This (below quote). The percentage is double because the OP pays half the board as the stall boarders. Same dollar increase for board for everyone.
@candyappy, this quote below is from the original post.
2 Likes
Thanks @trubandloki Once again I canāt retain what I read! I would still have a talk with the BO to ask why it is the same for allā¦
1 Like
I imagine it seems fair to the BO to make the increase the same for everyone. While it would make sense to do the increases on a percentage basis, I donāt think doing a uniform dollar increase is blatantly unfair. I would be very disinclined to sour a relationship over what probably amounts to $20-30 per month difference.
5 Likes
[quote=ācandyappy, post:57, topic:770504, full:trueā]
Right there with you, when did it get together an issue to ask the question? There are ways of asking for an explanation without it sounding like any sort of accusation.
To often it seems, asking for clarity is seen as an attack, when nothing more than more information is being sought.hf
10 Likes
Agree. Forest for the trees here.
Also if you are using the facilities and paying HALF what the stall boarders pay my guess is that youāre getting a steal of a deal.
3 Likes
OP can ask but needs to realize that itās probably due to multiple factors causing the increase. Grain, hay, delivery of anything has gone up. Plus maybe she gave the barn workers a raise or herself to cover rising grocery costs.
Who knows.
The only question I have is why didnāt you just take the same energy as posting here and go talk to the BO?
Youāre not hysterical. No one has told you to get away from any proverbial ledge. Why do you need the crowd thoughts to have a conversation with someone who you pay for their services? If you have questions and already understand economics, then I would go ask the person whose actions youāre questioning.
Em
1 Like
To be fair, many of the posters on here state and/or imply that even asking the question is problematic ā various versions of itās none of the OPās business, etc. ā only a few, which would include me, seem to see little harm in a_ polite_, unaccusatory inquiry. So I can see where it was a good idea to float the question. Iām a little taken aback so many would be affronted simply by the question, so it is good to know. And beyond writing the initial post, she hasnāt used some huge amount of energy.
I for one am glad OP asked, because the answers have provided very good information to have.
18 Likes
The issue here is not asking why there is a board increase. That is obvious and I canāt imagine why they would need to ask - the price of everything is through the roof. The issue is that the OP wants to get into the nitty gritty of why the increase is the same absolute dollar figure for both stall and pasture boarders, and feels she is owed an explanation as to why on a percentage basis her board is going up more significantly than stall boarders. So what sheās risking is alienating the barn owner over the $25ish more a month she thinks the stall boarders should shoulder that she should not, so that the relative increase is the same for both.
She also thinks she will be asked to leave if she has that conversation, so we are telling her to let. it. go.
12 Likes
OPs original wording was āchallengeā the increase and, no, thats not the way to approach the BO/BM. Really no right to challenge and demand proof anyway. Chalk it up to poor choice of words and nature of communicating via text only. Polite conversation and attempting to negotiate is appropriate.
Has OP experienced any interactions with this BO/BM that make her think she will be asked to leave if she asks a question? Or is she assuming based on past experiences with other barns?
With 50 years in boarding barns, have learned board increases are a fact of life. It is something boarders must expect and budget for and have a plan B in mind if they cannot meet that new rate. Its their property, their business and often livelihood, they owe their boarders no explanation. Just a decent amount of time before it becomes effective to allow moving if needed.
Not a matter of rolling over and accepting increases, its the reality of an expensive, labor intensive hobby that often takes up a large amount of increasingly expensive land.
3 Likes
I generally agree with this. I realize running a boarding barn is often a thankless job, often a loss leader for trainers, and boarders are pains in the asses. But Iād push back a little bit on the idea ābarn owners can charge what they want and should not be questioned.ā There is something to the idea about charging a reasonable price for services.
I mean, a barn owner has the right, technically to get up one morning and decide to double the cost of boarding every month on a whim, without offering any additional amenities, effective next month and damn the difficulties of boarders finding a new place to move to, full speed ahead. But I think if someone did that, Scrooge McDuck jokes aside, people would be pretty disapproving.
It sounds like this increase was made in good faith, however, the care is good, and everyone agrees it was needed, given the costs of inflation. I donāt think there is anything wrong about asking nicely why yours was raised the same dollar amount, in a brief, courteous way, but I also sincerely doubt it will make much difference. Just be brief and polite. IMHO, a great deal of the tension and drama between boarders and owners re: communication is rooted in either 1. not communicating enough or 2. communicating with so much extraneous information that whatās important gets lost. I missed any specific reference to dollar figures, however, and if itās really $50 rather than $25, it might be worth letting it slide. (Again, I have a feeling if youāre paying half of what everyone else is, the BO may have felt she was undercharging you and that this was an ideal time to bump things up to what they are really costing her.)
5 Likes
Iāll admit now I didnāt take the time to read all 70 replies but if I were you I would ask myself if I considered the new pasture board rate to be fair for what I was being provided. Not in comparison to other board options, not in comparison to everyone elseās increase.
Just: ādo I think the new pasture board rate is a fair price for what Iām being offered?ā
If the answer is yes, then continue on with your life. If the answer is no and you think you may still want to board here, itās worth an attempted convo with your BO about the percent increase but be prepared to not get the answer you want to hear and also be prepared to possibly find a new facility.
12 Likes
I keep my horses at home and In about 18 months, my expenses have nearly doubled. Mostly due to hay prices, but also property tax, lumber (fence repairs), and feed. We have to ship decent hay in, and with fuel prices rising, itās going to get worse. I got excited for finding pretty orchard alfalfa for $19 a bale today!
5 Likes
Exactly. The OP says they understand inflation. Whatās happening now is way outside the realm of any cost of living increase, evrn for those that remember the stagflation of the 1970s.
We are going into a year where we are facing worldwide shortages in hay, grain, and gasoline, leading to up to 50 per cent price hikes or actual shortages in some areas. We are also in a labor shortage because almost 1 million extra Americans died and hundreds of thousands more are incapacitated by Long Covid. And folks who do barn work need a wage increase to pay for these costs in their own lives.
I say if your barn is placed to continue coping and buying hay in the coming new reality, that $25 or $50 increase is a bargain.
13 Likes
Sure OP has the right to ask about the increase, and the BO has the right to laugh in their face. Itās none of their business.
In what other industry would a customer be provided the breakdown of costs and financials for a small business?
In what other industry do consumers even question a price increase?
Do you ask your vet why their fee for x procedure went up by $1 compared to the year before? Or your farrier when they raise their price for shoes by $5 after three years?
Rarely do boarding barns increase prices each year to keep up with inflation, unlike nearly every other business in the entire country. Yet only boarding barns are heavily questioned and scrutinized by their customers when they occasionally do up their price.
On Facebook last year I saw someone complain about their BO raising their board price, stating that itās not their job to subsidize the BOās personal horses. Whaaaat? Since when do you get to control what a business owner spends their expendable income on?? Do you pitch a fit every time some billionaire whose store you shopping at buys another yacht? GTFO.
21 Likes
OP, you did not mention if the BO fertilizes the pasture but that cost is 100% more this year, over last year, in my area.
4 Likes
Again, hear hear.
Theyre allowed to, gasp, MAKE MONEY at their business.
6 Likes
Sure, you can ask. Before you do, I would consider what you are hoping to hear, and decide if there is an answer that would make you āhappyā. Are you truly wanting to understand, or are you ticked off and looking to justify that?
Unless you signed a board contract agreeing to pay a certain percentage of stall board, you cannot expect that any increases will be proportional. Perhaps the BO has decided that pasture board will be $300 lower than stall board (or whatever number may be accurate), regardless of how those costs may rise. Maybe the increase is to pay for labor in which case it makes sense to divide the increase equally. Maybe itās just easier for him/her to add one number across the board. I wouldnāt expect, though, to have any influence on the barnās pricing. It is a business you are choosing to patronize; they do not owe you an explanation or a discussion.
I recently raised my rates due to my increased cost of living and the recent hike in fuel costs. Nobody asked for an explanation, but if they had, I would not have felt the need to detail every dime I allocate just in order to āproveā that the increase was acceptable. My rates are my choice, just as my clients can choose to continue with me, or take their business elsewhere.
Slightly OT, and not directed at the OP here, but there is a phenomenon in the equine industry where people seem to think various professionals (primarily BOs, managers, and trainers) should operate at the lowest possible cost that keeps them afloat. I canāt think of another industry where customers routinely cast stones when they see employees or owners living with a good quality of life (able to take vacations, replace vehicles as needed, make home repairs, etc). Equine professionals do not need to purposefully limit their earnings to subsidize riding and horse ownership for their clients. If their prices are ridiculous, then they will find out soon enough, as the market wonāt support it and they will lose business. But no one should feel guilty for charging what their time is worth, and no one should need to justify their spending and lifestyle to their customers.
20 Likes
These are strange examples.
Frankly, when I lived in apartments, if they just decided to up my rent by over 10% for the same amenities and place, Iād probably want to understand a few thingsā¦
Is this to be expected to happen annually? Also, when was the last increase?
If the last increase was 3-5 years ago, then sure, maybe thatās expected given inflation and the cost of hay spiking recently.
Iāve heard of many board bills going up this yearā¦ mine also went up by almost 30%, so I get it. Honestly, thereās nothing with just asking the reasons behind the increase and that you had anticipated something closer to 5-10%. At the end of the day, itās a business, so asking questions about the rate increase and future expectations should be ok. Just try to keep this focussed on just understanding without a ton of emotion included.
8 Likes
Itās interesting you bring this up because rent in apartment buildings can typically be expected to be raised every year. It has nothing to do with increased costs of business. They know that youād probably rather pay more in rent than bother moving so they just raise your rent because they can. Letās just be happy boarding barns donāt do the same!
4 Likes
