Starting my own livery yard

PinkFairy

PinkFairy

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Anyone started their own up? Successful? Any info would be great
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I'm aware I'd need to buy/rent stables and land
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Did you have to pay lots to hire stablehands/grooms? Room for planning permission if needed/wanted? Hired instructors? Etc...
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Never done it myself, but from having to build stables for private use I think finding a suitable piece of land with PP for stables, manage and business use might be a bit hurdle. The other option is to buy a farm and convert the agricultural buildings but PP is again a consideration.

It's a difficult time to be starting any business and I am not sure equestrian businesses make loads of money anyway in the best of times, but I would say that a very detailed business plan is a good place to start.
 
Yeah, my OH wants to opt out of his job (which I think is a bad idea, he's got a very good salary, enough so that I don't have to work etc) and start a business but I don't think it'd generate enough money for both of us to survive on tbh. I was only thinking of a small livery yard really.
 
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My main reason for wanting to start a livery yard is so I can be around horses more, rather than the money, as I say, OH earns enough to support both of us.
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If you aren't in it for the money, and you just want to be around horses, surely you are better off just buying your own horse to enjoy keeping at someone else's nice livery yard somewhere?
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Unless you have the land and decent facilities to do it on a large scale, with the experience to back it up, I think you would be very hard pushed to make any real profit offering livery- especially if you are paying rent or a mortgage for the property.
 
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Lzt - You're probably right. I just love the idea of owning my own livery yard so I wanted to see what was involved. Never mind.
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Check out all your options.
If you have some good ideas put them down on paper and do a business plan.

I have no idea what is involved so cannot help you there, but it maybe an idea to find out what other liveries in the same area offer and see if it might be worth your while looking further into running your own yard.

Good luck to whatever you decide.
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The biggest problem is finding the right premises - and costs. IF you are paying rent - or want a realistic return on capital investment, then I'd say forget it! But if you are looking to buy say - a new house anyway - then there ARE possibilities out there.

There's a place currently for sale near me that I'd LOVE to buy - just for the buildings (I could house all my youngstock over the winter.). It's an Ag. bungalow - not luxurious but quite nice - but with 45,000 square feet of relatively modern Ag. buildings including one that would make a small indoor school (plenty wide enough but a bit shorter than normal) and LOADS of stabling/loose housing. The problem is land as it only has about 7 acres - but a chance to possibly buy extra land adjoining. And it's not much dearer than a smarter bungalow on an average size plot for around here. Planning should NOT be a problem - it has limited uses for anything else (was an intensive pig farm) and it's off a quiet road.

The few livery yards around here all seem to be pretty much full (and a small indoor would give an edge as none have one) and the surplus buildings could perhaps be rented out for caravan storage - or you could offer winter housing for youngstock - or even cattle.

The thing you HAVE to do with any possible property you look at is to check out local competition (you don't want to have to undercut other yards to get business or you will lose money FAST!) Then prepare a DETAILED business plan. Running a livery yard is VERY demanding - you don't want the hassle to earn 50p per hour!
 
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