Questions for those who rent yards to themselves.

marmalade76

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After ten years I'm getting a bit sick of where I am and fancy a move to somewhere with more and/or better facilities. I basically just have grazing and storage ATM, which was fine when I wasn't doing much but as the children are now at school and I can get out a bit more I'd really like a stable again, some concrete, a hose....(nothing flash, I'm not greedy!) A bit closer to home would be good too (current drive takes at least 20 minuets).

BUT, I don't do livery yards, I wouldn't last five minuets so my only option (apart from staying where I am) is to find somewhere to rent to myself but I have no idea how much this is likely to cost and therefore have no idea if I'm able to afford it or not. So, before I make myself look an idiot by putting up a wanted ad for something I cannot afford, please tell me how much you pay and what you get for you money.

Many thanks :)
 
We're just inside M25 in Kent. Have 9 stables (5 ok in block with feed room; 2 adequate large but low doorways; 2 usable needing work but fine for storage). About 10-12 acres, perimeter fencing mainly okay but old barbed wire splitting fields, so we have elec fenced all of it. New school small, but with fab surface. Lots of storage, loads of parking room. Muck trailer provided and use of tractor for emptying. Also use of tractor & equip for harrowing, topping, rolling etc. (we provide diesel) Place is a bit of a "work in progress" with some tatty buildings and we've worked really hard smartening it up etc. Dug up tons & tons of ragwort last summer and spent quite a lot on timber, elec fencing etc.
However, it suits us, is 10 mins away & has fab off road hacking 1 mile down lane. We pay £700/month inc elec and water + school lights (which we bought and installed) are on a separate meter. Have been there 10 months and are betting they'll put rent up loads soon as it now looks so much better (thanks to our hard work!).
 
I'm sort of between yards at the moment but until last year I rented a private yard, I had 12 acres, 2 stables, small hay room, a little tack room, hardstanding and hose (!!) and mains electricity, all for £320 a month. The landlord limited me to 4 horses there (just as well, easy to get carried away).

Previously to that I shared a yard with a friend which is always a good option, it means you can share shifts and have cover if you need a break. That one was £40 per month per horse, it was all a bit makeshift and tumbledown and the landlord was as mad as a box of prawns but the hacking was lovely.

I've now got my 2 oldies at a livery yard, I'm like you...not hugely enjoying the experience, it's only because they are recovering from illness, and my 2 youngsters are elsewhere on grass livery (£30 a month each).

I see you're in Gloucestershire, we're vaguely in the same part of the country, I'm Somerset/Wilts border so I'm guessing the going rate for a private yard would be about the same, around £250 to £350 depending on facilities.
 
ZT have you got a formal lease for your yard. I don't believe a landlord can increase the rent because you have made improvements... Or if he tries tell him to sod off!!!
 
ZT have you got a formal lease for your yard. I don't believe a landlord can increase the rent because you have made improvements... Or if he tries tell him to sod off!!!

Will that not depend on the terms of the contract? Tell a landowner to sod off -- and you might find the tables reversed!:eek:
 
How many horses do you have?

I would test the market and put a wanted ad up in a local tack room or shop noticeboard or find a few local farmers to chat to. You would be surprised at how many people have a couple of empty stables and a few acres from when their children were into horses. More important than money is often a compatible person and seeing their place being enjoyed, its just a matter of ferreting them out and proving yourself suitable!

The lady across the road from me rents out 3 acres and a stable for £50 month. And they will feed/water etc if the weather is bad. They just love having a couple of horses to 'enjoy' without any of the responsibility!
 
We found the place we wanted then door knocked to find someone who put us in touch with the owner

It's just behind our house, three acres, nearly all fencing is reasonable and we have added and mended some, storage, hay store, brick built stable block with two looseboxes and a tack room, all watertight and dry. We pay £100 a month
We have made a lot of improvements ourselves and try to look after the place as if it was our own

No running water but we have a hose off an IBC tank which works well if the tank is quite full
 
I have 2.5 acres in an expensive (land wise!) region of Essex, very horsey part of the county, 5 minutes from a major competition centre. Two stables, one of which is massive (I keep both highlands in it ;) ) and has a concreted forecourt, two big sheds for tack and hay, mains water, solar electric lighting and all the standard benefits of renting off a farmer. Costs 200 pcm, which is expensive compared to a similar piece of land up north, but cheap compared to keeping my 3 on livery ;) If only it had a school - I would never want to leave!
 
Thanks for the replies :)

I currently have three, but if I could find a place with enough grazing and in the right location for both of us, I have a friend with four who would share.
 
I have 2.5 acres in an expensive (land wise!) region of Essex, very horsey part of the county, 5 minutes from a major competition centre. Two stables, one of which is massive (I keep both highlands in it ;) ) and has a concreted forecourt, two big sheds for tack and hay, mains water, solar electric lighting and all the standard benefits of renting off a farmer. Costs 200 pcm, which is expensive compared to a similar piece of land up north, but cheap compared to keeping my 3 on livery ;) If only it had a school - I would never want to leave!

Sounds like a good deal, I could run to that.
 
I rent out an acre and a half , the women has a horse and two ponies on it for £65 PCM. She does everything to it as its so far away from me I can't be bothered.

I now rent two stables and 3 acres from a farmer for £160 PCM inc water and elec. It has a schooling area and a few options to hire schools near by.

I just drove around and knocked on doors asking in my local area , I sometimes think those yards who advertise all the time appear to have a high turnover.
 
Many thanks for the replies, all sound quite positive from the affordability POV :)

I'm not really fussy, just a couple of stables, storage shed and somewhere mud free to tie up. OH is an ag contractor so has all the kit for ground maintenance, muck removal, etc. Location would probably be the most important factor. Will put up some wanted ads :)
 
I have 2 stables, 12x24 locked barn & 12x12 open barn in a little enclosed yard with water and electric on a generator. 20x40 school, and approx 3 1/2 acres grazing. All for £50/week. :D
 
I have 2 stables, hardstanding, water and electric on an acre and a half for 100 pcm. i have a small bit of storage on top of this and a bit of parking for a box. my piece of heaven wasn't advertised it was the landlords mother-in-law's who moved away and it was just left gathering cobwebs (i don't think they even realised they could rent it!) and i found another place like that (cobweb infested) just by driving around and asking. Good luck OP i also wouldn't survive 10min in livery, but somedays i wish i had someone else doing the maintainance and i'd sell an internal organ for a school:o
 
I would sell an organ just for a stable ATM :(

Awh hugs!
Where are you looking? I passed a field with a large shed/shelter and hardstanding and at least 2 acres with a for rent notice on the gate out hacking, i also know of another with a for rent notice all in the Herts/Beds area if thats any good?
 
I'm in Kent and rent about 3 1/2 acres with running water, 2 large stables, a small hay store and 2 equipment stores and pay 150 pcm. The owners are good and if any repairs need doing I let them know and they either arrange for it to be fixed or give me the money so I can.
 
Awh hugs!
Where are you looking? I passed a field with a large shed/shelter and hardstanding and at least 2 acres with a for rent notice on the gate out hacking, i also know of another with a for rent notice all in the Herts/Beds area if thats any good?

Aww, cheers, but that's a bit far for me! I turned my lad out today after four weeks box rest lodging with friends. Made me realise how much I could do with one.
 
Will that not depend on the terms of the contract? Tell a landowner to sod off -- and you might find the tables reversed!:eek:

Contract? Lease? Pahahaha! Fat chance.
Place owned by couple who are very rarely there. Nice friendly helpful farmer husband - scary wife, would not want to get on wrong side of her as finding somewhere else for 7 in a hurry would be difficult!
 
I have found a yard to rent near me 3 stables 5 acres, power, lights, water, etc big brick built stables and good hacking. Schools within 15 mons hack.


Anyone want to come and share with me........
 
Me and a friend rent a private yard (6 horses between us with a foal on the way) ... the owner charges us £15 per horse per week and that includes a large american type barn with kitchen/lots of storage space, electric, constant water, approx 25 acres of land and lets us treat it as our own. North west.
 
i pay £250 pcm for 5 stables, 3 of which are only pony size, large storage/tack room, straw and hay store, electric and water, concrete yard and approx 4.5 acres, only moved there new years eve but after 6 years on farm livery with no facilities I am loving it!! I'm going to have to manage my grazing better than on the farm where i had about 10 acres but small sacrifice for stables and concrete lol, who knew a concrete yard could give me such a smile:D
 
Wow, some of you have found really good deals, I'm a bit jel!

Yep, concrete woud be a godsend right now, I do have a little yard with an old cowshed (the roof is too low for all but one of mine) to keep my stuff, but the yard is just mud ATM and there's nowhere I can go to get out of it :(

It sounds as though if you have more than two horses, renting a whold place works out cheaper than livery.
 
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