07/12/2025
Owning horses is expensive. Prices of everything go up, a business has to pass this on in some form. It is a worry that owning a horse will become out of reach for a lot of people, but that's where us riding schools come in.
Following last weekâs post about price rises, itâs clear this topic struck a nerve! đŤ˘People must understand that the livery industry is like no other, totally unregulated, totally inconsistent, and improving standards benefits everyone.
No one likes to admit when keeping a horse costs more than they imagined or expectedâbut costs have risen across all areas of life. Just because a horse owner hasnât had a pay rise doesnât mean the cost of keeping their horse shouldnât go up. Horses are always a luxury. For some people, yes, they are a way of life or something essential to themâbut theyâre also a huge long-term commitment in both time and money. Everyone needs a long-term plan and canât expect costs to stay the same while owning a horse or pony.
This isnât scaremongering, rage-bait, or defending yards that are âripping offâ horse ownersâthe undervaluing of the industry is a serious problem. Many good yards are closing because meeting expected standards is expensive. Almost 350 riding schools have closed since 2018, many of which also offered livery, and countless livery yards shut each year, some just a short time after opening. Sadly, the most common yards to shut are those with nice facilities, good locations, experienced staff and good standards of equine welfare and client management who end up unable to fill their spaces because horse owners arenât preparedâor ableâto pay the price. The result? We lose these good yards. Access to riding, coaching, and livery is steadily disappearing, reducing opportunities for everyone in the industry.
Every horse owner should feel confident their horse or pony is on a yard that treats them well, meets the basics like the 3 Fâs (forage, friends, freedom), and treats clients fairly too. Having been on all sidesâyard owner, manager, and clientâI know where everyone is coming from. But the things that cost⌠insurance, maintenance, livery contracts, good staffing⌠they benefit everyone: horse owner and yard owner. Weâre in the business of supporting the industry for all involved, but sometimes there are certain areas that will cause disagreements.
When good yards close, itâs not just a loss of a place to keep your horseâit affects community, education, and the overall health and welfare of horses. If this trend continues, we risk a serious decline in the quality and availability of livery services nationwide, making it harder for the next generation of riders and horse owners to access safe, well-managed facilities.
But back to the pricing. Thereâs no ârightâ or âwrongâ price. Like any industry, there are high-end, mid-range, and budget options. The problem is expecting high-end standards at budget pricesâor the reverse. Itâs a false economy. Cost-cutting is commonplace. Of course, it doesnât always mean neglectâit can simply mean doing less than optimal care. But over time, these corners can impact horse welfare and safety, client satisfaction, and ultimately the yardâs reputation.
Itâs time horse owners start asking why some yards are cheap, rather than just focusing on questioning the expensive ones. Understanding why a yard charges the price it does is key. You donât need a breakdown of their monthly outgoings but often it becomes glaringly obvious by doing a bit of due diligence or simply speaking to the yard owner about the standards they provide. And yes, as Iâve said a hundred times before it is possible for yards to be cheap and still be a good yard,- there are plenty of yards lucky enough to have low overheads or just take a minimum to help subsidise the cost of their own horses, but it being able to identify the yards that fall into this category, rather than a yard being cheap because theyâre cutting corners, skipping legal or moral obligations, or simply donât meet the promises they make, is the most important factor when choosing a yard.
Hereâs an example. The recent budget announced increases in business rates. While there are some reliefs, many yardsâespecially livery yardsâare unlikely to qualify. That means costs go up simply because the business is doing what itâs legally and morally obligated to do: pay business rates. Clients wonât see any direct benefit from this, and it doesnât change the day-to-day operations of the yardâitâs just another bill to pay. So, should the yard absorb the cost or pass it on to clients? Realistically, this is an overhead of running a business. And how a business manages its overheads is exactly what determines the prices of its servicesâtrue for any business, in any industry. Is this then somehow diddling the livery clients, or is it just normal business practices that your prices should reflect your costs to run your business? And what about the yards that knowingly avoid paying business rates, they continue with no effect to their costs, no extra costs to themselves and go merrily on their way undermining the yards doing things properly and paying their way legally and morally.
When yards charge fairly and clients are educated on proper standards (both of which we encourage through the work we do), everyone benefits. This isnât a made up issue, itâs not a marketing tool or novelty point to raiseâitâs about ensuring horses are kept in safe, well-managed environments, protecting their welfare and giving owners peace of mind.
