Welcome to the Livery yard questionnaire.
The UK has a large population of horses and a significant proportion of these are kept at livery yards* of varying sizes and standards. In order to gain an accurate picture of this important area of the horse industry, a number of organisations with an interest in horse welfare, have come together to carry out some research into UK livery yards so that we are better informed about standards, good or bad. This questionnaire is part of that research and will help assess the number of yards, and get a general picture of the range and standard of accommodation and services that livery yards offer.
Please answer the questions from your own perspective: if you own one horse at livery, your responses should relate to that horse. Likewise if you are well informed about practices in place for the entire yard, then answer from that perspective. If you are well informed about a number of livery yards please fill in a questionnaire for each one.
In order to ensure that the results are accurate, if you do not know the answer to a question please leave it blank or tick the ‘don’t know’ box where appropriate. Whether you own a yard, keep your horse at livery or are an equine professional that regularly visits such premises, your input into this research will be invaluable.
Thank you for taking part.
Click here to fill in the questionnaire.
* In this context a livery yard includes any establishment that offers equine accommodation or services for reward, and includes full, part, DIY and grass livery businesses; also included are public studs and training yards for race and competition horses where livery is offered as part of the package.
Reporting a Welfare Concern
If you are concerned about the welfare of any horse in the UK it is important that you contact the free phone World Horse Welfare Hotline on 08000 480180. All calls are confidential and we have a team of Field Officers throughout the UK who investigate welfare concerns reported to us through this number.
World Horse Welfare Field Officers achieve great improvements in many situations simply by offering advice. However, in more serious cases horses may be removed on welfare grounds under the Animal Welfare Act (England and Wales) or Animal Health and Welfare (Scotland) Act.
World Horse Welfare will not share personal contact details. However, anonymous questionnaire answers will be shared amongst a number of organisations for analysis.