How much - for livery

[Abacus]

Would be v grateful for opinions on pricing. I have one livery, who I agreed to have at my yard due to some emotional blackmail (family illness etc). Also because of this I didn't really consider the current market rate back in Feb when they moved in, and just charged them what I used to charge years ago. They are on 24/7 grass livery, with the pony checked twice per day, fed once, and given hay when needed. I bring him in for the farrier and arrange all this. All other care and riding is down to the owner. I charge additionally for the feed and hay. (It isn't really relevant but the pony is the biggest PITA on the yard, goes through fencing, tanks off when led, arrived covered in lice, and has been more trouble than the other 9 put together). I intend to put the price up in Jan if it is the case, which I believe, that they are paying under market rates at the moment.

So what would you think is the right price for the livery and services as above? South east so a pricey area. The yard is on a quiet lane with mostly off-road hacking and a small school.

I'll update with what I am actually charging later, so as not to influence the replies! Thanks in advance.

 

[TheHairyOne]

Im down south and that would be anything from £25 (with no facilities) to £55 per week!

I pay £30 a week with no assitance at all for grass livery, plus school (and really good hacking) but have to do everything but the outside fence and water ourselves - or pay. Also have no electric!

 

[MiJodsR2BlinkinTite]

OK so basically this sounds like Assisted Livery rather than purely Grass Livery, yes?? Coz you are "doing" for the pony as in checking it, feeding & haying, plus bringing-in. Yes appreciated you are charging for feed & hay, but you are still providing C&C essentially so you need to be charging appropriately for this on top.

As an idea of comparative prices: I am in Devon near a major city where turnout is at a premium. One of my livery has sole use of her 4-acre field; she has erected her own field-shelter and is free to put a Track in if she wants (she has done). She is separate from everyone else. Has mains water but no electric. She is strictly DIY, does everything herself including hay etc. Has two horses. Pays £100pcm.

Livery 2 has her own turnout where she's put in her own Track. She has three horses (one a small pony, one a youngster, and and old boy) on around 5 acres. Has her own American barn which backs straight out so hers can stand-in any time they want; she has a small area of hard standing, mains water & power-point for her own mains energiser. She is DIY and provides her own hay etc. I don't do anything (other than an emergency situation). Livery 2 pays £160pcm.

Don't know whether this helps or not.

 

[The Xmas Furry]

Well, I havent had a permanent livery for a long time and the last temporary one was 3 yrs ago
I would be charging out at a minimum of £35pw for DIY grass livery (fiver a day) and then another £21pw for twice daily check, feed, lob hay and include farrier or add at least another fiver on for that.

Summing up, she's basically getting full grass livery, I'd stick it at £70pw at a minimum to include what you currently offer.

The small livery yard up the lane charges £320pcm for exactly what you offer Inc rug swapping when needed, owners can buy hay off yo or get it delivered in to their own storage. They have use of a stable each, a 20 x 40 arena with good surface and no roadwork for immediate hacking.

I'm NW Surrey and its a YOs market round here.

Edited to add, you can often either get a lovely livery and a demon horse or vice versa lol. If she's bugging you, give her notice next week and tell her its just not working out for you.

 

[abbijay]

My horse is on full grass livery/retirement livery. This includes plenty of hay/haylage in the winter. I pay around £250pcm. Sounds like a fairly similar deal to what you offer but I am not in the expensive south.

 

[ihatework]

I'll be taking on a couple of youngsters soon for someone on an assisted grass livery. Basic care included. We have agreed £8/day/horse. Hay/feed extra at cost. Will be nice smart safe set up, with good land and free access to hardstanding/shelter. That isn't a commercial rate, it's a covering basic costs rate.

 

[tda]

I'm guessing you are charging grass rent.....£10/week and are doing all the extra stuff from the goodness of your heart ☺
Anything that you do extra has to be charged at at least minimum wage rates.

 

[Surbie]

Also in expensive south - N Surrey - and that would be around £350/month with all the assistance you are providing.

 

[IrishMilo]

What you're offering sounds like full grass livery. Around here that's a minimum of £50 per week which would be a bargain! I pay £68 per week for DIY livery in the East.

 

[dottylottie]

depending on facilities, i’d probably put grass livery at £40 ish and charge separately for all the additional services, or round up to about £70 a week. i have a friend on grass livery at £50 a week or so, plus extra £20 a week for the owner to check him over, feed, groom and pick his feet out daily. she has use of a fab arena and walker too, plus your usual yard facilities ie storage and hose pipe

 

[Abacus]

Thanks so much for the replies. Looking through, it sounds as though around £70 is quite standard. At the moment I do charge for the services as well, and the total per month works out at £150 for livery and £125 for services - total £275 or £64 per week so actually it's not too far off already. The facilities are simple but ok - an arena with jumps, xc field, not much else, and they do make a saving on bedding and hay keeping him out all the time, which not many places allow. It is a relaxed and non-bitchy environment, and much nicer than where they came from.

I wanted to help this girl as the mum is ill and couldn't drive her to the stables where they kept the pony, and here she can just cycle. But I do have to pay the lady that does our horses so I couldn't include this from 'goodness of heart' - added to which they are far from poor financially. I was also hoping that if I made the price competitive that they might move on when they are able to, as I don't really want liveries (the dad is tricky, doesn't pay his bills very well, doesn't communicate, etc...) but I won't actually kick them out as I would feel too bad for the girl, who likes it here (and is very sweet). I'll give them a small price increase in Jan but it won't be ridiculous.

Thank you!

 

[webble]

for all that I would say roughly £45-55 a week plus cost of hay feed etc

 

[MuddyMonster]

I think anything less than £300 is good value. You could be charging £350 and it not be expensive.

 

[expanding_horizon]

Can you maybe get the kid doing something helpful for you to offset the hassle of having them as a livery? Poo picking / ragwork pulling / sycamore seed collection etc.

 

[mavandkaz]

I paid £300 a month three years ago for full grass livery (in Hampshire). Hay was charged extra, as was holding for farrier etc. no facilities for riding.
So with the facilities, I think you could easily charge £350 a month.

 

[Wishfilly]

Thanks so much for the replies. Looking through, it sounds as though around £70 is quite standard. At the moment I do charge for the services as well, and the total per month works out at £150 for livery and £125 for services - total £275 or £64 per week so actually it's not too far off already. The facilities are simple but ok - an arena with jumps, xc field, not much else, and they do make a saving on bedding and hay keeping him out all the time, which not many places allow. It is a relaxed and non-bitchy environment, and much nicer than where they came from.

I wanted to help this girl as the mum is ill and couldn't drive her to the stables where they kept the pony, and here she can just cycle. But I do have to pay the lady that does our horses so I couldn't include this from 'goodness of heart' - added to which they are far from poor financially. I was also hoping that if I made the price competitive that they might move on when they are able to, as I don't really want liveries (the dad is tricky, doesn't pay his bills very well, doesn't communicate, etc...) but I won't actually kick them out as I would feel too bad for the girl, who likes it here (and is very sweet). I'll give them a small price increase in Jan but it won't be ridiculous.

Thank you!

Would it help if you were being paid on time at least?

I'd be very tempted to say bills must be paid by X date (for example) and charge a % fee if they are more than, say 24 hours late.

I get that you wouldn't ask them to leave, so it's a bit meaningless, but might focus his mind?

 

[Widgeon]

I'd be very tempted to say bills must be paid by X date (for example) and charge a % fee if they are more than, say 24 hours late.

That seems very sensible, if he's just being tight and / or treating you like your bills are not important enough to be paid on time.

I hope you can work something out, the girl is probably be grateful for a nice place to escape to - it's very kind of you to consider the impact on her. Asking her to help out a bit with poo picking is a good idea too, I spent many of my spare hours as a teenager "employed" as a willing slave at the riding school and had a lovely time pulling ragwort and cleaning tack (clearly I have always been a mug)

 

[Abacus]

That seems very sensible, if he's just being tight and / or treating you like your bills are not important enough to be paid on time.

I hope you can work something out, the girl is probably be grateful for a nice place to escape to - it's very kind of you to consider the impact on her. Asking her to help out a bit with poo picking is a good idea too, I spent many of my spare hours as a teenager "employed" as a willing slave at the riding school and had a lovely time pulling ragwort and cleaning tack (clearly I have always been a mug)

She's a sweet girl but I don't want to get into too-complicated an arrangement, because her dad is just hard to deal with. She's at the yard a lot and is generally a helpful kid - she'll throw out hay and so on - but to be honest everyone there is the same (I share the yard with a friend and her kids, and have my own, so they all muck in a bit). I just wish he would pay on time, not because I'm desperate for the money each month but I just find it so rude that he always pays at the end of the month and not the beginning, which is the arrangement. I was trying to help them initially but feel that he now takes it for granted. Thanks so much for all the thoughts - I'll ask him when I send the next invoice to pay on time.