Can anyone tell me how much extra haylage and feed a mare and foal will need on top of what a normal, single horse would consume? Assuming they are only out on the grass for a few hours a day. The time out on grass will of course be longer in a few weeks.
How much should I charge extra livery for a foal?
- Thread starter Wagtail
- Start date
Hi...........I get charged an extra £1 a day if out at grass or £2 a day if stabled ontop of daily charges for my mare.
Hope that helps...
Hope that helps...
Why don't you look at some stud websites and compare your facilities with theirs and compare charges. In the TB industry, a foaling mare/mare with foal at foot, is usually charged at about £3-£5 more a day, than a barren/maiden/rested mare. However, the apparent steep keep fees in the TB industry are reflected by the general value of the stock and the facilities.
- Joined
- 9 August 2009
- Messages
- 4,648
i would go for mare on livery charge and foal on half of the mare's rate. the mare will need more grub, and need a field to herself and foal initially. and grass doesnt grow for nothing. handling the foal i would add as extra!!
I wasn't charged until the foal was weaned but I am on DIY farm livery so just paying for stable/grazing
Thanks. Trouble is, I quoted before I realised just how much extra the mare would eat. I guess I'm stuck with it now. Really like the mare and the owner, so will honour it. I've quoted £10 per week extra once foal is born until it is 2 months old then £15 pw until 4 months and then £20 per week. Foal's hard feed will be charged at cost on top of that. Once weaned and it has its own stable then I will charge around 75% of the mare's livery (as I give a discount for more than one horse).
- Joined
- 5 April 2010
- Messages
- 13,487
we made a contract of no payment for the first 6 months for the foal after this time half the rent due there after 8 months is full rent due for foal
this is based on part livery
feed we supply a set feed collection which is around 2 scoops feed per feed
if liveries want different they have to pay and supply if they want an extra feed over and above the 2 feeds it is £ 2.50 per feed ( ours supplied )
we always list in our contract what feed is included for us its
bran
chaff .......................................... box rest / no work
nuts
chaff ................................................ little no work
mix
chaff ............................................... med work
comp mix
chaff ........................................................ high work
mixed flakes
chaff .......................................................... weight gain winter only
so we feel we cover all needs so we supply
hi fi
pasture mix
comp mix
bran
nixed flakes ( winrter only )
speedy beet ( winter only )
high fiber nuts
carrotts optional extra
our feedroom is small thus if any one wants different they supply you have to limit what u do buy or you find u buy something for only livery only and if they stop this feed goes off.
this has worked for us since 2006
this is based on part livery
feed we supply a set feed collection which is around 2 scoops feed per feed
if liveries want different they have to pay and supply if they want an extra feed over and above the 2 feeds it is £ 2.50 per feed ( ours supplied )
we always list in our contract what feed is included for us its
bran
chaff .......................................... box rest / no work
nuts
chaff ................................................ little no work
mix
chaff ............................................... med work
comp mix
chaff ........................................................ high work
mixed flakes
chaff .......................................................... weight gain winter only
so we feel we cover all needs so we supply
hi fi
pasture mix
comp mix
bran
nixed flakes ( winrter only )
speedy beet ( winter only )
high fiber nuts
carrotts optional extra
our feedroom is small thus if any one wants different they supply you have to limit what u do buy or you find u buy something for only livery only and if they stop this feed goes off.
this has worked for us since 2006
Last edited:
- Joined
- 5 April 2010
- Messages
- 13,487
most dont give foal feed in first 6 months if they do they need to buy the stud nuts for it at till its old enough to eat the rest of the feed
we always state again in our livery the amount that is included
for us its
3 big or -4 small sections winter
1 lunch time summer if required
if liveries want more they have an area to put a bale or too for their own needs ( horsebox haynet extra hay etc)
box rest they supply over and above normal rations.
this is the same for haylage we say its not add lib its ex amount in lbs per night
or you find some abuse this and u major out of pocket
we also have a higher livery if they are on haylage
£90 per week hay
£120 haylage
Last edited:
I'm sorry, did neither you or the owner not realize this would be the case for any animal producing young?
As it's a specialized and more expensive diet which you wouldn't normally stock ask the owner to either buy the corn in herself or go halves with her on it as that's fair on both sides then which will also take care of the extra haylage used without you losing out. The foal will have the same stud diet (will share in the early days) so nothing different needed there. Handling, once the initial leading has been cracked is neither here nor there TBH, it's just a normal horse to care for that shares a box with something else although you will need to hold it for the farrier of course, you can't just tie it up.
When I had mares to foal down I charged a set rate which increased by £10 a week to take into account the extra work the foal entailed; it was only when it was weaned that it got charged for as a separate horse although any wormers, vet or farrier costs got charged as extras of course.
As it's a specialized and more expensive diet which you wouldn't normally stock ask the owner to either buy the corn in herself or go halves with her on it as that's fair on both sides then which will also take care of the extra haylage used without you losing out. The foal will have the same stud diet (will share in the early days) so nothing different needed there. Handling, once the initial leading has been cracked is neither here nor there TBH, it's just a normal horse to care for that shares a box with something else although you will need to hold it for the farrier of course, you can't just tie it up.
When I had mares to foal down I charged a set rate which increased by £10 a week to take into account the extra work the foal entailed; it was only when it was weaned that it got charged for as a separate horse although any wormers, vet or farrier costs got charged as extras of course.
Never been charge for foals until weaning and have never been charged extra by transporters for mares with foal at foot.
I get charged the same rate summer and winter even though I provide my own feed/hay etc in winter (which costs a fortune of top of YO charge), even though my horses can be off fields for 2 1/2 months, winter discounts would be nice!
Someone explain why then if thats what people are quoting, why are the costs the same for a pony and larger horse? You are saying brood mare is eating far more, but larger horse eats more that pony! Or larger horse might be eating just as much as brood mare.
I stuggle why people make it all so complicated.
I get charged the same rate summer and winter even though I provide my own feed/hay etc in winter (which costs a fortune of top of YO charge), even though my horses can be off fields for 2 1/2 months, winter discounts would be nice!
Someone explain why then if thats what people are quoting, why are the costs the same for a pony and larger horse? You are saying brood mare is eating far more, but larger horse eats more that pony! Or larger horse might be eating just as much as brood mare.
I stuggle why people make it all so complicated.
Yes, I thought so, but people on here said not, at the time and the vet said she would not need feeding any more! I thought it very strange, I must say. 
Seriously, some mares eat as if stocking up for a siege, others hardly change the amounts they eat at all; you can never tell until it's time to put it into practice.
You can never trust what you read on a forum, lol!
Seriously, some mares eat as if stocking up for a siege, others hardly change the amounts they eat at all; you can never tell until it's time to put it into practice.
Seriously, some mares eat as if stocking up for a siege, others hardly change the amounts they eat at all; you can never tell until it's time to put it into practice.
Usually you don't charge any more till weaning or around 6 months, this is when the foal will be eating a decent amount too. Also they would be sharing a stable up until this point so you wouldn't be losing revenue off the stable.
Lou x
Lou x
I don't charge anything extra for foals whilst they are still on their mothers. If the youngstock remain here after weaning, only then will I charge livery for them.
However this is another matter vvv
If you really are reserving a stable for your clients, when you could rent it out to another client, then you should have been charging for it.
However this is another matter vvv
If you really are reserving a stable for your clients, when you could rent it out to another client, then you should have been charging for it.
Yes, she will need up to 2kgs of hard feed, for up to three months, when the foaly will kick in to self feed, I think you have to go with your gut feeling, it is so nice to have youngsters about the place.
If you are handling foal and mare and proving all feed and so on, I think you could charge for two, OK they will not need twice as much food, but you have twice as much responsibility, and if you have to wean them, this can involve a lot of work.
If you are handling foal and mare and proving all feed and so on, I think you could charge for two, OK they will not need twice as much food, but you have twice as much responsibility, and if you have to wean them, this can involve a lot of work.
I think you may need to put this down to experience, maybe you could tell owner you want to feed more hard feed, and increase payment to cover it.
Last edited:
I always charge more for the foal, the bedding use increases no end, and turning out/bringing in often involves two people rather than one. Every mare I have ever had eats haylage like it's going out of fashion once they have the room for it, and all that milk the foal drinks must come out. So more mucking out and as I said earlier more bedding.
I'd be inclined to work out what you'd provide for a horse that size by way of hard feed and how much more she will now eat, and ask the owner to pay the difference. For this reason I don't include hard feed in my costs so that the owner can prvide exactly what they want the mare/foal to eat and say how much of it. I wouldn't hold a stable empty for free either.
So more mucking out and as I said earlier more bedding.I'd be inclined to work out what you'd provide for a horse that size by way of hard feed and how much more she will now eat, and ask the owner to pay the difference. For this reason I don't include hard feed in my costs so that the owner can prvide exactly what they want the mare/foal to eat and say how much of it. I wouldn't hold a stable empty for free either.
- Joined
- 5 April 2010
- Messages
- 13,487
As I mentioned . apart from the fact I prob would accept mare and foal here now . I just go on what I have done in the past . Mare on special stud food ( owner has to supply ) any extra hay or haylage over and above what the rest have or the allowance The owner has to supply.
I do not charge for the foal livery until its 6 months old and weaned .
Then its half livery for 2 months then goes up to full part livery.
I would say in the instance to the owner.You have sat down and worked it out and you cannot continue this way You will leave it as it is for this month but as from next month you will have to increase the rent to cover the extra feed and haylage the mare is eating. This way you have given her a months notice
I do not charge for the foal livery until its 6 months old and weaned .
Then its half livery for 2 months then goes up to full part livery.
I would say in the instance to the owner.You have sat down and worked it out and you cannot continue this way You will leave it as it is for this month but as from next month you will have to increase the rent to cover the extra feed and haylage the mare is eating. This way you have given her a months notice
- Joined
- 5 April 2010
- Messages
- 13,487
I would put it to her as its 6 months before stable needed you will have to charge her a holding fee.
She could in the meantime along the way give her notice in at anytime and you have lost revenue as some people on the list of waiting will probably have found somewhere if she came to the 5th month said I have decides to move nearer home or such like
We have just had a livery phone us who viewed us in Nov. We knew she might be interested, well she is but cant move here till Aug as the horse is being shipped from Bermuda . She has agreed to pay two months full rent £336 x 2 for us to hold it till then. We have agreed
Last edited: