My "easy keeper" is looking underweight... feeding help! UPDATE # 127

[sascha]

@luvmyhackney

I have a 26 stall barn that will house my 2-4 horses cause people won’t/can’t pay what it would cost me to provide board

I’m currently at a barn that offers full and DIY board. For DIY, turnout/in is included + filling buckets because the hose is getting dragged out for the full board horses anyhow. DIY boarders provide everything else. It is a win-win-win for BOs, boarders, and boarded horses. BOs get a decent buck for basically dry stalls and don’t have owners screwing up turnout, boarders get to feed what and how much they want and bed the way they want, and boarded horses get to see their owners every day.

If you have the sort of folks in your area that would be reliable and not leave Dobbin’s stall dirty, etc., might be worth thinking about.

[lenapesadie]

Agreed

[lenapesadie]

But in reality that’s not what happens. In reality boarding barns provide x service for y cost. X service may or may not include the nutrition your horse needs.

I contend that the burden of responsibility to the horse lies with the horse owner. Far beyond the responsibility that is with the BO.

Unless you have a contract stating otherwise whatever the BO’s standard feeding protocol is what the horse eats.

[trubandloki]

@sascha

’m currently at a barn that offers full and DIY board. For DIY, turnout/in is included + filling buckets because the hose is getting dragged out for the full board horses anyhow. DIY boarders provide everything else. It is a win-win-win for BOs, boarders, and boarded horses. BOs get a decent buck for basically dry stalls and don’t have owners screwing up turnout, boarders get to feed what and how much they want and bed the way they want, and boarded horses get to see their owners every day.

If you have the sort of folks in your area that would be reliable and not leave Dobbin’s stall dirty, etc., might be worth thinking about.

All the places near me that used to do this stopped doing it. Too much hassle because of the people who don’t clean their stall daily and forget to buy more hay/grain do Dobbin runs out all the time.

[lenapesadie]

There are very limited self care options here. The only one I know of is a paddock board situation. BO provides water and round bales of hay.

I can’t imagine the hassle of having a self care boarding operation in my backyard. Hard pass.

[lenapesadie]

Actually I lied. I know of a second facility that rents several 2-4 acre pastures. In that facility, bo only does water

[Simkie]

@sportyspicepony

I wish it were as simple as “I’m paying you to feed my horse what it needs” but there’s just no such thing as a boarding barn that’s going to have everything you need.

So, so, so true. And it’s awesome that you have such a solid understanding of the compromises necessary when choosing boarding barns! I’ve know many others who have had horses for far longer to still struggle with it.

Boarding is just such a series of compromises. Mine are home now, but in twenty years of boarding prior to being able to do that, I was at ONE barn that fed as much hay as I’d like. They even purchased mix hay specifically for my horses. They were great! But there were a lot of other things I gave up there, too.

It sounds like you have a really good handle on everything here. I hope you see improvement soon!

[SharonA1]

@sportyspicepony

Dear god I hope not!!! Her belly size has gone down over time I think, I’m not super well-versed in pregnant mares but I feel like I would’ve noticed it by now?? Hopefully??? OMG I’m not gonna sleep tonight now.

Well, try not to worry. My horse also looks ready to foal, and he’s a gelding.

[sascha]

@lenapesadie

There are very limited self care options here. The only one I know of is a paddock board situation. BO provides water and round bales of hay.

I can’t imagine the hassle of having a self care boarding operation in my backyard. Hard pass.

I get that - but my current BOs seem happy to be mucking only a dozen or so of mostly their own stalls and a handful of full board horses than when they had 40+ horses on full board. It’s not zero hassle, but, it seems they have a really good group of DIYs. I am super happy and very relieved to have found such a place.

[quietann]

@sportyspicepony

And this of course doesn’t apply to anyone who’s willing to pay like $1000-1400 a month for board, in which case you can probably just have it all

Not where I am … I am at a really good barn on the upper end of that range, but definitely don’t have it all. They feed hay generously but not free choice, and have the choice of first or second cut, timothy/grass mix. But… not enough for the mare to have hay overnight, and she’d blimp out anyway. Turnout is good – but I’d like her out for more than 6-7 hours. That is a staffing issue; my previous barn had a lot of problems, but they did hire someone to come in the late afternoons, turn horses in, feed them dinner, and sometimes this person would just hang out until 9 p.m. to do night check.

[candyappy]

@sportyspicepony

I wish it were as simple as “I’m paying you to feed my horse what it needs” but there’s just no such thing as a boarding barn that’s going to have everything you need.

That is where I differ from todays boarders. When I boarded I paid for my horse to get the hay they needed for their size/ build. Not free choice but they got all they could eat. Some got less, some more (obviously).

I paid for the stall to be cleaned daily and the shavings were added as needed.

I paid for my horse to have drinkable water at all times.

That is how it was done way back then and it worked at the large urban barn I was at for 13 years.

If you grained your horse it was up to you to buy it and either feed it yourself or have a fellow boarder/ friend / family member or your trainer ( we had a few) feed if you were unable. Most all adult boarders had full time jobs and nobody seemed to have a problem doing this.

Same went for blanketing, meds and turnout since we did not have pastures horses were stalled 24/7 .

BO ( who lived on sight) scheduled shoeing, vet clinics and was there to get horses out for those at no charge to the owner. He also did stall checks and was great at foaling time for many of us who had a mare foaling there.

Boarders today want the barn to do it all and that is going to come at a hefty price. It seems that price-- for a lot of barns-- is not only inflated boarding prices but a barn who can’t even provide adequate hay which is the most important thing.

[trubandloki]

@candyappy

If you grained your horse it was up to you to buy it and either feed it yourself or have a fellow boarder/ friend / family member or your trainer ( we had a few) feed if you were unable. Most all adult boarders had full time jobs and nobody seemed to have a problem doing this.

This is very much a regional thing.
I have been around the block for lots of years (I am old in other words) and in the part of the world that I live in, owner providing grain has not ever been the typical boarding situation.
I learned about it being a thing here on COTH and from what I learned here it is a common thing in some places, not heard of in others.

[candyappy]

@trubandloki

This is very much a regional thing.
I have been around the block for lots of years (I am old in other words) and in the part of the world that I live in, owner providing grain has not ever been the typical boarding situation.
I learned about it being a thing here on COTH and from what I learned here it is a common thing in some places, not heard of in others.

I agree this was almost 30 years ago and back then it was the typical full boarding situation my urban CA area. My point was it keeps prices down and the BO can focus on providing the hay needed and not worry about the bagged feed. Just my preference as per my experience. I know others don’t agree but It doesn’t bother me.

[lenapesadie]

@trubandloki

This is very much a regional thing

Here it’s also varies between types of barns. Every colt starter / tune up cowboy offers clients the choice to supply own feed or expects them to do so. Now this seems very logical since these horses are moving in and out on shorter time frames. Trainer run barns tend to be the most likely to have a no outside grain allowed rule. Again just what I see in my little area. It’s so interesting to see the different regional horse cultures

[mmeqcenter]

Yes, what board includes is very regionally dependent.

When I boarded in Ohio, “Full board” included maybe two flakes of hay AM and PM, but dear lord many BO would happily give 20 pounds of grain per feeding if you asked. Absolutely clueless about equine nutrition, and it made absolutely zero sense to me financially, in fact it made negative sense, considering hay was $3-4 per bale (50-lb 2-string bales) at the time. Why??? It was completely normal to bring your own hay and/or grain for extra if desired. Every single time I paid extra for extra instead of bringing it myself, my horses never actually got it.
Now, in the Ocala FL area and having my own farm, I see several barns offering free-choice hay, including myself, even though a 50-lb 2-string bale is $16+. Of course, Full Board prices definitely reflect the high cost of hay. I’ve received several air ferns who are obese on one flake AM and PM, so many of my boarders opt for “Partial Board” where they provide their own hay and grain. Which, to the regional-differences-point, is something that NO ONE offered in Ohio when I was there, though it seems to be gaining a bit of a foothold now.

[quietann]

In my area, a lot of people pay for full board because they are too busy earning money to keep the horse to go to the barn twice a day. Certainly that’s my case… 40 minute drive to the barn from home; back when I was commuting it would have been 90+ minutes in mostly bumper-to-bumper traffic from Boston to the barn in the late afternoon. I don’t think I’m lazy but maybe some of you do.

I sometimes envy the people who can do partial care or self-care, but that requires flexibility that most full time jobs just don’t allow.

[trubandloki]

@quietann

I don’t think I’m lazy but maybe some of you do.

Anyone who calls that lazy is not able to think outside their own box very well.

[lenapesadie]

@quietann

I sometimes envy the people who can do partial care or self-care, but that requires flexibility that most full time jobs just don’t allow.

Yup yup! Finding a barn that you (general) can trust to provide good care without you (general) having to be there on the daily can be hard, even when shopping for full care board!

[J-Lu]

Holy cow!!! I live in central NC and I can get alfalfa full bales for $18-20 and compressed bales for $18ish. In previous years, I’d purchase them and ask my BO to feed a flake a day along with their hay (local hay). They are all for feeding exogenous hay that reduces what they feed. Can you look for compressed or non-compressed bales at larger feed stores? BTW, my BOs will feed hay to the horse’s needs.

This year, I omitted the alfalfa to get him to a body score my vet and I want. I’d say he’s now at that score. He’s out 24/7 in his personal 1+ acre pasture that is very well taken care of (with excellent run-in with lights, temp-controlled fan for summer). This works best for my horse and I pay a fraction of what is suggested here.

Please, look around at feed stores and Southern States and similar large stores for alfalfa hay options that are a WHOLE lot cheaper than what you list. Alfalfa/timothee is $12-15/bale in my area (from stores and a private supplier who gets her hay from Saratoga, NY) and is EXCELLENT. You may have to travel with a truck to pick up a bunch.

[J-Lu]

This has never been my experience at a boarding barn, and I have boarded my whole life. In several states.

Typically, the barn pays for standard feed and hay. This includes the barn’s grain unless the owner wants something different and provides it.

I have always stood for my own farrier except for one barn. Staff or BOs blanketed horses in acliment weather. Obviously, boarders couldn’t be there to take off or blanket a horse. I don’t think I ever paid extra for this. But I’ve been pretty non-fussy. I schedule and hold for my vet. I want to talk to him or her.

Meds are absolutely staff or BO, and they could provide on schedule in a boarding situation. It is built into the services I’m paying for.

I think your thinking is barn -specific and not regional because I’ve had horses from the east coast to the west coast and many places in-between.