Advice on giving boarders notice

[CHT]

Due to ongoing health issues, we have decided to reduce how many horses we board, and to an extent, change who we board for. I would like to reduce the number of horses by 6, but for now I have 4 boarders I plan to give notice to before the end of the month. I plan to give them 60 days - barns tend to empty out in the spring as people bring their horses home, so it should be good timing. I am planning to do it via an email, but I will probably see at least one of them the day prior, so should I also say something in person? Should I send a text as well?

Should I tell them why they were “chosen” to be evicted/why they are no longer a good fit or our new business model?

I feel awkward about it as we did add 4 boarders in the last 8 months, but they are overall a better fit for our business.

DH actually wants to just shut the barn down, but I am hoping downsizing will be enough for now.

Any advice is welcome.

[Annie10]

You don’t need to offer a lot of discussion or explanation… I just would send them, in whatever written form you choose, something to the effect that while you are all a valued part of our barn family blah blah blah due to circumstances beyond your control you’re having to downsize and therefore am giving x days notice to move your horse. If you need help finding a new board arrangement please let me know and I’ll help all I can. And then have a list of places that they can call or go check out.
Offering explanations discussions etc just provides an avenue for argument, begging etc and that’s not good for anyone

[OverandOnward]

Keep it warm but impersonal, same message to everyone. Have a script or outline written to refer to,even in your head, that you stick to for everyone.

Don’t get into details beyond your script with anyone, for any reason. If, after all is done, you then feel comfortable sharing with special friends, maybe that will be ok. But just assume that everyone you talk to will feel as if they must share with at least one other person, and so does that person, etc., and whatever you say to anyone is likely to make the rounds.

IMO the first word of this decision should be the email to your boarders who are leaving, something like:

Our time as the primary caretakers of our boarders’ wonderful horses has been rewarding. We treasure our memories as the managers of Happy Time Stables.

However, for personal reasons, we have had to make some difficult decisions to reduce our total number of boarders. We ask that you make alternate boarding arrangements for Pookey, at the latest by April 30, 2025. Until then we will continue to provide Pookey with our usual excellent care.

We are sorry to see you go. We would not be making this change if it were not necessary for personal reasons. If we can assist you with a recommendation to help you with your horse’s new accommodations we will be glad to do so.

Thank you for your understanding,
You

Definitely it is tricky when some will stay, and some will go. Keep it generic. Same message to those who will stay and those who will go.

Verbal answer - ‘It was very tough to select some and not others but we had to pick someone. I am sorry, I know this is inconvenient, but I am glad to give you recommendations to other boarding stables.’

Focus on what you are doing to help. Not why some had to go.

Some may be understanding. Some may take this at least somewhat badly, but you have to muddle through, or never take the step forward that needs to be done. You can’t control that. Just be prepared to not make it personal toward them, and not to take anything personally yourself.

You may end up with less good relations with one or more boarders that leave. But you’ll be ok, and so will they.

Be ready to answer a lot of questions from your staying boarders. An email to the staying boarders can ensure that they hear your version of what they can expect for the future, rather than rumors and speculation. They may want to know if they will be asked to leave in the near or distant future. Choose what degree of info you want to share.

In addition, don’t be surprised if one or more of the stay-ers decides to leave without being asked. Don’t take that personally, either. They may decide that a leave request will be coming in the future, and they may proactively seize an opening elsewhere that is where they want to land.

If that’s ok with you, they are making your situation that much easier. If you want them to stay, especially if several volunteer to leave, you may need to offer some benefits or concessions for staying until ___ date. [That is common with corporate layoffs. People beyond those asked to go will decide to leave as well. Management offers incentives to stay to stop the leaking.]

Also, be careful about using a voluntary leave to reverse the ‘leave’ message to one individual and allow them to stay instead. The volunteer might change their minds and decide to stay. Or other sticky situations could arise. Plus you may be asking them again later.

I don’t know your boarders, but be ready for any that are a bit flaky about this. Some you know could be flaky. But there could be others who surprise you with their negative reaction. Be ready to let it slide if someone says something nasty to you about it. Be ready to deal with someone who tries to stay regardless. And someone who seems to be leaving at the last minute, then claims it is impossible and they will have to stay.

Hopefully everyone is understanding and accommodating, and nothing awkward happens. But it is easier to have thought through at least an outline of your response, than it is to try to react on the fly.

Good luck, hope all goes smoothly!

[CHT]

As well as downsizing we will be making some changes to our programs/board (over the summer), so plan to outline those changes in the letter to the boarders that we are not asking to leave. it seems redundant to list those changes to those being asked to leave. This may result in others leaving as well if they decide we are not a good fit, which is fine/ideal.

I don’t plan on offering advice as to barns they can go to as I don’t have the energy to look into that and I don’t know any other barns well enough to recommend them. If they ask for help I might then I suppose, but I feel like for three of them, their expectations of care exceed their expectations of cost, and I can’t resolve that for them.

[Bluey]

Seems like finding boarders is not a problem for you?

I am with your DH, close now, give yourself time to reorganize.
See how things go, if the world’s ship gets back on an even keel, or we fall off the deep end.

Then rethink how that works and decide then, if closing is not what you wanted after all, how to start again, refreshed.

[CHT]

Finding boarders isn’t a problem, but we have a really nice group that have been very supportive - of me and each other. DH doesn’t understand how much my long term concussion symptoms affect me - it is getting very hard for me to leave the property and invaluable that I can work and socialize from home. There will come a time when we need to close down, but hopefully that will be when DH no longer travels so much for work.

[dmveventer]

@CHT

Should I tell them why they were “chosen” to be evicted/why they are no longer a good fit or our new business model?

I’ll go against the grain here and say yes, if there’s a non-offensive way to explain why the people being asked to leave aren’t a good fit for where you’re going you should try to do so. The horse world is small and if there’s a way for you to end these relationships on good terms and keep them in your network you should. If I was abruptly asked to leave a program and not given even a basic reason why while others were allowed to stay for unclear reasons I’d be pretty upset, and that would definitely be a bridge burned with me. A simple “we need to downsize due to my medical issues and are choosing to focus on X so won’t be able to support your focus on Y” would go a long way towards making it clear it was a business decision and not personal. It could be the difference between me recommending your program to people that might fit your new model down the line vs steering people away from you entirely. If you can offer to give them a good reference or recommend some programs that might work for them that’s even better.

If there are specific people you expect will react poorly you can go in more defensively with those, but the majority of boarders are reasonable people who will understand your need to adjust the business to your new circumstances.

[endlessclimb]

I have a different idea.

How about outlining the care/program changes first (effective in 30 days), and see who leaves on their own. Then, remove the additional headcount needed to make it manageable.

Then you have your core group.

[Bluey]

@endlessclimb

I have a different idea.

How about outlining the care/program changes first (effective in 30 days), and see who leaves on their own. Then, remove the additional headcount needed to make it manageable.

Then you have your core group.

That makes sense, although it may catch some she may have wish to keep, that think they better move if it seems that barn will be cutting down and maybe closing, which eventually will?

How important is any one current boarders?
Maybe reassure those you want to keep personally you appreciate them and hope they may stay thru the changes?

[just_shoot_me]

The place I board my horse did something similar. They wanted to downsize to 4 horses. They also wanted boarders to pick up 3 feeds per week.

Owners had 2 horses. Wife’s best friend stayed and I was asked if I wanted to stay because I only had 1 horse. I said yes. We had the talk on the owners’ porch.

We also discussed my plans should something happen to my horse. They’re a touch older than me but we’re all on the same page that current horses are our last horses.

I believe a text was sent to the other boarders and they were given 60 days. There were contingencies beyond the 60 days.

[anonevent]

Maybe something like…

It is with a heavy heart that I’m writing to inform you that we have to make a number of changes to the way our business operates, which unfortunately, means that we will reduce the number of horses in our boarding program and release the boarders/horses who we will not be able to best serve long term.

This note serves as 60 day notice to relocate your horse to another facility. We chose that date with the hope that it will align conveniently with stall openings at nearby barns.

I appreciate that this is unwelcomed news. Mr. CHT and I have very much valued your time at CHT Farm and, first and foremost, want to assure you that this decision is purely circumstantial. We will be as accommodating as possible regarding flexibility of your move date, and all other arrangements.

We wish you all the best and are available to be a resource to you as you decide the next steps for your horse.

[Djones]

Turn on read-receipt so you know who read it and who hasn’t.

The why doesn’t need to be detailed, but the why is important to include. “Coming into 2025, we find that we need to adjust what we’re able to offer boarders balanced against our other priorities. While we are not closing down boarding entirely, we have made the difficult decision to reduce the number of boarders and the scope of our offerings. We’ve enjoyed your time with us and appreciate that this may come as a surprise. We are giving those affected a full 60 days notice in order to give you time to make other arrangements.”

Something like that.

[MsM]

I was once asked to move my horse when the owner went to a “training board only” situation. I did not want training board so it was easy to understand why we had to part ways.

If you have something easily understandable like that, I would definitely let everyone know. I it is just a cutting numbers and you chose those clients for various reasons, then I would not offer much more that “a change in our program focus”

As a boarder it would cause me concern, even if I was not immediately affected. Be sure everyone knows what is going on before the rumor mill, and understand some other boarders may choose to leave.

[Djones]

@CHT

I don’t plan on offering advice as to barns they can go to as I don’t have the energy to look into that and I don’t know any other barns well enough to recommend them. If they ask for help I might then I suppose, but I feel like for three of them, their expectations of care exceed their expectations of cost, and I can’t resolve that for them.

Don’t sweat that. Stay very very much out of that. Say the same thing every time “I’m not in a good position to make recommendations, I’ve been so focused on this place I’ve haven’t kept up with what’s available.” Rinse and repeat.

Your dh likely doesn’t want to accept the lingering side effects of your injury. He doesn’t want the reminder you are mortal, it happens.

[RedHorses]

@Bluey

@endlessclimb

I have a different idea.

How about outlining the care/program changes first (effective in 30 days), and see who leaves on their own. Then, remove the additional headcount needed to make it manageable.

Then you have your core group.

That makes sense, although it may catch some she may have wish to keep, that think they better move if it seems that barn will be cutting down and maybe closing, which eventually will?

How important is any one current boarders?
Maybe reassure those you want to keep personally you appreciate them and hope they may stay thru the changes?

It sounds like there are three boarders who are overly demanding who really need to go. This sort of person would be likely to feel the changes wouldn’t apply to them/their horse, and the BO would make an exception and would continue to provide them the same services and care.

@CHT I think it would be best to let each person know immediately, in the first email if you are asking them to leave or hoping they will stay. That does mean individual emails to each boarder. If you write the explanation out and copy/paste into a draft email to each boarder, then go through and paste in the relevant go/stay part into each draft, you’ll be able to go through and send, send, send all of them in a couple of minutes. Everyone will get their personal stay/go email pretty much at the same time. I would stick to identical text because people will talk about the emails and discrepancies will be noted and prompt concern.

[LCDR]

If the selected-to-remain boarders are your entire social life I can understand that, but you likely will be taking away the important social lives of some of your current boarders too. Think about what you are doing to them. Factor in the additional mental effects on them of being “voted off the island” while your own selected gal pals and ponies stay.

If it were me, I’d close completely. Use the time for renovations, repairs, remodeling, and giving paddocks and pastures and yourself a rest. You may discover that your lifestyle without boarders is a far better one, and that you have no desire to re-open as a boarding facility.

[Annie10]

In light of that you might do the general letter to everyone first and then see how many leave. Then you can ask however many of what’s left to leave. That way you won’t ask 5 to leave and then 5 more leave when you only needed 5 to leave in the first place.

ETA bc I saw later endless climb posted something similar

[CHT]

What sort of contingencies if you remember?

[CHT]

We won’t be implementing the changes until summer. Obviously more people could leave if the changes don’t work for them, and that’s fine. The people we will be asking to leave likely won’t clue in that the changes won’t work for them.

@LCDR are you my husband?
We also teach lessons and we own two lesson horses and have others we lease. Teaching lessons is what I would struggle to give up - it is something I CAN still do, and do well. It’s hard to explain, but when your abilities and world are shrinking, its really hard to give up the things that still make me feel like me. I had considered finding a barn I could teach out of, and would still consider that going forward, but I get tired quickly, and being able to teach here and there throughout the day and just walk home after is a boon.

[LCDR]

Would shutting down the boarding side of your life and continuing to offer lessons at your convenience on your own horses at your own barn, and to others who would haul in their own horses, possibly work for you?