Christmas begging has started early this year!

[nelly55]

OH went to horse sales just to see what it’s like,Came home in tears 2 foals £20 That was all they sold for.There was plenty walking about in the latest horse gear.

 

[Brisel]

Not sure how to read your post if I am honest Brisel, so I will tread carefully at this point to avoid any misunderstanding..

I will therefore answer in part, until I understand fully which angle you are coming at me from here - be that a personal dig of some kind following your pariah quip or something else..

We moved into a rather neglected property with 25 acres due to our requirements of land for our horses.

Currently (as can be read on here) we have been / are buying certain items of agricultural equipment to repair stock fencing / damage caused to the land through ignorance and neglect, reading what I can to learn more about certain skills I will need whilst setting up a smallholding to allow for keeping / culling our own reared stock etc...

We currently have a local farmer graze our fields FOC as we are not out to fudge anyone over and we will always look to try to help where we are able. We take nothing for granted and we value the support we are given when given... But equally will comment when generalised comments are made.

In relation to liveries and pony paddocks, well, our property is set out for full commercial livery, but I chose not to go this route to avoid potential issues that could arise as a result, much like I would ask for cash on delivery instead of moaning later...
It is just how I work, as for me, there is no point moaning about something, if it can be avoided in the first instance... Life is simply far too short..

Additionally, we pay for everything before (up front) or on delivery - as we do not like keeping people waiting for their money that is owed, as we know and appreciate it can impact a business cash flow adversely.

Sorry - that was a bit of a knee jerk reaction to your post. I can see why you rose to the bait!

Farmers can be slow payers - my straw buyers take months to pay even though I know a few of them have already sold it on. It has been a while since I've had a bad debt. I've rung & asked for the full details as I fill in the Small Claims forms which usually ensures a non rubber cheque gets hand delivered pretty quickly...

 

[Clive]

God I detest these generalized statements that people with horses have no bloody money and are bad payers, and are somehow different to many other people akin to businesses on here!

I suppose therefore All Farmers have loads of money in the bank, never take credit and then for some - have a business model built on overdafts, taking government payments to keep them afloat... or they would sink due to poor business model and sh!t cash flow control!!

Maybe you should be more diligent with your business and take the money on delivery for everything you sold, instead of moaning when you are put in this position...

25 year of running a livery yard and i'm afraid it really is true - we have had load (and I mean) load of non payers over the years, vets won't visit a lot without payment up front etc and they think its ok for their horse to do damage etc and not pay for it

I see some of them living on the bread line but still they insist on keeping a horse - we had a lady a few years ago who had 5 horses, she had 6 kids (all of which seem less cared for than the blinking horses !) , was s single mum that was 100% dependant upon social security ! how is that even possible !

There are good guys as well of course and sound like you a one of them but unfortunately that's not the norm with horse owners

 

[Will Wilson]

You are bonkers to deliver without payment.

 

[Ukjay]

It wasn’t meant to anyway. Most of/ the majority of mine are COD or leave it hidden in the feed rooms etc and I lock up on my way out. The trust worth’s both ways. Some however are the total opposite and it’s weeding them out before you take them on as customers.

It is unfortunate that it is like that especially if like you, you have given goods on trust, and I agree in part as we have had to use honesty boxes when we use facilities on Farms (gallops, cross country facilities etc), whereby I actually photograph money left in case someone nicks it.
I prefer to pay via bacs or direct to the vendors hand.

 

[ollie989898]

My other is one of the very few select equine clients in the practice who can have a vet out or have drugs sent out with prior payment.

 

[Ukjay]

25 year of running a livery yard and i'm afraid it really is true - we have had load (and I mean) load of non payers over the years, vets won't visit a lot without payment up front etc and they think its ok for their horse to do damage etc and not pay for it

I see some of them living on the bread line but still they insist on keeping a horse - we had a lady a few years ago who had 5 horses, she had 6 kids (all of which seem less cared for than the blinking horses !) , was s single mum that was 100% dependant upon social security ! how is that even possible !

There are good guys as well of course and sound like you a one of them but unfortunately that's not the norm with horse owners

Hi Clive,

Ironically, I actually agree with a lot of what the farming community say on the whole as can be evidenced on some of my posts (I will debate as well), but I truly detest the blanket statements that we are all the same..

Simple reason: I always try to avoid situations that end up saying things that imply people are the same, I simply treat people as I find them, day by day, year by year basis... But I do look at things holistically before agreeing to do something..

Yes, we are not from farming backgrounds - and I would probably agree we are possibly mad for even contemplating building a smallholding on our property, but at the end of the day - I will endeavour to try and maintain a balanced rather than a generalised view of things, even when I have been met with hurdles.

I also agree that people should not be allowed to keep any animal if they are unable to do so financially - as well as ethically, and yes, that includes anyone, in any walk of life - inclusive of farmers

 

[bobk]

You are bonkers to deliver without payment.

This ^^

All my customers pay on collection or delivery , if they want credit go to the bank .

 

[Ukjay]

My other is one of the very few select equine clients in the practice who can have a vet out or have drugs sent out with prior payment.

We always have to chase our Equine Vet to get the bill following annual jabs etc, as they are so slow at doing paperwork.

The dogs vets are the complete opposite, very efficient.

 

[honeyend]

I have been on a few livery yards over the years and my opinion is they would rather buy the 'new season' patterned horse rug which the blooming animal doesn't need than buy and pay for hay.
They see grass as not a crop, but something that appears spontaneously and will listen to and believe any fad doing the rounds, rather the person who actually does all the graft.
I would say, from my experience,70% are nut jobs and having tried having a couple of liveries I had a strike rate of 100%, one of which I almost got the bailiffs out to get rid of.
.

 

[Yale]

Do we get the feeling a recession is on the way....

....medium to expensive houses are just not selling around here,only if heavily discounted.

 

[Ukjay]

Do we get the feeling a recession is on the way....

....medium to expensive houses are just not selling around here,only if heavily discounted.

Do not know where here is, but probably related to the "B" word uncertainty.
A bit risky to move currently as you may then find the economy has hit a nose dive into the gutter - resulting in negative equity of your home if borrowed to the hilt...

 

[lazy farmer]

Do we get the feeling a recession is on the way....

....medium to expensive houses are just not selling around here,only if heavily discounted.

It’s called brexit uncertainty

 

[oakleaf]

Have read this thread up to here and my thoughts are here we go again źźzzzzzzz

 

[Still Farming]

Get a mobile card payment reader and payment or nothing?

 

[rob1]

Dont know whats up with those that dont get paid, Ive been dealing with horse folk for 40 years and once I have been dealing with one for a couple of years and know they pay I am happy to deliver in summer and get paid so much per month through the winter, never been caught YET, all the years ive been running the livery not had one bad payer, but Im particular about who we let in, as we are competitive on price and service I always have a waiting list so can be choosey. Mind perhaps its because im a mad barsteward helps perhaps they are too scared not to pay.

Some farmers are far worse payers than the majority of horse folk imo

 

[Daddy Pig]

I've been running a livery yard for 25 years and only had one non payer and that was only a couple of hundred quid, made some good friends along the way too yes you do get some hassle from them sometimes but nothing compared to keeping cattle

 

[delilah]

I'm fairly laid back about the money side of things as we only do deliveries so, to coin a phrase, we know where they live. The thing that really annoys me is when they text at midnight to ask for more hay, idiots.

 

[kiwi pom]

There seems to be a lot of farmers on here that provide feed for horses is it that common or just that a lot that do it post on here?
I'm trying to square it with the whole "we farm to provide the public with cheap food" line that gets used a lot, I was struggling but then I remembered the Asda horse meat thing, so fair enough I suppose.

 

[Lincs Lass]

Landlord before he past away got stitched up by the horsey crowd ,he was the type that was so easy going ,he would happily take them bedding and hay and not worry when they were going to pay ,,they got nasty surprise when his brother landed them with a huge bill ,,pay up now or you dont get any more and when they did eventually cough up ,the next time they asked for a bale ,it was money up front before you get anything