Horse weighing company being set up in Hampshire/Wiltshire

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Briggsy177

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Hey guys, I'm new here but have a question,

I currently work as a stallion manager in the thoroughbred industry but want to increase my income and help people out as well.

I am looking to start up a horse weighing company where I would visit yards in the area and weigh horses with a mobile set of weighs. I may also have a vet as back up and for some kind of guidance if people wanted it.

I was hoping to be able to offer chart and growth stats, with photograph evidence too within the service, but my primary aim is to benefit the horses health and also your pocket on wormers and other treatments.

Would this interested any people and what sort of prices would you be willing to pay, I've kind of thought price regions as below;
For 1 horse-£25
1-5 horses-£20 per horse
6-10 horses-£17.50 per horse
11+ horses-£12 per horse

I would preferably like to visit people once a month.

I hope this makes sense and if you think this could work please do comment.

Thanks so much guys
 
That would be a lot of money to do once a month, I'd think most riders would only do it intermittently from interest (novelty factor) and those who it really matters to with regards to maintaining best athletic weight are the pros that would have their own set anyway and be doing it weekly.
 
Yeah I understand that, obviously price would be negotiable, and timing too, do you think it would be a viable business proposition though?
 
agree with ester, I'd do it once in a while - mine got done at the vets when going in as an inpatient, and I've guestimated since then based on her condition then and since.
I'd never bother to do it monthly because tbh I don't see a benefit, mine are amateur competition horses and as such I can tell what kind of state they are in to a good enough degree of accuracy.

FWIW mine are about 450-550kg range and I don't believe that I could save on wormers, I have to buy them a tube each because they are too big to share one. Plus one spits a bit out *without fail* so I squish the whole lot into her whenever they require worming.

I'd pay £25 as a one off.
 
I know someone that is already in the midst of setting this up in the South West, slightly cheaper prices are on the cards currently though, with £10 a horse for 10 or more on a yard.

I doubt you'd get much repeat business, especially monthly imo. Most people are just going to want to know what they weigh for travelling or worming. Then keep an eye on the weight from then on etc.
 
You can get free visits with scales from most big feed companies. We've been having Spillers over annually to our yard with mostly happy hacker/leisure riders. I don't think any of use would be interested in more frequent visits, and in fact, having done this routine now for a few years, I've worked out quite reliably how condition scoring and weight taping relates to actual weight for my horse, so don't really think I'd gain much from frequent weigh-ins.
So in short, I don't think there's much of a market for a weight scale service that costs money, at least not amongst the leisure riders. May be different for serious competitors...
 
It will only be viable if you are prepared to seriously travel, which obviously makes it more expensive because I cannot see you getting much repeat business within one area.

I would be classed as a leisure rider but can't see my eventing friends etc being interested, all on DIY/part livery so not rolling in dosh though. Maybe the posher full livery yards might be a better bet but again not sure if there is enough of them to keep a business going. (I am on the hamps/wilts border fwiw, the other side of the road is hampshire ;) )
 
The people that will really benefit, those with obese equines, will either not use you or have you out once then stick their heads back in the sand denying to themselves that their animal is overweight.
I cannot see many people using it unless it was combined with a proper independent nutritionist evaluation and diet plan, a minor saving on wormers will be irrelevant, a minor tweak to medication also not really relevant as vets will still estimate and most meds are in ready prepared packs anyway.
Having a vet to advise on feeding will be of little value as so few have any real idea of feeding anyway.

Sorry to be so negative but I just cannot see it taking off as anything other than a sideline that may not even pay for itself let alone increase your income.

A lot of racing yards have their own weighbridges as do many vets so if someone really wants their horse weighed it is easy enough to get it done, the other option is to pop it on a box that you know the weight of and drive to a weighbridge.
 
I'm not convinced it's viable.
Most horse owners can look at a horse and say it's too fat / too thin etc.
It's easy to monitor weight change using a tape.
The big pro yards either have their own scales or they have a feed rep that comes in with scales and does it for free.
Regular leisure riders I just can't see being interested enough to it being a viable business.

They only way it might work is if you were a qualified nutritionist and were offering weighing as part of a nutrition review package - independent to any feed company, but even then I'd suspect it wouldn't be viable
 
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