Full-Care livery stable
Run a small boarding stable with stalls, daily feeding and care, and riding facilities for owners.
- A$100k-500k
- Full-time
- Own premises
Estimates for a small start in Australia, not guarantees.
What it is
A small stable where you look after other people's horses every day: feeding, mucking out, turnout, rugging and health checks. Owners pay for the stall or yard, and you may add an arena, round yard or wash bay.
Your first three steps
- Check zoning and planning rules with your local council for a commercial stable on your land or a lease
- Cost your set-up: stalls or yards, feed storage, fencing, water and safe handling areas, then price per horse to cover costs
- Line up a vet, farrier and feed supplier, and talk to local riding clubs about owners who need full-care spots
Who pays
Working horse owners without time or land, competition riders, and owners who want daily care and good facilities.
How it makes money
Weekly or monthly livery fee per horse, with add-ons such as lunging, rug changes, feed supplements, and use of the arena or float parking.
Skills that help
- Strong horse handling and welfare knowledge
- Physical fitness and early starts
- Reliable customer service and record keeping
Watch out for
- Council planning approval for commercial horse keeping, plus rules on drainage, manure and neighbours
- Public liability insurance and care, custody and control cover for horses in your care
- Workers compensation and work health and safety duties once you hire staff or helpers
- Animal welfare laws in your state or territory, and biosecurity risks like Hendra virus
- Heavy daily workload with no easy days off, so plan cover for sickness and holidays
- Leasing land or buildings, check lease terms allow horse boarding
Deep research report · Australia
Everything you need to start: full-care livery stable
Researched with live web search for Australia: real startup prices, the licences and rules, what others charge, a break-even example, how to find your first customers and a 30-day launch plan. With sources.
- Startup costs with real prices
- Licences, registration and rules
- Pricing: what others charge
- Break-even example
- Finding your first customers
- 30-day launch plan
- Risks and how to reduce them
Questions people ask
How much does it cost to start a livery stable?
Estimates suggest startup costs typically around $100,000 to $500,000, depending on land or lease, stalls and facilities like an arena. Revenue is typically around $5,000 to $22,000 a month, depending on how many horses you board.
What rules and approvals should I check for a livery stable?
Check council planning approval for commercial horse keeping, plus drainage, manure and neighbour rules. Also check care, custody and control insurance, workers compensation and work health and safety duties if you hire help, animal welfare laws, Hendra virus risks, and lease terms.
How much time does running a livery stable take?
Estimates suggest at least around 30 hours a week, depending on horse numbers and facilities. Useful skills include strong horse handling and welfare knowledge, fitness for early starts, and reliable customer service. Plan cover for sickness and holidays.
Other ways to run this business
Similar farming and garden ideas
Beef breeding herd, full-time
Run breeding cows on leased or owned land and sell weaners or breeding stock to feedlots, dealers and other farmers.
- A$80k-400k
- Full-time
- Own premises
Small-boat prawn fisher
Run your own licensed boat in an estuary or inshore prawn fishery and sell the catch to merchants, markets and restaurants.
- A$80k-400k
- Full-time
- Out and about
Boutique vineyard with your own wine label
Grow grapes, have them made into wine by a contract winemaker, and sell under your own label.
- A$80k-400k
- Full-time
- Own premises
Full-time wholesale nursery with shadehouses
Run a leased or owned growing site with shadehouses and supply plants in volume to garden centres and landscapers.
- A$100k-350k
- Full-time
- Own premises
Rural farm equipment shop and yard
Open a small shop or yard in a farming town selling machinery, tools and parts, with delivery and after-sales help.
- A$80k-300k
- Full-time
- Own premises
Grain cropping on leased or share-farmed land
Crop a paddock owned by someone else under a lease or share deal, hiring contractors instead of buying big machinery.
- A$80k-300k
- Part-time
- Own premises
Photo: JoelZar on Pixabay