Horse care / smallholder services and prices

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merlin4

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I'm in Devon and am looking to start a pet care service that would include horse and smallholder care , but not cover for larger farms. I'm an experienced horse owner as well as having lots of experience working with livestock. I was planning to offer holiday cover and cover for odd occasions as needed. I can do all the usual stuff such as muck out, rug change, turn in and put out. Give medication. I'm happy to Work by myself in remote areas. I'll have insurance and a DBR check, plus can provide lots of references. I won't ride or lunge other people's horses as it increases risk of injury to myself and insurance level is higher.

For such services I'm planning to charge £10 minimum per visit, £15 an hour and increase the rate to 1 and half for weekends and after 6 pm. For Christmas day, Boxing Day , new year day I am thinking 2 and half times rate. I also plan to charge 50 pence per mile outside of my local village, as I have to account for my time and petrol in some way.

I'd be interested to know what other people pay and or charge, around the country. Devon is tricky as wages are for the majority of the populace very low, but it is high cost of living , particularly in my area near the coast. Very many thanks for your ideas and input.
 
I think you'll be lucky to get that rate of pay. I used to charge £10ph, min £6 for a quick visit. I later upped this to first hour £15, subsequent £10. I never charged petrol. I have a "proper" job now but still do cat feeding at £6 per visit, £10 weekends and bank hols (inc xmas). I think I was/am on the pricier side for this area (Wiltshire).
 
I don’t think you will be able to get mileage unless it’s someone desperate, or short notice.
£10 an hour/per visit is the going rate this way,(Home Counties, so a dearer area) for Horses. One of the freelance grooms I use is fab,as she charges£10 whether she is there 20 minutes or 2 Hours.
Cat sitting is £8 a visit, with a minimum of half an hour spent with the cat. Weekends and bank holidays here are the same charge. It’s double for Christmas and Easter.
 
Thank you both. Perhaps need to review charges. It does seem crazy that insurance to look after horses is more expensive than say dogs, but I can charge more to look after a dog , than a far more potentially risky animal such as a horse, plus all the extra knowledge required as well as commitment .
 
I think you will struggle to get that mileage charge .
I think your rate of pay is realistic and what I would except to pay here however I would not need to pay 15 per hour to get some one good if several hours at a one time .
So if it’s one hour 15 is reasonable but six hours I know the going rate is ten .
I use a lot if freelance labour several different people .
They don’t charge me mileage when they come in for several hours and when they come back a second time in day for instance to skip out and feed in the evening if I am away they charge me from the time they leave home .
Christmas Day I pay three times the hourly rate and Boxing Day and New Year’s Day double .
However you ought to get some sort of premium for doing sort term cover .
 
merlin4 said:
Thank you both. Perhaps need to review charges. It does seem crazy that insurance to look after horses is more expensive than say dogs, but I can charge more to look after a dog , than a far more potentially risky animal such as a horse, plus all the extra knowledge required as well as commitment .
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It’s not crazy because it represents the risk to the insurer not the value of the service
 
My friend pays £20/day for holiday cover in Sussex - that is for 3 horses check, feed & poo pick using quad & trailer. If there is mucking out, she pays an additional £3 per stable per day, but I don't know how much extra she pays for evening bringing in on that situation. She lives in the middle of nowhere so groom needs to come out to her specifically!

She also pays extra for a lunge for the fattie and I think that is a valuable service to be able to offer.
 
Thank you , if I was covering someone's horses for holidays I would assume I have full responsibility so if the horse is ill I would potentially have to sort out vet, stay with horse etc. the owner may be abroad so unable , or unwilling to return. I would check all information on insurances and how much they are prepared to spend. I have looked at vet forms used by other pet carers to cover this. It would be different if I was helping someone out. They still have overall care and responsibility. I'm well able to deal with minor injuries , foot polticing if needed , even if owner away.

I think horse care is potentially high risk, you can be working on your own, in remote areas with full animal responsibility. recently a local groom was kicked in the face, she had a hard hat on as per the health and safety requirement of the yard, she needed major surgery.
 
I'm self employed working with dogs, primarily boarding/daycare/grooming. Did consider adding equine services at one point but it just wasn't worth it financially - there's definitely more money in dogs, not that I'm 'in it for the money' but you know what I mean, it's about working smart ;) I pay approx. £20 ish a month insurance with Clivertons, no idea what it would be to include cover for horse but I expect it would be a lot more!
 
I've gone with Cliverton as it gave me the option for equine and farm animals if I wanted. I've done plenty of this over the years, just not as a business. Cliverton is more expensive than some insurance companies that just do small pet and it increases as soon as you look at riding or lunging as part of a service, the injury risk to me was not worth it. Yes I've had numerous enquiries about dogs, only One on equines. People are definitely will to pay quite a proportion more for their dog care, though as you have already said, it's not a job to go in for if you want lots of money.
 
merlin4 said:
I'm in Devon and am looking to start a pet care service that would include horse and smallholder care , but not cover for larger farms. I'm an experienced horse owner as well as having lots of experience working with livestock. I was planning to offer holiday cover and cover for odd occasions as needed. I can do all the usual stuff such as muck out, rug change, turn in and put out. Give medication. I'm happy to Work by myself in remote areas. I'll have insurance and a DBR check, plus can provide lots of references. I won't ride or lunge other people's horses as it increases risk of injury to myself and insurance level is higher.

For such services I'm planning to charge £10 minimum per visit, £15 an hour and increase the rate to 1 and half for weekends and after 6 pm. For Christmas day, Boxing Day , new year day I am thinking 2 and half times rate. I also plan to charge 50 pence per mile outside of my local village, as I have to account for my time and petrol in some way.

I'd be interested to know what other people pay and or charge, around the country. Devon is tricky as wages are for the majority of the populace very low, but it is high cost of living , particularly in my area near the coast. Very many thanks for your ideas and input.
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Hello, this might be from a while ago, but I wondered if you were available for holiday help with horses, as I am in N.Devon and struggling to find someone? Thank you
 
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