How Much Do We Charge? Help Please.

Maesfen

Maesfen

Extremely Old Nag!
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We've been asked to take in some mares and foals, a youngster plus the stallion and another colt until they can find some other accommodation or some of them are sold (hopefully very soon!) but it's to get down to just 5/6 horses by the winter. Thing is, we don't have any idea what to charge, whether to do it on a per head basis or as 'whole lot'. What do you think and have you any idea of rates?
They'll be sharing things to a certain extent, I'm not going to have their fields and my fields although they will have a block of 3 boxes and a tack/feed room to themselves, probably some more boxes too as long as I don't need them. They'll use our haylage but buy their own feed and bedding which will have to be stored; we'll deal with the muck trailer (probably have to be emptied every week with that amount plus ours) and their horsebox will be parked up here too. Labour wise, they'll do most of their own but I'll help if necessary and they'll help me if I need them too so probably as long as it's tall regarding that although with us living here, I'll be on 24 hour call for emergencies. We'll also have to take into account, things like not being able to make our own haylage cos there won't be spare fields, also the extra wear and tear on the fields and maintenance of them.
Has anybody any ideas to help and have you also any hints or things we should/should not include in the contract, would be very grateful for any input you might have?
Many thanks.
 
Charge per head for sure. Just for your info, we are charged £25 per week for stable and field usage, straw is included in this (if you want shavings, you pay for them). Hay is £3.50 per bale, YO just charges us for half a bale per day when horses are in and 1.5 bales per week in the summer. Trailer/lorry parking is £10 per month.
 
Thanks Weez!

Trouble is, if I do that, what rate do I charge, hopefully foals will be sold at weaning so won't be a 'single' until then?


Where they are at the moment, they pay something like £150 a week for 14 boxes in their own yard and 6 acres all to themselves plus for , all their feed and bedding, although it's very poor grazing, so it's up to them how many animals they have there. Here, there are 10 boxes and 12 acres we will share, after all, I'll have 6 too. OH will be very strict that the fields don't get horse poor so they will be restricted to a point, certainly, they won't be able to winter out that much else we won't have fields for next year.
 
It has got to be worth your while - especially if you are going to have to buy in all your haylage cos you can't make your own. £150 per week for 14 boxes is v cheap!
 
Thanks.
Hopefully we will have enough haylage for this winter for all of us as we have a field to be done in a month or so and we still have some from last year, this will also give us another field so we can always rest one at least. If they don't use our haylage then they will still have to store theirs somewhere and we haven't got that much room TBH so it will be easier if they use ours.
As I said, hopefully it won't be for too long (at least not with that many horses) but I want to be fair to them and us, don't want to fleece them but by the same token don't want to lose out but still take into account the disruption/ extra expense (water, electric muck removal etc) that's going to happen.
 
I think you have to disregard whatever they may have paid elsewhere and just charge what you might normally charge a DIY livery, possibly with a slight discount for bulk, presumably you want to be making a living at this, so your prices must reflect that
 
Agree with the watcher, if it was me, I would charge as per usual with a discount as there is a few of them, but I wouldn't imagine its that easy for them to find somewhere and no doubt you are running a business. They can take it or leave it but you want to make some money!!
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I refused to let someone come on to our fields with three horses.They wanted to bring them in November and leave in March when their own stables would be built. I wasn't prepared to let them ruin my fields, then leave me with no gass for the rest of the year. Think very carefully about this and make sure you are not just being used. What will you be left with when they are gone?
 
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