Equine Management in UK Livery Yards during the COVID-19 Pandemic—“As Long As the Horses Are Happy, We Can Work Out the Rest Later”

SIMPLE SUMMARY: The majority of the UK’s leisure horses are kept at livery yards, under the oversight of a livery yard manager or owner. Livery yard managers/owners therefore have a major impact on the potential wellbeing of horses within each yard, but their role has not been previously studied. This study used the COVID-19 pandemic as a lens to view the priorities and decisions of livery yard managers at a time when everything was already subject to change. Yard managers/owners of 24 very diverse yards were interviewed over a period of nine months, repeating interviews quarterly. Discussion forum threads on relevant topics about livery yards during COVID-19 were also collected. These data were analysed using a qualitative approach called Grounded Theory. The results showed that running a yard required a careful balance between conflicting priorities, which made change difficult within each individual yard culture. During the pandemic, maintaining usual horse care routines and standards was prioritised above human health and the business model of the yard, and above horse–human relationships. However, each yard adopted individual approaches to managing human health alongside maintaining equine management. These findings are important for future initiatives which aim to support livery yard management and change. ABSTRACT: Approximately 60% of the UK’s leisure horses are kept at livery yards under the management and oversight of a livery yard owner or manager (LYO/M), yet their role has received little research attention. This study used the COVID-19 pandemic as a lens through which to view LYO/Ms’ decisions around equine care and management at a time when changes to usual practice were necessary. Qualitative research methods were used. Up to 3 interviews were conducted with 24 different LYO/Ms over nine months (n = 48). Discussion threads from open-access UK discussion fora were also analysed. All data were anonymised and analysed using a Grounded Theory methodology. Prior to the pandemic, equine care and management practices varied greatly across yards, and yard cultures were a product of LYO/Ms’ construction of good equine care, their business model, and the need to balance human and equine contentment. The role of the LYO/M was to maintain an equilibrium between those interlinked factors. During the pandemic, LYO/Ms adopted new measures designed to influence the movement of horse owners and other people on yards to minimise the risk of COVID-19 transmission. During this time, LYO/Ms reported prioritising equine wellbeing by limiting change to equine routines and management wherever possible. Instead of altering equine management, there was an expectation that the lives of humans would be moulded and re-shaped to fit with the government COVID-19 guidelines. These results highlight the importance of routines, traditions and cultures in each individual yard. Maintaining the standard of care for the horse was prioritised regardless of who provided that care.