15/01/2025
WARNING: DRAMATIC POST AHEAD!
As the new financial year takes off like a galloping horse with a broken bridle, we’re all asking the same question: IS A LIVERY YARD EVEN A VIABLE BUSINESS ANYMORE?! Spoiler alert: if you're not making money, it's not. Cue the dramatic music.
I don't usually rant—but after working a ridiculous 70-hour week in my very real career (you know, the one that's not related to horses at all) while relying on livery yards to keep me sane and my horse mostly happy on weekends, I HAVE HAD ENOUGH. It's time to speak the truth. The hard truth. And trust me, it's about to get dramatic.
Let’s talk about reality for a second: LIVERY YARDS ARE CHARGING WAY TOO LITTLE—and it’s a ticking time bomb. We're seeing a slow and painful death of full livery options everywhere, and the reason is simple: IT'S NOT WORTH IT. You heard me. Yard owners are literally getting out of bed in the morning, hoping they’ll be able to keep their lights on and horses fed—and that’s it. And they’re doing it with zero profit. And no, it’s not because equine people have become lazy or entitled (although let's be honest, some have) but because COSTS. ARE. RISING. And the income? It’s dragging its feet like a tired pony at the end of a show season.
The unforgivable truth is that yard owners have been running on sheer blind devotion to their lifestyle (not their bank account) for years. And now? The bills are piling up like an avalanche, and even the most passionate professionals are asking themselves, “Why am I doing this?!” Because here's the kicker: NO BUSINESS CAN SURVIVE when you’re bleeding cash just to keep the doors open. The business model is utterly broken. And if we don’t wake up and realize that, we’re all in big trouble.
So let’s have a moment of clarity: owning a horse is a privilege. And if you think you can just waltz into a yard and expect everything for pennies, you're living in La-La Land. The whole amateur-owner scene will crumble if these businesses close, and you’ll be the one left with nothing but a picture of your horse on your phone—no competition, no training, no beautiful stables, and no opportunity to complain.
Here’s the part where I beg you (seriously, BEG you): ACTUALLY BE DECENT HUMANS. If you can’t afford to pitch in during a wet season and buy extra hay, or help cover bedding for a horse on box rest, or just accept when prices go up, then you are part of the problem. Be understanding when the prices increase, because they WILL. They have to. Yard owners are not running a charity. They're running BUSINESSES—with bills, with staff, with real costs.
Now, prepare yourselves for the ultimate breakdown of the insane reality of running a competition livery yard in 2025. Ready for the numbers? Here we go:
Hay: £5.50 per ¾ bale per day = £25 per week
Straw: £3.50 per bale, 4 bales per week = £14 per week
Feed: 2x Cool Condition, chop, balancer per day = £42 per week
Horse care (AM/PM stables, on/off walker, grooming, etc.): 1 hour/day @ £15 = £105 per week
Facility costs: Rent, utilities, insurance, maintenance, etc. = £70 per box per week
That’s a whopping £256 PER WEEK PER HORSE just to cover basic care, before any actual training or riding happens. And hold on—if we factor in staff wages at minimum wage (£15/hour), we’re talking £346 PER HORSE PER WEEK just to break even. And this is the part where you grab your heart and gasp for air.
So when riders raise their fees, it’s not because they’re trying to roll in cash—it’s because they’re barely scraping by. It’s about paying their staff and keeping the lights on. You think £15 per hour for a groom is too much? Imagine what it costs to run a business. No one is making a killing. But it’s time we all faced the truth: horses are a luxury. So, if we want these businesses to survive, we need to pay the price.
Oh, and let’s not forget: when you pay £15 a day to ride, and £15 an hour for a groom (who by the way, is probably working harder than your office manager), we’re already at £30 PER DAY—before we even look at the rest of the costs. So, let’s all take a deep breath and face it: £210 A WEEK just for STAFF TIME, not including any of the other overheads.
To sum up: the livery business is NOT a hobby. It’s a business. So next time you feel that whisper of frustration because of a price hike, ask yourself: What would YOU charge for your services? Would you let someone undercut your time and effort? Exactly.
If we don’t start respecting these businesses and supporting them, they’re going to disappear faster than your chance at that next competition. And then you’ll be left asking yourself, “Where did all the yards go?” Well, this is where. Right here, right now.
Let’s not let that happen. Get real. Get dramatic. Support the yards that keep us all in the game. 💥🐴
Send in by a follower running a livery yard.
Added: comment from Riding With Rhi
This may be of interest ! For the past four years I’ve run a project called Equestrian Money Diaries where horse owners from around the world share their monthly costs anonymously. This year I’ve put it all in a public spreadsheet with averages. You may find it interesting to read / contribute to - nb: doc may not open on mobile, it’s huge:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1nIZt-6ZAkoHQAE5gxidneOT_HwEr2OmlM_zhR0kIt60/edit
We are a small stud breeding quality sports horses and ponies.
