What do you pay for freelance services? I.e. mucking out

[Ellietotz]

As above really!

What do you pay and what is the breakdown of what you pay? Does it include travel costs of the person coming to do the work? Is it just based on time there or is it dependent on the jobs being done?

Thanks!

 

[Batgirl]

You will get a million different answers!
Travel depends on if you are on 'rounds' and therefore needs to be charged separately.
If you are hiring an insured professional hourly rates should be no less than minimum wage but realistically should be a chunk more unless they have a price list (which would normally take into account time etc).
I never expect to pay less than £10 per hour and I sometimes pay more.

 

[Jasper151]

As Batgirl says - it will depend!

I used to do some freelance (fully insured etc) and I got paid anywhere from £8 - £20 p/h. I was employed by private yards and they paid the least, usually minimum wage as it tended to be longer hours. Those with difficult horses usually paid more, as they knew they had to! As it wasn't my 'proper' job I didn't have a price list, but tended to work out how long it would take me and what I would be willing to do it for. Some people do expect a lot for not a lot of money, I met with a friend of a friend who had 2 horses, needed feeding including medications, mucking out, t/o and in, poo pick of the field etc and been seen twice a day and said "I don't want to pay anything silly like £20 a day"! It was a few hours work every day. I think she employed a teenager in the end! I only ever did it for people in a very local area, except one yard who couldn't find anyone local to help so they used to pay my mileage, I ended up earning more in mileage than I did for the actual work.

If you can find someone you trust and does a good job, and are reliable they are worth the weight in gold. I keep getting asked now to start back up again, but luckily no longer need to try and earn extra money. I would say on average I tend to see either round £10 per hour or priced per job, so £5 to muck out, £2 to turn out etc.

 

[Apercrumbie]

Most people I know charge by the hour, as did I when that was my job. For that it was £10 per hour minimum and unless the yard location was very convenient, it would be at least 1.5/2 hours work to justify the petrol. I never worked far away enough to need to consider charging mileage but I would have done so for anything above 3 miles.

 

[AFB]

We have someone based on our yard (so no travel etc) that offers services for holiday cover etc.

Full livery for £10 per day - personally I think far too cheap!

 

[Pinkvboots]

We have someone based on our yard (so no travel etc) that offers services for holiday cover etc.

Full livery for £10 per day - personally I think far too cheap!

It is cheap I paid that about 8 years ago.

I pay a minimum of £10 as she only comes to do mine, most of the time she only has to check them hang 2 hay nets and fill up water. And on the odd occasion they might be in so she puts them out.

 

[tatty_v]

We have a lovely freelance lady who travels round the local yards. I pay £5 for a muck out (and it's a good one!) and £1.50 for a bring in. I personally think this is too cheap as she's a godsend and provides an excellent service, so I buy her a bottle of wine/bake her something fairly regularly as a thank you! I also make her life as easy as possible by making up feeds and haynets in advance so she doesn't have to do any of that.

 

[Orangehorse]

Mine used to be £8 per hour, but I think she charges £10 now, and when she charged less I never thought it was enough and rounded it up. She doesn't charge mileage as she is going past anyway. I know I can trust her, but as above, I always have the feeds mixed up in bags so she only has to soak Fast Fibre and mix up, and have the hay in separate tubs ready.


She does everything for this, depending on the time of year - fetch in, change rugs, feed, muck out stable/field.

 

[BlackRider]

I pay £7.50 for am feed / muck out / rug change & turnout, the lady (who is fab) lives quite close so about 5 mins travel time, its an extra £2,50 for bring in and feed etc.

(this is in Lancashire)

 

[tashcat]

Just under £10 in Surrey per hour - role includes usual yard jobs in addition to riding, but no travel costs.

 

[Sussexbythesea]

I pay £12 a day for seeing to Horse twice a day includes t/o, b/i, mucking out, poo-picking, rug changes, feet pick, haying and feeding. Person based on Yard with own horses, I’d expect to pay more for someone based elsewhere that had to travel.