Choosing The Perfect Livery Yard For Your Horse, Our Top Tips

When you’re looking for a livery yard for your horse, it can be hard to know where to start. How do you find the best livery yard that suits your needs? What should you be looking out for when making your decision? To help make the process easier and help you select the perfect horse livery yard, here are some of our top tips:

Location

The location of a horse livery yard is important for a few reasons. Firstly, if you’re providing livery services on an occasional basis, it needs to be easily accessible from your home and somewhere that is convenient for you. Secondly, the best yard should be close enough to your horse’s grazing land or have sufficient grounds of its own to provide your horse with the exercise and turnout it needs.

Knowledgeable & Experienced Staff

Horse livery yards should have knowledgeable staff who are experienced in horse care, and livery services and who understand the specific needs of each individual horse. It’s also important to find out how long the livery yard has been in business and what its current livery packages include.

Reputation & Reviews

Before making a final decision, take the time to research the best yard and read reviews from past and current livery customers. This can give you an insight into how well the horse livery yard is run and whether or not your horse will be in good hands.

Choosing the right livery yards for your horse requires some careful consideration, but if you follow these top tips, you can rest assured that your horse will be in safe and capable hands. With the best yard, every horse can enjoy a happy, healthy and stress-free life.

Habits

Choosing how much of your horse's care you will perform typically comes down to budgets and work schedules. The more you do yourself, the lower your livery expense, but even at DIY, access to facilities can have a major impact on the cost.

• Don't assume something is included because there are several different types of livery - DIY, aided DIY, half and full. Always inquire about what you're paying for, as you may be surprised by additional fees for services you require.
• Inquire about the yard's everyday routine. It's helpful to know if all of the horses are fed together, if they are all turned out at the exact time, and if they're all returned at the same time. If your horse is the last one left in the field, he may be unhappy, or you may be charged to bring him in, which might significantly increase your livery price.
• Worming is done on a regular basis in most livery yards. Inquire about the routine so you know you're not putting your horse in danger.

Amenities

It’s important to ensure that the horse livery yard has all of the necessary amenities and facilities that your horse requires. This includes a full livery package with access to a groom, farrier, veterinary services etc., stable accommodation, and an on-site tack shop.

Owning the best yard with top-of-the-line amenities is unquestionably wonderful, but the more costly they are, the more you're likely to pay. Consider what is absolutely necessary and what you can live without.

• If there is an arena, make sure it is well-kept. Inquire if there are any jumps if the arena must be reserved and if there are any periods when you cannot ride there. If you are frequently unable to use the amenities for which you have paid, you will become frustrated.
• The basics that most of us feel to be important are a safe tack room, a well-maintained feed room, and enough storage for your equestrian supplies. Consider how your items will fit while being shown around.
• Request to be shown around the fields and, while you're there, inspect the fencing. It's critical to keep your horse safe in his field, so if it's in poor condition or unsafe, skip the yard. Don't be enticed to move to the best yard on the promise that problems would be remedied when you arrive.

Some folks appear to have horses who are content wherever they are. Their owners can send them out in a field along with any other horse, they can live in or out, and they don't mind being left alone in a field. Most of us, though, are not that fortunate. Because our horses are unique, sensitive creatures, understanding their specific needs while evaluating if the yard is suited to them is essential.

No livery yard is perfect and there will always be pros and cons. Consider what matters most to you in terms of cost, amenities, health and safety, social atmosphere, and your horse's needs before making a decision. Take your time to do the research that will lead you to the right livery yard for your horse. Being sure that it's the best livery yard for your horse means that they can enjoy their home at the livery with peace of mind.

By taking into account all of these tips, you can make an informed choice when selecting a livery yard for your equine companion so that both of you can enjoy a happy home life together!