The 5* Livery Yard

[Lark]

Hi All,
Input from all users would be extremely helpful in my own piece of Market Research.

Basically we are in the conception phase of a new livery business and the concept is that this facility will be the ultimate in BLING (sorry for the chavness) and offer every conceivable service to the busy owner.

So here I am trying to accumulate a list of what any horse lover could possibly dream of having in a livery Yard.

1. First thing
Design - Courtyard setup or American Barn??
The idea is that every stable will have an external area equal to the size of the internal stall. But can't decide on which design
Easy on the eye is a major piority.

2. Facilities - what is your ultimate list of horse facilities
THIS SHOULD ALSO INCLUDE THE OWNERS!!!!

3. Services - if you ever wanted to be queen/king for the day what could we offer you and your horse of course!

Any feedback/Ideas would be greatly appreciated.

 

[JessPickle]

I would love courtyard set up

in my dream world

3 indoor schools
a large xc course
floolit outdoor school
a good few sets of showjumps
post a rail fencing everywhere
good hacking

 

[gemma1992]

toilets
tea room
menage- preferably with floodlights
suitable flat area to lunge in
own individual tack room
trailer/lorry parking
24/7 turnout

If you want to know why I chose some of these please PM me.
GOOD LUCK with the business

 

[JessPickle]

oh yeah and a horse walker

 

[Lark]

Thanks for the feedback so far guys (very quick!!)
Everything so far is on the list. Although I don't know if the budget will stretch to 3 Indoors as yet!

Keep it coming - Would the following be of interest:

Web cams
Personal notice boards on stable doors
Equine nutritionists for every new arrival and every 6 months thereafter.
Chiropracter/Pysio onsite - once a month (more if required)
Bring your own trainer
We provide a trainer
Show entries
Owners Lounge - with massive squishy sofas and fire
Bar - Wine etc
Adults only policy - unless children of clients (could be a controversial one).

 

[gemma1992]

These are the ones I'd personally want

Personal notice boards on stable doors
Equine nutritionists for every new arrival and every 6 months thereafter.
Chiropracter/Pysio onsite - once a month (more if required)
Bring your own trainer
We provide a trainer
Show entries
Owners Lounge - with massive squishy sofas and fire

 

[peterthepony]

Design - Courtyard

Facilities ~ horse walker
2/3 indoor schools
XC course with a large selection of jumps and all different ranges of height
Floodlight outdoor school
Lunge pen
Toilets
Owners lounge
swimming pool (horse or human)

Own tack room
etc etc etc etc

 

[fgroom]

Courtyard
choice of either individual or group turnout
Sofa bed in owners lounger incase anyone needs to stay overnight will an ill horse.
Toilets and showers (much easy if you plan to ride before work)
Good size stables with rubber matting and automatic water drinkers.

 

[Bossanova]

All lovely ideas but unless you're very close to London and can catch the right market, I dont see owners paying enough per week to justify the extra costs.

 

[luckygirl]

My ultimate livery yard would have child care facilities on site (expensive & difficult due to H&S) or perhaps an agreement with a local childminder to take children while parents ride.

I think this would really differentiate a yard. Several people have posted on here about problems keeping children entertained while they ride. I have very complicated arrangements in place using nursery, childminder etc but can only ride in the evenings if my husband is available. I know others are in the same position.

You could also consider a 'family' lounge as well as your lovely sofa/ fire grown up one. The family lounge could have DVDs for kids, computer, toys etc

Good luck with your venture.

K x

 

[spotty_pony]

1. First thing
Design - Courtyard setup or American Barn??
A courtyard set up sounds good, we have American Barn stabling at our yard and although it is good it would be nice to have open air stables so that the horses have more views.


2. Facilities - what is your ultimate list of horse facilities
Indoor Arena with mirrors and floodlits
Outdoor arena with floodlits
plenty of grazing
wash box
tack room
storage room
lorry park
office/tea room
a cross country country
a show jumping paddock
onsite instructors/trainers
vetinary viewing room onsite
horse walker
solarium

3. Services - full/part/diy livery
lessons/clinics/shows etc

 

[Evadiva1514]

I think i would want an american barn system.

The facilities i would look for in a 5* livery yard would be:

Post and rail fencing.
Individual turnout
24hour on site attendance
wash box with hot & cold water
solarium
horsewalker
alarmed tack room
cctv
gallops
indoor & outdoor arenas
xc course
set of BSJA spec Showjumps
regular clinics
regular affiliated shows


can't think of anymore at the moment... hope this is ok??

 

[cariadssogreat]

Rubber matting and anti cast strips with hay bar in each stable.
NOT automatic waterers as you would not know if the horse had not drunk any ( bad grammar - late at night)
Post and rail fencing & electric inside! 24hr turnout available!
Individual turnout or group - whichever is most suitable
24 hour on site attendance
wash box with hot & cold water
solarium
horsewalker
roundpen
alarmed tack room
cctv - owners web cam - great idea!
gallops
indoor & outdoor arenas
xc course
set of BSJA spec Showjumps x 2!
regular clinics

FREE lorry and trailer parking ( I think being charged for it is a con - if you are looking at comp riders then they are likely to have transport to store.)

GROWN UPS ONLY

Obviously tea room, lounge, toilets, showers etc.

Great idea about the notice boards on stables.

Good hacking is very important - location, location, location!

 

[Governor]

1. Design - I like the courtyard set up, but american barn styles are handy if its p*ssing it down with rain.

2. Facilities - Decent sized indoor and outdoor schools and a dedicated lunging pen. Most importantly decent surfaces in all arenas! Good set of showjumps.
Horse walker.
Wash boxes with hot and cold water.
Solarium.
All weather gallops (and good hacking pref. with hills).
Cross country course with jumps from 2ft upwards.
Good sized stables with rubber matting and wall mats.
Own tackrooms or good sized shared tackroom, heated, with cabinets, shelving, hot and cold water and washing machine for saddlepads etc.
Good security (preferably including guard dogs, cctv and alarm system).
Good turnout, post and rail fencing with oppourtunity for single turnout.
24 hour attendence.
Somewhere for owners, clean and tidy kitchenette, comfortable seating with toilets and shower facilities.


3. Services -
Competition prep - grooming, washing, plaiting, cleaning tack.
Clinics + Lessons
Competitions
Full, part and DIY livery.
Lifting up and cleaning of rubber matting.
Filming/photography of lessons/clinics/shows.

 

[Christmas_Kate]

American barn, though with good ventilation (I like the ones at Keysoe).
Indoor and outdoor all weather schools.
Good hacking, with choice of road work or no roadwork.
Notice boards are a good idea, but would they be practical and safe??
Choice of using yards bedding or own.
Decent tack room with lockers.
Owners room with tea/coffee/ fridge/microwave facilities (some yards charge extra for these so should be inclusive).
lungeing pen.
post and rail paddocks with choice of mixed turnout or not.
Creche or games room for kids of liveries.

 

[maestro]

We have American Barns BUT all have individual windows. That way staff can work in comfortable surrounding but horses have good ventilation. Lovely ideas coming up but as Boss says you need to also weigh up what the market will take in terms of cost versus overheads.

 

[katelarge]

I am already at what I consider to be a 5* yard, here's what we have

American Barn setup - horses have only bars separating each other so totally airy - my previously stable-hating horse has happily spent a month on box rest in this new setup so providing very airy stables where horses can interact is a must. That said, there are also a few boxes with wooden walls for horses that tend to fight or want their own space.

Rubber matted horsewalker - ideally with a roof please, although without, as ours is, is OK

Heated rug room - we have two rug racks each and also cupboards for storing bits and bobs.

Kitchen/social room - this has CCTV covering the stables and the horsewalker too which is nice.

60x20 floodlit outdoor. Ideally there would be one of those massive indoors where a few people can work at the same time, also schools with mirrors and galleries are good too. A lunge pit with a good surface is a must, and perhaps a round pen?

We have a very large toilet area with a separate locking cubicle and sink, but lockers and a hot shower room would be brilliant.

Lorry parking, full livery and loads of turnout and I think that's it! The other great idea I thought was childcare for riders with kids - as long as they are somewhere quiet and away from the horses. My yard has a no under 18s rule unless they are liveries and it's bliss, kids can get so noisy and stress the horses out.

I LOVE the idea of a bar but then I would! I think a good way to get inspiration is to go to a few top-notch gyms, see what they offer and try and take a few of their ideas. Also a social club is nice, at a yard I was at in London we had one, we did murder mystery nights, BBQs etc, and had a ball. Also a bar or reading room would be useful for bored husbands!

However, the ONE thing any yard has to have, no matter how many stars is has, is a warm, positive atmosphere. No bitching, putting anyone down or cliqueyness. Without that, it's just an exercise in spending money.

Good luck!

 

[Lark]

Thanks you so much for all the replies and their are certainly many good points/ideas that I hadn't considered.
i.e child minders etc

We guess that the price will be set for the 168 p/w mark but will include everything - Nothing will be additional except for the obvious such as lessons and schooling.

 

[Tempi]

- Olympic sized indoor school
- Horse Walker
- Solarium
- two outdoors both with silica surfaces and floodlite, minum of 60x20 each.
- x country course
- SJ arena
- American Barn stables (i like indoor stables)
- heated rug room
- cctv
- secure tack room with alarm

thats about it........

 

[RunToEarth]

Big indoor school with a ecotrack surface, I love it
Couple of large outdoor schools, all with ample jumps.
CCTV
All weather gallops
Decent size turnout
Victorian styled stabling
XC course
Good hacking
A lot of lighting
Secured tack/feed/rug rooms
Horsewalker
Drying room
Solarium
RULES because otherwise everyone will take the p*ss, have the p*ss taken, get bitter, or a combination of all three.

 

[aran]

having a toilet/shower block with lockers for riding clothes and boots etc so that if coming from work you don't have to have a bag with you - laundry service!

also free washing service for boots, rugs etc
service to send off rugs for mending, cleaning, blades sharpened, tack fixed.
a service to book a good saddle fitter, farrier, physio, vet, dentist, lessons etc

for busy city folk they like facilities such as - your horse will be tacked up waiting for you and the horse is untacked for them etc

choice
tidy and smart
friendly

 

[Lozz1uk]

Horse box available for hire - this is probably the main reason i moved onto the yard i did, because they promised to take me to competitions. It never materialised and is my biggest frustration!

Tea room - with fridge in it
Security - so that the last person to leave feels safe at night
Electronic gates so you don't have to get out of the car when it's raining!

 

[lillie]

i think court yard would be nice with separated tie up areas in front for each horse so during th day they could wonder in & out of stable as they pelase

i would look for:
secure individual tack/feed/store area to the side of stable
individual turnout paddocks 4 per horse for easy rotation
lungeing arena
1 dressage sized arena
1 outdoor junmping arena
1/2 indoor schooling arenas
grass arena for jumping
grass arena for SJ
XC course
gallops/hacking around outskirts eg through woods/round fields
good lighting inside & out of stable
free lorry/trailer parking
maybe a large veterinary stable with matting somewhere quiet
isolation block to prevent any spread of infection (just incase!)
covered farrier area with 3/4 spaces
heated rug room with additional storage for non-essentials
notice boards where you can communicate with staff (to be kept in individual storage for security reasons)
wash room with washing machines, dryers & heated rug lines full length
tack cleaning area with good lighting & cleaning products
wash box
solarium

it may be an idea if the money is right to employ an equine veterinary nurse who deals with emergancies as they arise

 

[henryhorn]

My daughter has been training at a private yard but it had some superb things that you might consider.
A barn set up but with outdoor windows that open.
Indoor horse walker.
Lunge pen.
Stocks including a solarium.
equine spa.
This was part of the yard but took outside customers as well.
Vets based on site in an office, very useful in emergencies!
Individual turn out paddocks and no poo picking by the livery customers....
Good luck with your venture, I am sure with the right mix of facilities it will be a smashing place to keep a horse.

 

[Rabea]

- Turn out 24/7 , huge field with a big field shelter, maybe even with bedding
- Stables where the horses can see each other
- If you are looking for ideas for stables with outdoor space, in Germany this is very popular whereas I couldn't find one here in UK. Perhaps german Websides will give you some ideas.

 

[Happy Horse]

I did some similar research at a yard I was at placement from college on. The most requested thing (from 200+ respondents) was showers and changing facilities so they could ride and then go straight to work!

 

[Lark]

Very interesting re. the survey Happy Horse. Showers and changing facilities will definitely be must.

Thanks everyone else for the feedback - it has been most helpful.

Rabea - you are quite right; I picked up the outdoor area per stable idea in Switzerland and it really is a smashing idea. I am based in ireland and have yet to come across a similar solution.