Livery

[SilliamWhale]

I have to disagree with most of the above, been doing diy livery for over 20 years now and it pretty well looks after it's self most of the time, never had any trouble with bad debts and find it a lot less hassle than keeping cattle or sheep and also a lot more profitable

How profitable is it?

 

[billboy 1]

I have to disagree with most of the above, been doing diy livery for over 20 years now and it pretty well looks after it's self most of the time, never had any trouble with bad debts and find it a lot less hassle than keeping cattle or sheep and also a lot more profitable

Same here it never fails to amaze me the negative comments from some farmers on here about livery . Done right it will be the best paying enterprise you could have . The only advice I would give you is don't do it unless you or your partner have experience with horses otherwise some of the owners will try to take advantage of that inexperience start small ( 6 stables ) get a good reputation and build slowly watch the money come in simples [emoji3] we have 40 now

 

[wilber]

I have to disagree with most of the above, been doing diy livery for over 20 years now and it pretty well looks after it's self most of the time, never had any trouble with bad debts and find it a lot less hassle than keeping cattle or sheep and also a lot more profitable

How many do you have?
What facilites are available?
DIY, Full or do you mix it up?
Plenty of bridle ways available?

Livery is the same as many other types of diversification. location, location, location, planning hurdles.

 

[Chasingmytail]

Same here it never fails to amaze me the negative comments from some farmers on here about livery . Done right it will be the best paying enterprise you could have . The only advice I would give you is don't do it unless you or your partner have experience with horses otherwise some of the owners will try to take advantage of that inexperience start small ( 6 stables ) get a good reputation and build slowly watch the money come in simples [emoji3] we have 40 now

I wouldnt assume the majority of done it wrong at all. Like many we made massive investments and changes but it depends on your location and the wealth of the area. If you have a good location with real 'proper' horse people then you are at an advantage. Depending on your hacking, tourist trap and associated links ie roads etc. How much investment did you make from the outset? New barns, menage, walkers, fencing, water etc.

If like many you convert a few barns and offer DIY only then you are attracting the lower poorer end which is problematic. Firstly you are attracting the hoopers, the cheaters and the liers. The inability to read and understand the terms and conditions and the common problem of many ladies you rent who think they have a right to the farm. I have endless stories that are typical of many small yard owners. Unless the farmers wife is happy to do all the dogs work the average farmer is not going to want to be mucking out or organising the worming.

If in your own experience your yard is a business in itself and do no farming now as a yard this size would be taking you 110% of your time - I expect you employ a few people too. I would find it hard to believe you have no hassle as all the yard owners I know work their guts out to keep the place ticking over and sorting out all the politics.

I would not recommend a small scale livery on a DIY basis for the time it takes and the return for the hassle. Yes if you were in a prime area and demand was there where you could offer full services with all the expected luxuries but that comes at a price.

 

[billboy 1]

I wouldnt assume the majority of done it wrong at all. Like many we made massive investments and changes but it depends on your location and the wealth of the area. If you have a good location with real 'proper' horse people then you are at an advantage. Depending on your hacking, tourist trap and associated links ie roads etc. How much investment did you make from the outset? New barns, menage, walkers, fencing, water etc.

If like many you convert a few barns and offer DIY only then you are attracting the lower poorer end which is problematic. Firstly you are attracting the hoopers, the cheaters and the liers. The inability to read and understand the terms and conditions and the common problem of many ladies you rent who think they have a right to the farm. I have endless stories that are typical of many small yard owners. Unless the farmers wife is happy to do all the dogs work the average farmer is not going to want to be mucking out or organising the worming.

If in your own experience your yard is a business in itself and do no farming now as a yard this size would be taking you 110% of your time - I expect you employ a few people too. I would find it hard to believe you have no hassle as all the yard owners I know work their guts out to keep the place ticking over and sorting out all the politics.

I would not recommend a small scale livery on a DIY basis for the time it takes and the return for the hassle. Yes if you were in a prime area and demand was there where you could offer full services with all the expected luxuries but that comes at a price.

Not sure if that's all aimed at me or not I never said people are doing it wrong what I said was I'm always amazed at the negative comments about horses or livery on here . Your right though it's not for everybody and it's definitely not easy and it does come with its fair share of hassles ( doesn't everything? ) but for us definitely working .

 

[rob1]

I have been doing it for 20 yrs, the odd bit of hassle but as bill said what doesnt cause that now and again?, start small and IMVHO never let a horsey girl be in charge, they will get into little cliques and fall out, this causes some to leave and a new one in causes a bit of a stir, far better that the owner has nothing to do with horses and runs it as a business pure and simple, so many yards round here are run by the lady of the farm and they always seem to have more trouble and change of clients than ones like me. I have two rules. 1 Keep your nose out of everyones business, 2 what I say goes, they get one warning any more problems and they leave, not had any go for several years but did give two a warning a month ago, one my eldest step sons GF who thought she could tell others how to behave, she knows different now.
Make sure you provide all feed and straw as lots of arguments start over feed
good money if you do it right but you need to be a good judge of people so to keep out the nut cases, dont over charge, if you dont you will be full and have a waiting list and can pick who comes

 

[Daddy Pig]

How many do you have?
What facilites are available?
DIY, Full or do you mix it up?
Plenty of bridle ways available?

Livery is the same as many other types of diversification. location, location, location, planning hurdles.

we have 22 stables, and individual paddocks all fenced with single strand electric fence, all diy, got a walker and a floodlit school and a 5 furlong grass gallop, yes got plenty of bridleways, we buy in approx. 120 bales of straw a year and make all our own haylidge, input from me is approx. half an hour a day sometimes a bit more but often none at all leaving me free to do other things

 

[Ray]

What about business rates??... I was talking to a bloke last week who had diversified into livery, he told me he'd been hit with £70,000 to pay in back dated business rates!

 

[rob1]

What about business rates??... I was talking to a bloke last week who had diversified into livery, he told me he'd been hit with £70,000 to pay in back dated business rates!

ex farm buildings and small businesses have been exempt since 2010 (think thats the right date) as long as the rateable value is below 6000 a year, this has now doubled to 12,000, not sure why he is facing a bill, but if for some reason his livery is liable then they can back date the bill, off the top of my head I cant remember how new buildings are treated but in any case to be above the old 6,000 limit he must have a fair setup

 

[Ray]

ex farm buildings and small businesses have been exempt since 2010 (think thats the right date) as long as the rateable value is below 6000 a year, this has now doubled to 12,000, not sure why he is facing a bill, but if for some reason his livery is liable then they can back date the bill, off the top of my head I cant remember how new buildings are treated but in any case to be above the old 6,000 limit he must have a fair setup

He reckoned he had 40 full time livery, all in £100 each per week. Not sure if new buildings had been erected, but he did say it beats milking cows. Don't know the guy well, was just buying something from him and got chatting.

 

[Daddy Pig]

we are below the limit so get 100% relief

 

[theboytheboy]

What's the limit?
Wondering if we have been paying when we shouldn't. We don't have many more than you

 

[rob1]

He reckoned he had 40 full time livery, all in £100 each per week. Not sure if new buildings had been erected, but he did say it beats milking cows. Don't know the guy well, was just buying something from him and got chatting.

To be fair if he has 40 stables and for that number he would need a walker and covered school at least he would be well over the old limit but maybe under the new one but at £100 a wk each he should be well able to pay the rates bill

 

[Daddy Pig]

100% relief up to £6000 rateable value then on a sliding scale up to £12000, all changes next year to 100% up to £12000 if my memory is correct, you need to apply to get the relief, they don't come offering it

 

[theboytheboy]

Thanks

 

[wilber]

He reckoned he had 40 full time livery, all in £100 each per week. Not sure if new buildings had been erected, but he did say it beats milking cows. Don't know the guy well, was just buying something from him and got chatting.

No wonder he a 70K bill with those sorts of figures. He must have one hell of a setup.

 

[rob1]

No wonder he a 70K bill with those sorts of figures. He must have one hell of a setup.

Feck i read it as 7,000 not 70,000 thats almost enough to pay the council tea bill for a month. Robbing barstewards

 

[SilliamWhale]

He reckoned he had 40 full time livery, all in £100 each per week. Not sure if new buildings had been erected, but he did say it beats milking cows. Don't know the guy well, was just buying something from him and got chatting.

I could handle £4k a week very nicely

 

[Pedders]

I could handle £4k a week very nicely

you'd end up spending half of it on fast women and fast cars ..and the rest you'd just waste

 

[rob1]

you'd end up spending half of it on fast women and fast cars ..and the rest you'd just waste

Bugger the fast cars . Just women and skiing, two combined would be even better