Grass livery vs DIY

Lottie86

Lottie86

Active Member
Aug 6, 2012
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North Aberdeenshire
Hi,

We're considering the idea of getting a pony later in the year for my little boy and I to share (he's very specific and for months has been signing to us what he wants to call it and even informing us what breed of pony it is he wants :giggle:)

If we do go ahead with looking for a pony the one thing I'm not sure about is whether to go for grass livery or DIY livery (DIY at our local yard includes hay, straw, and them either turning out or taking in with a rug change at whichever one they do if needed)

I'm currently thinking the DIY option might be better for us as the YO has said if I can't make it up to the yard because either of our children are in hospital (they're disabled with complex medical issues) or anything then she does ad hoc full livery for DIY horses for an extra few pounds a day and I thought it might also be better, especially whilst I am brand new to the yard and also brand new to owning a pony, for getting to know people at the yard as the horse I currently part loan is at grass livery and I hardly ever see anyone.

I'm drawing up a list of pros and cons to each option so I was wondering if any of you would be able to let me know what you would think the pros and cons are of either or both options as no doubt there are things I haven't thought of.

Thanks in advance xx
 
Grass livery is cheaper and as long as there is shelter in the field would probs be the better option especially if you need to do things in a hurry. You can always arrange for someone to check on them and fill water etc and it needn't be a totally horsey person as they wouldn't need to handle the horse.

DIY you do everything yourself obviously and will cost more in livery then even more if you need to have ad hoc full livery.

Does the yard you are considering do both options? I would see how you get on with grass livery to start with and if it doesn't suit your needs try DIY.

It will also depend on the pony as not all horses like living out, Summertime is fine but come winter they may like to be in so wouldn't suit grass livery anyway.
 
Yes the yard offers grass, DIY or full livery. It's a Fell Pony we'd be getting so it would be more than capable of being out in the winter weather we get up here. The YO said the horses don't have a shelter with a roof but they do have a y shaped wall to shelter against.
 
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What I like about grass livery is that I am in charge, and that as the boys are out 24/7 with food, water and shelter, if I don't get there one evening to pet them and give them their herbs it's really not that much of a problem.
 
Grass livery has always been my preffered choice, but ideally on somewhere which has a stable available on main yard in emergencys etc and , running water ( natural or piped). I did sometimes miss the banter of a busy yard and not always seeing other people but the lack of stress and politics with so much freedom ( not on a time schedule to bring in or worry your horse has been left out alone etc etc...) more than made up for it !
 
Gimp said:
Grass livery has always been my preffered choice, but ideally on somewhere which has a stable available on main yard in emergencys etc and , running water ( natural or piped). I did sometimes miss the banter of a busy yard and not always seeing other people but the lack of stress and politics with so much freedom ( not on a time schedule to bring in or worry your horse has been left out alone etc etc...) more than made up for it !
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Pretty much me too. Grass livery offers a lot more freedom to the owner for time and for the horse too. Mine is kept out 24/7 but I also rent a stable for emergency use as YO doesn't provide one.
 
If it will be the same yard for grass livery and DIY, I would opt for DIY to start with - simply because you have a dry space for farrier/grooming and somewhere to tack up etc - but also somewhere incase pony needs stabling. The other thing is for routine and getting a relationship so pony can be caught easily etc. The pony can still live out presumably on DIY just you don't make the most of hay etc being included.

If at a later stage you find you don't need it then change to grass livery :) you also might find a fell will need a break from the grass/restricted turnout to manage their weight.
 
We do both, we rent a field, the girls are out 24/7 365 - the boys are out 24/7 for about 8 months of the year, but for various reasons need to come in overnight in winter so we rent stables on a private yard (no grazing other than a small turnout paddock - which split does the boys over winter). Also we show so very often one or two of the ponies are in for bathing and stabled overnight before the show, also it comes with shared tackroom and feedstore and we have 2 storeage areas for Hay & bedding, rugs etc.
I would have been stuck with the boys if we had not had somewhere to have them and manage them afterwards following the lammi episodes, but the seperate grazing means we are able to please ourselves re turnout etc, best of both.
 
I quite like DIY tbh.

Pony comes in at night in winter which gives his legs and feet chance to dry, also gives him a break from the weather which I think he quite likes. And we don't hay in the fields so I know exactly how much he is eating.

In summer he is stabled in the afternoon to keep his weight down and give him a break from the sun/flies but lives out the rest of the time.

Yes it would be nice not to have to get up so early in winter to go turn pit and muck out but I generally like the routine and so does pony. Do whatever suits the new pony, stick to what he/she is currently used to doing and then you can change to DIY or grass livery depending how things go :)
 
I like DIY.I have malaika out aslong as possible only bring her in during the day not over night but I love having a stable to be able to faf on in with her,somewhere dry is a godsend in our weather :rolleyes: she is always waiting to come in in the morning all year round,summer rest from flies,sun and grass!winter rest from rain,mud and she can have her hay n peace and she always has a lie down and a sleep.I would happily do grass livery but would still always pay to have a stable and I think if its for children its helpful too for somewhere dry and warm for little people in the winter.
 
DIY definitely. I cannot imagine my horse being prepared to stay out 24/7 in the weather we have had this winter - or summer come to that!!!

You still do them yourselves, but depending on the yard, someone to ask to help and advice.
 
Round here, DIY comes with restricted, and i mean very restricted, turnout. Something I really am not happy with.

I think a lot depends on the pony you end up with. My 2 are better off out and that suits me better too. So I'd say that you're best off replicating the way the pony was kept in its previous home if it was happy.

You can always tweak or change once you've got to know each other.
 
When I went to my current yard I asked that it be grass livery but I pay for DIY with a stable,yo was happy with this so if I want to leave her out 24/7 I can but I also have the use of my own stable and bedding hay etc bit with the flexibility of having grass livery if/when I need or want it.
 
If you are going to be new to horse ownership I would be inclined to do DIY assisted to begin with. That way you will have someone at hand to help with any unforeseen problems that may crop up from time to time to do with the pony or until you fully realise how much time and limitations you have around your own schedule, i.e. work, sick kids, family commitments etc. Once you have been up and running for a full year, you will then be able to see whether you could swap to grass livery and have the confidence and knowledge to take everything on board yourself.

I prefer grass livery, I like to do everything myself and be in full control of my own horses, however it is a huge responsibility, I can not be sick, or get away at a moments notice. If its snows etc, I still have to get to that field 3.5 miles away twice a day come what may. The horses have to come first. The other day for example mine 'escaped' and I had to drop everything to get them back in.
That would have been no good if I had had an important work meeting or whatever. Also the family have to be extremelly tolerant. If we are going out for the day or anything like that, its not just get ready and go, its get the horses done, then get ready and go. I have been at Weddings, parties, BBQ's etc and had to leave early many times to do the horses. Fortunately my family fit in. Some don't.
 
I have DIY assisted - I have two small children and a non-horsey husband so need someone on hand in case I have to deal with sick kids, or get called into London for work or whatever. I'll be keeping her out in summer but at the moment I prefer her to be stabled at night. Depends on the horse really! There are lots of hardy types of ponies that could live out all year round, and so long as you've got somewhere warm to keep your tack and for your son to hang out if need be (mine go in the tackroom with snacks, colouring books and a tablet for CBeebies while I muck out and prepare feeds - I think that's nicer than leaving them in the car) I don't suppose it really matters whether it's grass or DIY livery.
 
Has something changed re what things are called?

DIY has always stood for do it yourself whether you rent a field or are on a yard. I am DIY, do it yourself on a yard.
Part livery or sometimes called assisted is where you get help with turnout, mucking out etc.
Full livery is everything done for you, and exercised
Competition-as above but schooled and competed.

As a first time owner I rented a field and got on with it, but I had a friend I could hack with etc.

So to me DIY is grass livery, its the same thing, you do all the work and hopefully have a shelter to tack up in-i wouldn't touch a field without.
 
I thought that grass livery meant no stable provided: as my set up, with just a shelter which I bought for myself. It could be DIY (you do everything), assisted (YO helps for £££) or, indeed, full (as with retirement livery).

DIY doesn't imply grass livery to me.

As a matter of interest I thought I was renting a field. My YO prefers to call it grass livery because (a) she can charge more and (b) she charges per horse and can control the number of horses.
 
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