Scotts of Thrapston

Designing a livery yard

Posted on 17. Aug, 2010 by Julia Berrie in Let's talk stables

Designing a livery yard is very different from designing any other type of stable yard, as it needs to meet the individual requirements of your livery customers and their horses, rather than a yard to satisfy your own needs and tastes.

As with any new or existing business that is undergoing a large capital investment, research should always precede any budget being formalised or spent.

Start talking to horse owners and ask about the livery yards in your area – you will find that people are more than happy to discuss their opinions. In addition, carry out some ‘mystery shops’ on your competition to see how they operate and what facilities they provide.

Next, consider who your customers are? Are they happy hackers, riding club competitors or do you want to appeal to a niche market that is not currently catered for in your area, such as a specific discipline like carriage driving?

It is impossible to cater for all horse owners, so select those that you can give the best possible care to, utilising your space and knowledge. For example, if you don’t have a ménage, or room for one, your yard would be best suited to the ‘happy hacker’ and the livery yard should be built with budgets in mind.

Another important factor is deciding whether you will offer full livery, DIY or a mixture of both. It is usually better to specialise in one area as needs and wants differ dramatically between the various types of livery. Full livery clients tend to be busy professionals, with a high disposable income, that would pay more for a highly specified yard with all the trimmings; this is in comparison to DIY livery customers who are more price sensitive.

Once you have identified your market you can then start planning the yard and seeking advice from companies like Scotts of Thrapston who will produce detailed drawings and discuss the following design considerations:

What must you consider to produce a yard that is in keeping with its environment? Are you surrounded by modern properties or listed buildings?

Think about your layout so that you make it a joy to work in – the trip to the muckheap and proximity to basic facilities such as water, feed and tack room. And remember to consider easy access for deliveries or visits from the farrier or vet.

Another very important factor to consider, for your timber stables, at the design stage is personal security for clients. Most liveries will expect secure areas to store their tack, feed and any other equipment separately from other clients, to eliminate issues with theft.

There are a variety of options available and the following should help identify the right direction for your particular livery yard:

Off the peg solutions

If budget is the key to your development, Scotts of Thrapston also builds a straightforward range of timber stables with no frills; these are ideal solutions for businesses such as riding schools and DIY livery yards. A key consideration still needs to be quality, but at the best price. Spending on a cheaper option that looks tatty 8 years later, a time when you could be putting it on the market, will devalue your business to prospective buyers who will see it as an expense in their future ownership.

American Barns and Internal Stables

Installing American Barns and internal stabling helps to create a natural herd environment for the horse. It is also great to work in, as all tasks are carried out under cover. This working environment will help improve the overall working efficiency of the yard, especially on a full livery yard where the horses require more attention throughout the day. However it does come with increased risk of respiratory infection as the air within the barn is shared – this can be minimised by placing a solid wall every three or four boxes, acting as a firebreak and isolation to reduce any infection.

Planning Permission is usually more difficult to obtain for American Barns, especially in sensitive locations or for domestic situations. The increased ridge height and more modern style of building can invite opposition from the planners.

Traditional Timber Stables

Traditional timber stable yards are often considered to be more aesthetically attractive and used where looks are important. This type of yard can be designed to suit your exact specification and can, for example, mirror design features of existing buildings such as roof tiles and timber colours.

They are composed of a group of boxes, E-shape or Courtyard arrangements suit a livery yard, particularly E-shapes as they create two distinct areas of the yard, whilst all being connected together, often with shared central facilities such as a tack room, feed room, hay store, wash down area, office, toilet and changing facilities etc.

This type of design is easier to get through planning, as the roof pitch can be altered to reduce the ridge height so that it becomes less imposing on the environment.

Converting old farm buildings

The conversion of existing outbuildings into stables can work well, however the type of ventilation existing in the majority of older stables, or other animal housing, is not adequate for the modern horse. It is essential that you seek professional advice for this type of project from a professional architect and reputable company, such as Scotts of Thrapston, who can design roof structures with the necessary overhang and required levels of draught free ventilation, and help with the finishing touches, such as made to measure doors and windows and other internal fittings. For more information view the Scotts stable accessories range.

Whatever option you feel is appropriate for your development you need to be happy with the design and the way in which it will work for you on a daily basis, before any building work commences. Make sure that you have also considered the future, not only your own but that of future occupants, and allowed room for future development and extension in order to maximise your return.

Tags: American Barns, Livery yard, Scotts of Thrapston, stable accessories, stable yard, Timber Stables