Setting up a livery yard - advice pls.

With regard to a live in yard manager would living in the house be suitable?

It's just me so plenty of room and can offer private double bedroom with ennsuite and wifi etc but just wonder how it would work living with a employee like that...?

Also can allow own horse and dog etc. If they brought a horse do you dock wages or bill them like normal customer?
 
James-Stephens2014 said:
With regard to a live in yard manager would living in the house be suitable?

It's just me so plenty of room and can offer private double bedroom with ennsuite and wifi etc but just wonder how it would work living with a employee like that...?

Also can allow own horse and dog etc. If they brought a horse do you dock wages or bill them like normal customer?
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In all honesty, you're on iffy ground, as a young, single man - offering live-in accommodation in your home to a young woman. Not sure quite how you get around that one.

Own horse is usually considered to be a perk of the job, to be looked after/ridden outside working hours. If' you're docking wages for livery, your employee will then expect to be able to fit her horse into her working day.
 
James-Stephens2014 said:
With regard to a live in yard manager would living in the house be suitable?

It's just me so plenty of room and can offer private double bedroom with ennsuite and wifi etc but just wonder how it would work living with a employee like that...?

Also can allow own horse and dog etc. If they brought a horse do you dock wages or bill them like normal customer?
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Someone "qualified" and experienced enough to be capable of managing a quality full livery yard will either be independent and want to live in their own space or may be in a relationship so have their own home or want to live in with their partner, what you are suggesting is more of what a less experienced groom will expect but as already said be Auslander sharing your home with someone, female or male is potentially an issue.
 
Agree. Not sure I'd want to live under the same roof as the boss. If you could make some self-contained accommodation out of your house or in an outbuilding it would be much more attractive. Unless you really are out to create a dating site :-)
 
James-Stephens2014 said:
I think the distinct lack of anyone saying "I am interested" is also telling.
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You haven't read the HHO user manual (male version). Male posters only get mobbed if they talk about breeches/boots, or insinuate that they're worried about getting on a horse because of the size of their, err, manhood.

Yes, the above scenarios have both happened, fairly recently
 
Regarding the yard - why not rent it out and allow sub letting or let it out as a livery yard - that way you get the regular income with no hassles apart from one day a week on maintenance. You can still sell your hay/ haylage and straw. You also don't have a random person living in your home.

Regarding the dating applications ( or lack of ) can I just point out that us horsey women are all mad as a box of frogs and that you will NEVER be more important than the horses. If you are still interested in horsey women then I'd suggest that you train as a farrier - all the ones I know are smoking hot and it's a pleasure to watch them work .... ;)

Try posting a pic here too
 
Just ring all the ones local to you and tell them you are thinking of changing farrier - book them to come and look at horses feet. Make sure you book them for a hot day and have a cool drink and a chair ready to watch them :P


( I am of course joking! )
 
moosea said:
Just ring all the ones local to you and tell them you are thinking of changing farrier - book them to come and look at horses feet. Make sure you book them for a hot day and have a cool drink and a chair ready to watch them :P


( I am of course joking! )
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Ha Ha! To be fair, my farrier is drooled over by most of the female population, but he's a bit on the diddy side for me!
 
moosea said:
Watch him work from sitting on the floor ... it'll make him seem taller!!!
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You'd think, right!
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Accountant came back with the employment figures and they are reasonable.... Land agent also came back with the rental value, which is tempting.

I have been offered a used surface at excellent value and have a digger doing nothing so might put a ménage in and then decide. Either way it's going rhe menage will add value to the farm as have dead ground that would be perfect for it.

Thanks for all your help.
 
Does anyone have a livery yard contract they are happy to let me look at? Obviously delete names/addresses etc, there are drafts available online but don't want to miss anything. Please PM if happy.
 
Question on ménage surfaces. What proportion of sand to rubber is best? The used surface I have bought which is tipped in a heap looks ok but don't want to lay and track it in if need to add more of something.
 
James-Stephens2014 said:
Question on ménage surfaces. What proportion of sand to rubber is best? The used surface I have bought which is tipped in a heap looks ok but don't want to lay and track it in if need to add more of something.
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My preference would be for 1.5 sand to 0.5 rubber, ideally with additional fibre mixed in. I do like a firm surface though. A 50:50 mix would be a bit softer
 
expect to spend lots more money than you envisaged, then expect everyone to want 5* facilities for £10 a week.
 
James-Stephens2014 said:
I am going to wait and see what accountant comes back with regarding a employment package. Someone doing the horses and also farm work would be good. The funds are there for a school and I have room for more stables/turnout and loads and loads of private hacking on the farm. It's the economy of scale that's the question.

It would also give me a outlet for hay, straw and haylage.

It's whether employing someone live in is going to cost £20k or 30k or 40k etc. That has a big impact. But I know that grooms don't get treated very well and the right person given the opportunity to really run a yard starting with a blank canvas should appeal to good people. Also being treated like a human regarding holidays, pay etc.

If I put 7 more stables up in other side of the barn and add a bit more grazing, and get full liverys at £120pw that's 14 x £120 which is good. That will cover financing the school and give a good return per acre on the grazing. Plus it uses up the barns that aren't suitable for grain.
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£120 a week! good grief man expect people to pay for full livery. round here its hard to get anyone to pay £25 for DIY. unless you are near a rich commuter belt in the SE you'll really struggle and BTW no one will pay more than £3 for a bale of hay and want it delivered at that and if theres a single weed in it you'll get it thrown back at you.
 
Downton Dame said:
£120 a week! good grief man expect people to pay for full livery. round here its hard to get anyone to pay £25 for DIY. unless you are near a rich commuter belt in the SE you'll really struggle and BTW no one will pay more than £3 for a bale of hay and want it delivered at that and if theres a single weed in it you'll get it thrown back at you.
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£120 a week is good for full livery round here! Most of the high end yards in this area are charging over £1k a month
 
Sounds nice, you could stick a decent school in and try to rent it for sole use if you want the easiest life, other than that you could offer part/full and employ a yard manager but DIY always fills the stables quickly, usually with a waiting list for the good places, plus you won't have the expense of employment (and reliable cover up if they go off sick/ leave etc) but be prepared to lay down the law early and you'll still probably want to strangle some of them anyway! I know I do :/ Another thought would be youngstock/retirement as you wouldn't need a school etc just basic care so might be easier to manage.
 
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