To those of you on part livery - Livery Rewards?

[Rochelle]

To those of you on livery what are your thoughts on this please.......... I run a small livery yard. I do all the horses full livery through the week and the owners do everything on a weekend. I supply everything ie feed, haylage and bedding.

As everyone is I am trying to be careful with how much I am spending (without scrimping), I always ensure I buy the best feed and haylage! Anyhow all the stables are fitted with rubber matting so don't need large amounts of bedding. I know I do bigger beds than alot with rubber mats.

On a weekend some of the liveries take out all their bedding instead of mucking out properly, therefore going over board with new bedding! When I do it I never need more than half a bag.

I've been thinking of ways to try cut down on spending without being on at them or having to put prices up so.........What do you think they would say if I offered them one turn out or bring in a month for free any day of their choice (on a weekend) in exchange for them using half bags instead of full bags, so ineffect it would be like a reward scheme.

If they did this we would go through 3 bags instead of 6 on a weekend which is a big saving!! Obviously if they needed a full bag they can have a full bag but they wouldn't get their freebie that month? What do you think?

 

[AutumnRose]

I think that sounds very fair. Your yard sounds great....where are you??!!

 

[Quarrybank]

I would stipulate what you feel is a fair amount of woodchips for them to use.
My part livery yard puts in an agreed 1/2 bale of woodchips every other day. They are on rubber mats with normal beds. However if I feel my boys need any more I will put an extra bale in & pay for it.
That way you can budget & the liverys know exactly what they get for their money.

I will also add that my yard feed whatever feed you want, plus ad lib hay if that's what your horse needs, so I have no problem with them stipulating the woodchips as I feel I get a very good deal at the price they charge

 

[HelsB]

Sounds good to me, I totally understand where you are coming from, having just one livery to keep my horse company!

 

[SDH]

The cost of my bedding (straw) is not included in the part-livery - I pay for it ontop.
It works for us becuase if my horse is not as dirty as the others, I get a cheaper bill (and visa-versa)
but it gets round the issue of people heaping loads of bedding in at the weekend

 

[Rochelle]

Thanks AutumnRose, we are in West Yorkshire.

 

[FigJam]

Why not just leave them out one bag of shavings each per weekend? That way they have to only use half a bag per muck out (as you do through the week) and if they want to use more, tell them they are free to buy additional bags of shavings at £X from you or elsewhere?

People suddenly get more careful with stuff when they realise the value of it!

 

[AutumnRose]

[ QUOTE ]
Thanks AutumnRose, we are in West Yorkshire.

[/ QUOTE ]

Ah nevermind then....bit far!!!

 

[Rochelle]

I too feed the horses the owners choice of feed. They get one large net of haylage a night but I have to charge £1 for any extra nets as I cannot afford to do it ad-lib. They all look really well on this and another plus for them is that they get all year turn-out whatever the weather! I prefer them out and the owners are happy to know their horse is going out all day everyday. I've got a really good bunch at the moment and I dont want to upset the applecart by putting up prices. Obviously I will have to one day : (

 

[Stoxx]

I'd second Quarrybank's idea of giving them an allowance each week or month. You could say this is due to an increase in cost that you don't want to have to pass on, so instead there is a specified number than each horse is entitled to. Anymore and they will have to pay for an extra bale.

I really don't think that is unfair!

 

[Rochelle]

I may try this at the weekend, just leave out the 3 bags for them all to share. Theres always one who takes that bit more though and leaves a 3/4 hehe! I just thought the freebie once a month would be a nice incentive for them, they help me out and I'll help them out, can you tell I'm not in it for the money : )

 

[Quarrybank]

If you do it for the Haylage then I'm sure your livery's will understand a similar rule for the woodchips.
For the cleaner horses, it wont be an issue, but if you have a dirty horse, it's only fair that you pay for any extra.
As long as you explain that it's to stop a general price increase, I'm sure they'll understand.

 

[MGG]

I wouldn't offer a turnout/bring in for free at the weekend bcauase you could end up bringing and turning out all weekend! Also I think you need to relatethe solution to the problem.They don't appreciate the waste of shavings becuase they aren't paying. I bet they don't even think about it.

Why don't you say that they get x amount of shavings each week and if they want more they are welcome, but it costs x per bale. At our yard we get two bales a week and the yard put it in on a Tuesday and a Friday. If you want more you can have it, but you pay for it and it wiorks fine. I am sure they would understand.

 

[LankyDoodle]

To be honest I think using half a bag every day, on rubber mats, is a bit much anyway. Maybe I'm a cruel mummy, but my boy is always on a clean, dry bed, but I only use a bag of aquamax a week. He started with 6 bags in there.

I really think they are taking the weewee (literally), if they are seriously removing the whole bed on both Sat and Sun and then putting a whole bale back in.

Maybe they'd appreciate the wastage more, if you explained to them that they get X amount of shavings per week, and above that is paid at cost to you - so that's the cost of the bag and delivery/collection (shavings aren't cheap now, and make sure they know that).

I can't stand waste in any form, but this really does sound daft.

 

[quirky]

I'm on part livery, on rubber mats with sawdust as a bed. Bed normally gets topped up every other day but if they have ben particularly mucky, they will get given more. If people want a deeper bed, they have to pay £5 a week for it. For this, they get a barrow of sawdust everyday, instead of every other.

 

[HelsB]

[ QUOTE ]
To be honest I think using half a bag every day, on rubber mats, is a bit much anyway

I can't stand waste in any form, but this really does sound daft.

[/ QUOTE ]

I think Rochelle meant half bag every other day?

I also can't stand waste! I never throw clean bedding on the muckheap, it doesn't take much time to sort through a small bed and keep the dry in

 

[LankyDoodle]

Hi, I know, I meant the liveries using a bag a day and her thinking of telling them they can use half a bag a day (if I understood correctly) instead of a whole bag, in return for turnout once a weekend for free. Shouldn't have to offer a reward system... tell them what they can have. If they were on DIY, I am pretty sure they wouldn't be shoving a whole bag in willy nilly and would pay more attention to the old pennies (or tenners) slipping down the drain. But because it's someone else's money, it doesn't seem as bad, and probably doesn't even occur to them how wasteful they are being.

Obviously be nice about it, but at the end of all this, you do actually need to make some money.

 

[Rochelle]

Thanks everyone for your replies! Its really helpful to hear your views from the other side of the fence as it were! Think I will try the bedding in say every Tues and Thursday and then they can use 1/2 on a weekend, or pay for a bag if needed. They will hopefully be more careful with it then! There's only one or two that put a full bag in where it's not needed so not all of them but like one of you said if they were on DIY they would be more careful with what they use! Thanks again!

 

[amiacat]

At my yard we get a bale of bedding a week include in the set price, any bales that we use over that we pay for. And there's a calendar at the yard for us to write when we've used a bale. This works really well.