DIY livery tips

TG1

I accidently fell upon a fantastic rental house that comes with access to a stable in a busy yard. Once I'm back in the saddle I plan to move my mare there to hopefully save me buckets of cash, but I'm already stressing about the practicalities.

I've worked in the industry and had sole charge of sections of a livery yard for years so I know how to do it all but that was while it was my full time job. Now I'm going to have to squeeze one horse in around a full time job with an hours commute on either end.

I'm looking for tips from people doing this or who have done it. how do you save time in the mornings, make sure you don't stink of horse in the office, buy roughage and bedding for one horse, hack alone on a spooky brat and manage vets and farrier visits around work?

Any how tos or how not tos will be greatly appreciated!

byhookorbycrook

I presume you have considered this but will you have someone nearby who can feed up/turn out or whatever if you are delayed at work?

TG1

Yeh, it's a big yard and I'll be living there before I move the mare so hopefully will have made a few friends by then! And failing that I've family 20 mins down the road with their own horses so if I get badly stuck they would pop in!

bob1984

I find the key is to do as much as you can when you have the time. So if you have an evening when you have a bit more time, fill up hay-nets, make up feeds etc. Stock up and be organised. If you have to buy in feed & bedding set aside a weekend morning once a month and get everything you need to. Don't wait until you are just about to run out. Take note of how much you are using so you know how long stuff will last.

As others said too, having a friend on the yard who can step in if you are stuck if worth its weight in gold.

I have one horse on DIY livery but it is on a large yard with only me & another member of staff on DIY. They feed and hay my horse in the morning when they are feeding the rest of the yard and its great - I simply just leave everything ready

TG1

Thanks for those! Out of curiosity do people have insurance to cover their horse? I always presumed the yards I had her in would have insurance to cover any damage she did to property etc, and their staff would be covered against injury... I've suddenly realised now I will have to take out insurance to cover any 3rd party damage and if anyone else is looking after her. while I'm at it I may as well insure against veterinary costs etc.

I never thought of it until I broke myself up off her but I presume that history will make it harder to get cover for others riding her?

convert

TG1 wrote: »

I never thought of it until I broke myself up off her but I presume that history will make it harder to get cover for others riding her?

Would that not depend on how it happened? Say, for example, would there be a difference between you getting a fall schooling/competing/jumping versus the mare rearing/bucking/deliberately hurting you, etc.? (I'm not asking what happened, by the way, just wondering if the circumstances would dictate the insurance cover).

Ah_Yeah

TG1 wrote: »

Thanks for those! Out of curiosity do people have insurance to cover their horse? I always presumed the yards I had her in would have insurance to cover any damage she did to property etc

This is not true. You would need to have 3rd party liability insurance for this, at the very least. Yard insurance would only indemnify the yard against any claims, not you.

If you just want third party liability you can get BHS Gold Membership and that will cover you, it's something like €100 for the year. If you want to go all out and have vet fees, loss/theft and death etc, then Allianz really is the only insurer here in Ireland that will do that. Other insurers such as Wexford Insurance will cover emergency vet fees (such as colic surgery) and death, but that's about it.

I am with Allianz, and after having substantial vet costs to pay out for a horse diagnosed with both spavin and kissing spines, I was really grateful for it. Have more than claimed back the cost of my policy already.

TG1

Ah_Yeah wrote: »

This is not true. You would need to have 3rd party liability insurance for this, at the very least. Yard insurance would only indemnify the yard against any claims, not you.

If you just want third party liability you can get BHS Gold Membership and that will cover you, it's something like €100 for the year. If you want to go all out and have vet fees, loss/theft and death etc, then Allianz really is the only insurer here in Ireland that will do that. Other insurers such as Wexford Insurance will cover emergency vet fees (such as colic surgery) and death, but that's about it.

I am with Allianz, and after having substantial vet costs to pay out for a horse diagnosed with both spavin and kissing spines, I was really grateful for it. Have more than claimed back the cost of my policy already.

I always thought the usual business premises insurance covered property damage caused by any horse on the premises? I only ask because that's the basis a fairly big yard I worked in was working under regarding liverys and lessons hacking out near private property etc. It would surprise me if the yard had it so wrong!

Does the third party cover someone else riding and/or working with your horse? This is my huge worry as I have a very good friend who will be helping me out a bit and while she knows the eejit is spooky and is still happy to work with her it would put my mind hugely at ease knowing if the worst did happen we would all be covered!

Ah_Yeah

TG1 wrote: »

I always thought the usual business premises insurance covered property damage caused by any horse on the premises? I only ask because that's the basis a fairly big yard I worked in was working under regarding liverys and lessons hacking out near private property etc. It would surprise me if the yard had it so wrong!

Does the third party cover someone else riding and/or working with your horse? This is my huge worry as I have a very good friend who will be helping me out a bit and while she knows the eejit is spooky and is still happy to work with her it would put my mind hugely at ease knowing if the worst did happen we would all be covered!

I would hate to say something and be wrong (I might be), but I was always told to take out third party liability as yard insurance didn't cover horses damaging property if you were out riding them. I could be TOTALLY wrong though.

ETA: It is possible for a yard's insurance to have third party liability that covers horses under their care or custody, but from what I can see it's not as standard on policies and needs to be added on. Maybe someone with more experience in this area can weigh in?

As far as I understand it, the third party insurance only covers you. When I shared horses I had to get my own insurance even though the owner had it.