Livery types - help needed!!

[RHB88]

Hi everyone,

I'm new and need some advice. I have finally decided to loan with a view to buy.
Before I go ahead I'd love some advice on what options there are for livery as this will massively impact my decision on whether I can make my life long dream a reality.

I work full time, 8-5 and occasionally I work away 1-2 days across the country and there would be days that I couldn't get to the yard. Also due to travel distance for the yard I want to be on I would be able to make it once a day.

Ideally, Id be looking to go to the yard once a day Weds-Sun to ride/muck out etc. and have someone muck out/nets/feed etc Mon & Tues, and help with bringing in etc. on the mornings. What type of livery would I be asking for? Am I being unrealistic? What sort of price would be reasonable?

I know I should just ask the yard what options/prices they have etc. But just wanted to get a feel for what people have/pay/charge etc?

Any help would be really appreciated

 

[ihatework]

Livery definitions do vary across the country but essentially you will either be looking for assisted DIY or part livery.
Assisted DIY generally works on the basis that you pay a set price for stable/field/facilities (sometimes with hay and/or straw included) - the cost of this varies hugely on facilities and location but a basic cheap and cheerful DIY might be as little as £25pw whereas a smart yard in an expensive location with hay/bedding included could easily be £70/80 a week. On top of this price you pay for services as you use them. A full days care would be in the region of £10 and to just do one side of the day without mucking out would be around £3.

Part livery varies the most. Some places this means 7 day basic care, feed, hay bedding etc and you would pay in the £80-130 per week sort of ballpark.
Other places it is more of an assisted DIY definition.

If you are using quite a lot of assistance you might find it works out to be more economical to find a 5 day part livery (looked after Mon-Fri with DIY on weekend)

 

[Tyssandi]

Hi everyone,

I'm new and need some advice. I have finally decided to loan with a view to buy.
Before I go ahead I'd love some advice on what options there are for livery as this will massively impact my decision on whether I can make my life long dream a reality.

I work full time, 8-5 and occasionally I work away 1-2 days across the country and there would be days that I couldn't get to the yard. Also due to travel distance for the yard I want to be on I would be able to make it once a day.

Ideally, Id be looking to go to the yard once a day Weds-Sun to ride/muck out etc. and have someone muck out/nets/feed etc Mon & Tues, and help with bringing in etc. on the mornings. What type of livery would I be asking for? Am I being unrealistic? What sort of price would be reasonable?

I know I should just ask the yard what options/prices they have etc. But just wanted to get a feel for what people have/pay/charge etc?

Any help would be really appreciated

Your looking at assisted DIY of Part livery

In your position I would do part livery and adding all those extra will tot the bill up to almost the same.. Part livery will give you the option to have every day covered if you go for 7 day part livery of 5 day part. livery

 

[FestiveFuzz]

Agree with others that part livery would be your best option. Costs vary greatly depending on where you are but as a ball park I'd expect it to be around the £400-£500 mark per month.

 

[chestnut cob]

I would be tempted to go for 5 day (mon - fri) full livery, at least until you are into the routine of having a horse. This means the yard will do everything bar exercise Mon - Fri and it means it doesn't matter if you get stuck at work, in traffic or have to be away for longer than planned. You just turn up and ride, then do the horse yourself at the weekends. You also don't want pure DIY at weekends unless you can guarantee to be there early AM and late PM both days to turn out and bring in, so you will want assisted DIY at weekends (I like FL mon - fri with TO and BI at weekends, so that I can ride when I like and am not tied to early AM or late PM).

On you FL days you can still hang hay nets and feed your horse after riding. I've always done that. I just tell the yard which days I'm going to be there, they give the horse an armful of hay when they BI in the afternoon/ eve, then I ride, skip out any poos the horse has done since coming in, and give him his tea and night hay. I must admit that for me personally, when I've worked a full day plus commuting, or had to travel with work, the last thing I want to do when it's freezing cold and dark or raining is muck out then ride. I'd much rather just ride and pay someone else to do the jobs!

I'm in the Midlands and pay around £350 pcm for 5 day FL (includes TO, BI, MO, basic feed, bedding, adlib hay/haylage and poo picking field mon-fri, plus TO and BI sat and sun) on a yard with a reasonable school, year round turnout (though length of time out in winter can be limited) and a superb, knowledgeable and reliable YO. At my previous yard I had FL mon - thurs, TO on Fri then DIY fri PM to Sun PM. Had to buy own haylage and bedding. The cost worked out the same as the FL yard but with significantly more headache and travelling required.

 

[LegOn]

You could always look at a yard that has plenty of options - full/part/diy etc. Start with full livery until you figure you what you can manage & then reduce down to part livery or whatever suits you!

It can be a big change of routine getting a horse into your life if you work etc & the horse will feel more settled if they go straight into a routine. Once you both get to know each other & you are more confident - then maybe choose a different type of livery Just my 2 cents though!

 

[Amye]

Not much to add really - everyone else has said it! But you could look for yard that has multiple options for livery - the one i'm on does full (7 days a week but no exercise) part (5 days a week - no exercise) and assisted DIY (pay a benchmark each month and you do all jobs but can pay extra for services on top if needed).

You could then start on part for example and see how it fits in with your day to day life, then if you work out costs you could go down to DIY and just pay for extra services if it's going to be cheaper.

I started on DIY straight away and it was fine, but I work flexible hours (meaning I have to work 8 hours a day but don't have fixed start/end times) so it's not too bad fitting it around work. It is a big change and doing DIY takes up a lot of your time.

Livery terms and prices tend to vary up and down the country so it's hard to advise exactly without knowing where you are (especially on price).

I would probably look at some yards that look to fit the bill and go view them. Explain to the yard owners your circumstances and see what options they have to accommodate you