Once you have decided to get a pony, the very next question is: where will it live? For most families the answer is a livery yard — somewhere that provides grazing, stabling and facilities for a monthly fee. But "livery" covers several very different arrangements, from doing everything yourself to having it all done for you. Choosing the right one shapes your costs, your time and your whole experience of ownership.
The main types of livery
Grass livery
The simplest and usually cheapest option: your pony lives out in a field year-round, with access to shelter and water. You provide daily care, checking, and extra hay in winter. It suits hardy native ponies that are happy out, and families who want low cost and a natural lifestyle — but it means catching a muddy pony in the dark and rain, and less control over grazing (important for laminitis-prone good-doers).
DIY livery
You rent a stable and grazing and do all the daily work yourself: mucking out, turning out and bringing in, feeding, haying, rugging, poo-picking and so on — typically twice a day, every day. It is the most affordable stabled option and gives you full control, but it is a serious time commitment. Many DIY yards run informal rotas so neighbours help cover each other's ponies. On DIY you also buy and manage your own bedding, so it is worth reading our guide to bedding options before you commit to a material — some yards restrict what you can use or how you dispose of the muck heap.
Part livery
A middle ground: the yard does some of the daily jobs (say, turning out and bringing in during the week, or the morning routine) and you do the rest. It costs more than DIY but buys back time — ideal for working parents who can manage evenings and weekends but not weekday mornings.
Full livery
The yard does everything — mucking out, turnout, feeding, rugging, the lot — so you can simply arrive and ride. It is the most expensive option by some margin, but the most convenient, and reassuring for first-time owners who are still learning. Some yards also offer schooling or competition livery, where staff exercise or produce the pony too.
What does livery cost?
Prices vary enormously by region (the South East is dearest), by facilities, and by type. As a broad guide, grass livery is the cheapest, DIY moderate, part livery more, and full livery can run to several hundred pounds a month or considerably more near cities and smart yards. Livery is usually the single biggest ongoing cost of owning a pony — build it into your budget before you buy, using our what a first pony really costs guide.
How to choose the right yard
Cost matters, but so do these — visit a few yards and ask around locally:
- Distance from home. You may be there twice a day in all weathers. A yard ten minutes away transforms the experience; forty minutes each way quickly wears thin.
- The atmosphere and people. A friendly, supportive yard is worth a great deal, especially for a first-time family. A yard with cliques or drama is not.
- Facilities. Safe fencing, decent grazing, a school or arena, hacking access, secure tack storage, water and lighting.
- Whether it suits your pony. Good-doers need restricted grazing or a track; a pony that must live out needs suitable turnout.
- Children welcome? Some yards are geared to families and Pony Club; others are quieter adult or competition yards.
Can I keep a pony at home?
If you own suitable land, it is possible — but not to be underestimated. You will need safe, secure fencing, shelter, a reliable water supply and enough well-managed grazing, plus the time and knowledge to do everything yourself. Ponies are herd animals and need equine company, so one pony alone is rarely fair. Many families who could keep a pony at home still choose a livery yard for the support, facilities and friendship.
The bottom line
There is no single "best" livery — only the best fit for your budget, your time and your pony. Be honest about how many hours a week your family can genuinely give, and choose accordingly: it is far better to pay for part or full livery you can sustain than to burn out on DIY. Get this right and the daily routine becomes one of the quiet joys of owning a pony.
Still deciding whether now is the right time? Read is my child ready for their own pony? and loan, share or buy? first.