Livery Yards or DIY - which is the best option for your horse?

DIY STABLING

PROS

Looking after your own horse can be fantastic and in general, the DIY option is the cheapest option. You are in complete control of all aspects of your horse’s care, from how often you ride, what type of feed and bedding to use, when to worm your horse and who you want to use as your farrier or vet. You only pay for the facilities and services that you use and want, rather than paying, for example for your horse to be ridden everyday when it doesn’t need it. In addition, you decide when your horse goes out into the field and when it comes in again. This is an important aspect for me (as with many people), because I prefer my horses to be out for as long as possible, an option which is not always available on a large livery yard, due to time constraints and limited grazing.

CONS

Although looking after you own horse may be a dream come true, you really have to be realistic about the amount of work required. For example, are you always available to look after your own horse, in terms of work commitments etc? It can be hard work through the winter months with limited daylight and poor weather and doubly hard if you work or have a family to look after. There may not always be anyone available to help you out if you get stuck, so it’s always worth considering a yard with a few other horses so that the horse owners can help each other as and when required.

Another problem that often occurs is that people don’t always consider the horse’s requirements in terms of routine and exercise needs. This obviously depends on the type of horse that you’ve got, what you have bought the horse to do (e.g. hack or compete), the age and experience of the horse and your own experience and competence. For example, if you’ve bought a young horse, it will generally require more work (as it needs educating), than an older horse that you have bought to hack out a couple of times a week. You will need to take care to make sure that have you have the time, facilities and suitable help close by to deal with younger horses, for example.

FULL / PART LIVERY

PROS

In general, full livery means that absolutely every aspect of your horse’s care (including exercise) is taken care of for you. Part livery generally refers to the taking care of your horse in all aspects apart from exercise. Of course, each yard is different and so you need to make sure exactly what services are provided before you move your horse.

Full or part livery is the ideal choice for busy people who really don’t have the time to take care of their horse themselves. It’s also a good solution for less experienced owners who may need help with their horses care and exercise. Reputable yards will have competent, experienced staff that are capable of managing your horse’s every need, including competently exercising your horse. There’s no mucking out to do, no hanging around waiting for the farrier and no need to worry about keeping feed, bedding and hay supplies stocked up! In general, you simply turn up at the yard, tack up your horse (although some yards even do this for you) and ride.

CONS

This option can be very expensive, full livery being the most expensive because every aspect of your horse’s care is done by someone else. You are therefore paying for feed and bedding, plus the time it takes for someone else to do all the necessary jobs. Of course, each yard is different and so you need to make sure exactly what you are paying for before you move your horse as you may find later that there are hidden extras. For example, you may think that you’re getting a good deal, but then you find out you have to pay extra to keep your lorry or trailer at the yard and to use the facilities. Some yards hold competitions and this is another aspect to be aware of, as there will be restrictions on when you can use facilities.

With full / part livery you may have very little control as to the care of your horse, as many large yards don’t stock individual feeds for individual horses. In other words, your horse gets what it’s given! If your horse has special dietary requirements, you need to be convinced that this can be accommodated. The yard may have a very strict worming routine (I’ve been told of some yards that over worm horses), which you may not approve of and you may have no choice as to the farrier or vet that takes care of your horse. If your horse is to be ridden for you, just check what this means and who will be riding. For example, some yards include schooling horses; others simply hack out for 20 minutes round the block. Either way, if your horse needs focused work, make sure that this is included and check the ability of the people you are trusting to ride your horse for you...after all, it takes a long time to make a horse and a split second to ruin it!