This is thread is a great reason why horses should be livestock, not companion animals, and why horsekeeping/training should be considered an agricultural operation.
Most boarding stables are privately owned /on private property or rented by a private individual - they are not âopen to the publicâ, and barns/stables arenât typically zoned âcommercialâ but agriculture so that would probably also have some effect on any ADA compliance. Now where I am in Mont. Co, there are several riding stables owned by the MD Parks and Planning which are open to the public and most likely have to meet some sort of ADA compliance, one was running therapeutic program but iâm trying to remember if any of the restrooms were ADA compliant and I donât think so ?
Some golf courses are private but still have to be ADA compliant. I would imagine country clubs have to as well. I think it is a slippery slope with a boarding barn.
[QUOTE=EAH;7973633]
What do you consider the difference between a âcommercialâ boarding barn and a âprivateâ barn that advertises for boarders to the general public?[/QUOTE]
Private barn is one where all horses are privately owned. No lesson horses. Public cant walk in and have a lesson. A commercial barn has lesson horses and the public can arrange lessons.
As far as crutches etc - people do fall off their own horse and may sprain an ankle, break a leg etc. Iâve been on crutches in the barn where I board. No big deal.
[QUOTE=Lady Eboshi;7971600]
A boarding stable to my knowledge is not usually considered a public place of business, required to be up to the same codes as a movie theater or a restaurant might have to be with mandated numbers of âhandicapped parkingâ spaces, wheelchair ramps, etc.[/QUOTE]
This. I believe you should review what makes an establishment eligible (such as it is) for ADA so that you can market your boarding facility appropriately that it needs not be ADA compliant.
Yes, ADA compliance is expensive. I used to board my horse at a barn where the ownerâs mother was a quad in a power wheelchair (and could motor from the house to the barn). But, the facility itself was still not ADA compliant.
I believe if it is a âprivateâ barn, you should be okay but if you are concerned get confirmation.
[QUOTE=pezk;8718177]
Private barn is one where all horses are privately owned. No lesson horses. Public cant walk in and have a lesson. A commercial barn has lesson horses and the public can arrange lessons.
As far as crutches etc - people do fall off their own horse and may sprain an ankle, break a leg etc. Iâve been on crutches in the barn where I board. No big deal.[/QUOTE]
Is it legal to refuse to board a horse if owner is disabled and would need ADA accommodations?
[QUOTE=pezk;8718177]
Private barn is one where all horses are privately owned. No lesson horses. Public cant walk in and have a lesson. A commercial barn has lesson horses and the public can arrange lessons.
As far as crutches etc - people do fall off their own horse and may sprain an ankle, break a leg etc. Iâve been on crutches in the barn where I board. No big deal.[/QUOTE]
Is it legal to refuse to board a horse if owner is disabled and would need ADA accommodations?
[QUOTE=EAH;8718204]
Is it legal to refuse to board a horse if owner is disabled and would need ADA accommodations?[/QUOTE]
Maybe you would have to spell out disabled, whatâs disabled? Iâm not being snarky just wondering if thereâs a line.
[QUOTE=pezk;8718177]
Private barn is one where all horses are privately owned. No lesson horses. Public cant walk in and have a lesson. A commercial barn has lesson horses and the public can arrange lessons.
As far as crutches etc - people do fall off their own horse and may sprain an ankle, break a leg etc. Iâve been on crutches in the barn where I board. No big deal.[/QUOTE]
Is it legal to refuse to board a horse if owner is disabled and would need ADA accommodations?
[QUOTE=EAH;8718204]
Is it legal to refuse to board a horse if owner is disabled and would need ADA accommodations?[/QUOTE]
Why do you care? If itâs your barn or you feel youâre being discriminated against, call the Justice Department and ask.
[QUOTE=MDMom;8718287]
Why do you care? If itâs your barn or you feel youâre being discriminated against, call the Justice Department and ask.
https://www.ada.gov/taprog.htm[/QUOTE]
What kind of response is that? Having a bad day???
[QUOTE=EAH;8718286]
Is it legal to refuse to board a horse if owner is disabled and would need ADA accommodations?[/QUOTE]
Iâll ask again - whatâs the definition of disabled that you are using?
The barn I ride at in Massachusetts is strictly private, just boarders and leasers, no lesson program or school horses. The barn expanded a couple of years ago, adding new stalls, an indoor and real bathrooms (weâd been using a Port A Potty). The new build had to be ADA compliant. It wasnât that big a deal, since the barn is on very flat property and already had wide doors and no stairs or stepsâŠthe compliance issue mostly affected the design of the bathrooms.
[QUOTE=pezk;8718296]
Iâll ask again - whatâs the definition of disabled that you are using?[/QUOTE]
Disabled as defined in the ADA laws.
[QUOTE=Canaqua;8718307]
The barn I ride at in Massachusetts is strictly private, just boarders and leasers, no lesson program or school horses. The barn expanded a couple of years ago, adding new stalls, an indoor and real bathrooms (weâd been using a Port A Potty). The new build had to be ADA compliant. It wasnât that big a deal, since the barn is on very flat property and already had wide doors and no stairs or stepsâŠthe compliance issue mostly affected the design of the bathrooms.[/QUOTE]
So it looks like a âprivate barnâ is not exempt. Interesting.
I think another factor is that a public building that remodels usually will have to upgrade accessibility. When my vetâs office expanded (this was in the 1990âs) they already had an accessible bathroom, but had to add a nice concrete wide ramp with handrails. Since it was an historic style, thick walled stucco building it added extra to the costs, but it made it easier for client access too for everyone.
The county I am in defines âcommercialâ stable as related to zoning designation by the number of accommodations for and hence horses planned to be on the property (20+) . All sorts of additional requirements kick in when you jump into that threshold. If you are building on commercially zoned property at a commercial scale you probably certainly would be required to provide barrier free access to those locations a disabled patron would access.
Interesting list of issues that could come up and will likely vary depending on building jurisdiction. EAH, why donât you contact your local building-zoning department and find out the actual answers to these questions.
[QUOTE=EAH;8718341]
So it looks like a âprivate barnâ is not exempt. Interesting.[/QUOTE]
Maybe it depends on the amt of remodeling being done. The barn Iâm at now added some stalls a few yrs ago,and didnât remodel the bathrooms or anyplace. Maybe a wheelchair might be able to access that doorway but it would be a tight fit.
5 yrs ago I boarded at a barn with a TR program and in order to access the bathroom which was old and in a old lounge you would have to go down in he center aisle of the barn and then into the lounge. They did have kids in wheelchairs etc. I donât remember anything different in the facilities. Maybe it depends on the town and how much they want to enforce any rule that might apply.
But Canaqua didnât answer your question about boarding a horse of a disabled owner.
[QUOTE=EAH;8718341]
So it looks like a âprivate barnâ is not exempt. Interesting.[/QUOTE]
I think it has more to do with it being a âcommercialâ operation. If I wanted to put a barn in my back yard and keep my own horse there, I wouldnât have to be compliant, I think that boarding for profit is enough to tip the scale.
Interestingly, authorities required this barn (only 20 stalls, not huge) to put in separate bathrooms for men and women, labelled accordingly. Even though men are as rare as henâs teeth in an H/J barn in New England. Bascially, the farrier has his own private bathroom ;). Not that most of the ladies and girls donât use the âmensâ room when the âwomensâ room is occupied.
I used to live near a therapeutic riding center that had no rest room â accessible or otherwise â available to its riders and volunteers. Only a port-a-potty. I used to wonder how in the world they managed to get any clients, let alone stay in business.
I have no idea if they ever installed a rest room, or if they are even still in business. But they stayed open more than a year, at least. May still be there.
But how did they ever get accredited/licensed/whatever?
