Every Sunday, Cheryl Johns – founder of LiveryList and the Yard Owner Hub- draws on her knowledge and experience of the industry to provide an insightful and thought provoking article around the topic of livery yard management.
This week…
Have You Been the Victim of a Livery Yards ‘False Reputation’?
Trusting a livery yard with the care of your horse is one of the biggest decisions a horse owner will make. While many yards are run by dedicated professionals who prioritise horse welfare, the lack of regulation means that poor standards are all too common.
So the question all horse owners should be asking: who exactly are we trusting to care for our horses? And more importantly, are we doing enough due diligence before handing over this responsibility?
Virtually anyone with a stable and a field is able to offer ‘livery services’ of any type. No qualifications are legally required, and there is no mandatory licensing scheme to ensure a minimum standard of care and welfare. This means that, in the worst cases, horses can end up under the care of individuals with little experience, inadequate facilities, poor standards of care, or even a lack of basic horsemanship knowledge.
Many livery yard owners claim to have “years of experience” with horses, but experience alone does unfortunately not equate to competence, nor prove that their methods or knowledge are correct. A person who has owned horses for decades may still lack the knowledge and experience required to manage a yard professionally. Even in that time they may have only owned one or two of their own horses and not understand the broad scope of experience and skills that may be required to oversee the day to day care and management of a yard full of unfamiliar horses who could bring with them a whole host of issues or behaviours that they have never previously had to deal with.
Many livery yards gain their clientele through word-of-mouth recommendations or social media presence. But a glossy website, carefully curated adverts or popular social media posts do not guarantee the quality of care behind the scenes. Some yard owners may have genuine dedication and want to run a yard as professionally as possible, while others may simply be in it for financial gain, cutting corners where they think clients won’t notice. Overcrowded fields, poorly maintained yards, inadequate forage, poor handling, and even neglect can all be hidden behind a well-presented front.
False promises or bending the truth on what they offer by yard owners during viewings can also prove an issue. For example, you may be lured into the promise of daily winter grazing whilst viewing a yard in the summer months only to discover when winter comes that the fields are unavoidably full of mud and completely unusable contrary to the claims of the yard owner when you viewed. for some yard owners, this may be genuinely out of the norm, but some yard owners will intentionally mislead in order to fill their stables.
Unfortunately, many horse owners only realise they’ve made the wrong choice after their horse’s health or well-being has suffered. This can often mean the horse and owner depart that yard, and on occasions after only a very short time. This is because the yard was never going to stand up to the image it portrayed at first glance, and it is only when horse owners arrive at the yard and pay their money that things often start to go downhill when being on the yard day-to-day and witnessing the care of the horse and facilities make it clear that all is not as it seems.
Yet time and time again, we see the same yards with the same poor standards almost having one out, and one in. Constantly being able to replenish their empty stables with new unsuspecting liveries. And why is this? Often horse owners feel foolish when they realise they have gone to the wrong yard and just silently move onto another. Sometimes when raising issues, the horse owners can even be made to feel that they are the problem and either feel that they need to leave or are subsequently handed their notice by the yard owner who wishes not to have their reputation damaged by genuine issues coming to light.
So rarely are any issues with such yards publicised, and when the yard advertises vacancies, they are snapped up quickly. In these economic times many horse owners are basing their choice of livery yards on cost, or may have limited options locally, or are blinded by false promises and so may hesitantly ‘try’ a yard despite a lesser reputation in order to keep their livery costs low.
However, even through no fault of your own, the upheaval for a horse and its owner can be considerate. As highlighted in a recent welfare report the regular changing of yards for a horse can have a negative effect on their well-being and behaviour. Needing to re-socialise and develop bonds with new field and stable companions, understanding and adopting a new yard routine, and being handled by unfamiliar people in an unfamiliar place can take a time to get used to.
It is therefore even more important to make sure that when you are selecting a yard, you are finding somewhere that is suitable long-term is key.
So how do we prevent this? All horse owners, have a duty to be proactive in ensuring the well-being of their animals. This means doing far more than just taking a yard owner at their word. There are key considerations every horse owner should make before entrusting their horse to a livery yard.
There should be questions asked about the daily routine, livery contracts, insurances, biosecurity protocols, turnout schedules or restrictions, emergency procedures, yard rules and staff qualifications. A competent yard owner should be able to answer confidently. Most importantly, you should trust your instincts. If something feels off, it probably is. Don’t ignore red flags, even if the yard looks good on the surface. And remember, some thing ARE too good to be true!
By doing thorough research, staying vigilant, and being prepared to act if necessary, owners can help ensure that their horses receive the care and attention they deserve. After all, our horses trust us to protect them—it’s our responsibility to live up to that trust.
Original content by LiveryList and the Yard Owner Hub
If you are looking for livery, take a look at our new “back to basics” Finding a Yard, covering all the important considerations and more when it comes to finding a suitable yard for your equine friend.
You can also find lots of guidance and articles explaining why you should be asking these questions, and the pitfalls to avoid on our dedicated “Finding a Yard” section on the LiveryList Yard Owner Hub