What is a Livery Stable?

The history of America was lived in and around livery stables. They were a town’s transportation hub, gathering place and trading post, where old and young men met to discuss town affairs and horses were available for rent or sale. While there are places in the United States today that call themselves livery stables, a livery stable, as it is often thought of, is a thing of the past.

Original Purpose of the Livery Stable

Before the invention of automobiles, horses were used for transportation. Livery stables were a place to board your horse when visiting a town or if you lived in town and had no place to keep it. They were often connected to or very near the town hotel so you could easily care for your horse while visiting. The workers at a livery stable would provide care for your horse at varying levels depending on how much they were paid.

Horses were also available to rent or sell at a livery. If a person had a horse they wanted to sell, they often brought it to the livery because there would be a greater prospect of making the sale.

Liveries were also a place to rent a carriage. Visitors passing through on horseback and some single men did not have carriages, so when they were in need of one for a short time they would lease one at the livery.

Demise of the Traditional Livery Stable

While livery stables were important before the invention of cars, after people began to drive, horses became less important for transportation. Some livery owners expanded their business to include the growing number of cars. Cars were repaired and oil was sold alongside boarded horses. Eventually the American livery could not keep up with the changing times and the doors closed.

Livery Stables Today

Today, the name livery stable still refers to a place where boarding is offered for horses, especially in England and Australia. In the United States, such places are typically called stables, but some still use the term livery for the sake of nostalgia. An American livery now is generally a place where you can go for a trail ride or to take horseback riding lessons.