Thoughts on which type of livery?

[slipperandpjsmum]

I am interested to find out peoples thoughts and experiences on liverys, from full livery to grass. What are your thoughts - which is best and why?

Depends on so much doesn't it? You, your lifestyle, your horses, your budget.

Agree with Mitchy.

Personally, I am happiest with DIY as it is the only type of livery I have found that I get what I pay for. I used to keep my eventer on full livery at a cost of around £800 a month and he was never mucked out properly, turned out as and when they could be bothered, their idea of excercise was 20mins on the horse walker once a week, the list goes on. I now do my horses 100% myself and they and I are much happier, although I am permanently tired! I am also around £600 a month better off!

My horse is on grass livery at a lovely yard where we get to use all the facilities. It works for me and our horse is very happy living out. I do everything myself and it is very rewarding but also hard work. Would do DIY livery if I needed too. Full livery is fine if you are working and can only get there set times and on certain days, but you do miss out on so much practical stuff.

I'm on "full" livery which suits me. The most important things for me are:

i) daily field turnout
ii) good feeding

I pay 200 euros a month. I've paid double before for what I felt was a lesser quality.

My mare loses weight quickly so it's important that the staff recognise this and act on it.

It's really important for me that I "get what I pay for" - that is, when I pay for full livery I do not expect to have to visit the yard on a daily basis to fulfill some basic task which I believe should've been part of the livery. e.g., when I pay 400 a month for access to your fields I don't expect to have to drive up twice a day to turn her out and bring her in again! If I had that kind of time I'd go DIY!

Just started my two new ones at a brand new yard. (see my other thread)
They are out all summer and come in in winter at night. i do weekends myself plus two weekday evenings but thats all(no mornings). It costs me £250 per month for all this for 2 horses, we are in Surrey.

I have no idea how people a)Have the money for full livery!
OR
b) have the time to do DIY livery themselves!

I loved my last livery yard. £145 a month for turnout, hay, straw, stable. Lots of huge wheelbarrows available to use, self-filling water troughs in each stable, each stable had a room at the back for tack and all your horsey stuff. Space for your trailer to park, staff who cleaned up twice a day. The yard was immaculate.

I could also phone up and ask them to turn out/bring in or muck out - although this was at extra cost. Well worth it in Winter when I got stuck.

I miss my livery yard.

My horse is on working livery which suits me quite well, he does need quite a lot of work to keep him sane happy and obviously livery more affordable (£50 a week in summer, £70 in winter). Pony should be cheaper when not having so much schooling, but full livery plus 5 sessions a week is £95, am trying to alternate between schooling and normal livery month by month to keep £££ down. DIY not an option at our place any more, but I'd struggle anyway as am caught in classic trap of having to work such a lot to keep them but then not having time/energy.

I had one big falling out with yard over bedding, I simply didn't believe the horse could eat 2/3 of his bed in just a few hours and assumed he hadn't been provided with a decent amount or enough hay - until I saw it for myself . Otherwise have been really happy there and everything done to v high standard, higher than my standards anyway

Mine live out, but I used to diy. I used to work at a rather posh livery yard, where the horses only got 2 hours turnout a day if lucky, at the owners whim, she was the worst mucker outer, skimped on bedding when the owners weren't around, charged extra for night time hay, Didnt work weekends or bank holidays, and generally was very off hand with the horses. All this for £80 a week! I'd much rather take the time to see my animals every day and look after them myself. I know it's not for everyone, but I'd rather look after them myself.