Any Experience Leasing Stalls as a Trainer? + Thoughts on Co-Op Boarding?

[TheHorseman1]

Hey everyone, I’d love to pick your brains on two ideas and hear from those with experience!

1. Leasing stalls to run a training business – Have any of you ever rented a block of stalls to run your own program? What worked (or didn’t)? Were there any unexpected challenges, like facility rules, client limitations, or dealing with the barn owner? Was it a good setup for growth, or did it come with too many strings attached?
2. Co-Op Boarding – The idea: barn provides hay, shavings, and feeds twice a day, but boarders handle turnout, mucking, and other chores on a shared schedule. Have you seen this actually work long-term, or does it tend to fall apart into chaos and drama?

Also, if you know of barns that successfully run either of these models, I’d love to hear about them! Curious about what people have seen work (or fail spectacularly ). Spill the good, bad, and ugly!

Thanks in advance!

[Displaced_Yankee]

I am in a sort of de-facto co-op situation (and have been for the last 11 years). We have 3-4 horse owners, 5-6 horses and 1 horse owner lives on site.

The biggest thing: it is a sweet deal and all of us know it. It is not a for-profit business. It is designed to have everyone committed. And we are.

Few other items:

• everyone is on the same page regarding minimum care (some do more…but in a pinch all horses are safe and comfortable)
• the facility is set up for ease of chores. Barring a medical issue or weather event, horses are out 24/7 and can be fed in 20 min, with no person needing to enter a field or paddock.
• Everyone has their own back up human (husband/parent/daughter) who at a minimum can go throw everyone 2-3 flakes of hay and check water. Generally someone else can fill in, but if needed the bare minimum can be done
• First rule: all hands on deck for bad weather (snow or hurricane)
• General idea of “Well if I go fix Dobbins fly mask now, someone will fix my horses fly mask when he needs it”
• Communication. Vacation and other plans get run by the group in advance. We are a small group and close. So we understand kids, school and family emergencies. I had to drop everything to fly out of state for a family emergency with a “it’s a one way ticket I don’t know when I will be home…” and the first response was “what do you need?”

[CHT]

There is a Co-Op barn nearish to me that works well, but I think the ONLY reason it works well is because it is a barn for the military families, so they have a certain accountability that I think would be harder to achieve with random people. With your idea, at least the horses would be fed regularly, but I think you will find that different people have different ideas on what “clean” is, or how much bedding the horses should get, and then you have the risk of horses with different training levels and owners with different experience having to handle those horses - risk of injury to horses and humans.

Leasing stalls doesn’t really seem to be a thing where I am, other than at the racetrack. Trainers just seem to work out of other people’s facilities, and possibly get a discount on board in exchange for being the ones who bring the clients in and manage them.

[Knubbsy]

It was more a true co-op than what you describe (I would call that more of partial board). But I was part of a co-op for a little while with my trainer, her husband, and two other boarders. Everyone had several shifts a week with the feed+muck shifts “worth” more than the feed alone shifts, and we were charged the difference if we didn’t cover enough shifts. I think the only reason it worked long term was because my trainer’s husband was also the farm manager of the larger facility, so in weather emergencies, he was already on site. In the end we moved to a separate facility with a traditional board structure so my trainer could consolidate her business.

[Obsidian_Fire]

Co-op boarding works well IF the people involved are all on the same page and IF there is ONE person in charge overall. When I did it, it was with a group of 3 other friends and we all boarded at her house/barn. She was very much in charge, we all respected that. We all worked well together and helped out with whatever needed doing. It was a rather ideal situation. Another time in this situation it did not work so well; the BO owned the facility but was hands off, us boarders took care of the barn. Unfortunately as one boarder would try to implement what the BO asked, another boarder would completely ignore, or worse yet, the BO would purposely stir up drama by encouraging that person to do something different without checking with boarder A who is following BO’s rules. Convoluted, I know, but some people get their kicks by stirring the pot.

The other situation… that’s a big fat “it depends”. #1 - are there other people there who are not part of your program, such as ordinary boarders. #2 - how big is the facility to accommodate the needs of training/lesson clientele AND pleasure riders? #3 - how ‘cray-cray’ is the BO? Are they hands on or just leasing a building they happen to own? They can make or break you, trust me on that. Honestly the only time I’ve seen everyone feel “comfortable” with this is when the facility is big enough that nobody steps on anyone else’s toes, or the trainer is the only one there - and clearly in charge.

[islgrl]

I run a co-op by default. Our barn has been a co-op for many many years and now whoever is the longest term boarder is the “manager”. But I use that term loosely. We have 7 horses. Each boarder does two feed shifts and a lunch (its magical when we’re full so the 7 days of the week works out without floater shifts…). Each boarder pays the barn owner for a dry stall, which is collected by me and then I pay him. Each boarder buys their own feed and bedding. We split the cost of hay on the presumption that everyone feeds roughly the same amount. There is no nitpicking over a horse that gets slightly more or less. If it was a dramatic difference we’d have to figure it out. Everyone is responsible for picking their paddock daily (shared paddocks share picking duties). We have a petty cash pay in monthly that covers the cost of small purchases. The cost of electricity is split. Large purchases are split. The barn cat is a shared expense for food/vet whatever. We are very picky about who moves in. As a result I think we have run on this model now for close to 20 years.

[luvmyhackney]

I’d love to do Co-Op but I’ve only been at one barn that it worked well. Too many cooks in the kitchen caused lots of drama.

Renting a block of stalls - just rent the entire barn if possible. The only time I’ve seen issues is with multiple trainers with different standards of care and clients.

[trubandloki]

@TheHorseman1

Hey everyone, I’d love to pick your brains on two ideas and hear from those with experience!

1. Leasing stalls to run a training business – Have any of you ever rented a block of stalls to run your own program? What worked (or didn’t)? Were there any unexpected challenges, like facility rules, client limitations, or dealing with the barn owner? Was it a good setup for growth, or did it come with too many strings attached?
2. Co-Op Boarding – The idea: barn provides hay, shavings, and feeds twice a day, but boarders handle turnout, mucking, and other chores on a shared schedule. Have you seen this actually work long-term, or does it tend to fall apart into chaos and drama?

Also, if you know of barns that successfully run either of these models, I’d love to hear about them! Curious about what people have seen work (or fail spectacularly ). Spill the good, bad, and ugly!

Thanks in advance!

Situation 1 - Renting a block of stalls working really depends on the clarity of the contract between the facility and the training program renting. All the details need to be figured out and in writing. No assuming who will do what can happen. This can work great if everyone is on the same page, or it can go horribly.
Situation 2 - Like the above answer, it really depends. I can not see how barn providing shavings and hay working unless there is a written amount provided in the agreement per horse. Otherwise you are going to have the person who picks carefully, trying to save bedding the best they can, really resenting the owner who shovels out the stall and uses a whole fresh bag every day.

[BeeHoney]

I have seen renting blocks of stalls work out very well for all involved. There are several different ways to do it. Issues that might come up: who owns/moves around the jumps, ring maintenance, facility maintenance, mixing up of equipment/belongings, timing of arena use, etc. There could be extra work wrangling clients to make sure that they are respectful of other clients of the barn not in the program and respectful to overall barn rules, and obviously negotiating to make sure your clients are treated appropriately as well. The best scenario is when the renting trainer is either doing all of their own training (without a lot of clients coming and going) or has clients on a pretty set schedule with a mix of training and lessons at predictable times. If you have a lot of clients coming and going very independently, that might be more difficult to mesh comfortably with other programs at the barn.

[findeight]

Not a trainer but have a couple of trainer friends who wet lease stalls but not from a co op situation, from a regular barn. It frees their time up and allows a semblance of regular hours as well as not having to hire a farm sitter or extra help at home when they go to shows or…gasp…actually take a vacation,

Obviously there are compromises and a well thought out contract but, for them, it works well.

Many do lease the dry stalls but that does require more time, more heavy chores, extra help and maybe your own tractor. One reason trainers burn out, even the good ones. It is alot.

[OverandOnward]

IMO from long-ago experience – hate to over-dramatize, but it’s kind of like marriage in that the glue that holds it together is shared values. Whatever are the shared tasks, if the group is like-minded on the details of priorities, it is much less likely to have conflict, and much more likely to have cooperation.

A basic agreement on standards of care is critical. A misalignment here is likely to lead to collapse of the system. Or someone doing way more than their share to cover the shortfalls of others, with resentment and complaints.

It isn’t what people say, it is what they do.

[CobJockey]

I’ve run a successful co-op since 2021 on a 20 acre 7 stall facility with an indoor and outdoor and no paid staff. Everyone cleans just their own stall(s) every day, and at five boarders, everyone has 2-3 shifts per week of feeding and turnout/bring in for all of the horses. We cover for each other when others are sick or on vacation, which includes paying another person to do their stalls so that that feels like an expected transaction and not a favor. We also have a monthly meeting where we discuss what’s working/what’s not working, and twice a year we do a heavy chores “barn cleanup day.”

It has worked astoundingly well, which I attribute to:

• Empowering them to treat it like it’s theirs and be a part of the decision making even though I always have final say
• Choosing the right boarders - everyone I have is grateful just to be at a facility like this at the price they get it for, and no one is entitled. They also HAVE TO live within 20 minutes of the barn or else the workload isn’t sustainable.
• Automatic waterers. Seriously. If all else fails and someone forgets a shift (which has never happened!) they might be hungry but they won’t die. It also reduces the workload quite a bit.

Two thumbs up, but as others have said, it really takes the right people. Most importantly - it feels, and has proven to be, sustainable. No one person gets burnt out, including me as the owner, and no one feels tied down to the horses.

[findeight]

For most, living within 20 mins of the barn is a no go though. And this is still a new barn, as time goes on, the original boarder group will change. Even with best intentions, time marches on, life gets in the way and the ideal boarder population will be forced to change so enjoy this perfect boarder group while it lasts.

That is an often ignored reality of keeping a barn running, things change as can people.

[islgrl]

This is exactly how my co-op runs. I am the “manager” but we are basically a democracy and make group decisions. We have 7 horses so everyone feeds two feed shifts a week and one lunch shift…

[trubandloki]

@islgrl

I am the “manager” but we are basically a democracy and make group decisions.

I would assume the person who actually owns the place, or is responsible for the lease has the ability to override the democracy.

[CobJockey]

Yep, and I have turned down prospective boarders in the past for living too far away. We have run it successfully with as few as two people for an extended period of time, so I’m really not worried. It’s a special situation for sure.

[OverandOnward]

Very good points about change over time. While being selective about including boarders, in addition to mileage, it seems to be a good idea to choose people who are well settled in the area and unlikely to pull up stakes for a new job opportunity, or a new relationship – two things that can move people when otherwise they would not. Of course that won’t guarantee no movement, but it will lessen the chances of it.

Basically, a co-op boarding arrangement might be easier to put together and sustain in some locations than it will be in others. There needs to be a supply of interested people with horses who will work out well. Some areas have more than others; some it will be hard to find them.

For instance, a college town is more likely to have changes of people over time, if the co-op boarders tend to be younger adults on a budget. And that might be ok if it also produces an endless stream of newbies who are good candidates. Just an example.

[islgrl]

@trubandloki

I would assume the person who actually owns the place, or is responsible for the lease has the ability to override the democracy.

You could assume that ( ) but in reality we are in a very informal situation. We don’t have a formal lease, the owner, who for years hasn’t even been around doesn’t get involved. He just takes his money and lets us be. Which, of course is a recipe for disaster but the barn has operated this way for way longer than I have been there and I’m going on 14 years at this point…

[findeight]

Until one day you go out and there is a padlock on the gate…which actually happened to me. The mostly absentee owner slowly fell into age related issues and neglected some obligations and property was seized.

Fortunately I had a contract which simplified removing my horse and stuff. Might want to rethink not having a contract, things change in a heartbeat without warning.

And always have a plan B in mind if lightening strikes or a tornado, flood, fire, earthquake, divorce or somebody dies brings an abrupt halt to the operation.

[OverandOnward]

Good point. The “4 D’s” that most frequently jeopardize business partnerships can apply here as well.

Death
Divorce
Disagreement
Disability (frequently refers to a mental impairment, due to accident or age)

All 4 can end up with a judge deciding what property goes where. Instead of the owners of the business and the property.

Add to this, the property owner being sued by someone who ends up with a judgment giving them a claim on the owner’s assets.

At the beginning of any legal claim there is an assumption that everything on the property, is part of the property – including livestock. The padlock can go on quickly, with little or no notice, in an attempt to forestall people removing items that should stay.

Of course that also captures things on the property that don’t belong to the property owner. There is a process to getting those things acknowledged and released

A contract demonstrates who are the true owners of the horses (and whatever else the horse owners store out there). You can make it month-to-month, with 30 days notice for either side to terminate it.