Cinnamontoast
Fais pas chier!
What is the difference in rates from running a livery yard and running a riding school? I take it you need to inform the council re change of use?
Yard owners, please
- Thread starter Cinnamontoast
- Start date
MiJodsR2BlinkinTite
Well-Known Member
Gosh! There's all the difference in the world, firstly as in a "livery yard" one would presume there is no instruction being offered (unless liveries have an arrangement for a private lesson with either one of the staff at the yard who may be relevantly qualified OR an outside instructor).
At a "riding school" - it is, er, basically that. People pay to come and learn to ride. There may or may not be paying liveries as well as.
The insurance/business rates etc will be different and distinct from one another. If running a "riding school" then the insurance would need to cover an element of teaching - also it would be subject to local authority inspection and approval as well as BHS.
Livery yards are basically unregulated and range from small affairs where say a farmer offers DIY livery which would include a field and basically very little else, to purpose built places where there are BHS qualified staff, arena's, jumps etc.
You pays your money and you takes yer chance basically!
But yes, distinct difference between "riding school" and "livery yard".
At a "riding school" - it is, er, basically that. People pay to come and learn to ride. There may or may not be paying liveries as well as.
The insurance/business rates etc will be different and distinct from one another. If running a "riding school" then the insurance would need to cover an element of teaching - also it would be subject to local authority inspection and approval as well as BHS.
Livery yards are basically unregulated and range from small affairs where say a farmer offers DIY livery which would include a field and basically very little else, to purpose built places where there are BHS qualified staff, arena's, jumps etc.
You pays your money and you takes yer chance basically!
But yes, distinct difference between "riding school" and "livery yard".
Cinnamontoast
Fais pas chier!
Do instructors at a riding school need to be qualified or can they just be experienced?
Miss L Toe
Well-Known Member
Ah ha, not sure about that, in Scotland livery yards need to pay rates, and in theory, are subject to the same inspection as Riding schools from a horse welfare point of view, in both cases the Inspector will be very unlikely to have any idea what they are looking for.
The local Health and Safety Inspector [another inspection another Inspectorate] insisted trotting poles be moved as they were a tripping hazard, not that anyone was on foot.
There is no requirement for any RS to be BHS approved
and one establishment may be BHS approved for RS, but not for livery.
Talk about bending over backwards to tweak the system and give a false sense of security to customers.
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Miss L Toe
Well-Known Member
Out local RS [BHS Approved] advertises that "all instructors are trained to BHS standards"........... read in to that what you like!
EventingMum
Well-Known Member
As far as I'm aware there isn't a difference with rates as they are both classed as an equestrian business and will be calculated on the size/type of buildings etc. However as others have said there is a difference in the insurance premiums as the cover will be different. A riding school will also require a license from the local authority and will have to be inspected annually. The local authority will appoint a vet (who has attended a licensing course) to carry out an thorough check of the horses and everything connected with their care. The vet our local authority uses comes from Glasgow University Vet School and certainly knows what he is looking for! Along with the vet we have an environmental health officier who inspects everything to do with health and safety - fire and electrical certificates, COSHH, RIDDOR etc. The licence will not insist that instuctors are qualified but will ask for proof that the proprietor has suitable experience if not qualified. If approval from BHS is sought it will require qualified instructors.
Livery yards that are not BHS approved do not need to be inspected at present but there are moves afoot to introduce licensing for them in Scotland but not in England and Wales.
cloppy
Well-Known Member
You do need to have someone with their AI as minimum to be on the licence application and they need to see proof of certificates (the council that is).
Miss L Toe
Well-Known Member
Yes they need to have qualified instructors, so most people would think that if they were getting lessons at a BHS approved RS they would be getting a BHS qualified instructor, but that is not so. A lot of instructors have other qualifications, and some have none.