Having an infectious disease agreement between a livery yard and livery clients offers several important advantages for both horse welfare and business operations. A biosecurity agreement is a proactive and formalised way of ensuring that everyone on a livery yard—yard owners, staff, and horse owners—are on the same page when it comes to minimising the risk of infectious disease.
Firstly, the agreement provides clear protocols to help prevent outbreaks of diseases like strangles, equine flu, or EHV. This means that early identification and isolation of potentially infected horses should be easier, and all liveries should be aware of the signs to look out for. It also gives a good understand
ing boundaries for visitor access, use of shared equipment, and general hygiene standards on the yard.
It also means that liveries who leave the yard regularly with their horses- such as for training, events or to meet up with other riders- should have a clear understanding of the behavioural expectations when off the yard such as sensible precautions to keep horses and equipment separate in order to reduce the risk of cross contamination.
An agreement means that the yard owners and clients understand their individual roles in maintaining biosecurity (e.g. vaccination, quarantine, reporting illness), and helps prevent misunderstandings or disagreements during a disease outbreak. This is especially important when it comes to seeking or following veterinary advice, which can be a point of difficulty when these protocols are not made clear.
If there is an outbreak (or a suspected outbreak) a pre-agreed plan ensures swift action. It makes a more collaborative effort if everyone knows their role to play. It can minimise panic, confusion, or inconsistent responses. Ultimately having a clear plan can help avoid yard lockdowns and reduce time in quara
ntine by limiting the spread as much as possible. Additionally, managing disease early is cheaper than dealing with a full-blown outbreak.
Having such agreements and protocols in place also demonstrates professionalism and high standards of care for a yard. As more and more horse owners become aware of biosecurity standards, having such agreements in place can be a marketing asset—a yard with strong biosecurity may be more appealing to prospective clients, and show high standards of care and welfare.
The collaboration between Redwings Horse Sanctuary and LiveryList is a great example. Their initiative, known as the Strangles Awareness Week Yard Agreement, was designed to promote better communication and planning around disease prevention. It encourages livery yards to implement consistent procedures for:
- New arrivals or returning horses (quarantine periods, health checks).
- Vaccination requirements and record keeping.
- Hygiene protocols (disinfecting shared equipment, handling of waste, etc.).
- Immediate action plans for if a horse shows signs of illness.
Having an infectious disease protocols is no longer just a “nice to have”—it’s a crucial consideration of modern equine management. It protects the health of all horses on the yard, supports smoother yard operations, and builds trust between yard managers and horse owners. Agreements like the one promoted by Redwings and LiveryList set a standard that more yards can adopt, ultimately creating a safer, more transparent, and more professional equestrian community. By taking the time to formalise expectations and procedures, livery yards are not only safeguarding the horses in their care, but also future-proofing their reputation and success.
Find out more about introducing or improving the biosecurity protocols and planning for your yard by visiting the Redwings Strangles Hub, or the dedicated Biosecurity section of the LiveryList Yard Owner Hub