Questioning a board price increase - yes, I understand inflation

[findeight]

And you will miss these people because…?

Please, please, please promise us you will not serve as an unpaid consultant getting these people set up. You do realize they are going to argue, make excuses why they cant and ignore any advice? People like this will milk you dry if you don’t set boundaries. Often bad mouth you behind your back if they feel slighted.

Its admirable you have compassion for these horses but you cant save them all and these are not yours to save. Help willing owners, thats all you can do.

[NaturallyHappy]

And most likely blame you for what goes wrong. It’s SO hard when you care about the horses.

[CHT]

We have two barns near me that are making good money boarding. Both are high volume (100 or so horses), and low service (no stalls). The one has lots of lessons and an indoor arena, the other just has an outdoor, and no lesson horses. Both have formulated their business model to be very low on the day to day requirements of service to boarders.

But…they still struggle with people understanding that this means they have to be more responsible for their own horse. You can’t expect full service and low cost…something has to give somewhere.

And I think that is how it is going to split in my area - high service and high board, vs low service, and moderate board. The key is educating clients to understand their additional responsibilities when they go with the lower cost option…and that is the hard part…getting people to step up and take that responsibility.

[SusanO]

Wait till they find out that feed and hay doesn’t just magically appear when you are out. MAYBE the feed store delivers but maybe - horrors- you have to go get it, put it in the back/ trunk of your pristine car, and UNLOAD! And you have to have a place to put it. Fun times for us horse owners!

[kirbydog]

We call the energy vampires, they try to suck you dry

[173north]

@CHT

Both have formulated their business model to be very low on the day to day requirements of service to boarders.

But…they still struggle with people understanding that this means they have to be more responsible for their own horse. You can’t expect full service and low cost…something has to give somewhere.

My barn has sort of “choose your own adventure” tiered structure of care and I definitely see this issue cropping up, especially with new boarders. Board covers basic daily care. There’s a set list of a la carte services that you can add on if you want - extra hay feeding per day, med/supplement administration, blanket changes, holding for farrier. And if you want full care & training, you can pay a flat monthly fee to have everything handled for you.

I like being hands-on so to me it’s the best of both worlds - I save money by handling a couple aspects of care, and I get know my horses better in the process, but if I’m out of town or just don’t want to deal with something, I can pay for it, and the BOs are pretty flexible within reason. But of course, there’s always boarders who don’t want to pony up for full care and try to negotiate very specific and labor-intensive daily services that are not on the “menu.”

[OverandOnward]

@findeight

This is relevant to barn owners as long undeveloped tracts of rural land nearby with few services and not much to tax nearby suddenly mushroom into higher density communities requiring roads, utilities, police, regular fire (not volunteer) etc. No secret when developers buy that property and public hearings get the zoning changed, BOs should be aware whether they own or rent/lease and should be sure boarders do too.

Excellent point, very true.

When a rural area goes from wells and septic and limited electrical reach, to rural or city utilities being increasingly available, things are changing fast. And so is the value of the land.

Especially if the houses and city water, sewer, electric and services have advanced to just across the road. By that point it is possible that the city has some authority beyond the city limits and things can get complicated.

[OverandOnward]

My uncle just sold some inherited rural acreage that was way out in the country decades ago when he first had ownership.

Today the housing developments and city utilities are up to just the other side of the highway. City limits reaching farther all the time. Developers are everywhere, responding to a population push that way.

He’s been trying to sell the land for years, but wouldn’t come down to market price. Now the price has met his expectations. Just in the last 5 years his land has gone from the “problem” acreage that no one wanted to some of the most desirable in the county.

In that county taxes for ag land haven’t yet gone up much. It is a good time to escape. The city is already getting weird and authoritarian about their reach beyond the city limits (now just the other side of the highway from this land).

And now under the new owner that parcel of land is also going from cattle to single-family residential houses on large tracts. Not really sorry about that, the cattle are increasingly surrounded by residential areas and the rural feel is already going away.

I’ve got photos of the land and the cattle from 4 years ago that are quickly becoming historical artifacts of the way it used to be.

[OverandOnward]

@lenapesadie

My horses never bark. It’s fantastic.

After lo these many decades with horses, it crossed my mind just last week that one reason I like these large messy spooky animals is that they are quiet. lol

Mostly. I will say that when they do decide to vocalize to their friends over a distance, they can blow out an eardrum. Fortunately they don’t often do that.

[Angela_Freda]

@pn

They are going to fence their property and take the horses home, even though they realize and proclaim they know nothing. In the next breath, telling me they will need me to come and help them plan for the move and offer free advice when they need it. What is wrong with people???

My friend has a business consulting on just this kind of thing.
I’d guess you could charge a decent amount for the decades of knowledge you have.

[pn]

I actually started to explain that the run in should face south east to keep the horses out of the cold wind and gain warmth from the sun. She already has her own ideas of placement so it’s more pleasing to the eye

[pn]

How much would you charge to come and view the property and offer placement advice, fencing design and placement and where to put the run in with access to water and hydro

[phosics]

Stuff like this is so easily overlooked but makes SUCH an impact on facility quality.

I am fortunate to be at a facility that is very thoughtfully designed and maintained. There was effort put into the drainage system so the property and walkways stay relatively dry (little to no standing water), well paved paths, gates and fences well kept up, etc. It’s amazing how good design can really take a place to the next level.

[Angela_Freda]

As much as I thought they would go for.
Cause clearly they aren’t going to listen

[pn]

I honestly can say I won’t miss the people or the horses. All four are soul suckers. Both horses need a LOT of feed to keep them in good condition. Both flip their feed out of their buckets and it flies everywhere. HOWEVER, they ae not decorative end tabes. They need and thrive with attention. They are almost feral and I’m just tired of dealing with them on a daily basis. When the family comes, they make a mess and leave it behind. Want to chat and be social and I’m busy. I feel they pay me good money to look after the horses and are never here using the utilities, so I owe them some time. I will go out only once and help them (since I said yes when they asked:( but that will be it. My best advice to them is to find a part time helper who will know the horses and their needs. At least if they do this, the horses will be off of my conscience

[pn]

Exactly! and when I brought up placement of a run in, here in Ontario south east to cut the wind and make use of the sun, she doesnt want it facing that way since it’s not aesthetically pleasing . I would put it on a fenceline with a door so you can access the shed without being trampled when you go into the paddock in your flip flops I also suggested they put a loft in the shed so they dont ahve to drag hay from a storage area in -30. She told me they cant do that because they are on a budget…

[pn]

Maybe I should ask them how much they think my advice is worth…and double it!

[SusanO]

Those horses will be for sale soon. First at an outrageous price and then free to a good home when winter sets in.

[Bearx2]

You should most certainly charge them for advice, helping them set up. You are offering them a service, which should be paid for.

[pn]

That absolutely would be the best outcome for the horses