Researching new business

[Amber54]

Having decided on opening a retirement livery yard in the spring I am interested in opinions on track systems.
Would you like the choice of a track or field?
Would you like field with large barn in winter ,track in summer
All track?
All fields with barn shelter in winter?
If wanting track and field option how would you want your horse managed?
We have very good grass which is grazed by sheep at the moment and the sheep will be kept to keep the grass manageable.
Thank you for you input. We are based in S Wales

 

[be positive]

You probably need to decide on the target market you want rather than let the views of people who may be experienced but are unlikely to be a potential client make your thoughts even more confused, every one will want something different, every horse is individual and you will never please them all however hard you try.

You may be able to offer a mix of field and track to suit but be careful you do not spend a fortune setting up a track only to find the costs and the daily work involved outweigh the income, good grass with a barn, if it is already there, would suit youngstock as well as older bigger horses without metabolic issues and will be significantly less initial expenditure to get you started with possibly setting up a track once the need is established, or not.

I was vaguely considering retirement livery for mine, my big horse would be fine in a big field, living in a herd with access to some form of shelter all year, I would not choose to have him on a track but my little sec a and pba would not cope with good grass so it could suit them well , the cost implications for the owners also need to be thought about, 3 in retirement would be expensive so I have found a place with some land and they can live out their days with me.

 

[ihatework]

Echo the above!

Firstly I’d mostly do some research into what is available in your area already, what they are charging and how full they are.

Decent fields with barns will always be popular for retired / youngstock and will realistically be significantly cheaper and less labour intensive to set up and maintain.

Track systems are reasonably new. I’m really in favour of them, but they aren’t widely known about yet. To set one up properly will take quite a bit of investment so you need to think long term on that - there will probably be a ceiling on how much you can charge to get the clients, at least initially, so you run the risk of not making a profit for a while. That said there are less of them about, which will make you a market differentiator.

 

[MotherOfChickens]

Have a look at equicentral management. I am for tracks, I think it’s the future but to do it well takes money-you need preferably different surfaces, feeding stations etc and the ability to accommodate different horses. There is a very good one not far from Aberystwyth and they also offer backing and training and have a waiting list.