BIG NEWS! Livery Yard of the Year 2024

In 2024, Graveney Equine was honoured to be nominated for the prestigious Livery Yard of the Year award, an incredible recognition in itself. Out of hundreds of exceptional yards across the country, we were shortlisted as finalists, and in November, we attended the national awards ceremony.

To our utter amazement, we were announced as the overall winner. This moment was a huge milestone for us, not just as a business, but as a team passionate about horse welfare, land stewardship, and doing things differently.

Winning this award is so much more than a trophy on the shelf. It’s recognition of the values we’ve championed from day one: natural living environments for horses, track systems that support movement and social connection, and a commitment to working with the horse, not against them.

We’re especially proud to represent the growing community of natural and track livery yards. This win puts our model on the map and helps raise awareness of an alternative approach that prioritises the horse’s physical and emotional wellbeing.

Thank you to our clients, supporters, and wonderful team who make Graveney what it is. We’ll continue flying the flag for thoughtful, welfare-led horse keeping, locally and globally.

Some of the comments from our nominations:

• Incredible work promoting natural living for horses – and for rehabbing horses that would potentially otherwise be put to sleep.
  
  
• Sound advice, expert knowledge, shared experiences, never judgmental, always helpful and supportive, for all equines not just those at the yard.
  
  
• A track system livery providing natural horse care, where horses have friends, forage and freedom. The way to go for horse care, not stabled for hours with limited turnout.
  
  
• They are putting the horse first always and providing a safe, natural environment that truly gives the horse choice for freedom, forage and friends.  The facilities to enable this are excellent and Lauren is constantly looking for new ways to improve the yard and what it can and does offer, always with the a view to improving the yard for the benefit of both horse and human.
  
  
• Amazing , inspiring track livery pioneering the natural way to keep horses, educational and supportive owner . This will be the way of the future for keeping horses which we all need to embrace.
  
  
• They not only provide an outstanding service to their liveries, literally saving lives of laminitic horses who may otherwise have been put to sleep, they also provide a valuable service in supporting other liveries to set up in new imaginative ways too. Educating people as they go. An amazing place.
  
  
• They are one of the, if not the leading track system livery yards in the country. Lauren who runs the yard has so much love for the horses under her care. Specialising in horses with metabolic issues she has managed to help so many horses live much better, longer lives than they ever would have under a traditional livery set up.
  
  
• Lauren is dedicated to all of the horses there and she treats them all as individuals and as if they were her own. The track setup is amazing, the horses there are so happy and peaceful and they can choose when, where and what they want to do. It is definitely horsey heaven!
  
  
• They were one of the first track liveries. Their track livery and rehabilitation services are totally centred around the physical and emotional well-being of the horse.  In addition they have generously provided advice and support to other track liveries in the UK.
  
  
• As one of the first UK Track Livery businesses, Graveney have been inspirational in paving the way for improvements in the lifestyle of domestic horses.  This is an exciting, imperative and growing area of horse welfare and Lauren and Thomas absolutely deserve recognition for the many years of hard work and dedication they’ve put in to advancing knowledge and education and providing an excellent service for their liveries.   Lauren is passionate about barefoot hoofcare and about learning and teaching land management, horse behaviour and training, nutrition and welfare and is continually implementing new ideas.
  
  
• Graveney have played and continue to play a huge role in improving welfare and standards for keeping horses. They are always doing everything they can do to promote, better, more ethical ways of keeping horses.
  
  
• Their whole holistic approach to providing an equine centred living environment for all equines. Also they help educate anyone who would like to learn about the best way to keep horses healthy, horse welfare and training.
  
  
• It is time to recognise and acknowledge more horse centered housing approaches such as track systems. I think Graveney offers a wonderful livery that gives horses a varied, enriched, and healthy existence.
  
  
• Lauren has a degree in animal behaviour, welfare and nutrition and is a barefoot trimmer. She has created an amazing track livery system based on the Paddock Paradise ethos. She has the most amazing enrichment areas, and offers a perfect environment for horses to be horses. With the ever wetter winters, equine welfare needs to be looked at, as many horses spend far too many hours locked in stables. This is detrimental physically and psychologically. Track systems are the way ahead. More horses can actually be housed on a smaller acreage and Lauren provides the perfect livery and shares her knowledge on social media.
  
  
• Lauren is an amazing person who has worked so hard not just for Graveney but for the whole barefoot/track movement. She’s got a fabulous ethos and goes way above and beyond.
  
  
• I believe they are offering something rare in the equine livery world…. Horse centred, species appropriate living and are doing so much to educate horse owners as regards providing a better environment and lifestyle for their horses.
  
  
• For the exceptional work they have done in paving the way for track systems and track livery in the UK. It hasn’t been easy introducing a concept to a country that is renowned for its horsemanship. They are changing the face of livery concepts for horse and humans.
  
  
• Amazing ambassadors for track livery and we need more yards like it. An award would help both in publicising track livery and also recognise the fantastic work Graveney have done.
  
  
• I am not currently on this livery yard but I have learnt so much from the Facebook page. This yard has been running a track system since 2013 and their presence online is really incredible for people like me who like me are looking to set up my own track to improve the health and well-being of our horses so livery yards like this provide so much knowledge and inspiration.
  
  
• Really amazing livery which puts the horse front and centre. Gentle clear management with unparalleled range of expertise. Great facilities including in and out barn, track, riding out on farmland, in house trimming, worming and bespoke diet. No hidden extras. The owner, Lauren, is fantastic, knowledgeable and caring.
  
  
• Graveney Equine Horse Track System has been posting to the public, valuable information for years to show the process they have been through to establish an environment that is beneficial to all horses. Many of their rescues or boarders have similar conditions and ailments to thousands of horses world-wide, and whose owners actively follow Graveney to remedy their own horse problems and ease the pain or suffering of their own ponies. Graveney Equine has been a fundamental go to, that has changed the way for horses to be kept from boxes, caged paddocks and inhumane yards, to self choice freedom to move, within the same environment and without the use of millions of dollars. The more natural tracks, hedgerows, self choice stable rest have proven far more effective methods to restore the equine living and give horses of all shapes and sizes, all manner of affliction, the natural peace they require and enjoy. Thousands of owners and even more horses world-wide, have benefited from Graveney Equine. Please support them.
  
  
• Because the set up there has allowed my horse the freedom to be out with other horses and have unrestricted movement, without constantly getting ill from being out on grass. He’s lost a lot of weight and has been a lot better since being there. The one time he did have a mild colic episode and had to be kept in overnight, Lauren got up a 2am to check him and give him a little hay. Lauren really does go above and beyond to make sure all the horses in her care has their different needs met, whilst still being able to live out in a herd situation.
  
  
• They have created a wonderful environment for the lucky horses there. They live in a herd, have access to all the facilities they need plus enrichment areas. Hedges and other areas have been planted to allow foraging for beneficial phytochemicals. Various workshops on subjects such as equine physiotherapy are held regularly. The owner is also a barefoot trimmer.
  
  
• An honest Track Livery with no drama. Keeping it to the point. Keeping it simple. But offering the best advice and the best method of livery. I firmly believe that a track system is the most amazing concept to keep our equines happy, healthy and moving.
  
  
• Graveney is an outstanding track system livery yard run by an amazing horsewoman who truly puts the needs of the horse front and central to everything she does. A natural equine focused lifestyle for all her liveries is underpinned by rigorous professional knowledge and qualifications as well as a high level of compassion and care. Lauren’s care saved my laminitic, depressed and elderly Shetland and me (same adjectives applied) after the other 3 members of our long established herd died in quick succession over six months. Graveney is the best advertisement for track based living for horses in the UK. Please consider Graveney and its owner Lauren for recognition with this award.