How much does it cost to board a horse? Does it depend on the farm? Does it depend on how much care the barn owners put into the horse vs. if you do all horse care yourself?
Does Mt. Olive Farm in Valley Lee board horses? If so, does anyone have a ballpark dollar amount? Next closest place would be Flat Iron, does anyone have details on that place?
Here is the link to the Maryland Industry Horse Board.
Maryland Horse Industry Site
They have a listing of licensed stables in your area.
BUT......
Like many have said, you have to decide what you and your horses needs are. Making a list of questions is a good way to weed out the many available possibilities. You should try grouping them in to "Must Have", "Nice To Have", and you could add "Don't really care one way or the other."
Do you (and your horse) need Full Care, Partial Care, or Self Care????
Is Price the driving factor? Lets face it times are tough some people who don't really show all that often may not be able to continue to pay the added cost of the indoor arena.
What kind of care does you horse require to be maintained the way you are comfortable with? And how much of that care are you able to do? Or how much of that care do you want the Stable to do for you.
What type of riding do you do? Some adults that are learning to ride for the first time in their life are intimidated by lesson barns where the 7 year old kids are jumping their horse 4 feet. Are you looking for a lesson barn that teaches private or semi private lessons? or are you looking for a stable that you can bring your own trainer too? For adults or kids or whole family????
Do you own a horse trailer? And do you need a place to park it at the stable?
Do you provide your horses grain, hay, and supplements? or do you want that to be included in the cost? Do they require special food or special hay?
How old is you horse? And does it need special care due to age or health issues?
How long do you want your horse turned out? Or in the stall?
Does your horse need to be blanketed in the winter time? fly sheets, masks, leg wraps in the summer? Who is expected to do those things? you or the stable manager?
What about bathing and general grooming of your horse or clipping for shows? or holding for farrier? etc....
Lots of things to consider here.
AFTER YOU MAKE YOUR LIST, Check the places out. Go out to visit. Walk through the pastures and ensure that there are no hidden hazards for your horse. Check out the Barn, on a sunny day as well as a rainy day. Check out where you will be storing your tack and feed etc.... Do the people seem to be friendly and easy to get along with? DO they have your horses welfare at the top of there list? How well do they take care of the pastures? Are they over grazed or hardly mowed. What type of fencing do they have? is it in good repair? Then talk to the folks that stable their horses their currently. Are they happy? Do you like the people that stable their horses their also? Do you have places to ride? MAKE LOTS OF NOTES!!
These are just a few suggestions to start with. Depending on what you are looking for and your needs, the prices in the tri-county area are anywhere from $125.00-600.00 per month. All the extras usually cost. There are a lot of places that have gone into a great deal of debt to build a wonderful place and have to charge a fortune to make it work, and there are some places that the fences are falling down or maybe they have barbed wire and they don't take very good care of the place. You really have to weigh everything!
GOOD LUCK!
silly girl whos the one hitting the road and traveling all over the place.
