Price difference between DIY, part and assisted livery

[fankino04]

I was looking at alternative livery options recently and as current yard only does DIY it would mean moving and the costs quoted seem to be about £50 a week more. Does this seem right for having her fed, turned out and bed mucked out and set up for me bringing in in the evening. I've always done DIY and this seems like a big hike in price???

 

[AmyMay]

Seems like a bargain to me.

 

[The Fuzzy Furry]

Well, how much would you have to pay daily for a freelance groom to do same for you?
I think cost does come into it, but most yards near me would be similar, £5 or £6 to muck out and set fair, plus £3 or £4 to feed, poss rug change and turn out each time.
If the £50 is for more than 5 days, then it's quite fair, I think

 

[be positive]

It may seem like a lot but for less than £10 a day you are getting almost everything done and someone needs to be paid to do it as well as give a small profit if the YO is lucky, I do think you can end up paying more by having bits added on rather than getting a price for a set livery package, will you still be providing bedding and hay or is that all in?

 

[Sussexbythesea]

Sounds quite cheap although it would depend on what you are already paying,

It costs me £12 a day on top of my livery, feed, hay, bedding for someone to do my horse mon-fri.

 

[fankino04]

Thanks for the replies, there is someone local who advertises free lance services at £7 per half hour which would be enough time so even 7 days a week that's no more cost and means I wouldn't need to move her as we are both really settled where we are, also I only really need the extras Mon - Fri so would be cheaper to get someone in.

 

[Snitch]

£7 per half hour sounds like a bargain, but would it be a thorough job in 30 mins...

 

[fankino04]

She's a really clean mare on aubiose so 30 mins should be fine but it's only £10 for a full hour. She was suggested by another livery who has her walk her dogs at lunch time. I think I might see if she can come over 1 morning next week so I can see her turn my mare out and show her what I need etc and then see if she agrees 30 mins is ok.

 

[Theocat]

Probably a stupid question, but are the costs like-for-like? My old yard had a £50 difference between DIY and part, but part included forage, feed and bedding as well as seven days of mucking out, turn out and bring in...

 

[pepsimaxrock]

this just wouldn't be allowed on my yard and I can see the yo POV.
She provides a service for you and you'd rather undercut that and pay someone else so that you can stay on her nice yard?

 

[Louby]

I may be missing something here but if the freelance is £7 for 30 mins, every day and your YO charges £50 for the week, then you are only saving £1 getting someone else in? I have to agree with pepsimaxrock and say it wouldnt be allowed on the yard Im on either to get someone else in.

 

[Doormouse]

this just wouldn't be allowed on my yard and I can see the yo POV.
She provides a service for you and you'd rather undercut that and pay someone else so that you can stay on her nice yard?

I think from reading the op, it says that the current yard doesn't offer anything other than DIY and that they would like to stay on that yard ideally.

 

[honetpot]

If they are freelance and they are charging £7 a half hour they are not charging enough. They should have insurance and travel costs included in their costs.

 

[madamebonnie]

I suppose the risk is with a freelance is if they can't come..car breaks down/illness/child emergencies. Would you have a contingency plan in place? At least on a Part livery yard you know you are covered come rain or shine.

 

[Leo Walker]

I suspect you will find the £7 for half an hour doesnt apply for just one half hour segment. Otherwise how is it worth their time, after petrol, tax etc they would be getting pennies!

 

[little_critter]

I suspect you will find the £7 for half an hour doesnt apply for just one half hour segment. Otherwise how is it worth their time, after petrol, tax etc they would be getting pennies!

I was going to say - would they come out for just 30 mins a day? I would imagine they have a minimum booking.

 

[Micropony]

If it helps, at my yard the price difference between DIY and a package that includes the services you're looking for is just over £100 a week. However that also includes all hay/haylage, hard feed except supplements/balancer, either 2 bales of shavings or unlimited straw and putting on horse walker if preferred as alternative to turnout. So depending what's included in the price at this other yard you're looking at, it sounds like a total bargain, so much so it's almost too good to be true! By the time you've factored in the time for rug changes, picking out feet, boots on/off, making up feeds and haynets, turn out, catch in, muck out to a decent standard and quick check over of horse (if that's what you'd be paying for), half an hour may not be enough.

As others have said, using a freelancer would enable you to stay where you are and not have the disruption of a move, but the benefit of a yard that's set up for part/full livery is that you don't have to worry about staff sickness and holidays, although you do have to trade that off against a certain amount of loss of control, fitting in with the yard's routines and ways of doing things. It can work really well as long as the service the yard offers and the way they do things suits you and your horse. If it's not the right yard it could be a nightmare.

 

[sport horse]

I think the YO who is doing it for £50 pw is really cheap. If it is all done correctly that YO has all the costs of Employers Liability Insurance, NI payments, Pension contributions and holiday pay for the staff. They also have the responsibility to find cover for sickness and holidays etc. Good deal I would not do it for that price.

 

[ester]

While I don't think £50 differential is much if yards are like for like if you are happy on your current yard I would try it with the freelancer if they can fit you in (worth noting if things need to be done by a certain time etc).

I think we are paying £7 per horse (2 horses) for similar so that Mum gets a couple of mornings off. - so feed/turnout/muckout ready for evening.

 

[conniegirl]

On my current yard DIY is £20 a week, Part livery (5 day muck out, nets, water, 7 Day turn out and bring in, bedding and hay included) is £65, changing rugs is extra, exercising and grooming is extra

 

[Luci07]

I may be missing something here but if the freelance is £7 for 30 mins, every day and your YO charges £50 for the week, then you are only saving £1 getting someone else in? I have to agree with pepsimaxrock and say it wouldnt be allowed on the yard Im on either to get someone else in.

It's £50 extra, so on of existing livery costs.

 

[fankino04]

I've booked for her to come over on Thursday morning to see her handle my horse etc and I will check then that she has the relevant insurances etc and is happy that she can do everything in 30 mins. The friend who recommended her does my mare when I'm on hols and I do her boy when she goes away so as she is there every morning I will check that she could cover in the event of the unexpected. I think it's definitely worth a go to not have the stress of moving to an unknown yard with all the possible bitchiness that may go with it.

 

[ester]

Definitely , fingers crossed.

 

[Sussexbythesea]

I've booked for her to come over on Thursday morning to see her handle my horse etc and I will check then that she has the relevant insurances etc and is happy that she can do everything in 30 mins. The friend who recommended her does my mare when I'm on hols and I do her boy when she goes away so as she is there every morning I will check that she could cover in the event of the unexpected. I think it's definitely worth a go to not have the stress of moving to an unknown yard with all the possible bitchiness that may go with it.

Definitely worth a go that's what I do on my yard as there is no services at all. Luckily there are liveries on the yard that also do freelancing so I can pay for regular services and sometimes we just help each other out and that keeps costs down but it can actually cost me a bit more than 7 day part-livery at another yard but the location and what it provides is perfect for me. I couldn't afford an off-site free-lancer to come in though as I reckon around here would be a £20 minimum per day.