Livery bookings rise as horse owners struggle with costs

Livery bookings rise as horse owners struggle with costsImage caption, Jo Woods said horses were not a hobby but a lifestyle and provided people with "so much fulfilment"ByAlice Cullinanein LeekPublishedJust nowDemand for affordable retirement livery has risen "exponentially" as people were "massively worried" about the rising cost of living, owners of a farm have said.Fiona and Ian Long, who look after more than 70 horses at Padwick Farm in Leek, Staffordshire, said they had seen a 60% growth in livery bookings in the last five years as prices rise.Typical livery costs, which are fees for the boarding and care of horses in stables, can be about £800 a month, according to the charity Horse Trust. Padwick Farm said it charged less than half the price to prevent owners from euthanising their horses.Image caption, The team at Padwick Farm aims to help horses relax into the freedom of fields "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 (NEWC) found that more than 80% of equine owners across the UK, external were concerned about the continued pressure of increased costs of equine-keeping.Five percent were considering euthanising their horse due to rising costs, with owners unable to afford the farrier and regular vet call-outs.It was more common and affordable to have horses in the past but these days it was a "luxury" as the cost of grass seed, bales of hay and vet prices rise, Long said."A big bale of hay was £10 around 30 years ago, now it's £90. Livery costs were static for around 20 years before owners started putting up prices two years ago," she added.The farm co-owner said that offering lower prices was a way to "give back" to horses and allow them to continue living for years after they stop being ridden. "Horses aren't a hobby, they are a...