What qualifications do you need to own a livery yard?

It is advisable to have an equestrian qualification, as this reassures clients as to your soundness to look after their horse. It also means you can charge more for training, exercising or riding lessons.

What qualifications do you need to run a livery yard?

Horse owners will likely want to see evidence of proficiency and you can easily take courses in stable management through the British Horse Society. Your livery yard will also not require a license, unless you plan to offer lessons, in which case they fall with the requirements of the Riding Establishments Act 1964.

Do you need a Licence for a livery yard?

If clients agree that their horses can be used for lessons in exchange for a reduced livery fee, then it is a working livery arrangement and you will therefore require a riding establishment licence (our blog https://www.isonharrison.co.uk/blog/stable-businesses-licensing-for-riding-schools/ offers useful advice in ...

Do livery yards make money?

Your yard is a business, and people run businesses to earn an income. If you are running a yard and working full time hours on the yard every week, on top of covering your costs, it's not unreasonable to be expecting to earn a full-time wage!

Do you need planning permission to run a livery yard?

All built stables where they are constructed on site or placed onto concrete pads will almost certainly require permission, whether they are used for personal or commercial use. Generally, most Councils will grant permission for a modest couple of stables for personal use, subject to normal planning considerations.

So you want to… set up a livery yard?

How much does a livery yard cost?

Costs of keeping a horse on a livery yard vary depending on the type of livery offered. Grass Livery can be expected to cost in the region of £20-£25 per week. DIY Stabled Livery can be expected to cost around £30-£40 per week. Full livery can be expected to cost in the region of £100-£150 per week.

How much does a livery yard cost UK?

Grass Livery can be expected to cost around of £20-£25 per week. DIY Stabled Livery can be expected to cost roughly £30-£40 per week. A full livery service can cost up to £100-£150 per week. Any extra care of the horse or tasks carried out by staff at the livery yard costs extra.

Do livery yards have to pay business rates?

Most non-domestic properties will attract business rates including many, if not most, equestrian businesses. They may also be charged where only part of a building is used for non-domestic purposes.

Do livery yards charge VAT?

The letting of a stable alone is exempt from VAT, subject to the 'option to tax'. Stabling plus livery might be VAT exempt, only if the stabling is the predominant element. DIY livery is two supplies (of zero-rated feed and exempt or standard-rated stabling) and charges need to be appropriately apportioned.

Who regulates livery yards?

Anyone can set up a livery yard. Unless it runs in conjunction with a riding school, when it must be licensed and inspected, there are no regulations apart from those of the local planning authority.

What are the responsibilities of a livery yard owner?

In a full livery agreement, the yard owner is primarily responsible for the daily care of the horse. Services vary but tend to include feeding, turnout to grazing and bringing in. The yard usually provides feed, hay and bedding. Therefore, the yard must ensure that they are providing good quality food and grazing.

What is a private livery yard?

A livery yard, livery stable or boarding stable, is a stable where horse owners pay a weekly or monthly fee to keep their horses. A livery or boarding yard is not usually a riding school and the horses are not normally for hire (unless on working livery - see below).

What type of business is a livery yard?

At a livery yard, horses are housed and cared for in return for payment, but do not belong to the owner of the yard. Depending on the type of livery, you may share responsibility for the care of your horse with the owner.

How many acres per horse for livery yard?

As a general rule, each horse requires approximately 0.5 – 1.0 hectares (or 1.25 to 2.5 acres) of grazing of a suitable quality if no supplementary feeding is being provided. Each donkey requires a minimum of 0.2 – 0.4 hectares (a half to one acre).

What is a Level 4 equine qualification?

The Level 4 Diploma in Equine Sports Massage course considers the management of these horses covering farriery, foot balance, saddlery and tack, understanding and managing injury, disease and health, conditioning and training requirements, and many other relevant aspects of equine management.

What is the difference between a livery yard and a stable?

Livery is a facility of privately-owned stables that is leased out by yard owners. Specific livery yards are designed for competition horses, brood mares and convalescing horses etc. The majority of yards are for general use and are categorised as Full, Part or DIY.

Do horse owners pay road tax?

Some motorists believe that 'road tax' pays for roads. As cyclists and horses don't pay 'road tax', they have lesser rights to use roads, or no rights at all.

Is livery an agricultural use?

Thus stud farms and livery stables (stables where horses are kept for the owner, and fed and groomed for a fee) are sui generis uses. There may be an exception in the case of stables if these are genuinely incidental or ancillary to some other use.

Is DIY livery a trade?

DIY liveries are normally one trade which forms part of a much larger trade of farming.

How do I start a livery?

Is full livery worth it?

Full livery provides all care, exercise and necessary tasks on your behalf. Full livery can be standard care or tailored to individual needs, such as competition livery or backing and schooling livery. This is usually the most expensive type of livery.

Are equestrian facilities profitable?

Opening up your own stables, whether it is for your personal use or as a commercial pursuit, can be a great source of income. The demand is certainly there and if you go with the second option you could find yourself making large profits.

How much is full livery per month?

For full livery, where all your horse's needs are the responsibility of the livery yard, prices vary enormously. A basic yard might offer £400 per month, but prices in the commuter belt near London can be as much as £800 (around £185 per week).

Why is it called a livery yard?

A livery stable (from 1705, derived from the obsolete sense of "provender for horses" found in the mid-15th century) looks after the care, feeding, stabling, etc., of horses for pay.

How much does it cost to stable a horse per month?

Boarding a horse can cost anywhere from $100 per month for pasture board, with no inside stabling to over $1,000 per month in barns with stalls, individual turn-out, arenas, and other amenities close to urban areas.