| One of the first decisions is what type of livery | | | | facilities that you require. If you know what |
| you require. You may have the option for | | | | activities you want to undertake it is easier to |
| Do-it-Yourself livery, where the yard only | | | | know what facilities you require. |
| provides the stables and grazing and everything | | | | If you are going to compete regularly you will |
| else is your responsibility. | | | | want facilities that enable you to train and |
| There is also a range of other options such as | | | | strengthen your horse to competition level. An all |
| assisted livery, working livery, full livery and hunter | | | | weather arena would be a minimum requirement |
| livery. Your choice of livery will depend upon your | | | | with access to other facilities such as gallops, and |
| requirements and will inform the location of the | | | | cross country course or training area, a horse |
| yard and therefore how far you will be willing to | | | | walker, perhaps an indoor school. |
| travel. | | | | The more specialized the facilities you require the |
| If you choose do-it-yourself livery then | | | | greater the distance you are likely to have to |
| convenience is a major factor. The requirement | | | | travel. The time commitment required to travel to |
| to tend to your horse morning and night will limit | | | | a livery yard is not to be made lightly and should |
| the length of time spent traveling to get to your | | | | be taken into account as a financial cost as well |
| yard. There can be nothing worse than needing to | | | | as a drain on time when thinking about which |
| do morning stables and have to travel half an | | | | yard. |
| hour to get their every day. | | | | For most people there are only a limited number |
| If you are fitting in the care of your horse around | | | | of hours available for equestrian activities, and if |
| work, school or college, it may be that a yard on | | | | traveling to the livery yard takes a long time it |
| the way to your final location is suitable (as long | | | | may reduce the time available to ride. For many |
| as you can deal with the horse smell at your final | | | | horse owners being on a livery yard is part of |
| destination). You probably need to tend to your | | | | their social time. With an extended travel time the |
| horse on days you do not go to work or college | | | | social element may be reduced and living a long |
| too, so bear in mind that the journey has to be | | | | distance from the yard may make joining in with |
| made every day. | | | | other social activities more difficult. |
| With other liveries you are not as tied because | | | | So in answer to the question how do you decide |
| someone else will deal with at least some of the | | | | how far will you travel for your livery yard? The |
| day to day management of the horse. The choice | | | | answer is different for everyone depending on |
| of location and therefore the distance you will | | | | what you want to do, how much time you have |
| travel then becomes a decision based on the | | | | and what type of livery arrangement you have. |