Freelance grooms?

[faerie666]

Not really sure where to post this, but thought the most people would read it in here.

After some recent developments at work I'm thinking about leaving, and I'm looking at what my options would be.

I quite like the idea of going freelance, as I would be working for myself, doing the hours and work I want to instead of pandering to my bosses every whim.

So here come the 20 questions

So, are any of you/have you been a freelance groom?
What do you charge for different kinds of job. ie. general yard work, exercising etc?
How many hours a week are you doing and how much travelling between jobs?
How hard was it to build up a big enough client base to earn a living?
How do you fit in your own horse?
I'm very experienced with and enjoy breaking in youngsters, would there be a call for someone to come to peoples yards to help with that, do you think?
How does paying tax and NI work when you're self employed, and roughly how much money do you have to set aside?
What kind of insurance would I need and which companies provide it?
How much does being self employed affect, cost of car insurance, getting a loan/mortgage etc.?

I am planning on going to see a financial adviser about all the money stuff anyway, but I just wanted a rough idea first.

Thanks for any replies, this is still very much hypothetical at the moment, but the more I think about it, the more it seems like the right thing for me at this point in my life.

 

[itsme123]

Working freelance isnt easy if you have to fit in your own horse. I tended to end up doing morning and evening stables all through the year so was always busy when I need to do own horse...

I was paid £10 hour to do one horse £20 hour to do two, no exercising. I still do freelance for friends / associates but only occasionally (ie to cover holidays etc). I couldnt have made a living from it AND have own horse. I now work PT for local yard and fit in own horse and the odd bit of freelance round it.

 

[WhiteHorseWendy]

I freelance for 2 or 3 yards a week usually, make a living, pay my rent and keep two horses of my own. I only work mornings OR evenings five days a week. I do work a night shift at a local bar twice a month to earn a bit of extra cash and I have a sharer for my horses who rides 3x a week.

Lovin' it.

 

[faerie666]

Thanks for your replies

WHW, that sounds fab!

Can I ask how much you charge per hour, and what sort of work you do at those yards?
I'm in Cheshire where there's millions of horses, so there should be plenty of opportunities out there, it's just a case of finding them.

 

[WhiteHorseWendy]

I charge between £7 and £10 per hour depending on what the work is, how far I have to travel, how many hours work there is etc. I do all usual duties from mucking out, turning out etc, to assisting with riding school lessons, exercising polo ponies and training trick horses