Thought I would ask the question...

Trewsers

Trewsers

Well-Known Member
Oct 13, 2004
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Being as we are all horsey! Mr T and I are thinking of selling up and buying a livery yard - don't know where - we just fancy having a career change. Thought I would ask on here if anybody knows of any for sale local to them and if so, if they know anything about the area. I really haven't looked properly at all yet, but wondered if anybody on here knew of a yard for sale - maybe the yard they are currently on. I doubt if we'd ever get planning permission to turn out place into a yard - even though technically it is just about big enough. I fear the neighbours would:stomp: so I am not going to waste my money with the council (it's about £300 just to put an application in, only to have it knocked back). We could take our money out of here and go elsewhere. Our original dream to move to Shetland is not going to happen anytime soon - not unless there happens to be a yard for sale up there................:smile:
So, anybody know of anything for sale? I certainly wouldn't mind a change of scenery either - one end of the country, middle or bottom!
 
Wow that's definitely a change!! That's on my list of things to do if I win the lottery, set up my dream yard.

Don't know of anything for sale, so not really helpful! Good luck though! If you had a yard near me you'd have an instant customer once I get a neddy again! :giggle:
 
Oh Cortrasna.... I hate you for posting that website... I'm now planning what property to buy when I win the lottery!:giggle:
 
Was offered one to rent off a lovely old couple last week with 11 stables and an indoor school (I only went to look at an office !!) with hacking on the south downs.. Reckon if you rented that and snuck in to see them every morning before a booming hello and maybe clapping your hands you might be in a position to buy it sooner rather than later too... :redcarded:
 
There's a farm I want to buy in Saunderton near here and turn into a livery yard. Think it's 1.2 million though.

Would LOVE to own a yard but I have no idea how you make it break even, let alone make a profit. Me and my OH did the sums for the above farm and couldn't make them work. I think you'd need to be really high end and very motivated to make a decent living at it, which would involve quite high stakes at the beginning. Although that might be just this neck of the woods (Buckinghamshire) which is practically London prices anyway. Bah humbug! (Sorry.)
 
After seeing the stress it causes my yo, it's something I no longer aspire to do!

Yard arguments are always on your door stop, Having people who don't care for their horses to the same standard as you, having to chase bills... I couldn't do it!
 
popularfurball said:
After seeing the stress it causes my yo, it's something I no longer aspire to do!

Yard arguments are always on your door stop, Having people who don't care for their horses to the same standard as you, having to chase bills... I couldn't do it!
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After doing what OH has done for the best part of 22 years - a yard would be a breath of fresh air! I could write a book about the things Joe Public do to retailers - and get away with!!! I might sound overly optimistic but for us it would be a welcome change and something for me to really get my teeth into. I've grown a thick skin this last 7 years with one thing and another here too. But I know what you mean about it - it can be stressy. Our last yard wasn't tho - YO was laid back and it was a great place.
 
Have you taken leave of your senses woman, running a yard is bloody hard work and none to cheap either. But if it is your dream you have to have a bash at it if you can get the right place. Some of Mrs PHs family have retired up to Orkney its lovely and one of my friends hails from the Shetlands again a lovely place but it gets a bit of a blow off the sea in winter. Hope it works out and i presume you have researched this. I will watch this space with much intent.
 
Just don't :hot: I did it for six months and still take the occasional schooling livery but every time remember why we don't. I teach a farmers wife who runs a 40 horse DIY yard who admits it is like nothing she has ever coped with before and would never go there again.

You will never get any real return on the capital you invest but you may get a living wage if you can buy a mortgage free property.

If you are serious I can put you in touch with several yard owners running different types of yards who will talk you through the realities.

Basically no matter what sort of yard you set out to run (DIY to Full livery) be prepared for constant hard physical labour ( fence mending, repairing buildings and tracks, carting hay and straw, looking after horses when liveries cannot physically get to you, dealing with vets when owners don't want to know ( pts and disposal etc) etc.

Real liveries are not often like the nice folks here on NR. Be prepared to deal with all manner of people each with their own ideas of horse welfare. And if you think neighbour is problematic I had one livery who wanted to discuss her daily programme at 6am every morning and swore fluently at yard staff if her horse wasn't ready and waiting according to her programme....if I did not answer phone she rang every 5 minutes until I did. When eventually I told her to leave she went round our local town telling all manner of people we wouldn't last long as her family were responsible for keeping us afloat!! ( that was 25 years ago..we appear to have survived!!!)
 
pinkheather said:
Have you taken leave of your senses woman, running a yard is bloody hard work and none to cheap either. But if it is your dream you have to have a bash at it if you can get the right place. Some of Mrs PHs family have retired up to Orkney its lovely and one of my friends hails from the Shetlands again a lovely place but it gets a bit of a blow off the sea in winter. Hope it works out and i presume you have researched this. I will watch this space with much intent.
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Not "the Shetlands" just Shetland ;)

No call for livery yards here,
 
eml said:
Just don't :hot: I did it for six months and still take the occasional schooling livery but every time remember why we don't. I teach a farmers wife who runs a 40 horse DIY yard who admits it is like nothing she has ever coped with before and would never go there again.

You will never get any real return on the capital you invest but you may get a living wage if you can buy a mortgage free property.

If you are serious I can put you in touch with several yard owners running different types of yards who will talk you through the realities.

Basically no matter what sort of yard you set out to run (DIY to Full livery) be prepared for constant hard physical labour ( fence mending, repairing buildings and tracks, carting hay and straw, looking after horses when liveries cannot physically get to you, dealing with vets when owners don't want to know ( pts and disposal etc) etc.

Real liveries are not often like the nice folks here on NR. Be prepared to deal with all manner of people each with their own ideas of horse welfare. And if you think neighbour is problematic I had one livery who wanted to discuss her daily programme at 6am every morning and swore fluently at yard staff if her horse wasn't ready and waiting according to her programme....if I did not answer phone she rang every 5 minutes until I did. When eventually I told her to leave she went round our local town telling all manner of people we wouldn't last long as her family were responsible for keeping us afloat!! ( that was 25 years ago..we appear to have survived!!!)
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Yes we are serious. We have quite a good lump to put towards a yard from what we will get out of this place - plus OH will still be doing his other online business which will bring us a small income. We both need a change, life is short, we have lost sight of what we started with - 10 years ago when we first became involved with horses our goal was to run a yard. I think the time is right now and is fast approaching - if we don't have a change in this next 5 years we will be stuck here forever, which neither of us wants. OH has weathered the general public for a long time, as have I. I know people can be lots of different things - but we are prepared for that. It's so easy for us to try the easy option too - staying here, bumbling along - not really getting anywhere money wise (our original business collapsed during the recession). The physical work is highly appealing to both of us - OH has been ground down through years of paperwork - he is happiest with a shovel in hand these days........plus it will be good for his long term illness, activity is something that wards it off and eases the pains.:happy:
 
pinkheather said:
Have you taken leave of your senses woman, running a yard is bloody hard work and none to cheap either. But if it is your dream you have to have a bash at it if you can get the right place. Some of Mrs PHs family have retired up to Orkney its lovely and one of my friends hails from the Shetlands again a lovely place but it gets a bit of a blow off the sea in winter. Hope it works out and i presume you have researched this. I will watch this space with much intent.
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As Wally says, there are no yards up in Shetland, if we managed to get up there to forge a life it would have to be with OH continuing his internet business only, and I honestly don't think we could manage it financially atm. It was our dream, but looks like that is on hold for a while. As for the hard work of running a yard - bring it on! Life as I am finding is VERY short - and each day should be something enjoyable and worthy, not something to dread or just get through. I know I sound odd probably, but I guess it just sometimes comes to you that change is required!:happy:
 
My friend has recently moved to a livery yard where a husband and wife run it. They really work hard to cater for the livery owners needs and really look after everyone. They put their hearts and soul into the yard and are always putting on little events, clinics, demos etc. It has turned into a great success, although I know that it is hard work to keep everyone happy.

My YO is fantastic, but does put up with lots of complaints from people which I think are unreasonable - that is horsey people for you! Some people who pay for livery seem to think that they can speak to the staff like they are the lowest of the low, but not everyone is like that. If you go into it with your eyes wide open and know what kind of business you wish to create, then it could be fantastic. It is something that appeals to me, but I would never have the money to do it.

As you say, life is so very short. You need to grab it with both hands.
 
Where are you thinking of moving? If the whole of the UK is your oyster, it's definitely going to be worth researching where you'll get the most value for your money property-wise and also where people will pay enough livery to keep you afloat. The problem my current YO has is that everyone round here wants DIY or assisted DIY (as most people are too skint to pay full livery costs in the current economic climate) and really that doesn't bring him enough income to run the yard when you take into account his rental costs, maintenance, hay and straw for the liveries (included in his price). Of course the fact that he keeps two of his own horses in an 8-horse yard also has something to do with it. I don't think there's much room for sentiment in this business! He doesn't do grass liveries either which I don't really understand because I would have thought it was quite easy money for him, given he has the space. He also has a day job as a gardener. There are quite a few yards in this area and they all have vacancies at the moment.

I don't want to sound negative as I think it could be fantastic, but I don't know anyone who makes a living purely from running a livery yard. The local ones are either part of working farms, or the YO also has a day job.
 
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