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You are in... Forums > Welcome To Your Horse Forum > The Yard > How would I go about starting up...

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FancyTrot

Joined:

Aug 10

Posts: 45

FancyTrot says:

How would I go about starting up...

We have always rented/owned our own paddocks but now I believe it's time to do the same for others, we are looking to buy a new house and with that we want a family run business, and myself and my family are looking to have our own Livery Yard/problem horse help center. It doesn't have to be the biggest or the best, or have lots of stables and turn out, small and friendly with a bit of renovation work to be done would suit us just fine.

I have a background of clicker training , spook busting, problem horse solving etc as well as experience in riding schools, and a lifetime of horse ownership and already have four people wishing to have horses on full Livery should our dream come true, however I am unsure of who to speak to with regards to Agricultural mortgages, insurance, how you would start yourself up as a business, what needs to be considered and who to talk to to help us make the dream a reality. Has anyone done this themselves, do you discuss it with a bank or what? I am at a loss of where to start. I already have a website in the process of being published, plenty of youtube followers, and clients whom I help with youngstock and general care, but I want to have a base, my own yard where I don't have to worry about churning up someone elses grazing, or being kicked off should someone decide to move house etc (the current worry right now, the grazing we rent currently is in the paddocks attatched to a house that is currently for sale)

 

Help!!!

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  • Posted 2 years ago (26 January 2012 10:55)
salsdad

Joined:

May 11

Posts: 9

salsdad says:

Re: How would I go about starting up...

First off when you find your property check with the local planning office regarding running a business at the premises. I know a couple of people who've wanted to do the same as you & went ahead and bought properties only to find they had planning restrictions in place forbidding running a business. Good Luck.

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  • Posted 2 years ago (26 January 2012 13:51)
Bardybear

Joined:

Dec 10

Posts: 457

Bardybear says:

Re: How would I go about starting up...

As above I would look specifically for an equestrian property that already has stables and grazing.  Then you have to decide whether you'll grow your own hay/haylage or buy it in.  You'll need to source shavings or straw as well.  The other issue is whether there is already a manege, barns etc, as some counties can be funny about planning permission.  Ours wanted a sample of the surface we were going to use and a sample of the post and rail!  They wouldn't let us put floodlights up as they said it would interfere with the road, which is a load of tosh. 

After that, it's really up to you who you take as clients and what their requirements are.  The one thing I would say is to go for as much grazing as you can get.  It's ok to say now that you don't mind it being small, but everyone who has contacted us has wanted individual grazing, which has been a pain. You'll probably want to rotate your grazing at some point.  The other big thing is storage, as rugs, feed bins etc take up a lot of space and a lockable tack room.  I would contact the BHS as they do books on how to run a livery yard as a business etc.

If you are good at what you do, advertising in your local tack shops should soon bring in business, a friend of mine is a private instructor who will ride your horse first, then teach you, but she also takes in horses for breaking/training etc, and she is inundated with requests. 

Good luck, and let us know how you get on.

"He is the lord of all horses and has been my friend through many dangers."

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  • Posted 2 years ago (26 January 2012 18:11)
happyrain

Joined:

Aug 08

Posts: 818

happyrain says:

Re: How would I go about starting up...

 i agree that you need to chek any restrictions on potential property if you plan to run as a business. these should include planning restrictions for buildings as well as any business use restrictions for buildings and the land etc. also speak to NFU re insurance, legal advice, mortgages and loans etc. i found them really useful.  we moved into a property with our own land back in november and our hoses joined us in december. restrictions on the land mean i cant build a permanent sand school , lage barns etc and cant operate as a riding school etc. i have a lovely little restored stone barn as a tack, feed and office that was all ready onsite but omg what a pain it was to get planning permission for my stables! i wanted to build a row of three stone stables to match the barn so you couldnt tell it was a new building which i thought would be approved with no hassle, wrong! i had to invite the planners to site and explain the relation of one building to the next and how it corresponded to the "landscape" of the property etc. huge pain in the backside. it took over a year to get the planning permissions for extending the house and building stables etc and changing use of barns. we didnt egt full change of use for the land fron agricultural to equestrian and have to keep atleast five sheep on the property to still be classed as fulfilling the use! thankfully we never want to run as a business and always planned on having some livestock. 

i would strongly advise talking any plans through with  planning consultant specialist before submitting any actual applications too, it saved us thousands doing that.

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  • Posted 2 years ago (26 January 2012 22:11)
happyrain

Joined:

Aug 08

Posts: 818

happyrain says:

Re: How would I go about starting up...

 oh and dont get caught out by thinking that you dont need planning permission for stable/ shelters on skids either. we put up a double stable for our two winter lodgers only to get a dartmoor trust rep come knocking on the door to tell us to take them down. back to fighting for permission . . . 

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  • Posted 2 years ago (26 January 2012 22:14)
FancyTrot

Joined:

Aug 10

Posts: 45

FancyTrot says:

Re: How would I go about starting up...

Thank you all so much for your input!!!

I really appreciate your help and advice! I feel a bit more aware now of how complicated this all can be, but I am confident we can make this come true!

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  • Posted 2 years ago (27 January 2012 10:56)

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