How to find an ideal livery yard: six key things to consider before you decide
If you’re feeling confused about how to find the ideal livery yard for your horse, you’re not alone. Whether you’re choosing a livery yard for your first horse or relocating, it’s a huge decision hinging on several factors. These factors won’t just be specific to your horse’s needs, but your own, too.
Before we delve into the criteria that will help to rule livery yards in or out, having made initial enquiries via phone, email or messaging, make sure you visit your potential yard at least once. Ensure your tour is thorough and the manager is at ease with you viewing the tack room, stables, facilities and turnout up close. You shouldn’t feel hurried in any way. If you get the chance to speak to existing liveries, make the most of the opportunity.
Furthermore, ask your new livery yard manager for an example copy of their livery contract detailing the terms of the livery and the extent of services included and provided. This will clearly define your responsibilities as a horse owner, as well as the yard’s, and protect both parties in the event of a dispute. Also ask if there are any yard rules beyond that which is outlined in the contract. Yards must provide a contract to livery clients in order to be accepted on the BHS Approved Centre list – in fact, there’s a whole list of criteria that make the BHS Approved Centre accolade worth looking for in your search.
How to find an ideal livery yard: what to consider
While we aim to cover all things you need to think about when looking for a new livery yard, it’s also advisable to discuss your options with a qualified person you trust, who understands your horse and your situation – such as your coach.
1. Type of livery package
There’s a huge variety of livery services and packages available to suit different lifestyles and care requirements. We’ve written a comprehensive guide to the types of horse livery, but briefly:
- Grass livery is usually a no-services livery type. It can be anything from a field and nothing more (i.e., you supply fencing, security, water, shelter etc) or a paddock on a yard with a water supply, hay in winter and use of facilities
- DIY livery doesn’t include services, but you may be able to add them for a fee. Most DIY packages offer use of a dedicated stable, daily turnout and use of facilities. They may also include bedding and hay
- Assisted DIY is as above but includes some services, for example a daily morning turn out or fetch in and delivery of morning/afternoon feed
- Part/full livery usually includes all basic aspects of horse care. It can be on a five- or seven-day basis, meaning some yards will require owners to fulfill care tasks on weekends or perhaps a nominated two days per week. Services can vary from package to package – for example, some yards include grooming in full livery packages, others don’t – so it’s essential to clarify what’s included and how flexible it is
- Competition/schooling livery is a seven-day service and includes basic care as well as grooming and riding. Sometimes weekly tuition is included in schooling livery and competition livery will include the fee for riding at shows, but not the entry fees.
- Sales livery allows you to hand over the reins to a professional who will conduct every aspect of your horse’s sale for you, from producing the advert to negotiating a deal. Most yards will take a commission from the sale as well as a weekly livery fee.
The package you choose will depend on your lifestyle and budget. For example, if you work a regular 9–5 and the yard is a 30-minute drive from your office, it might be in your horse’s best interests to ensure he is tended to at one or both ends of the day during the week. This will also take the pressure off you.
Alternatively, if you work flexibly, the yard is down the road and your horse lives out, a no-frills grass livery package might be the perfect fit.
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2. Turnout
Now that the importance of turnout to a horse’s mental and physical state is far more widely appreciated, the amount and quality of turnout available is likely to be a key consideration when choosing your ideal livery yard.
The BHS recommends at least 1–1.5 acres of permanent turnout per horse, which allows for rotation of paddocks for maintenance purposes. A yard manager should be able to tell you the acreage and the yard capacity. If the number of acres doesn’t at least line up with the number of horses, then ask how they make this work.
Additionally, ascertain the turnout arrangements. Are horses turned out individually, in pairs or in groups? Are horses segregated by sex? What protocol is in place to ensure new horses are introduced to others and monitored properly? Let the yard manager know what your horse’s requirements are. Can arrangements be made to suit him, or must he adapt to the yard rules?
It’s handy to know the yard’s policy on paddock maintenance. This includes clearing droppings, weeds and poisonous plants, resting paddocks, rolling and reseeding.
Finally, be clear on daily turnout hours – this will vary yard-to-yard. Some will have regular daily hours that are unchanging all year, while others restrict turnout hours during the winter months. Some may not turn out in winter at all. Find out whether this is the case, or if the yard provides alternative turnout such as all-weather pens.
3. Stabling
If you plan to stable your horse, check that the dimensions are appropriate. The BHS minimum recommended stable size for a horse under 17hh is 3.65×3.65m (12x12ft), which will allow him sufficient space to lie down and rest.
Furthermore, inspect the yard for signs of good ventilation and cleanliness. A coating of dust or lots of cobwebs not only looks unsightly but could affect a horse with respiratory problems, and there should be no evidence of spilled feed that might encourage vermin. In the interests of biosecurity, ask the yard manager if the stable your horse will be moving into is in use currently, and if it will be disinfected thoroughly before your horse arrives. Do they have an isolation box and paddock for new arrivals, or do they move straight into their regular places?
If bedding is included in the livery package, check what types are available and their quality. Straw should be kept clean and dry, should smell fresh and not be excessively dusty. If shavings are provided, check they are dust-extracted. If the product you prefer isn’t in use, ensure your yard manager will take delivery of the best horse bedding for your equine friend.
4. Health, safety and security measures
Health and safety is a broad topic. We’ve touched on quarantining new arrivals and making safe introductions, but there are numerous other areas to consider including:
- Disease and parasite control Ask the yard manager if the yard has entry requirements, such as a strangles test. You should also be clear on the yard’s deworming and vaccination procedure, as there should be a deworming regime in place
- Dealing with icy conditions Is the yard set up to keep walkways safe and pipes insulated to guarantee the water supply?
- Injury and illness Do they have a procedure for dealing with an injured or sick horse in your absence? Do they keep clear records of your horse’s vet and medical information for staff to find?
- Fire safety Is the yard risk assessed for fire and have a plan in place? Are staff and liveries well versed in the fire plan and are there drills?
- Security Are entry points to the yard secured with codes? Is there CCTV in operation? Is the tack room sufficiently secure in line with your equine insurance policy?
5. Extras and services
Once you’ve established what’s included in your livery package, ensure that the level of service is appropriate. For example, if your horse requires soaked hay, is this included or will there be an additional fee? If your horse is brought in for you, does this include a rug change and picking out hooves?
With this in mind, ensure all your horse’s individual needs are acknowledged and can be accommodated. This entails anything from the supplements in his feed and prescription medications to health conditions and calorie requirements. BHS best practice is a written care plan for each livery resident – ask if this is in place at the yard.
6. Facilities, hacking and training
Your horse’s work intensity and your ambitions will inform your facility requirements. If you spend most of your time in the saddle on a hack, check out the local hacking situation. You can do this on OS Maps online or purchase a paper map of the area you’re looking to base your horse. Is there any on-site hacking at the yard? How much road work would there be?
If you enjoy schooling, inspect the arena for evidence of regular harrowing and ask if this takes place regularly. Ascertain whether there is an option to book the arena for sole use, whether you need to book for every session or just for lessons, and that they allow external instructors on site.
Finally, if you’re wondering how to find an ideal livery yard as a keen competitor, there are more factors at play. As well as the above schooling concerns, you might want access to a larger-than-standard arena to train in, and you might benefit from an on-site gallop track or cross-country course, or a walker for days you don’t ride. Do they have sufficient horsebox parking, or if you don’t have a box make sure you can hire one locally. Perhaps check that what training venues in the area if the full scope of your facility needs aren’t satisfied at the yard.
How to find an ideal livery yard: do your homework
There’s nothing like a testimonial to help you make a decision, and speaking to current liveries’ about their experience can help you to decide if this is the ideal livery yard to suit your needs. The yard manager should be open to you chatting to liveries over the course of your tour. To really make the most of it, you could schedule your visit to cover a peak time. Try a weekday evening or Saturday morning.
While you should make sure to ask the yard manager why the vacancy has come up, it can also be really insightful to speak to an outgoing or former livery. This can be tricky to orchestrate, but there might be a mutual contact who can pass on your details. Or, if the yard manager is happy to approach them, that’s a green flag when looking to find an ideal livery yard.
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A horse owner and rider with more than 20 years experience, Bethany has been writing for equestrian publications since 2017. Over the course of her career, she has reported from major British Riding Clubs and British Dressage championships, covered Badminton Horse Trials and interviewed equestrian sport’s best athletes. Her work can also be found in Country Life, The Field and Breathe magazine.