Loan fees during lockdown

[AnnieMB]

My daughter has a loan pony at a usually busy stables. She currently can’t ride but in the last couple of weeks has been allowed to go up for a very short slot once a week to groom and say hello to the pony. We have been billed as normal for May but know other people who have negotiated a fee reduction during the lockdown period. I am still getting my normal wage (wfh) and wanted opinions on whether it would be fairer to continue to pay full fees despite not being able to ride etc? It would be easier if there was a consistent invoicing policy....it’s a lot of money for nothing! (But I know that’s not the stables fault). Any thoughts?

Had some correspondence with our stables today who were very reasonable and offered a discount. We decided fairest thing to do was to continue to pay in full as we could afford to do this. Interesting to hear about other people’s loan arrangements, all so different. Not an option anytime soon but I’d be really interested to know average costs to own a horse with ongoing livery care at a stables? Are there loads of extra costs to factor in?

That is a huge amount of money for what you describe, but if parents are well off and the child wants it ....

@AnnieMB full livery cost varies around the country and also depends a lot on the set up and facilities available at the yard. Around here (South West) you'd be looking to pay around £100 a week for full livery including daily care but no exercise. Including exercise would be around £140 a week.

I’m SE and full livery , not including riding starts at about £120 per week added to that you have vets bills , farrier , worming or worm counts , tack , rugs etc . Horse ownership can be very costly . At the stables I ride at a loan costs from £300 per month and then you get a slight discount on lesson prices so your deal sounds very good . I’m in my 40th year of continuous equine ownership and I dread to think what it’s cost over the years .

@AnnieMB DD’s horse is kept at an assisted DIY yard in the south east (near London so most costs are a bit higher than elsewhere).

Our monthly costs are;
£220 Livery (use of stable, all-year turnout - 24/7 in the summer, arena and summer jumping field)
£60 assisted DIY costs (turning in/out on days DD can’t get there twice)
£50 hay in winter
£30 bedding in winter
£20 balancer
£35 insurance
£30 trailer parking
£10 trailer insurance
£70 lessons
£20 PC rallies

On top of that...
Farrier every six weeks - £50 for front shoes, £85 when he’s shod all round
Vaccinations every six months - £35
Clipping twice in winter - £30 per time
Dentist once a year - £40
Competition entries - varies
PC camp in summer - £500
PC membership - £70-ish
BHS junior gold membership - £50
Trailer service - £150

Plus riding clothes for dd, PC test entries, replacement rugs, dhorse needed a new jumping saddle at £1850 (the only one which fitted both horse and rider as dd has very long legs).

Dd usually works one day at the weekend and often in school holidays (obviously not happening at the moment) so generally pays for the farrier and extras plus half her competition entries but it’s still very expensive... and I’ve almost certainly forgotten some things. We have our own transport which makes it cheaper to take him out and about but you have the initial cost up front

Full livery on her yard is £650 per month but that includes hay, feed and bedding

I pay £545 a month for full livery plus £30 a month to keep my lorry there.
I was buying a balancer but lots of people at the yard were using the same balancer so the yard buy it in bulk and charge us at £16 a month. All other feeds apart from supplements, hay and bedding are included

Thanks all that’s really help information. Big commitment, lots to consider as I thought....loaning is now feeling like a very easy option! Thanks again xx

Our little herd of 3 is in the south east about 20 miles from London. We pay £130 a week per horse when they are stabled and £55 when at grass. That includes full care, use of all facilities but no exercise. ATM none of mine are in work. We also have a share who is in practice more of a loan and we have continued to pay our share of his costs during lockdown. It wouldn’t have occurred to me not to.

We pay £50 pw South East about 30 miles from London

Grass livery, if you can get it, is way cheaper. We are in Scotland and pay 120pm for grass livery year round, with hay included in winter.

Obviously vet, shoes, insurance etc are on top of that.

The yard does basic visual checks in the horses every day, and there are other owners visiting, so if the horse was stuck in a fence or something we'd know, but personal care of the horse is up to us.