Hunter Livery - Cost and what do expect to get???

[kick_On]

Also posted in hunting section, but you lot are brilliant at helping aswell

I have maybe a business opportunity to set up a hunter livery service, small sweet and defo 5 star treatment of equines, but never done liveries as business. Had hunters and eventers for many, many years and groomed for hunting folks for over 4 seasons so know hours, work levels and standard required.
My idea would be to basically do everything and turn at meet with polish fit horse and then collect at end of day.

Now down to knitty gritty - i have figure in my head and this cost would be for basic food (hayledge, mix and sugar beet), bedding (straw), horse to at least 2-3 ridden exercise on other day to be lead, i would do schooling if required aswell, plus gallop work.
Horses would be turned out daily for couple hours and i would expect them to come with rugs and tack.
To be payed by standing order so no messing, but if any extra to be billed within month and 14 days to pay bill???
I would expect horse to be insurance well at least for PL. And i would take out insurance for myself

Things not included in basic price farrier, vets (need to flu&vac, teeth date and worming programme), any supplements, diesel if any further distance from normal meets, so bydays or visiting other hunts.

Also horses would disapper by end of season, but could help finding summer grazing etc...

Now have i missed anything??? i would also want contract signed.........

er have i missed anything??? ideal very welcomed thx

 

[Bossanova]

I think the specificness of that service would have a limited market.
I'd do full hunter livery and make transport to meet and plaiting etc optional as some will pay for that and others wont.

 

[SpottedCat]

I used to work on a hunter livery yard some years ago - it was about £100 a week for what you suggest you are offering, but crucially they could leave their horses there over the summer too.

I may be way off the mark, but the type of people who paid for that livery and only wanted to turn up and collect the horse at the meet, would not have been interested in finding their own summer grazing or indeed looking after the horse through the summer - they were all city-types who enjoyed a few days hunting each season, wanted a fit, prepared horse to do it on, then wouldn't see the horse from March to October or thereabouts!

Is there no way you can offer summer care too?

 

[Bossanova]

I'd suggest these sorts of people might well go down the hireling route instead anyway?

 

[SpottedCat]

They might I guess - part of the draw where I was though was that the husband of the woman who ran it worked in the city, they basically owned a farm, and his city friends who all lived/worked in London loved being able to talk about 'my hunter in Dorset'. In reality, they hunted at most 5 or 6 days a season for the most part, so given that this was in the 80s/90s and the economic climate has changed, they may well see the hireling route as the more sensible one these days. I have no idea, I've not had any part in in since I lived back down there.

 

[SpottedCat]

ETA: If you are planning to have more than 3 horses in you'll probably need help too - I know there were 5-8 where I was and she had me in to help ride and lead - you need to do hours and hours of roadwork on unfit hunters from about July so they are ready for Autumn Hunting (as you know), and there is no way you'll fit it all in IMO unless you either have a horsewalker or have help unless you stick to 2 or 3 horses. I only say this from the perspective of having been the hired help and knowing how much hard work it was, and how time consuming.

 

[kick_On]

I have been asked before whether i do, so i almost have client waiting. I'm in good central location in middle of hunting area, plus do have contact for summer grazing etc.. Plus i have ridden for people to sell/sort hunters before but not taken on livery side. But been groom in area and know what standard is expected by these types of clients.

Defo one price BUT it's defo 5 star service for horses, as i can't turnout a horse for hunting messy or unfit

 

[oofadoofa]

I have 1 hunter livery and charge £100 pw, include all you are stating and plait the horse up, but I also work full time so I plait the horse then go off to work, my client picks his horse up and brings it back when he has finished.

I think it depends on the area you are in as to how many people want this sort of service. We have quite a few well off people who hunt with us who work in London all week and come down to hunt on a Friday so therefore require hunter livery.

 

[MandyMoo]

i think my yo charges £110 ish for full hunter livery...i have normal full livery at 85 p/w...but yea - i think his hunter is 110 p/w

that includes obviously all horse care stuff, and also includes plaiting up if they want and exercise 4 or 5 times a week, more if required xx

 

[kick_On]

This servise is defo aimed at 'city/professional types' , so horses would be taken pre warmed up to meet for client and then collected after a good day, dirty tied and hopefully sound. But i would be around just case of problems aswell

 

[Maesfen]

At all of the hunter livery yards I worked at all over the country, Beaufort, Eridge, HH, Wynnstay to name a few, it was always done as a complete service with the exception of vet and farrier who would bill separately. In two cases, the vet/blacksmith would prepare bill for client, send it to YO who would include it with their bill after checking it was correct, then they would send both payments back to YO to pass on. When she tried doing it direct from vet/blacksmith, several times they got forgotten or lost so it was easier for all this way.
We supplied everything except tack and rugs although we used to use exercise tack of our own to save their good tack and we would clip every fortnight or so which saved a hell of a lot of time on grooming! Horses would be collected from the yard, ready, plaited, tacked up, by the owners in their own trailers, no delivery service as they found for what it was worth, they lost in wasted time waiting around at the end if you had some finish at 2pm and some last thing so a drawn out business when you could be back at the yard doing jobs. We did deliver and collect from second horses though. When they came back, each box had ready the cooler rugs and bandages which would be put on straight away (no washing off in those days!) usually one did the horses and one did the tack to save time. We only ever washed the tack off and hung up to be soaped another day as it wouldn't be needed until the next week (when you have 15 sets of tack in varying states of grottiness it all helps!)
We also had a chap come in to muck out and do the yard which was a Godsend, all we had to do was put beds down later and do water. You might find it helpful if you could find someone for the mundane duties like that, there seem to be lots of people that would jump at the chance to do something and keep fit while earning a few pennies; I know the YO said Jim was worth another two girls wages for the time it saved as we could just get on a do the horses (21 between 3 of us, that was YO, her OH and me!)
Long but very happy days so I wish you well. Around here, full livery as described would be in the region of at least £120 a week now if not more.

 

[kick_On]

thx very useful
i would do this service how i do my own hunters and having groomed for folks with hunters know the hours, but being a sado love winter and hunting.
I could only do a few (or want to do a few) so it would very much a tailored service, but totally 'top draw/bespoke' and if clients not wanting service that's fine but that's what my costing is based on

and couldn't do on cheap or 'slap dash'

 

[daisycrazy]

The livery yard where my horse is will be taking on hunter liveries offering service you describe at £150 per week not far from Bourton on the Water, to give you an idea of price.

 

[ofcourseyoucan]

work it out cost by cost. basic full livery inc exercise 90 to 120 week extra fitness work? extra feed req. ( hunters which hunt eat a mega amount!!!) clipping about £45 every 3 weeks plaiting £10 transport£1.50 per mile ?waiting time. minimum wage per hour. professional livery insurance for liability and 3 c care custody and control? commercial rates on yard water rates electric for hot wash and lights. consumables re hoof oil lotions potions poultices tack cleaner and soap and oil. you will need acet and svs type 1 or 2 and operators licence for transport. cost of keeping lorry on road. a hireling in warks costs £180 upwards til second horse (around 2 2.30) late checks etc got to be upwards of £175 for an all singing all dancing livery. a lot of late nights for you!!