What do you look for in a good livery yard?

Question

I am halfway to getting a horse and unfortunately do not have the land to keep it myself. While cost is obviously a factor, its more important to me that the horse is happy! What should I look for in a good DIY livery yard?

Answer 1

The old saying is " the muck heap is the visiting card of a yard"

if this is neat and tidy then it was generally true that the rest of the yard is well run.

Don't be blinded by horse walkers, huge indoor schools, modern boxes with outside paddocks, but look at the bedding, is there enough of it? Are the boxes mucked out every day for the full liveries or the owners own horses?

Look in the feed room - is everything clean and tidy?

How many staff to how many liveries?

What condition are the fields? Are the fences solid and horse friendly?

Do they turn out mares and geldings separately?

What are the exact services that you get for your payment? (Here in Germany even for full livery you have to pay extra for turning out, for changing rugs (IF they do it), you never get grooming or feet being picked out and generally boxes are only mucked out every 2 weeks if you are lucky.)

if on DIY where can you get hay and straw - or do you have to buy it from the yard? Do you have secure place for your feed and equipment?

So inspect the yard carefully. Return a second time unannounced after your initial viewing - and use not only your eyes but also your nose!

Answer 2

I tend to look for saftey first. E,g good fencing around paddocks, water maintenance in field, electricity.

Then, if the livery yard has an arena, check the surface out on it, making sure it wont get water logged too quickley. Bridle paths near by, Location of turn out field: Do you have to cross a road to get to the field, is the field near a main road.

Then, how many horses are there in his/her field. Is the stable big enough. Think about the horses comfort before looking at the minor details. But, make sure its in your price range, as it may go up in the winter. Hope this helps!

Good luck!

Answer 3

nice owners

good safety eg. good fencing

in your price range

nice atmosphere

its important that you like it

hope this helps

if you are in the hertforshire this is where i am and its really good

www.sandrigeburyfarm.co.uk

Answer 4

Saftey (Good Fencing And Stables)

Facilites (School Or Paddock)

Good Hacking

Friendly People Are Really Important And Other People My Age :)

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Answer 5

Good, safe fencing.

Enough land for the amount of horses that they have

Friendly, helpful people

Stables of adequate size and not draughty

A general tidy appearance

Someone on site all the time (not every yard owner lives on site!)

Secure facilities for storing tack (unless you want to take it home)

Suitable arenas (if you ride)

If I think of anything else I'll add :-)

Answer 6

-Happy horses. Obvious, really.

-Tidy, well-maintained yard. No hazards for you or your horse.

-Nice fields. No broken fences, good supply of water, no hazards or poisonous plants. Also see which horses your horse will be turned out with (i.e don't turn out a stallion with mares e.t.c!)

-Well-kept school/schooling area. Make sure it is harrowed regularly, and also check what size it is- the larger the better.

-Decent stables. Make sure they're the right size for your horse and check what bedding is available.

-Secure tack room/feed store. You really don't want £1000 of bridles and saddles not locked up...

-If you like riding out, see what off-road riding there is in the area.

-Knowledgeable, friendly owner/staff.

-Pleasant liveries. Nothing worse than horrible people to hack out with ;/

Good luck with buying your new horse :)

Answer 7

at my stables, the stables don't look amazing, but are good size and the lady who owns it checks the stables every day. the paddocks are really good as well. we have a sand school and a grass school, but i don't think many people use it. also there is brilliant hacking around the area. but the people are all really friendly, which is a plus. just cuz a place doesn't have, doesn't the people aren't amazing. i've been to other yards, with nice stables, but the people were horrid.

Answer 8

Good quality fencing and stabling. That all of the horses look happy, and well. That the facilities are all nice and clean, and safe to use. That everyone is nice :D and make sure you could picture yourself happily there