Training Board Rates- Chester County, PA?

[faybe]

Hi All,

We currently rent a place in Chester County, PA (Newlin Twp, excellent hunt country- easy, easy to ride out) and keep our horses at home. We are house shopping and, while we’d like to have our horses at home, I just don’t know that it will be possible given cost of real estate in this area (and how spoiled we are right now with what we have!). I’m trying to map out budgets for all possible scenarios, and one of those includes buying a house with no land, and boarding out. Really just wondering about the area specified at the moment (to address the inevitable suggestions to look further out- we are doing that as well). It’s been a while since I boarded, and am curious what people are paying these days. Currently we budget about $500/horse/month for everything excluding the farrier and any competition costs. I have an excellent trainer and “barn family” and would most likely move the horses to her place if we did decide to board, so not really looking for specific suggestions, just want an idea of what the average cost is in this area- if dramatically different than what I’m aware of, I may have to reconsider (our life plan, not the trainer, we love her :D).

So, those in my area, if you don’t mind sharing… what are you paying? Am interested in hearing both regular full board rates and training board rates (the place we would hypothetically move to is training board, includes 3 rides or lessons/week plus everything else you’d associate with full board including an indoor, excellent hacking, and good turnout). Farm/trainer/facility anonymity perfectly acceptable, don’t want to put anyone on the spot. Thanks!

[SonnysMom]

I am in Northern Chester County and even though I am at a nice facility with an indoor I pay on the lower end. Base board is $550. I think new boarders are paying $575 but you pay extra for blanketing and extra hay if your horse needs it. h/j/d

One farm local to me with a really nice big indoor and outdoor ring is $950 a month. h/j
Another one near me is $600 it has a really tiny indoor and no outdoor. hunter
Another one near me is $900 indoor/outdoor rings. h/j
$850 for indoor/outdoor- dressage facility so no jumps.

You should look at the ads in Horse of DelVal or Equine Marketer. Both are on line. Many of the ads list prices.

[NeverTime]

As you know, I LOVE your trainer. I used to board with her but had to move when I saw a layoff in my future. I ended up at a self-care place nearby (which sadly no longer exists because the property was sold) for $175/mo + buying my own feed/hay/bedding. The trade-off, of course, was that I had access to only a grass outdoor but still good hacking. In the end, I thought it actually worked really well because, as we were running advanced at the time and the horse was super fit, I could hack over to her place and back for jump & dressage lessons (and to take advantage of the nice arena footing when the ground got hard in the summer). Obviously, I wouldn’t have been able to ride at my own barn in the winter once the ground froze. Other people at my barn moved to facilities vacated by riders heading south for the winter (and board at our place was inexpensive enough that it wasn’t really a hardship to keep paying to reserve your stall for those few months). I had vague ideas of doing the same, but sadly my horse suffered a career-ending injury that very fall so it never was necessary.
I think there are a few little hidden gems like that around, if you are willing to hack or trailer to lessons and you think you can get by between lessons just riding in the fields or whatever.
But another thing for you to consider is that you’ve cared for your horses for so long yourselves, you may find it difficult to be satisfied with how anyone else, particularly at a boarding barn, does the job.

[Xctrygirl]

Two places local to me, not so far from you, What is Ardara at Fairadeh (I never spell that right) Is currently $1100 for full board. The girl who has the place that was Ardara’s on 926 is at $950 a month and it includes her doing some training for you. Both have indoors.

Compared to that we just bought a new house/farm that we actually can’t make into a full equestrian facility, and I still keep mine at a self care place for $200/month. It’s a nice middle ground and I am only 9 mins from home.

~Emily

[kcmel]

Check out the horse boarding in PA Facebook page. You will see quite a bit of local pricing there. I field board my retired horse in Marshallton. Full board there is $575/month but only an outdoor. That’s as cheap as I have seen it that close to Unionville. Access to the indoor next door at Low Key Farm is $15/ride (not sure if they do a package). There is lots of hacking when the footing is good.

I live in Newlin township as well; there is a small horse property on my road that they are asking $900K for! Older plain ranch-style house, nice outdoor with good footing, and adjacent to the ChesLen. Probably about 5 acres of paddock, all on the side of a hill. Really??

[bornfreenowexpensive]

Training board with several reputable trainers that I know in the area run 1200-1800 a month for full board and training (that includes lessons that a few training rides). I’m sure there are places where it is less (and some who charge more). Most barns with an indoor and decent turn out will run a 650-950 for straight board (if it is even available) but honestly, there are not a ton of choices (we do not do boarding at my farm).

If you can live without an indoor…there are more choices. So it becomes more what is your priority…good hack out, good turn out, full care/self care, nice ring, jumps etc.