Livery prices?

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Marigold4

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I'm getting to the stage in life when I am finding looking after 3 horses is getting too much. One of my horses is lame and can just about get by on Danilon but I suspect it will get worse over time and I will have to PTS. I have spent £££ trying to find the cause and no answers. That will leave me with two - and that will make getting out and doing things tricky as they will no doubt hate being left on their own when the other goes out. We'll see. At that point, I think we will move to livery. I will keep my beloved gelding (9) and sell or loan the homebred who will be 4 by then. I don't think I will have the energy to ride two.

So, thinking ahead about the finances of this, how much do you think this type of livery would cost: in during the winter at night, in for the hottest part of the day during some summer months when flies are bad. Haylage and aubiose bedding (gelding has airways issue). Poo picking. Livery to do either morning or evening turn out/bring in and I will do the other. Bear in mind we live down south in an area where land is expensive and livery yards are fewer than before due to land being sold for housing. Thanks for your help! :)
 
I’d imagine somewhere between £80-120pw depending on general facilities/smartness, but the aubiose would likely be excluded and need to be supplied by you (sounds like it would be classed as assisted diy)
 
I pay £580pcm for 5 day part livery in the summer as they're out overnight and he has 1 bale a week, and then in the winter when they are out in the day he has 2 bales a week for £625.
You are looking for less assistance but you do want hay and bedding included, so I don't think it would be far off that price.
I am also in the South East
 
£268 for assisted DIY which is bring in and give made up feed in morning and chuck in a tub of hay if needed during the day, equates to under £9 a day.

Winter same sort of cost.

Lovely big stables, indoor walker, washbox, indoor small school, massive outdoor menage, fields to ride round, and lots of storage area. Someone lives on site.

Trailer parking is included in that.

Love it.
 
I can’t quite tell if you want assisted DIY where it’s usually you pay livery for the stable/grazing/facilities and it includes one turnout or bring in daily, and you provide hay/bedding etc and do your own mucking out, filling haynets etc.
This would usually be £40-80pw for the livery side. Hay and bedding I presume you know those costs.
Or part livery where usually everything is done for you and hay/bedding are included (but I’d expect to pay extra for aubiose), which would probably be £600-800 a month (or move to Lincolnshire where you can still get it for under £400 a month!)
 
Thanks, everyone. It would be the first time I have used livery so I am a little confused as to how it works. I probably want part livery with extra help on some days when on holiday or out for the day. If that's possible. I tried to contact a couple of livery yards around here but no reply. Is there a secret way of getting in touch with yard owners?? Do you just turn up at the yard and ask questions? I'd really like to go and see a couple of yards but I guess yard owners are not interested in answering lots of questions and showing you round if you aren't going to definitely come to the yard.

It sounds like it won't be much cheaper than having 3 at home and doing it all myself.
 
Marigold4 said:
Thanks, everyone. It would be the first time I have used livery so I am a little confused as to how it works. I probably want part livery with extra help on some days when on holiday or out for the day. If that's possible. I tried to contact a couple of livery yards around here but no reply. Is there a secret way of getting in touch with yard owners?? Do you just turn up at the yard and ask questions? I'd really like to go and see a couple of yards but I guess yard owners are not interested in answering lots of questions and showing you round if you aren't going to definitely come to the yard.

It sounds like it won't be much cheaper than having 3 at home and doing it all myself.
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Other option could be to take on a couple of retired liveries, to keep your one company and use their income to pay a freelancer
 
Marigold4 said:
Thanks, everyone. It would be the first time I have used livery so I am a little confused as to how it works. I probably want part livery with extra help on some days when on holiday or out for the day. If that's possible. I tried to contact a couple of livery yards around here but no reply. Is there a secret way of getting in touch with yard owners?? Do you just turn up at the yard and ask questions? I'd really like to go and see a couple of yards but I guess yard owners are not interested in answering lots of questions and showing you round if you aren't going to definitely come to the yard.

It sounds like it won't be much cheaper than having 3 at home and doing it all myself.
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Try this https://*******.co.uk/
Do you have a noticeboard at your local feed merchants or riding club? Put an advert on asking for livery or find out what's available through word of mouth.
 
Marigold4 said:
Thanks, everyone. It would be the first time I have used livery so I am a little confused as to how it works. I probably want part livery with extra help on some days when on holiday or out for the day. If that's possible. I tried to contact a couple of livery yards around here but no reply. Is there a secret way of getting in touch with yard owners?? Do you just turn up at the yard and ask questions? I'd really like to go and see a couple of yards but I guess yard owners are not interested in answering lots of questions and showing you round if you aren't going to definitely come to the yard.

It sounds like it won't be much cheaper than having 3 at home and doing it all myself.
Click to expand...
Try this *******.co.uk its livery list. Co.uk but won't show on here for some weird reason.
Do you have a noticeboard at your local feed merchants or riding club? Put an advert on asking for livery or find out what's available through word of mouth.

Yard owners won't usually discuss prices without meeting you first in my experience. If you visit have a list of questions. If you want more help or are in Midlands/ Warks area let me know.
 
I agree it might be cheaper having a companion from a rescue or similar. I’m in the south east and pay £390 pcm for DIY including hay, stray and small lorry parking.
 
It's the commitment I want out of though. Also I rent my land rather than own and there's always the fear that the landowner will want it back. I could do without all the maintenace and poo picking too!
 
Marigold4 said:
It's the commitment I want out of though. Also I rent my land rather than own and there's always the fear that the landowner will want it back. I could do without all the maintenace and poo picking too!
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You’d probably be better off looking for full livery without riding (some areas call it part livery). By the time you have paid for assisted diy and then tagged on aubiose and poo picking you probably aren’t far off full prices anyway. Then you get complete freedom. £150 ish a week round here (southern Cotswolds)
 
assuming you have them at your own place at the moment? would you consider bringing in a livery to take your spare space then you wouldn't have to go on livery! I'm in Hants and I think part livery is £650+ a month
 
You’re fairly near me as I recall and livery spaces of any kind are like hens teeth. After my yard shut down last year I initially had to move my two 10 miles away. They were out 24/7 summer and in at night winter. It wax £550 per horse, hay and straw pellet bedding included. Didn’t work out and now I have them at two different yards.

One is on 5-day part livery. Daily turn out all year no 24hr in summer. You have to do your own poo-picking. Mucked out etc. mon-fri £555 inc horsebox parking. Hay and bedding that’s used paid on top. Have to buy from yard. Can choose straw or Burley bed chopped rape only. Straw cheap BB expensive. Bill comes to around £700pcm give or take not including hard feed. Basic DIY livery is cheap £170 but on site ad-hoc services can be expensive e.g. £10 for put to bed. £5 bring in only.

Other yard DIY 24/7 365 in my field. £170 pcm, cheap hay supplier of your own choosing and ad-hoc help but not regular, poo-picking has to be done. No school. Approx £220 pcm

Friends are paying around £850 + for 7 day livery, no grooming or exercise.
 
kerrieberry2 said:
assuming you have them at your own place at the moment? would you consider bringing in a livery to take your spare space then you wouldn't have to go on livery! I'm in Hants and I think part livery is £650+ a month
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I rent a field next door at the mo, but have own stables. I'm hoping to move somewhere nearer civilisation and have less horse responsibility. I've been doing this on my own for 20+ years now. It's a lovely set up but I'm done!
 
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It’s worth asking around and seeing places now to decide at least on a shortlist for when you’re ready (and there may be waiting lists). As a YO I generally don’t mind people coming to look when they are honest that they aren’t ready to move yet, even though I am full and have a waiting list. I’m also open about pricing before they come to look, no point both parties wasting their time if it’s out of budget.

My assisted grass livery is £350 pm including horses being fed, given hay and checked twice per day, they all live out though there are stables for occasional or emergency use. Cost of feed and hay not included.
 
Abacus said:
It’s worth asking around and seeing places now to decide at least on a shortlist for when you’re ready (and there may be waiting lists). As a YO I generally don’t mind people coming to look when they are honest that they aren’t ready to move yet, even though I am full and have a waiting list. I’m also open about pricing before they come to look, no point both parties wasting their time if it’s out of budget.

My assisted grass livery is £350 pm including horses being fed, given hay and checked twice per day, they all live out though there are stables for occasional or emergency use. Cost of feed and hay not included.
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Thanks, Abacus. That's really useful. That is the plan - go and see some yards and get on to a waiting list. How do you prefer people to contact you? I've tried FB messenger but no reply. Is it OK to just drop in?
 
If you can find a number for them it’s probably best to call or message first. If people drop in I’ll be polite although if I’m halfway through riding or jobs then I might ask them to come back another time for a proper look and conversation about it.
 
I am new forest and pay £800 for full
Livery buy for hard feed on top as he doesn’t get enough feed from the livery yard- he is a big horse. I also have to pay to use the big school each time. I work full time and it’s just down the road from home, I could find somewhere cheaper but can’t be dealing with the driving. They also look after my horse really well so I don’t have to worry. I can’t do any diy as have the school run and work 50 hours a week to pay for it
 
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