Reasonable grass livery.

I

Ilovefoals

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What would you guys charge for the following -

Grass livery year round for 2 shetland ponies.
Daily checks, water changed and twice weekly poo picking, (field is completely cleared).
Hay/haylage provided in winter as well as fed every day.
Taken in for farrier/vet visits.
General tlc as owner hardly ever up.
Wormed with YO horses.
What would you charge someone monthly for this?

The grazing is excellent, ponies weights monitored and grazing restricted accordingly. Fencing is new electric.

Thoughts please!
 
£20 per week for both, therefore £80 per month, to include daily checks/poo picking etc
£5 per week extra in winter when needing hay
Bill for worming separately

Don't know if that helps.....!?
 
Sidney said:
£20 per week for both, therefore £80 per month, to include daily checks/poo picking etc
£5 per week extra in winter when needing hay
Bill for worming separately

Don't know if that helps.....!?
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:eek:£20 a week for both???? Thats no where near enough. That wouldnt even cover the time inolved at minimum wage, let alone the grass, water, field maintenance, insurance, business rates, and so on.

OP- you really need to work out what the costs are to the YO (you?) and then work out an appropriate profit.
 
The situation is that the person was going to be helping me out with my lot, mucking out, poo picking etc in return for very cheap livery for her 2 shetlands. This never happened unfortunately and we didn't see her from dec til april! I have done everything for the ponies, inc treating them for lice, vaccinating them, worming, feeding, haylage all winter, poo picking, farrier etc etc etc!! She was only paying me £40 a month for both so I have now worked out exactly what I have spent out and billed her accordingly.

So, she has said she cannot manage to come up more than once a week, maybe even only once a fortnight. She does not have time to help me with mine and so will just pay a new rate of livery. We had a very frank discussion about her lack of effort over the winter months and she assures me this wont happen again.

So for the 2 shetlands, me poo picking, water, grass management etc as mentioned above, what would you guys be charging? She will buy her own feed for the winter but I will be feeding it to them. I'll provide hay and charge her what it costs me to buy. I will also have to take in for the farrier, vet etc but they will now be billing her direct.

I was thinking £60 a month each, £120 total. Plus the price of the hay in winter. Would you also charge more in winter for the general nitemare of the scottish snow and challenges it brings??? I don't want to seem like a total money grabber but I also don't want to make the same mistake again!

(Just to add, she hasn't paid what she owes yet!)
 
I'd say what you suggest sounds more than reasonable, given all that you're proposing to do for them! I pay £65/month for one (big) pony, including hay, monthly poo-picking, use of storage etc, and school (when it's finished). That's on the assumption that I do all the work, although the YM is very happy to keep an eye on him if I'm away for a few days. I think I'm getting a really super deal. Given the work added in, I'd say you're being more than fair!
 
Ilovefoals said:
So, she has said she cannot manage to come up more than once a week, maybe even only once a fortnight. She does not have time to help me with mine and so will just pay a new rate of livery.
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She would be better off with a goldfish then! Why does she have the ponies????

We had a very frank discussion about her lack of effort over the winter months and she assures me this wont happen again.
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Good! but dont hold your breath


I was thinking £60 a month each, £120 total.
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MORE than reasonable. If you are happy with that then thats fair enough. However i think people need to realise the commitment and costs of horses or dont bother having one. £60 a month is £2 a day per pony! For £2 you are expected to check the pony, provide grass, fencing, water. And the general overheads of field maintenance, extra time for farrier/vet, insurance, rates and so on. You cant have a cat in a cattery or dog in a kennel for £2 a day!

The national minimum wage is approx £6. So even if you give everything but your time for free then that gives you 20 minutes per pony per day. Thats just about enough to do the bare minimum. :(
 
I know you are right teddyt. She has another horse in full livery at a different yard who she spends all her spare time with. I keep telling her she should rehome them but she says she can't bear to give them up! WTF!! I'm not out to make a massive profit on them being here as they really are no bother. But I have 3 horses plus 1 sick foal and 1 foal still to be born. And a 3yr old daughter. And I work 2 x 12hr nights a week. And my husband works away mon til fri! Phew! So I just want to make sure I'm being adequately compensated for my time and effort!

I think because her other horse is on full livery, she has no idea the amount of time and effort it takes to look after the 2 little blighters. Esp since I mostly have to do it alone, except when my OH is home at the weekends!
 
I had an issue like this and got rid of the livery!! She was a nightmare - I put the livery up but she never paid it!!
 
Ilovefoals said:
I would ask her to leave but I worry about where the little ones would end up! I'm too soft I think!!
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I'd be the same. People like her really p me off tbh (can you tell!). If you dont mind having them then you should charge what you are happy with.
 
I have 2 ponies on full grass livery & pay £30 per pony per week. For that I get use of school, grazing and daily checks. If I need anything else, I pay extra for it.
 
I think £60 per month each is selling yourself way too short. In fact I wish you were closer, I would love you to look after my 2 for that (although, mine could not really be described at shetlands:D) I guess pricing is slightly different where you live, but the owner is getting a seriously good deal!
 
I pay £150 per month for full grass livery for my 2 year old. This includes poo picking once a day, twice daily checks, feed & hay (when needed), attendance for farrier & vet, worm counts & worming, daily brush off & hoof pic, aplication of sprays / creams and pobably other things i've forgot!
The field is a good size with a brand new shelter. :)
 
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