Full Grass Livery?

[samlf]

Does anyone provide this or have a horse on full grass livery?
If so, and you're happy to say, what is included and how much do you pay?

What would you expect to pay (baring in mind we are in South East) for full grass livery: Including use of 30x60 floodlit school, full care inc feet picked out/rugs changed/full checked, poo picked daily, pair turnout (2 acres per pair) with shelter and hardstanding, ad lib hay, basic feed (eg chaff/nuts/beet).

There isn't anywhere around here that really does it, so I wonder if its a gap in the market or if there is not the demand.

Feedback appreciated

 

[Spot_On]

I know of one who does full grass livery (Kent) and charges £200 pcm

 

[ihatework]

About £50 per week

 

[EmmaB]

I do think there is a small market for it, however I think most people wanting full livery would just have a stable. Around here full livery with a stable starts from about £70 per week (cheapest yard I know of) so for full livery just without stable I'd say £60? Bit less maybe but there is the use of a good sized school. Depends on if there is good hacking and other factors I suppose.

 

[BBH]

I think you have to be careful because those on grass livery IME are those who don't have too much money and if you start adding too many extras you are into the realms of livery so another market entirely .

 

[webble]

I think you have to be careful because those on grass livery IME are those who don't have too much money and if you start adding too many extras you are into the realms of livery so another market entirely .

This is a very good point. Maybe you could target people whose horses have COPD or joint issues that need to keep moving rather than bestabled and pitch it similar to retirement livery

 

[unbalanced]

I would love to be on full grass livery with facilities, if anyone offered it around here. However it would have to be on suitable grazing for my cushings pony.
You know what would be really amazing - full grass livery, on a paddock paradise system, with facilities. I would be onto that like a shot.

 

[dianchi]

Young stock/ retired types might suit but little/no use of school so perhaps a reduction for that?

 

[ihatework]

I think you have to be careful because those on grass livery IME are those who don't have too much money and if you start adding too many extras you are into the realms of livery so another market entirely .

Not necessarily. For a decent quality part livery (i.e. all daily care) you are looking at £100+ a week. People on PL often do so because they haven't got the time to offer a structured routine to their horse. People are tightening their belts, full grass livery isn't acutally that common. It is a good way for people usually on PL to save money whilst still having their horse cared for.

For the right set up and with the right horse it is certainly something I would consider.

 

[OrangePepper]

..or retired horses.

 

[martlin]

I don't offer this, but if I did, I would charge the same as normal full livery less bedding and whatever nominal value for stable.
It's still similar work involved and although no stable, the field needs to be bigger/better sheltered etc.

 

[samlf]

I would love to be on full grass livery with facilities, if anyone offered it around here. However it would have to be on suitable grazing for my cushings pony.
You know what would be really amazing - full grass livery, on a paddock paradise system, with facilities. I would be onto that like a shot.

I have also considered this, as I don't agree with ryegrass/fertilising etc anyway, but I wondered if a track livery may just be too specialised, and I wouldn't be able to make it work financially.

Thanks for all your views, they are appreciated. It would be full grass livery, rather than DIY grass livery with extras. I would pitch it towards arthritis/COPD etc, with the options for restricting grazing for laminitis prone etc.

 

[TheMule]

I resent the idea that only people who cant afford stabled livery would want grass livery. I keep my horses put because it is a better lifestyle for them- they are happier, healthier and more relaxed. I pay more for my grass livery than i would normal stable DIY livery because it's worth it for my horses.

 

[GeorgeyGal]

I'm in the SE and grass livery is pretty much none existent, and definite shortage of youngstock livery. I would be willing to pay more not less to have unlimited access out, including say an open barn for hard standing/shelter. It's not the grazing that's priority it's horses living in a herd all year round which appeals to me. I guess if I want that I'll have to buy my own land! One day hopefully.

 

[Grumpy Jewel]

I feel quite lucky here. I'm in SE and for college holidays I'm mean and she goes on grass to have a relax and rest. I pay £65 per month (she is 14.2) and that includes 2x daily checks. There are facilities- rubber school and yard/stables but they are a 10 min walk away. In winter hay is put out and we are charged for that, but the land belongs to a real farmer who doesn't like the land trashed so fields are rotated regularly and the winter field is enormous- top to bottom and back takes about 20 mins! I'm not sure I would do it all year round, but the hacking is amazing and the care is good.

 

[hoggedmane]

I keep my horse out 24/7 because she is happier and healthier out. Nearly all the horses on the yard live out even though they all have a stable. (only two come in because their owner prefers it). These are not retired or youngstock - some compete BE, BSJA and BD from the field. I pay £108 a month for DIY and then pay for assisted as I need it so not full grass livery. No hay included except when it snows when it is put out in the field. A daily check is £1 and I don't know how much is charged for pooh picking. Then if they need to come in it costs about £2.50 for in and out. etc. There is a full grass livery yard directly behind my house but I won't consider it as they have barbed wire fences and the grazing is rubbish. That was £45 a week about 8 years ago when I asked.

 

[lastchancer]

I think it would potentially have interest as people are becoming more aware of the benefit of keeping horses in as natural environment as possible.
Also might suit people whose horse is resting or just coming back to work after an injury. I had mine on part grass livery last winter and quite happily pay good money for what my horse needs. At the time he needed turning away in a big field with some mates, although he could have had a stable if there was an emergency.

 

[KVH]

I know of several in the SE which offer full grass livery and offer the same level of care plus use of facilities for approx £120-140pm.

 

[lastchancer]

I paid £30 PW including hayledge, field checks and feed were £1 per day as required.

 

[AntxGeorgiax]

The yard i am currently on offers this, and i am in the south east too. Bucks to be precise!

Not 100% sure on charges as i am diy grass liv etc but from another livery; what is included per month is:

Grass livery prices : 195 inc hay in fields in winter.
feed: 75
exercise: 25 hack, 40 be schooled by grand prix dressage rider, (each time) which includes tack clean after and grooming/rug changes etc

all in all i believe it came to roughly 380 at the end of the month for her horse to be hacked 2-3x per week, inc feed and hay; but i am not 100% sure!!

other places have grass liv for 25 p/w, with extra services on top to make it sort of 'full' grass livery!

 

[criso]

I have a form of this for my retired boy, I pay for daily checks and feeding but I do help out poo picking and pay my share of hay.

I resent the idea that only people who cant afford stabled livery would want grass livery. I keep my horses put because it is a better lifestyle for them- they are happier, healthier and more relaxed. I pay more for my grass livery than i would normal stable DIY livery because it's worth it for my horses.

Not all but they do exist. Having helped out advertising a space for a grass livery the a lot of people who responded didn't expect to have to check their horses daily, poo pick or pay for hay.

Actually it can be more expensive to provide good grass livery than stabled horses with little turnout as you need more acres per horse however round here people expect it to be the cheap, low effort option.

 

[Dizzle]

I keep my pony out 24/7 because she’s a small hardy New Forest, no point throwing her in a stable to get fat! My current yard does grass livery and it’s actually only £3 a week less than DIY at my old stables.

I’m actually moving her to a full grass livery yard, if I hadn’t of found this she’d have ended up on part livery as I don’t have the time at the moment, it also didn’t seem fair that I’d be riding her 3 times a week and she’d be spending half a week cooped up in a stable.

I’m paying £140 a month for checking once a day and hay when needed (although she is a good doer so hay isn’t essential) and then any ‘full livery’ type extras are move on top. Yard has 300 acres of land, a small XC course and an outdoor school, plus lockable tack room and staff on site.

 

[Brightbay]

Does anyone provide this or have a horse on full grass livery?
If so, and you're happy to say, what is included and how much do you pay?

What would you expect to pay (baring in mind we are in South East) for full grass livery: Including use of 30x60 floodlit school, full care inc feet picked out/rugs changed/full checked, poo picked daily, pair turnout (2 acres per pair) with shelter and hardstanding, ad lib hay, basic feed (eg chaff/nuts/beet).

There isn't anywhere around here that really does it, so I wonder if its a gap in the market or if there is not the demand.

Feedback appreciated

I am on grass livery (although it's in Scotland, but central belt so not the middle of nowhere ). I pay £20 a week to keep my horse in a 9 acre field, with fresh water (natural spring that doesn't freeze). I could, in principle, use the arena which is down the road and attached to the yard with stables, but it's an inconvenient slog so I don't (and it's not floodlit, so not very useful in winter anyway).
I keep my horse there because I want him to live out with a stable group as it's healthier for him and keeps him sane - so it's not a case of saving money (or at least, it does save money in the long run, on vet bills ).
However, what I would really value is holiday cover - this isn't something offered by the yard and is difficult for me to arrange. That would be - as you suggest - twice daily check of horse, once daily feed, hooves picked, rugs checked if necessary, field boundaries/fences/gates/water checked, hay put in field (I do all this myself at the moment).

 

[cbmcts]

Up until 3 years ago I paid £25pw inc winter hay for DIY grass livery in Essex - plenty of people paid that and only visited once a week or month relying on other liveries to check their horses! Tack room and trailer parking included but it was £2 per 30 mins to use the (rubbish) school. I hear prices have risen to £30pw grass now and you can have a stable for an extra tenner but not inc hay bedding or use of school and that is totally DIY.

I now pay £40pw for full retirement grass livery which includes farrier and wormer but is 70+ miles away.

 

[Angus' yard]

Grass livery is surely dependent on how many horses you plan to have on how much acreage and how well the land holds up - clay will respond differently to sandy soil. If you plan to have two horses per two acres, how often will these fields be rested? Two horses on this small a field 24/7 will be trashed pretty quickly in bad weather.