Just musing. Free accommodation and keep for up to two horses

I have thought about this as I have a small cottage. I worked on the premise of what was the rental value of the property or room and then decided the amount of hours I wanted as 'rent' For me it was 10 hours week work for a room and facilities all bills paid, this I thought would allow someone to do chores but still have another job. When I rented out the whole property I got £650 a month excluding bills so if I think a couple, one working some hours to pay the rent and the other to cover expenses. I think its a no goer to expect someone to work long hours for just a roof over their head and nothing else.
 
Horsesforever1 said:
I think you need to work out how many hours work per week are required and what you are giving in return on a £ for £ basis. I think you will be kliable for income tax and NI for whoever takes the job as you are giving payment inkind for work done. you need to check with the tax office,
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This is very true. My son took a job with accomodation included and was landed with a hefty tax bill. It counts as 'payment in kind'. OTOH were I younger I would be there like a shot!
 
I have had grooms live-in before where everything is covered and all food, bedroom, sole use of a vehicle, petrol, their own field for their horses plus a very small wage included in exchange for a few hours work per week day (weekends off). Mostly it's worked out very well and everyone has been happy with the arrangement, however you do have to be sure that you'll get along well under those circumstances. Could you not do something similar to this but once they've eaten dinner with you they leave and go back to their little annexe?

For some time now I have had a lady about my age who keeps her 5 horses in one of my fields (sole use field) in exchange for 2 mornings help per week. It works out great. We work very well together and get along fabulously. We've worked together on and off on my farm for around 8 years and both of us get something worthwhile out of it. We flip the days sometimes, or I store up hours if I don't need her some times but will need her for longer some other days. If I go away for a few days then she will cover looking after the farm as she knows all of the horses and dogs here very well. Would this sort of arrangement maybe work for you?

I'm just trying to think a little outside of the box so maybe these suggestions wouldn't practically work for you or your setup.
 
I did this a few years ago. Free accommodation for me and the horses and ran the yard in exchange. However I also got about £100 a week to cover food, phone bill, competition fees, car running costs etc. I had a blast and loved every minute of it even though I was very poor haha! Someone will snap up the opportunity. I know I would do it again in a heartbeat!
 
I'd be interested in this if it still allowed some spare time for fitting in some freelance riding work. I suppose it depends on what you need to do outside the yard work. If its just the turn out, muck out, bring in then its not going to take much more than 3 hours a day, but if they needed to do all the general maintenance too it would turn into a full time job, in which case it might be harder.
 
Depends a bit what your facilities are like, too- it might suit someone who teaches others as they could come and use the arena, and the person would defo have time after lunch but before afternoon stables to teach say 2 lessons or ride 2 horses brought to them, could be £80 or so some days, or teach in the evenings, teach the liveries, do extra livery services as some others have mentioned.
They could maybe have 'use' of the 2 stables and so if they got a horse in for schooling could get the benefit of charging the owner, and use this to supplement the income.
 
Thanks for all the replies. It does on balance seem to be something that may work. Total number of horses including their own would be 8. The going rate for renting a spare room in a house around here is £350. This is obviously a bit more than that. But say £350 for arguments sake. DIY livery round her is around £120 pcm. In the winter, haylage and feed would easily bring that up to £200 - £250 per horse. So the value would be around £750 - £800. The number of hours would be minimum 4 a day in winter, probably more like 6. But only around 2 a day in the summer.

As I say though, I am just musing. I am going to at least do this winter myself and see how I get on.
 
Wagtail said:
Thanks for all the replies. It does on balance seem to be something that may work. Total number of horses including their own would be 8. The going rate for renting a spare room in a house around here is £350. This is obviously a bit more than that. But say £350 for arguments sake. DIY livery round her is around £120 pcm. In the winter, haylage and feed would easily bring that up to £200 - £250 per horse. So the value would be around £750 - £800. The number of hours would be minimum 4 a day in winter, probably more like 6. But only around 2 a day in the summer.

As I say though, I am just musing. I am going to at least do this winter myself and see how I get on.
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That sounds pretty reasonable to me. Gives someone plenty of time to involve themselves in other ventures :)
 
Wagtail said:
Thanks for all the replies. It does on balance seem to be something that may work. Total number of horses including their own would be 8. The going rate for renting a spare room in a house around here is £350. This is obviously a bit more than that. But say £350 for arguments sake. DIY livery round her is around £120 pcm. In the winter, haylage and feed would easily bring that up to £200 - £250 per horse. So the value would be around £750 - £800. The number of hours would be minimum 4 a day in winter, probably more like 6. But only around 2 a day in the summer.

As I say though, I am just musing. I am going to at least do this winter myself and see how I get on.
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This sounds like something I would love to do - if your looking in the future give me a shout!
 
Ok, so £800 PCM is a winter value - say £10ph would give you 80 hours PCM through winter. 5 hours a day for sake of argument = 4 days working.

Summer value £700 PCM, 70 hours a month. I struggle to believe only 2h per day for 8 liveries?
 
ihatework said:
Ok, so £800 PCM is a winter value - say £10ph would give you 80 hours PCM through winter. 5 hours a day for sake of argument = 4 days working.

Summer value £700 PCM, 70 hours a month. I struggle to believe only 2h per day for 8 liveries?
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Me too. Are the horses on full livery, part, or DIY? Are they out 24/7 or out during the day and in at night? Is there winter turnout? Do they need to be fed in morning and/or night, brought in and out, rugs changed, nightchecked? All these things factor into it.

When I was a working student, I worked 12-hour days, but the horses were for the most part in 24/7 (although they may occasionally went out for thirty minutes to an hour in paddocks), I had to ride three or four, plus my own, per day, and tack up and then untack and cool out about anywhere from six to eight for the trainer. I got free accommodation and free stabling for my horse. It was still a rubbish job.
 
The horses are out 24/7 for 5 months of the year. So then it's a case of feeding a.m. checking, rugging if needed. Then again in the evening. Bring in two horses to the sand. Daily poo picking of sand turnout. Taking grazing muzzles on/off. Then once a week going around with the trailer and poo picking all the fields. This takes 2 hours for two people and double that if doing it alone. Other jobs done weekly/fortnightly such as cleaning water troughs. Rotating paddocks etc. So those basics take me an average of two hours a day when the horses are out 24/7. There are extras such as schooling, lunging, vets, farrier visits etc If the person was skilled I would let them keep the money taken from lessons, schooling etc.
 
You have to be careful how you construct your contract, to comply with the NMW regulations. If you supply a job with accommodation, there is only so much you can take off their wage for that accommodation and it is nowhere near commercial rates for rentals.
 
martlin said:
You have to be careful how you construct your contract, to comply with the NMW regulations. If you supply a job with accommodation, there is only so much you can take off their wage for that accommodation and it is nowhere near commercial rates for rentals.
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Agreed, I've read something about that.

Sounds less hassle all around to rent out the annexe at the going rate, and use the money to hire a self employed groom for the hours you need.
 
Wagtail said:
Thanks for all the replies. It does on balance seem to be something that may work. Total number of horses including their own would be 8. The going rate for renting a spare room in a house around here is £350. This is obviously a bit more than that. But say £350 for arguments sake. DIY livery round her is around £120 pcm. In the winter, haylage and feed would easily bring that up to £200 - £250 per horse. So the value would be around £750 - £800. The number of hours would be minimum 4 a day in winter, probably more like 6. But only around 2 a day in the summer.

As I say though, I am just musing. I am going to at least do this winter myself and see how I get on.
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That sounds reasonable and I would definitely be interested when you start looking :)
 
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