Livery bill shock (long rant alert)

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Finally had my first part livery bill after 4 months (should be monthly but YO is so unorganized).
Had a huge shock when I saw the total. Won't say how much it is but it's 3 times the amount I was expecting.. I nearly burst into tears! :(
Its left me thinking - how the hell am I supposed to afford a horse?!
I had been saving up for years, did all the sums and thought I had more than enough to keep me going for at least a year until I got a full time job. This livery bill is just a few pounds off my total savings.
So anyway, I have been thinking of moving yards for a while, most likely next June once I've finished college and will be able to keep my horse on DIY at a closer yard. I'm at college from 8am-6pm so it isn't possible to be on DIY, especially at this time of year and in my final year of A levels. The yard I'm at currently is a private farm with several horses but just a few liveries (I'm the only one on part livery). The stable is tiny for my 16.2hh, the school is tiny too, and not having floodlights means my riding time is limited to weekends. They put costs on my bill and then tell me - eg. they bought him a hoof supplement then told me/ they booked him in for vaccinations and his teeth then said 'oh by the way the vet came out blah blah blah, we'll add it to your bill' I know he needs these things but I would prefer if I was asked first! And, one of the worst things is that I'm treated horribly there. I'm so disrespected just because I'm the youngest and this is my first horse of my own, I'm constantly told what I should and shouldn't be doing.. it really dampens the fun of spending time there.
So now I don't know what to do.
I want to move him to my village where I could have him on DIY. This yard is tiny, only one other horse, 4 stables, but the hacking is brilliant and they have a proper sand school. Although, my horse has always been on a busy yard so don't know if he would settle here and I would rarely have anyone to ride out with. But.. I could do my own thing and actually enjoy horse ownership!
Or, I'll have to stay where I am and wait for another shocking bill.
Ps. Selling or loaning out is not an option, I couldn't give him up. I have a sharer who rides him twice a week and contributes financially.
Anyone have any ideas on how I could cut costs or what I should do?
I'm getting charged the DIY price plus hay, feed, bedding and them feeding, t/o etc.
It's really ruined christmas.. no one will be getting presents this year! :(
 
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I would be most unhappy with the YO's inability to bill you monthly, or better still weekly, and I certainly wouldn't allow them to spend my money without my say so on vet visits or supplements. Many people work full time with similar hours to yours and manage DIY, that is what I would do in your circumstances. FWIW, I thought I could afford my first horse just on my full time wage (DIY livery) but I ended up working full time MOnday to Friday, plus six hours on a Saturday cleaning, and I became an Ann Summers lady, running a couple of parties each week.
 
What does your contract say?

To be honest I'd want a part livery monthly cost - not DIY plus extras, seems a bit of a strange way for regular help?
Go through bill thoroughly and work out if you are happy with it or not. Or if it works out more than full livery contest, did you agree hay/bedding price? If you stay then source your own
Hay and bedding etc.
Where does the excess come from, perhaps run through the bill with someone who has kept horses for a while and see if it rings true.

I'd probably move to diy yard you mentioned. Make sure you can get help if needed. They're there to enjoy not have other people on your case
 
I would move him asap to your village, especially if your sharer will go with you. Then you might be able to manage without the YO's assistance. They really should have billed you monthly and definitely should agree any extra expenditure with you before going ahead. Why does your horse need a hoof supplement? And are you sure that he is getting it?
As for cutting costs, I'd make sure his feed regime is simple, that he doesn't have anything unnecessary bought for him and that if you do have to pay for assistance that you keep a very careful record yourself of the occasions when you needed help.
 
I would contest the bill and wouldn't have allowed supplemetns to be added! Plenty of us work 8-6 and have horses on diy-it's a case of just getting and doing it, much cheaper and you control everything-I think this may be the answer but if you have seriously no cash, you may have to consider loaning/selling.
 
If the bill is ALL things that ou would have had to do anyway then would be very worried about your budgeting and would suggest that you sit down with a friend/family member to look at this.

That said if they are taking teh piss then move, if being DIY would reduce your bills significantly move, if you are not enjoying it at your yard move.

You have my sympathies, owning your first horse is hard but you'll have to get use to being skint I'm afraid. Chin up, thought that counts on pressies so make stuff or give IOUs for cleaning, mucking out etc
 
Check with vet that trips happened, who has horses passport? And request that this doesn't happen in future.
Were teeth due?
I'd be very annoyed at that if it wasn't in contract and simply for them to save money on call out...
 
You have my sympathy. My OH was in the same situation when on a full livery yard. Charged for a bottle of fly repellant every other day, supplements charged at a premium as and when they felt like giving them, but no evidence that the amounts of supplements/fly spray/etc being charged for were even being given, big bills that came out of no-where. The constant criticism ended up nearly killing my OH's confidence, too. Moving was the best thing my OH ever did.
 
I would say that they must ask you before arranging any extras at all. Say you have a strict budget and will not be able to afford it if they just add it to your bill, so won't be paying for those extras unless they are agreed by you in advance. I think they have a cheek. What if you had your own vet? Of course your lad may need the vet, but I doubt he really 'needs' a hoof supplement! I am quite honest about being on a budget, I think most people are restricted in spending these days! Be assertive, they will only take the mick if you let them! Good luck.
 
I'd love to be on DIY but as I'm doing my last year of A levels my parents are very much 'studying comes first, horse comes second' (other way round to me!) so if he were to move to my village it would be a struggle.
He did need his teeth etc doing but would have been nice to be told first, and told how much it would be just as a warning! He doesn't need the supplements. He doesn't have the best hooves but I don't think the supplement is entirely necessary. I just noticed it in my feed bin then saw £15 for it on my bill. Ahh it's such a nightmare! I will have to have a proper conversation with my parents!
 
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I remember your previous post, I think you said they have arranged him to have dentist, then charged you after , giving him supplements is down to you, your choice not theirs, even if he needs something doing you should be consulted.
I do part livery, it is a set price each month, any extras are discussed with the owners before not after they get done, if the horses need a supplement the owners can choose, I may advise but will not go out and buy it then charge the owner without letting them have a say. The same goes for any other services, either done by me such as exercising, or a professional coming to the yard such as physio or dentist, I would not arrange for a livery horse to have treatment without the owners permission.
As for leaving billing you for 4 months that is unfair, especially if there are extras added that you are unaware of. The vets should bill you directly, I would not be happy to pay the vet then bill my clients, ask for copies of all invoices you are being billed for now, including dentist, supplements and contact your vets to arrange direct billing in future.
 
I suspect you have under estimated the full cost of keeping a horse on part livery. The costs of someone else mucking out, stable and field rent are high. The costs of hay, feed and bedding are high this year. The costs of teeth, worming, vaccinating and extras are high.

Are you mucking out at weekends and making up feeds and nets for rest of week to reduce costs?

What is horse fed? Can you save money?

Sounds v worrying if you don't work and have no savings? How will you pay next months livery?
 
bouncing_ball said:
Are you mucking out at weekends and making up feeds and nets for rest of week to reduce costs?
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This is going to set me off on another rant! It's agreed that I am on DIY at weekends.
I turned up last weekend, 8am, fed him then left to come back and ride after lunch as I always do (except he had lost a shoe so couldn't ride, but I was still planning to go up that afternoon and everyone knew that) I found he had been mucked out, evening feed sorted and they'd even taken him for a walk as he had been stuck in his stable due to the poor weather. All I did was cuddle him for ten minutes then left. The same thing happened the next day!
 
First thing you must do is to instruct the yard that they are not allowed to authorise 'extras' without running it by you first, and that you wish to be invoiced directly by vets/farriers/dentists etc rather than have added to bill.

Now taking those extra expenses off your bill, does the total then come to what you had budgeted for? Are you paying an all inclusive part livery price, eg £100 per week, and if not it may prove easier to budget if you discuss with YO a fixed monthly price to include all bedding, feed, hay etc. then just set up a monthly standing order.
 
honestly sounds like they are taking the pee...keeping a horse does not have to cost loads of $$$$ - the basic feed at our local merchants has not really gone up much in last 20 years, hay and straw are similar prices as is stable rent for diy
 
a £15 hoof supplement! I bet thats a load of SH IT! I would tell them they are to bring your horse in/turn out, whatever the arrangement is and you still sort out any vets, dentist and farrier yourself!

I have the vet for teeth, they come out, bill at the end of the month then I have 28 days to pay! so in theory, if I get them out on the 1st I have almost 2 months to pay for it! sounds like your yard are charging you straight away! you'd be much better sorting it yourself!
 
I agree with the others - this is not acceptable or professional on their part. I am on part livery - they do all chores Monday to Friday, and I do weekends. Hay and straw is included. I pay my bill by standing order - it is exactly the same each month. I buy all my own feed, supplements, and book and pay for farrier, routine vet, dentist etc.

At weekends, they should not be doing anything for your horse unless you ask them to. Put your foot down and insist they start doing things the way you want them done - never forget you are the customer here - you pay them. They work for you.
 
this doesnt sound fair, or like it's your inability to budget. It sounds like they have (no disrespect) seen a young girl, first time owner, and thought £! I wouldn't be paying straight away either- 4 months to produce it, 4 months to pay it. Can't you move yards and go on DIY and get your sharer to help more? I did 6 A-Levels, with a horse on DIY, and got 6 A's, so don't let that put you off! Sadly, horse ownership is a steep learning curve, and half of it is dealing with the numpties you encounter, not the horse care! :rolleyes:
 
To be fair we have no idea how much the yard has charged, what the OP contract is, and how fair (or not ) the bills are!

OP when you went up at 8am to feed I assume you mucked horse out etc and didn't leave stood in a dirty stable until the afternoon?
 
Get the bill paid right away and get him straight off to grass livery somewhere until you have finished collage, even if you have to DIY if he's at grass you won't have to spend so much time with him each day so you can get a part time job around your studies. Ask around, you may be able to find a field share and split the work between owners.
Don't keep him at livery any longer than you have to or you'll just end up in an even bigger mess.
 
My girl is on full livery and if she needs anything YO lets me know. I have let my vet know that if YO rings about my horse they can advise/visit. Having said that, if I hadn't done that my vet would not come out unless an absolute emergency.

If you had agreed a price then that is what you will have budgetted for and any extras should be agreed.

I would advise YO that no extras without you agreeing first.
 
timiton said:
This is going to set me off on another rant! It's agreed that I am on DIY at weekends.
I turned up last weekend, 8am, fed him then left to come back and ride after lunch as I always do (except he had lost a shoe so couldn't ride, but I was still planning to go up that afternoon and everyone knew that) I found he had been mucked out, evening feed sorted and they'd even taken him for a walk as he had been stuck in his stable due to the poor weather. All I did was cuddle him for ten minutes then left. The same thing happened the next day!
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Most yards have a standard policy that if a horse is not mucked out in the morning (ours is 11am) it will be done and charged for, it is VERY poor practice to leave a horse in a dirty stable that long.

I know I have seemed very negative I would like to confirm that I do think your yard is out of order for a 4 month wait for a bill but IMO you should have been chasing it or at least finding out how much it was per month as you went along. If the charges are fair pay them, if not don't but wise up a bit, keep a tight rein on financials, badger until you get the info you need to budget effectively. And simply don't take no for an answer on prompt bills.
 
I skipped him out but only have 30 minutes in the mornings (to fit in with my dad) so didn't have time to completely muck out. His bed wasn't particularly bad anyway so don't see the harm in leaving him for 3/4 hours.
I'm going to work out the DIY costs now then show my parents. I should be able to fit him in during the week, I know I'd be able to wake up at 6am every morning but convincing them is the tricky part!

On another note. Can someone please give me a rough cost for one large bale of haylage? (I have no clue as YO orders it).
 
timiton said:
I skipped him out but only have 30 minutes in the mornings (to fit in with my dad) so didn't have time to completely muck out. His bed wasn't particularly bad anyway so don't see the harm in leaving him for 3/4 hours.
I'm going to work out the DIY costs now then show my parents. I should be able to fit him in during the week, I know I'd be able to wake up at 6am every morning but convincing them is the tricky part!

On another note. Can someone please give me a rough cost for one large bale of haylage? (I have no clue as YO orders it).
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Around here, about £30 inc delivery
 
Move your horse to DIY, your hours are perfectly mangable to work round.
I work full time on one at my work with horses, on top i have
I have a small yard with 5 stables which is made up of mine my friends horse and 2 part liveries which we run between us. I also am a single mother to my daughter of 8 who i take out to PC and competing. SO if i can manage im sure you can. I also start work at 7 am.
If you really want to cut down time and costs have your horse living out. You can do all your poo picking at weekend and at least then all youve got to do daily is feed/hay check horse.
 
ihatework said:
Really top quality large rectangle bale could be up to £40, average-good around the £30 mark
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Thankyou! How many bales per month would I need for one 16.2hh tb (he currently has 2 full haynets a day).
Sorry, no clue about haylage as all sorted through the YO but want to add up DIY costs correctly
 
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