Fuel shortages and rising petrol and diesel costs don’t just affect transport—they can affect every part of a day to day life, including livery yard operations. Fuel shortages are rarely just about fuel. Their effects extend into every corner of a livery yard, often in ways that are not immediately visible. The most successful yard owners will be those who recognise these wider impacts early and take steps to manage them—balancing cost control with the needs of their clients and staff.
From running machinery to the increased cost of hay, bedding, and services like farriers, the financial pressure can build quickly and often with a delay. Yard owners who plan ahead and adapt early will be in a much stronger position.
It’s easy to focus on direct fuel use—tractors, delivery vehicles, and general yard transport—but the secondary effects are often more significant. As suppliers face increased production and transport costs, those rises are passed on in other areas such as hay, bedding, and feed prices, often well after the initial fuel issue. At the same time, service providers such as farriers, vets, and instructors may need to increase their call-out fees. Liveries themselves are also under pressure, with higher travel costs potentially affecting how often they visit the yard—or even whether they stay. These increases often lag behind the initial fuel crisis, meaning costs can continue rising even after fuel supply stabilises.
Immediate Actions to Reduce Fuel Use On the Yard
During periods of fuel shortage, it can help to adopt a more measured and planned approach to vehicle use and refuelling. Keeping vehicle tanks topped up to a sensible level—rather than running them close to empty—can reduce the risk of being caught out by sudden local shortages, while still avoiding unnecessary panic buying or overfilling that contributes to pressure on supply. Smaller rural suppliers or established local forecourts may be less prone to sudden stock issues than high-demand locations during periods of disruption.
Review Machinery and Vehicle Use
For most yards, machinery is an unavoidable part of daily operations, but even small efficiencies can reduce overall fuel consumption. Thinking carefully about how and when equipment is used can have a noticeable impact over time, especially those where purchasing fuel is a direct an dimmediate need.
- Combine jobs to reduce trips with tractors or utility vehicles
- Reduce idling time for vehicles
- Cut down non-essential arena or field harrowing or rolling frequency
- Maintain machinery well—poorly serviced equipment burns more fuel
- Reduce unnecessary movement of wheelbarrows, quads, or tractors
- Combine transport journeys where possible to reduce overall fuel usage
- Be more selective about competitions and outings to reduce unnecessary travel costs
- Encourage a more strategic approach to event planning, prioritising key competitions and training opportunities over frequent travel
Rethink Deliveries
One of the most important things yard owners can do is plan ahead for the less obvious consequences of fuel shortages. Forage and bedding are particularly vulnerable to rising costs, not just because of transport, but because of the fuel involved in production itself—harvesting, processing, and packaging.
We have seen in recent years, particularly during periods of hay shortage, how quickly prices can escalate once supply tightens. Fuel-related increases may not be immediate, but they often arrive later and can be significant.
- Order in bulk where possible to reduce delivery frequency
- Coordinate shared deliveries with nearby yards or between liveries
- Work with suppliers to schedule fewer, larger drop-offs
Plan Ahead for Forage and Bedding
Fuel costs heavily influence production and transport of hay and haylage, straw, shavings, and other bagged feed and bedding. Cheaper products transported long distances may become more expensive overall. Local sourcing can offer better long-term stability.
- Lock in prices early where possible
- Build relationships with local producers to reduce transport costs
- Consider alternative bedding wiht lower production costs (e.g., miscanthus, cardboard, or pellets)
- Reduce waste across hay, bedding, and water through improved storage and handling practices
- Review forage storage to prevent spoilage and avoid avoidable losses
- Portion forage and bedding more carefully, especially if offering “ad lib”to reduce overuse without compromising welfare
Managing External Service Costs
- Organise “yard days” for farriers, dentists, physios
- Ensure multiple horses are booked per visit to reduce call-out fees per owner
- Review muck removal collection frequency to ensure it matches actual need rather than routine schedules
Clear and open communication is essential. When liveries understand the reasons behind changes or potential price increases—and can see that efforts are being made to manage costs—they are far more likely to be supportive.
Managing Staff Costs and Wellbeing
An often overlooked aspect of fuel price rises is the impact on staff. Grooms and yard staff may face significantly higher commuting costs, particularly in rural areas where public transport options are limited or non-existent, and they may have to commute farther to work.
For employers, this can create both financial and operational challenges. Staff may begin to feel the strain of increased travel expenses, which can affect morale, retention, and even punctuality if individuals are forced to adjust their routines.
Managing Staffing Costs
- Review shift patterns to reduce the number of journeys staff need to make each week
- Consolidate working hours where possible to limit frequent travel
- Offer flexibility in start and finish times to help staff manage fuel use more efficiently
- Consider a temporary contribution towards travel costs during peak fuel price periods
- Where appropriate, introduce a modest pay adjustment to help retain valued staff—particularly in high-end yards where consistency of care is essential
Supporting Liveries Through Rising Costs
Liveries are not immune to the effects of fuel price increases, and for many, the cost of travelling to and from the yard becomes a real concern. This is especially relevant for DIY clients who visit daily, but it can also affect higher-end clients who may begin to reassess how frequently they attend in person. Yard owners can help ease this pressure by offering flexible solutions, even on a temporary basis.
Encourage Car Sharing or Buddy Systems
- Set up a simple WhatsApp or noticeboard system for lift sharing
- Group turnout or riding times to align visits
- Consider buddy system (if allowed) reducing visits where liveries can cover other horses
Flexible Livery Options
- Encourage changing to more suitable cost-effective assisted or part livery packges
- Consider the ad-hoc assisted services you can provide
- Consider temporary service add-ons during peak fuel cost periods
Transparent Communication
Explain clearly:
- Why costs may increase
- What you’re doing to minimize them
- How liveries can help reduce pressure
People are more understanding when they see proactive management. Clear and open communication is essential. When liveries understand the reasons behind changes or potential price increases—and can see that efforts are being made to manage costs—they are far more likely to be supportive.
Avoiding False Economies
While cost-saving is important, it’s equally important not to cut corners in ways that could compromise safety or welfare. Reducing essential maintenance—such as fencing repairs, arena upkeep, or machinery servicing—can lead to bigger, more expensive problems later on, as well as increased risk to both horses and people.
The same applies to equine care. Skimping on forage quality, bedding standards, or routine health services may appear to save money in the short term but can have serious long-term consequences. Maintaining high standards of welfare should always remain a priority, regardless of external pressures.
Using This as an Opportunity to Review Pricing
Periods of rising costs, while challenging, can also serve as a useful prompt to step back and review the financial structure of the yard as a whole. Many yard owners find that their pricing has not been revisited for some time, despite steady increases in core expenses such as forage, bedding, utilities, and staffing.
Rather than reacting only when pressure becomes unmanageable, this can be a good moment to carry out a more thorough review of both costs and pricing. Looking at the business holistically—what it truly costs to run each type of livery, and whether current prices reflect that—can help ensure long-term sustainability.
Where adjustments are needed, a clear and gradual approach is often best. Explaining the reasoning behind any changes and linking them to wider economic factors can help maintain trust and understanding among clients.
Building Long-Term Resilience
Fuel shortages expose how interconnected livery yard operations really are. The key is not just reacting to rising petrol prices, but anticipating the knock-on effects—especially delayed increases in forage, bedding, and services.
It is generally advisable to avoid excessive stockpiling of fuel, forage, or bedding, as this can contribute to local shortages, create storage challenges, and tie up significant cash flow without necessarily offering long-term protection against price increases. Instead, a more sustainable approach is to focus on reducing overall usage through more efficient yard practices, while planning ahead for likely cost rises by budgeting conservatively and recognising that increases in forage, bedding, utilities, and services often continue to filter through after the initial shortage period.
While short-term adjustments are essential, fuel shortages also highlight the value of longer-term resilience. Yards that can reduce their reliance on external inputs—whether through improved grazing management, reduced forage waste, or more efficient infrastructure—are generally better placed to weather fluctuations in cost.
Some may also begin to explore alternative energy options, such as solar power, particularly for larger or more commercial operations. While these require upfront investment, they can offer meaningful savings and stability over time.