Livery Yard costs

[Npsouth]

Wow! That’s amazing!

It is. I’m in the south west and I know our livery is less than others. We do have an arrangement so I’ll always help with any fencing or maintenance jobs and so my livery takes than in to account, but realistically I’d always have helped with those jobs anyway!

I have a well paid job, as does my husband and looking at some of these replies, even in spite of that I wouldn’t be able to afford my horses with the costs some are floating around…

 

[Surbie]

I saw an ad for full livery (actually just 5 days per week) at £480 plus your own feed and hay and bedding down south. I’m in Scotland and pay £260 for full livery, including hay (no stable, she lives out). Although we’d love to move down to the southeast at some point, I think we need to buy some land to make it work.

I'm down in the spendy southeast. Full livery (with hay & bedding) is £700-£1,200/month near me, which is a huge range and doesn't seem to be based on a sliding scale of facilities!

I'm paying a little less than you are, but for straight DIY.

 

[lynz88]

I'm down in the spendy southeast. Full livery (with hay & bedding) is £700-£1,200/month near me, which is a huge range and doesn't seem to be based on a sliding scale of facilities!

I'm paying a little less than you are, but for straight DIY.

yes mine just put costs up and part livery is nearly £900/month. Needless to say it's now in the completely unaffordable category and have put myself on a wait list for assisted DIY

 

[marmalade76]

It is. I’m in the south west and I know our livery is less than others. We do have an arrangement so I’ll always help with any fencing or maintenance jobs and so my livery takes than in to account, but realistically I’d always have helped with those jobs anyway!

I have a well paid job, as does my husband and looking at some of these replies, even in spite of that I wouldn’t be able to afford my horses with the costs some are floating around…

Similarly I've been able to keep costs down because my husband is an ag contractor so has all the gear including post rammer which makes mending fences considerably easier. It has come to a point now where I don't pay any rent at all. If I had to be on a proper livery yard I wouldn't be able to afford a horse either.

 

[AppyLover1996]

Reading some of the replies makes me feel extremely lucky -

I pay £220.00 for my two boys on DIY livery with their average monthly costs coming to £450.00 ish for the both of them - I am lucky in the sense that I live with my parents (no desire to move out but I do pay my way with bills etc) and have an extremely well paying job (that I worked mega hard for in school/college/uni) - however some months I do find the pinch and often wonder what would happen if I weren't as lucky to be in the position that I am in.

However, I have decided that once my two boys cross over rainbow bridge they won't be replaced by any more equines - I adore the lifestyle and wouldn't change it for the world - however I would jump at the chance to go and do some exploring and the odd random holiday here and there, without having to worry about animal care etc (apologies if I sound selfish to anyone - I do realise how fortunate I am to be where I am and in the position I am in so I'm not complaining for a millisecond I promise!)

 

[toooldtofalloff]

I'm in North Wales and I pay £80 per calendar month to my friend for DIY livery including grass turnout, a stable, and use of a menage. We bulk buy hay for the winter @ £5 per small bale. I also have a trailer which another friend stores on her land for no cost.

I'm staggered at some of the costs reflected here.

 

[Trot_on]

The prices where I am (East Yorkshire) vary massively and many liveries (and owners) now seem to prefer fancy facilities over turn out and charge a premium for them. If you want all-singing and dancing full livery with multiple arenas, SJs, XC course, hot water, solarioum etc then you'll probably be looking at approx £600 a month...but you'd also probably get no winter turnout. On the other end of the scale, I pay £190 with 24/7/365 turnout with access to stables, DIY, arena hire within 5 minute walk and great storage for hay/straw etc... though who knows how long this iiwll last with housing developments surrounding the perimeter!

Obviously, the more land that's built on, the less space we have to graze horses and make hay etc. We had a convo recently at my yard about what we think hore ownership will look like in 10/20 years from now and all agreed that it will be a sport just for the very rich. Really sad to think that if I was a horse-mad child with non-horsey parents now, by the time I was a teenager there'd be a high chance I'd have no access to horses at all, let alone become a horse owner post-uni. Can't tell you how happy I am to have been born in the 80's!

 

[Trot_on]

Reading some of the replies makes me feel extremely lucky -

I pay £220.00 for my two boys on DIY livery with their average monthly costs coming to £450.00 ish for the both of them - I am lucky in the sense that I live with my parents (no desire to move out but I do pay my way with bills etc) and have an extremely well paying job (that I worked mega hard for in school/college/uni) - however some months I do find the pinch and often wonder what would happen if I weren't as lucky to be in the position that I am in.

However, I have decided that once my two boys cross over rainbow bridge they won't be replaced by any more equines - I adore the lifestyle and wouldn't change it for the world - however I would jump at the chance to go and do some exploring and the odd random holiday here and there, without having to worry about animal care etc (apologies if I sound selfish to anyone - I do realise how fortunate I am to be where I am and in the position I am in so I'm not complaining for a millisecond I promise!)

i'm the same - I have decided to have a horsey break for a few years (maybe indefinately, who knows) once my two boys have passed to travel etc

 

[SOS]

I pay around ~£400 a month for assisted DIY with hay/haylage and straw included. Essentially I do everything and YO feeds when everything else is fed and turns out or brings in for me. It works well as my horse can be in a routine and doesn’t get left out if I’m at work and things have been brought in etc. I’m on a nice, basic yard, not the most photogenic but we have an arena, lots of hard standing, all year turnout, hot wash etc. It is very well maintained, with anything broken fixed instantly.

I feel my price is fair in the winter but struggle to justify it in the summer when they are out 24/7. The extras if I need them (when I’m away with work) are very expensive at £20 a day extra, so I can soon end up with a £600 a month livery bill despite doing the majority myself.

Not long ago I had several horses on full livery at £105 a week. But it was a flexible arrangement with YO riding for me if I wasn’t there and me helping at shows/with young horses in return. I was really lucky there, but it’s much too far away now.

Realistically with livery, insurance, feed and vet bills, dentist, physio split across the year, a horse is costing me £800 a month, but I don’t dare admit that to myself!

Ideally we want to find a house with land even if that means giving up horses for a while and putting most of the £800 into a larger mortgage!