Define Competition yard..

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PiaffeRM

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Can you define a livery yard that calls itself a competition yard? What would you expect from one? What makes a livery yard a competition livery yard?
Does that makes sense?

WOuld be interested in your opinions. Will explain later!
 
Hmm Ok I'll have a go

I'd either expect it to be a yard that actually holds competitions on site

Or a yard with a professional competitior based on sight or at least a lot of other liveries who regularly compete.

Either definition would require the yard to have a good school available for use all the time and room for lorry parking.
 
A yard which the owners compete externally and has a few liveries to help out with the monthly bills.

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I think it's quite hard to define - but I've found it's a place with good quality facilities that canincooporate a top competition horse's training...i.e. if it has a horsewalker and personal grooms and gallops, then I think many would call themselves a competition yard. Also, I've found comp. yards have very little turnout........
 
As we are due to open a 'Livery Competition Yard' very soon I define it as:
A Yard that is more suited to people who compete in a certain, or several disciplines on a regular basis. People who need good facilities ie: Large light airy Indoor school with a Professional surface. Same facilities required outdoor. Good safe stables preferably dust free environment. Professional staff to deal with problems.
In other words, everything that a Professional rider needs to have for themself only this way you can share it.
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Normal livery is fine for the many people that like to ride out in the countryside & dont really have any need for first class surfaces, individual turnout etc.
 
To me a competition livery yard is a yard set up to accomodate competition horses/ riders.

I would expect this to include facilities suitable for training a competition horse and possibly training available.

I would however class any livery yard full of competition liveries as a competition yard- as they it is obviously suitable for such!

Hope that makes sense!!
 
I agree with Lillie and Freshman.

Freshman - can you make a 'branch' of your yard down South please?! Sounds lovely lovely lovely
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Falls into two types for me.

1) Equestrian centres that host competitions.

Usually have trainers on site that have competed to a high level themslves. Its easier to have a trainer who is based on site and always there to help you than having to book in trainers from outside.

Have the facilities to allow competition riders to practice.. indoor schools, outdoor schools, cross country course perhaps. Full course of showjumps allowing the practice of all kinds of fences. These riders often need to ride regardless of weather, so the surfaces of outdoors need to be good and imo, indoors are essential.

Have the additional facilities to cope with the demands of those owning expensive horses and to accommodate the routine of these animals. This should include individual turnout, including the provision for stallions. Large, safe stables and again, being able to cater for stallions. Horse walkers are a useful addition given many competition horses do not go out. Solariums and spas are often popular.

Have enough parking and manoevering room for large horse boxes.

Have professional staff that are both capable of dealing with the calibre of horses (again, this should include stallions) these places tend to attract AND in dealing with rather demanding liveries. IMO both are essential as a lot of people working in the equine industry lack people skills and don't seem to see the necessity of them. Its also worth bearing in mind that if the liveries need someone else to exercise their horses for them, the staff need to be capable of this and as such, have to ride to a very good level themselves.

For me, the staff are an enormous part of making these places work.


2) Competition yards that don't host events themselves.

Pretty much as the above but they don't host events there, leaving that to the larger centres. Everything else should be the same imo
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The only difference being that smaller competition yards often specialise in a specific discipline so the facilities might vary. At least.. you wont find many dressage yards having cross country courses
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I have and run a competition livery yard. I am a proffesional rider and competitor. All the horses, including my clients are in some kind of competative sport.
The whole yard, staff, support system is based on the needs and management of these horses.
We have exellent facilities, school, yard, lorry parking.Top farriers,physios and vets.
I have no DIY and no children.
Basically they are kept as i keep my own high level competition horses.
 
Some really interesting replies.

I guess I would deine it pretty much the way Partoow did.

Wondered really as my current yard is advertising as a comp yard but the school is unrideable there is a lunge pen which is also not used for the same reason and the only person on the yard that competes is me!
 
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