Livery Yards

As a yard owner and at a time when the cost of running a business is increasing, it is important that you put changes in place to make sure that these are reflected in the costs of your services for your clients, yet many yard owners are unsure how to deal with what is often deemed a delicate situation.   Bills - particularly electricity and fuel- have been increasing rapidly in recent weeks with many yard owners finding that this is directly affecting the running costs of their equ...

Soaring electricity prices and recent storms in the UK have highlighted issues for many business premises', and the same is certainly the case with equestrian establishments such as riding schools and livery yards.  Unfortunately, the seemingly never-ending price rises for energy bills in the UK is causing large increases in running costs for the owners of equestrian establishments who rely on electricity, mainly in the form of lighting, for their premises, security and clients use, and...

Finding a livery yard can be hard. Not only does it need to have all the facilities and services you desire, and not be too far from home, but it also needs to be affordable. It can be even harder if you have a differing work regime or a horse with special care requirements, as you’ll need to find a yard that can accommodate these too. With the livery industry being completely unregulated, it’s also particularly important to find a yard that is run competently and professionally. With reg...

Health and safety must be a primary consideration for all business owners, especially those that own equestrian premises. Not only do you have a duty of care to yourself and your staff, but as a business that is classed as being “open to members of the public” – albeit your riding or livery clients – you must ensure that steps are taken to protect them as well.

Gone are the days when you could simply turn up at a yard with your horse, pay money and ‘be a livery’. The ever increasing expectations and responsibilities of yard owners means that best practice guidance requires a substantial amount of information to be checked and recorded for professional yard owners. It is important to have a paper trail, and to have detailed information on the horses in your care. In the event of any disputes, this can go a long way to helping resolve an issue. It...

Running a livery yard can be deceiving. To many, those who have the ‘luxury’ of owning stables and grazing look like they are somewhat affluent, but for most yard owners this could not be further from the truth! Running a livery yard is one of the least profitable sectors of the equine industry and the price of livery services have barely changed over the last 20 years. Whilst the cost of livery services is at the forefront of horse owners’ minds when choosing a new yard, it can be hard...