Looking For Cheap Livery? Discover The True Cost Of Running A Livery Yard

How can other livery yards offer the same facilities for less?

 

The list of hidden costs for yard owners is somewhat endless. The most overlooked are the smallest costs, which certainly add up over time, not to mention the need for a contingency budget should the price of consumables or services increase in the coming months. In addition to the costs of the yard itself, if the owner/manager does not live at the yard, they have fuel costs every day commuting to and from, they'll need new work boots or clothes, they will likely have to replace broken tools and equipment or undertake minor maintenance on the yard, and perhaps they have a dedicated work phone for the yard too. These are all costs that add up considerably in a year and all are part & parcel of the costs of running a yard.

 

However, there is no obligation for livery yard owners to justify the costs and the charges they decide to put in place, even if they decide to raise their prices. You wouldn’t visit the hairdresser or appoint a gardener and ask them to provide a breakdown of every single one of their business costs before deciding if what they are charging is a fair price in comparison to others in the industry! In a sector that is completely unregulated with no industry-required standards, obligations or level of competence needed, the ownership of livery yards is open to anybody, regardless of the level of experience, competency or knowledge of caring for horses or providing adequate stabling.

 

Moreover, one of the biggest overlooked costs that is rarely factored in by yard owners when calculating their livery charges is their own time spent in the yard. Most yard owners will spend at least part-time hours on the yard each week, excluding the additional administration time required to run the yard and oversee the livery clients and their needs. This even extends to the marketing of the yard, such as time spent updating social media, the website, responding to livery enquiries, and all of the necessary admin to get stables filled.

 

 

 

As with any household bill, expenses for yard owners will increase annually too - mortgages or rent, insurance, professional fees, and consumables. Therefore, it is understandable that price rises may need to be put in place to reflect this. Realistically, to be in line with inflation, you should expect an annual price increase of around 2 to 3% on livery charges each year. Of course, in some cases, an increase in running costs may mean the yard owner needs to increase their prices above this level of inflation. Additionally, price rises can often be forced by abuse or exploitation of the facilities, inclusions or services provided, the overuse or wastage of ad-lib hay or bedding, damage caused by improper use of facilities or grazing, and surplus use of water or electricity. All these costs add up and the only way the costs can be recouped is to increase their prices.

 

 

 

If the yard meets your needs and you are happy there, the short answer is to pay the extra little bit of money. It is a frequent occurrence that when yard owners choose to raise their prices, they have a mass exodus of liveries who cannot bear to part with an extra couple of pounds per week to have their horse cared for in a professional setting. In the event of price rises, horse owners need to put this in perspective to other costs. For example, a couple of pounds a week is a coffee from Starbucks, a monthly glass of wine in a restaurant or a magazine. However, for a yard with 20 horses, this will make a difference! Horse ownership and equestrianism have always been reputed as an elitist sport but with horse owners tightening the purse strings, it is difficult for livery yard owners to make a living when the prices are constantly being forced down. 

 

First and foremost, horse owners must not forget that livery yards are, or at least should be, run as a business, with a professional relationship between the proprietor and client. For most yard owners, the management of a livery yard is far more than the simple extension of a hobby. Whilst yard owners may be able to spend a large portion of their time in the yard doing something they love, it is still a job. Running a yard can be hard. It is not your standard 9-5 job and the management of a yard, its equines and its clients can be emotionally, financially, and physically draining. Conversely, lots of yard owners even find that the management and demand of running the yard often detract from the enjoyment of their own horses.

 

 

 

You cannot compare yards that appear the same on the outside. Two yards in the same area with the same facilities, offering the same packages could have vastly different financial setups and outgoings, meaning that they simply are not comparable. It’s important to understand why that may be. Unfortunately, the price of the livery industry is being kept low by the cheaper yards and by yard owners who either do not understand their outgoings or who purposely charge cheaper livery to get stables filled, often to the detriment of their income. In a time where dog owners will happily pay more than £20 per day to have the dog cared for in a home environment, the average cost of livery across the UK is £10 per day with what is understandably a greater responsibility, higher risk, vastly different facilities and considerably greater outgoings.

 

So, if you decide to look for a cheaper livery yard, be thorough and investigate. Understand why the cheaper yards are so and make sure you consider the safety, security and welfare of your horse when deciding on your next livery yard. Make sure that it can offer you all you would expect of a professionally run business.