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Pheebs
Gold Member
944 Posts |
 Posted - 16 Jul 2011 : 5:49:03 PM
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Basically due to unforseen circumstances I am now having to find a horse to move to our land to keep my horse company, and at the moment it is not financially possible for me to take on a companion so I am going to be looking for someone to "rent" this space in my field from me. I am offering stables/secure tack room/hay storage/running water etc, and was thinking of charging around £15 a week- does this seem reasonable?
Also, to those of you who have done a similar thing, are there any 'ground rules' you put in place, or anything specific I need to look out for/ask etc? Whoever it is will obviously have the keys to our land/tack room and I know it sounds silly but having always had my own horses there it feels a bit odd looking for an outsider to join us! 
Opinions please!
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Edited by - Pheebs on 24 Jul 2011 6:24:46 PM
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Callisto
Platinum Member
6905 Posts |
Posted - 16 Jul 2011 : 5:59:25 PM
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£15 a week sounds reasonable to me. I would get a month's deposit in advance, returnable at the end of tenure if everything ok. Have a written agreement that you are both happy with.
I'm sure that there are loads of things to think about, but I would make sure they have their own mucking out gear, make it clear you do not expect to find that they have been using any of your tack/grooming kit etc. without permission. Poo picking rota? Does their horse kick? They must have insurance (years ago one of our liveries kicked our beloved 30 year old gelding and broke his shoulder - the horse's owner's insurance paid for all the vet's fees and burial in our paddock - poor woman was devastated). Worming rota. Keep their feed seperate in dustbins or similar. Obviously vet them to see whether you can put up with them as a person - nothing worse than someone who irritates you being part of your set up. Also make sure they are competent to look after their own horse(s).
That sounds a bit negative but it can work really well, and gives you a bit of back up if they can feed/turnout for you in times of need. My Mother is still good friends with the woman who was our livery 15 years after she moved out. |
  Zahkira (GR Amaretto x Taffetta)
Linda
East Sussex |
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Pheebs
Gold Member
944 Posts |
Posted - 16 Jul 2011 : 6:04:55 PM
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Thank you for your reply, those are all brilliant points to consider- I know it may all seem obvious but I just want to make sure I don't miss anything crucial.  |
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Vik1
Platinum Member
1711 Posts |
Posted - 16 Jul 2011 : 6:08:44 PM
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When he had the farm I rented out our 4th stable. We charged £15 a week, but that was about 10 years ago now. Id prob charge £20/wk now I think.
We also fed in morning along with ours, changed its rug and turned it out. We didnt do the individual turnout but it end up in the starvy most of the time.
In winter we also brought it in, when we brought ours in. They bought our hay off us, a bale at a time.
I think you need to say what you expect of them and what they can expect from you. ie do you expect them to help with poo picking? Roughly what times are they likely to be at the yard. If they are coming up outwith the normal times, to let you know. Can be quite daunting if they show up late at night in winter when your not expecting it. Make sure you tell them how much turnout they are likely to get in winter months etc. Also they should be told to keep their area tidy at all times, eg empty the wheel barrow. Or if they are available if you need a favour one day. Also discuss worming, farrier, where they can park car/trailer (if allowed) and dogs/kids with them too.
Bear in mind, you do have to be compromise a bit. It can be difficult when youve been on your own for a while and have your own routine. It can feel a bit of an invasion in your private space but you do get used to it as long as your flexible and approachable. |
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Pheebs
Gold Member
944 Posts |
Posted - 16 Jul 2011 : 6:13:07 PM
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| More good points, thanks Vik1. I don't think I'll be too bothered about someone else being up there as long as they are fairly respectful/tidy etc. Thanks again :) |
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Misshana
Silver Member
England
449 Posts |
Posted - 16 Jul 2011 : 8:20:50 PM
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I moved my horse about 2 years ago onto a private family yard.
Has worked really well for both of us. We have someone to talk too - most important lol, company to ride out with, cover for holidays and sickness for both of us. We do poo picking together, friend has 5 horses and I have 1.
We were only talking the other day as she was reluctant to take a livery at the beginning after bad experiences in the past. She now says she would look for someone else if I left as its motivated her into doing more with the horses. And its nice to have someone to chat too!!! |
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TAE
Bronze Member
232 Posts |
Posted - 17 Jul 2011 : 10:20:53 AM
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As a kid we had both good and bad experiences.
We had some great friends to ride out with and help each other.
We also had some who just dissapeared leaving large bills and an abandoned horse.
Having seen my parents learn the hard way, a signed agreement is essential. Include a clause where if the bill goes beyond a certain amount and is then not paid on demand the horse can be sold to cover the bill. Otherwise you are left with another horse to feed that can be very difficult to look after and get rid of.
When I had my old girl in livery the owner later told me that when anyone phoned about livery she would first get them chatting about their horse. If they hadn't had a horse for more than a year she would tell them that she didn't have any spaces.
Her reasoning was that many new horse keepers quit or dissapear when the cold hard work of winter care becomes a reality.
It definately led to a happier yard I met some lovely people there. |
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barbara.gregory
Platinum Member
United Kingdom
4531 Posts |
Posted - 17 Jul 2011 : 10:56:50 AM
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Tae, when I got my first horse I had never had a horse before but had read all the books! I think it would be a shame to discount somone because of their lack of experience. Certainly a young girl with no parental backup but not someone who has wanted a horse all their life as I did and only just been able to get one when her children were teenagers.
There are some very good points and I think £20 - £25 a week (depending on where you are) is about the going rate for DIY with a satble and turnout.
Good luck with finding the right person and horse.
Barbara |
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RUTHIE
Gold Member
United Kingdom
1238 Posts |
Posted - 17 Jul 2011 : 11:05:31 AM
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I have my three horses at home and would welcome a livery in, but our situation does not allow that. I think what you are doing is a great idea but £20.00 is better. Most livery yards charge approx £25.00 for DIY, and will add to that if you need turnout/feeding for you. Having horses at home you tend to lose companionship, help and someone to ride with, so that in its self is an advantage.
Good luck. |
     
In Memory of Crystal Flash 2010-2012 |
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peg
Silver Member
United Kingdom
349 Posts |
Posted - 17 Jul 2011 : 1:50:11 PM
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I would agree- charge £25. We set up a livery yard some years ago and gave our liveries a cheaper rate than anywhere around us. These individuals are making constant demands even though we have continued to improve the yard at no extra cost to them (e.g. installing horsewalker) and I can not begin to tell you how fed up I am with the whining and "entitlement" of a bunch of spoilt, bored, lazy brats. What starts out as a fun idea soon turns into something different. Ok I am a bit angry today (it's my birthday - we were going to do something nice and the b****y liveries are demanding again) but do think carefully before you do yourself out of money that you have every right to ask for.
P |
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RUTHIE
Gold Member
United Kingdom
1238 Posts |
Posted - 17 Jul 2011 : 1:55:57 PM
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| Happy Birthday, peg and hope your day gets better. |
In Memory of Crystal Flash 2010-2012 |
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complete novice
Gold Member
831 Posts |
Posted - 17 Jul 2011 : 2:42:55 PM
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| I would ask for 3 months in advance as a deposit handed back if everything is fine when they leave, something as small as a lost key will cost to replace as I would want to replace the lock not just the key, people often value more those things that have a higher price, £20-£25 depending on what's available to them, ie. would you expect a contribution to water costs if it's metered? If their horse damaged fencing who would pay for repairs? Hope it works out well, don't forget to let us know! |
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Pheebs
Gold Member
944 Posts |
Posted - 17 Jul 2011 : 7:07:54 PM
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Sorry to hear that Peg hope you're feeling better now and had a good day in the end  |
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Vik1
Platinum Member
1711 Posts |
Posted - 17 Jul 2011 : 7:30:27 PM
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Oh and another thing to consider...if there horse causes damage to stable or something else..is it your insurance that covers it? Or do you expect to get them to pay for it. Maybe something to put in the written agreement and make sure they are aware of it.
A livery near me is getting a rep for padlocking trailers or horses in stables on the day horses are due to move elsewhere. Owners are getting presented with bill of £800 upwards for 'damage' to stable walls (ie kick marks). They have to pay upfront or they dont get their horse! However, this is a proper established livery yard and personally I think, this sort of stuff is what you pay livery for..maintenance and it should be the yard insurance that covers these things.
On a small private yard, if my horse kicked a wall badly, I think I would expect to pay for it to be fixed. |
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jacki
Platinum Member
United Kingdom
1988 Posts |
Posted - 17 Jul 2011 : 7:49:40 PM
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Where about are you? This will depend on the price. Will you help with bringing in and turning out? Rug channges? Feed them, make feeds up or just put over door what they left! Where will hay come from? What area will they have for their stuff? Who pays if the horse eats fence or stable? Do they use your farrier? Vet? Tack insured? Do you have a school? Jump paddock? Do they have dogs or kids? Does anyone else ride their horse? Notice? Deposit? Payment weekly monthly in advance or arrears?
I pay £50 a week for stable feeding turnout 4 bales of hay use of jump paddock and school. 24hr on site with cameras and if I can't get up knowing he will be cared for properly! I pooh pick myself and my dog and kids are always welcome. I'm one of two liveries plus the yard owners horses. Yeah it's a little pricey but it's close to home and has everything I want.
Hope this helps a bit |
sittingbourne kent |
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peg
Silver Member
United Kingdom
349 Posts |
Posted - 18 Jul 2011 : 08:32:12 AM
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Thanks for lovely comments!
Don't want to put a downer on it but things we did not consider when we went into it and are added costs include water use (this can be astronomical, especially when liveries soak hay twice a day for instance), things like pest control (we had a £121 bill from rentokill for removing a wasp's nest last week - this would wipe out 1 months+ income if you charged £25!), repairs to stables (1 of our liveries' horses regularly kicks holes into the stable boards which we have replaced 3 times now (they are in the region of £35 each, not including labour) etc etc..... Then suddenly £25 really doesn't seem very much at all! Also I would urge you to draw up a contract outlining responsibilities. Good luck! |
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gossy
Platinum Member
England
3639 Posts |
Posted - 19 Jul 2011 : 10:36:54 AM
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| your so right Peg, and belated happy birthday xx |
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Tomos
Gold Member
Wales
940 Posts |
Posted - 19 Jul 2011 : 11:03:07 AM
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Hi Pheebs, I used to run a small livery yard, and had contracts with my liveries. As part of the contract I provided forage, bedding and inclusion in the worming program, I did this purely for horse welfare in case I got anyone who was a bit haphazard about caring for their horse, it meant that if you landed up with a less than caring owner at the very least the horse had hay and a decent bed.
Fortunately I never got anyone dodgy and it all worked well, just be sure you have the ground rules before you start, its much harder to implement them later,
Good Luck
Mandy
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"An eye for an eye will make the whole world blind" Gandhi
www.hispanoarabeswales.co.uk
www.thewelshcrabbetshow.org.uk |
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Pheebs
Gold Member
944 Posts |
Posted - 24 Jul 2011 : 6:04:48 PM
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Hi again everyone.
Thank you all for the thoughtful and detailed replies (I sometimes wonder what I'd do without this forum  ) you all gave me alot to think about! Originally advertised at £15 pw but after taking on board your advice I upped this to £20 and have only had one reply! Who turned out to be unsuitable in the end anyway. I am going to try different places to advertise soon but find this unbelievable... I am offering grazing. stable. secure tack room, hay/feed storage, company of my horse and running water on site (plus my partner lives there so no worries on security front) in a nice quiet horsey area and quite incorrectly thought I'd be inundated with responses... and I'm feeling worried and disheartened.
I have two months before I move altogether and around 6 weeks before his current companion (my arab on loan) returns to her owner. My partner will remain there so he will be well cared for and I have found a lovely rider for him but I hate the thought of him being without a horsey playmate! Sorry to moan to people who probably have far bigger problems but I am despairing.
Pheebs x |
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Paresh
Gold Member
613 Posts |
Posted - 24 Jul 2011 : 6:57:02 PM
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Pheebs where abouts are you? if you message me an advert I will happily post it to a closed forum which is members only, no one thats not vetted is alloud(spelt correctly I think :) ) which is mainly english frequented.
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Pheebs
Gold Member
944 Posts |
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Paresh
Gold Member
613 Posts |
Posted - 24 Jul 2011 : 7:37:19 PM
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will pop it up tomorrow, just away to take ponies/arabs/pbs in just now lol
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complete novice
Gold Member
831 Posts |
Posted - 09 Aug 2011 : 8:39:18 PM
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| Have you had any luck finding a horse to keep yours company yet? |
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Pheebs
Gold Member
944 Posts |
Posted - 09 Aug 2011 : 9:10:07 PM
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A lovely lady came over on Sunday and fingers crossed she seemed very keen so fingers crossed it all goes ahead!
Thanks for the support everyone, will keep you posted
Pheebs x |
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complete novice
Gold Member
831 Posts |
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honey
Platinum Member
N. Ireland
2634 Posts |
Posted - 09 Aug 2011 : 10:43:42 PM
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| thats brill good luck and hope all goes well. |
    
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*Update* to those who had a "livery" on land...
