Client and owner lounge
Somewhere to watch lessons in the warm. Liveries have a cup of tea after riding, parents wait without sitting in the car, and people stay for a chat. Clients who like being at your yard tend to stay at your yard.
Garden buildings for livery yards and riding schools
A warm, dry room at the heart of the yard
For your clients, your team and your lessons, every day of the year. Insulated, double glazed and made in Britain by our own team.
Freephone 0800 160 1710 · Free installation · 10-year guarantee
The weather, the hours, the people
Why a warm room matters on a yard
Yard life starts early and most of it happens outside. The horses need feeding at seven whether it's bright sunshine or sideways sleet.
Liveries arrive after work, in the dark for half the year. Parents stand at the arena rail for a whole lesson, or give up and watch from the car. In 2023 it rained on 172 days across the UK, so that's a lot of cold, wet waiting.
The people who work on the yard feel it most. In a 2023 survey by the Equestrian Employers Association, 97% of respondents said they work more than their contracted hours every week. A kettle, a chair and somewhere to dry off won't shorten the day, but they make it easier to get through.
There are 1,497 riding schools in Great Britain (BHS, 2023). The yards that do well tend to be the ones people like spending time at: clients stay a little longer, and good staff stay a little longer too.
"It rained on 172 days across the UK in 2023."
Met Office rain-day series (days with 1mm or more of rain), 2023
"97% of respondents work more than their contracted hours every week."
Equestrian Employers Association survey, 2023, reported by Horse & Hound
"Suitable and sufficient rest facilities shall be provided at readily accessible places."
Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992, regulation 25
172days of rain across the UK in 2023Met Office
97%of yard staff surveyed work beyond their contracted hoursEquestrian Employers Association, 2023
1.8mregular riders in BritainBHS statistics, March 2026
726,000horses in BritainBHS statistics, March 2026
Who it's for
One building, used all day by different people
Most yards we talk to have the same problem: nowhere warm to put people. What they want the room for changes from yard to yard, so we build it around how yours runs.
Yard office, tack and feed room
Dry, insulated and lockable. Bookings, paperwork, saddles and feed in one place, out of the damp and out of sight. No more doing the accounts on the bonnet of the car.
Rider and staff welfare room
A warm place for grooms and instructors to eat lunch, dry off and sit down between early starts and late finishes. Muddy boots at the door, a kettle and a chair inside.
Lesson, theory and therapy space
BHS stages theory, Pony Club rallies and Linked Riding Centre sessions, RDA sessions, birthday parties and CPD evenings. A room with a table, chairs and a view of the arena.
RDA's 2025 Impact Report: 39,000+ participants, 95% feel calm and focused, and 71% of RDA groups are unable to meet demand.
For BHS Approved Centres
Helping BHS Approved Centres
If you run a BHS Approved Centre, or you're working towards approval, you'll know that several lines of the riding school criteria are about the rooms people use off the horse. A warm, insulated garden building can help a centre meet these criteria:
- A7d · Approved
Ensure that any staff rest area/room is warm, clean and tidy
- A3 · Approved
Any client waiting, greeting or observation areas are clean, tidy and accommodating with suitable lighting provided in all areas
- H4 · Highly Commended
There is a designated office/reception area
- H7 · Highly Commended
There is a study or lecture area that can provide a conducive learning environment
Quoted from the British Horse Society's Approved Centre Criteria: Riding Schools (ref RSC/V3). The BHS does not require a garden building, and Nordic Garden Buildings has no partnership with, or endorsement from, the British Horse Society. Whether a room meets the standard is for your assessor to decide.
Choice and flexibility
Built around your yard
Every yard is laid out differently, so we start with where the building would go and who will use it. Choose one of our standard ranges, or have a building designed from scratch.
- Standard ranges
- Proven designs, installed in a day, at a simpler and more predictable price. A good fit for an office, tack room or staff room.
- Fully bespoke
- Designed around your site, how the yard runs and the buildings already there. Ideal for a viewing lounge beside the arena or a room for lessons.
- Any size
- From a compact room for two people up to a building that seats 100.
Built to last
Built on solid foundations
Every building is made from premium, insulated uPVC and double glazed, so it's warm in winter and needs almost no upkeep. There's nothing to paint or treat, which matters on a yard where nobody has spare time.
We design, make and install every building with our own UK team. Our parent company, Modplan, has been manufacturing in Britain for more than 50 years, and there are thousands of our buildings in use across the UK and Europe.
50+years of British manufacturing
1,000sof installs across the UK and Europe
10-yrguarantee on every building
Freeinstallation by our own team
How it works
Simple from first call to first cup of tea
We listen
A call or a visit to hear how the yard runs, who'll use the room, where it could go and what budget you have in mind.
We design
We draw up a building that fits your site. If you need planning permission, we'll help you prepare the application.
We build and install
Our own team makes and fits it, with free installation. Standard ranges go up in a day.
You use it
A warm, dry room for your clients, your team and your lessons, backed by a 10-year guarantee.
Questions yards ask us
Frequently asked questions
Do I need planning permission?
A permanent building on a working yard will usually need planning permission — we're happy to help you prepare, but please check with your local council first. The permitted development allowances you may have heard of for garden rooms apply to houses, so they cover a building in your own garden but not one on the yard. Green Belt, National Landscape (AONB) and listed-building settings can change the answer, and the rules differ in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
How long does it take to install?
Our standard ranges are installed in a day. A bespoke building takes longer, and we'll give you a timetable with your quote so you can plan around lessons and liveries.
Will it stay warm in winter?
Yes. Every building is insulated and double glazed, so it's comfortable to use from January to December.
How much looking after does it need?
Very little. The frames are premium uPVC, so there's no painting, staining or treating. A wipe down now and then keeps it looking right, which is useful on a yard where there's never much spare time.
How big can you go?
Anything from a compact room for two people up to a building that seats 100. Most yards start by telling us what they want to use it for, and we size it from there.
What does it cost?
It depends on size and whether you choose a standard range or a bespoke design. The standard ranges have simpler, more predictable prices. Call Justin on 0800 160 1710 and he'll give you a guide figure for your yard. Installation is free.
Is there a guarantee?
Yes, every building comes with a 10-year guarantee.
Is Nordic Garden Buildings connected to the British Horse Society?
No. We quote the BHS Approved Centre criteria because several of them are about the rooms people use off the horse, but we have no partnership with the BHS and it doesn't endorse our buildings.
Let's talk
Tell me about your yard
I'm happy to talk through ideas, sizes and budgets, with no pressure. If it's easier, send a few lines with the form and I'll call you back.
Justin WilliamsNordic Garden Buildings
Freephone0800 160 1710
Direct07717 710 062