OK Very depressed......need new yard...need HELP! Need faith restoring in people....

[TopTotty]

This is how it is.....I run a livery yard which is now not paying for itself and we are having to put put extra money to to cover costs. So this week I have had to put all livery charges in line (which will bring in another £100 per month) to cover haylage rises which has worked out ok as no ones has increased much and they have not had a rise for 4 years.
There is one person who bought a pony from me last year and asked to keep it on livery with me so I gave her a discount in her livery at the time. However this has gone on for over a year and now I have no option but to increase it. (She pays part livery but comes once a week with her daughter to ride). There are other issues as this person has offered to help purchase a new property for us to run a livery yard from as the landlord here is a nightmare and we desperately need to move, but has been putting her house on the market since Feb this year........so this is why I have left the livery at the price it has been. Anyway I have explained things to her and she know's things are tight, so last night she rings me to tell me the increase in fine and she has been expecting it for a while but they are going to move the pony to a yard where there are more children for her daughter to play with.
This now leaves me another £370 per month down on a yard that is not paying for itself.
I cried myself to sleep last night as I am so fed up with people.....I worried myself silly about the increase in livery and have let her off over £2000 in the last year and this is the thanks I get....she also wants to still find a place together!!!!!
I'm just having one of those 'Why do I bother days'! Not sure what we are going to do so if anyone out there knows of any yards to rent in the lancs area PLEASE can you let me know.

 

[ossy]

Is she going to pay for a notice period? eg a month? If so just get your new vancany advertised at the new price and you should get someone in. is £370 the new price, if it is it is still a fair price I pay £390 plus extra shavings a month just a bit further south in cheshire and our yard has a waiting list. If you have no agreement about a notice period make sure this is something you get drawn into a contract with your new livery so help not be in this situatin next time.

Keep friendly with this family and keep in touch, even texts checking how the child is getting on ect and if the family is keen on this new place, for you to manage they will come back to you about it, if they don't then they were probaly never serious in the first place.

You have doene the right thing business wise looking at your income and outgoings and you just need to keep on top on things, look at other ways to bring money in, now its winter do you offer an additional clipping servic you can bring ina bit of extra money, and other things like that.

TBH there are many articles and posts about how this winter is giong to be so hard for horse owners with increasing food prices ect... as liveries we are expecting it!!

 

[TopTotty]

Thank you that does make me feel slightly better!! First smile this morning!!

 

[Paddydou]

I know it is going to sound very harsh but what on earth are you doing suplimenting other peoples horses?

You are running a business not a play park... in fact most parks make more than you are!

You are absolutly correct to increase the charges to enable you to make a profit that is what you are doing this for after all!

Stop beeting yourself up. Start looking at your out going sfor the business as you have done and don't put yourself into a difficult financial situation to help others out. Ultimatly they will not thank you for it!

Don't worry about the lady who brought the pony, advertise the space and do your job! At least you will start getting full whck for the livery space now! Sounds as if she just wants her daughter to have some younger company which is NO reflection on your or the way you run things as she is still willing to help you find a new yard!

Cheer up chook and stop worrying about things that really are not a worry!

 

[Archangel]

Bucket loads of sympathy from me.
I recently learned a similar hard lesson too.
I gave myself a good shaking and decided that in future I will do what is right for me and not bend over backwards to help other people at a financial or personal cost to myself.

Being a livery yard owner must be a thankless task sometimes. Prices are rising so quickly you have no choice but to pass it on to the owner.

I hope you find a really nice livery to replace the lady who is leaving or even better a fab new yard.

 

[miss_bird]

Cheer up hun.
There will be a new livery out there who might just be the best person in the world.
I really believe in life everything happens for a reason.

 

[Chavhorse]

You have done exactly the right thing.

As Ossy says keep friendly with the guys who are leaving and if they were serious about the new yard they will come through if not it was all talk.

I think most owners are realistic enough to accept that if the prices of hay, straw and bedding goes up then so will the livery price, as an owner who has the biggest horse on the yard who eats much more than all the others I have said to my YM from the start that they need to make money out of this and if he is working out much more expensive than the others then charge me.

Now cheer up and get that box advertised.

 

[Hanno Verian]

Don't beat yourself up....but move on and learn from it, as Oscar Wilde said "Experience is the name we give to our mistakes", experience is never wasted as long as you learn from it and don't repeat the same mistake.

Firstly the yard is your bread and butter, the means to a roof over your head, and hopefully quality of life too, but you must be dispassionate about the economics of it. Take a step back..put everything on paper all your outgoings, not forgetting the cost for you to pay yourself to live..all your income, simply they need to balance! I find it easier to see it on paper then on a PC screen, but thats me.

There were some great ideas such as clipping, how about teaching? Can you rent your arena out etc, look at the facilities being offered by other yards in the area, price yours competatively in line with them, you may find that you're doing yourself down financially, be unashamed about stealing other peoples ideas for your own yard, get the word out via tack shops, venues, horsey noticeboards, farriers etc.

Whatever you do, do not take it personally if people move on...they may well recommend you to new clients if they've been happy there. Having said that, you can't please all the people all the time...and some people always try to take advantage and liberties, but thats the way they are!

Find someone who's judgement you trust and is discrete and talk through the economics of the yard if it helps you.

But don't lose heart!

 

[TopTotty]

Thanks so much guys......off to get out pen and paper....

 

[hudsonw]

Ouch, they always say there is no such thing as friends in business. Advertise for a new livery. Coming in to winter there will be plenty of people out there looking for a stable.