Livery Yard Agreement UK: Owner & Client Guide

What this document is

A livery agreement is the written contract between a yard owner (or yard operator) and the owner of a horse being kept at the yard. It records what services the yard will provide, what the horse owner will pay, and what each party is responsible for day to day.

The level of care varies widely in the equestrian sector, ranging from simple grass livery (where the yard effectively provides grazing and little else) to full livery (where yard staff handle feeding, turnout, mucking out, and sometimes exercise). The agreement should reflect the specific package being offered.

Beyond the basic service description, a good livery contract will address yard rules, insurance requirements, notice periods, fees and payment dates, what happens if a horse becomes ill or injured, and how disputes are handled. Because livery arrangements are governed by general contract law rather than a specific statute, yard owners have considerable freedom to set terms that suit their operation, provided those terms are fair and clearly communicated.

How to use this document

1. Identify the livery package. Be clear about which type of livery you are offering or buying: grass, DIY, part, full, working, or competition livery. Each involves a different balance of responsibility between yard and owner. The agreement should describe exactly what is included in the fee and what sits outside it, so there is no ambiguity about who does what on any given day. 2. Set out the fees and payment terms. Record the monthly or weekly charge, when it falls due, how it is paid, and what happens if payment is late. Include how additional services (holding for the farrier, administering medication, extra feeds, rug changes) are charged. Spell out how and when prices can be reviewed, and what notice the yard will give before any increase takes effect. 3. Address liability, insurance, and welfare. Make clear what insurance the horse owner must hold, including public liability cover for the horse. Set out how the yard will handle emergencies, including authority to call a vet if the owner cannot be reached. Include sensible disclaimers about risks that are inherent to keeping horses, while being careful not to try to exclude liability for things the law does not allow you to exclude. 4. Write down the yard rules. Every yard has rules about opening hours, parking, visitors, dogs, riding in the school, turnout arrangements, and use of shared facilities. Attach these to the agreement or reference them as a schedule that forms part of the contract. Clear rules reduce friction between liveries and give the yard owner a firm footing if someone repeatedly breaches them. 5. Deal with notice and termination. Set the notice period either party must give to end the arrangement, and explain the grounds on which the yard can ask a horse to leave immediately (for example, non-payment, serious breach of yard rules, or behaviour that endangers others). Cover what happens to belongings left behind and whether any lien applies for unpaid fees.