Renting a grazing zone or owning land at home is not an option for most horse owners. Instead, most homeowners keep their horses in a livery in Cheltenham. Livery yards offer a range of services at varying levels. This ranges from simple renting of a stable or grazing space to full-time care of your horse, usually described as full livery.
How to choose the right livery for your horse? With a range of options available in Cheltenham, the choice becomes difficult. Knowing the essential factors will help you make an informed decision.
Factors to consider while choosing a livery
Understanding different types of Liveries
Before you start visiting the liveries, you must understand the different types available in Cheltenham. You can select a DIY livery where grazing grounds are rented, along with a stable or shelter. You can opt for a Grass Livery where your horse lives out at grass. While such liveries do not usually provide additional services, the owner or staff may help you with the daily upkeep of your horse.
There are other options, like full livery, that provide all care and exercise needs on your behalf. The people working in such a livery will also handle all necessary tasks. Assisted livery or Part livery are the ones that let the owner spend as much time riding and handling their horse as they want.
Location and accessibility
The location of the livery should be close to the owner’s place. When the livery is conveniently located, you can make scheduled visits and opt for riding sessions whenever you like. Howeve, if the livery is located away from your home or work, you may have difficulty accessing it. You need to consider the traffic, travel time and road accessibility before choosing the livery.
Check facilities and amenities
Before booking a livery, you must check the features that are present for the comfort of your horse. The livery must be spacious, clean, and secure, with fencing. Moreover, there should be separate tack rooms and feed storage units in the livery. The livery should have proper water access and a shelter option for the comfort of your horse.
Check care quality and staff experience
The skill and experience of the staff in a livery have a direct impact on the horse’s well-being. For instance, if you book a full livery you will get experienced and approachable staff who follow clear routines for feeding your horses. Make sure that the livery you book has emergency procedures in place and also provides proper communication about the health of the horses.
Atmosphere and community
Every livery has a separate personality. Some are active and encourage social interaction. There are others that offer a vibrant community for horses. Please note how the horses are interacting with each other. Also, ensure staff are respectful toward the owners and that the yard is welcoming and safe for the horses.
Are you looking for a well-established livery yard in Cheltenham? Get in touch with Ouse Valley Liveries. We are a reputable livery yard with a team of professional managers to ensure utmost comfort and safety for your horses.