What do YOU expect from a livery yard?

[s-shea]

hi,
I am thinking about setting up my own livery yard and just wanted some of your views on what you would expect from a livery yard.

I have been with horses for over 16 years and it my true passion! I've been on my fair share of livery yards in the past with all of them having good and bad points.

Other horsey oppinions Wanted please.

Thanks

 

[LMuirEDT]

One thing that really bugs me about our yard is we don't get invoices and/or receipts each month. YO calculates bill each month and writes each persons total on a white board and people pay as and when by various different means (cash, cheque, bank transfer). I would prefer a proper invoice with costings written out.

 

[r0450111]

i would expect
a good worming routine with a plan in place for new horses,
decent grazing all year round even if its just for a few hours in winter,
somewhere to ride evven if its just a field,
decent fencing,
somewhere to store my kit thats dry and lockable,
somewhere safe to park car/trailer/box,
Superb security,
Somewhere dry for farriers/vets/saddlers ect,
Toilet with hot and cold running water and electricity,
Somewhere to hang soaked rugs to dry.

Whoops, just read that back over, i sound really demanding! I'm not really!!!

 

[lachlanandmarcus]

i would expect
a good worming routine with a plan in place for new horses,
decent grazing all year round even if its just for a few hours in winter,
somewhere to ride evven if its just a field,
decent fencing,
somewhere to store my kit thats dry and lockable,
somewhere safe to park car/trailer/box,
Superb security,
Somewhere dry for farriers/vets/saddlers ect,
Toilet with hot and cold running water and electricity,
Somewhere to hang soaked rugs to dry.

Whoops, just read that back over, i sound really demanding! I'm not really!!!

No your list sounds about right to me. And any YO must provide a proper bill, esp if they asked YOU to sign a proper contract when you came!
The main thing tho that I looked for was a YO who would treat my horse as if they were their own (this was part livery). I might not always always have agreed with her views on everything but I knew damn sure that if I was away or ill, my horse would be treated like a king. That is the priceless bit that none of the rest makes up for if it's missing, for me anyway.

 

[celia]

Grazing is always my main priority. I want decent grazing available all year round (preferably 24/7 if I want it) and with proper rotation of fields so I'm not stuck in a mud bath all winter and feeding hay until May because I'm waiting for it to recover!! Good water supply - don't care if I have to fill buckets as long as there is a hose that will reach - and proper fencing (ideally post and rail but would consider wire if it was correctly maintained and everything else was perfect). If I'm on full or part livery I want fields poo-picked regularly - am happy to do it myself on DIY but want everyone else to do it too!!

Stables have to be a good size - at least 12x12 and nice and light and airy. I want to be allowed whatever bedding I choose. If hay/straw is included that's great but only if it's good quality and with no restrictions on amount (within reason). If I'm buying it separately I want to be allowed to get it from other sources if what the yard sells isn't up to scratch.

Good hacking is important for me - I like to be off-road as much as possible.

Facilities come bottom of the heap for me but are obviously much appreciated! A school isn't worth having unless it's a decent size (20x40) and if there isn't one I would want a field set aside for riding in.

I've always been DIY but especially if was on part/full livery I'd want to know that staff are competant and can be trusted to do their jobs properly. I like someone living on site and want to know that gates are locked at night and any tack/equipment kept at the yard is properly secure.

A proper worming program is a must and a pro-active YO/YM who is going to keep up with yard maintenance and will makes sure rules are followed by everyone - not just a select few!

So not much really...

I've been renting a field for the last couple of years and will have them at home soon - not many yards live up to my expectations!!

 

[s-shea]

Thank you for your response,
I have to offer the following:
24hour security living in site,
24hour turn out april-october and day or night grazing in the winter,
40m X 20m floodlit arena,
Plenty of off road hacking,
cross country corse on site,
trailer/lorry parking,
Secure tack room,
Tea room with heating!!!
Invoicing,
massive feild shelter for the grass liveries.

What do u think?

 

[martlin]

It all sounds very good, how many stables do you have?
I take it you will be renting the place? How much would you have to charge to actually make a living?
Are you thinking DIY or part/full liveries?What is the ratio of acres to stables?

 

[s-shea]

It all sounds very good, how many stables do you have?
I take it you will be renting the place? How much would you have to charge to actually make a living?
Are you thinking DIY or part/full liveries?What is the ratio of acres to stables?

i have 19 stables combined of 7 outdoors and 12indoors, and i have just over 30 acres! yes i would be renting and would do all types of livery including holiday livery! My prices would be:
£20 per week-grass livery
£31 per week-d.i.y
£75 per week- part livery (mon-fri, everything included)
£115 per week-Full livery (everythig included, apart from riding, which would be charged extra)
£65 per week- holiday livery for a max of two weeks.

What you think?

 

[JVB]

Turnout 24/7 in summer and at least 10hrs a day in winter on decent sized paddocks that are well maintained with water.
12x12 boxes minimum with hardstanding and sheltered areas where horses can be tied up.
Decent lighting in stables/ covered areas.
Storage areas for hay/ straw/ stuff!
Toilets
Outdoor school with few jumps
Ideally off road hacking or field to ride in
Someone to pay to bring in/ turnout on occasion/ look after while on holiday etc

Most importantly for me - to be left alone!!! Allow me to look after my horses as I see fit, to turn out/ bring in when I choose, to be able to put hay out during the day in winter when frosty or not much to eat.

In return I keep my head down, am not demanding, will look after stables/ field/ storage areas, pay on time, be pleasant to talk with, say hello, look after my horses to the highest standards.

Think that's it! lol
Turns out

 

[JVB]

i have 19 stables combined of 7 outdoors and 12indoors, and i have just over 30 acres! yes i would be renting and would do all types of livery including holiday livery! My prices would be:
£20 per week-grass livery
£31 per week-d.i.y
£75 per week- part livery (mon-fri, everything included)
£115 per week-Full livery (everythig included, apart from riding, which would be charged extra)
£65 per week- holiday livery for a max of two weeks.

What you think?

Prices seem to depend on facilities, round my way to pay £31 dor DIY I would expect pretty decent ones, there is one nearby that is £35 a wk and has 3 outdoor, 1 indoor, WH paddock with jumps, full set of jumps indoor and outdoor, canter tracks, horse walker, dressage arena - unfortunately waiting list is loooong

 

[ThePony]

we are currently looking so have been brought up short with the crappy yards there are out there - what we are after (without running to dreaming!) is:
sufficient year round individual turnout, 24/7 in the summer with the ability to electric fence off smaller sections during the spring - we are happy to get the materials and do this our self.
Safe fencing - no sheep wire, barbed wire etc. Ideal would be wooden posts with electric rope inbetween with another yard gate before any escapee could get to the road.
An outdoor school (min 20x40) that has a decent enough surface that doesn't spend all winter flooded or frozen, ideally with flood lights.
Some jumps
Good size stables that are well maintainted and airy.
Ideally straw and hay not included - would rather supply what we choose to use from where ever we would like to buy it from.
electric and running water
an informed worming scheme - not just worming all the time!
trailer parking
somewhere dry to store bedding and feed
a secure and dry tack room
acess to off road hacking
a contract
a transparent pricing scheme
the ability to pay extra for part livery with a competant person during the occasional weekend away - would want diy the rest of the time
would be great if there was someone living onsite
A nice ym and nice liverys would finish it off perfectly!!
Yours sounds fab!
p.s. if anyone knows of such a place around cirencester then please pm me!!!

 

[s-shea]

Grazing is always my main priority. I want decent grazing available all year round (preferably 24/7 if I want it) and with proper rotation of fields so I'm not stuck in a mud bath all winter and feeding hay until May because I'm waiting for it to recover!! Good water supply - don't care if I have to fill buckets as long as there is a hose that will reach - and proper fencing (ideally post and rail but would consider wire if it was correctly maintained and everything else was perfect). If I'm on full or part livery I want fields poo-picked regularly - am happy to do it myself on DIY but want everyone else to do it too!!

Stables have to be a good size - at least 12x12 and nice and light and airy. I want to be allowed whatever bedding I choose. If hay/straw is included that's great but only if it's good quality and with no restrictions on amount (within reason). If I'm buying it separately I want to be allowed to get it from other sources if what the yard sells isn't up to scratch.

Good hacking is important for me - I like to be off-road as much as possible.

Facilities come bottom of the heap for me but are obviously much appreciated! A school isn't worth having unless it's a decent size (20x40) and if there isn't one I would want a field set aside for riding in.

I've always been DIY but especially if was on part/full livery I'd want to know that staff are competant and can be trusted to do their jobs properly. I like someone living on site and want to know that gates are locked at night and any tack/equipment kept at the yard is properly secure.

A proper worming program is a must and a pro-active YO/YM who is going to keep up with yard maintenance and will makes sure rules are followed by everyone - not just a select few!

So not much really...

I've been renting a field for the last couple of years and will have them at home soon - not many yards live up to my expectations!!

i could offer day or night turn out in the winter and 24 hour in the summer,
hay is an issue for me too, i wouldnt feed my horse bad/dusty hay, so i wouldnt expect you to, id be the first to complain and send it back!!
the feilds would be rotated regulary ( not without giving the customer prior warning)
I have worked very closely with the worm count programme so would more than likely use that,
All the feilds have automatic water truoghs(sorry cant spell it)
One wheelbarrow of poo picking per horse per week for those on grass/diy is required, part/full livery i would do it.
unlimited hay and straw for those on part/full livery
you'd be allowed any type of bedding you choose
Good sized stables
i would start off using electric fencing, building up to post and rail.

Anything else i have missed do you think?

 

[martlin]

i have 19 stables combined of 7 outdoors and 12indoors, and i have just over 30 acres! yes i would be renting and would do all types of livery including holiday livery! My prices would be:
£20 per week-grass livery
£31 per week-d.i.y
£75 per week- part livery (mon-fri, everything included)
£115 per week-Full livery (everythig included, apart from riding, which would be charged extra)
£65 per week- holiday livery for a max of two weeks.

What you think?

Sounds reasonable, with 19 stables and 30 acres you won't be able to get many grass liveries though.
Why would you charge less for holiday livery than full livery? If your area would support £115 for full livery I would add another tenner on top for holiday livery.
Also you will need to employ somebody, there is no way you can look after 19 on your own.
After paying rent, buying bedding, feed and forage, paying rates, wages and isurance - does it actually leave you with any money to live on? Do you need to be full to make a living? How many do you have to have in to break even?
Will you have to get contractors in for field maintenance and so on?

 

[TinselRider]

Basically in a nutshell........... http://www.gatesequestrian.webs.com/

 

[_April_]

Wish list:


Year round turnout - 24/7 in summer and daily at least in winter.

Safe fencing.

No over grazing .

No field or companion changes without notice. New horses introduced safely.

Someone living on site who will do a check last thing

Indoor school - or an arena with lights that doesn't flood/freeze!

Jumps

Flexible worming - ie worm counts not just over worming

Responsible turnout - ie horses that do not get on are separated.

Off road hacking

Field to use for fast work in summer.

A loo

Somewhere to sit and have tea

If adlib haylage included then it must actually be adlib otherwise option to source and store own supply.

Free trailer parking

Ocasional help with turnout/bring in etc

Storage space

 

[Kat]

For me a floodlit school is essential otherwise I can't ride in winter. As are additional services as and when required for example if I get held up at work and need my horse bringing in and feeding. I would also only go to a yard where I have freedom to bring in my own instructor of my choice.

Other than that pretty much everything I would look for has been covered.

I like the idea of a monday to friday livery. Although I would suggest you add a part livery package that would basically allow clients to come and do their horses once a day only 7 days a week. At the moment there is a big gap between your DIY and Part package.

I would also query why your holiday livery is cheaper than full livery?

I'd recommend having a half decent website with your services on and listing yourself on a few online directories. The biggest problem with livery yards is finding out about them, it is hard to do good business if no one knows you exist!

 

[_April_]

And here's some silly things that make a yard better:

a decent muck heap - one yard I was on you had to put poo into tub trugs then lift it onto a trailer. Killed my back and it always fell all down me. I hated it and I always look at muck heaps now!

A hose for washing legs with good water pressure.

Good lighting in stables and at tying up places so that you can see what you're doing after work in the winter. when it's pitch black

 

[CBAnglo]

I think what is meant by holiday livery is that she will do the services for £65 pw. but owner still pays the DIY rate and provides all hay/bedding/feed etc.

If you are offering part/full then I would prefer setting out each horse is entitled to 1.2 bale hay per day etc, not ab lib or "as much as your horse needs" because it is too subjective - I expect ad lib to be roughly 6 sections per night (stabled 8-10 hrs) for an average horse but others might think 4 is sufficient. The problems you get on livery is where there are "grey" areas about what is and isnt included in the price.

 

[s-shea]

yes that is what is ment by holiday livery! I would offer a service of if you get held up at work or cant make it to do your horse you just give me a call and i will do it for you for a small fee.

 

[ThePony]

we are currently looking so have been brought up short with the crappy yards there are out there - what we are after (without running to dreaming!) is:
sufficient year round individual turnout, 24/7 in the summer with the ability to electric fence off smaller sections during the spring - we are happy to get the materials and do this our self.
Safe fencing - no sheep wire, barbed wire etc. Ideal would be wooden posts with electric rope inbetween with another yard gate before any escapee could get to the road.
An outdoor school (min 20x40) that has a decent enough surface that doesn't spend all winter flooded or frozen, ideally with flood lights.
Some jumps
Good size stables that are well maintainted and airy.
Ideally straw and hay not included - would rather supply what we choose to use from where ever we would like to buy it from.
electric and running water
an informed worming scheme - not just worming all the time!
trailer parking
somewhere dry to store bedding and feed
a secure and dry tack room
acess to off road hacking
a contract
a transparent pricing scheme
the ability to pay extra for part livery with a competant person during the occasional weekend away - would want diy the rest of the time
would be great if there was someone living onsite
A nice ym and nice liverys would finish it off perfectly!!
Yours sounds fab!
p.s. if anyone knows of such a place around cirencester then please pm me!!!

 

[not_with_it]

Decent roomy stables with as much hay and beding as needed. My YO buys in good quality hay and straw which we then buy off her.

All year turnout on decent paddocks that aren't mud baths, I dont mind if its only half days in winter. Individual turnout unless people want otherwise.

A good school that is maintained properly. There's no point in having a school if its not looked after.

For me its really important that the YO is on site and is available to fetch in or turn out my horse when im not there. She must also be capable and trustworthy.

Somewhere to store all my stuff as I have lots of it.

Most importantly chose your liveries carefully, they can make or break a yard.

 

[TinselRider]

Most importantly chose your liveries carefully, they can make or break a yard.

COULDN'T agree more!!!, Current Y/M is very choosy who she lets on (I feel privaleged )
and honsetly it makes me feel so much better knowing she cares for and WANTS happy liveries!

 

[Brandy]

I pay £25 per week DIY and I think I am in a 'cheaper' area of the country! Depends really what sort of owner you are aiming at too.

I like:

Individual turnout, year round.
Good fencing and maintainence (inc paddock rolling/harrowing, fertilizing as and when needed)
Self filling troughs in field (don't have to cart water miles...)
Contract & Billing
Toilet and tea area
School and plenty of off road hacking or track round the feilds.
Its nice if the yard can provide hay/haylage/bedding etc - I realise thats not always possible, but if youhave several liveries all using shavings or haylage, its another source of income - its convenient to just go and buy a bale of YO.
Few jumps.
Owner on site who at least goes round before bed to check all are still alive!

 

[WelshMisfit]

I'm on DIY livery and I pay £5 a week per horse. For that I get the following:

A large stable each for the horses.
My own field with hedges on all four sides. Also has a small wood in one corner with a small stream running across the bottom. Horses have plenty of shelter from sun, wind and rain.
Electric in the stables with four electric power points (handy for radio, kettle and clippers!) plus an outside light for when I bring horses in from field.
Tap just outside my stable doors and a hose long enough to reach the field, should I need it.
Large storage area adjacent to my stables for rugs, bedding, haylage and feed.
Option to buy hay and straw from YO if I want to but no pressure if I don't.
Yard backs onto the mountains so miles and miles of off road hacking.
YO owner lives on site, so someone is always around to keep an eye on things. If I go away for a couple of days, he'll feed, turn out and bring in and won't accept any extra for it. Plus, when we had the heavy snow and I couldn't get the car up the lane to the yard, he came to pick me up and take me back to my car, and even picked bedding up for me so horses could have nice clean beds.
He's fabulous!

 

[irishdraft]

I would think very, very hard before you commit yourself, I have run a livery yard from home for the last 8 years and its not the horses that are the problem !!! Its a hard way to earn a living 7 days a week 52 weeks a year, unless you have staff to help and lots of hidden costs that may not seem immediately apparent, you can see from previous posts what people expect, usually for very little money. I could give lots of examples of peoples behaviour over the years but wont go there as most posts on this forum usually come from liveries and not YOs

 

[lynne_macleod]

Hi 'ThePony' and anyone else If your still looking?! Cheltenham Cirencester direction. We have some of what your listing + some others. If you view notes on our facebook page it tell you all about the facilities.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Withington-Manor-Livery-and-Clinics/194824150970?ref=ts

Let me know if you want any more information
Or if you can think of anything else that would be a good bonus to offer
Many Thanks
x

 

[PoppyAnderson]

Basically in a nutshell........... http://www.gatesequestrian.webs.com/

Horrendous! Seriously. 40p for this, 25p for that, 50p if from top field, 25p clear up after vet . . . . . . . They must employ someone just to keep track of all the pound, shilling and pence!

 

[monkeybum13]

Horrendous! Seriously. 40p for this, 25p for that, 50p if from top field, 25p clear up after vet . . . . . . . They must employ someone just to keep track of all the pound, shilling and pence!

Glad I'm not the only one who thought it was crazy.

Personally I don't like yards that have set times you can visit, 6.30am opening is no good for me, some days I need to be up earlier than that.

 

[rubyrumba]

You have to pay to park the trailer there too?!!

Anyway like someone else has said opening hours, I like to know I can visit my horse whenever I want. If I can't sleep in the night and want to go and see my horse, then I can. One yard I was on the owner said they are our horses and we can have access to them whenever we want!

 

[PoppyAnderson]

You have to pay to park the trailer there too?!!

Anyway like someone else has said opening hours, I like to know I can visit my horse whenever I want. If I can't sleep in the night and want to go and see my horse, then I can. One yard I was on the owner said they are our horses and we can have access to them whenever we want!

Know what you mean but not sure I agree with middle of the night. If I was YO, I wouldn't want anyone on the premises in the ungodly hours, as I'd always be on red alert thinking it was the Boogeyman!