I was shocked to read that the going rate for Do It Yourself (DIY) livery is between £30 and £40 at most places a week. This includes nothing apart from a stable, use of the arena and a field ONLY during dry periods.
Full livery can cost in the region of £150 a week and this includes most requirements apart from farrier, vets and any other care such as emergencies.
It shocks me that people pay such a huge amount a year to own a horse and often you will find people not just one, but maybe two or three equines. I am guilty of this and between us my dad and I own six at the moment. Albeit, a couple are school ponies that we have in our riding school.I am interested to know what you pay for you livery and in return what you expect.
At my yard we charge £22.50 a week and without a doubt offer the best facilities in our area for that price. However it doesn't stop the complaints and I don't think livery yards can ever keep every individual happy - there are so many needs one requires that to tick everyones requirements off you would need a small fortune of money.
In return for £22.50 a week, which is the cost of DIY Livery we offer the following:
- Outdoor olympic sized, all weather flood lit arena
- Canteen with tea/coffee making facilities
- 2 viewing boxes that overlook the menage
- Viewing veranda overlooking the menage
- Cabin that has heating in for the cold weather
- Course of show jumps, fillers and some cross-country fences
- All weather turnout. Admittedly this all weather turnout is on a rota now in bad weather BUT it means we will have good grass when spring comes.
- Individual turnout
- Off road hacking through our own private woodland. This leads to our very own large haulage field which you can ride around at your leisure
- All stables are in a barn which has CCTV and 365 day a year security.
- Tack rooms are all very secure with padlocks and CCTV operating throughout
- On site riding instructor which is available as and when you need her
- Owners lorry to use. Yes, at a small extra cost but this only covers its MOT, tax and insurance.
- Cheaper clinics with riders like Joe Whitaker, Lionel Dunning and Penny Hollings
- Post and rail fencing - some electric in places but all paddocks are sturdy and with post fencing
- Cross-country course is currently being built
- Individual lockers to store tack in etc- Shared feed-rooms between 3/4 of you
- Hay/Straw/Feed/Shavings sold on site
- Tack shop for liveries
- Help and assistance 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and 365 days a year.
+ MORE!
For £22.50 a week, this barely covers the cost of lighting, broken fencing and all other areas that need regular repair work and attention.
In this snowy weather we have ensured all liveries have had water available at all times for their horses. Only two taps are not frozen on the yard and the yard manager has filled up all buckets so even DIY liveries do not have to fetch it themselves.
I am interested to know what you pay and in return what facilities you receive. Also, roughly, how much per annum do you spend on your horse. If you are a competition rider I am sure this is a much higher amount than what happy hackers pay?
Tweet me @FurryMane or comment below so I can expand on this further.
yours sounds really good! I pay £30 a week for grass livery. Includes just a large field which he's out in all year round 24/7 (tbh it is really big) use of 2 large outdoors and 1 20x40 indoor in the winter. Off-road hacking. Also tie-up under the tack room. We pay extra for catching in, farrier, etc. We have a xc course as well but it's not too good and no one uses it. Although it sounds like we have good arenas, at the weekend we can hardly use them due to the riding club using it all the time! Day boxes are about £8 extra a week. DIY is about £60 a week and full is about £100+ for turnout, rug change, muck-out, skip-out and feet picked out. :) x
ReplyDeletechigwell essex £40pw for stable and grazing fields only open 2 hour a day monday to friday in winter but school turn out for those that cant go out in the mud 24 hour t/o in summer girls and boys in seperate large fields. horses live in heards
ReplyDeletem/out 4.50 week 5.00 weekend t/o b/i 1.00 each .50 rug change. locked alamed tack room, own cuboard for feeds bedding hay straw feed shavings sold on yard
we have 2 out door menages dressage short and long well looked after and flood lit. range of show jumps and several miles of off road hacking instructors welcome sue sofar and rolo