what time do you open barn to boarders?

[ceegeetee]

Just curious what time in the morning you open your barns to boarders and lessons?

I’ve always started my riding day around 9am, I feel like from 7-9 is for staff and barn chores, feeding, cleaning stalls etc. and then riding starts around 9.

Ocassionally maybe an earlier ride or lesson if there are unique circumstances or prepping for a show or something like that.

Its never come come up as an issue before. Now I have someone who wants to ride at 7:30am. I feel like that’s too early. But maybe I’m just stuck in my ways.

Just curious how other boarding barns do it?

[Mouse_amp_Bay]

We are welcome anytime after 7 am (when horses are fed) to 9:00 pm - night check. Clinics, shows etc extend this as needed.

In many climates waiting until 9 might make it to hot. Plus that would be quite late even for someone who has the luxury of starting work at noon - still need time to put the horse away, shower, change etc.

[retiredhorse]

I would not consider 7am too early, but I have only been at one boarding barn with set hours and those were generously 5am-10pm. Other barns I’ve boarded at didn’t have set/stated hours, and riders and trainers were usually there 7-7 (indoor ring, so light wasn’t an issue).

Whenever I’ve had early morning lessons/rides, we just worked around the barn staff; if it was early enough, we’d get there before them. Like, we’d turn out our horses if they were supposed to be outside, after riding, or fed (staff left their grain/hay outside their stall). And they cleaned stalls while we were riding. Barn staff was not responsible for any grooming or riding, so I don’t think other people coming early to ride interfered with their work.

[Training_Cupid]

I ride before work (a little after 7 usually) and would not board someplace I couldn’t do that.

[Texarkana]

Depending on your type of barn clientele, 9am is pretty late.

If you have mostly absentee owners and/or lessoners, that’s one thing.

But horse owners with full time jobs, hands on owners, or people seriously conditioning, 9am may be a hinderance. You can’t swing by before work, you can’t make early service appointments, and in the summer months, it can limit riding time (depending on your climate).

My last boarding barn didn’t open unti 8am and I even found that kind of annoying.

[mmeqcenter]

I don’t have strict open/close hours. I have hours listed that are mostly for contacting me by phone, but I don’t restrict when people can ride/see their horses. I do request that I am warned ahead of time when someone wants to come outside “typical” hours (before 7am, after 9pm) so that I don’t think it’s someone who shouldn’t be here pulling in at 11pm. This request has only been rudely ignored by one person so far, and they are no longer boarding at my farm.

[joiedevie99]

I have to be at work by 9:30, which means I have to be done riding by 9.

[Emily_amp_Jake]

My barn is open 24/7 pretty much, and I’m out as early as 6:30 to as late as 10:30pm depending on what’s going on, temperature, work schedule, etc. The more hours you’re open is a definite plus for those looking to board.

[Edre]

From my observations, 9 is a pretty late opening time. Most barns I’ve been at have a 7 or 7:30 start time (and will close 9 weeknights, earlier on weekends).

As someone who had an early morning lesson for quite some time, I will say that I was uniquely familiar with staff who did all the early AM chores. There was an understanding that I would yield to their right of way, but they, for example, had to be mindful of blocking people out of the arena (or trapping them in stalls) with where they stop the tractor for stall cleaning for example (or coming in an aisle with multiple horses for turn-out if someone is in the aisle tacking). Mutual respect goes a long way for making things go smoothly. It’s never been an issue for us.

[poltroon]

I used to take 7am lessons so I could ride before work and get there by 9(ish). Basically I would ride at dawn, with that exact time sliding a bit through the year; I’m sure I was riding at 6:30 and getting there at 6 during the summer. These were all barns with hired barn help that fed pretty early; my horse was usually fed but not necessarily done eating.

The 7am lesson slots were popular and there was an adult am rider in every slot.

In the summer it can already be pretty hot by 9 where I can afford to live.

So then the question is, what is your actual concern with the early morning rider? Noise? That the horses won’t be fed? City ordinances? Some of these things are more solvable than others. If you can break it down for your boarder your specific need, maybe you can work it out.

Certainly I was always very quiet and stayed out of everyone’s way.

[CanteringCarrot]

Barns I’ve been at have been okay with a 7:00AM start. Or earlier if you explain to the barn owner that you have a certain work schedule or time restraints. Most have been understanding. Closing time depends. Most places people have been out of the stable at 9:00PM in the summer it can be later due to heat and it being light out until 10:00PM. The only major hour restriction I had was a stable closing at 18:00 on Sundays during the winter months.

There are many people the prefer to get things done earlier, ride before work, and set early appointments. 9:00 is a late opening IMO. Generally barn staff and boarders/riders can learn to coexist and work around each other.

[Sueby]

I ride before work during the summer so that means around 6:15-6:30 am. Then I switch back to late afternoons or evenings during the fall/winter/spring. It doesn’t matter at our barn if I’m there or not riding as it doesn’t impact the workers moving horses or feeding at all during that time. Sometimes I have to ride when they’re watering the arena, but my horse doesn’t care so neither does any one else.

[fourfillies]

I’m a working adult and lesson at 7am summer months and 7:30am otherwise. This means I may need to bring my horse in or turn him out. I try to be respectful of the staff. Overall seems to work for them, one less to worry about.

[North_Dakota]

It depends on the clientele. I work 12 hour shifts for work, so sometimes I’ll go in the morning after work and ride, that has me getting to the barn at 7:30/7:45 depending on what time I actually leave work. I’ll also ride at night after shifts, which has me arriving around that time at night.

[dotneko]

7 AM - they understand that feeding and turnout happens at that time, so they must stay out of the way.

[TankDiveGirl]

My barn has no hours, we can come and go as we please, BUT it’s not a commercial boarding barn, it’s me, 2 other boarders, and the farm owners. We all know what times feeding and turnout happen, and since everyone lives out 24/7, there’s not a ton of traffic with people trying to feed/turn out or in/ride/etc. We don’t have lights in our arena, and we don’t have an indoor/covered arena, so riding in the summer can be as early as 6:30 or 7am or as late as 8:30 or so. Our BO usually rides around 8:30 in the summer, and she doesn’t mind if we come earlier than that. I’ve also been out as late as 11PM if i need to check on my guy or change a blanket out (he’s a weenie), and they don’t have any issue with that.

[SuzieQNutter]

Here it too hot to ride in Summer. 4am is sometimes the only time to ride.

It is Spring at the moment. I will be going out to ride at 6am, so I can ride and get to work at 10am.

I do not see how someone riding will stop you doing barn chores. It is mentally better for a horse to be worked before feeding. Leave that horse unfed and the rider can feed it after it has been worked. Rake the arena at a different time.

I don’t see this as a big deal.

[Wantanother]

We have several working adults who must be done riding by 7:30 or so in order to get to work on time. There are set hours that the rings are dragged during the day and everyone knows that ring prep has priority at those times. Everyone pretty much cooperates and finishes on time so the rings can be dragged. Our lessons start as early as 6:30AM to accommodate work schedules.

[Off_Course]

Most of the barns where I have ridden didn’t have specific barn hours but most did have a strict no-ride policy unless a trainer, BM or BO (or Farm owner) was around.

[MsM]

I have always boarded at small to mid sized barns so more flexibility was available. There weren’t big crews of barn cleaners or tractors in the aisles to clean. Usually we would be told what feeding times were and asked not to ride in that half our or so block if possible. Generally we were expected not to come before 8 am unless arrangements were made and not to start a ride after 9 pm with barn closed at 10 pm night check. We also knew about when the stalls were being leaned and that we have to do our best to stay out of each others’ way.

One boarder needed to come earlier at one place (before her daughter and husband woke up!) so she was able to make arrangements and everyone got used to her coming at 6 am, avoiding the driveway wire that let the BO know someone was driving in, riding and leaving. Even the horses soon realized that she wasn’t the morning feeder and stayed quiet!

As boarders, we appreciated the flexibility and made sure to notify someone at the barn if it was necessary to come at odd hours. The BO or BM was smart enough to go over expected barn hours among the rules before a horse owner decided to come. Then both parties can decide if this will work without hard feelings.