Running a DIY yard and working full time???

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thebear123

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Hi all,

I am thinking of taking on a DIY yard, but not giving up my full time job. It would be very much a DIY yard (with around 7 horses), but if people needed help turning out etc, i could do this. I was thinking that if the 'extras' got too much then i could hire in someone to help out.

Has anyone had any experience of doing this? Is it ok or is there loads of hidden work that i'm not thinking about?!

Also is £150 a month inc hay and straw reasonable? There is a decent enough outdoor school, turn out, stables are ok, and hacking is good.

Any thoughts and opinions welcome
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Depends what part of the country you are in. Where I live (SE) DIY with good grazing, a stable and decent hacking would be £25 per week, if it was all excellent then maybe £30 per week.
I wouldn't include hay and straw, I'd set it up so that people had storage areas for their own, and could buy through you or get their own in. If hay and straw are on tap people will take the p, and you won't be on-site to keep an eye on them.
Think about things like poo picking, will the liveries have to do it, and if they don't what will you do about it?
If it's DIY it might be best to keep out of things like offering turnout, let the liveries sort things out between themselves. As soon as you employ someone your costs increase, and you may incur liabilities as an employer. If you do offer services then you'll have to make sure you charge for them realistically.
I think do your sums really carefully and do your research on local livery prices and staff costs before getting in to this. It's hard to make much money out of livery yards, once you take things like muck removal, electric, water and field maintenance into account.
 
If you want to run a DIY you need to be working full time as well. You won't make any money on the yard and you do need to eat still
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I have a DIY / part livery yard. And I work full time at the moment and yes you can do it. I have one trusted livery who keeps her horse with me for free - and she mucks out all parts and my own and does the extra services needed. I certainly could not afford to pay for her if we didn't have this arrangement. Also I get home about 3.30/4 so am around when the liveries are and I am aware of any issues/problems as they arise. if you are working long hours and don't see your liveries problems can become major without you being aware and then they can get totally out of hand.

I charge my liveries £30 a week for DIY. That includes me putting their breakfast in and turning all horses out in the morning 7 days a week. They then come when they feel like it during the day and muck out, feed/haylage and put in.

I also charge £8.50 per horse per week for our haylage - unlimited use what you want. And we have bedding available which they can buy from me or space to store three bags of their own choice bedding. I would not provide hay and straw in teh price as I am afraid several will take the p**s and have beds that go to the roof and hay/haylage to throw away. We don't ask the liveries to poo pick as I know from experience that that becomes a realy bone of contention - so we take the machine round every week and vac the paddocks.

We also manage and run a working programme and every horse is on it - NO exceptions. We insist on a worm count before they are allowed in the field and will provide the relevant wormers. We pay for teh first worm count - then I provide pots for worm counts 3 times a year.


I have a fantastic contractor who I can trust completely to do my fencing, my muck spreading, to cut my hedges and make my haylage. without him I would be stuck.

I have found the more professional you are about the running - who you have as clients and the services you provide the more time you can free up for yourself so being absent is not a problem. It pays for my 4 horses, it pays for the upkeep and maintenance of my land and it gives us on top of that an income of approx £750 - £1000 per month. We own the yard and land as it is our home so no rental to pay and the income goes towards our bills which include electric, water, business rates etc
 
This is very interesting....!

The aim of this excercise, wouldnt really be to MAKE money as such, as i earn enough with my job. I'm just sick and tired of keeping the horses somewhere where you dont agree with the way he yard is run, or the way your horses are looked after, and then having the privalage of paying through the nose for it! Keep coming with opinions and experiences please
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[ QUOTE ]
This is very interesting....!

The aim of this excercise, wouldnt really be to MAKE money as such, as i earn enough with my job. I'm just sick and tired of keeping the horses somewhere where you dont agree with the way he yard is run, or the way your horses are looked after, and then having the privalage of paying through the nose for it! Keep coming with opinions and experiences please
smile.gif


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If you mainly want to have your horses at home it might be easier to offer someone else free livery in exchange for helping you out. Alternatively you could employ a p/t groom to come in in the afternoon muck out and bring in.

Not sure why you need a DIY livery yard to avoid having to keep your horses elsewhere, but perhaps I have misread your messages?
 
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