Looking to get some feedback on what barn owners charge for ‘additionals’ at boarding facilities? Particularly in the Mid-Atlantic, but I welcome all feedback.
Items like:
medication administration
soaking and wrapping for abcesses
cold hose and bandage injuries
24/7 stall rest
longeing
other ideas?
My main barn only has full board, so everything is included. However, I pay separately at my retirement barn. Blanket changes are $2.50, holding horse for vet/farrier or cleaning a small cut is $5.
IME the smaller barns don’t charge separately for blanketing, administering meds in the feed, etc. Too much to keep track of and too often the BO wants to decide and not worry about whether the owner will pay extra charges. Medical care is usually not included beyond emergencies. The horse owner usually does it themselves or with another boarder or makes some private arrangement with the BO/BM. I have seen extra charges listed for stall rest at barns that usually have 12 or 24 hr turnout and it was 10 - 20% more.
I have seen the “menu” of additional charges from some of the big show barns but dont recall the amounts. At least one has a mandatory extra $100 fee that you could apply to those fees. I suspect your best bet is to check out the websites or facebook pages of those kinds of stables in your area to see if you can find theirs to compare.
I’ve seen a per hour charge for things like soaking, wrapping, wound care with a minimum time (if it takes less time you still pay the minimum). And the boarder provides any supplies needed.
Are you asking for your own business?
Or to compare for your region?
As @MsM said, larger barns generally include a schedule of charges in the boarding contract.
Generally a smaller operation may charge for blanketing. But that would mean putting on & taking off, once. Not multiple changes at HO’s whim.
Feeding supplements might require owner prepack to lessen workload for feeders.
Vet or shoer visits need to be scheduled when the owner can be available to hold their animal(s).
Especially for the vet, unless for routine vax when the whole barn is scheduled with same vet.
For injury, emergency, why would owner not be available?
Note: most boarding contracts include agreement to have Mgmt contact vet for emergencies.
If barn workers are available for routine services I’d expect a small charge - ~$10/horse.
Longeing falls under Training, IMO, same charge as for a Training Ride.
Medical treatment - administering meds, bandage care or more should be HO’s responsibility.
When I worked FT & had a horse that needed 2X daily bandaging, I paid a barnworker to do the AM, then drove 1h each way to do the PM, 7/D/W.
Paid cash weekly directly to worker.
”‹”‹”‹”‹”‹”‹”‹Meds were packaged to be fed with grain ration - no add’l charge from BO.
Though I choose to do all these things myself, it is all included as full board where I am currently boarding.
I have a small, basic “no frills” boarding farm, so I charge extra for these things.
For medical emergencies, I will hold the horse up to one hour free of charge. This should be long enough for the horse owner to get to the farm to take of their horse themselves. If I have to hold the horse for longer, I charge. My rates are $15/half hour, $25/hour. These are the same rates I charge for bathing, grooming, lunging, holding for other services (farrier, etc.), and rehab services (wrapping, hand-walking, etc.) $15 minimum. Something that takes five seconds, like swiping on an ointment (provided by HO) or something during feeding time, I don’t charge for.
Some of these things are included in the price of my retirement board.
My stall board includes AM and PM turnout. If a horse requires stall rest or restricted turnout for medical/health reasons for more than two weeks there is an additional fee. I haven’t had to deal with it yet but, honestly the fee would depend on the horse and if it’s a messy stall walker whose stall has to be stripped daily, or if it’s a clean stall type. I won’t stall half the day just because, not even for a fee.
I don’t charge for blanketing, however I will only blanket November to April and will only put one on or off at each feeding. I will not blanket more than that, not even for a fee. I will not do fly sheets in the summer. Fly masks I do put on/off stall boarders but I’m getting pretty sick of them TBH.
My policies are a mish-mash of what I did and didn’t like at barns when I boarded, as well as decisions based on things I just plain don’t feel like dealing with.
I hated not knowing what my bill would be at the end of the month when I boarded my horses. Now that I own the barn, I priced the board high enough to include most minor things like bandaging, turnout boots, blanketing, saddle pad laundry etc.
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