Those with horses on full livery

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Bedford Joy

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Do you pay the same amount every month regardless of
whether horses are in or out? Do you pay more in winter and less when your horse is out over summer?
Been offered a deal that means I pay the same low rate each month all year round but horses will be out 24/7 over summer. It means yard loses money in winter but makes up for it over summer rather than paying more in winter and less in summer ... Thoughts?
 
Surely you would be paying a full livery fee for what is basically grass livery? Albeit at a lower fl rate it would still be a lot more than grass livery.
 
When I was on full livery I paid the same winter and summer, in the summer they spent a lot on maintenance of buildings and fields so while they probably made a bit more in the summer it still worked out good value.

Rather risky way of doing business really as there's nothing to stop clients using 'cheap' services over winter then disappearing to grass livery in the summer and never actually covering their costs !!
 
I charge grass livery over the summer for the ones that go out 24/7 the competition horses are the same as winter rates because although they go out at night they still get brought in during the day to be fed, worked etc.
 
Tho ours come in at night all year anyway, charging the same all year will help to cover costs of harrowing,rolling,seeding,fertilising,maintenance of other parts,more poopicking,higher forage costs in winter etc etc ad infinitum.... The water bills,rates,electricity,insurance,staff etc all still need paying and don't miraculously stop when the horses go out.;)
 
Yes same as my yard. I pay £70 per week all year for full livery. Horse stays in during winter and out during summer (depending on weather). I think it's slightly different to grass livery in summer because neds r checked regularly through day, rain sheets on and off is gets bad, sun cream/fly spray applied if needed, water topped up, poo picking etc.
 
It's usually the same except for full hunter livery where less is charged when the hunters are turned away 24/7 for a rest.
 
Same all year round with option of horses out 24/7 or in day or night to suit horse & owner. YO checks horses when out, makes sure water in fields, applies fly spray, sorts fly rugs etc. carries out maintenance on yard, paints stables etc. swings & roundabouts but same amount each month works for me :)
 
Good point re poo picking - this must be nearly as much work in the summer as mucking out in the winter for YO's they don't do any less poo because it's the summer!
 
Mine are turned out 24/7 in dummer but are checked every day, rug changes if needed, no pop picking as they harrow etc so it's full grass livery. It works out at £61 a week per horse for full livery all year round. Which I think us very reasonable
 
What would people actually class as grass livery vs full livery (ie assumed not ridden)?

If I was paying full livery prices and my horse was in a field, and not getting fed or looked at, I would think I was getting a very raw deal...
 
Where I work horses are in at night in winter, out during the day if client wishes. In summer they go out at night or in during the day, unless client requests other way - a few do, bizarrely. Even if they live out, as a few clients request, they still have a stable available for them, get a handful of grub twice a day and properly checked.
Yard breaks even over winter and makes a bit in summer.
 
Full livery with 24 turn out to me is

- hands on check twice a day
- fly rugs on / off as necessary
- lightweights on / off if heavy rain
- poo picking fields
- fly spray daily
- nose sun cream if relevant
- holding for farrier
- lots of extra water for bathing for shows
- stable if ill/ injured/ need to be clean before show
- holding for vet

plus time/ cash spent on repairs/ maintenance of stables -(painting, lifting rubber mats and jeys fluid etc.)

Clearly some costs will be lower in summer (bedding/ feed) but for my budgeting it was better to have a flat rate - sadly I didn't get paid a lot more in winter so a big bill increase would have relied on my saving a lot in the summer.
 
Depends what you call full livery... Our full livery is most people's competition/hunting/breaking livery... And therefore for the mentioned we charge the same year round whether in or out winter or summer... However for our part liveries (everything included but exercising) we charge about £40 less per week during the summer. And the hunters grass liveries get even more discount than that. We hardly make a living during the summer mind but it keeps customers happy :)
 
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