)
 
To me Full Livery means

Everyday the horse is
Mucked out
Fed - all feed supplied by yard
Rugs changed
Exercised
Groomed
Tack cleaned (every day)
Turned out if required
Brought in if required
Then on the days that you want to ride the horse is ready and waiting for you when you arrive, clean, tacked up and raring to go!
Farrier, vet, dentist, chiro - booked by yard and staff on hand to deal with them,
Any veterinary care dealt with

All extra paid for as extra to livery.

IN the yard I trained in this was the normal procedure for all full liveries.
 
Last edited:
When I've been on livery in the past (I'm on assisted DIY now) it's included;

-Turn out/ Bring in or walker x2 if the horse has had to stay in
-Muck out/ water/ hay (provided by the yard) and yard swept
-Morning and evening feed (provided by the yard)
-Holding for farrier/ vet/ physio/ whoever else
-Legs washed and feet picked
-Exercised if required (extra charge)
 
Frosty89 said:
When I've been on livery in the past (I'm on assisted DIY now) it's included;

-Turn out/ Bring in or walker x2 if the horse has had to stay in
-Muck out/ water/ hay (provided by the yard) and yard swept
-Morning and evening feed (provided by the yard)
-Holding for farrier/ vet/ physio/ whoever else
-Legs washed and feet picked
-Exercised if required (extra charge)
Click to expand...

See I am on this routine now and that is part livery on my yard. :D
 
trottingon said:
" Owners can ring to say they are coming to ride and the horse will be brought in, groomed and tacked ready" OMG do people really do this????? I'd be completely embarrassed if I couldn't even be bothered to tack up my own flippin horse!!!! I know people lead busy lives but that takes the biscuit {8-O !!!
Click to expand...

I worked on a yard where some of the liveries actually didn't know how to groom, tack up etc.
Full livery on the yards I've worked on means
Muck out
Rugs changed
Turnout/bring in
Feed/hay
Groomed if owner is coming to ride
Tacked up
Clipping
Tack cleaning wasn't included, nor was exercising, but lots of full livery yards do include this.
Also lots of yards charge extra for clipping, plaiting etc.
 
PolarSkye said:
Depends on the contract . . . personally, if I was looking for full livery, I would want the following included:

Turn-out/bring in
Fed/watered/hayed (basic feed supplied by yard, supplements/balancers ordered by yard staff but paid for by me)
Rugs changed
Groomed/feet picked out
Mucked out (to a good standard and a decent-sized bed)
Tack and boots cleaned
Rugs sent out for cleaning/repairs (paid for by me)
Farrier organized and charged to me
Vet organized for jabs and charged to me
Dentist organized and charged to me
Physio organized and charged to me

I would expect to pay extra for schooling.

Honestly, if I was looking for full livery it would be because I was unable to take care of Kal myself due to time constraints - so I would expect him to be taken care of properly - and to pay accordingly.

P
Click to expand...

I would also expect the same. I have in the past been on full livery, and hats off the the grooms they did a fab job and my horse loved being there.
 
Cheshire Chestnut said:
To be honest, I would never expect the yard to organise this for me - I would do it myself if my horse needed it and I used to be a full livery when I had a horse a while ago (I now do DIY livery instead with my new horse due to now having a mortgage too!). The farrier yes if the others horses were being done too, same with the dentist as it makes sense for all the horses to be done toegther. However, vet and physio visits no - that's the owner's responsibility.

Unless of course your're talking a huge, £200/£300 a week competition yard.
Click to expand...

I was working in London and travelling a lot at the time . . . yard had a yard farrier/dentist/physio.

Livery was £800/month.

P
 
trottingon said:
" Owners can ring to say they are coming to ride and the horse will be brought in, groomed and tacked ready" OMG do people really do this????? I'd be completely embarrassed if I couldn't even be bothered to tack up my own flippin horse!!!! I know people lead busy lives but that takes the biscuit {8-O !!!
Click to expand...

Yup. People do. People who work and are short of time/have plenty of money. Even when Kal was on full livery I caught him in, groomed him and tacked him up myself, but then I only rode on weekends so I had the time to do so.

Honestly, I don't think I could do full livery again . . . although it was lovely knowing he was taken care of when I was on the other side of the world for work, I felt like I didn't have a horse - only saw him Saturday and Sunday and then only for a couple of hours or so.

Once I go back to work again I will pay someone to come to MY yard and rug him, turn him out and muck him out on the days that I can't do it . . . but I will still be making all the decisions about his care.

P
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top