Horse Livery Demand Surges as Owners Struggle With Rising Costs

Padwick Farm in Staffordshire has seen a 60% increase in livery bookings over five years. Owners Fiona and Ian Long attribute the surge to horse owners struggling with rising costs. The farm charges less than half the typical £800 monthly livery fee, offering a cheaper alternative to euthanasia.

"We've experienced someone struggling to put food on the table for their children and they decided to put their horse to sleep," Fiona Long said. The National Equine Welfare Council found more than 80% of equine owners across the UK are concerned about cost pressures. Five percent said they were considering euthanising their horse due to rising farrier and vet bills.

Hay prices illustrate the squeeze. A big bale cost £10 thirty years ago. It now runs £90. Livery costs stayed flat for two decades before owners began raising fees two years ago, Long said. The British Horse Society estimates direct annual costs for a single horse at £5,350.

The farm's model offers retirement livery at roughly half the market rate. That lets owners keep horses that have stopped riding. Staff member Jo Woods said: "Horses aren't a hobby, they are a lifestyle." The farm aims to let old horses live out their years without performance expectations.

The broader picture is a shift in discretionary spending. Rising feed, vet, and land costs are squeezing middle-income horse owners. The NEWC survey suggests many are cutting back on non-essentials or exiting ownership entirely. That pushes demand toward lower-cost yards, creating winners like Padwick Farm at the budget end of the market while premium livery faces headwinds.