High end/premium liveries - suggestions please!

[NotInTheKnow]

Hi everyone,

I'm looking for suggestions beyond Google for high end/premium liveries within reasonable driving distance from (North) London. I'd like to be able to go there everyday or several days during the week. So proximity is my only limiting consideration.

If distance wasn't a factor both Gornall Equestrian in York and Cotswold Club Equestrian in Gloucestershire are what I had in mind (underfloor heated stables and all). Almost like a country club/private members club feel with no expense spared on the quality of the outbuildings and extensive facilities for both horses and riders (and grooms).

So far the closest I could find is Netherwylde Equestrian in Hertfordshire. Not quite the level of Gornall but it seems to be the only contender in the south east. Are there comparable places anyone can recommend?

Thank you kindly in advance!

 

[quiteniceforacob]

Equitopia?

 

[Splash2310]

Warrenwood Manor Stud in Essendon?

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

Warren Wood in Essendon the facilities are amazing but have no idea about livery, I know someone that has worked at Netherhyde and they always recommend it.

 

[Bobthecob15]

Hi everyone,

I'm looking for suggestions beyond Google for high end/premium liveries within reasonable driving distance from (North) London. I'd like to be able to go there everyday or several days during the week. So proximity is my only limiting consideration.

If distance wasn't a factor both Gornall Equestrian in York and Cotswold Club Equestrian in Gloucestershire are what I had in mind (underfloor heated stables and all). Almost like a country club/private members club feel with no expense spared on the quality of the outbuildings and extensive facilities for both horses and riders (and grooms).

So far the closest I could find is Netherwylde Equestrian in Hertfordshire. Not quite the level of Gornall but it seems to be the only contender in the south east. Are there comparable places anyone can recommend?

Thank you kindly in advance!

I'm sorry...under floor heated stables??!!!!

 

[lizziebell]

I'm sorry...under floor heated stables??!!!!

More money than sense!

 

[Lady Jane]

Millie McBride is opening a high end livery yard, I believe she will be ready in a month or 2. It won't have a club house etc but the horse facilities will be perfect. Definitely wortha chat. You can find her on Instagram or PM me for her contact details. Where are you in North London?

 

[criso]

Warren Wood in Essendon the facilities are amazing but have no idea about livery, I know someone that has worked at Netherhyde and they always recommend it.

Someone at a yard I was at had been at Warren wood a few years back. Excellent facilities but at that time a few children/teenagers so you might come round the corner and meet someone messing about on a Segway. Maybe not the atmosphere the OP is looking for.

Netherwylde is in a lovely area, I used to livery nearby and sometimes met their liveries out hacking. One of their canter tracks crosses the bridle path and has big private signs to keep the riffraff out.

I used to hack past some of the turnout that backed onto a ride and wasn't to my taste, small taped off sections with one horse in each but understand that some prefer individual turnout.

It probably has the best people focused facilities in the area in terms of heated viewing galleries and seating areas and showers. There are yards that will deliver excellent horse care but human facilities are restricted to a drafty tea room.

 

[equinerebel]

I have never heard of any of those, but just googled Gornall Equestrian and wow. The attention to detail from a human perspective is

Very aesthetic, but I'm not sure the horses would care much lol

 

[Cragrat]

I have never heard of any of those, but just googled Gornall Equestrian and wow. The attention to detail from a human perspective is

Very aesthetic, but I'm not sure the horses would care much lol

And no mention of any turn out, or photos of turn out, that I could see!

 

[Griffin]

I have never heard of any of those, but just googled Gornall Equestrian and wow. The attention to detail from a human perspective is

Very aesthetic, but I'm not sure the horses would care much lol

Me too, I didn't know places like that existed and I am on a very nice livery yard with excellent facilities. I am sure my mare would be completely unimpressed though!

 

[Bobthecob15]

More money than sense!

Id love that in my house, never mind the horses!!!

 

[Bobthecob15]

I have never heard of any of those, but just googled Gornall Equestrian and wow. The attention to detail from a human perspective is

Very aesthetic, but I'm not sure the horses would care much lol

Full livery is only £1440 a month Not including riding...

 

[cobgoblin]

Full livery is only £1440 a month Not including riding...

Wow! These places really have their client base sussed.

 

[cobgoblin]

I'm sorry...under floor heated stables??!!!!

I guess any abcesses would burst quickly.

 

[Glitter's fun]

Honest suggestion I think you are looking for two different things.
First look for a livery that is providing the best facilities for horses . A horse doesn't want or need under floor heating, cocktail bar, mahogany lockers etc etc. At any price there will always be a compromise. Land used for a boutique may mean there is limited turnout, butler service may mean less access to top quality trainers. Dare I say you may be surprised how much you have in common with other horse lovers who want the best for their horse.
Second, if you need somewhere to take clients or do a different kind of socialising, I would suggest a genuine private members' club that isn't compromising its services to allow horses in.

 

[criso]

I'm not sure the space taken up by a bar or changing room will have a significant effect on the amount of grazing needed for say 40 horses.

Maintaining, staffing and heating these areas will push the costs up as will making sure you have the staff and materials to make sure everything looks immaculate when liveries turn up.

However my observation of higher end yards which offer full livery is they are relatively quiet with owners turning up to ride and then go.

It's diy yards where people spend longer at the yard and could really make use of a nice heated area to sit and have their cup of tea in comfort

 

[Muddy unicorn]

I looked up Gornall equestrian on Google earth as it’s not a million miles from us. It looks like turnout is small individual paddocks so not my idea of ‘premium’ horse care (the human facilities are amazing though …)

 

[Grassy]

Prestige Liveries at Kilbees Farm near Ascot

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

I was on a yard in Essex that was classed as a top end place to livery although they did allow DIY, the facilities were amazing Olympic size outdoor, indoor arena lunge area, walker our tack and tea room we're heated we had an outdoor seating bbq area it was lovely but the turnout was crap and hacking not great, when I moved there no one turned out after about September my 2 horses were the only ones out for months until someone else came and they wanted there's out.

I found alot of people just put the horse on the walker most days those that were ridden hardly hacked out, no one was that bothered about grass turnout we had a bark area but you were only allowed half an hour at a time out there.

The yo thought horses shouldn't or didn't need turnout so if you moaned or questioned it you were asked to go, the place was full of very ott rules and yo was very ocd didn't tolerate horses looking over the stable door eating hay.

Was a bit of a mad place and I wasn't there long it did my head on

 

[Belmont]

Premier Pre dressage near Chipping Norton perhaps? I wouldn't class it as totally top end, but they have a new state of the art indoor arena (with seating and bar area!). Indoor stables, walker, good hacking... and literally a stone's throw from Soho farmhouse.

 

[IrishMilo]

The facilities look beautiful but those metro tiles in the arena at Warrenwood Manor Stud must have been so unbelievably time consuming! My brain can't wrap my head around that

 

[rabatsa]

Looked up Gornall and the underfloor heating is in the tack room, no mention of it in the stables. Individual turnout would be off putting for me.

 

[NotInTheKnow]

Thank you all for the suggestions! I've never come across some of these names online.

Point taken on the underfloor heated stables. It is actually at this place called Blackwater Equestrian in Hampshire that had 'Underfloor heated stables' listed on their livery package (not in Gornall or Cotswold Club, apols!).

Any case yes they do exist and I appreciate the comments on why it's not a good idea. Although it begs the question why would Blackwater have it then? I suppose the only way to find out is to ask them. But that's for a separate thread....

Thanks again ever so much!

 

[Chianti]

I'm sorry...under floor heated stables??!!!!

They put those in after the air conditioning.

 

[Bobthecob15]

They put those in after the air conditioning.

I'm pretty sure those fancy stables in the Gulf have that!!

 

[Chianti]

I'm pretty sure those fancy stables in the Gulf have that!!

I expect so and what c**p lives those poor horses lead. When I think 'high end' livery I mean good fencing, quality hay and feed, staff who have some knowledge and who care, turnout to suit the horse, safe grazing, lovely thick beds - if stabled, and - most importantly - livery yard owners who have ears and brains, that are prepared to use them, and to listen to their liveries!

 

[SEL]

One of mine would love underfloor heated stables in winter - she's a flipping native but I always say in her next life she needs to come back as a pampered thoroughbred or a cat.

The big mare uses her stable as a toilet. I swear she holds it all in until she's on her bed and then its like a river. Can you imagine the smell if you heated it up

I was on a yard in Germany many decades ago that was very similar to what the OP wants (although it was bitterly cold in winter and I don't think we even dreamt of heating the stable floor). It had a bar overlooking the main arena, comfy seating and a lot of staff. It also had annoying children like me which I would hate these days at those prices. OP - are you looking more for the social side or are you a very keen rider? I ask because there are smaller, extremely prestigious yards which may not have social clubs on the side but still have all singing, all dancing equine facilities. Prices to match.

 

[Identityincrisis]

Gornell - that will be £1440 per month to use our facilities, please…… oh yes, we hire our indoor out to the public between 3-7pm so you can’t use it then!

Pffffft! At £1440 a month I would want to be able to use it whenever I wanted!

 

[sbloom]

I didn't want to comment but I am glad to see that many feel that premium facilities would include more natural (freedom-forage-friends) care rather than fancy facilities. Underfloor heating in stables - seeing as most bedding is insulative, and most bedding stinks, I would run a mile from this! Horses perform far better, in terms of biomechanically and emotionally, if they have their fundamental needs addressed. A nice common room and an indoor would have to come after that for me. I'd have a track system number one on my list (though easy for me to say as it's purely hypothetical and I know they're still rare!).