Livery Agreement Template: What to Include (Free Download)
I’ve watched more livery arrangements fall apart over misunderstandings than over money. A yard owner assumes the horse owner will cover an emergency vet call because “that’s just how it’s done.” A horse owner assumes full livery means someone’s eyes are on their horse every single day. Neither one is wrong, exactly — they just never actually agreed on it out loud, and by the time it comes up, someone’s already upset.
This isn’t a legal lecture. It’s what I’ve learned actually needs to be in a livery agreement — from both sides of the fence — so you’re not finding out the hard way. And if you’re just working out what horse ownership costs in the first place, livery fees are usually the biggest line item, so it’s worth having this sorted before you commit.
Why a Verbal Agreement Goes Wrong
A typical scenario: a horse colics on a Sunday night. The yard owner calls the vet, pays the callout fee, and expects reimbursement. The horse owner is furious no one called them first, and disputes half the invoice because “the vet always overcharges for weekend callouts.” Nobody was wrong to feel the way they did — nobody had agreed in advance who had authority to call a vet, or what happens with the bill if the owner can’t be reached.
That’s the pattern almost every livery dispute follows: not malice, just two reasonable people who never nailed down the same expectations. A written agreement isn’t about distrust — it’s about making sure everyone’s already agreed on the answer before the emergency happens, when nobody has time to negotiate.
What Every Livery Agreement Needs to Cover
Type of Livery, Spelled Out Plainly
Full livery, part livery, or DIY — and exactly what’s included in that. “Full livery” means something different at every yard. Does it include turnout? Rug changes? Who decides when the horse needs the farrier? Don’t leave this to assumption — list what’s included and what costs extra.
Payment Terms and Notice Period
Monthly fee, due date, and what happens if payment is late. Just as important: how much notice either party needs to give to end the arrangement (30 days is common, but say so explicitly) — and what happens to fees already paid if a horse leaves mid-month.
Standard of Care and Feeding
What the horse is fed, how often, and any special requirements (supplements, medication, restricted grazing). If the owner supplies their own feed, say so. This heads off a huge number of disputes over “my horse doesn’t look right” a few months in.
Veterinary and Emergency Authority
This is the one that causes the most damage when it’s missing. Who has permission to call a vet in an emergency? Is there a spending limit before the yard needs to try to reach the owner first? Who’s financially responsible for a routine visit versus an emergency one? Get the owner’s vet preference and emergency contact details in writing, every time.
Insurance and Liability
Whose insurance covers what — the horse itself, third-party liability, and the yard’s public liability. Horses are unpredictable animals; make it explicit who carries the risk in different situations rather than assuming it’s “obviously” covered.
Facilities and Access
What the owner can expect to use (arena, turnout, tack room) and any restrictions (riding hours, visitor policy, other liveries’ horses in shared paddocks).
Termination and Horse Removal
How either party exits the arrangement, what happens to unpaid fees, and — this matters more than people think — what happens if a horse needs to leave urgently (behavioural issues, non-payment) and where responsibility for the horse sits during that transition.
Full Livery vs. Part Livery vs. DIY — Why This Trips People Up
This is worth its own section because I’ve seen more disputes start here than anywhere else. The three arrangements sound self-explanatory, but every yard defines them slightly differently.
Full Livery
Yard handles everything day to day — feeding, turnout, mucking out, rug changes — but “everything” can still exclude exercising the horse, holding for the farrier, or administering medication unless it’s specified.
Part Livery
A shared responsibility, and this is where the most ambiguity lives. Which days does the yard cover? Does the owner need to give notice if they can’t make it in?
DIY Livery
Day-to-day care sits with the owner, with the yard providing facilities only — but even here, questions come up fast: what happens if the owner doesn’t show up for two days?
Whatever your yard offers, write down the actual daily breakdown, not just the label. “Full livery” as a single word in a contract has caused more arguments than almost anything else on this list. For general guidance on what to expect from a yard, the British Horse Society’s guidance on choosing where to keep your horse is a solid outside reference point, particularly on what BHS-approved yards are expected to provide.
Common Mistakes Yards (and Owners) Make
Watch out for these
- Relying on a verbal or handshake agreement — even between friends, even at small yards. Memory is unreliable and expectations drift over time.
- No clear notice period — leaving both sides unsure how much warning is fair when the arrangement needs to end.
- No emergency vet authority spelled out — the single most common source of real conflict.
- Assuming “full livery” means the same thing to both parties — it rarely does until it’s written down.
- Not updating the agreement when circumstances change — a horse’s needs change, a yard’s services change; the paperwork should keep up.
If you’re setting up livery for a horse you’ve just bought, it’s worth reading through our New Horse Owner’s Essential Care Guide alongside this — a lot of the same “get it in writing” thinking applies to emergency preparedness more broadly, not just the livery contract itself. And if the fee itself is the sticking point, our horse cost calculator helps put livery pricing in context against the full cost of ownership.
Download the Free Livery Agreement Template
A ready-to-edit livery agreement covering every clause above, so you’re not starting from a blank page.
Get the Free TemplateA solid starting point — have it reviewed against your local requirements before use.
