Starting up small private yard at home.. suggestions?

I person i know with a similar set up initially to yours thought it would be a great idea to do as you are thinking of doing.

But when she really did her homework, the sums did just not add up, especially on the insurance and liability side of things. She also wanted to teach on site too and that added even more insurance into the pot!

She decided it was just not worth losing her own facilities/time for the 'alleged' extra income she thought she could bring in. It was all swallowed up 'on paper' before she'd even begun to start changing things at her home yard.

That and losing pretty much all of her own time, no real holidays, being the 'holiday and sickness' cover for other horses (as well as doing her own, which we all know is hard enough at the best of times doing your own when you're at death's door, never mind other folks).

I did notice too that you say you a full time worker, so apart from 'the family member's on site,...they'll be no 'authoritive figure' to oversee the yard and horses while you're not there??!. Are they familar with horses/injuries etc,...? Would they know how to spot a sickly/off colour horse? Don't mean to be patronizing, but you have a certain 'duty of care' to liveries horses while they would be in your care and you being away from the place during the day, while being the 'YM',....mmmmm...would this work??

don't mean to sound so negative, just trying to take of the 'rose coloured glasses' for a bit and look at the bigger picture.. :)
 
Oh dear, I'm another one of the 'don't do it brigade' - enjoy the place by yourself for a while. Then if you absolutely must - offer DIY on a true do it all yourself basis. No turning in and out for nothing and no freebies for friends. Sounds like a really hard line but it will end in tears otherwise (your tears!).
 
At the very least do this truly DIY otherwise it will take up all your time around your full time job. Just to turn out 8 horses at 5 minutes each (which could be more with some owners expecting change of rugs, boots, mud fever medication on, etc.) is 40 minutes and you still haven't mucked out yours not to mention fed everyone before they can go out. In winter you may end up having to bring in before sundown which is not often compatible with a full time job.

Also talk to your bank who will be able to help you set up a business plan. Coming up with a livery charge depends both on what others charge in your area (call up other DIY yards, check facilities and see what they charge for them), but also on your percentage profit. If, when you include everything, you make no or minimal profit, it's not clear why it's worth putting in the work. There is a reason why most yards don't offer rug drying rooms (who will pay for the heating in what is likely to be an uninsulated farm building?) and 300 pounds for insurance can't be right - that is dirt cheap and may be because of huge compromises in cover.

Finally since the house/land is not yours consider your contract with your relative just in case you build up a business and he/she then chucks you off the place.
 
Sorry getting a bit off track here - bur sofas really ?? - we have plastic chairs I'm pretty sure that the mice the yard cat doesn't eat would be living in the sofa if we had one - some peoples rest rooms must be really plush :)
 
You also need to take even more care if the house is your partner's relative's property and not yours!

pansy - my yard has a sofa in the social area, but as I don't run it as a livery yard the cats have taken over the sofa and the office and as rent they'd jolly well better keep the mice out!
 
jemima*askin said:
You also need to take even more care if the house is your partner's relative's property and not yours!
Click to expand...

Good point. If that is the case be very careful what money you invest in the business and how much you work without a wage. Should anything go wrong with your partner you could find yourself on the street (with your horses) and no return on your investment.
 
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