Cost of Horses

[OverandOnward]

I know a BM who has billed in that fashion for many years, since long, long before the current economic issues.

I wouldn’t call it “partial board” myself, because the HO is paying for standard full board & care. The method of calculation is what is different.

The BM I knew charged a flat amount to everyone, that basically paid for the stall, all available facilities, labor cost, and her profit. What some people might call a ‘dry stall’ rate, but including the labor.

Then she added an amount to each board bill for what the horse in question actually ate in hay, feed, etc. eat-ables provided by the barn. She was very good at calculating this. And each owner was allowed a say in exactly what her/his horse was eating, as long as the barn could buy it at the regular feed supplier.

In the case of this BM, bags of feed were ear-marked to each horse. Brownie’s feed, Pookie’s feed, etc. If a HO moved out of the barn, they took their own leftover feed with them. They had about 18 boarded horses and had developed an efficient system over the years.

She said that she did this for fairness. She had such a range of horse sizes, appetites and feed needs, she didn’t feel right about having pony-owner paying part of large-draft-cross-owner’s feed bill.

I’ve actually recommended this method to my own board BO (only has a few boarded horses) in the last couple of years, as costs and financial viability have become a struggle. But so far that particular BO has a hard time sorting out how much should go for just the facility, how much for expendables, and how much for profit. She’s never broken out her costs that way before.

[Simkie]

@NoSuchPerson

I have been finding a lot of places have gone to something they call partial board, in which they still do all the work, but you buy your own feed, shavings, and hay.

God, that would suck. From a boarder perspective: no ability to bulk buy because of limited storage space. From a barn owner perspective: people always running out or “borrowing” from others. That sounds like the worst of everything. Even from a supplier perspective: that barn that used to bulk buy hay by the ton is now individual owners calling you for a few bales at a time

[candyappy]

@NoSuchPerson

The last time we had a board increase, the BO sent us all an email showing how much prices had increased for the various feeds, fertilizer and herbicides for the pastures, fuel for tractors, and such. It was pretty stark seeing it all laid out together like that. So much so that I asked if she was sure she was raising the price of board enough.

When I last boarded ( left in late 1991) I was there 13 years. Board wasn’t terribly expensive because I could afford 2 horses but our rates did go up because even way back then prices on stuff changed. My BO always sent a reason and cost breakdown as to why rates were going up.

Just makes it easier to take when you see it in black and white. What isn’t going up the last few years?
$100 is pretty steep.

[Texarkana]

@Simkie

@NoSuchPerson

I have been finding a lot of places have gone to something they call partial board, in which they still do all the work, but you buy your own feed, shavings, and hay.

God, that would suck. From a boarder perspective: no ability to bulk buy because of limited storage space. From a barn owner perspective: people always running out or “borrowing” from others. That sounds like the worst of everything. Even from a supplier perspective: that barn that used to bulk buy hay by the ton is now individual owners calling you for a few bales at a time

I did it from 2017-2018 before we found a place to rent. I guess I’ve technically done it several times over the years, but the situations weren’t as clearly defined.

The good: I got to control exactly what my horses received. My stalls were bedded how I wanted. My hay nets in the stalls were stuffed full; no shortchanging hay in the stall. I even pre-bagged my feed/supplements so the BO just had to dump them in their feed pans, so there was never a question if they were getting fed the right amount.

The bad: With someone else doling out my supplies, it often felt like I burned through more hay and shavings than I should. Since my horses were turned out with other horses in the field, hay in the field was an issue with multiple types and owners wanting varying amounts. There were only a few other boarders at the place, so storage wasn’t a problem, but I felt like it would have been if the place were full with multiple boarders.

My experience was mostly positive, but definitely had the potential for disaster if circumstances were different.

I think where the puck may be headed for boarding is self-care facilities designed specifically for self-care. These already exist, but I think we will likely see a transition to more of them as the middle market (aka not training board) gets priced out of operating full care facilities.

[NaturallyHappy]

We use small square bales. We are seeing bales that are smaller than pre pandemic…because of equipment farmers are buying to mechanize baling because they can’t find help.

[Jarpur]

We feed small squares, too. Our old, sadly departed hay producer delivered 65#, wire bound bales. He scoffed at what he called “shortie” bales from places that tied with string (claimed the string balers couldn’t handle more than about 44# consistently).

After he passed, our new hay guy (where we picked it up out of the field) also baled 62-65# bales with wire; at 50% more than we’d gotten it delivered, but good hay, and a nice guy who would store bales on our trailer under cover when we couldn’t come pick it up out of the field ourselves at the necessary time. Due to diesel and steel price increases, it worked out to around 35 to 45% more than when earlier producer had delivered comparable bales. Bought from him for several years, but he’s a dryland farmer, and hasn’t had any horse quality hay during these last couple of years of severe drought. Pandemic didn’t help, either, of course.

It’s getting more difficult to find small bales. We’ve been buying string-tied ones (I’d estimate no more than 50# for the heaviest) from a third-generation feed store that runs their own livestock (why they opened a feed store). Also nice people with good quality hay, but smaller bales at twice the price of our last producer, since we’re paying retail. Don’t know that there’s a fourth generation ready to take over someday, and the property could undoubtedly be sold for a whole lot of money.

I really try not to remember hay prices during the first decade of the 21st century, when it was as low as 20 (out of the field) to 25% (feed store) to 30% (delivered and stacked in the barn) of what we’re paying now.

[luvmyhackney]

BO is probably tired of coordinating everything, like hay delivery, shavings, and feed. Plus farrier and vet, it can wear on you if tracking for many horses. It takes more time than it should just for my 3 horses and yes, costs have increased in the past 3 years. Hay and shavings are substantially more. I really try not to add it all together even though I track it.

[ParadoxFarm]

Hay in my area in the last maybe 8 to 10 years has gone up 250%!! I just did the calculation…and it makes me cringe. I know my pay hasn’t gone up 250%.

[outerbanks77]

@NoSuchPerson

my BO added a hay surcharge, with the hope that it will be temporary and we will have a good hay year in 2024.

This is what they do at the place I moved my retired guy to this winter. When she buys hay for the year, she lets everyone know what the annual surcharge will be, and boarders have the option of paying it in a lump or adding it to the board each month.

Yes, prices keep going up. I sold my second riding horse in December and it’s a bit of a financial relief, but not as much as I expected it to be, although they’ve managed to keep board increases to a minimum at my main barn. The increasing interest rates were the only thing that kept it from being sold off for development, so we’re just grateful to still have an affordable place with good care and low drama.

[Alterration]

I have temporarily closed my barn to outside boarders due to needing to do some facility upgrades that are just easier with fewer horses, but I’m considering not reopening.

When I bought this place in 2021, I had to raise the board from $325 to $575. The former owner was only able to stay afloat at $325 by doing a number of what I would call barely adequate practices (including feeding 2 flakes of terrible grass hay, twice a day, making no repairs to things like mechanical equipment, paying staff sub-adequately, stalls were literally black with wetness, roof leaked etc.) I wanted the best care for my horses, which included 24/7 hay, quality feed, a dragged arena, maintained footing etc. so I raised the board to meet those needs. We lost some people but that was to be expected.

Then hay prices went up a third, feed prices went up by $5/bag, property taxes went up hugely, fuel went up by $2/gallon, and labor costs increased to keep good help. I cut back on the number of horses so that I could do more of the work despite a full time job. Ran the numbers and discovered I was still subsidizing boarders significantly. Cut back on boarders further, and found a place where at least I wasn’t losing money (I was not profiting either).

Keep in mind, you can only run at a loss for so many years before the IRS has a fit.

I don’t have an indoor yet (still fighting with the county over whether we can eventually or not). My facility looks shabby but safe. We’re upgrading things as we can put oursevles in more debt to do so.

To actually run at a profit I’d have to charge over $800-1000/mo. To profit enough to make a living with the amount of work required I’d have to charge $1200/mo per horse.

Currently a lot of the other barns in the area are charging less (and running the same way my old barn was). I have seen 5 close in the last two years.

When I was running the facility actively I was on 24/7. My advice was constantly sought from veterinary care to training to emotional support. I loved it - I love helping people and horses, but to do it unpaid is a pretty high expectation. I still get calls asking for help and advice from former boarders. Boarders want educated, experienced, horsemen but they aren’t necessarily willing to pay for it.

One of the people who left because we cost too much just had a foal die because she didn’t vaccinate it for tetanus. Another’s horse has lost significant condition and they are now paying way more than it cost at my place to feed and keep this horse. Oops.

The industry is overdue for an adjustment. Our whole economy is overdue for an adjustment. I fear for the average “middle-class” horse. I fear for our special needs and retired horses. I know it hurts individual horse owners - heck, I just had to price compare on supplements for my hard keeping cribbing old retiree with chronic conditions and I keep looking at whether it’s time - he’s still ok, but in the back of my mind, financial considerations exist and I hate that it’s a factor.

Anyway - it’s hard for everyone - I do feel badly for horse owners because so much of it seems like a surprise to you. We’ve been doing a good job in the industry of hiding the reality because so many people find the barn their sanctuary - but I think we’ve done it a disservice.

[Scribbler]

So I do self board. Over the past 5 years my feed costs have gone up over $100 per horse for super easy keepers. In the past decade beet pulp and alfalfa cubes have almost doubled in cost and flax spiked in 2020 from $35 to $100 for a 50 lb bag. Hay has gone from $500 something a ton to $750 to $850. If your barn is only raising prices by $100 they are not exactly gouging you

[fivestrideline]

@Alterration

To profit enough to make a living with the amount of work required I’d have to charge $1200/mo per horse.

I think someone recently crunched these numbers and came up with the same - if a “normal” stall board barn is charging less than $1000 they’re probably paying out of pocket to keep your horse.

@Alterration

Boarders want educated, experienced, horsemen but they aren’t necessarily willing to pay for it.

Off topic but didn’t we just have a lovely thread about exactly this?

[Alterration]

@fivestrideline

Off topic but didn’t we just have a lovely thread about exactly this?

Hmmmm - it rings a bell

I’m not sure how we are going to change things, most in my area have gone to a mandatory lesson model, which makes sense. That’s where some profit is but that is also how a barn owner can help to ensure that the horses are getting a basic level of care, training, and work. Even very good owners sans trainer at times have periods of time when their horses are not adequately worked - and that can make those horses hazardous to handle. I’m not sure if other models are sustainable until we all change.

Look at the suicides in the industry - it’s happening in “regular” farming as well. The rates of substance abuse, depression, all of those things are shockingly high in people who work in ag.

What we do is tough work. Large animals are really really tough on humans and equines especially so. And then they are also tough on facilities - daily my horses dismantle something - gates, fences, buckets…they are harder on the facility than my teenage boys were on my house and that is saying something.

I’m still happy to have them here - I’m a control freak and I love being able to prioritize things the way I want to - but it is expensive and an around the clock endeavor.

[lenapesadie]

I saw the writing on the wall back in 2019/2020 that finding acceptable board was either going to be impossible or prohibitively expensive in the near future. For us it made sense to have a wee farmette.

I have two easy keepers that live outside bar truly bad weather and I have relatively good pasture year round. And hay is still killer expensive. Shavings are absurdly high. I can’t hire horse help at any price bar farm sitters. I can’t imagine trying to price out board to cover consumables much less to cover the cost of facility.

[candyappy]

@NaturallyHappy

We use small square bales. We are seeing bales that are smaller than pre pandemic…because of equipment farmers are buying to mechanize baling because they can’t find help.

It might just be that they want to charge the same for less product. You can regulate the size of your squares when putting up hay. I like them smaller ( easier lifting) but my guys make them really heavy…

[NaturallyHappy]

They use a bale baron or something w a fancy name to pick them up and put them in pods which are then tied up. It does limit the size.

[Jarpur]

Yes, when we pick up hay at the feed store, it comes in 21 bale bundles that are strapped together and loaded as one onto our flatbed trailer.

[candyappy]

@Scribbler

and flax spiked in 2020 from $35 to $100 for a 50 lb bag.

It should have come down by now? I stopped feeding it when it went up in price. It has been maybe 2 years now but I just bought a bag from my feed dealer and it was at $31 a 50 pound bag.

So many things we feed are not a necessity but just things we think they need. I cut out the flax and my guys were exactly the same

So many ways we can cut costs with feed/ supplements.

[candyappy]

@NaturallyHappy

They use a bale baron or something w a fancy name to pick them up and put them in pods which are then tied up. It does limit the size.

That is how my BO had them delivered and they were 3 wire bales about 100+ pounds. I am sure it is more about the bales being uniform in size?

[Scribbler]

@candyappy

@Scribbler

and flax spiked in 2020 from $35 to $100 for a 50 lb bag.

It should have come down by now? I stopped feeding it when it went up in price. It has been maybe 2 years now but I just bought a bag from my feed dealer and it was at $31 a 50 pound bag.

So many things we feed are not a necessity but just things we think they need. I cut out the flax and my guys were exactly the same

So many ways we can cut costs with feed/ supplements.

You’d think. But no. This is Canada

I’ve kept on my main horse on flax because the bag lasts a long time and I feel like it’s very slightly helpful. But it’s absolutely not necessary