Vodkagirly
Well-Known Member
Not sure about livery yards but every riding school in the area is posting on fb looking for staff at the moment.
The future of livery yards
- Thread starter Barlow
- Start date
alsxx
Well-Known Member
There definitely seem to be less options round here (west Kent/Surrey border). I've seen loads of ads from people desperately looking for places, often with multiple horses due to privately rented places closing down. There barely seems any DIY available and what part/full there is also seems pretty limited. What is available has in my view serious draw backs: no turn out, no ad lib forage, terrible hacking etc and they continue to advertise spaces.
I can only see it getting worse really. I fortunately have a private rented place of 15 years + but we are looking at selling up next year and trying to move south west to get the at home dream. I dipped my toe in the water of livery last year and put my youngster on part livery, what a disaster that was!
I can only see it getting worse really. I fortunately have a private rented place of 15 years + but we are looking at selling up next year and trying to move south west to get the at home dream. I dipped my toe in the water of livery last year and put my youngster on part livery, what a disaster that was!
fidleyspromise
Well-Known Member
I've seen a space advertised for the first time at a yard near me.
I've been on numerous yards around my area for various reasons and the one I'm currently on is the one that's suited me best.
It's basically grass livery - you pay for the field and each field has a shelter with attached tack room and an ibc tank with guttering down the back of the shelter. There are taps situated around if needed.
Field maintenance is up to you but YO will assist with outer fencing if needed.
Liveries assist each other if needed, there's no being on top of each other, no items being borrowed, ride out together ad it works fab. 6 years and I've never seen any quarrels or disagreements. One rider keeps to herself and its accepted that she likes her quiet horse time.
There's a waiting list for this yard and in 6 years one moved off due to moving house and a livery moved from a shared field to hers.
Three others moved off so one could be closer to home, two sold their horses.
There's 11 fields total with different acreage from 1 acre to 4 acres.
I've not seen many people getting out of horses. A few friends have bought new horses the last 3 years and plenty still have the ones they've had for a while. I can't imagine never having a horse.
I've been on numerous yards around my area for various reasons and the one I'm currently on is the one that's suited me best.
It's basically grass livery - you pay for the field and each field has a shelter with attached tack room and an ibc tank with guttering down the back of the shelter. There are taps situated around if needed.
Field maintenance is up to you but YO will assist with outer fencing if needed.
Liveries assist each other if needed, there's no being on top of each other, no items being borrowed, ride out together ad it works fab. 6 years and I've never seen any quarrels or disagreements. One rider keeps to herself and its accepted that she likes her quiet horse time.
There's a waiting list for this yard and in 6 years one moved off due to moving house and a livery moved from a shared field to hers.
Three others moved off so one could be closer to home, two sold their horses.
There's 11 fields total with different acreage from 1 acre to 4 acres.
I've not seen many people getting out of horses. A few friends have bought new horses the last 3 years and plenty still have the ones they've had for a while. I can't imagine never having a horse.
pastit
Well-Known Member
Housing for me. It swallowed up all the little livery yards down my lane. I counted 115 horses around the village in the 90s, now we are down to the last 5. All the fields are gone and the same applies to all the other villages on the West sussex coast Also retirement of the old horsey generation has meant a rise in well meaning but inexperienced people, and farmers who think that a horse is a wilder version of a cow, neither makes for good management.
SO1
Well-Known Member
Yards in the south are being lost to housing development. People are buying small holdings with land rather than being on livery and moving further north due to being able to work from home. I know at least 4 people who used to be on livery who bought property and now have horses at home.
I work in London and one of my colleagues who only has to come to the office twice a month has moved to Newcastle. The costs of living in the SE is so high and the rise of wfh means people who had to live within a reasonable commute to the office no longer need to do and are moving north where everything is cheaper. This might also account for less people needing part and full livery due to having more flexibility around work if there is less business travel.
I still need part livery due to my parents being elderly and having potentially to rush off and help them at any point and also due to work commitments but a lot of people who are now primarily wfh may not need so much support from part and full livery yards.
I work in London and one of my colleagues who only has to come to the office twice a month has moved to Newcastle. The costs of living in the SE is so high and the rise of wfh means people who had to live within a reasonable commute to the office no longer need to do and are moving north where everything is cheaper. This might also account for less people needing part and full livery due to having more flexibility around work if there is less business travel.
I still need part livery due to my parents being elderly and having potentially to rush off and help them at any point and also due to work commitments but a lot of people who are now primarily wfh may not need so much support from part and full livery yards.
TheChestnutThing
Well-Known Member
So many in my area went to housing. Very few around and those that are are all word of mouth.
Barely any DIY or grass livery either. Most are now doing part or full livery and I have seen many put their prices up and up (everyone has to make a living), as costs go up. My current yard put livery up £10 this month due to hay going up. £10 is not a lot in the grand scheme of things, but for some people it’s the choice between a bag of feed and a meal on the table (if they are living hand to mouth).
Barely any DIY or grass livery either. Most are now doing part or full livery and I have seen many put their prices up and up (everyone has to make a living), as costs go up. My current yard put livery up £10 this month due to hay going up. £10 is not a lot in the grand scheme of things, but for some people it’s the choice between a bag of feed and a meal on the table (if they are living hand to mouth).
Ceifer
Well-Known Member
Money.
Hard feed, hay and bedding all increased in the last few years.
You can’t pay staff a pittance or in kind anymore.
The first yard I worked on which was combined livery and training centre had 30 horses 10 students, 2 staff, one head girl and a yard manager who all did 5 days a week 8-17:30
The yard produced its own haylage, the beds were straw that was cheap and we had enough staff members to muck out.
We were on the old YT scheme so cheap labour.
We fed straight feeds that were considerably less than most feed today although it was terribly old fashioned and now we all know better, probably not great for the horses.
Fast forward 20 years and The last yard I ran was profitable (just) because it has the best facilities in the area. The horses were out as much as possible as they had plenty of good grazing on good soil. We had 20 horses on the yard 2 full time members of staff, 1 student and some part time/ casual staff when needed.
Hard feed, hay and bedding all increased in the last few years.
You can’t pay staff a pittance or in kind anymore.
The first yard I worked on which was combined livery and training centre had 30 horses 10 students, 2 staff, one head girl and a yard manager who all did 5 days a week 8-17:30
The yard produced its own haylage, the beds were straw that was cheap and we had enough staff members to muck out.
We were on the old YT scheme so cheap labour.
We fed straight feeds that were considerably less than most feed today although it was terribly old fashioned and now we all know better, probably not great for the horses.
Fast forward 20 years and The last yard I ran was profitable (just) because it has the best facilities in the area. The horses were out as much as possible as they had plenty of good grazing on good soil. We had 20 horses on the yard 2 full time members of staff, 1 student and some part time/ casual staff when needed.
ILuvCowparsely
Well-Known Member
In my area not many grass liveries as the y/o - manager makes no money for grass livery. Though for the horse owner its brilliant as yard feed their horse 24 hrs via grass and very little extra.
Diy depends on facilities as how much livery is, but again little money out of diy, not many diy yards left round here.
Part is popular round here, all different packages to suit individual needs
assisted is also very few.
full .. quite afew full yards,- but you need staff and with groom wages gone up so much small yard cannot afford staff as money in =same as paying staff. So yards go alone till worn out and yard owner sells.
Diy depends on facilities as how much livery is, but again little money out of diy, not many diy yards left round here.
Part is popular round here, all different packages to suit individual needs
assisted is also very few.
full .. quite afew full yards,- but you need staff and with groom wages gone up so much small yard cannot afford staff as money in =same as paying staff. So yards go alone till worn out and yard owner sells.
Bernster
Well-Known Member
I don’t know so many diy yards around the SE, they tend to be full or part with a bit of assisted. Loads have gone for housing developments. Those remaining seem to have issues finding good staff. It’s also hard to make any money and it’s a tough old way to make any kind of living. I’m hugely appreciative of good livery yards and those who run them and work in them!
ecb89
Well-Known Member
There’s a thread at the moment about livery yards near Danbury in Essex. Three of the suggestions have closed in the last few years. Along with countless others which have closed.
Surbie
Well-Known Member
I'm near a hub of yards - largely DIY but there are some part/full livery spaces on most of them. One full livery-only yard has a reputation for quite patchy care. One yard closed last year and another next to it will close in the future - both linked to the same housing development. There is grass livery available round here, but those are mostly on yards with zero facilities and that can be a bit miserable in winter. Every yard bar three of them is on clay - there are 12 yards I know of plus at least another 6 private ones within a 5 mile radius.
dorsetladette
Well-Known Member
Oddly I've seen more adverts offering grass livery and DIY since this thread started than I have in a long time.
I'm wondering if people with horses and their own place are looking to squeeze another in to help with the running costs.
I'm wondering if people with horses and their own place are looking to squeeze another in to help with the running costs.