livery yards?

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SarahRicoh

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My dream is to own a livery yard(just a dream at the mo)...
Most people say livery yards dont make money.. I can sort of see why but if the land is bought(not rented/mortgage) profit must be made?

im not saying theyre wrong as i have no idea but can anyone shed some light? Can you make a living from owning a livery yard?

Thanks in advance :)
 
Hi this is something i have been looking into also as the kids are getting more and more into showing and i pay livery for 3 ponies and in a year or two will need a 4th so thinking of uping sticks and buying yard/land :) have done some figgers and talked to estate agents and i think it can be done but only if hubby has a outside of yard job :D
 
If you take into account the cost of buying enough land, roughly 2 acres per horse, at £10,000 per acre, then building the stables, arena and other facilities or buying a ready made set up, probably £500,000 - £1 million, it will take a long while to see any return on the capital investment.

Even if you do not count the above there are always things needing doing, improving facilities or doing fencing, paddock management, muck removal, insurance, staff etc most people are looking for the best deal and very few yards can charge a rate that really reflects the costs involved. 10 boxes on a DIY yard will only bring in £250 per week on average, not much of an income to live on. Full livery will offer more profit but again more outgoings to cover and better facilities required.
 
All I can say is DO NOT DO IT, if you can afford to buy your own land for your own horses, but do not take on liveries. They destroy your land and your life. We have had some fantastic liveries, people who have become fantastic friends. but god there are some absolute nutters out there who have no idea how to look after their horses, who are revolting to other liveries and the yard owners, people who do damage and then deny it, people who hate the fact you own the place and think rules do not apply to them. You end up as a yard owner spending hours repairing stuff, acting as a referee between bitchy arguments, and no matter how good the yard is you will always find someone who wants to complain. We have now decided to stop doing livery, yes it brings money in, but the money it brings in really does not compensate for the loss of privacy, and the hassle it causes and don;t forget the time you spend sorting out the liveries means you have less time to spend with your own horses.
 
Hi!

I think yes, a yard can make a profit, but don't expect to get rich from it! But if you OH has a good job and you can live on his, then you can earn your own horses keep plus some pocket money from having a livery yard.

I run a 10 stable livery yard whilst at uni. It was a brand new yard which had considerable investment behind it. If I were to pretend that the profit we were making did not have to cover the investment and just had to cover the costs and my wage then yes, we made money (but no, we did not make enough to make a dent in the actual investment!).

We offered DIY, assisted DIY, part time, full livery and schooling livery. I also bought and sold horses. Once up and running the yard made a profit of more or less £1,000 / per month. Not great, but if you're not having to repay back the investment, then it is OK and it will save you on keeping yours. PM me if you want more details.

Good luck!

:-)
 
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