Absolutely true.
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I agree with that!
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Iāve been in both full care/training board situations and closer to self-care setups. In the full care barn, I knew what my horse was eating, even though my trainer ultimately made the call on the feeding program. I think part of a healthy trainer/BM and client relationship is being able to have that dialogue. I could say to her, āIām seeing XYZ (or noticing it under saddle) - should we make an adjustment to his feed?ā She could then help me understand why it was or wasnāt done and I trusted her expertise.
Then I moved away for college and took my horse to a barn where boarders are expected to provide their own grain. This was a big adjustment for me, coming from the program above. The grain my trainer fed was not available to me in the area where I went to school, so I couldnāt just keep him on the same grain. At first, I had no clue what I was doing. The curse of a training program like I was used to is that I had no idea how to decipher a feed label, or which brands were good quality vs. junk. I had to learn as I went, and thankfully my horse was a relatively easy keeper and low-maintenance.
As wonderful as full-care can be, Iām glad I ended up in a boarding situation where I was required to take a more active role in day-to-day care. I learned how to use FeedXL and build a diet, which areas needed to be supplemented vs. what was SmartPakās shrewd marketing, and how to adjust for changing seasons/workload. Now I canāt imagine going back to a facility where I would have to hand over complete control of my horseās feeding program.
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Our barn feeds our hay at ~ 16lbs per day (the type of hay being fed is not negotiable - we feed orchard/timothy that we grow and bale ourselves, the hay is fed from a loftā¦ the amount can be increased for a reasonable fee), and barn grain which is delivered by the ton into a hopper and is a co-op knock off of a Nutrena maintenance feed. We will do other types of grain, but you provide the bin and the grain, and there is no board discount. We will not text an owner when their horse is out of the grain (or supplements, for that matter) - thatās up the the owner to manage.
If a boarder wants a mix of barn grain and their grain, if itās <3qts per feeding we ask that they ācutā the grain in their bin to simplify feeding. For example, I cut my grain with 1/3 barn grain and 2/3 my grain, right in the bin, so itās one 3qt scoop, dump and go.
If someone wanted a specific kind of hay fed, this isnāt the place for them. Theyāre free to come and feed it themselves, but we arenāt going to stock the loft with their stuff.
Of course, if the horse is losing condition we will get in contact with the owner.
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I have always had to board and over several horses and way too many years I have experienced many variations in feeding and HO/BO input.
The place where you provided your own grain was very backyard and so long ago that knowledge of feeding was pretty poor all the way around. Biggest problem there was other boarders āborrowingā grain.
Other than that, when I investigated a stable before moving in I always asked about the feeding practices. Grain was usually a choice of 2 or 3 from their source. I never asked about using a different brand as I always found a reasonable match. (Or I didnt go there!) The amount was discussed. I never had horses on huge amounts, but found some boarders really thought their horse needed an absurd amount. If they hadnt cleared this before moving in, there could be drama! Most of my BOs would do minor tweaks in amounts on their own (winter, owner not riding, horse ballooning!) and mention it to boarder later. My BO knows that I am more involved so we generally discuss beforehand. I have never had a barn change the grain without notification/discussion and I would be quite upset if it happened!
Supplements have always had to be convenient to be fed. At current barn, they will scoop from one supplement bucket. If you want to feed more supplements you need to baggie or smartpak. I like to baggie anyway so I know the amount fed, can make tweaks, and keep the big containers in my house.
Hay has been the biggest feeding issue in my boarding experience. I have learned to look at the hay being fed to the current horses both in terms of quality and quantity. Many barns dont feed an ideal amount of hay. (expense, storage etc) But if boarders are in charge, they may provide too much hay that becomes bedding and a stall-cleaning mess!
So I know the type of concentrate my horse gets and about how much. I provide the supplements to address nutritional holes. And I have a good relationship with my BO about feeding issues.
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I have boarded at several different places with different feeding philosophies. The worst was a place that had beautiful grassy paddocks they showed to prospective boarders but the horses were kept in weedy fields with poor quality hay from round bales stored outside. Inside, the horses were given an āarmfulā of hay, no measuring and this varied enormously in quantity. My horse developed a cough, and barn owner refused to even contemplate wetting the hay. My easy keeper lost a lot of weight during the 3 months I stayed.
The other difficult place was a private farm run by a well respected dressage rider. They fed a good feed when I first came but kept changing to cheaper types and ended up with straight oats. Boarders werenāt allowed in feed room, horses were fed before and after barn hours so I always learned about the changes well after they had been made. BO always was snarky when I told her I wasnāt happy with changes without consultation, her way with no input was the only option. Rumor had it there were big financial troubles.
Where I am now, the BO feeds excellent quality round bales with small hole nets outside in winter and excellent small squares inside. I provide feed and supplements bagged up so they can just be opened and dumped. I really like having this control and would have a hard time going back to a BO managed feeding programme.
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I have always known what my horses were eating because Iām the āinvolved, hands on boarderā.
In situations where barns offered X amount of grain twice per day and it wasnāt sufficient I was able to supplement and add my own grain that I purchased.
IME āfull care, show barnsā always had the least menu options but fed whatever they had to have good looking horses in their barns.
I did encounter a barn where the trainer figured if they starved one of my hot, sensitive horses they could cut some corners on training.
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Iāve boarded my whole life in multiple states and venues. Yep, Iām aware of what my horse is being fed.
Most barns offer a standard feed but many will happily feed your personal feed if packaged because it saves them money. Some barns want you to provide feed.
Iāve never boarded in a barn across 5 states and multiple venues that didnāt provide basic hay and feed to a horse. I have purchased additional alfalfa hay and had them feed it (no problem), I have purchased additional grass hay to a mainly alfalfa diet (no problem). Everyone is happy to feed āyour hayā to supplement your horse because thatās less hay they;d have to feed. I wouldnāt board at a place who thought this was a problem.
Similarly, Iāve often gone with the grain provided at the barn with no problem. I added alfalfa pellets at a barn, no problem. My recently passed barn required boarders to provide feed - no problem. My current barn accommodates different feed because there are regular horses in training. But when my horse was a skinny high-strung youngster, they accommodated my feed as well. Of note, the previous barn owner had something to say about the amount of grain my high-strung youngster was getting and my vet cut her down to say my horse needed calories. Period. He told her the plan that my horse would receive. Period. That ended my former BOās objection to him receiving grain. Iāll agree with those who say that BOs arenāt frequently horse care knowledgeable. You have to advocate for your own horse.
My current BOs are very open to people bringing their own feed. First, it saves them money. Want to supply your own hay? That saves them money. They are very accommodating to horseās needs. Itās a small barn with 4 owner horses, about 4 boarders, and about 4-8 training horses present at various lengths of time. I have barn-sat multiple times and it really isnāt a problem to feed custom food.
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The hay part depends on how the barn stores and feeds the hay. If you have a hay stall, sure itās not a problem to segregate different kinds of hay.
But when you feed out of a loft that is stocked using a tractor with a bale claw, and Middle-Aged Suzie is buying her hay in onesies and twosies and surely isnāt going to buck her stuff up into the loft, keeping her hay segregated but available becomes a lot more complicated. We have exactly 4 stalls that get fed off of a cart (not accessible from the loft), and those are in the breezeway to the hay barn so itās not a far walk.
Now, FWIW, Middle-Aged Suzie is also the one who told me that her horse was clearly starving because it was reaching under the dry lot fence trying to get to grass. Her horse is founderably obeseā¦ 
If someone was willing to buy a hundred bales where we could stock it in the loft regularly, it wouldnāt be a problem. But your average boarder is not going to do that, and with our set up it just doesnāt work.
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I just realized - I donāt have a clue.
I think itās a pretty garbage sweet feed, but my mare looks great and Iāve not been consistent enough in my riding to think that its a driver of bad behavior (hot TB mare, probably shouldnāt be on a sweet feed, but also should be ridden more than 3x a month 
). So Iāve just left it be.
Iāve been all over the board as Iāve gone through different facilities, and at this point, have just relished trusting someone else to manage my horse, and leaving someplace if thatās not happening.
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yep! I have always had control over what my horse was fed and enjoyed learning about equine nutrition and doing the spreadsheets to compare different feeds and supplements to see what fit my horse for the stage he was at.
Then I boarded at a small barn where the BO was a self-proclaimed expert in all things horse. After getting badgered DAILY on the brand of grain I was giving my horse at the time (cavalor sr) and supplements I finally acquiesced and said I would go on her feeding āprogram.ā This program consisted of poor quality bermuda, un-stabilized rice bran (I didnāt know it was unstablized until later) and a cheap sr feed. Her rationale was that since the cheap feed was made at the same mill as the more expensive stuff, it as essentially the same. I pointed out that I could make a hot dog or filet magnon in the same kitchen - doesnāt make it the same meal - which just resulted in her blowing up.
After my horseās topline and health declined on this diet - I bought all of the feed and supplements I had him on before and told her to return to the original program. She initially agreed, but then I found out that nothing was getting fed - she just let everything sit there as she continued with her āprogramā so I left. Wish I would have left sooner and listened to my gut.
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I have pretty much always known what my horse is being fed. But I am more āhands onā than a lot of people on full board.
The barns where Iāve boarded have all included hard feed, but not supplements, in the cost of board, unless the horse needed enough hard feed that it had to be split into more than 2 meals. Sometimes it was a limited selection, other times they offered a wide selection to start with, but would order whatever you wanted, within reason, if they could get it from the local Co-Ops. But I would not expect that level of service from a less expensive place.
Hay has varied by barn. Some give a choice between first and second cut timothy or mixed grass ā that is whatās widely available in the area. Others offer one or the other; I was in a barn full of easy keepers that only offered first cut. Alfalfa or dengie etc. the boarder must pay for (though alfalfa pellets or cubes are included as āhard feedā, see above.) In two cases, the barns offered second cut only until my mare developed hoof problems on it (ālaminitic changesā but not full blown laminitis.) The previous one, I bought first cut and got a slight reduction in board until there was another horse needing first cut, so it was worth the BOās time to add it to her order.
The current barn gave me āabove and beyondā service. When my farrier pointed out the problem, I let the BO know immediately that either the second cut needed to be soaked, or my mare needed first cut. I only had to buy one bale before the BO had some first cut delivered. Andā¦ guess what. First cut is less expensive, and I smiled inside as the number of easy-keeping horses switched to first cut grew from just one, my mare, to five! And soaking hay is a PITA especially in the winter, though the barn added soaking second cut hay as an option sometime last year.
A bit off topic, but a friend used to board at a barn which positioned itself as high-end and providing top service. Boarders were NOT permitted in the feed room, and had to trust that horses were really receiving what was promised. However, my friendsā mare started having gastric issues and losing weight, so one day she decided to sneak in the feed room, just to discoverā¦ Bags upon bags of stale, old bread and pastries, sweet and savoury! So, instead of the promised grains, the horses where being fed white bread, chocolate pastries, even sausage rolls and gods know what else!
Turned out, the BO had ran into financial problems and, instead of buying grain for horses, had struck a deal with their local grocery chain to get all of their expired bread productsā¦
I personally would not board my horses at a place where feeding is kept secret from owners or where you cannot influence it at least partially!
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OH MY GOD!!! Thatās horrifying!
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@Sleipnir wow!!! that is incredibly shocking. What happened to the barn? Law suit? shut down whenever everyone moved their horse?
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As far as I know, there were no lawsuits, but the barn lost most of its boarders and then changed owners. Last I heard of them, they were carefully trying to crawl back into the market, but without much success.
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Oooh, good question. I personally find it empowering to be involved enough in your horseās care to know what theyāre being fed, and how much.
Iāve had my horses on full care and have also done co-op, and while I didnāt love most of the co-op responsibilities (turnout and mucking stalls in the winter before work), I remember LOVING being in charge of my geldingās feed and tweaking his diet. He was a really hard keeper and it was so very satisfying when I found something that kept weight on him. He was at one barn where there wasnāt the option to make changes to diet, and had he not thrived as he (thankfully) did, it would have been an issue.
Iām moving my mare this weekend and am back to buying my own grain as itās a āyou supply, we feedā facility ā¦ and Iām excited to have a hand in that again. When we moved in to the place weāre now leaving, I was told what she would be fed, but because the feed room is always kept locked, itās been easy to forget.
I started to answer & then realized that Iāve never boarded one of my own. Only leased horses where the arrangements where made through a trainer affiliated with the barn, which does somewhat change the equation. My two cents:
Iām probably better versed in equine nutrition than the average Suzie Q Owner; started as a 14yo working student a huge riding school 30 years ago, had my own horses at home, kept a few retiree boarders, and managed a few small barns for others. Iāve also raised other livestock on a large scale & know a thing or two about soil science, pasture management & haying. (Probably more about hay than anyone cares to know 
) Iāve kept toothless seniors & horses with complex dietary needs alive & thriving, often without a lot of veterinary input. Most recently, I was the token white-knuckled AA boarding with two different UL eventers, and worked part time for a couple nice dressage barns. I learned a lot from all & made certain tweaks to my own feeding programs as a result.
Barn where daughterās horse is boarded is one of two the trainer works out of but does not own. It is by far the most guarded about the feeding program Iāve encountered. Feed room is always locked, you must use their feed & their program. Supplements either Smart Paks or bagged individually & labeled with name, date, & am/pm. That gets to be a real PITA for things that are not Smart Pak-able, like Heiro & allergy meds. (And itās hard to even know if they found the bagged supplements & are actually feeding them.) Boarders are not to touch hay, which I totally understand & am fine with. Hay is good quality & fed in quantities that if anything, is ample to the point of the horse wasting some.
My two biggest issues are 1) why is it such a forking mystery how much & what the horse is eating? Previous horse got just a handful of concentrates. If we arrived close to feeding, he could safely enjoy his dinner prior to working. I had some idea from the lease idea that this new horse gets quite a bit more. So when they fed earlier than usual one day & it coincided with our arrival, I had to rush in to inspect the contents of the feed tub. Definitely enough feed that we needed to wait a while before riding. Thing is, I know to look. Most of trainerās other families donāt 2) (Keeping this vague in case someone we know happens upon this post) A situation arose where BO felt that horse was doing X as a result of too much Y & removed the supplement without consulting me. Issue was that X could also be caused by other factors that could indicate a serious, emergent medical condition. I donāt care how right you the BO think you are. That kind of situation warrants a discussion with the horseās owner. At the very least to CYA.
I approve of the overall standard of care & absolutely adore the guy that does the barn work; heās in tune with the horses & catches emergent issues quickly. And, yes, that in & of itself is a big deal & can be hard to find in a boarding barn. It works fine for our situation with a horse on a show lease that is incumbent on staying with the trainer at that particular place. For one of my own? No, it would not be suitable.
My biggest
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Yeah my thing about people on here saying the BO is the one whoās out with your horse every day, is that when the BO is NOT the trainer, they truly arenāt out with your horse every day. Iād trust the daily workers who are there 6-7 days a week over the BO making the decisions. However my horse is on pasture board so really no one is with her more often than me, her owner, so I should be the ONLY one making any decisions about her care.
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True, itās not always the BO thatās physically there. Sometimes itās a manager or staff. But if these people donāt have the power to make decisions/changes themselves, they should be communicating what they see to whomever does. If they donāt do that, or they are categorically ignored, or whatever else, then you have a more global communication issue, not just a feed issue. Now if they are in a pasture board situation such that they are turned out on pasture/round bales and no one is really ever looking at them but you, then sure, youāre kind of in charge of it all. But I know from your other posts (and the fact that daily grain feeding is even a thing youāre asking about 
) that your form of pasture board involves someone physically feeding your horse daily. I donāt say this to discount what you see or know about your horse ā rather just to make sure you donāt discount any little things they may notice.
In any case, as others have said, this is a topic where answers will run the whole spectrum, so you really are best to ask the barn before moving in. Most of the time, boarding involves compromises and prioritizing. If you know your horse is pretty strict on their dietary needs, youāre going to have to put that first when barn shopping. But if they are pretty straightforward to keep, maybe you can deal with a brand or type of grain you donāt love in order to get the footing or turnout schedule you want. The flipside is true for barn owners too, in deciding what they can and canāt accommodate before taking on new horses.
It just can get a little tricky if needs change after the horse has been in the barn awhile. Weight loss, laminitis scares, etc. Then both parties, again, need to decide if there is a way to compromise to a solution, or move on.
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