Livery Yard Help!!

S

salsabubblegum

New User
Joined
7 September 2008
Messages
3
Visit site
Hi I am just about to take on a livery yard Nr wokingham and although very excited about my new challange i am quiet worried about the credit crunch and how it will effect my buisness. So any advice on what you look for as a livery owner would be great!! I think its very important i get other peoples views to make the best livery yard i can. 25yrs experience does not mean you know every thing and i want to have a great buisness so please give me your views and advice as winter is a coming and am worried people wont move as we get closer to xmas?? Thanks Sally
 
One that communicates and isn't mental is always a bonus!!!...................Most seem to think you automatic download the rule by telepathy or something, then freak out when you do something they don't like................like buying in hay (even though they had previously given you permission to do so, but then changed their mind the following year, but not bothered to tell you).
 
one that if your diy lets you get on with it without messing with your system and is willing to do the odd little bit here and there without adding 50p or a £1 within reason.

our YO will happily bung a haynet over the door in the evening or whenever we need it here and there and it is perfect.

our old YO wouls bitch and moan if we were 10 mins late from here schedule because it was unfair to feed here 2 horses and not ours. if it was that much of a problem our feed buckets were always made up so it's wouldnt have been a problem doing ours aswell but no she preferred bitching about it.

If you are after doing full livery then be prepared to ask the horse owners what they want/expect and what routine they would like and providing it is within reason try and be accomodating. As the customer the old saying goes that they are alway right but if they are unreasonable you just have to grin and bear it till you can find a suitable replacement customer.
 
Hi,
Good luck with your venture, what type of yard is it that you have? what services? I am a YO and am happy to offer advice and as much help as poss, if yoiu have any specific question, fire away! pm if you prefer.
 
lol yeah, not being mental is very important
grin.gif

not having favourites is another good rule too. being approachable and sensible would be high on my list too.
good luck with you new yard.
oh and be prepared not to please all of the people all of the time
wink.gif
 
optional extras--holiday cover at reasonable prices, sickness, etc
as much turnout for as long as possible...but not in huge herds! option of buying hay/straw etc off YO, or specified place for your own if you order in. designated feed and tack areas for each livery--so no mix ups.
we have a wheelbarrow fund £12 year to cover cost of mucking out equiptment...stops people borrowing other peoples....but need enough to go round.
worming programme....our YO worms all the horses himself, then charges us...works out a bit more expensive BUT you know all the horses have been done, whereas a friend of mine was at a yard, following a worming programme and discovered that one particular livery lady hadn't wormed her horse for well over a year....and they were all together!
A tea room, with a kettle....maybe even some comfy chairs!!!
a toilet would be very nice...........
lights! that work
a nice approachable YO who you can turn to for advice and asisstance when required.
good luck with it all...where abouts are you going to be???
 
wow lots of great advice thanks to everyone. The yard is full and part livery with a possible assisted DIY services too. Its a small private yard so not massive amounts of grazing but enough for every day t/o as a morning or afternoon session. Not sure if thats enough to encourage liveries in but i do know that DIYS usually want more grazing than liveries due to work comitments and getting up the yard. I am Binfield based so hope that s a good area for horsey people however would like advice on insurance ?? does anyone know where to start there? oh and how do i manage bitching as want a really lovely atmoshere for peple to enjoy there horses any fun ideas welcome to ...........
 
Its a tough call to keep everybody happy. I have a yard of 45+ diy horses. I try not to discuss the yard on the phone, I encourage the person to visit the yard so that i can show them around and have a chat with them, you know fairly quickly if they would fit in. I try to treat them all the same, and most importantly with respect. If there is a problem with horse or owner I offer as much help as possible, then everyone else usually does the same so the load is shared.
I enjoy our busy yard, but be careful if you have a rotten apple as they can cause others to become unsettled.
 
Do what you agree to do for the price agreed! On the yards I've been on there's a honeymoon period and then standards drop and quite often prices rise.
If you offer a good service, have resonable facilities and are approachable you will be onto a winner. Good luck
smile.gif
 
[ QUOTE ]
One that communicates and isn't mental is always a bonus!!!...................Most seem to think you automatic download the rule by telepathy or something, then freak out when you do something they don't like................like buying in hay (even though they had previously given you permission to do so, but then changed their mind the following year, but not bothered to tell you).

[/ QUOTE ]
PMSL
laugh.gif
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top