Owning a horse is a big financial and emotional commitment, so choosing the best livery yard is vital. After all, it will be your beloved horse’s home for many years to come and a vital source of support for you both. So how do you go about selecting the right livery yard which suits the needs of both you and your horse? Reading this ‘how to’ guide is a great place to start.
Remember whether you’re dropping off or picking up your equine at the yard, insurance for a horsebox is essential for protecting your vehicle.
The first decision you’ll need to make is what sort of livery suits your lifestyle best and what your budget is. The main types on offer include:
DIY – Do it yourself livery means travelling to your horse twice a day and performing all stable and horse care duties yourself.
Part Livery – This normally includes the cost of the stable, paddock, bedding and hay. There may be a turn-out or bring-in service included, too.
Full Livery – This complete package includes being turned out and brought in, mucking out, food and water. Grooming could also be included, as well as appointments with the farrier, vet and dentist. Training might also be included in the package, but this is likely to come at an additional cost.
Clearly choosing the right livery option for you is a balance. For example, those on a budget will probably want to avoid full livery as it can get expensive. But if your time is limited and you can afford it, then it could be the ideal option for you to make sure your horse gets the care it needs.
Always work out beforehand how much you can realistically afford for livery services. Don’t forget to leave a buffer for unexpected costs and factor in travelling costs, too. By signing a livery agreement you could be taken to court if you don’t hold up your side of the bargain.
The British Horse Society runs a livery yard approval scheme to make sure you’re in the very best hands.
When you’ve decided on your budget and type of livery, you’ll need to consider location when finalising your shortlist of potential yards.
The distance between your home and livery yard will have a big impact on cost and time. If you’re travelling there twice a day, it needs to fit into your day-to-day life. Importantly, if there’s an emergency you’ll want to be able to get to your horse quickly.
Being fully covered is something all responsible horse owners will want. As well as providing horsebox insurance, Equesure also provides horse insurance and horse rider insurance to keep you both safe.
Speak with the yard owner or manager and see how you get along – do you think they’ll treat your horse in the way you would want?
There are many different factors you could consider depending on your personal circumstances. For example, if you and your young daughter both want to ride and livery your horses together, a yard with other children around could be a good choice.
Or maybe you’re looking for a very sociable livery yard with regular group hacks? Or perhaps you like to keep yourself to yourself?
Whatever your needs, choosing the right livery yard can help you to feel comfortable and happy with where you’re keeping your horse. A recipe for many happy years together!
Like their owners, horses come in all different shapes, sizes and temperaments. An old horse nearing retirement will have different needs to a hot-blooded thoroughbred for example. Your chosen livery yard will need to be able to meet the demands of your individual horse.
Also keep in mind what you plan to do with your horse and what facilities you’ll need for that. For example, if competitive show jumping is your objective then you’ll want a yard with a jumping arena and facilities to help you work towards your dream.
The following are typical facilities and services which most yards offer and are worth considering:
For every choice you make in your horse’s care you’ll want the very best advice from experienced professionals.
When it comes to protecting your transport, the team at Equesure has over 60 years of experience in the equine insurance market, finding cover for models by Equi-Trek, Empire, Tristar, Ascot and many more.
Obtaining insurance through Equesure can give you a range of benefits including:
Getting a horsebox insurance quote is easy with Equesure.
Policy benefits and features offered may very between insurance schemes or cover selected and are subject to underwriting criteria. Information contained within this article is accurate at the time of publishing but may be subject to change.
Once again I threw Arlo in at the deep end, affiliating him purely for the Arena UK second round show, and once again he pulled it out the bag. How lucky am I to have such a wonderful little horse? We haven’t really competed this year. I don’t really compete over the winter, and also my horsebox was away for repairs up until the beginning of June, so I had no transport even if I’d wanted to.
With the dry ground we don’t seem to be having much luck with shoes, as little madam managed to pull both her front shoes off within 12 hours the other day! We entered the arena with two shoes on for a schooling session and left it with one missing (took about an hour to find it). Then that afternoon, as I went to put some hoof ointment on, I looked down and had to double take, thinking I was looking at the wrong hoof. But, no, the other shoe was missing too.
After having a long wait and some lunch at the onsite café, it was time to get ready for the Joan Wolfe Overall Supreme Shetland Pony Championship. I got changed out of my usual showing outfit into black trousers and a maroon top with white spots, as you are expected to be a bit more “bling” in the evening.
We were all set to go for our next outing, and were super excited. That was until I heard the dreaded clunk of a loose shoe! I checked it over, praying it wasn’t too loose, but, nope, it was going to need a refit.