Types of Horse Livery UK: Grass, DIY, Part and Full

The different types of horse livery in the UK suit very different horses and owners — and choosing the wrong one is one of the most common, most avoidable mistakes a horse owner can make. Someone on full livery who wanted to be more hands-on ends up resenting the arrangement. Someone on DIY who underestimated their own schedule ends up with a stressed horse and an impossible commitment. Someone with a native pony on part livery is paying for services the pony doesn't need.

Here's a straight comparison of the four main livery types and the situations each one actually suits.

Grass livery

What it is: Your horse lives out in a field year-round, with no stable access. The yard provides the grazing, usually a field shelter, and sometimes basic care such as checking water. You handle everything else — feeding, worming, farriery, rugging.

Typical cost: £50–£150/month

Suits:

Hardy native breeds and ponies (New Forests, Welsh, Fell, Dales, Dartmoors) that are physiologically suited to outdoor living
Horses that are retired or in very light work
Owners who want low costs and are confident in outdoor horse management

Doesn't suit:

Horses that need stable access for health reasons (sweet itch, laminitis-prone horses needing controlled grazing, horses recovering from injury)
Horses that need to be in regular work and ridden in decent conditions
Owners who want consistent daily access without weather and mud complicating everything

The honest reality: Grass livery is fine for the right horse and genuinely stressful for the wrong one. A thoroughbred or warmblood on grass livery through a UK winter is not a good arrangement for the horse or the owner.

DIY livery

What it is: You rent a stable and a share of the grazing, and you are entirely responsible for your horse's care — feeding, mucking out, turnout, rugging, and managing the routine. The yard provides the infrastructure; you provide the labour.

Typical cost: £80–£250/month (plus the cost of bedding, hay, and feed on top if not included)

Suits:

Owners who want to do all of their horse's care themselves and can be present at the yard daily
People who are retired, work locally, or have highly flexible schedules
Owners with multiple horses where doing the work themselves makes financial sense
Horses with specific management needs where the owner knows best

Doesn't suit:

Anyone who can't reliably be at the yard every day, twice a day
Owners who rely on the yard to keep things going when life gets complicated
People who want the reassurance of professional oversight

The honest reality: DIY livery is the right choice if — and only if — you can actually sustain the commitment. It's the arrangement most often entered into with optimism and exited from with exhaustion. Before choosing it, honestly assess what happens when you're sick, on holiday, working late, or snowed in.

Part livery

What it is: The yard covers certain tasks and you cover the rest. The split varies — typically the yard handles morning and evening feeds, checks, and sometimes mucking out, while you manage turnout, exercise, and additional care. Exactly what's included should be specified in the agreement.

Typical cost: £250–£600/month (varies significantly by what's included)

Suits:

Owners who work full-time but want regular, meaningful involvement with their horse
People who want a professional safety net — knowing the horse is checked and fed even when they can't make it
Horses that need consistent care but don't require the full-service arrangement of full livery

Doesn't suit:

Owners who want a completely hands-off arrangement
Horses with very intensive management needs that go beyond what part livery covers
Situations where the split of responsibilities isn't clearly defined — vague part livery agreements are a common source of disputes

The honest reality: Part livery is the most flexible arrangement and the most widely used for a reason — it works well for most full-time working horse owners. The key is clarity on exactly what's included. Two yards can both call themselves "part livery" while covering very different things.

Full livery

What it is: The yard is fully responsible for your horse's daily care. Feeding, mucking out, turnout, rugging, and routine checks are all handled by yard staff. You turn up to ride; everything else is managed for you.

Typical cost: £600–£1,800+/month

Suits:

Owners who travel frequently or have unpredictable schedules
Competition horses that need professional yard management
Anyone who is physically unable to do yard work regularly
People who want the horse well cared for without the daily commitment

Doesn't suit:

Owners who want to be closely involved in their horse's daily management — full livery arrangements often have routines that work best when owners don't disrupt them
Budget-conscious owners — full livery is the most expensive arrangement by a significant margin
Horses that don't thrive in a heavily managed routine and do better with a more flexible approach

The honest reality: Full livery is only worth the premium if the yard is genuinely good. A yard charging full livery prices and cutting corners on turnout time, feed quality, or care standards is expensive and inadequate at the same time. Read reviews from current liveries before committing.

Working livery

A fifth arrangement worth mentioning: working livery involves your horse being used by the yard for lessons, hacks, or lead rein work in exchange for a reduction in livery fees. It can work well for a sensible, safe horse that's suitable for novice or beginner riders and for an owner who can accept some loss of control over their horse's workload.

It requires a detailed agreement covering how many hours the horse works, what work it does, who oversees its fitness and health, and what happens if the horse is injured in a lesson. Without that clarity, it's a difficult arrangement to make work.

Matching the types of horse livery to your horse's actual needs

The type of livery that fits your schedule is not always the type that fits your horse. A horse that needs company, consistent turnout, and professional supervision doesn't belong on a DIY yard where the owner can only visit three times a week. A native pony that needs restricted grazing doesn't benefit from full livery pricing.

When you're choosing, think about both sides. Your routine matters. Your horse's needs matter more.

Search livery yards by type on OpenStable →

Use the livery type filter to see only yards offering the arrangement that suits you — grass, DIY, part, or full. Not sure what to look for on a visit? Read our guide on what to check when visiting a livery yard.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between part livery and full livery? Full livery means the yard handles all daily care — feeding, mucking out, turnout, rugging. Part livery splits the responsibilities, typically with the yard covering feeds and basic checks and the owner handling exercise and additional care. Exactly what's included in part livery should be specified in the contract.

Is DIY livery suitable for a competition horse? It can be, if you have time to manage everything yourself or have reliable help. But DIY livery requires daily presence and a high degree of self-sufficiency. A horse in regular competition prep often benefits from the consistency that comes with part or full livery.

What is working livery and is it a good idea? Working livery involves your horse doing some work for the yard (lessons, hacks) in exchange for reduced fees. It can work well for suitable horses with a thorough written agreement. Without that agreement, the risks — overwork, injury, disputes — tend to outweigh the savings.

Can I switch livery types at the same yard? Many yards can accommodate a change, particularly between DIY and part livery. It depends on the yard's capacity and whether their routine supports flexible arrangements. Discuss it with the yard owner before you assume a switch is possible — get any agreement to change in writing.