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boon
Posts: 2
| Hey everyone!! I've been wanting to do a boarding barn for years and just never had the opportunity. I am finally able to lease a barn (came to an agreement on it earlier today). I've worked on various boarding/training barns before, but never had to deal with the paperwork part. I was just curious if any barn owners/managers had any suggestions/opinions? Maybe things you later learned that you wish you had known when starting out? I appreciate any insight given :) |
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 Mouhahaha
Posts: 1786
  
Location: British Columbia | Good luck!
I board horses and 90% of the time have to get after each boarder to pay their board. It's a headache with little reward. My boarders essentially just cover the cost of my having horses so I deal with it.
I've never had any legal problems, but I'd say make sure you have good insurance and have all your contracts drawn up by a lawyer. |
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 Not Afraid to Work
Posts: 4717
| My only suggestions are a good contract and be selective with your boarders. Know ahead of time what type of people you want boarding there. I know my contract has a notice clause, liability clause, and what their protocol call is due to nonpayment.
Good luck |
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Industrial Srength Barrel Racer
Posts: 7268
| I managed a large boarding facility in Kansas City - I thought it would be my dream job - it was a nightmare. Make sure you have contracts with your boarders. It is a 24/7 job. |
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 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 304
Location: Up and over to the right | It's a nightmare indeed, don't expect to be making top dollar, you may just come out even with all of the expenses and screwy people you will deal with. We've had a few up and abandon their horses without a trace - you still have to feed them and then find them homes, all off of your buck. Legal papers are a good idea but they don't hold up in court in all cases so watch out for liabilities at every corner. |
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 Bulls Eye
Posts: 6443
Location: Oklahoma | I managed a 100+ horse facility. I was married to the property. Be prepared to never have a life. You're on call 24/7. I started my morning checks at 5am and did my last check at 9pm. I couldn't be off the property more than a couple of hours at a time. When I quit, my cell phone bill went down about 1000 minutes a month |
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boon
Posts: 2
| Thanks for the input! I'm already fully aware of the life sucking capabilities of horses. As it is, I'm usually at the current barn anyways. The boarding wouldn't be to make a huge profit. The barn I'm leasing has a big indoor and comes with an apartment. I'm more excited about the thought of having my horses right with me!! |
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Mouhahaha
Posts: 1786
Location: British Columbia | bthny660 - 2014-12-17 10:46 AM
Thanks for the input! I'm already fully aware of the life sucking capabilities of horses. As it is, I'm usually at the current barn anyways. The boarding wouldn't be to make a huge profit. The barn I'm leasing has a big indoor and comes with an apartment. I'm more excited about the thought of having my horses right with me!!
Just be aware that going into it always seems like a good idea, but I'd say most people I know who operate boarding facilities(including myself) don't enjoy it. |
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 Veteran
Posts: 222
Location: Texas | Ditto to what everyone said. We have made some great friends with previous clients ( we don't board anymore) but to 99% of people horses are a hobby. Hobby bills get paid last so if they have a tough month so are you. And horses still have to be fed stalls cleaned. Or even better when they don't pay their vet/farrier bills and you get stuck "covering" those bills until they get caught up. It's a big PITA |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 678
Location: Canada | Have good contracts with late fee penalty and enforce them.
Decide what are extras and what those costs are (holding for farrier, blanketing, medication ext)
Don't be inexpensive for boarding. You don't have to be the highest price but don't be the cheapest. Stay mid range and you shouldn't get too many failures to pay
Screen your clients. They will invade your space 24/7 so if they won't fit in don't let them in.Trust your gut.
Have rules and enforce them.
Have a good vet and farrier and build good relationships with them.
Have insurance.
Decide what kind of barn you want to be (barrels, rodeo, trail riders) and build on that. People of like interests are easier to keep happy then those of very different interests.
Find someone trust worthy to fill in when you're gone to events.
Keep your tack separate.
That's all I can think of off the top of my head. Best of luck on your new venture. |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 927
Location: Iowa | Good lawyer and good recording camera system in place. |
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 Expert
Posts: 2154
Location: USA | I boarded for several years and now have my own barn and have started boarding. WHere I used to board, they had a list of general rules and a written contract. The contract was written by a lawyer and was 8 pages long. It included:-Details on feeding hay and grain- The suggestion of wearing helmets for adults and helmets being mandatory for those under 18 -Proof of vaccinations and coggins on a yearly basis - Vet and Farrier being their responsibility -Lack of vet and farrier could be cause for eviction -The right to call vet in case of emergency -THe state Equine law -Liability release in case they are their horses get hurt on the property -The understanding that boarded horse cannot be removed until bill is paid in full -Non payment can result in Lien on boarded horse -Inherent risks of owning/riding a horse That's not all but you get the gist. It was detailed. I use it now for my boarders. I'd be happy to send you a copy. You could always adjust it to suit your needs. I turned down a LOT of potential boarders because I did not feel like they would be a good fit. It's been different as my barn is MY haven and now I'm sharing. I do not always play well with others but so far so good. I did have one who wanted to move EVERYTHING from her family's barn to mine. Even if she didn't need it. I had to tell her no as I was not a storage facility and did not have room for all of it. I told her if she didn't need it, to sell it but it could not stay at my barn. And try to have someone that can help you. Even if it's just on an on call basis. You will want the break, even for a few hours. I do have an agreement with one boarder that if she can feed for me when I'm out of town, that I will reduce her board fee for that month.
Edited by canrunnr 2014-12-17 8:57 PM
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  Warmblood with Wings
Posts: 27846
Location: Florida.. | Alot of good posts..
Keep business business and pleasure pleasure.. meaning.. no breaks for friends and all rules apply no matter what.. and Id not allow anyone to work off their board.. it never works.. expect board ON time by the 3rd and DONT let it slide because once it does it will happen over and over again..
get a consent to treat horse is they cant be notified
contract stating farrier days and if they cant be there they need to include in board and i know some barns that charge to hold your horse for you.also if horse requires special grain make sure you add $$ for that cost.or you will be paying more then charging.. dont be to greedy but you want to make sure you break even and your horses are fed.. I highly doubt you will make any unless your in a high doller area and have top notch facilitys.
but if you enjoy it.. then go for it.. maybe hire a barn manager.
dont allow anyone to take advantage..Be friendly and a fun atmosphere but no freeloaders.
also no boarders dogs loose
( you will end up with chaos if you allow it)
Insurance
Edited by Bibliafarm 2014-12-17 9:07 PM
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 Expert
Posts: 1384
Location: Kansas | Make sure you have way more insurance and an umbrella policy than you think you will ever need,
Have everything in writing after a lawyer has reviewed and approved it.
Good luck
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 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 356
| I don't have any experience managing a barn, but had to board my horses in college. Huge pet peeve that stems from that - consistency/scheduling for the indoor arena. There were so many times that I went out to ride in the evening, only to find the lights had been shut off 2 hours early, there was a lesson going on, or people were roping. Post a schedule, and either make the light switches available to your boarders or leave the lights on for the length of time stated in the contract. |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 1037
| All great advice above. It is not an easy venture for sure, but can be rewarding if you have the right people, which we are blessed to have.
We run a boarding facility in West Texas and have for the past 4 years or so. We offer partial and full care which makes it easier if you are running it by yourself, without full time help. My biggest piece of advice is to not take things personal. Its so hard to separate your boarding business from having your own horses as your own hobby.
Most boarders (not all, but most) are not as serious about their horses as we are about our own, so I have a hard time when horses dont get the same level of attention as ours do when it comes to riding, but not all people have the time, money or facility that we do, if so they wouldnt be boarding.
We are blessed to have someone who we let board for free who takes care of EVERYTHING when we are out of town.
Another thing that sets us apart is we have a seperate barn for our personal horses away from the boarding barn. If there is a space where you can "get away" and do your own thing it makes life so much easier.
Identify the type of people you want around you everyday and accept those type of people as boarders.
Dont judge a book by its cover. This goes both ways; the big shiney trailer doesnt always pay on time, and the one who had someone haul their horse over for them might be the best boarder you ever had.
What most people dont realize if they have never run a boarding facility is that your hobby becomes your job, so be prepared for that. It can be overwhelming at times.
Security cameras save alot of headache and worrying. |
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Starting a boarding barn