Paying for Full Livery if your horse isn't there

[wiglet]

At my yard (full livery (everything but riding, some would call it part?)) if your horse is away for a period of time (stay away show, vet etc), there is no discount in livery. I fully get this, staff still need to be paid etc. However, my friend is at a similar full livery yard and if she's away, there is a small discount because she's not using the facilities and her horse is not having hay, feed or bedding.

So, what is everyones thoughts on this? What does your yard do? Would be interested to know what is considered fair.

 

[Ample Prosecco]

All yards do it differently. My yard seprates all costs out: the stable fee, fodder, bedding and livery (ie the jobs). So empty stables are just costed at £35 a week - much less than the full livery fee. But she also offers DIY so I can see why she does it that way.

A 'full livery only' yard is more likely not to drop the price because their staff costs don't reduce just becasue a stable is empty but even then some will knock off money for hay and bedding.

 

[sport horse]

Usually if you are going away to a stay away show you take the horse's feed and maybe bedding with them so no discount. Staff still have to be paid, stable is retained for your use so unless for a prolonged period I would not expect a discount. If it is for a long period you should discus with YO?

 

[holeymoley]

I’m at a mixed yard and there’s a holding fee for stables if you still want to keep it.

 

[stormox]

I have been at livery yards and if I take my horse home for a night or 2 just carry on paying usual.fee...

 

[The Jokers Girl]

All yards are different, and would like to hope yard owners would specify their policy when you accept a stable.
Yard I have just left charged same price all year round whether they were in, or out 24 hours over summer (and despite no discount you were either in or out in summer) and gave no discount if you bought your own bedding or used their straw. So if you were on shavings over winter and had your horse out 24 hours in summer it was quite expensive for what you got but made clear when you accepted stable.
Yard I am at now gives discount if not on straw.
I think either policy is fair as staff will need paying all year round but it should be clear when you accept stable

 

[ihatework]

I wouldn’t expect a discount but would be appreciative of a small discount if horse was away for a significant amount of time.

To be honest when I was on full, and was away training or at a show, the livery owner would just send me off with haylage, bedding and feed for the duration.

 

[Leandy]

I don't expect a reduction for a day or two and, in any event, in those circumstances I usually need the yard to supply feed to take with me anyway. For longer term eg on an occasion where I sent my horse for a month's holiday at grass, I have negotiated a discount to take into account the feed and bedding we didn't use. I wouldn't expect more than that though if they are otherwise keeping the stable and place for me because all other overheads still need to be paid whether I'm using the facilities or not.

 

[CanteringCarrot]

No discounts at the full livery yard where I am. Although I think if the horse had to be away for a month or so they might offer a reduced rate. They're fairly flexible and easy to talk to. At my previous yard, I sold a horse and was in the process of looking for another. YO gave me 1/3 off of that months livery. Which was fair as the stall was in a highly desired stable, but I wasn't using any hay or bedding.

Usually when I go off for a day or two I take hay from the yard and sometimes bedding. So I don't expect a discount at all.

I think I did hear of a yard somewhere in the area that had a reduced rate May - October since the horses were out 24/7 during that time.

 

[Flicker]

I wouldn‘t expect a discount if I was off the yard - I can only imagine the accounting nightmares trying to work out discounts would cause on a yard the size of mine.
We did, however, have conversations with the YM about a discount over one particularly skanky batch of haylage that was causing a lot of runny bums. 90% of us ended up buying our own hay. We didn’t get discounts but got free use of school and lights, which I guess was easier to put through the books.

 

[AUB]

There wouldn’t be a discount at my yard. If I went away for a show I’d take hay ad hard feed with me, so no discount there. It would only be a couple of days with one less stable to muck and one less horse to turn out and bring in.

 

[chaps89]

I don't expect a reduction for a day or two and, in any event, in those circumstances I usually need the yard to supply feed to take with me anyway. For longer term eg on an occasion where I sent my horse for a month's holiday at grass, I have negotiated a discount to take into account the feed and bedding we didn't use. I wouldn't expect more than that though if they are otherwise keeping the stable and place for me because all other overheads still need to be paid whether I'm using the facilities or not.

This as a general rule.

Share horses yard allow you to pay 50% of the normal part/full livery fee to hold the stable for a maximum of 3 months, after which you get charged full rate regardless if horse is in there or not. That seems pretty fair to me.

 

[SO1]

No I would not expect a discount if my pony was away at vets or a stay away show. They still have to pay the staff and most staff are paid a set amount per horse they look after.

Maybe if you are going to be away for a month or longer a discount for not using hay/bedding. They can't rent your stable out to someone else and unlikely they can reduce staffing cost with just one less horse to do.

 

[Gingerwitch]

If you booked a full board holiday and eat out every day and swam in the sea would you expect a discount ?

 

[Michen]

I’ve moved my horses for an indefinite period of time (moved in with some friends and we took all our horses and dogs with us). I do not expect any discount on my livery, albiet DIY, for the fact they aren’t using any forage and bedding. Wouldn’t have even occurred to me tbh!

 

[iknowmyvalue]

Wouldn’t expect a discount for a short period (show/camp/short stay at vets). For a longer absence I’d imagine some discount could be negotiated. When I lost my last horse unexpectedly and was horseless for about 5-6months we just paid a retainer fee on the stable (about £35 a week if I remember rightly), same when I moved my boy up with me and before my sister found a pony to loan.

 

[Pedantic]

When I was on full livery, I used too take my Po on holiday with me for the week each year, I never expected a reduction or even thought about it, so it was a nice surprise when I got my bill that some money was knocked off

 

[Honey08]

Do you get a reduction on your house rent/mortgage while you’re away at these shows etc? Would you mind if the yard popped another horse in your stable for the time you’re away with your horse?

 

[greenbean10]

My yard requires a month notice so I’d have to be handing in my notice every month over the summer for each away show if I was to get a discount!

 

[Winters100]

I have the same type of livery, full care but not riding. I have never asked for a discount, the only thing that I did ask for when we were 3 weeks in the horse hospital was that they took the opportunity to remove all bedding and give the box a really through scrubbing. At a previous yard they offered a small discount when I took the horses for and extended trip of 2 months, basically the cost of food and bedding. Personally I think it would be too much to expect that a yard adjusted bills every time a client went away for a few days.

 

[Bernster]

I’ve always been on that kind of full livery and it’s not standard to discount. Always charge in full. Longest I’ve been away was a weeks holiday. Rest were weekends. I take their food and hay with me and their overheads are the same although yes they don’t do the daily care on those days.

 

[wiglet]

I have the same type of livery, full care but not riding. I have never asked for a discount, the only thing that I did ask for when we were 3 weeks in the horse hospital was that they took the opportunity to remove all bedding and give the box a really through scrubbing.

HaHa!! When I took my horse away to the seaside last year (Mon-Fri) I returned to a freshly painted stable and all the mats had been lifted and cleaned.
Just to clarify, I've never asked for or expected any discount - if I do go away for a few days I can and do take feed and haylage with me - I just wondered what everyone got or expected.