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…
The Hidden Side of Horse Care: The Physical and Mental Toll of Running a Livery Yard
When people think about what’s it’s like to run a livery yard, they often imagine sitting watching people riding in the arena, the soothing sound of horses munching hay in the stables, and watching the horses enjoy the sun on their backs in the paddocks. To outsiders, it might look like the dream — getting to work with horses, being outdoors, and living what appears to be a peaceful, simple life.
But the reality is that it’s a lifestyle which demands dedication, physical endurance, and immense emotional resilience. Running a livery yard can be one of the most physically exhausting and mentally draining jobs out there — and it’s an aspect of the industry that often goes unnoticed.
Running a yard is a 24/7 role. It’s a job that needs to be done regardless of the seasons and the weather, and you never quite know what’s going to greet you on the yard each day when you arrive. Most yard owners start their day early in the morning and often working late into the evening. You’re even ‘on call’ overnight, during your lunch break, bank holidays and even when you (dare to) take a holiday. There is very little down time and the expectation is often there to respond to clients for even the most trivial of requests at all hours of the day or night.
Livery services must be maintained one way or another regardless of weather conditions or ground conditions or hour or day- whether it’s frostbite worthy temperatures when you’re breaking the ice on troughs, or dealing with overheated horses and flies during a heatwave, whether you have to deal with 6inches of snow or flooding, and whether it’s 7am on a Sunday, or Christmas morning
And when other ‘normal’ jobs are 9-5 and can be forgotten about at the end of each day or for the weekend, yard owners are still on their feet — feeding, turning out, grooming, managing clients, doing the admin and dealing with the endless list of responsibilities that never quite seems to shrink.
The physical side of the job is rarely remarked upon. Back problems, joint issues, repetitive strain injuries — these aren’t rare in the equestrian world, they’re expected. Being on your feet most of the day, years of lifting hay bales and feed sacks, pushing heavy wheelbarrows, banging in fence posts, lifting jumps and poles around the arena and catching unpredictable horses wear a body down.
Cuts and bruises, broken toes or fingers are all too common and even more serious injuries are not uncommon for those offering schooling services or competing regularly. Many a yard owner can tell you about the time they’ve broken their wrist or their ribs or been concussed when taken a heavy fall.
And what about the yard owners who deal with the trickier of horses, ones who may bite or kick, those that are naughty or green to ride or the inevitable ones with poor manners who drag you out to the field or try to squash you in the stable. Whatever your level of experience horses can be unpredictable and can cause severe injury even when you least expect it.
When I was 18 and studying at a well known equine college for my HND I had a fall xc and fractured my spine. I was in hospital in traction and the college didn’t find that ‘extenuating enough circumstances’ for me to not sit my final exam the following week. That then should have prepared me for the expectations of working in the equestrian industry!
There’s no time to have a cold if you’ve caught a chill whilst working in the pouring rain, or no rest from being on your feet when you have blisters from trudging around in wellies all day. You just have to suck it up and carry on regardless. And unlike in other jobs, there’s no option to call in sick or take time off and get sick pay in lieu. Many yard owners manage their yards single handed and the horses still need care, the routine never stops.
Many yard owners can also forget worrying about their self presentation after a long day on the yard. Heading home bedraggled and tired, smelling of horse pee, with hay in their hair, dirt on their face and mud (or worse) under their nails. It’s a rare opportunity for a yard owner to feel glam and not like a walking muck heap and that can take its toll too!
Physically, the work is punishing — but emotionally? It can be brutal.
You’re not just managing animals; you’re managing people. Livery clients come with expectations, emotions, and, sometimes, drama. Being the go-between in disputes, handling complaints, or absorbing the frustrations of clients while maintaining professionalism can grind you down.
Add to that the emotional weight of caring for animals you grow to love. Watching a horse colic, dealing with a serious injury, or — worst of all — making the decision to say goodbye to one of your herd- even more so when it takes you by surprise- can leave emotional scars that never fully heal.
And often the enjoyment of your own horses is stolen away. Not the peace and quiet of your own yard you’d hoped for. Having eagle eyed spectators scrutinising your riding, needing to share the arena with liveries, being accosted or messaged every five minutes with a question or request when you’re trying to tack up or enjoy a quiet hack. That’s one of the aspects I hear so often from yard owners that they struggle with. Not being able to switch off and just enjoy their own horses.
And for those yard owners with children the risks can seem all the more serious. I know for one that once I had children, working with horses seemed so much more risky. It also seemed to take up so much more time and steal away precious weekends and evenings that could be spent with family.
Let’s not forget the financial side. Running a yard isn’t just hard work — it’s expensive. Costs seem to rise on an annual basis over and above price increases that liveries are willing to accept. Even when you think you’re on an even keel something breaks, an unforeseen jump in hay prices or someone does a moonlight flit without paying and again you find yourself in a tight spot. Many livery yards operate on tiny margins, meaning the pressure to keep everything afloat is constant. Many yard owners struggle to make ends meet and often get a shock if they dare sit down once or twice a year to work out what they’re spending versus what they are charging their clients. Some are even in serious financial debt through their attempts of keeping their yard afloat and in some cases that affects home life and relationships too.
Burnout is a very real and very common issue in this industry. When your entire life revolves around caring for others — whether two-legged or four — it’s easy to lose sight of your own needs. Physical strains on your body. Mental health can slip. Loneliness can creep in. Financial worries can stay hidden. And many yard owners suffer in silence, afraid to admit they’re overwhelmed because “this is just the life.”
It’s time for the equestrian world — and the public — to recognise the human cost behind horse care. It’s not just the equine welfare or standards of yards as we see so frequently reported in the media. Yard owners aren’t just “lucky to work with horses.” They’re some of the hardest-working, most passionate people you’ll ever meet. And they deserve support, proper rest, fair pay, and mental health awareness just as much as anyone else.
So next time you walk onto a tidy yard, find a yard owner that goes above and beyond, or get told your prices are increasing — take a moment to think about the people behind the scenes, everything they put in to providing those services and what sacrifices they may be making to provide the best they can for the equine in their care, and their owners too!
Original content by LiveryList and the Yard Owner Hub
If you’re looking for guidance and support in any aspect of running your yard, then head over to the Yard Owner Hub where you can find templates, resources and industry information on all aspects to help make your life easier 
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