Your 2 cents worth

[ulooknatme]

interested in setting up a horse boarding facility for approx 5-6 horses. hoping to have the barn built this spring...would love to have any of you with boarding experience to give me your 2 cents worth. i have about 23 acres to play with in the Dunkirk area just off 260. anyone near-by? i have just too many questions to post them all here(fence, stall floors, exercise rings, out buildings, etc) and it would be nice to get firsthand info while looking at the different fields.
i'm also going to be renting out several rooms in my home. (hopefully only to those that have horses or experience with them.) i'm pretty green when it comes to horses. haven't rode since i was a teenager but looking forward to seeing them running around the farm.
THANKS

 

[DQ2B]

Wow, you'll have your work cut out for you. Not trying to be judgmental here but if you're "pretty green" when it comes to horses I don't think that's a very good selling point for luring in boarders. Aside from that, you'll need to figure your budget (if you're starting from scratch and need to build everything get ready for some eye openers). If you have 5 or more boarders I believe you will need to be licensed, you'll need a commercial liability policy and possibly a limited corporation to "detach" your home, etc. from a lawsuit should one arise. 12 x 12 Matted stalls over properly packed aggregate are the popular choice, hot water for sinks and wash stalls, roomy, secured tack area, run-ins for the pastures and lots of smaller personal type services will all be things that potential boarders look for. An indoor arena is a huge plus and will enable you to charge a higher board fee but it will be costly. Same for an all-weather outdoor lighted arena (mine was in the vacinity of $20,000 and that was with hubby doing free labor)! Fencing...After putting up mine using Centaur I wouldn't have anything else but again, it will be significantly more expensive than say no-climb or wood boards and the like. Manure mangement can be a real headache, make sure you have a plan as well as one for when you want to go away (even for a day). Electric. Also very expensive to have it hooked up and all the various appliances, outlets, etc. installed. I could go on but...you get the picture. Think everything through to the minutest detail.

 

[persimmoncf]

insurance...insurance...insurance

 

[ElliesMom]

toilet(s) in the barn!!!!

 

[Sadielady]

Good Luck to you. You will learn a lot from this crew!

 

[swansong]

passing on what people told me and it turned out to be true.... no matter how much you plan, or how much you know, when you start building things come up, and plans change..... this translates to "estimate what your costs will be, based on what you plan to build, and then make sure you have twice that much to spend".

 

[fredsaid2]

I would get a copy of the Equiery and visit the boarding barns in your area. Since you haven't ridden in a while you might want to take lessons. You could ask to work off some of the lesson cost. That would give you some hands on experience in the barn's routine. Maybe take a month or two worth of lessons from several places. You can take from each barn what you like and make decisions on what you would change for your own place.

I'd hold off building a barn until you've had a chance to do hands on research. You may decide to have a run-in only facility if you come to realize mucking six stalls a day x 365 is a bit much. There's still manure maintenance but not every horse needs a stall and not every owner wants one. Less money for you though.

There are so many aspects to consider and errors are costly to rectify if not impossible regardless of the cost. Besides the fact that boarders can be major PITAs, I'm sure I've been considered one here and there! You not only have to manage a person's horse but the interaction with the owner and yourself and the rest of your boarders. Keeping a barn full of horse people happy is a daunting task!

Take your time, do tons of research, get hands on experience then revisit your plan to open the boarding barn.

Best of luck in your decision

 

[BeenSpur'd]

You can keep the cost down by designing and building the barn and run in sheds yourself. Being a cowgirl, I built all my barns/run ins myself except for one small run in. I just built a run in last month. I took five days to do it ( not in a row, I've got back problems and needed a break ) with a cost so far of $250. I still need to put up some kick boards inside but since I will be using it mostly for mini's for now, I'm going to hold of doing that. Since the picture, I built up the floor in the run in with four inches of clay and will put a layer of sawdust down after I tamp it. If you really want to realize your dream, it can be achieved. My farm is a perfect example of that. I've put in every fence post & board myself, most of which was done during the day and then I would go and work 8-10 hours at the DD. Over the years it has turned into a pretty farm. I never have boarded my horses or had boarders except for a friend here and there for short times when in need. You should go work or volunteer at a few different boarding stables and then see if that is what you choose for yourself to have. Good luck with whatever you do, women power is very powerful........

 

[eventrder]

interested in setting up a horse boarding facility for approx 5-6 horses. hoping to have the barn built this spring...would love to have any of you with boarding experience to give me your 2 cents worth. i have about 23 acres to play with in the Dunkirk area just off 260. anyone near-by? i have just too many questions to post them all here(fence, stall floors, exercise rings, out buildings, etc) and it would be nice to get firsthand info while looking at the different fields.
i'm also going to be renting out several rooms in my home. (hopefully only to those that have horses or experience with them.) i'm pretty green when it comes to horses. haven't rode since i was a teenager but looking forward to seeing them running around the farm.
THANKS

Not trying to burst your bubble but no one else has decided to let you in on the horrible truth to horses.........................................

THERE IS NO MONEY IN HORSES!!!

If your wanting to do this for profit really sit down and think about it, its very hard to put money in your pocket when it comes to horses, it seems like something always comes up there is always added expenses and the work never stops. Then to top it off you have to deal with the boarders, our horses are like our kids and we are very protective!

With the way prices have gone up this year I am glad I dont board or run a boarding facility. Its bad enough paying for grain, hay, and sawdust for my 4 I cant even think about paying someone to clean my stalls and do the dirty work for me. Writing the check for hay was depressing enough. Thats another thing you will have to educate yourself on, pasture management. If you have great grass you will not need to feed alot of hay and grain BUT if you grass is not a good quality you will end up feeding more hay. then you need to do worry about the layout as far as leaving a extra field for rotation, they need to be rested, limed, dragged and treated. So much more I could go into but Im at work but your more than welcome to pm me if you have any questions.

 

[ulooknatme]

Being so green is one reason i want to do self boarding first. This is also why i want to rent out rooms to those that have horses or have experience.
The barn will have a bathroom/hot & cold water/elect because half the barn will be for a wood-shop and an area for me to work on farm equipment.
Run in? I just thought it was too cold in our area to be outside all winter. that would work out great just to get started for self board would it not? What would i have to supply besides water and a three sided shelter? What's the going rate$$??
I have a stockpile of telephone poles to build with; do i have to wrap them with other lumber to keep the horses from eating or rubbing on them?
I haven't won the lottery yet so no plan for indoor arena but lighted outdoor arena could be in the future.
As for the grass, I've been bailing orchard grass hay for several years now and the fields are looking pretty good now after spraying round-up and using a no till drill to put down seed. (i can hear it already, you have a gold mine in bailing hay. yes, it would seem so but every time i bale a thunderstorm pops up and soaks the hay. now it's not fit for a horse. Or it never rains like this year and the grass doesnt grow. i could go on and on)
Keep the punches coming, i bruise a little but they'll heal. Has to be cheaper to learn from you guys then my own mistakes.

 

[eventrder]

Being so green is one reason i want to do self boarding first. This is also why i want to rent out rooms to those that have horses or have experience.
The barn will have a bathroom/hot & cold water/elect because half the barn will be for a wood-shop and an area for me to work on farm equipment.
Run in? I just thought it was too cold in our area to be outside all winter. that would work out great just to get started for self board would it not? What would i have to supply besides water and a three sided shelter? What's the going rate$$??
I have a stockpile of telephone poles to build with; do i have to wrap them with other lumber to keep the horses from eating or rubbing on them?
I haven't won the lottery yet so no plan for indoor arena but lighted outdoor arena could be in the future.
As for the grass, I've been bailing orchard grass hay for several years now and the fields are looking pretty good now after spraying round-up and using a no till drill to put down seed. (i can hear it already, you have a gold mine in bailing hay. yes, it would seem so but every time i bale a thunderstorm pops up and soaks the hay. now it's not fit for a horse. Or it never rains like this year and the grass doesnt grow. i could go on and on)
Keep the punches coming, i bruise a little but they'll heal. Has to be cheaper to learn from you guys then my own mistakes.

Self care is a good idea but I am not sure what the demand is for it, not alot of people can commit to it but you might be able to do some type of co-op type of deal with a group then they can work out the feed schedules them selves. The barn will need to have a tack room (that locks) and a feed room you will also need a place for hay storage, this will be tricky if you have a handful of boarders buying their own stuff it will need to be partioned off so it does not get mixed up with the other boarders. Some people are fine with their horses staying out. It is all about preferences and what said horses are used to. The price will depend on what your offering. The more you offer the more you can charge. Technically your just providing the pasture and the electric so I would not think you would be able to get more than 100. You will run into the problem if you charge too much someone would be able to board at a full boarding facility and work off the board a little. Now that its winter people are more inclined to pay the board and have someone do the work for them! I know there are days I wish I had someone doing my barn work when its 20 below and snow on the ground.

 

[Sadielady]

Self care is a good idea but I am not sure what the demand is for it, not alot of people can commit to it but you might be able to do some type of co-op type of deal with a group then they can work out the feed schedules them selves. The barn will need to have a tack room (that locks) and a feed room you will also need a place for hay storage, this will be tricky if you have a handful of boarders buying their own stuff it will need to be partioned off so it does not get mixed up with the other boarders. Some people are fine with their horses staying out. It is all about preferences and what said horses are used to. The price will depend on what your offering. The more you offer the more you can charge. Technically your just providing the pasture and the electric so I would not think you would be able to get more than 100. You will run into the problem if you charge too much someone would be able to board at a full boarding facility and work off the board a little. Now that its winter people are more inclined to pay the board and have someone do the work for them! I know there are days I wish I had someone doing my barn work when its 20 below and snow on the ground.

It gets 20 below here? I am out of here.... I better be

 

[eventrder]

It gets 20 below here? I am out of here.... I better be

HaHaHa! Our winters are not typically that bad but I am a wuss, I hate walking around looking like the state puff marshmellow man! The thing that gets me here is one day your blanketing with the heavy blanket because its 20 degrees and then the next your taking everything off because its 65 degrees! ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

I just want it to be winter and snow and be done with it!

 

[Sadielady]

HaHaHa! Our winters are not typically that bad but I am a wuss, I hate walking around looking like the state puff marshmellow man! The thing that gets me here is one day your blanketing with the heavy blanket because its 20 degrees and then the next your taking everything off because its 65 degrees! ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

I just want it to be winter and snow and be done with it!

ditto.....65 degrees is winter enough for me.

 

[eventrder]

ditto.....65 degrees is winter enough for me.

Me too I could even deal with 60 some days! Not asking for too much am I??

 

[ElliesMom]

oh come on riding in the cold is great, Just not cold and WET.

 

[PrepH4U]

Being so green is one reason i want to do self boarding first. This is also why i want to rent out rooms to those that have horses or have experience.
The barn will have a bathroom/hot & cold water/elect because half the barn will be for a wood-shop and an area for me to work on farm equipment.
Run in? I just thought it was too cold in our area to be outside all winter. that would work out great just to get started for self board would it not? What would i have to supply besides water and a three sided shelter? What's the going rate$$??
I have a stockpile of telephone poles to build with; do i have to wrap them with other lumber to keep the horses from eating or rubbing on them?
I haven't won the lottery yet so no plan for indoor arena but lighted outdoor arena could be in the future.
As for the grass, I've been bailing orchard grass hay for several years now and the fields are looking pretty good now after spraying round-up and using a no till drill to put down seed. (i can hear it already, you have a gold mine in bailing hay. yes, it would seem so but every time i bale a thunderstorm pops up and soaks the hay. now it's not fit for a horse. Or it never rains like this year and the grass doesnt grow. i could go on and on)
Keep the punches coming, i bruise a little but they'll heal. Has to be cheaper to learn from you guys then my own mistakes.