moving from Full livery to DIY...

misskk88

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Who has ever made the move from Full to DIY? How did you find the transition, and did you prefer having the money, or the time?!

Been on full livery for years and years. Potentially found a livery yard for when horse returns from loan on the way to and from work, but it is DIY only. There are 7 other people who have horses there, and I know one of the girls through mutual friends. She said most people will all chip in and help each other out, which suits me fine as I sometimes work away and I am more than willing to pay someone back by helping them out when they are away.

For those on DIY, how do you manage your time and trips to the yard daily? How much do you end up spending on hay/feed/bedding on top of your DIY price?

The only issue I have is that horse is not due back until late October, and I really want this box! Is it reasonable to ask for it to be reserved if I offer a deposit, monthly livery cost upfront or pay a fee to reserve it?
 

LadyRascasse

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If I were a yard owner and someone wanted the space kept for them I would expect them to pay for it even if it was slightly less as you aren't using the grazing and facilities. I think its unreasonable to ask a yard owner to hold a box for nearly 2 months without paying for it. Personally I have agood friend on my yard and we help each other out when we need it either give each other a lift or one does all the horses. We are both very fair to each other and it works well you just have to be careful that someone doesn't end up taking the mick and if you are going to need more help offer to pay. Feed/hay and bedding entirely depend on the horse and how you keep it. For me I usually use 2 bales of bedding a week (@6.99) and feed is about £10 a week in winter and hay(lage) I use big bales so costs me about £6 a week, small bales its about £12 a week
 

trendybraincell

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I've always put deposits on stables as moving never fits in easily with the rest of life :) Most have happily accepted a reduced amount to secure the stable and then taken that off of the first months bill.

I can't comment on the time vs money as I've only ever been DIY but there are many little tips to saving time. Making up hay nets & feeds, filling buckets of water by the door to top up quickly, or putting things in places which mean you're not walking back and forth across the yard.

At my current yard theres a girl who offers assisted at a reasonable cost other wise I'm very luck to have a helpful partner who will do the basics, bringing in, mucking out etc. Before this I've always found that people are willing to muck in and help each other on DIY yards.

As for the extra cost on top of the basic DIY price, I pay a touch under £120 a month, currently in during the day so hay is £35 a month. I use wood pellets which I buy in bulk to save on cost, I think they work out about £10-£20 a month for a clean gelding.
 

Char0901

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I've just moved my youngster to a yard where I am on DIY. For the past year since he was born he was at my friends yard and was basically full livery because he was at her house.
I'm loving where I am so far. Theres a livery couple in the barn my lad is in and if you leave haynet and morning feed outside your stable they will go round and feed everyone just because they're there anyway.
I pay £40 a week and that includes use of all arenas etc and as much hay/hayledge as you want.
Shavings are £6 and I'm managing to use maybe two a week at the minute.
My feed is £15 a bag and because mine is only a youngster I can see that bag lasting a month or so.
I love going up to do him twice a day and the yard is literally a 5 minute drive from my house so its quite easy for me to be there whenever I like.

Regarding the stable. When I found the yard and asked yard owner for a stable he didn't ask for a deposit or anything but then again there were 3/4 empty stables anyway. Had there only have been one I'd have wanted to pay a deposit regardless of of YO wanted one.
Give them a call, explain the situation and they'll tell you want they want.

ETA you can have full livery for an extra £5 a day if you need.
 
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JennBags

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Yes I'd be expecting to be paying a retainer on the box too.

I moved from full to DIY several years ago - I love being DIY. I go to the yard twice a day usually; and you just fit it in around your other commitments - we have services offered by the yard, so if we need help it's there. When I've been injured and had to be on box-rest, the horses effectively went back on full livery but I was still buying the feed and bedding.

As to how much you end up spending on feed & bedding, that all depends on how much you feed, what bedding you're on, and how dirty your horse is. I spend probably £45/month on feed; between £20 and £80/month on hay (obvs less in summer, more in winter) and about £12/week on bedding as I put in 2 bales, my horse is quite dirty. In the middle of winter when he's hardly out, I am probably putting 3 bales a week in.

I keep my accounts on my accounting software, and have just looked to see how much he has cost me over the last 12 months - it has averaged out at £666/month! However he was on "full" livery for 3 months following my back surgery, and this includes lessons, vets fees, insurance, clothing and competition entries. Livery costs only (including feed, bedding, supplements, and shoeing) were £470/month - I'm actually quite shocked as I would have said my horse costs me approx £300/month.
 

JulesRules

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After moving yards recently I did a bit of a spreadsheet comparing costs.

I looked at a number of yards mostly DIY and part livery. They were all coming in between about £250 to £325 per month averaged out over the year and I included the costs of all bedding, hay, feeds, extra turn outs/ bring in's muck outs etc.

I did look at one full livery, but as I've always been DIY/assisted DIY I didn't think I would know what to do with myself.

At my old yard horses stayed out 24/7 in summer so I just visited once a day. In winter I worked with a friend to share the early morning duty so did a combination of going once or twice a day.

At the new yard turn out and bring in is included so I go once or twice a day as I choose depending what else is going on in my life. It's nice not to have to worry about getting down at a particular time, plus new yard is much closer to home and making my life easier.
 

misskk88

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If I were a yard owner and someone wanted the space kept for them I would expect them to pay for it even if it was slightly less as you aren't using the grazing and facilities. I think its unreasonable to ask a yard owner to hold a box for nearly 2 months without paying for it.

I am quite willing to pay a deposit, or pay to reserve the box for a while, I wasn't expecting a freebie! Definitely not one of those types of people! :)

Thanks for the advice everyone. Gives me a rough idea of what to expect, but I guess I won't know until horse is actually there how things will fit together!

Horse isn't on much hard feed at the minute in loan home, but can see that increasing slightly with winter coming. She has a balancer, a bit of quick bit, some added vits/minerals and handful of chaff twice a day, and she still is rather round! Will probably keep a deep bed and on shavings or wood pellets. I guess loan home can give me an estimate as they pay for their own feed, hay and bedding where they are.

Turn out is up to owner, so in winter will try and have her out for as long as possible (weather dependant!) and in at night, in summer potentially she will live out most the time. I believe I can do as I wish with turn out space (probably split it so I can rest one side at a time), and may get a moveable field shelter if there is not already one.

Jennbaggs- sorry to hear of your surgery and time off- I just hope my DIY bill is not that big, as my old full livery bill use to work out at just over £400 per month!!

Julesrules- I have done the same for yards in the area. I have a list of their weekly/monthly cost, what is included and what would be additional on top of it as all the yards are different. Amazed how some seem so cheap, but work out expensive! Just I am at a loss for DIY as I have been spoilt with having everything included previously!

So much to consider and I am probably preparing far too much in advance, but I am getting very excited for her return, and want to be realistic about what to expect!
 

paddi22

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i tried diy for a while and found it a lot more stressful and expensive. My work never has a routine time so I really struggled to manage during the winter. If I got stuck late in work I found it really difficult to get everything done with the horse. When I added up costs and diesel for 2 trips a day, there was no difference between that and full livery. I do grass livery now and love it as there's no pressure on me. If I run late at work i can just check them and throw a bucket of feed into them and go home.
 

MerrySherryRider

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Try and sort out an arrangement for help when you can't be there. People often say, 'oh, we help each other' but that doesn't always mean what you think it means. My current yard surprised me when I found that all day winter turnout was actually everyone bringing their mares in at 1-2pm and the geldings field had horses out until 4pm.
With psycho gelding and chums guarding the gate, it meant a battle to get my gelding out of the field around the same time as my mare in the adjoining field.
Find out what time the horses go out in the mornings. If the owners turn out at 9am or 6am, and you can't be there at that time, you may have a stressed horse waiting alone.
On full livery, these things aren't an issue.
 

misskk88

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Thanks Paddi22. Luckily this yard is on the way to and from work, and just 2 miles from house- I can easily bike there in summer or on the weekends when I have plenty of time- so petrol costs should not be an issue. It is amazing however how much cost petrol adds to your monthly bill if your yard is a few miles or more away!

MerrySherryRider, I will be sure to check the routines and how exactly everyone helps each other out. Turn out is individual so no battling with other horses, and luckily horse is laid back, so can't imagine her stressing- but all points worth considering for DIY. I am hoping to go see the yard and owner in the next week or so, and will speak with other liveries, so fingers crossed!
 
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