Full board prices in Westchester area

[ascany]

While this is a topic that has been discussed on COTH regularly, there doesn’t appear to be a recent thread that takes into account major things like inflation caused by the pandemic.

For example, a barn in the area increased their full board to $4200 since the pandemic. Now we all know that Westchester, specifically Bedford/ North Salem, is notorious for ridiculous board prices but doesn’t that seems excessive for even there? To give you a better idea of the breakdown…$1400 DRY stall (stall alone excludes shavings & hay) $275 (supplies) etc. etc.

Curious if anyone else is experiencing this same increase? Barns can be so secretive about their full board prices but why not provide transparency on this forum so there is a fair - as fair can be - playing field.

[Mander]

I haven’t paid close attention to board prices in my area recently, but I have to imagine that if that’s what they’re charging, then there are people who are willing and able to pay it.

Alternatively, people won’t be willing to pay it, and they’ll have to lower their prices as boarders leave and their barn slowly empties.

[Alterrain]

IIRC, that 4200 is OSF, which has run for at least the last few years as a horse show venue foremost and a “boutique” barn secondly. Meaning, they don’t care if the barn is empty or full, they want that specific tenant only. They make their money off the shows anyway.

[atr]

Presumably that’s full care board and full training? in which case, it’s eyewatering and way out of my league, but probably sustainable.

Decent barns with good facilities and care way our here in the Wild West are charging $1K and upwards a month now for board (and with the price of everything, aren’t making bank out of that,) so a Big Name Barn within striking distance of NYC, I’m not overly surprised.

[Spudsmyguy]

Up here in the PNW we’re starting to see more barns charging north of $1,000 a month, that’s without training. I had been considering a move back to the northeast but I don’t think I’d be able to afford horses there.

[Tha_Ridge]

Come out west to New Jersey! Nicer people and way more affordable—I live in NYC and have three horses for what I would’ve paid for one in Westchester.

[BAC]

@atr

Presumably that’s full care board and full training?

If $4,200 includes board and full training, that’s not at all unusual for that area and it wouldn’t surprise me if at some places, for example Heritage, it might be for board alone.

[joiedevie99]

@BAC

If $4,200 includes board and full training, that’s not at all unusual for that area and it wouldn’t surprise me if at some places, for example Heritage, it might be for board alone.

You can’t get just board around here anymore - unless you are talking about a backyard set-up. Every place is board + full training just to make ends meet.

Yes, $4k is the norm around here right now. There were a number of places in the $3600 range before the pandemic, but I believe many have gone up.

[RW06]

I board in Westchester. It’s dizzying. But the price of everything is insane. Bedding prices, feed prices, especially labor costs- those have all increased with the pandemic and pushing board up. Good grooms, maintenance folks, assistant trainers- not immune to the labor shortage happening at large and with a high quality of service to deliver against expectations in this area, barns have to pay top dollar to keep their people.

Feel free to PM- I did a lot of research on pricing mid-pandemic when I was moving back here. More than I care to remember, probably!

[endlessclimb]

@ascany

Barns can be so secretive about their full board prices but why not provide transparency on this forum so there is a fair - as fair can be - playing field.

They don’t have to be transparent. It’s none of your business what the markup on stuff is. You don’t like the price, move.

Would you say the same to a jewelry store? “Hey I need to see your price breakdown on this diamond ring here…”

It’s a business.

[BAC]

@joiedevie99

You can’t get just board around here anymore

You’re right, straight board doesn’t exist in Westchester, I should have realized that.

[Rel6]

In 2012 at least, board was $1,100 and full training was $2,350 - so their training board was $3450 ten years ago. I assume you had to do both, but they were billed as separate line items. It wouldn’t shock me if it’s at least $1000 more now. (Heritage invoices were released publicly a few years back in connection with a lawsuit - this definitely isn’t from firsthand knowledge ).

[BAC]

Yes I saw those Heritage invoices at the time of the lawsuit. And most of the Heritage clients have multiple horses too!

[Rel6]

Yes! I think at the time there was some discussion about whether you were required to have multiple horses.

To be over $4,200 this year for Heritage would be less than a 3% increase per year, which doesn’t seem completely absurd. A local, lower end barn where horses live out 24/7 6 months of the year (no full care offered, so much lower bedding/hay/staffing costs) has been raising its prices by about that a year. That seems more absurd!

[BAC]

I suspect board alone at Heritage is at least $4,000 or more. If you are familiar with this area of the country those prices are not so surprising, at least for a barn like Heritage. I’m sure you need more than one horse too, or at least the ability to lease multiple animals. I think that old expression, if you have to ask the cost, then Heritage is too much for you. Although I do think Andre occasionally takes on the poor but talented working student, just like Judy Richter did for him when he was a junior.

[Rel6]

Yes - very familiar! And never needed to know the prices to know I couldn’t afford it. Luckily I migrated upstate where more land = more affordability.

I think in general barns are finding ways to cope with the increasing prices - whether that’s increasing board, switching shavings types, buying more in bulk (round bales vs square where you can get away with it, etc). Plus, horse prices have risen too so at least the profit on a sale is likely somewhat in scale to the increased costs with developing that horse.

[Alterrain]

I remember reading somewhere they broke it down like that bc state law required they charge sales tax on the board but not on the training. (not bc you can board and self-care )

[Tha_Ridge]

@Alterrain

I remember reading somewhere they broke it down like that bc state law required they charge sales tax on the board but not on the training. (not bc you can board and self-care )

Correct.

[meupatdoes]

15 years ago I moved to NJ because board prices in Westchester were $3500 per horse no matter where you went.

I used to work with/for a trainer at Old Salem and the facility with two indoors, a grand prix field, an outdoor hunter ring, and outdoor jumper ring, several additional schooling rings, full show-quality courses set whereever you looked, enough paddocks for individual daily turnout, and miles of trails accessible without crossing a single road were worth every penny that thankfully I did not have to pay because I worked there.

How rare is it to be schooling at home in the indoor and casually have room for five strides off the short stride to an eight stride line and five more strides to get your change before casually loping around the short side for half an hour and every jump has nine flower boxes, a wall, wishing well standards and a florist shop of potted plants on it?

I believe it’s also all inclusive with every hair on your horse polished daily and top notch training and instruction. The level of professionalism, expertise, standard of horse care, standard of facility maintenance … I mean, they charge for it but you get an absolutely unmatched level of quality that is significantly more than 3x as nice as your standard $1500 a month place with one small indoor and average care/level of expertise.

Essentially, it’s paradise.

[Rel6]

“Standard of horse care” is not a one size fits all phrase though. Many of the places charging those prices have many, many practices that most would not consider a great standard of horse care. I do not believe paying upwards of $3,000 guarantees you any better quality of horse care than someone paying less at a smaller, less fancy facility. There are a lot of smaller barns that can provide incredible horse care and a lot of bigger barns that do some incredibly sketchy things.

I’m also surprised you couldn’t find anything for under $3,500. Heritage was right at that fifteen years ago and they are typically one of the priciest. I generally kept leased horses at barns around the $1800 a month mark, and that was as recently as ten years ago.