Livery price increases

[The Xmas Furry]

Don't forget NMW/NLW increase to be factored in as well as an extra bank holiday this year for those YOs who employ staff. I am always taken back by the low price of livery.
Even having mine at home I have notice costs increase these past few months.

And as the poster mentioned above, energy hills whopping up. Stable and arena lighting is likely to be much more heavily monitored by those who pay the bills.

 

[SO1]

My part livery is nearly £22 a day adding a nought on to my monthly payment and the costs would be over twice my monthly salary. If that happened there would not be any customers left.

If the prices go up I will have to hope it won't be too much. I do have a bit of flex and I have no complaints about the part livery services provided at all which seems a rare thing amongst part livery yards. I need somewhere where the care is good as my parents are elderly and so is my pony. I expect I am going to need to do more to help my parents in the future. I also work long hours so cannot be DIY.

There are things that I can cut back on to save money. I don't spend money on lessons and pony is a veteran so I am not out competing a lot and I do have savings if need be.

If my salary increases to take into account inflation and the extra NI all should be fine. We normally find out if we get a pay rise in around April time. I will be grateful to get anything.

I do feel sorry for people having to manage horses on a very low income as although minimum wage has gone up NI increases, inflation, and energy rises will eat up any benefits.

I am lucky to have savings to help if need be.

Imho livery prices (and the add-ons) have been too cheap for too long.

Not saying add a nought to the monthly payment but getting close to reflecting actual costs wouldn't be a bad thing!

 

[McFluff]

I expect mine to go up each year. It should, as their costs (staff, energy, hay, straw) all increase annually. Usually expect rate of inflation, but this year is harder (I know this from looking at budgets for my own work in another industry).

 

[bouncing_ball]

I’m on part livery. An increase this April is likely I think. NMW rising, amenity costs up, hay, feed and bedding costs up. Winters wetter.

 

[MuddyMonster]

I expect mine to go up each year. It should, as their costs (staff, energy, hay, straw) all increase annually. Usually expect rate of inflation, but this year is harder (I know this from looking at budgets for my own work in another industry).

Most yards I've been on have had an annual iincrease too - a range of DIY through to part/full livery. I'm expecting another rise in April too.

 

[Sealine]

I can’t remember the last time my DIY livery cost increased. It’s cheap at £4 a day for a stable and good grazing. We pay extra for hay, straw, trailer parking and use of the outdoor floodlit arena. There is no manager and the yard is getting a bit rundown these days with maintenance at a minimum but I wouldn’t be surprised or upset if prices increased.

 

[chaps89]

I’m astounded by some of the prices some people are paying.
And I say that as someone who pays very little themself!
My YO thinks it’s mad that people pay £300 pcm a horse at the DIY the other side of the valley, I can’t break it to her that that’s what should be charged really.
My YO bought her land back in 1950, and gradually bought neighbouring land over the years. They are incredible at maintaining fencing and looking after us and I wouldn’t begrudge paying double if I had to. Prices went up £5 pcm last year (before I moved on) and some people moaned about it ?
Honestly do not know why YO do it!

 

[cheekywelshie]

my current livery yard went up 20 percent last year. If it gets any more expensive I will have to go back to dly. I actually think in the future you have to be rich to keep a horse .

I agree. I don’t think I will have another horse after Jet. He’s on full livery now because there is no decent assisted nearby therefor I can’t get anyone to bring in but it’s like having a second mortgage. If you work full time you have no choice but to go full in winter. But then your paying a lot in summer and the horses live out for the most part

 

[twobearsarthur]

The DIY livery I was on in 1989 cost £10 a week then, the same yard costs £25 a week now. This is for the stable and field. So very little increase in 33 years.
I was paying £250 a month for youngstock livery (this includes all care, bedding, hay, worming, trimming, vaccinations etc). Last year it went up to £280 a month due to increases in costs. Which I think is totally reasonable for the care and everything that’s included.
I think in general we have a skewed view of how much we pay and how much yards make. Full livery near me averages £100 a week inc everything apart from exercise which sounds a lot. But works out as £14.28 a day. When you factor in labour costs, feed, hay, water rates, electricity etc etc. £14.28 a day isn’t much at all. It’s a couple of coffee’s and a sandwich at Starbucks!!!

 

[SO1]

Full livery at less than £15 a day. It must be an area of the country where land is very cheap and wages low to charge that or they are mean with bedding or forage and no school or something like that.

I am in the SE and my part livery is around £22 a day and that is the normal going rate.

The DIY livery I was on in 1989 cost £10 a week then, the same yard costs £25 a week now. This is for the stable and field. So very little increase in 33 years.
I was paying £250 a month for youngstock livery (this includes all care, bedding, hay, worming, trimming, vaccinations etc). Last year it went up to £280 a month due to increases in costs. Which I think is totally reasonable for the care and everything that’s included.
I think in general we have a skewed view of how much we pay and how much yards make. Full livery near me averages £100 a week inc everything apart from exercise which sounds a lot. But works out as £14.28 a day. When you factor in labour costs, feed, hay, water rates, electricity etc etc. £14.28 a day isn’t much at all. It’s a couple of coffee’s and a sandwich at Starbucks!!!

 

[Goldenstar]

I’m astounded by some of the prices some people are paying.
And I say that as someone who pays very little themself!
My YO thinks it’s mad that people pay £300 pcm a horse at the DIY the other side of the valley, I can’t break it to her that that’s what should be charged really.
My YO bought her land back in 1950, and gradually bought neighbouring land over the years. They are incredible at maintaining fencing and looking after us and I wouldn’t begrudge paying double if I had to. Prices went up £5 pcm last year (before I moved on) and some people moaned about it ?
Honestly do not know why YO do it!

Someone like that is not business minded the cost of the capital locked up in the land should be factored into the cost charged .

 

[twobearsarthur]

Full livery at less than £15 a day. It must be an area of the country where land is very cheap and wages low to charge that or they are mean with bedding or forage and no school or something like that.

I am in the SE and my part livery is around £22 a day and that is the normal going rate.

We’re lucky to be in Yorkshire so will be absolutely cheaper than the SE.
Those are the going rates. I’ve paid £80 a week with an outdoor arena for full livery and £140 a week including exercise/schooling, an indoor and outdoor arena, horse Walker, solarium and indoor shower, stocks etc. And neither yards skimped on bedding, feed of haylage.
Land will be a lot cheaper than “down south” too my friend has just bought a 5 bed farm, with 3 stables, two barns and 8 acres for £750k and I know you wouldn’t be able to do that in The SE.

 

[Toby_Zaphod]

Prices have gone up at our yard, it went up last January & has gone up this month as well. People say if you don't like the increase you can vote with your feet. It's not that simple when you have 3 horses.. Around here it's difficult finding a single vacancy, a double is really hard but 3 is impossible. You just have to suck it up& pay, there is little more you can do. I think all our issues will be solved shortly as I'm buying a Lottery ticket.

 

[criso]

Depends on whether you mean Full livery to include grooming and exercise or just care. On what I would call part, £15 a day is the highest it's cost me in Herts and that's now, it was less a couple of years ago. Total at this time of the year is about £15 a day but as I pay for bedding, feed and hay on an as used basis, it's at its highest now. Hay isn't particularly cheap at £5.50 a small bale though not expensive either. It's much less in the summer so the average daily would be under £15. I have a tb that gets through alot of hay so I'm one of the highest payers on the yard and definitely not scrimping.

 

[twobearsarthur]

There’s also a lot of competition where I live. There are at least 8 livery yards within 2 miles of my house and you can double that if you went just 5 miles further. Which I suppose drives costs down and (hopefully) standards up.

 

[SO1]

That is a very good price, services and box rent must be very reasonable.

My £22 a day also includes holding for farrier, vets etc and hay soaking, muzzle put on, plus poo picking fields.

Not having to be there farrier or routine vet appointments is probably saving me at least 7 days a year of AL which is really useful.

On top of my £22 a day I am also paying extra for low sugar hay and different feed as he is a native so needs to be careful with feeds.

They do ad lib hay and premium brand feed companies so not cheap end feeds to save money and we are on shavings not straw.

Depends on whether you mean Full livery to include grooming and exercise or just care. On what I would call part, £15 a day is the highest it's cost me in Herts and that's now, it was less a couple of years ago. Total at this time of the year is about £15 a day but as I pay for bedding, feed and hay on an as used basis, it's at its highest now. Hay isn't particularly cheap at £5.50 a small bale though not expensive either. It's much less in the summer so the average daily would be under £15. I have a tb that gets through alot of hay so I'm one of the highest payers on the yard and definitely not scrimping.

 

[twobearsarthur]

That is a very good price, services and box rent must be very reasonable.

My £22 a day also includes holding for farrier, vets etc and hay soaking, muzzle put on, plus poo picking fields.

Not having to be there farrier or routine vet appointments is probably saving me at least 7 days a year of AL which is really useful.

Yorkshires famous for its rolling hills and people with deep pockets and short arms lol

You’re right about saving holidays. I’d never thought of that as always had mine dealt with by the yard for the dentist, physio, farrier etc. it’s definitely at least a week a year I don’t have to book leave for!!!

 

[criso]

That is a very good price, services and box rent must be very reasonable.

My £22 a day also includes holding for farrier, vets etc and hay soaking, muzzle put on, plus poo picking fields.

Not having to be there farrier or routine vet appointments is probably saving me at least 7 days a year of AL which is really useful.

On top of my £22 a day I am also paying extra for low sugar hay and different feed as he is a native so needs to be careful with feeds.

They do ad lib hay and premium brand feed companies so not cheap end feeds to save money and we are on shavings not straw.

I get attending for vets and farriers though I actually try to be there plus giving medication, bandaging, cold hosing etc after vet has been. Also any combination of boots, bandages rugs required and putting on the horsewalker, lunging is extra.

I think why it's cheaper is that yards I have been at, have offered services by someone not employed but self employed. This could be cheaper than an employed person with NI, income tax, pensions, sick and holiday pay and all the other expenses of employing someone. It's a little scruffier and less organised than some yards. Posh yard up the road is probably over £600 pcm these days but there's another quite smart one nearby that was £460 when I looked.

2 yards I have been at have attached to farms with hay, haylage and straw provided, 2 cut their own hay and current yard is also an agri business so I pay less for bedding than local feed merchants.

I buy my own feed and it's not cheap but included it in my calculations, in reality ym often picks it up for me so turns up on my bill. But I don't feed much, hay is my biggest expense at this time of year.

 

[holeymoley]

Anyone else's yard increasing again? Ours is and I'm not really sure why. I understand last years and year before but everything is pretty much staying static at the moment where we are in terms of utilities. I'm diy with turn out and bring in only so nothing has changed. I still pay over and above the livery price for bedding, feed, hay-which is proving blimmin difficult to source this year, worm counts, etc etc There's no maintenance being done to anything either, if anything, the place is falling down more than it was last year and hacking has reduced substantly unless I box up. Not quite sure what to do, whether it's worth looking at other yards.

 

[Bernster]

There’s still inflation which might explain it? I’ve checked out some local yards to me and my yard is well below those (poorer facilities and hacking but great horse care and friendly environment) so I’m very appreciative !

 

[expanding_horizon]

I guess it depends if you can find better for less. The minimum wage went up in April? I think the cost of living increases have continued to bite all through this year, and now more so with winter here.

 

[ycbm]

Anyone else's yard increasing again? Ours is and I'm not really sure why. I understand last years and year before but everything is pretty much staying static at the moment where we are in terms of utilities. I'm diy with turn out and bring in only so nothing has changed. I still pay over and above the livery price for bedding, feed, hay-which is proving blimmin difficult to source this year, worm counts, etc etc There's no maintenance being done to anything either, if anything, the place is falling down more than it was last year and hacking has reduced substantly unless I box up. Not quite sure what to do, whether it's worth looking at other yards.

Can I clarify? You are questioning a once a year price rise? Your last price rise was some time in 2022 and you don't want to pay more in October 23?

Is your yard full?
.

 

[FestiveG]

Inflation is currently at 6%this month, that is on top of the inflation the rest of the year. What percentage of the cost is the increase?

 

[SO1]

Interest rises on mortgaged properties has caused rents to go up a lot. Most of the staff where I work rent and they are seeing monthly rent increase of between 150 to 300 pounds a month due to interest rates on mortgages.

If the property is mortgaged then no surprise that the livery price will need to increase.

 

[holeymoley]

Can I clarify? You are questioning a once a year price rise? Your last price rise was some time in 2022 and you don't want to pay more in October 23?

Is your yard full?
.

No

Eta last rise was early 2023, and also one in 2022

 

[AmyMay]

No

Well that’s one answer.

 

[millitiger]

Also any mortgages or loans against the yard could have increased substantially this year.

 

[holeymoley]

Property isn’t mortgaged. Increase is 6% so is perhaps in line with inflation. I thought everything was levelling out though.

 

[ILuvCowparsely]

Just wondering with the cost of living on the rise, inflation off the scale, and with the energy market set to hit some epic highs price wise, are yard owners going to reflect this with price increases, and livery clients, are you expecting this? If you are, how do you feel about it, resigned or resentful?

Trouble is liveries moan when we put the bills up, yet freelancers expect £ 20 per hour and people have to pay it to cover a yard. Yet put their bill up say £ 5 per week and liveries moan.

I’m not surprised you’re never moving!? I’d say your YO is funding your hobby tbh?

Quite agree 100%, either the owner has too much money or needs someone to help them price up the bills. My bills for part go up £3 per year per week, might have to review it this year with everything going up.

 

[Sossigpoker]

No

Eta last rise was early 2023, and also one in 2022

My 5 day part livery went from 480 to 550 and then 4 months later to 700, and then 5 months later to 800! She seemed to raise the prices whenever she wanted a bit more money . But services weren't even being delivered. I left to go on DIY.