And does it work out better cost-wise??
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The tack room
Pixel ·
05/01/2011 16:39
I've never done working livery but if you decide to, check your insurance. I've just been reading a letter in a magazine from a woman whose horse had to have expensive vet treatment. The insurance co. initially gave the go-ahead for treatment but then refused to pay up when they found out the horse was on working livery. They said the woman hadn't stated that her horse was being used for 'business purposes'. Just something worth bearing in mind.
WhyHavePets ·
05/01/2011 17:57
Our pony is on working/diy livery as he needs at least 3 hrs work a day to be rideable 
My daughters horse and my own shared horse are on full diy livery as neither need the extra work.
Working is exactly 50% of the diy and covers half of shoes etc plus all feed (unless you want something different than pony nuts, I pay for mix and the yard provides the alfa and sugarbeet).
We are lucky enough to have a great school, good hacking, regular show trips, own x country etc etc and if our own pony has done too much in a day for us to ride they will lend us one of theirs or if we all want to ride together they will lend a pony for the dc and a horse for me (as two dc share our pony IYSWIM). They are really very very good.
Basically, IMHO, working livery is as good as the yard you are on, we happened across one of the best I think and can imagine it is hellish if you stumble onto some of the worst - in short do your homework 
CluckyKate ·
05/01/2011 20:28
As has been said already it's great provided the horse is given suitable riders.
I had my girlie on working livery when I first got her - I bought her from a riding instructor on the same yard and she was my first horse. Wouldn't do it again though as there were a few incidents/accidents that occurred shortly before we moved (move was already planned and not as a result) but admit that it was exactly the right thing for me at that time.
That was 9 years ago and we've been on DIY-assisted ever since, with a brief foray into full-livery, and would never go back.
The thing to remember is that no-one will look after your horse in quite the same way as you, no matter how well intentioned. If you can live with the niggles then go for it with your eyes wide open. If, on the other hand, you're a control freak (like me) then stick with DIY
allgonebellyup ·
06/01/2011 09:21
Maybe i just need to find a diy place with better facilites... im not sure i can afford the £300+ a month that the working livery entails, plus shoes and lessons on top 
The diy place where my mare is now is a good 10 min drive from home and is at the very top of a hill which is a nightmare in the snow/ice/high winds and there is no school for riding. There is hacking but i hate riding on my own as my horse tends to be anxious and tries to bolt home. My dd also never wants to come up there as there is nowhere for lessons and no other kids around.
But its very cheap!
i dont know what to do!
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LovePinkBitsOfMyHorse ·
07/01/2011 16:28
Sounds good to me, I paid £70 for shavings but no tack cleaning - always had priority though, so they would use another horse if I showed up unexpectedly and had forgotten to book. That was £70 after a discount for having two at same place, think would have been £80 otherwise 
it was £25 when we started!
allgonebellyup ·
07/01/2011 18:11
i cant see livery prices dropping at all, they will prob keep them really high now people have got used to the price
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