Got offered grazing but..... Would you take it on?

Yes do get something in writing, but really she is doing you a great deal - she could rent the stables out and hire herself a groom with the proceeds to look after her horse, who probably won't be much trouble... She probably thinks it would be a quieter less stressful route to have one nice person around (heck sounds like she has had her share of stress!). Go and have a really good chat with her, suss out if you think you will get on etc..
 
Er, YEAH!
I get free grazing/feed/hay in exchange for looking after a chap's (now a very good friend) 3 polo ponies who are in work March - end of august, a baby who shall be broken in in the autumn, an ornament and a fat useless pony. I have 3 horses on his land. He's never there so I take care of the horses as I see fit. It is a bit of work but worth it, I love it. The fat pony will take the most work as she's prone to lami so I'm going to start taking her running around the village with me (as I'm training for tough mudder uk :D ).#
My advice, get her to tell you exactly what she wants doing with her horse and see if it will suit, if you can care for it as you see fit then fab :)
 
I have a similar arrangement, i look after 4 horses in return for my horses's livery and ad lib hay. We have a contract in place and i have a timetable so we both know what is expected when. I have 2 very small children too-just to make it a bit more interesting/ complicated!!! and the YO has been amazing.

I did ask lots of questions too, to try and find out how she likes things done (its her place afterall and i think difficulties can arise when people try and dictate how things should be done) She has been very flexible eg. i can come down whatever time i like to do the horses, so long as they get done, if i have the kids with me, i can drive my car down to the field so i can see them etc..

As mentioned on a previous post, i have to look after my own boy anyway, so to do the others isnt hard as im already going down there anyway. I found that at other DIY yards, i would invariably end up helping others with their horses, eg feeding/turnout/bring in anyway, this way, i save myself a lot of money and the horses are very happy as they all get done at the same time.

Go for it and good luck-you can always move if you need to x
 
loverly said:
That's exactly what I am thinking. He is lame so cannot be ridden so it would be the general care of him. The owner is paralysed from the chest down (I believe) so will be looking after him 100% - just not to cost of farrier and vets.

It is £5 per week per horse.
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Sounds great. Get a contract in place stating the cost and exactly what caring for her horse requires, then you are both in a better position. No reason not to have a contract just because it is cheap!!! Also how long they are 24/7 out or stabled etc and who covers costs (presume she still pays the lot, you would just do the physical side). And who is responsible for the upkeep of field, cost wise and physical, ie you or contracted out.

Is 3 unridden horses (provided they are all just standard care) that much more than 2?

I'd be biting her hand off if I was in your position, if things don't work out, then your in no worse a position than before

Pan
 
Honey08 said:
Yes do get something in writing, but really she is doing you a great deal - she could rent the stables out and hire herself a groom with the proceeds to look after her horse, who probably won't be much trouble... She probably thinks it would be a quieter less stressful route to have one nice person around (heck sounds like she has had her share of stress!). Go and have a really good chat with her, suss out if you think you will get on etc..
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^^^^ This is what I would do
 
I've had a chat with her, and she wants me to stable the horse during the day in the summer and night in winter. Pay for bedding, fencing, stable maintenance (including repairing the holes! and re-building the one that has been knocked into a feed room), land management, muck removal and everything other than vets and farrier for her horse.

She wants an agreement written up stating that if her horse damages one of mine - its not her responsibility. Won' put anything else in writing.

Am worried that it would be cheaper to pay livery now to be honest as mini can be kept at home as we have an acre.
Grazing isn't great although there is 6 acres and stables are very small - measured 11x10 ish.

I've spoken to another member on here that used to be there and she recommended against it - so slightly worried!
 
loverly said:
I've had a chat with her, and she wants me to stable the horse during the day in the summer and night in winter. Pay for bedding, fencing, stable maintenance (including repairing the holes! and re-building the one that has been knocked into a feed room), land management, muck removal and everything other than vets and farrier for her horse.

She wants an agreement written up stating that if her horse damages one of mine - its not her responsibility. Won' put anything else in writing.

Am worried that it would be cheaper to pay livery now to be honest as mini can be kept at home as we have an acre.
Grazing isn't great although there is 6 acres and stables are very small - measured 11x10 ish.

I've spoken to another member on here that used to be there and she recommended against it - so slightly worried!
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So, if am reading this correctly, she wants you to:
Completely maintain financially her horse - apart from vets & farrier? Could be expensive on hay/feed/bedding if its a filthy greedy/skinny one.
You need to renovate her yard & fencing?

Sounds a bit of an odd deal to me & unless she is willing to put the fencing right before you moved in, then I would not touch it with a bargepole.

After all, what you spend on livery elsewhere could well be less in a year or 2 or 3 than paying out for re-vamping stables & replacing fencing- apart from feeding & bedding for a horse that is not yours :(
 
Exactly The Fuzzy Furry... All the upkeep of her pony and yard/paddocks!

And then I'm only planning on staying until September 2013 (which is a while away I know) but in that time I would have spent a small fortune on her yard - to then move as I'm off to uni.
 
loverly said:
I've had a chat with her, and she wants me to stable the horse during the day in the summer and night in winter. Pay for bedding, fencing, stable maintenance (including repairing the holes! and re-building the one that has been knocked into a feed room), land management, muck removal and everything other than vets and farrier for her horse.

She wants an agreement written up stating that if her horse damages one of mine - its not her responsibility. Won' put anything else in writing.

Am worried that it would be cheaper to pay livery now to be honest as mini can be kept at home as we have an acre.
Grazing isn't great although there is 6 acres and stables are very small - measured 11x10 ish.

I've spoken to another member on here that used to be there and she recommended against it - so slightly worried!
Click to expand...

I wouldn't take that on, especially if you have to pay for the vet bills if her horse injures yours, and paying for it's bedding and every thing else it does, seems like you would be gaining another horse (minus vet and farrier bills).
 
Don't go there,sounds she wants a mug to do everything and pay for it and why should someone who would be renting from her have to rebuild stables that she had allowed to be changed in the past???
 
I wouldn't do it. Sounds like you have a lot of "hidden" costs to pay and it could be more expensive than livery in the long run! I'd also assume you would need her horse in a separate paddock if she has stipulated she won't cover vets bills if her horse hurts yours. Sounds like it may have happened before?
 
Good that you have got her to spell out what she expects: and it does sound like not a great deal and I would turn it down.

But better to find that out than to dismiss out of hand as some suggested

Now you have a good reason both to decline the offer AND not feel at all bad about it, which is a much better outcome.
 
The fact that she won't put anything else in writing would bother me. Nothing to stop you doing all the work, then getting kicked out. And I won't even start on all the other stuff!

I wouldn't touch it with a bargepole. What a shame for you.
But then, I suppose if things sound too good to be true, they usually are! :)
 
To put this in perpective I have been offering grazing for two in return for checking and puting out some hay for my ponies, concrete yard with electric and water. No maintainace involved just clearing up after your self.
I think people thought there was a catch because I have more response in advertising it to rent.
 
Oh that's a shame OP I would say no too as it could get costly! Especially as you are leaving in a year but even if you weren't planning on leaving there's still a chance she could ask you to go after you've done all the work!
 
... With that info added then nope! It sounds like a train crash waiting to happen. Definitely don't, she sounds like she'll take full advantage of you and your money.

If your having doubts already stick to your gut instinct and avoid.
 
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