'Working Livery' - definition?

[MrsHutt]

What do you consider 'working livery' to mean?

Just that something someone said on my other (long and ramblin') post made me think about what is actually meant by the term and what is considered usual to include/not include.

Thanks for your thoughts ...

 

[miller]

Horse on livery at riding school for reduced cost livery as used in lessons - amount used would depend on the contract - that's what my old yard used as WL

 

[JessPickle]

When my boy was on Working livery it meant discounted livery for use in the riding school, maximum 2hrs a day but he never did that, he also was only used Wednesday-Sunday. He probably did max 8hrs a week. Being 17.1hh made him a niche Market!

 

[SavingGrace]

I would expect reduced full livery in return for my horse being used a certain amount of hourse per week on set days. My friends pony is on working livery and the yard have him 3 days a week with a maximum of 3hrs per day and she has him the other 3 days (plus one day off)

 

[PaddyMonty]

Basically it means you pay them for the privilidge of making money out of your horse.
Or to put it another way, they'll knock £30 a week off your livery bill and and make £150+ from using it in lessons for paying customers.

 

[MrsHutt]

Would you expect, then that your horse was used, at least some? Then, if the horse isn't used, is 'full' fee due?

 

[Lurky McLurker]

My horse is on working livery, he's used in lessons (no set days, just when they need him, but I'd say it's about 6 hours a week and they fit it in around what I'm doing with him), he is cared for by the yard staff and all his feed and bedding is included in the livery bill. The yard pays half his farrier bills and there is an arrangement whereby if he is injured whilst being used in lessons, they pay the full vet's bill, if he is injured by something I do with him I pay the full vet's bill, and if he just has an accident in the field or becomes ill we split the bill in half. It suits us perfectly - he's happy and much fitter than he would be with just me riding him, and I pay less than I would for DIY without having to go down at the crack of dawn to muck out.

ETS: If for any reason he can't be used, for instance when we had all the snow or if he goes lame or anything, my livery bill doesn't change.

 

[little_critter]

If the RS chose not to use your horse but he was available for use I wouldn't expect to then have to pay for full livery.
If you have set days when you expect not to be able to ride because they are supposed to use him, but they don't for whatever reason then you have still lost out on the opportunity to ride.
You made the horse available - they chose not to use him; their choice, their loss.

 

[PaddyMonty]

Would you expect, then that your horse was used, at least some? Then, if the horse isn't used, is 'full' fee due?

No way unless they reduce the livery bill by a set % for every lesson the horse is used in.

 

[MrsHutt]

YO is saying he's 'not suitable' for group lessons, or for beginners, so he's not being used in the week at all (maybe once by a yard girl).

He lives out 24/7 and would be brought in to take part in lessons - which obviously he is not doing. I think they bring him in and leave him standing in his pen all day. At this time of year I can only get there at weekends and it worked so well with my previous (loan) mare - she was ridden plenty during the week and left for me at weekends, then in the lighter evenings I could go (and during school holidays I would have her virtually all day). The price is very reasonable, but I wanted him used in the week - no wonder he's going mental!

 

[Lurky McLurker]

Can you afford to pay one of the yard girls to school him for you in the week? Then he'd be a bit less mental when you wanted to ride him, and maybe he'd calm down enough to be used in more lessons too... unless getting him fitter would just make him more of a handful!

 

[MrsHutt]

Can you afford to pay one of the yard girls to school him for you in the week? Then he'd be a bit less mental when you wanted to ride him, and maybe he'd calm down enough to be used in more lessons too... unless getting him fitter would just make him more of a handful!

That was my thinking, actually. One of them is looking for more hours, and i wondered if I could pay her twice a week (I think she's quite good, too!) What would you think was a fair fee if she could do it? I don't think that would get him too fit, just twice in the week?

 

[horsey mad matt]

i used to have my pony on working livery (£172 a month) for a few years, because it was easier for us but then we moved him nearer to home and had him on grass livery (£40 a month + hay and feed cost etc) and would never go back can't emagine not seeing my boy every day now!! also we payed for things that weren't happeing and i feel more of an owner going to see him every day and doin everything for him

 

[galaxy]

I can only refer to the 2 places I have knowledge of doing working livery. In both cases the schools "invest" in their working liveries. In that if a horse needs a bit of work putting into it, one of their staff actually school it. If the horse does not progress as they want they then tell the owner that the horse is not suitable for working livery and the horse has to move onto a different livery so to speak.

I wouldn't worry about him getting "too fit". Unless he's being worked hard for at least an hour a day I doubt that will happen. But I think it is unfair of the school as you mentioned on the other thread, that the kept him in ALL week (no TO at all), didn't exercise him and then moaned that he was too fresh. I feel it is in their interest and should be their duty too to keep him "sane".

 

[saddlesore]

My horse was on working livery when he first moved to current yard as I had a broken ankle and it seemed like a win-win situation. However, he didn't settle at all in the school and he was removed in disgrace lol. I'm still at the yard and now on diy, its not the yards fault that the horse isn't suitable. Not all are cut out for riding school work I'm afraid. Maybe a sharer would be better?

 

[MiJodsR2BlinkinTite]

Mine was on "working livery" at an equestrian college. This meant he was used to teach students on, supposed to be "not more than 3 sessions per day" - "sessions" meant a time-span of 45 mins, and wouldn't have necessarily meant riding, it could have been theory/stable management etc. But in reality I think he was used quite a lot for ridden lessons/assessments etc.

I paid half the discounted yard price for shoes (£30 then); plus routine vacc's/teeth/saddle fitting etc. IF the vet was needed, and it happened whilst the college were using him, if my memory serves me right they paid half and I'd pay half of vets fees for this eventuality.

All fodder/bedding etc was paid for by the college. When he wasn't being used by the college, i.e holiday times; the option was DIY livery at £35 per week, or full livery at £80 per week.

Hope this helps?