Price of Grazing

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dorsetladette

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I'm thinking of getting a grass livery or 2 (preferably one person with 2 ponies) to graze with my 2 in order for me to be able to hack out more without leaving one on its own.

I've got 5 acres split into 3 with natural shelter and a field shelter in the winter paddock. Good hacking. Parking for a trailer/lorry. Storage. Water. On a bus route. 7 miles from nearest town. Well draining soil. Happy to exercise/ride in a resting paddock. Yard area for grooming farrier vet etc.
Hay would have to be split as I feed hay in the field in winter. I generally buy bulk at the beginning of autumn or off the field if I can.

We're in Dorset

So what would people pay for what I have? I'm struggling to find a grass livery price for somewhere with no school.
 
I pay £200 for three horses with use of about 6.5 acres for mine, not sharing with others, no arena, and we're on the expensive Herts/Essex border.
 
Surrey/Bucks
Yard 1 - 7 acres for 3 or 4 horses, 1 field shelter, tie up point and storage, the most amazing hacking. DIY £100 pcm including winter hay in the field (we took it in turns to put it out each day)
Yard 2 - 5 acres for 5 horses, split between winter and summer field. No need shelter but good hedges. School but not really useable and mediocre hacking, good amount of storage. DIY £115, hay ontop, currently about £100 as too many horses on a small field
Yard 3 - £220 pcm, not sure on field sizes but a good size for medium sized (between 7 and 10) horses. Field shelters. Good school and ok hacking, not much storage. DIY, hay on top.
Yard 4 - £180 grass livery, no field shelter, some natural shelter. Reasonable school and good hacking, ok storage but in a barn with a pigeon problem. DIY, hay on top

Yard 1 and 4 are only a few miles apart, yards 2 and 3 again also only a few miles apart but in a different location.
I'd probably expect to pay £150ish, I'd pay more for the right grazing (not too fertilized, well maintained, poo picked etc) especially if there was good hacking.
So the price you suggest seems reasonable - you know your land and how much you hay so just check £20 a month (or really I suppose £40 a month for the 6 months you might need to actually hay) is enough - seems cheap to me.
 
chaps89 said:
Surrey/Bucks
Yard 1 - 7 acres for 3 or 4 horses, 1 field shelter, tie up point and storage, the most amazing hacking. DIY £100 pcm including winter hay in the field (we took it in turns to put it out each day)
Yard 2 - 5 acres for 5 horses, split between winter and summer field. No need shelter but good hedges. School but not really useable and mediocre hacking, good amount of storage. DIY £115, hay ontop, currently about £100 as too many horses on a small field
Yard 3 - £220 pcm, not sure on field sizes but a good size for medium sized (between 7 and 10) horses. Field shelters. Good school and ok hacking, not much storage. DIY, hay on top.
Yard 4 - £180 grass livery, no field shelter, some natural shelter. Reasonable school and good hacking, ok storage but in a barn with a pigeon problem. DIY, hay on top

Yard 1 and 4 are only a few miles apart, yards 2 and 3 again also only a few miles apart but in a different location.
I'd probably expect to pay £150ish, I'd pay more for the right grazing (not too fertilized, well maintained, poo picked etc) especially if there was good hacking.
So the price you suggest seems reasonable - you know your land and how much you hay so just check £20 a month (or really I suppose £40 a month for the 6 months you might need to actually hay) is enough - seems cheap to me.
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Can I ask - did the above prices include. Poo picking or were you expected to do your fair share? I'm not super hot on it but I don't want to be poo picking for 4 everyday.
 
For ponies possibly £20/pony/week DIY. Then add on the hay as required.
If the ground is decent then that should be popular, will kind of depend what is available in your area though
 
I've had an advert on the local FB group for about a week. Had a lot of interest, but I'm worried i might forget to ask something really important and then be stuck having a difficult conversation once ponies are moved on.

So, what questions do I need to ask. Potential person is a lady with 2 ponies.
 
dorsetladette said:
I've had an advert on the local FB group for about a week. Had a lot of interest, but I'm worried i might forget to ask something really important and then be stuck having a difficult conversation once ponies are moved on.

So, what questions do I need to ask. Potential person is a lady with 2 ponies.
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You need to clarify who does what so poo picking, feeding etc. You don’t want her turning up with buckets for hers and feeding them in the field. Who pays for damage to fences etc? It goes without saying they should be up to date on worming/vaccinations. Notice period is important too. Whatever you do, get a livery agreement in place.
 
I have a grass livery she pays £45.00 a week but I look after the pony for her including she has her own summer & winter fields I poo pick everyday she also has hay included and staying in over night if weather is very bad in winter . She has use of tack room and school . I think it's a good deal but the owner hardly comes up so no bother to me.
 
So this is what I've got so far

Vacc's up to date
are they shod
poo picking rota
Feeding separately (they'll be in a paddock separately until I'm happy owner is normal and horses aren't likely to kill each other).
Hay - who pays what and when
Riding in field - when its dry enough.
No ponies being left on own. (don't mind in 2 separate paddocks, but if I'm out hacking and she turns up I don't want her taking both hers out and leaving mine on its own) this is the main reason for getting a livery in the first place. Communication is key here I suppose.
Using things and putting them back.
Fencing/field maintenance - if its broke fix it.

We have discussed a rota as she works a few odd/long shifts - would you ask extra for jobs or just do it on a favour for a favour type basis?

is there anything else I need to think of. My mind has gone blank.

I'm going to have a look at some livery agreements tonight and see what I think fits best.
 
Should you add insurance to your list? Both vetinary and third party. Also would you want to worm or worm count together?
 
pastit said:
Should you add insurance to your list? Both vetinary and third party. Also would you want to worm or worm count together?
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I'm not sure I can stipulate they have insurance can I? I'm sure a contract will state that pony is kept at own risk - i would hope.

Worming good call - yes i will definitely want to synchronise worming.
 
dorsetladette said:
Can I ask - did the above prices include. Poo picking or were you expected to do your fair share? I'm not super hot on it but I don't want to be poo picking for 4 everyday.
Click to expand...
Sorry, I totally missed this originally.
All the yards I mentioned are DIY.

1 yard we poo picked but it was just me and YO (and very occasionally 1 other livery) it worked initially but then she stopped doing hers and 3 horses living out 24/7 was just impossible for me to keep on top of in the middle of winter.
The other yards don't poo pick, some of them have big enough fields to get away with it, 1 of them doesn't imho.

2 of the yards do big bale hay so very easy for the liveries, the others put fresh hay out daily which was better for the horses and much less wastage and it was either the yard do it as part of the livery package or we had a Rota amongst ourselves to share it.

Think about access times, are they ok to come at 6am or 8pm for example.
Can you provide storage, is there somewhere safe to tie up and feed, any rules on using the tap/hosepipe, how do you want to do haying, are there options for restricted grazing in summer if needed. How about who cleans the water trough, pulls ragwort etc.
How do you want to do introductions, put the new horses all in at once or gradually introduce over the fence.
Worm counting/working together is a good shout.

Regarding jobs, what is best for you? If she regularly needs help you may end up doing more than you get back in return, in which case her paying you is probably a better bet.
Personally unless I can do equal swaps (ie, i do morning checks every day and they do evening checks every day) I prefer to pay for assistance else I feel guilty/uncomfortable asking.
 
Hobo2 said:
Would it be easier to get a companion pony your self? If you get the wrong livery it could be a nightmare to get them to leave.
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I think 3 is the magic number for herd size. Unfortunately other half is having non of it. Financially I would be stretching myself too. I quite like the idea of some company now as I've done 12 months on my own and I'm starting to talk a little bit to much to the animals I think. even the chickens all have names!
 
chaps89 said:
Sorry, I totally missed this originally.
All the yards I mentioned are DIY.

1 yard we poo picked but it was just me and YO (and very occasionally 1 other livery) it worked initially but then she stopped doing hers and 3 horses living out 24/7 was just impossible for me to keep on top of in the middle of winter.
The other yards don't poo pick, some of them have big enough fields to get away with it, 1 of them doesn't imho.

2 of the yards do big bale hay so very easy for the liveries, the others put fresh hay out daily which was better for the horses and much less wastage and it was either the yard do it as part of the livery package or we had a Rota amongst ourselves to share it.

Think about access times, are they ok to come at 6am or 8pm for example.
Can you provide storage, is there somewhere safe to tie up and feed, any rules on using the tap/hosepipe, how do you want to do haying, are there options for restricted grazing in summer if needed. How about who cleans the water trough, pulls ragwort etc.
How do you want to do introductions, put the new horses all in at once or gradually introduce over the fence.
Worm counting/working together is a good shout.

Regarding jobs, what is best for you? If she regularly needs help you may end up doing more than you get back in return, in which case her paying you is probably a better bet.
Personally unless I can do equal swaps (ie, i do morning checks every day and they do evening checks every day) I prefer to pay for assistance else I feel guilty/uncomfortable asking.
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Thank you for replying.

Lots to think about - thank you.
 
dorsetladette said:
I'm not sure I can stipulate they have insurance can I? I'm sure a contract will state that pony is kept at own risk - i would hope.

Worming good call - yes i will definitely want to synchronise worming.
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I prefer my liveries to be fully insured for vets bills, they definitely need 3rd party, if I find one down with colic I know I can call the vet if the owner is working or doesn't have signal and have it in a contract that in an emergency the vet will be called and if required a horse can be treated/ pts without waiting for an owner to arrive pts has never happened but there have been a few emergencies when the owner was not able to be got hold of, obviously I would try to contact the owner but having the knowledge that vets bills are not an issue makes for a more relaxed YO.
 
I'm in Shropshire and my friend and I pay £65 pcm for each horse and £20 pcm for the Mini Shitland. That's on approx 4.5 acres with a large field shelter and self filling water troughs. Also a large shed for storage.
Landlord moves the electric fencing about for us and harrows the field in spring etc.
Hay is bought from them but delivered to the door of shed (giant bales).
We pay for repairs for damage that the horses cause, are responsible for poo picking, charging fence battery etc.
 
I am that lady with 2 ponies but I often take them both out together, so you may not automatically get your wish of having a companion for the horse you leave behind.
 
Tarragon said:
I am that lady with 2 ponies but I often take them both out together, so you may not automatically get your wish of having a companion for the horse you leave behind.
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And I also do the same, but there are times that isn't possible.

I'm happy to be flexible as its my pony that has the issue (ie. arranging my hacks around them at the weekends), but many places have the 'no horse left on its own' policy don't they?
 
dorsetladette said:
And I also do the same, but there are times that isn't possible.

I'm happy to be flexible as its my pony that has the issue (ie. arranging my hacks around them at the weekends), but many places have the 'no horse left on its own' policy don't they?
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Not if theres only 3 ponies in total all living out, they dont
 
dorsetladette said:
There will be 4. My 2 and the livery 2. I've been on a couple of places with only small herd numbers that stipulate this. I thought it was pretty standard.
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Depends what if 3 people want to hack / compete on the same day? What happens then to the 4th horse? I have seen lots of yards where one horse cannot be left in field, but responsibility ends when you bring the second to last horse in and put it in it's stable.
 
So lady moved on yesterday, but with only 1 pony. Other has gone out on loan.

I sorted a contract out which a YO friend uses and recommended to me. We have decided we will give it until the end of march and then review how things are. (I've probably not worded that well). regarding jobs, her travelling, how the ponies are getting on etc.

Pony seems pretty calm and happy to be out of the mud, owner (who I know of from when our girls were competing when they were small) is very chatting which I'm hoping is a nervous thing and will calm down once she is settled.

One of my boys is not happy with newbie looking at his hay and showed her it was his by peeing on it, but apart from that (touch wood) everything has gone smoothly so far. So, fingers crossed we should be OK.
 
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