What Would You Pay for This Type of Livery?

[Maesfen]

I've been asked to come up with a price for winter livery and would appreciate your help and advice please.

Owner has two horses; one in work, the other a youngster. Both would be stabled at night, turned out for day after she has ridden the one. For weekdays, she will feed everything in the morning, ride then do her boxes and we'd turn everything out. In the evening, I will bring in and do rugs for her. Weekends, I'd be doing it all for her (bar riding).
I will be supplying stable, bedding (shavings), Hay/haylage and turnout (hers will probably be kept together in another field from mine cos of shoes). She will only supply feed for hers. We do not have a school but this isn't a problem for her as she hunts/hacks only and we are in a good area for that. Bear in mind that after winter, she will be returning to her own fields (rented) that will have been rested while she is with me leaving me probably, with a boggy field to get right for the spring/summer!
Is it worth the hassle or would I be better off resting my field ready for the spring and for my own horses? I know the money will come in handy and probably pay for my bedding and feed, possibly more besides but does it warrant having a field trashed?

 

[vanessahook]

In my area (Kent), you would probably be looking at about £50 a week per horse for that sort of arrangement. Sounds very convenient for the owner, but as you say if it means your fields get trashed then no amount of money can repair a field quickly.

 

[Claireg9]

How much land do you have? Are you not able to still keep some aside for the winter?
If you go ahead id say £70 - £100 a month for the both horses, bearing in mind your supplying hay and bedding, but she is helping you out by mucking out.
But i maybe way out??

 

[Joules]

Yeah around here that would prob be about £40 ish a week per horse!

But it depends, if you are worried about your fields and she is only at yours over winter, is it really worth it?

 

[AmyMay]

Could you work on the basis of basic DIY - then add on.

So:

DIY: - circa £25 per week
Haylay: - £7 per week
TO/Bring In: - £2 a time
Shavings: - £5 per bale
Full muck out: - £5 per stable

The fields will recover quickly with only two horses on it. And as you say the money will come in usefull.

It's more a question really I would have thought of if you want the extra work??

 

[tuscanyD]

Re bedding hay and haylage - when you say you're supplying it are you just going to charge her a flat fee or for what she actually uses?

If flat fee then I suggest you work out her likely usage first and make sure it errs on the high side. You don't want to end up with a boggy field AND out of pocket.
Recommend you keep a log of what she uses and charge her each week or month accordingly. Better for you.

re box/field - I pay £50 per month but that is VERY cheap and we have to cough up a £75 one off fee in summer for extra grazing.

£65 for box/field seems like a good compromise between bargain bin and too expensive

Then add turning out/bringing in x 7 days a week @ £1 per day [very cheap - thats only 50p per horse per day!] = £28 per month
Mucking out x 2 [sat & sun] got to be worth a fiver per stable? = £40 per month

so that means

£65 + £28 + £40 = £132 profit plus charge for hay/bedding on top
Sound like what you were expecting? Weigh it up against what it'llcost to put your field right after.

Do you know her well? Is she going to be a nuisance or a bad payer? May not be worth the hassle in the long term

 

[Oaksflight]

Weekdays is similar to 5 day a week part-livery, which round here is about £47 a week for 16hh horse. Then full livery at weekends which is most around £65. But this is for a yard with good facilities (floodlight school xc course horse walker, jumping field in summer). So basically, I would say about £45 a week per horse?

 

[Judie]

I pay £55 per week and in the winter have turn out and bring in only, no feed/bedding/hay etc x 7 days. I would think you would need to be £50 for the above (although I think I am charged a lot for that service) + mucking out at weekends, I would be charged £6 a day for that and the bedding 2 x bags per week per horse minimum + haylage x 2, so you're looking at: £81 per week per horse, unless you reduce the £50 for the stable/grasing and turn in/out.

God that sounds a lot, would be cheaper for me to go part livery!!

 

[AmyMay]

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I would say about £45 a week per horse?

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Just done some numbers - I don't think that you can do this type of livery for less than £90 per horse per week. You will cover your costs - but won't have much profit.

 

[Oaksflight]

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I would say about £45 a week per horse?

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Just done some numbers - I don't think that you can do this type of livery for less than £90 per horse per week. You will cover your costs - but won't have much profit.

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[MillionDollar]

I would say around £65 per week per horse, well thats what it would be around here in Warwickshire. Hope this helps.

 

[Maesfen]

Thanks, knew I could count on you!

She's a great girl, was here last year with an old horse that was sadly put down in the spring after a heart attack. She now has Parker of Parker's Mum fame from on here on loan plus Bear, my 2 year old - she also makes cracking chocolate cake which has to be a bonus!!
Last year I charged her £40 for the same but with feed included although I did more mucking out than she did so I wasn't far wrong I don't think.
It amazes me what some of you have to pay, there is no way I could get away with that sort of money for this sort of livery; I suppose because there isn't the demand for it around here so people can pick and choose. This year we have mostly home made haylage (haven't opened any yet, I'm keeping my fingers crossed,!) which obviously costs more to make than our usual hay so that has to go in the equation too. ATM I have enough to last mine all through winter but if hers are here I might have to buy in more when it will be at the dearer part of the year but haven't enough room for storage now so if the price rises then so will her livery bill have to too.

If I'm honest, the money will come in handy as I like to be independent from OH (stubborn redhead comes to mind!) but don't know if I can tolerate the ear bashing I always get when it's time to sort the fields out after the winter as he hates to see them looking like mud baths, but this year I have far fewer here anyway (only 4 instead of 8) so it shouldn't be that much of a problem.

 

[tuscanyD]

ah well you didn't say anything about chocolate cake...
if chocolate cake involved then OBVIOUSLY it's worth it

 

[tuscanyD]

PS

£40 per week or per month...?

 

[Maesfen]

PMSL! A week, not quite THAT stupid even with the chocolate cake!!

 

[tuscanyD]

I'd move to Wynnstay [wherever it is ] for £40 per month!

 

[Maesfen]

Sorry, you read it wrong; don't up sticks just yet! I said £40 a week each horse, not a month!

 

[tuscanyD]

Too late - I'm on way.
Suitcases under arm, horse in tow.
Expect me at 7pm ish - what's for dinner?

 

[tuscanyD]

ps. The line about moving was meant to be a joke - plainly I'm not as funny as I think I am...!

 

[Maesfen]

Well that is a bummer - I've just taken a joint (of the eating variety!) out, made the bed, picked some plums for crumble, flowers for the cabinet - do you really mean you're not coming after all this? If that's the case, your livery will be treble!

 

[tuscanyD]

"I've just taken a joint (of the eating variety!) out"

I thought of a clever comment then though I ought to keep my mouth shut - impressionable young people, not big or clever etc etc

 

[Maesfen]

Definitely not clever. Mine have only ever been of the eating kind - at my age I don't intend to try any other and I should have known better than to include that, don't know why I did TBH; very sorry everyone.

 

[tuscanyD]

I wasn't critisising you!!
I thought it was hilarious - was censoring myself from elaborating.
Where's my plum crumble?

 

[nicknack]

[ QUOTE ]
Well that is a bummer - I've just taken a joint (of the eating variety!) out, made the bed, picked some plums for crumble, flowers for the cabinet - do you really mean you're not coming after all this? If that's the case, your livery will be treble!

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How domestic! I'm very impressed!!!!

 

[vanessahook]

£40 a week is excellent, i might come too!!
Kent is so overpriced, im on full livery with admittedly very good facilities but for my £100 a week my horse's feet dont get picked out and you're only allowed 2 bales of shavings and basic feed and an allowance of hay!! oh yeah and very limited turnout in the winter!!

 

[Maesfen]

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How domestic! I'm very impressed!!!!

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People that know me would be shocked - that is so not me!!

but I can make a good crumble, not much else mind!

 

[Maesfen]

You could always get a season ticket and come up for weekends! Been meaning to get a caravan, you could stay in that!

It horrifies me what some of you have to pay; if I lived down there now I think I would have given up and started knitting bedsocks for a hobby instead. Have to say, I think some of your YOs and YM really do take the pi** when they think up livery charges; how can mucking out be worth £5, it doesn't take an hour to do each box?!

 

[tuscanyD]

I think my £50 per month for stable/turn out is very good [no plum crumble though...] - its a small yard and we share turning out/bringing in in shifts so wedon't all have to be there twice a day. Works very well.
Never asked her to muck out so don't know what I'd get charged but if someone wanted me to do it I'd charge £5 because I drive a hard bargain and hate mucking out.

 

[Theresa_F]

I pay 27.50 for DIY per week but we do have a school. Turnout is 24 x 7 in summer and from 9 to 4 four days a week in winter. We provide all bedding, hay and feeds.

I then pay £1 for my horse to be given breakfast which is by the door, rug changed (if needed) and turned out and brought in and given a net and feed which I have prepared. This is a flat fee so I can pay £1 just to have my horse given a feed in the field in the morning, but it works out normally in my favor.

I pay £2.50 for a muck out (I am on rubber mats), £1.50 for a skip, 50p for feet picking and 50p for rugs changed when brought in.

I love plum crumble and my boys are well behaved and I am a very clean and tidy tenant who pays promptly.

 

[Maesfen]

I better start building more stables - else make and sell loads of plum crumble - would it travel well do you think?!

Now you see, I wouldn't even think about charging for a skip out (which I do as and when needed for mine which is usually after I've fed at tea time then again at bedtime) and I always do all the boxes as a matter of course - they're not in all day are they but it just makes life a little easier in the morning (not so many barrows to shift!) I just find it hard that people can be so petty about that; why not have a flat fee where that will be included? I know it helps that we live on the premises and can do them at any time which has been known after a night out, also that I do everything myself, don't have to pay anyone to do them; even OH will do them if I fancy an early night/late morning!

Meant to say, I was considering just charging £20 each for stable and turnout and she can supply everything for her horses but might get into problems with storing it all; at least if it's just my stuff it'll all be neat, tidy and under cover, not sure we've got the space to have piles of shavings and haylage anywhere else which is why it's easier all round if I supply bedding/haylage in the first place. What do you think?