Help!! Setting up a Livery yard in South Wales-All help appreciated!

E

ellietaylor10

Active Member
Joined
4 October 2010
Messages
38
Visit site
Hi all,
I wonder if you can help me. I'm thinking of setting up a small livery yard- we are in between Bridgend and Cardiff in South Wales with easy access to Pencoed college M4 etc.. We have 30 acres of good grazing, 10 X 10x12stables, a brand new 50x 30 Menage and 20mRound Pen, sand paddocks etc. This has all been paid for and so I would like to perhaps earn some money back. I've 25 years experience, and m about to enrol on the BHS stages and equine first aid. I wondered what you would expect to pay for the following:

Part Livery- Mon- fri
Full care of horse apart from riding so that would include:
Turn out/ bring in/ Rug change
Feed
Muck out/ Bed etc
Assistance with Vet/ Farrier/ Chiropractor/ Dentist
Secure parking for trailer

Part Livery- Monday- Sunday

Full livery As above including exercise.

Also is there anything you can think of that i've missed out that may be attractive to prospective liveries? And do you think there would be much call for ANOTHER yard?
Thank you :-)
Ellie
 
I would work backwards and work out what you need to earn to make it pay, then work out how much you need to let each stable for and then decide whether people will pay it tbh.

Personally I'd never run a livery yard, too much hassle and too many people expecting something for nothing. An awful lot of hard work for very little return IMO.

If you have your heart set on it though good luck.
 
Thanks BBH. because the yard is all paid for it's pretty much a good earner. But I would need to take someone on to help run it to the standard i would like. I know what you mean. it's the exact reason why I haven't done it already- I've had a few DIYers and they have turned out to be a nightmare- they pay you a pittance and think they own the place. Not to mention I end up at their beck and call 24/7 and then they throw it all back in your face :-/ But there's so much potential I think maybe I should give it a go ?
 
These things are so geographically linked it's impossible to say without being local. Your best bet is to find out what other yards close by charge, work out what you offer and then work it out that way.

A school is really good in attracting people.. esp if lit (doesn't have to be fancy full on flood lights, just security type lights but on a pull cord not a trigger will allow people to lunge and school after work).

Rubber mat in stables is a bonus you may want to think about. Auto filling troughs in fields and plenty of storage also attractive. Fencing is also important, no wire, so post and rail or post and leccy.

I never found my BHS quals attracted people TBH, they just always liked the common sense and life time of horse experience, which you can already offer. First aid for horses and humans is a good idea. Have an emergency contact sheet in tack room, and include the grid reference and post code of the yard for calling emergency vehicles and air ambulance.

Livery yard insurance is a must - I used KBIS who were good and cost £43 a month for 6 full liveries plus 3 grass.

Be firm but fair, people take an inch and give a mile! With this in mind - HAVE A CONTRACT! Happy to email you mine if you PM me your address, it just sets out who is responsible for what, what the yard manager may do to your horse (e.g. if livery leaves its shoes hanging off YO can call farrier at liveries expense), what happens when either party wants to leave and so on!
 
Polotash said:
These things are so geographically linked it's impossible to say without being local. Your best bet is to find out what other yards close by charge, work out what you offer and then work it out that way.

A school is really good in attracting people.. esp if lit (doesn't have to be fancy full on flood lights, just security type lights but on a pull cord not a trigger will allow people to lunge and school after work).

Rubber mat in stables is a bonus you may want to think about. Auto filling troughs in fields and plenty of storage also attractive. Fencing is also important, no wire, so post and rail or post and leccy.

I never found my BHS quals attracted people TBH, they just always liked the common sense and life time of horse experience, which you can already offer. First aid for horses and humans is a good idea. Have an emergency contact sheet in tack room, and include the grid reference and post code of the yard for calling emergency vehicles and air ambulance.

Livery yard insurance is a must - I used KBIS who were good and cost £43 a month for 6 full liveries plus 3 grass.


Be firm but fair, people take an inch and give a mile! With this in mind - HAVE A CONTRACT! Happy to email you mine if you PM me your address, it just sets out who is responsible for what, what the yard manager may do to your horse (e.g. if livery leaves its shoes hanging off YO can call farrier at liveries expense), what happens when either party wants to leave and so on!
Click to expand...

Thanks PoloTash
Floodlights going in next month, and they are nice ones - well thought out and lit well. fields have autofillers and are plain wire / rylock (we have replaced most of the fencing but found it too costly to do post and rail throughout. I'm sure as time goes on though and once it starts paying this could be replaced with post and rail. I've done my 3 day first aid course this year so that's one less thing to do :-)
Good idea about the rubber mats- I am definately going to put those in :-)

Also great tip for the insurance.

I definately need to toughen up ! I'm too kind to people and the just end up taking the mickey- but if I run as a business from the outset hopefully my mindset will be correct- I've had a successful business which i recently sold :-)

Great, if you could email me your contract I would be most grateful!
Thank you !

P.s quick question- how do you attract your liveries- did they come by word of mouth or did you advertise?
 
I advertised initially (NFED as i was in forest) and then once I had a core of long stayers they brought a couple of friends, and hey presto, I was full. Local paper and tack shops/ feed merchants also excellent start points.

I cannot stress enough how important it is to be firm with them! It makes NO ONE happy when people take the piss. You get stressed, they get stressed, and every other livery gets stressed. This sets up bitchy cliques, and people start leaving. You need firm ground rules which are rigorously applied, then everyone knows what is expected, pulls their weight, and you don't get arguments. My contract is anal in the extreme, but I never had any problems! e.g. "You must sweep through the alleyway of the american barn before you leave". Then you don't get X saying "but Y never does it" when you reprimand X!

Also, if and when you get a bad apple, boot them out pronto. All they do is upset everyone else, who either leaves, or the bad one leaves and takes their cronies with them! ;0) Same applies to horses that are bullies or people are scared of - send them off and keep your core happy!
 
Polotash said:
I advertised initially (NFED as i was in forest) and then once I had a core of long stayers they brought a couple of friends, and hey presto, I was full. Local paper and tack shops/ feed merchants also excellent start points.

I cannot stress enough how important it is to be firm with them! It makes NO ONE happy when people take the piss. You get stressed, they get stressed, and every other livery gets stressed. This sets up bitchy cliques, and people start leaving. You need firm ground rules which are rigorously applied, then everyone knows what is expected, pulls their weight, and you don't get arguments. My contract is anal in the extreme, but I never had any problems! e.g. "You must sweep through the alleyway of the american barn before you leave". Then you don't get X saying "but Y never does it" when you reprimand X!

Also, if and when you get a bad apple, boot them out pronto. All they do is upset everyone else, who either leaves, or the bad one leaves and takes their cronies with them! ;0) Same applies to horses that are bullies or people are scared of - send them off and keep your core happy!
Click to expand...

I can't thank you enough for this advice- it's little things that you don't think about that makes all the difference- Hey- perhaps you should start running courses- How to run a happy, successful livery yard! haha

How many liveries do you curently have? do you manage on your own or do you employ someone? Sorry for all the questions!
 
ellietaylor10 said:
I can't thank you enough for this advice- it's little things that you don't think about that makes all the difference- Hey- perhaps you should start running courses- How to run a happy, successful livery yard! haha

How many liveries do you curently have? do you manage on your own or do you employ someone? Sorry for all the questions!
Click to expand...

Haha, not sure I'd get much trade with forums like this ;0)

I sold my Hants yard in March, but i did have 9 liveries (6 full or part stabled and 3 full grass), plus 3 of my own. At my Cornwall yard (DIY only) I have 6.

I think it's really important to be there yourself and manage it yourself, which is what I did. I appreciate with a large number of full or part liveries you can't do it all tho, I was lucky i just had a few! However if you are on the yard all the time, even with a helper, you nip the vast majority of problems in the bud. If you have staff and aren't on the yard you often end up with people playing off tensions/ differences between them, you and your staff...
 
Polotash said:
Haha, not sure I'd get much trade with forums like this ;0)

I sold my Hants yard in March, but i did have 9 liveries (6 full or part stabled and 3 full grass), plus 3 of my own. At my Cornwall yard (DIY only) I have 6.

I think it's really important to be there yourself and manage it yourself, which is what I did. I appreciate with a large number of full or part liveries you can't do it all tho, I was lucky i just had a few! However if you are on the yard all the time, even with a helper, you nip the vast majority of problems in the bud. If you have staff and aren't on the yard you often end up with people playing off tensions/ differences between them, you and your staff...[/QUOTE

100% agree. I will shortly be living on the yard (a house is being built) as well so that will mean i will be there anyway. So it was a positive experience for you? I suppose it's how you make it to a degree- and the hardest part is managing the people - not the four legged ones!
Click to expand...
 
Polotash said:
I advertised initially (NFED as i was in forest) and then once I had a core of long stayers they brought a couple of friends, and hey presto, I was full. Local paper and tack shops/ feed merchants also excellent start points.

I cannot stress enough how important it is to be firm with them! It makes NO ONE happy when people take the piss. You get stressed, they get stressed, and every other livery gets stressed. This sets up bitchy cliques, and people start leaving. You need firm ground rules which are rigorously applied, then everyone knows what is expected, pulls their weight, and you don't get arguments. My contract is anal in the extreme, but I never had any problems! e.g. "You must sweep through the alleyway of the american barn before you leave". Then you don't get X saying "but Y never does it" when you reprimand X!

Also, if and when you get a bad apple, boot them out pronto. All they do is upset everyone else, who either leaves, or the bad one leaves and takes their cronies with them! ;0) Same applies to horses that are bullies or people are scared of - send them off and keep your core happy!
Click to expand...

This is fantastic advice! We have 21 DIY, or Assisted DIY, 5 Part liveries and 4 Grass liveries. They all sign a contract which lists all the rules. If anyone breaks them, I tell them. They either get their act together or I would boot them off. I would always prefer to have fewer nice liveries than be full and have crap liveries. We've had one or two bad ones, and my gosh the difference on the yard was unbelieveable after they had gone.

Another good tip (which a YO on here told me to do) is if you don't want to single one person out, put a note on the board, e.g. 'Please can everyone make sure they sweep up around the hay soaking area, Thanks'. Works really well.

If anyone argues against your rules, stand your ground. It's your yard, so your rules.

I would say £85 per week for Part livery that you are describing.
 
MillionDollar said:
This is fantastic advice! We have 21 DIY, or Assisted DIY, 5 Part liveries and 4 Grass liveries. They all sign a contract which lists all the rules. If anyone breaks them, I tell them. They either get their act together or I would boot them off. I would always prefer to have fewer nice liveries than be full and have crap liveries. We've had one or two bad ones, and my gosh the difference on the yard was unbelieveable after they had gone.

Another good tip (which a YO on here told me to do) is if you don't want to single one person out, put a note on the board, e.g. 'Please can everyone make sure they sweep up around the hay soaking area, Thanks'. Works really well.

If anyone argues against your rules, stand your ground. It's your yard, so your rules.

I would say £85 per week for Part livery that you are describing.
Click to expand...

Thanks MillionDollar! It's so helpful to have your experience also. I hope I can get it right :-)
 
Totally agree Million Dollar re fewer better ones is better! You only get a bad name if people are always coming and going, as well as all the agro.

I had one bad one and she lasted two weeks before I suggested she found somewhere more suitable. Horse was lovely (teenage schoolmaster), but she was a total wet blanket and got to the point where she wouldn't go in the field to move his fence, let alone get on him! She went to a proper riding school with more hands on support.

Overall though, yes loved it, still very good friends with all of my Hants liveries. Cornwall ones more at arms length as DIY but they've all been here years anyway. Again, we've had a few bad ones and off they go!

Last one wouldn't turn the poor pony out or hack it. We very clearly say they are OUT 24/ 7 in summer unless in overnight on the odd occasion for shows etc, and out by day in winter. The poor pony was going mad going from stable to school and back again :0( A previous one years ago had an elderly welshy we'd known his whole life and she was forever shovelling "steady up" etc into him and leading him in clutching up at the poor beast (who was totally non plussed and laid back!). She became so paranoid about everything that "the straw was the wrong colour", the "horse was scared of the dark" and so on. We were pleased to see the back of her too, tee hee!

PS Farrier a good person to let know you are looking to fill spaces, they know everyone!
 
For South Wales i think £85/wk is a bit steep for part Livery

If you were offering Full this price would prob be ok.........-

I suggest you phone around and see what others charge.

I pay that per month for DIY hay and straw included, although the facilities may be a liitle lower in class! (smaller sand school)

Best of luck
 
This is pricing for a local ish livery yard to where you would be setting up i guess

DIY livery

*
Includes hay / haylage
*
An individual stable for your horses use
*
Use of facilites
*
Shared grazing area

£25.50 per week


Half livery

*
Includes hay / haylage,
*
All of the above (DIY livery)
*
5 day a week feed, rug change and turn out
*
OR bring in, rug change and hay / feed

£35.50 per week


Part livery

*
Includes hay/ haylage
*
All of the above (DIY Livery)
*
7 day a week feed, rug change and turn out
*
OR bring in, rug change and hay / feed

£39.50 per week


Full livery

*
Includes hay / haylage and bedding
*
7 days a week full care for the horse
*
Morning feed, rug change and turn out subject to weather
*
Full muck out and hay and water
*
Skip out as required
*
Bring in, groom, rug change
*
Feed and put to bed

£84 per week


Full livery including excerise

*
Includes hay/ haylage and bedding
*
7 days a week full care for the horse
*
Morning feed, rug change and turn out subject to weather
*
Full muck out and hay and water
*
Skip out when required
*
Bring in, groom, rug change
*
Feed and put to bed
*
With excersise at least 3 times a week

£99 per week.
 
Sorry can't help with the pricing aspect coz I'm just a one-(wo)man band here, just do DIY livery for one person.

However..... as a YO I can contribute some "wisdom". Totally agree with what others have said about being fair and impartial; for this reason don't ever have a friend on your yard - you might possibly wish you hadn't coz as a YO you will have to be totally fair and totally impartial, and its not every friend that realises this. So better to have friends and enjoy them - but not at your yard!

Also..... if you're ever unfortunate enough to get a bad livery i.e. doesn't pay on time, grouses about everyone else and disses you as YO behind your back, doesn't look after their horses etc., then show them up the road PDQ. Have it written into every contract, and not only that, up on the noticeboard in black and white, that "any livery not looking after their horse" (or words to this effect) will be asked to leave immediately. And do it. We've been doing livery here for 20 years now and in that time have only had five liveries, so we're doing summink right I guess. But we did have one girl who only stayed for a month thank god, and she just shut her pony in the stable and went off for the weekend - it was doing its nut in there as she'd left it without food or hay or anything, and yours truly ended up having to do it. So have something in place in case this happens.

Also you need to have an emergency clause, i.e. you as YO have the right to call the vet if anyone's horse is seriously ill and all reasonable efforts to contact the owner have failed; and if the horse is suffering vet will either treat or PTS and the owner will pay all charges. This is the most essential thing you can ever do - hopefully you will never need it, but you MUST make sure every livery signs it.

Good luck!
 
clydesdale said:
This is pricing for a local ish livery yard to where you would be setting up i guess

DIY livery

*
Includes hay / haylage
*
An individual stable for your horses use
*
Use of facilites
*
Shared grazing area

£25.50 per week

Half livery

*
Includes hay / haylage,
*
All of the above (DIY livery)
*
5 day a week feed, rug change and turn out
*
OR bring in, rug change and hay / feed

£35.50 per week


Part livery

*
Includes hay/ haylage
*
All of the above (DIY Livery)
*
7 day a week feed, rug change and turn out
*
OR bring in, rug change and hay / feed

£39.50 per week


Full livery

*
Includes hay / haylage and bedding
*
7 days a week full care for the horse
*
Morning feed, rug change and turn out subject to weather
*
Full muck out and hay and water
*
Skip out as required
*
Bring in, groom, rug change
*
Feed and put to bed

£84 per week


Full livery including excerise

*
Includes hay/ haylage and bedding
*
7 days a week full care for the horse
*
Morning feed, rug change and turn out subject to weather
*
Full muck out and hay and water
*
Skip out when required
*
Bring in, groom, rug change
*
Feed and put to bed
*
With excersise at least 3 times a week

£99 per week.
Click to expand...

Hi , thanks for this- i'm pretty much there abouts- great to have a local persons opinion on pricing :-)
 
MiJodsR2BlinkinTite said:
Sorry can't help with the pricing aspect coz I'm just a one-(wo)man band here, just do DIY livery for one person.

However..... as a YO I can contribute some "wisdom". Totally agree with what others have said about being fair and impartial; for this reason don't ever have a friend on your yard - you might possibly wish you hadn't coz as a YO you will have to be totally fair and totally impartial, and its not every friend that realises this. So better to have friends and enjoy them - but not at your yard!

Also..... if you're ever unfortunate enough to get a bad livery i.e. doesn't pay on time, grouses about everyone else and disses you as YO behind your back, doesn't look after their horses etc., then show them up the road PDQ. Have it written into every contract, and not only that, up on the noticeboard in black and white, that "any livery not looking after their horse" (or words to this effect) will be asked to leave immediately. And do it. We've been doing livery here for 20 years now and in that time have only had five liveries, so we're doing summink right I guess. But we did have one girl who only stayed for a month thank god, and she just shut her pony in the stable and went off for the weekend - it was doing its nut in there as she'd left it without food or hay or anything, and yours truly ended up having to do it. So have something in place in case this happens.

Also you need to have an emergency clause, i.e. you as YO have the right to call the vet if anyone's horse is seriously ill and all reasonable efforts to contact the owner have failed; and if the horse is suffering vet will either treat or PTS and the owner will pay all charges. This is the most essential thing you can ever do - hopefully you will never need it, but you MUST make sure every livery signs it.

Good luck!
Click to expand...

Excellent point abut friends- thank you. plus you don't want the other liveries thinking that you favour one person etc becuase they are your friend. Thank you so much - wll your wisdom is helping so much. It's daunting though !
 
ellietaylor10 said:
Hi all,
I wonder if you can help me. I'm thinking of setting up a small livery yard- we are in between Bridgend and Cardiff in South Wales with easy access to Pencoed college M4 etc.. We have 30 acres of good grazing, 10 X 10x12stables, a brand new 50x 30 Menage and 20mRound Pen, sand paddocks etc. This has all been paid for and so I would like to perhaps earn some money back. I've 25 years experience, and m about to enrol on the BHS stages and equine first aid. I wondered what you would expect to pay for the following:

Part Livery- Mon- fri
Full care of horse apart from riding so that would include:
Turn out/ bring in/ Rug change
Feed
Muck out/ Bed etc
Assistance with Vet/ Farrier/ Chiropractor/ Dentist
Secure parking for trailer

Part Livery- Monday- Sunday

Full livery As above including exercise.

Also is there anything you can think of that i've missed out that may be attractive to prospective liveries? And do you think there would be much call for ANOTHER yard?
Thank you :-)
Ellie
Click to expand...

Not hugely helpful but I'm on DIY the other side of Cardiff and pay £30/week for 24/7 turnout in summer with the option of doing this in winter in a hay'ed field if I want. Otherwise turnout in winter is in either a hay'ed or non-hay'ed field and in at night.
It includes stable in either an American barn or traditional stables, all 12x12; field turnout; hay in summer or hay/haylage in winter; all straw; good school but have to pay 50p/25 mins of lights; hacking on 700-odd acres with access to the common and a lane for roadwork; a few x-country jumps; no charge for trailer/lorry storage. Hay/haylage/straw is all made on the yard. You can get the YM to turn out/bring in if needed, which is £1.80, I think (haven't had it for a while), holding for vet etc. is around £3.00 I think, rug change around £1.50. No feed is included.

My youngster is on grass livery of £20/week but this does include having big round bales of hay in the field all winter.
 
muffinino said:
Not hugely helpful but I'm on DIY the other side of Cardiff and pay £30/week for 24/7 turnout in summer with the option of doing this in winter in a hay'ed field if I want. Otherwise turnout in winter is in either a hay'ed or non-hay'ed field and in at night.
It includes stable in either an American barn or traditional stables, all 12x12; field turnout; hay in summer or hay/haylage in winter; all straw; good school but have to pay 50p/25 mins of lights; hacking on 700-odd acres with access to the common and a lane for roadwork; a few x-country jumps; no charge for trailer/lorry storage. Hay/haylage/straw is all made on the yard. You can get the YM to turn out/bring in if needed, which is £1.80, I think (haven't had it for a while), holding for vet etc. is around £3.00 I think, rug change around £1.50. No feed is included.

My youngster is on grass livery of £20/week but this does include having big round bales of hay in the field all winter.
Click to expand...

Sounds lovely- you're lucky to have all that riding ;-)
 
I would say also don't be desperate to get full quick and take anyone!

When people come to view and ask if you have free stables I would say possibly within the next couple of weeks- show them round and see if you like them and whether you think they will fit into the yard :D

Take their details and give them a ring either way x

Good luck- sounds a lovely place!
 
Hi I am looking for a venue to run dog agility classes from, I live in Bridgend. I found this post and wondered if you would be willing to rent me some space one evening a week? If you had an indoor school or barn that would be ideal but if not a field in the summer months would be great.
Kind Regards,
Barbara
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top