Boarding barn owners- what do you provide to your field boarders? What do you charge?
Field boarders- what do is provided to your horse from the barn owner? What do you pay?
Just polling COTH. I have a small boarding farm. I only have full care stall board. We have unfenced acreage. I’m wondering if fencing to be used for field boarders would be a good use of it, or if I should fence for additional paddocks (rotation) for my current group.
We charge $415 for field board. Small herd sizes, grain if needed 2x a day, run-in shed and 24/7 hay as needed. We have a ring and are in a state park with miles of trails. Worming is included and I schedule for vet & farrier.
I have a stipulation that the horse has to be able to thrive on field board and that it is not strictly a “financial” consideration.
I field board my 3yo warmblood and my step-mother’s 14yo TB. I pay $200 for mine being that I provide my own feed and my step-mother pays $250. My guy is a VERY easy keeper - gets along with everyone, is fat on air, easy to catch, not spooky. The TB is hard to keep, gets along with most but gets attached, hard to catch, typical red TB. Along with with @MoonWitch said, my guy definitely thrives living outside, but the TB needs more attention and our BO has been really great about accommodating his needs, feeding him lunch, etc so in that situation he takes up more time than any of the other horses and probably doesn’t make much the $$$ end of it.
Board includes run-in sheds, 24/7 access to round bales, decent sized fields with small herds (usually 2-3 at most), stall and use of barn, indoor/outdoor/round pen/trails, outdoor wash rack, feed 2x-3x daily, heated water tubs in winter. BO and her family live on the property and are usually always around if we need anything.
We schedule our own farrier/vet/chiro appointments and obviously have to be there to bring in and hold the horses during the appointments. We also do our own blanket changes in the winter.
We charge $300 for field board. Large field, lots of tree cover for shade, 14 horses max (most are older retirees).
Field board includes feed and 24/7 hay (round bales), administering meds and giving supplements, and blanketing in the winter.
Horses are brought in 2x day for feed (everyone gets at least a handful). Most go into standing stalls, so everyone gets at least looked at twice a day.
There is no discount for buying and supplying your own feed. Obviously, owners pay for supplements and meds, and schedule their own vet/farrier.
Farm has a large sand ring, small grass ring, and 1 acre grass x-country ring. No ride out, but free trailer parking, and close proximity to Manassas Battlefield and Bull Run State Park (as well as some others).
The ONLY thing I would change is a run in shed. I’d like one large one in the field boarder’s field… but it’s not really necessary due to the tree cover. They have plenty of shade, and the ability to spread out, which is really nice.
I also have a small boarding barn. I charge $50 less per month than my full (stall) board price for field board. The only difference in service is the stall, bedding and mucking (which I do).
Boarders are fed hay & grain 2 or 3 times daily (depending on weight issues), pastures have excellent grass and large run in sheds. Blanketing and scheduling of routine vet and farrier visits are included; some boarders prefer to use other providers which they are welcome to do. I have a well maintained arena, trails adjacent to the property, wash rack, large secure tack room, trailer parking, and I live on site.
Except for two long-term boarders who are now retired, my field boarders want and use the care and facilities I offer and just prefer that their horses live out.
I don’t offer self care and I REALLY don’t take people who just want a field and a water tank and no care for no money.
You’d have to do the math to see if it’s financially sensible to fence and build sheds just for field boarders. I had the structures in place and the room, so it works very well for me.
I board at a large eventing barn - we have an indoor, 2 outdoors, one w lights, xc courses through intermediate, miles of state park trails, and FEI level jumping and dressage clinicians on a regular basis.
My 2 are field boarded - think it’s 450/mo. We are also 45 mins from DC. Field board includes a 70 acre field with terrific grass and a spring fed stream, a run in shed and lots of natural shelter, round bales in the winter. Farrier and vet holding services if you use barn providers. We have a lighted shed with wash stall and storage and covered tack up area, and can use the barn as well, stalls if needed for layup.
No feed, no blanket changes.
we have nearly 20 horses out there so in practice we can team up if meds or blanket changes are needed.
350/month - acre pasture with 2-4 horses, shelter. We feed grain and hay twice a day and hold for farrier and vet. We have two outdoors and a xc course.
I have recently paid:
$150 for field board. No shelter except trees, round bale, indoor and outdoor arena, no grain–I had to go feed my horse or pay someone to, high tensile fence and autowater. Probably around 15 horses of all ages and sexes turned out on 20+ acres together. 15 miles out of city. English barn with jumps available. Indoor footing froze in the winter. I would have gladly paid more for more hay provided and better footing.
$277. 1/2 acre private turnout with shed, auto waterer, small square alfalfa grass mix (very nice hay), grain and supplements fed 1x a day if you provide them. small indoor and huge outdoor. 45 miles out of city. Western barn, deeper footing, excellent care.
None of the field board options will do fly spray, boots, sheets, provide grain, supplements, etc.
For comparison, stall board ranges from $350-$575 (heated indoor, but limited turnout–that barn doesn’t do field board at all).
Field board prices will vary greatly depending on your location and amenities at your farm. I keep my horse in SC and pay around $400 for field board. This includes everything except a stall, which is $625. There is a covered arena, outdoor arena, show jumping field, xc field, some trails, barns with wash stall, etc. He gets fed grain 2x a day and some horses get grain 3x, and the fields have some grass but are supplemented with hay tossed 2x daily. Luckily this BM will do pretty much anything without charging extra so his fly sheet, mask, spray, etc. are all included in whatever board you’re paying for.
When we boarded we offered field board. The bottom end was a fenced paddock with a water supply. We looked at the horse daily and called the owner if we saw a problem. Price included grass half the year and hay the rest. ANY other service provided was charged separately.
Next step up was all that plus supplemental feed.
Next step up was full care. That meant what it said.
Adjusted for inflation, the base care would be $200/mo. Next step up would add $150-$200/mo. depending on circumstances.
Full care would run $600/mo.
We had a covered arena, open arena, and several miles of trails on 177 acres.
At those prices board is basically break even, except for the lowest end. That’s actually profitable as there is almost no labor involved. Once you have to do something or pay somebody to do something profit margins shrink quickly.
The economics of boarding really sucks for barn owner.
G.
I only offer field board. $250, includes access to a run-in, automatic waterers, daily feeding, and hay in winter. We have large pastures and small groups in each pasture. We look at the horses at least once a day and keep the owner informed. I will only accept easy keepers. My farm is quiet, well maintained, has a large all weather outdoor ring, a round pen and is close to trails. I have a locked tack room and allow for trailers to be parked there.
I won’t take special needs horses, don’t offer daily fly spraying, and don’t offer blanketing.I do not allow the owner to feed whatever is wanted. We feed all the horses in the field on poles, so unless your horse is alpha and holds his bucket, then feeding special feed or supplements means pulling the horse from the field. That type of services adds significantly to the labor and I won’t take it on.
Labor is a key driver in a boarding operation. The more extras you offer, the more work is involved. You either do it yourself or need to pay someone else to do it. The simpler you can keep your care the cheaper it is to operate. I am not suggesting shortcuts on quality or value, but I have run into boarders who want to make field board into an approximation of stall board.
I think this is the real question - it is hard to compare prices because they vary so much by location. I can’t imagine letting anyone keep a horse on my property for only $200/month. Not only would it not be worth the fencing cost but it wouldn’t be worth my time or the insurance. But, if full care would go for $300, maybe $200 is not outrageous. Neither would be reasonable in my area.
I live in one the Last Cheap Places In America. That’s good news and bad news. The good news is that stuff is cheap relative to other areas. The bad news is that wage and compensation levels are low relative to other areas. Our climate is really pretty benign and that helps a lot with costs. In colder places (New England, upper Mid West, etc.) there are costs associated with dealing with cold. In hotter places (desert South West, Texas, Florida, etc) there are costs associated with dealing with heat.
I suspect there’s a reason that KY is the heart of the TB industry!!! 
G.
I have a horse on rough board in WI. I pay $250/month and she gets pasture (enough to need a muzzle), round bales and heated water in winter, a shed and treeline for shelter, and access to the facilities (indoor, outdoor, trails, tack locker). All else, I provide.
I think you know that finding affordable quality field board in our area is difficult! Despite how rural it is and the numerous farms around, they are not aimed at the adult pleasure rider unless you travel 30-60min away.
I’ve been in situations ranging from a co-op type board (taking turns feeding/cleaning stalls) and full care field. I have no problem providing my grain and expect to supply supplements for field board - I have seen it done both ways and not always justly in cost (ie a place not providing the grain charges more than those that do). I would prefer 2x feedings myself so horses are handled/looked at more, but 1xday included would do.
Blanketing - well that is just a personal thing. I only want mine done in the worst of weather, so it would be nice to be included on the few times that occurs in VA lol…but, if someone wants changing weights depending on the day I would say charge away. Fly spray/mask (as long as the horse isn’t a houdini that you have to hunt it down several times a day) - again, would be a great inclusion here, owner providing the supply or paying towards a barn supplied spray. Shelter of some type, even good tree shade should be expected and provided. I also feel the hay should be included in costs, however I have experienced prices needing to fluctuate due to hay availability in particularly bad times in MI years back.
I personally have refused to go into a field board situation where I can’t have some say in the feed (like I have an easy keeper who only needs an RB vs 2lbs of some random thing everyone gets) and provide supplements, but that barn has a lot of good amenities for riding - it is my choice on what I’m looking for in other care… Some people will work with you on those things, some not.
I have field boarded in the past at 2 places. Both provided pasture, hay and water and shelter. I prefer to grain myself so I liked that they didn’t do that.
It has been so long I can’t remember the prices, but it was affordable at the time.
This is all far too much work for the money. My full care board starts at $550 and increases with added services. I would have to charge at least $400 or more for field board to make it worth the effort. There doesn’t seem to be much less work in field board than full care. I don’t have a stall to clean, but I have to bring a horse in and out or move it to feed it. Or catch it to blanket it.
I’m not one to just have a field full of horses. And I will not allow self care or co-op type boarding on my farm. Too many liability issues.
Decision is to either expand the barn (more full care boarders) and fence the unused land or fence the unused land for the horses currently on the farm. More paddock rotation.
Thanks everyone!
Surprised at some of the costs. My full care is $500, field board is $250. I provide pasture or hay, grain 2x daily and a run in. Only feed hay in winter. Anything above this I’d probably have to charge for.
Again, “it depends.”
If you go the “low end” route where you provide NO services but just a field with fence and water then you can actually do reasonably well because your costs will be very low. As soon as you start adding labor for anything your profit margin shrinks rapidly.
G.
You’d be better off finding out what local barns charge and offer for outdoor board vs asking people who are located all over the continent.
When I lived in Alberta I paid $400 for outdoor board. I got a locker and access to the heated indoor and the outdoor sand ring. Horse got roundbales unless there was lots of grass, run in shed, automatic waterer, salt block in the run in. The barn did not grain or blanket, I had to do that myself.
The trainer organized the farrier, etc. for anyone who couldn’t come hold their horse themselves. We paid the trainer (not the barn) $10 each time they had to do so.
In Ontario outdoor board is nowhere near as common, especially at show barns. Those that do offer it seem to range from $250 if there’s no indoor arena, up to $500 if they have an arena and offer grain and blanketing services.
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