Grass Livery - Is it out of fashion?

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samlf

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As per title.

Nowhere seems to do grass livery anymore. I wonder why this is?

Is there not any demand? I would certainly jump at the chance of having my two living out, and somewhere with hard standing to tie up and a school to ride in.

At the moment I have a rented field, because what my horses need is far more important than what I would like.

Part of me wonders if yards have effectively priced themselves out of the market for grass livery. Around 7 years ago I used to be on grass livery at a livery yard, the grass livery was about £35/month cheaper than DIY with a stable, and I think they didn't have enough grazing to have both comfortably.

I would happily pay the going rate for DIY or even slightly more to make up for the additional grazing they would need.

Has anyone had this problem? Finding somewhere for grass livery so I could start my own is something I have considered, but a bit pointless if the reason everywhere has stopped it is due to lack of demand!
 
I think its cost rather than demand. No money to be made in grass livery.

I keep mine on grass livery and it was only be complete chance I found my yard, otherwise id be on the usual diy, stabled at night that I and the ponies would hate!
 
I do grass livery in the summer but apart from the occasional resting horse taken as a favour it is not viable in the winter, unless the yard has plenty of land it is not economical to have low income from a grass livery using the land that can support a horse whose owner will pay for full or part livery.
 
be positive said:
I do grass livery in the summer but apart from the occasional resting horse taken as a favour it is not viable in the winter, unless the yard has plenty of land it is not economical to have low income from a grass livery using the land that can support a horse whose owner will pay for full or part livery.
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This is the most likely reason.
 
Land around here costs from 10k per acre upwards to buy, a great deal more if it has road frontage/facilities etc. We are also blessed with heavy clay. If the horses lived out 24/7 on our 10 acres of land it would be totally trashed and knee deep mud in a matter of weeks - so grass livery just wouldnt work for us. We are just pleased that we manage to turn the horses out every day without fail and don't have to keep them in for days on end.
 
Our yard stopped doing DIY in order to save grazing for part and full livery clients so I'd think it is financially unviable unless you are in the middle of nowhere with tons of grass.
 
2 grass livery yards have closed down in my area in the last few months. FWIW, both yards offered diy, part and full livery packages too. Every other grass livery I know of is full. I seem to be lucky too, many livery yards (that therefore have facilities) seem to do grass livery, there seems to be some grass livery yards with purpose built facilities as well as standard basic fields. Tend to find yards offering other types of livery are more pushed for grazing tho and so grass liveries often get the worst of the grazing. Do have more choice than many people. (But not helpful when new horse arrives in Feb and I have nowhere to put him!)
 
It's such a shame though, I'd happily pay a fair price if places actually offered it! I pay £70/month per horse for nothing other than a field!

Yes I have never known of anywhere with facilities that had done solely grass livery, but I would even pay for a stable so that the space is filled as such, and have them living out and bring in for feed etc for a few hours but even then I'm not sure they'd be keen as they would have less land per horse.
 
I have been looking for someone to take on as a grass livery, 2 maneges, round pen, stable when needed, come in each day for a few hours whilst mine is worked, I have offered full livery at grass or shared care (one brings in and one puts out both muck out own horses) but do you know I cannot find anyone who actually wants it without it becoming a nightmare.
 
twiggy2 said:
I have been looking for someone to take on as a grass livery, 2 maneges, round pen, stable when needed, come in each day for a few hours whilst mine is worked, I have offered full livery at grass or shared care (one brings in and one puts out both muck out own horses) but do you know I cannot find anyone who actually wants it without it becoming a nightmare.
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Sounds amazing! Are you in the outer Hebrides or something?
 
The yard I'm at offers grass livery, as well as full and part livery, however they have been 'full' for about the past 10 years, and only those who already have horses at the yard get a look in. However the herd is large and the field is let to just get trashed/flooded in the winter and they just chuck out loads of hayledge. But you get all year unlimited turnout and lots of facilities (ménage, hard standing, show jumps, cross country course) at a reasonable price so it's in desire.
 
samlf said:
As per title.

Nowhere seems to do grass livery anymore. I wonder why this is?
!
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Its not cost effective having grass liveries. Little money coming in and a lot of payment going out.

For the livery its good , horse fed 24/7 facilities etc, for Yo, up keep water lighting-rates-damages-staff and more
 
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I would happily pay for a stable on a diy set up but keep horse out 24/7 but most yards dont allow 24hr turnout in summer, let alone in winter and if they did chances are that the horse would be out alone overnight so not a viable option round here. It explains why the purpose built grass livery yards are full. However in the midlands by my parents I cant think of one grass livery yard :o
Id be interested in a cost vs benefit analysis of diy vs grass if anyone has ever done one. Ie, how many horses on say 20 acres if diy or if grass. Presumably costs are lower with grass in as much as less water likely to be used, no business rates on stables, land maintenance costs not dissimilar? But can charge more diy and maybe have slightly more horses if grazing isnt in permament use? I could be totally wrong tho!
Eta- twiggy2 where are you?! Thats exactly what im after so I bet youre miles away!
 
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I am on grass livery effectively on a private yard. I pay extra for a stable for somewhere to tie up and bring in overnight pre comp etc (or if I'm being a bit wussy and the weather is bad)! My lad is basically out 24/7 with the YO's 5 ponies. He is the most chilled he's ever been, couldn't be happier! I think as previous posters state is too cost ineffective for a larger yard to do with turnout space generally tight.
 
God no, I am supposed to be bring mine in at night at the moment but I've been leaving them out, hopefully the farmer wont tell me off! its nice to have the stables for emergencies but I've only bought them in one night and one morning so far this winter and that's only because I can! my mares lived out happily for 12 years and she wasn't impressed with coming in!!
 
chaps89 said:
Id be interested in a cost vs benefit analysis of diy vs grass if anyone has ever done one. Ie, how many horses on say 20 acres if diy or if grass. Presumably costs are lower with grass in as much as less water likely to be used, no business rates on stables, land maintenance costs not dissimilar? But can charge more diy and maybe have slightly more horses if grazing isnt in permament use?
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Assuming the horse is in work alot of people would still want facilities such as a school and somewhere to tie up and shelter when they bring the horse in prior to riding so for rates and maintenance not much to save.

You would need at least twice as much land assuming that horses that come in are only out for half the time, realistically they are out nearer 6 - 8 hours in the winter.

I was on a private yard until recently and had my retired at grass with one other horse and another stabled part of the time. I saw very clearly exactly how much more stress was put on the field that had the 24/7 horses and the field that was only used part of the time was smaller, had twice as many horses on it and coped better.

Even if you charged the same as diy but allowed 24/7 turnout you would still need more land and people expect round here to pay about £15pw for grass livery when diy is at least twice that.
 
In many ways I think it is 'out of fashion'. That's not to say that there aren't yards that will allow you to turnout 24/7 all year round but I think a combination of factors also come into play. 1, when factoring in the revenue for grass livery and taking into account the extra grazing needed for a horse to be turned out all the time vs a stabled horse it's simply not financially viable, unless someone has a few acres they want to rent out privately the chance of finding this service in a yard business environment is slim. Furthermore, as an owner, I have always wanted to pay for stable and grazing, when I have turned out 24/7 all year round, I can't abide the insecure feeling of not having a stable available should my horse get injured or sick, therefore I'd always rather pay enhanced cost and not use a stable than save a few pounds and risk getting caught short and not having the facilities I need should my horse fall ill.
 
Interesting, thanks criso. Dont know where you are but I wish grass livery was £15/week! Normal price is around £90/month for basic grazing but no facilities, £130/month no hay but use of facilities included or up to £200 if hay and a daily check is included, whereas diy tends to be £120-£150/month.
 
chaps89 said:
Interesting, thanks criso. Dont know where you are but I wish grass livery was £15/week! Normal price is around £90/month for basic grazing but no facilities, £130/month no hay but use of facilities included or up to £200 if hay and a daily check is included, whereas diy tends to be £120-£150/month.
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That is crazy money, I'm in Hampshire, which is supposed to be expensive and I pay £90 a month for each horse and £20 for a Shetland, that's more that I paid when I was in Winchester! I get the use of 8 stables, 4 out door, 4 in a bar, a massive tackroom (2 stables converted and boxed in) I have a 3 acre field, and I have paid to get a barn fenced off and opened up part of their fence so they can access it! fencing could be better but I've run electric around and if I need more grazing there are plenty of others that I can use! but I would have to put some more electric up in places!!

obviously I have no facilities!
 
I'm in Herts and there isn't much grass livery around but people still think it should be miles cheaper than diy. This is no frills, no checks or anything. When we were advertising a space, people didn't want to pay for checks but didn't plan on visiting daily either so they were effectively leaving it to other people to keep an eye. I paid extra for daily checks and giving feeds monday to friday.

People see grass livery as a money saving option not an alternative way of keeping your horse.
 
Lots of grass livery in the Surrey hills BUT AND ITS A BIG BUT it is on average £280-£350 to inc hay or haylage, tie up outside (often in puddles or shallow mud) and use of a sandschool. Hacking is great and turnout on sand.

Its in proportion, DIY if you can find it is £250, assisted £320ish, part £490-600, full £600-unlimited!!

I can get cheap grass livery in west Sussex for £120 a month inc feed but its clay and very very wet and muddy.
 
Not out of fashion where I live. I have 4 on grass livery (though 2 come in during winter) and I love it. My horses get to live in a herd and be horses but I still have good schools, decent facilities, on site training and can keep my retired / broken horses on the same yard as those in work without compromising their welfare.
 
I offer retirement grass livery. I have too much grass so I need the extra horses to save mine from getting too fat. I have good facilities, a horse walker and big arena. But I absolutely wont allow anybody to use them. Hence the retirement grass livery!

Extra horses take its toll on a surface over time, especially when people free school or constantly canter on the lunge. You also get poo everywhere and damage to jumps, fencing etc. And then there is the time and cost of harrowing more often. I only charge €25 per week. Even if I charged an extra €10 for the use of the arena, that wouldn't cover the maintenance/replacement costs of fencing/jumps/harrowing. The quad would clock up more hours and require servicing sooner. And the arena would eventually have to be resurfaced sooner.

I spent a fortune on my arena, I'm not going to have it ruined by people that pay minimal livery charges. They would have to be paying me €25 per week for 30 years to cover the cost of building the arena. During which time there would have been an additional massive amount clocked up in maintenance/resurfacing/replacing. So now when I go to the time and effort of harrowing the arena, building a lovely course/grid, it'll all be still waiting there for me the next day, poo free and perfect.
 
I have grass livery with the possibility of stabling in emergencies. I use this option because I believe it is the best way to keep my little native pony. I pay £7 a week including hay usually. Very lucky to have such a good deal and a lovely YO
 
I have the perfect yard - all horses except two live out all year. All have a stable and my mare comes in each day for a few hours at the moment for hay and a feed (as most horses do). Plenty of grazing (70 acres and 25 horses). We all have a stable there is a school and hay made by yard which is a reasonable price. I pay DIY rates (108 a month) but can have assisted jobs which I pay for as and when I need them. I wouldn't move if you paid me!!
 
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