Questioning a board price increase - yes, I understand inflation

[poltroon]

I think first of all that the barn owner is going to be fielding a lot of questions about the increase. They probably already feel uncomfortable about it. My mom would say “It can’t hurt to ask” but she’d be wrong. It CAN hurt to ask.

The truth is they have the right to increase it as they see fit, or even to stop boarding altogether.

What other vendor and providers do you work with who are raising prices? Are you asking them to justify those to you? What is it about a boarding arrangement makes someone more likely to ask these question versus say why the cost of whole wheat flour went up more than the cost of bread flour by percentage at the supermarket?

If the situation is that you cannot pay it, that is a little different, and then you have to have a conversation. If the situation is that you will not pay it, and will move because of it, then also a conversation is in order.

But if you’re just feeling that it’s unfair because the percentage is different (especially if it’s a relatively small flat rate increase to all prices), I think it’s best just to chill. For whatever reason, humans like round dollar increments so if everyone’s board is going up say $50 that’s not super unusual.

FWIW I’m paying 20% more for hay for my animals at home and that’s not counting the cost of the gas to pick it up. Wages are also rising. You don’t want your barn owner to add up their hours and realize they could make more money renting out a room and stalls as an AirBnB and working at In-N-Out Burger instead of taking care of your horse.

A place that is comfortable and safe that takes good care of your horse is a jewel. Pasture board isn’t as much of a cost saver as you may be thinking, especially when the full cost picture is calculated including the cost of the land and how else it might be used, not to mention the extra labor to maintain that area.

[MorganMaresVT]

What kind of response would be satisfactory in addressing your concerns?

[Snow_Mass]

Only 16%?
In less than one year due to wildland fire, drought, diesel, and wages, - those are the top four of a longer list - our hay cost increased 51%.

[islgrl]

Recently our farrier’s office sent an email saying the cost of each visit was going to have a surcharge of $55. Per horse not per barn. No matter what was being done. We live in a unique geographical area, which makes it hard to get people to provide services to us. There were a few people who pitched a nutty and complained, and a few left. For those that only get a trim it was literally over a 100% increase, I pay more so it was not as high a percentage. I said nothing. It is 1) their right to charge what they want 2) they do a fantastic job and my horse’s welfare is important to me. I don’t think the barn owner owes you an explanation. It is their business, they can charge what they want. You have to decide if you want to pay it. If I were a barnowner and I was asked to “explain myself” it would totally annoy me.

[Smiles]

Op, everything price wise is going through the roof. The grain price at my barn just doubled. Can you imagine what hay prices will be this summer with the price of gas? Unfortunately, know matter if you’re pasture board or have a stall price for feed, gas, insurance, property tax, and help have doubled in price.

The question you have to ask yourself is can you find a place that is as close with the same care for less? If you can consider moving. If not then stay put.

[Scribbler]

@Snow_Mass

Only 16%?
In less than one year due to wildland fire, drought, diesel, and wages, - those are the top four of a longer list - our hay cost increased 51%.

This. If your board only went up 16 percent this year you are very lucky. I find folks who do full board are way out of touch with the component costs. I do self board and my costs on feed have definitely gone up much more than that this year. My hay has gone up about 20 per cent in two years and I expect to pay significantly more for my next load.

Land assessment and property taxes are definitely rising almost everywhere.

Just gas to do things on the farm has gone up 50 per cent in the last 2 weeks. Expect worldwide grain shortages in 2022, after flax doubled in price in 2021. Some people in North America cannot source decent hay at all.

[trubandloki]

@MorganMaresVT

What kind of response would be satisfactory in addressing your concerns?

I think this is a brilliant question.
OP, what answer is the barn owner going to give you that will make you happy? Is there one?

[2bayboys]

What if the answer is “because I can?”

I don’t do boarding but I teach lessons at my farm. My lesson fees cover my costs plus a small salary to me. My farm is paid for and my infrastructure is in place. I looked at other lesson barns in my area and discovered my rates are lower despite providing an equivalent product. So what is stopping me from raising my rates for no other reason than everybody else is charging more? Is that “fair”? Of course it is.

[Amy3996]

There’s nothing wrong with that answer. Not sure why your reply was directed at me.

[Impractical_Horsewoman]

How “cheap” is your pasture board relative to stall board? Like a few others have said, pasture board is less and less common than it used to be in many areas, including my own. My guess is that the barn owner might have felt she was undercharging you for pasture board before (given property tax rates and other expenses) and decided to include a hike in pasture board along with a more general rate hike.

The cold, hard truth is you don’t have much pull in this situation. It would be one thing if the barn owner was just renting out a field. However, if she’s doing the work and paying the upkeep for full board with 6 stalls (cleaning, maintaining, shavings, hay for the full-time boarders), from her perspective, your (7th, I presume lower) monthly board is kind of the “gravy”–i.e., renting you use of the pasture isn’t saving her much work. (I’m assuming if she had an 8th stall, she’d just rent that out at full board, rather than take in someone on pasture board.) The person who pays the least at any barn usually has the least influence in any decisions, full stop.

There’s no harm in quietly looking around to see what else was available and get an idea if she’s charging you a fair price given what you’re getting. Bear in mind, if someone else is charging suspiciously low rates, though, there might be issues with the quality of the feed/upkeep/mental health of the barn owner.

[wanderlust]

I can’t imagine you are talking about much more than a $50-$75 increase, and frankly you should be happy to pay it and have a safe and reliable place to keep your horse given the massive increases in the costs of EVERYTHING. I would not in any way die on a hill about about the $25 you seem to think she is screwing you out of that stall boarders should be paying instead. There are literally zero ways you can approach having the BO “acknowledge the disparity” without coming off as petty.

[trubandloki]

@fatappy

So why is my board going up 16% versus someone who is boarding in the barn whose board only went up 8%?

Someone mentioned this already, but I am shocked that you are getting field board for half the price of stall board. That seems like a crazy good deal.

[2bayboys]

Woops! Unintentional, sorry. It was supposed to be directed to the topic at large.

[Jersey_Fresh]

We do all self-care, but even then our grass seed costs alone have gone up 150%. Then tack on fertilizer, graze on, fence boards, diesel, etc. We dont even board as our sole source of income-I cant even imagine a person running a full-care boarding operation…

I also feel like pasture boarders do more wear and tear on our land than stalled boarders.

[candyappy]

@fatappy

If I challenge this, there is no question I will be asked to leave. So do I say anything? At this point, I am considering selling my horse just to be out of the industry.

You can’t go to the BO/ BM and simply ask why your board increase was double what everyone else was? Any BO/ BM should willingly show you( have proof) why the increase is needed?

If questioning anything is immediate termination that would have me upset as well.

[islgrl]

@candyappy

You can’t go to the BO/ BM and simply ask why your board increase was double what everyone else was? Any BO/ BM should willingly show you( have proof) why the increase is needed?

If questioning anything is immediate termination that would have me upset as well.

Wait, I’m confused. Was the increase (for example) $25/month for stall boarders and $50/month for pasture board or was it a difference in the percentage of total paid? (I still stand by my answer that the barn owner can do whatever they want but now I’m curious which it was…)

[candyappy]

@islgrl

Wait, I’m confused. Was the increase (for example) $25/month for stall boarders and $50/month for pasture board or was it a difference in the percentage of total paid? (I still stand by my answer that the barn owner can do whatever they want but now I’m curious which it was…)

OP said her increase was 16% and barn users was 8%. Isn’t that double??

ETA: I am more than a little shocked how so many just accept increases without question? Even when I agree that an increase is warranted I have no qualms about asking the reason. My BO was always happy to tell me. Must have been an unusual relationship.

[Horsegirl_s_Mom]

@candyappy

OP said her increase was 16% and barn users was 8%. Isn’t that double??

No, because their base rates weren’t the same. Thus, it could have been a $50 increase for everyone, but this would be proportionally more for field boarders. I too am curious about the math if OP is willing to provide more detail

[lenapesadie]

I dunno.

It read to me like X$ increase was applied to everyone and that OPs field board was half the price of the stall board resulting in OP’s increase being a higher percentage increase.

I disagree that any BO should have to show proof as to why a board rate increase is warranted. That’s pretty silly imo. BO decided to raise rates, that’s the only reason they need.

[2bayboys]

That’s how I took it. If stall board is $650, an 8% increase is $52 more.

If field board is $325, a 16% increase is also $52.