What to charge for livery? Retirement/DIY

[RiderGirl]

I'm thinking of taking on a livery at my tiny yard, the setup is a bit niche but thinking it could suit a DIY livery or equally I'd be more than happy to have a retired horse to look after. I'm unsure what to charge.

My yard is set up so that they can live out all year, they have access to the hardstanding with 2 field shelters on it. It's old/mixed pasture (not rye) with a good mixture of grasses and wildflowers etc. Sectioned off with electric fencing to suit needs.

I do have a stable for emergencies or box rest, but they're not stabled in winter. All hay is fed on the hardstanding/in the shelters so they're not stood in mud in the winter. They can be shut on the yard if needed in dire weather, but I've also got 7 acres with high hedges all round that they could get under.

I haven't got a school, but the hacking is excellent with numerous routes through fields, woodland or up onto the moors where the bridleways are endless. I'm thinking it could possibly suit someone who was into endurance as you can really go out for hours and hours.

Thoughts??

I would personally look into insurance/various tax implications very carefully first.
If you are just taking on one I’d not take a DIY, if there routines were even slightly different it can become a real headache very quickly.
Retirement can be a bit of a piece of string question. I’ve had retirement livery I’ve paid £15 a week for. It was pretty basic, lived out in a herd of 6 in an enormous field (essentially a big slab of moorland) and the YO essentially went up twice a day to check they still had four legs and were breathing. It was a great set up but not good for an older horse that needs more care.
Ive also had more involved retirement livery which was not far off full livery and that was £80 9 years ago…

We have a similar set up; hardstanding, field shelters, nice grazing. There are stables but the herd lives out. We charge £100 a week and have 1 livery. All care, a basic feed and twice daily checks are included as well as ad lib hay in winter. We don't include feet trimming or wormers/ worm counts/ vaccinations. It was a bit of a nightmare finding the right livery but we've found one that has fitted in so be picky when choosing who comes and ask lots of questions! Hope this helps a little.

And yes echo what's said above, I'd only have a full livery. We tried DIY and it just didn't work.

Yes insurance etc I'm aware I'd need to look into, haven't got that far yet though - suggestions welcome for where to start! Would be happy to have a retired horse and organise all care/feeding etc and sort out farrier and vets care. Not sure where that falls but it certainly wouldn't be chucking it out in a field and that's it!

Will your other horses always be around so the potential single livery won’t be alone? Mine would go mental if all his pals went out hacking at the same time despite his elderly age!

Yes there would always be at least one other horse there

Guess it will depend a lot where you are. I'm West Sussex, local retirement full grass livery with hay is £260-£280 pcm. Same in Devon few years back I paid £160pcm.
Sounds like if you want to do DIY you'd have to provide hay and include in the cost otherwise gets too complicated making sure the livery feeds fair amount of hay.

I pay £250 a month for my horse to live in a retirement herd out on grass 24/7.

I'm south Wales, I've kept my pony at 2 different places on full grass livery with nothing included but daily checks (which rarely happened but that's another story!) Paid £150pcm at both which seems to be the going rate. They didn't have shelter either or hardstanding.