What facilities do you want from a DIY livery yard (London area)

[dottieh]

Hi all,

Just wondering what people on DIY livery yards (20 miles west of London area) are looking from, from their yard?

Do you want services provided? Assisted livery? Horse walker?

Do you currently pay for parking for you trailer/lorry?

Do you want individual or group turnout?

Also what are you currently paying monthly In this area?
Thank you for your help!

 

[Shay]

It might be worth posting this on the regional board as the exact access makes such a difference around here. I'm immediately off the A3 15 mins from roehampton so prices are kept slightly higher - go 10 or 15 mins further out and prices drop. Not only because you have a longer drive from London and more limited public transport but also because you are mid green belt to grazing land is more available. But there are also loads of livery yards around here which also has a brake on price - or forces yards to offer more services. (We have 11 yards in a 5 minute radius)

Depending on your exact location it is more likely than not that you will find clients who will want the services you are able to provide - the issue is going to be more what you can charge and if it is then worth the effort for you. We have every permutation available within minutes from high quality competition yards to small no services, no arena DIY. The only thing we don't have unless you go about 5 miles further out is grass only. And that is really because of the cost of land.

For me personally - floodlight surfaced arena - ideally with decent jumps. Decent horse walker. Heated water wash bay. (We have a solarium too - but that is a luxury). Assisted services either on yard or with an approved groom. Secure tack area / storage areas. Staff on site 24/7.

Yes we pay to park lorries / trailers - quite a bit actually. But that does come down to the price of land here.

If you really want to know what we pay PM me - I won't post that on an open forum. And before you ask - no spaces and a waiting list!

 

[chaps89]

Storage! Unless there are communal mucking out tools, and enough to go around, there's one set of barrow/fork/broom etc for people, usually 2 feed bins plus some supplement tubs, then 1 pallet for bedding/hay needed per person. So it takes up more space having DIYers before even adding in room for tack, rugs, first aid kits etc etc. I've only ever been on one yard which had plentiful storage (and all my horsey kit fits in 1 garden chest and 1 tin trunk so I don't have masses of stuff!) And lacking in space to keep things at home myself being able to have somewhere secure for electric fencing/spare water buckets/clean numnahs/usual horse paraphernalia is a real must/bonus.

Good hacking is essential for me (can't really be changed once you're already based at a yard unless they put in off road riding on the yard itself)

In my experience many DIYers will do their horses before/after work which in winter means a floodlit school is useful - I'm very fussy about what surfaces I'll ride on though so a good quality surface would be essential for me if I was paying a price for the livery which reflected that there was a school there.

Personally I'm not a fan of individual turnout and prefer group. However YO has to manage this properly with horses introduced gradually and herds thought out. Also if it's DIY people often seem to have differing ideas of what counts as doing their share of poo picking- easy to spot whose pulling their weight on individual turnout, less so in group, unless the fields are big enough not to poo pick but harrow/roll/rest instead.

Personally services are so helpful, but my life can be a bit random so my use of services can be a bit ad-hoc/subject to change so a yard that could accommodate that (without forgetting to do horse when I do ask- has happened!) Would be great.

I don't have a lorry or trailer so can't comment on that, sorry. I suppose good ground for getting vehicles in and out at all times of year and security would be the priorities- I'd expect to pay for that.

I've paid anything from £120- £190 for DIY livery in West London and Surrey but know of yards which are a bit smarter/in very posh settings and offer things like rubber matted stables, farrier/wash boxes, horse walkers etc etc which are up to to £300/month DIY, I just can't afford that and don't need the fancy extras in all honesty.

 

[Trottingsong]

Most important for me is year round group turn out with no restrictions within reason on what time to turn out/ bring in as many people have long commutes and get to the yard before and after work. For the same reason a lit school is also needed to allow riding in winter. Stable herds and large fields mean less risk of injury.