Full Livery Costs & 24/7 Summer Turnout

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PrivateJack

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Hi all!
I’m considering starting a full livery business and have a few questions... I have been lucky enough to keep my horses at home for many years so am out of touch! Few questions...:
1. How much do people pay for full livery & what exactly does it include?
Are you limited to quantities of hay/bedding per week? Standard feed included, etc? Wormers, farrier etc extra?
2. If you were to have 24/7 summer turnout does the price change since not using bedding/hay?
3. Is there much demand for full retirement livery?
We have a 20x40 ménage, individual turnout and seperate summer & winter paddocks. Own tack/store room. We don’t poo pick but do a worming programme.
Only a tiny yard at present - probably have 5 stables max. Oh and we are north essex/Suffolk borders. Any info would be a great help! Thank you! X
 
I'm in the South East which is very expensive, so probably not comparable from a price perspective.

The yards around here tend to charge a flat rate all year, so that means the yard owner has to keep a bit back in reserve from the summer for the extra bedding and hay costs in winter. Our yard allows 1 bale shavings a week (or wood pellets) if you want those, but straw is 'as needed'. Hay is ad lib. Farriers, worming and other extras charged as incurred.
 
I have done full livery as an option, priced individually as often exercise/ schooling is included, I never limit bedding but it is under my control so no wastage, ad lib hay/ haylage and basic feed supplied, supplements/ worming/ farrier charged at cost as I normally deal with supply .
I do drop to summer prices as they usually go out 24/7 and think as a small yard it is more attractive to the owners to see a price change to reflect the outgoings.
No idea about retirement livery but to my mind living in retirement should mean living with others not in individual turn out.
I keep mine in pairs or more and would never choose individual turn out unless essential although I know many prefer it, consider some flexibility with yours, also depending on how big your paddocks are poo picking may be essential to keep them looking tidy, I don't do it the winter or in the biggest field but the smaller summer ones soon become really well covered and the grass gets tainted, worming cannot stop the grass being spoiled.
 
Firstly full livery means different things to different people. To me it includes full care, grooming, tack cleaning and exercise - but to others it means just basic care without the groom/exercise (which I would term Part livery). It doesn’t really matter but it’s worth finding out what is generally used in your locality.

I’m assuming you are thinking what I would call Part livery?
Again it does vary but as a rule of thumb you would generally expect the following:
Turnout/bring in/muck out/rugs/feet wash & pick
Hay or haylage ad lib
Straw ad-lib or a set quantity of wrapped bedding (shavings etc)
Feed, if included, is generally a set choice from a basic range - although personally I prefer to provide my own and not have this included.

You will have to cost out all this and what you want to make in profit. You will likely find the margins are small/non existent on a small number of boxes.

As for charges, around my way (Wilts/Gloucs) I can get this for £90pw if I’m happy with variable quality hay/straw, a dubious school surface, insufficient land for the number of horses and a basic muck & chuck type service. Or I can pay £135pw for a very individual and high quality service all be it without extensive facilities. Add in saunas/indoors/gallops etc and you’d be hitting £150+
 
Thanks for all of your replies!
Yes I’d be looking at turn out/in, rug changes, feed, pellet beds, hay. Could include exercise but would rather not (not sure if this would be sort after or not really...?). If I did retirement then I could offer turnout in small groups or pairs. We have 25 acres so paddocks are certainly not overgrazed (were a bit anal about our grass 😂).
When you move to a yard would you have to pay extra to make the new bed up? Or would the new bed already be made when you arrived? X
 
PrivateJack said:
Thanks for your reply - can I ask how much you charge for winter/summer? How much less would you charge in the summer to winter? X
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As I said it varies as it is a bespoke type of livery, sadly not at top end bespoke prices, generally it is about 50% in summer, they have use of a stable with token bed on rubber mats if they need it but no hay or feed provided, I will give feeds if left, it is more of a DIY in summer as most of my owners had more free time, the competition horses on proper full livery still paid as they were ridden/ produced/ fed even if they were out 24/7 the work was much the same if not more.
Price based on assisted DIY at £40 per week, so paying that in summer, additional costs depending on requirements, I did full livery including some riding for £130 ish

It suited me as I like to have less to do in the stables over the summer, more time to spend with mine or going out competing without feeling my clients were paying for something I was not providing by not being there every day.
 
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I've been looking recently at livery in the South-East, predominately part/full livery (not inc. exercise), prices range from £100p/w to £220p/w dependant on facilities and the type of bedding/feed used.

What I expect from the livery:
-Adlib hay/haylage
-Feed tailored to the horse's needs (nothing fancy, just making sure the horse is maintaining a good weight, without extra energy - unless needed)
-Bedding, one or two bales a week - I would expect a full bed when I arrived/started at the yard
-Turnout, bringing in and turning out. Rug change, wash/quick groom. and hooves picked.
-As an owner, to be alerted immediately to any change in behaviour, injury, lameness etc..
-Fields to be maintained, and that if put in with others, to make sure they are well matched.
-All facilities to be well maintained, and that there's no overcrowding.

Normally I've always had it that the horse will be in at some point during a 24hour period - normally during the day in summer or at night in winter. So I wouldn't expect the price to change but if you're offering 24/7 turnout in the summer, I would expect a drastic reduction in cost.
 
I am in the south east, I would consider the yard I am at now to be a bit of a bargain tbh and not the norm cost wise.

I pay £300 per month for 5 day full livery, includes half a bale of hay a day and enough straw to keep bed big and fluffy, I have to buy hard feed myself. In the summer they will let you go on diy as they can live out at £100 per month. We have very good facilities, not posh but very good including 2 arenas, lunge ring, cross country field, hacking and excellent staff. They don't groom/ride or clean tack this is just the general care day to day.

Every other yard I have been to has been closer to £550 per month full livery for 7 days.
 
Farma said:
I pay £300 per month for 5 day full livery, includes half a bale of hay a day and enough straw to keep bed big and fluffy, I have to buy hard feed myself. In the summer they will let you go on diy as they can live out at £100 per month.
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That's very good value - I need to move to where you are!
 
I am in Kent and pay £450p/m for:
- Muck out with 2 bales shavings a week
- Ad-lib hay or haylage
- Hard feed (options are fibre nuts, pasture mix, comp mix, SB, hifi or ready grass)
- Individual or pair t/o
- T/O bring in or horsewalker depending on weather
- Rug changes and feet picked out

Facilities we have 2 outdoor schools, horsewalker, solarium and hot wash
I would expect a full bed on arrival with no extra cost. Some of the horses live out 24/7 in the summer, some come in either day or night and the cost stays the same. All the horses still get hard feed and hay if the grass is getting sparse though.
 
I have full grass liveries no stables but poo picked daily, hay, and basic high oil high fibre low starch low sugar diet, rugs checked and adjusted to the weather, hold for vet and farrier when needed basic health care etc treated as my own charge £30 per week
one is a retiree so no work
other is a kids cob so happy with level grass school in the field
 
I’m on the north London/Herts border and pay £500pm in summer and £520pm in winter. This includes basic care - mucking our, Turnout etc, rug changes, hay (unlimited), feed (he only gets a handful of chaff), waters and one bale of shavings a week (1.5 in winter as they’re in more).

In summer they are out all day, in winter they go around for around 5 hours a day as our whole area is clay soil. Lately it has been alternate day Turnout as it’s been so wet, but not for long hopefully. There are only 4 of us and we have nice fields generally (rubbish right now but that’s normal), an all weather arena with lights and off road hacking, plus owner lives on site.

No grooming (washes legs every few days in winter) except picking out feet, no saddle cleaning or exercise but I wouldn’t expect that from standard full livery.
 
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