Is this a reasonable price for DIY inc hay and straw?

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kittykatcat

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Although lots of people have advised me against including the hay and straw on DIY, i dont really have any other option as we dont have enough storage space. SO....thinking of charging £165 pcm DIY for large stable and fields, all weather (soon to be resurfaced) floodlit menage, good hacking, ad lib hay and straw. Does this sound reasonable?
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Also your thoughts on how many large round bales of hay and straw your horse gets through - i have based the calculations on what i use, but i could be wildly over/under estimating! Thanks..!
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Sounds a bargain to me! But then I dont know what sort of value the round bales are
I pay £25 a week for the same DIY livery for one of mine. He goes through about 4 bales of hay a week at £3.50 a bale so that is £39 a week before even taking straw into consideration, which I dont use ( horse is out) last I heard straw was £1.75 a bale.
Does depend what area you are in tho-
 
Would you charge the same all yr round? I could see this being an issue for those that use loads in winter, then refuse to keep paying through the summer when they use less. You would need to even out the cost to make it simple and then fair to everyone.

I might say £170 between Oct to March and then £120 April to Sept. Or go for £155 all yr round.
 
Hmm...i think most yards (well the ones i've been at and looked at = 100s!!) charge the same rate each month and this is an amount which is worked out across the year (which the £165 is)....i wouldnt start fiddling around with discounting it suring the summer etc as it very much depends on weather and livery - some people i know keep their horse in during the summer....last summer we had to hay in the field as it was so dry....!
 
Ok, that's a bit clearer. In which case I would say that it would be reasonable for the area if the yard offered more than just field with stable.
I would pay that, if I knew that either I wanted what your area had to offer (such as good school or hacking distance to venues) or I would save money because I wanted mine kept in all yr round and they eat loads.

In short, it may only appeal to those who'd eat you out of house & home.
 
I'm in South Wiltshire and I pay £5 per day. Also pay £10 per month membership and that includes free use of indoor and outdoor schools (unless booked for exclusive use) gallops and x country field. Couldnt be better!
 
The last yard i was on offered DIY for £25 a week, that included use of an outdoor school, 25 acres of off road hacking a field and a stable.

There was an option called Inclusive DIY which was £32 a week which included adlib haylege and straw as well as the above facilities. So that's £138 a month with haylege and straw.

This yard was in South Cheshire.
 
What if someone doesnt want to use straw?

If they are ok on straw then i think thats reasonable. It seems cheap for the winter, bearing in mind a horse can need a bale of hay a day (depending on grazing) but then it would level out as less would probably be used in the summer.

If you have good grazing then it would work out better for you but if grazing is limited at any time of year then it may work out much better for your liveries.
 
You need to keep it simple. if someone wants a different bedding then the price remains the same, the straw is part of the deal. Its like having use of an arena included but only ever hacking out.

Be wary of liveries who think ad lib means beds 4 feet deep and a bale of hay per night!
 
I think that sounds about right for the winter months...maybe less so if you allow all year round turn out in the summer. I've been at a yard that had 2 rates, a winter and a summer. Summer was only marginally cheaper but it just made it more palatable for the liveries. And just to be nosey where are you?? as in which is nearest town??
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TBH i wouldn't pay that much. But i'm not in your area so i guess it is more expensive your way. I payed £108 for DIY new stables own grazing, 1000 acres of hacking, school etc and with hay/straw.
 
When I was looking for livery most of the OK yards (not the really posh ones) were charging about £35 a week without anything so for round here that would be pretty good.

I pay £145 pcm for the same although we can have haylage if we prefer. However the yard is part of a farm and they harvest their own so not as expensive has buying it in.
It's great for me with a pretty dirty horse who gets through alot of haylage especially compared to my last yard where I was paying £140 without anything, I'm saving a fortune.
Not so good if you have a good doer in the summer who is out 24/7.

It's the same all year round and no choice of bedding.

@spaniel take your point about liveries not being careful but if my horse isn't overweight and haylage is gone in the morning then I use as much as I need and as long as I don't throw clean straw away then a deep bed shouldn't use more straw after the initial set up. I like the fact that they don't breathe down your neck on my yard.
 
Are you actually wanting to make money? As if you are you won't charging that!

People will use and abuse the ad lib status........they'll throw a lot away for starters and just feed their horse too much.
 
I don't think you can make money charging that rate - once you calculate insurance, heat and electricity

We charge £65 per week, but do offer own tack room, wash off, arena, xcountry, individual turnout, wet weather pen and basically use of our private yard.

We know full well as soon as weather is nice livery will be gone.
 
Obviously i have factored in all fixed and variable costs! Not completely clueless! Also, i'm not doing this to make money....break even/slight profit to plough back into the yard would be good.

I will have a 'yard rule' or perhaps written into contracts that excessive and wasteful use of hay and straw will not be tolerated and will be charged accordingly...obviously i need to work out what is excessive! But as long as I am making what i am paying on hay and straw it doesnt matter. I have been a livery at a yard that functions in this way and i too have seen the waste and p*ss taking of some liveries - some liveries even took home hay to feed their rabbits/goats!!! Although the majority of liveries were ok.
 
Hi We are £185 for DIY with straw (dubious quality ) and hay / haylage depending time of year.
They grow their own so prob not as dear then to buy in - although we had issues with his straw quality last year. Another story.

We have 2 indoor schools and one outdoor. Plus turnout, lorry parking, wash bay - not working. Secure tack rooms. Small coffee room

Based in Fife

Agree to make sure you point out excessive waste shall be charged accordnigly! We have some that have 4 foot deep beds - which is ok but they waste such a lot when mucking out!

Or they throw away uneaten hay each morning - we give ours to the fatties.


hope that this helps.
 
Interesting post! I wonder how many potential liveries would be put off by being charged for straw when they don't use it?? It's not very popular any more and no one uses it on our yard. We pay £155 p m for the same as you are offering less straw. YO buys wood pellets in bulk and most of us use them (one horse on shavings and one on paper) We can use whatever bedding we want but its easier to call off wood pellets as needed. Do you have access to cheap straw?
 
Yes i do have access to cheap straw - but have also considered the woodpellet option as have the ability/space to buy in bulk. Bit dubious though as i HATE mucking out shavings - so if they're anything like them i wont get on with them...perhaps i could offer straw/wood pellets. Refuse to go down the shavings line as they are SO expensive and the supply is unreliable this neck of the woods....
 
Well our yard offers inclusive straw and it's amazing how many people find they don't mind straw after all if it is free. I think we have 2 on shavings out of 19 horses and that's on health grounds.

In terms of excessive use my tendancy would be to keep an eye on the muck heap rather than the stables. If alot of clean straw and uneaten hay is getting thrown out then there is a problem but if a horse is getting through alot of hay but not looking overweight then should they be penalised? We also have a couple with massive banks so they don't get cast but as these stay untouched after the initial set up they don't really use any more.
 
I think everyone should move to essex, very posh yard up the road charges £30 a week hay included, you can buy round bale wheat straw for less than £20 a wrap locally as well
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Lovely yard in rural east devon with large new american barn style stables, unlimited hay and staw, fantastic hacking and ulimited grazing on a rota system so horses can be turned out as they prefer and fresh fields always available. No flash facilities but clean, tidy and well run....for the princely sum of £18/wk.
 
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