When I met the BO 20 years ago she was leasing the equestrian facility at a camp for kids. It was across the road from my condo, which made it easy to get sucked into volunteering and helping with chores. She lived about 20 minutes away and I got a few 2-3 a.m. calls because a horse got out (usually the overenthusiastic Haflinger). Her great-grandfather bred Morgans and her mother was breeding Paints. She had plenty of knowledge and experience having grown up galloping around hayfields and jumping over stuff, plus learning from granddad. She helped me find my own horse in 2001.
She was lucky to get a 75-80 acre farm property for $110,000 in 1998. The plan was to build an indoor and attached barn and then relocate. She put her old place on the market and it quickly sold for cash. The lessor’s proposal for the year 2 contract was unreasonable so she cut back on boarders and moved. I helped her do the research for the new barn/arena: 80x200’ indoor plus the barn. The 24,000 sq.ft. building steel building was erected in 2001 for about $250,000 by the time you added everything in from water and electrical to 18 stalls and fencing. She had existing, successful lesson and therapy programs with a string of lesson horses. Despite her experience and business acumen her father had to cosign the mortgage. She paid it off in 15 years. That’s good, but rising property taxes and insurance have eaten up the difference. In a small town she is #3 on the “who pays the most taxes” list. She broke even with 14 stalls filled plus some pasture boarders which “make money” because their fixed expenses are lower. 3-5 employees include instructors and barn help, but she still relies on kids who barter chores for riding time or lessons. She has to come up with sources for 6,000 square bales and several hundred round bales no matter how good or bad the growing season is. Heated waterers cut back on winter chores. The tractor and gator both needed replacement this year. She is well-known for her horse-keeping knowledge and lesson programs. She has one of the largest facilities in the area but it is a lot of work keeping stalls filled, finding new riders and retaining barn help. It can be feast or famine.
I’ve laid all this out because I’ve been there for 20 years. There is an upper limit to boarding and lesson fees and margin is close to non-existent at times. She can’t charge much more than the competition no matter how nice her facility is. Controlling costs is crucial. Between the boarders and her own herd she cares for 40-55 horses plus the lesson programs. We don’t need the vet that often for signs of colic or injuries. However, It wouldn’t take much, maybe a weather disaster, to derail the whole operation.
People who don’t have the requisite level of expertise will open their own barn, figuring they will save a bundle of money not paying board, bring some boarders in, and make money. Wishful thinking. One boarder who she knew was building took 4 families with her when she left. They didn’t give any notice. It is still a marginal operation after about 10 years. It took several months to fill those empty stalls.
Most of us here know how difficult it is to run a horse operation. Horses can find the most ridiculous things to disrupt the tranquility. The land has been farmed since 1863 and stuff still rises to the surface from time to time. My gelding was in a 3-acre turnout. He managed roll over on a 3" piece of wire which stuck in his belly (no big deal). He got cast in the most commonly used round bale feeder while napping when he rolled over. Alphas need to guard their bales. Fortunately they found him and got him out quickly, sore but not injured.
It doesn’t make any difference whether you care for 3 horses at your house or 50 at a nice farm. Taking care of animals, particularly horses, has an element of unknown problems that you can’t predict, let alone control. The amount of time you have to contribute is way more than you anticipate. Taking a vacation? Occasional at best. If you really want to do this you will most likely fail if you don’t “apprentice” for a few years at a similar facility.
