Opinions on making money out of a yard...

[JackDaniels1]

.. I want opinions please!

Do you think...

You can make money out of owning a yard?

I have been thinking about this. Say if you had quite a big yard and did it yourself ie, took say 20 full or even part liveries on, would you make any money? IF you made your own hay. Just had bedding and feed to buy in.... ?

 

[martlin]

Yes, you would, but having 20 full liveries and doing them yourself might actually kill you.

 

[maisieblu]

You want an opinion?.........NO

 

[paddi22]

its a mystery to me how the livery yard im on makes money. it seems like a huge amount of work for very little money.

 

[MrsHutt]

My YO says it is virtually impossible to make money!! I don't know about that!? She has about 50 horses on livery (about a dozen or so on full grass), gives private and group lessons 7 days a week, pays 2 full time and 2 part time girls minimum wage and has about 10 girls (and one boy!) helping voluntarily/exchange for rides. She doesn't do any of the mucking out etc herself, occasionally brings in/takes out herself, but actually doesn't do much 'donkey' work except for her own horses (she has a couple and breeds and breaks/schools on a small scale). They grow a lot of their own hay, but do buy in some.

Now, I don't know for sure, of course, but everyone says she has pots and pots of money!?!

I think your plan though, like the other poster said, may well kill you!!

 

[martlin]

It's the mortgage/rent, insurance, rates and wages that kill the business.
Plus, realistically, I can look after 7-8 including exercise on my own, anything more and I need a mucker outer/groom.
If you grow your own hay, it doesn't exactly come free, you know... there is fertiliser, fuel, baling twine and either machinery or contractors to consider...
as to grass liveries, they might seem like good little earner, but think about it - an acre of good grassland will cost (on average) around £6-7K, you can graze 1 horse on it realistically, how many years will it take to get your money back? not to mention that you need to maintain that acre
then the staff - if you pay peanuts you get monkeys to work for you, and what you save in wage packet you will overspend in bedding on a shoddily done job...