13/09/2026
It’s a long one so grab a ☕️
A LITTLE REMINDER TO OWNERS — SALES LIVERY 🐴
I just wanted to put a little statement out there following a number of recent enquiries regarding sales livery.
I am currently taking on a lot of horses, and I think it’s important that owners understand that selling a horse properly takes time.
Horses coming to me are often coming for a period of schooling, fitness work, producing and assessing before they are genuinely ready to be advertised. Some horses arrive and simply aren’t in a saleable condition yet - whether that be physically, mentally, schooling-wise or because their expectations and asking price don’t match the current market.
The work that goes into getting a horse genuinely sale-ready takes a huge amount of time, experience, professional knowledge and hard work. It isn’t realistic to expect a horse to arrive and be sold within one or two weeks simply because it has been advertised.
I want to sell nice, genuine horses to suitable homes. I am not interested in selling a horse simply for the sake of making a sale. If I believe a horse has an issue that makes it unsuitable for the market, I will say so. If I believe the price is unrealistic, I will say so. And if I believe a horse needs more time and work before it is ready to sell, I will say that too.
I am very upfront with owners because ultimately, I have a responsibility to the horse as well as to the buyer. I cannot and will not sell a horse wrongfully just to achieve a quick turnover.
SALES LIVERY IS AN INVESTMENT
I also completely understand, owners, that sales livery is expensive. I know it is an investment, and I appreciate that it is a significant financial commitment.
But if you are enquiring about sales livery, you are choosing to put your horse into the hands of a professional yard, to be professionally produced, marketed and sold to the right home, while taking that weight off your own shoulders.
Please understand that this is an investment in your horse, in the preparation, in the professional work involved and ultimately in finding the right buyer.
Please don’t try to cut corners or costs simply to get the horse sold quicker. Doing things properly takes time and money, but the aim is for your horse to end up in the right home, at the right time, and for the right reasons.
COMMISSION-ONLY SALES
I have also had a number of enquiries recently asking whether I offer commission-only sales livery.
Unfortunately, I simply cannot offer this.
Your horse’s daily upkeep comes at a cost. There is feed, hay, bedding, turnout, care, riding, schooling, maintenance, advertising, messages, viewings, vettings and everything else that goes into running a professional sales yard.
The way my sales livery works is a weekly livery fee plus 10% commission on the final sale price.
The weekly fee is there to cover the ongoing costs of actually having and producing your horse - the day-to-day care, feed, bedding, riding, schooling, maintenance and everything involved in keeping that horse here and getting it ready for sale.
The commission is for the sale itself and all of the work involved in finding and dealing with the buyer.
What happens if a horse is on a commission-only basis and then fails its vetting? Or injures itself? Or takes several months to sell? Obviously, we do everything we can to prevent injuries and keep horses fit and well, but these things can happen with horses.
Where would the costs then be covered for all of the time that has already gone into that horse?
I can be replying to enquiries until 1am some mornings, doing viewings at 8pm, spending hours riding and schooling, dealing with vettings, speaking to potential buyers, organising transport and answering messages. I have evenings when I could be at home with my children, but I put the horses and my business first because this business means a huge amount to me.
Of course, my children will always come first, but LMB Equestrian is something I have worked incredibly hard to build, and I care enormously about doing it properly.
If your horse sells for £10,000, the commission is £1,000.
If your horse sells for £5,000, the commission is £500.
That commission alone simply cannot cover the costs involved in keeping, riding, producing, advertising and selling a horse, particularly if that horse takes time to sell or doesn’t ultimately sell.
This is why there is a weekly livery fee.
It isn’t an additional charge simply for the sake of charging. It covers the actual cost of your horse being here and the professional service being provided.
You wouldn’t expect a mechanic to repair your car for free and only pay them if you eventually sold the car. You wouldn’t expect a supermarket to give you food and only charge you if you made money from it. You wouldn’t expect to live in your house without covering your mortgage or rent.
Unfortunately, running a professional sales yard is no different. There are costs involved in providing the service.
I completely understand that everyone wants to keep costs down, but please also understand that when you choose professional sales livery, you are paying for professional expertise, time, facilities, care, schooling, marketing and the peace of mind of having someone else take that responsibility from you.
IF YOU’RE NOT HAPPY - PLEASE TALK TO ME
One thing I will always ask from owners is communication.
If you’re not happy with the work I’m producing, if you have concerns, or if you feel things aren’t going the way you expected, please communicate with me.
I am more than happy to have an honest conversation.
If you decide that you would rather take your horse home or move them to another sales yard, that is absolutely fine by me. I won’t be offended. I completely understand that sometimes another route may be better suited to an owner or a particular horse.
What I don’t want is for an owner to be unhappy or frustrated without talking to me about it.
I work incredibly hard, I am extremely passionate about my business and I genuinely want both horses and owners to be happy. The last thing I want is to upset a client - that certainly isn’t on my to-do list!
I also can’t control the market.
I can’t control when the right buyer comes along, whether a horse sells quickly, or whether it takes longer than expected. What I can control is the amount of effort, professionalism and honesty I put into selling your horse - and I will always try my absolute hardest.
Sometimes, despite everyone’s best efforts, a horse simply doesn’t sell as quickly as we’d hoped. That doesn’t mean the work hasn’t been done; sometimes the right person just hasn’t come along yet.
FINALLY…
Please also be mindful that anyone promising you a guaranteed quick sale or suggesting that your horse will be sold within a matter of days isn’t necessarily being realistic.
Sometimes horses do sell incredibly quickly - and I have had plenty do so - but that happens because the horse, price and market are right. It cannot be guaranteed.
My priority will always be doing things properly rather than rushing a horse onto the market before it is ready.
So, if you are considering enquiring about sales livery with me, please come with realistic expectations around timescales, preparation, price and the financial investment involved.
I want to sell your horse. I want to do a good job for you. But most importantly, I want to sell the right horse, to the right person, for the right reasons.
I will always be honest with you, even if sometimes that isn’t what you want to hear. I would much rather tell an owner that their horse needs more time, work or a more realistic price than take their money and make promises I cannot keep.
The goal isn’t just to simply to sell your horse quickly to anyone.
The goal is to sell your horse properly. ❤️
Thank you to all of my owners who trust me with their horses and appreciate the work that goes on behind the scenes. It really does mean a lot.
Furthermore, I want to make one thing absolutely clear:
NO amount of violence, aggression, intimidation or threatening behaviour will be tolerated towards anyone involved with LMB Equestrian. This includes myself, my partner, staff, clients, visitors and, of course, our horses.
CCTV operates throughout the property, and any incidents of this nature will be taken extremely seriously. Where necessary, further action will be taken.
LMB Equestrian is a professional, respectful and welfare-focused business. I work incredibly hard to provide a safe and positive environment for both horses and people, and I will not allow that environment to be compromised.
If you are someone who behaves violently, aggressively, threateningly or simply treats people badly, please do not bring your business to LMB Equestrian. I have absolutely no interest in working with people who behave that way.
I would much rather have fewer clients and maintain a safe, respectful environment than tolerate unacceptable behaviour for the sake of business.
Respect works both ways 🙏
