Livery Yards

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Jumper123

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To all Yard Owners,those who have their horses in livery and everyone else!!

What does it take to set up a livery yard?
What insurances/ licencing do you need?
Any other helpful pieces of advice on running a livery yard?
What makes a livery yard better for those who have their horses there?
What services do you wish your yard had? What services does it have that you like?

Any other bits of advice or info! Just some guide questions up there! Any pieces of advice/info no matter how big or small greatly appreciated!!
 
caseywebb said:
To all Yard Owners,those who have their horses in livery and everyone else!!

What does it take to set up a livery yard?
hmm, a yard would be a good start:) be prepared for hard work, loads of abuse and not much profit lol
What insurances/ licencing do you need?
you don't need any licensing as such, apart from planning permission. For insurance contact some companies for advice/quotes, public liability is the minimum, care control and custody worth having as well
Any other helpful pieces of advice on running a livery yard?
make a business plan, take decisions and stick to them and make sure your convictions are strong as your knowledge and intentions will be questioned on daily basis. Prepare to be one of the most hated types on HHO:D
What makes a livery yard better for those who have their horses there?
What services do you wish your yard had? What services does it have that you like?

Any other bits of advice or info! Just some guide questions up there! Any pieces of advice/info no matter how big or small greatly appreciated!!
Click to expand...

Hope that helps a bit;)
 
Well as someone who has 4 horses on livery, I can tell you whats important to me.

Most important, a YO who doesn't interfere or dictate how I take care of my horses or attempts to take over ie somewhere I can enjoy my horses.

Good quality haylage and straw

A good well drained school with a set of jumps

A well managed yard, ie fences fixed.

Good lighting

Decent sized stables, not ones the pony can barely turn in and ends up depressed!

Decent turnout fields, there is no excuse for fields that are total bogs in the winter, they are either over loaded with horses, poorly maintained in the summer, or badly managed due to getting the extra few quid. All fields get boggy around the gate, but the whole lot shouldn't be like that.

Bare paddocks for horses that need dieting or are lamanitic

Wash facilites - for both horse and human

lockable tack area

A toilet - obvious but u'd be surprised at how many times I've had to pee behind a bush lol

Probably loads of other things, the yard I'm at is new, only opened in Novemeber, they are learning as they go and adapt as they fill up and introduce new facilites.

It takes a hell of a lot of money to provide the above, so unless you're filthy rich then you'd probably have to start smaller, so only look at the basics.

I'd love to do it myself, and could on a small scale but to be honest there is so little money in it, you have to do it for the love of horses and if you enjoy the company if you've horses of your own - can cover cost of own horses and many do it for this reason x
 
As a yard owner you should be aware of some of the pitfalls, people that dont pay, owners that never look at their horse from one week to the next, owners that turn up at 10pm or 6am wanting to ride with no consideration for the horse's routine, and people that stare at you in disbelief when you tell them how much you charge!

May sound negative but you need to know the downsides before you venture into the livery yard business. Try not to have friends as livery owners - recipe for disaster as they can assume you will do everything for nothing!

Be clear about what you are offering as a service and what type of client you want to attract e.g., bargain basement DIY or premium full livery. Your set up costs and facilities will depend on the market you are seeking to attract. You have probably done this already but check out the competition and what they offer. Think about staffing - are you going to do this all on your own? You may need help at the very least for a well earned break or day off or when you are sick.

Agree with previous comment that actually all you need is insurance, but it isnt cheap and the cost depends on what services you are offering to the clients.

Good luck whether you decide to go for it or not!
 
A sense of humour!!!!!!!!!!!!
Be prepared to witness things you can't imagine!
Sleepless nights worrying about them all.
Be prepared to evict unruly liveries...it is not nice but does need to be done from time to time.
Lots of hard work
BUT I have my horses at home and can speak to them all day.
 
i see you have already had a lot of good answers but i think its essential that you have a contract written up for you can have copies for the horse owners or those loaning a horse sighn it.
 
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