Small private yard or Big livery yard???

W

WKequestrian

New User
Joined
9 June 2010
Messages
5
Location
Warwickshire
Visit site
I'm thinking of setting up a small livery yard at my house, I currently have my BS horse and 3 other retired horses. Does a small private yard appeal to you more than a busy livery yard? I currently have:

5 outdoor stables, hay/straw room, tack/feed room, rug room
40x20 all weather floodlit arena
7.5 acres
full set of show jumps
small selection of xc fences
bridlepaths

does a little private yard appeal to you or would you prefer to be at a bigger yard with more facilities?
 
personally small livery yards i think are better. more friendly service, get to know the horses well, and actually having time to look after them getting to know their quirks/likes!
 
I'm on a big yard with 60+ horses and i don't really like it tbh so i'm looking at much smaller yards as a possiblity to move to.

I think a lot of people will agree with me and so setting up a small yard would be a really good idea and probably a lot of fun for you as well
 
remember you will need PP for running livery yard in previously private stables and also have to pay business rates and poss meter water.....can wipe out any profits! Biz rates levied on all the facilities whether filled or not, which is why a lot of yards end up peeing off clients by stuffing on too many horses for the amount of land....they cant afford to have the stables empty.
 
as you already have 4 on 7.5 acres then you will only have space for 1 or 2 others! i would think the change of use to commercial (planning permission) and the commercial public liability and 3 c liability would make you run at a substancial loss every year! plus the business rates, metered water and business electric! you need to do a business plan including all the hidden costs mentioned above plus employers liability plus wages plus holiday cover ... the list goes on and on ond on..........
 
I'm currently on a yard of 40+ horses, so 20 or so owners but I have also been on very small yards of one or two people plus the property owner. I have to be honest and say that both have their merits!

I like a bit yard in that whilst you will always have your 'know-it-alls' you will also have someone who knows a bit more about something than you do and that you can always learn something new from someone with more experience. Also - where I am now we have a really social atmosphere - coffee at 9.30am is all too common!!

On the other side - a small yard can be lovely and quiet, but sometimes too quiet! Also you are very restricted as to what you can learn from other people. The main drawback though that I have found is that on a very small yard you tend to be at someone's home - and that ends up being all important and can be an issue!
 
Agree, the costs of all the correct insurances, business rates etc etc are restrictive. At present I pay £12 per stable for 9 stables, add on insurance, water metered, business rates on electricity and muck heap removal which works out just under £20 per stable per week, then there is maintenance all the time, there is no way I can do DIY livery for £25 a week as it is just not worth it if you can get a part or full livery into the stables it is worth it and people seem to prefer the smaller personal yards than the large one.

Of course a lot of people dont bother with doing it all above board and this is why the playing field on prices is very unfair.
 
Well, I think it depends on the atmosphere and the YO, the wrong YO can make a small yard seem very oppressive and it is much harder to keep out of the way (not saying that's the case with you at all-just my own experience) I think on a larger yard it isn't so easy for any one person to dominate so in a way you have more freedom, so in future if I were moving I wouldn't rule anything out but would probably try and stick with a larger yard.
 
Definately a small yard would be better all round. I keep my horse at my friends house with another friend. We have 5 boxes but just use the 3 so could have more if we wanted to but we all get on and the horses get on. I came from a yard with 9 horses so not a massive yard but my horses temprement changes completely coming to a small yard and is a very chilled boy now. In a bigger yard, bitchiness can be a problem and also equipment going missing or being used etc etc which is what I experienced at the previous yard. Horses also can struggle in big groups and a more chaotic environment which a big yard can bring.Good luck!!
 
skint1 said:
Well, I think it depends on the atmosphere and the YO, the wrong YO can make a small yard seem very oppressive and it is much harder to keep out of the way
Click to expand...

Personally on the whole I do prefer smaller yards, owners can pay more individual attention to your horses, and as an yard owner you can keep on top of things.
However, sometimes on a small yard it can begin to feel like a small family - this is not necessarily a bad thing - however if you are running a full livery yard you have to remember that horse owners are still paying you for a service, and friends or not, they still expect to recieve that service.
 
I prefer a smaller yard as long as the stables look nice and are big and the fields are small with good fencing, friendly people, and good service and good facilities. Unfortunately there aren't a lot like this near me and most of the nice small ones are dumps and the ones with the facilities have over 100 horses. The only one near me i was lucky enough to get on it lol! having said that there are only two farms that have decent facilities anywhere near me and one of them has over 100 horses and hugeeeee fields and the horror stories iv heard about horses being injured in them! and the other one is where i am.

I think you yard will appeal to people because its small and you still have the nice extras like show jumps ect. (when i say the yard im on is small it has 13 stables)
 
QR - I love love LOVE small yards. was at a big event yard before with indiv t/o, walker, fancy arenas, solarium etc etc etc etc but it was just so stressful!! now i'm one of the only liveries at this girl's family farm and it is super chilled. no one can sneer at you if your riding's not up to their exacting standards or you just want to have a bit of fun with your horsey.

I'd say do it, as long as the cost isn't too prohibitive.
 
I think your place sounds really nice.
I have been at small yards (with around 5/6 horses) and large ones (The one I am currently at has around 20 horses, although only a few are liveries, the rest are owner's horses for small riding school and her own competing. There are advantages and disadvantages to both. Small yards can be oppressive if you don't really get along with someone there and are together a lot of the time. On a bigger yard, there are more people to associate with. Bigger yards can sometimes put a strain on the staff. I'm not a novice so I don't need guidance, but it is nice to share ideas - More people are good for this I guess.
You have to think about use of the school and how you might arrange people wanting to use it (some people don't want to share).
My horse seems to prefer a larger yard where there is more to look at and more going on. On balance, I would say that I actually prefer a bigger yard, but that is based on the particular experience that I, personally, have had!
 
would just like to say thank you all for so much feedback!!! it is really helpful for me and i am very grateful!!!
am still in the very early stages of planning and just throwing idea's around, those are my current facilities but am planning on getting more, such as another arena (40x40) and indoor stables (approx.10) and renting land next door to me (if i can get it) for grazing, however at the moment i am actually in the middle of sitting my A levels and haven't got the time just yet to plan everything and just as i say throwing ideas around.

so if i had another 10 stables and another arena, plus the extra land for grazing, how would this rate?
 
My first yard was a yard of over 100 horses- FAR too big. Im now on a small yard of 11 horses and it is fab. Everyone lets you get on with your own horses, but we all look out for eachother!b
 
small yard for me.

I have been on a yard with about 40ish horses and now im on a yard with 5 horses (including my own) if i dont want to talk to anyone i go a bit earlier or a bit later and have peace and quiete with my horse or if i want to chat i can go when i know other people are going to be there. I also think if you are on a big yard you will look out to the fields but you dont really take a lot of notice of all the horses as on a small yard you know the horses more and will know if they are behaving how they normally would.
 
I really dislike big yards, too many politics for my liking!!!

I am on a small yard where we all help each other and i love it, we all get on great.

Def small yard for me!
 
Depends on the yard manager some small yards are great nice and friendly but with that you get the ones that seem to forget they are taking money and need to provide a proper service.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top