Too bad, Beowulf. The waiting list would be out the state. 
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That is very nice of you to say. I think I am just quirky enough IRL that my idiosyncrasies might drive away good business. 
I certainly feel for any BO in todayās industry. It was hard to make any money off of boarding before, itās practically impossible now. Everything has gotten so expensive.
As an aside I found my budget tracker for 2013 a few weeks agoā¦ I was paying $18 for Ultium and $5/bale. Things were much cheaper back then.
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Me tooā¦ I donāt know whether to laugh or cry. Iām afraid to add it up now.
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I keep all of my guys (5 of them) at home and donāt have any boarders. Iām a little anal with turnout, feed, stalls etc, so it works best this way. But I usually do board out one pony that Iām training for the winter so I have an indoor to work in and continue training through the winter months (Ontario).
I recently switched barns this year and went to see what they fed as grain (my young guy did founder after his shots, so Iām super careful with feed and sugar). They gave me a choice of grains, and I was able to decide on which one and how much I would like him fed. He only needs a handful of grain (can do with a tad more weight but I would rather keep him on the lean side and vet said as little grain as possible) and they have a great feeding schedule of 3 times a day with a haycubes and beetpulp mix. They actually feed them lunch outside in all the paddocks, and they have flaked hay that lasts them for the day (out 8-5pm, weather permitting of course).
Since my guy is on like 10 supplements, I want to make it as easy as possible for the barn owner and I put a days supply in a baggie with his name on it so all she has to do is dump it in one of his feeds. She was so happy when I did this on my arrival day as its can be so time consuming when you have a bunch of horses and so many owners. I did ask about her hay as I wanted a first cut (she has 1st cut and 2nd cut), and I told her to feed as much as he would eat, but I would not expect wastage or hay 24/7 in front of him (I know what a pain clean up in stalls can be if there is leftover/waste, just from having my own farm).
Iāve only been there a few weeks, but so far everything has been going well and his weight is still the same, even though Iām working him 4 or so days a week.
I would hope barn owners and horse owners to be flexible with each other, but I wouldnt expect a BO to keep several types of hay or grains for each owner/horse. But I would like to think they have a small inventory so someone can choose what would work best for their animal (such as 1st cut hay or a 2nd cut hay and a sr. type of grain and a higher calorie type of grain, but thats it)
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I think there are so many what-ifās involved.
Iāve sent two horses out for training recently. One went with his own grain, one used the trainerās feeding program. Both went with their specific supplements. The one with his own grain, I prepacked it for daily feeding (he literally got two cups per day of feed). For supplements I got them both smartpaks so no buckets measuring etc. If that is something that is too hard for a trainer to deal with, Iād go elsewhere. I would expect 24/7 hay or pasture anywhere I went, that would be a deal breaker for me too
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I had a horse in full training for 3 years. Trainer fed timothy hay and had a several feed options, ration balancer, performance type feeds and senior for a couple of oldies. Horse is a pretty easy keeper, so there was some juggling from time to time figuring out his grain type needs as his work increased. They were VERY attuned to his weight and general physical condition.
My other horse, boarded different place , also has multiple feeds, does beet pulp, alfalfa cubes and handles a bazillion different supplements/meds that boarders want or need. Hay is timothy or T/A mix. He is on senior feed and one supplement in addition to his hay which can have zero alfalfa as alfalfa gives him runny butt. Their ONLY limitation is hay which is fed in sufficient quantity to keep the horses in good condition. If you want more or different type, you must provide but they have space.
I have been lucky in my many years of boarding and really have had only minimal issues now and then. Iām also a low maintenance owner 98% of the time.
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This is so easy (and necessary for many horses with issues be they weight or ulcers or whatnot) that it seems kind of insane not to say, āOk, you are expected to provide and fill X number of hay nets per week and we will hang them, or provide a large enough container (Hay Saver or similar) that is easy to fill once per day that will hold enough hay for at least one day and will not get wasted.ā
The different types of hay thing can get tricky for potassium sensitive/metabolic horses. Also, types of āhardā feed.
The 10,000 supplements is also easy. āYou are expected to provide X number of STACKABLE, as small as possible containers of all supplements and refill them every X days. If we run out, it is YOUR responsibility. We will NOT chase you if we run out.ā
From client side, it can be frustrating and a downright bad choice to just go ahead and trust the trainerās feed program.
I recently had a friend have to pull her (not even in training, just boarded) because her HYPP horse was being fed inappropriately against the owners instruction and the BO would not change back to the original program.
Another sent a horse to a trainer outlining the very successful feed program the horse had been on and asked if they needed to provide anything or pay extra money to have the same program kept up. They were assured that it wasnāt necessary because those items were exactly what was fed in the training program. Horse came home absolutely 100% refusing to eat what it had previously been eating with great gusto prior to going away. Scoped negative for ulcers. That left the owner scrambling to get the horse to eat. Horse had developed a penchant for molasses and refuses formerly delicious items like non-molassed beet pulp. A LOT of money was wasted on supplements and feed that got wasted while that was figured out.
All that said? Iād rather turn a friend or client away if they didnāt want to more or less get with my own feed program. Some folks are just not a fit and thatās ok. However, I also expect that I keep up with current feed science as much as possible and donāt get stuck in the this is how Iāve always done it and itās been fine mindset.
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If the horse has an allergy or something that needs to be addressed while heās at the trainers, I expect that to happen. I also would totally expect and offer to provide whatever the horse needed either prepackaged by me in daily doses or Smart Paks if the trainer prefers. Other than that I expect them to feed a quality hay and quality grain to my critter while he is there. other than that some people are just of the wall with what they demand when their horses go off for training etc. If what that trainer/ BO provides is not acceptable to them for their horse then they should keep looking.
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Put the hay in nets? Slows the horses down and thereās less waste.
That said, any boarding place that says they provide 24/7 hay is likely not telling the truth. IME anyway.
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Contracts are a glorious things!
Read the contracts if you are the horse owner.
Have a contract and do what it says if you are the barn owner.
Any barn can offer or not offer whatever they want. Put that in writing and have everyone agree.
It does not matter what the barn down the street does. It does not matter what the horse owner read on the COTH that you should be doing.
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@Obsidian_Fire, one of the things we do to keep hay in front of them is use hay hoops with hay nets. Big Deeās and Schneiderās sell them. They are simple for anyone to fill and very easy to use. Hope this helps.
I want my horse who is at a temp boarding situation to be managed nutritionally how he is at home and how I know works for him.
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I have āthe allergic horeā. Alfalfa, molasses, fescue, beet, palm, carrots, oats, and the list goes on. Fortunately he is an easy(well, except for the allergies) keeper. He lives on timothy hay, timothy pellets, and ration balancer. Of course heās not a competiton horse and is only ridden 4 days per week. (He needs to have days off because of a high suspensory injury. He has recovered from it but I donāt like to push him too hard.) I would be lost without the barn owner, barn manager, and staff, who keep track of his allergy shots, his hives, and the various ways he finds to injure himself. My former football player has become a hothouse flower. sighā¦
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Being a BO or BM means setting and holding boundaries without taking it making it personal.
Hard to do.
.
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Very hard to do.
But a well written and clear contract helps.
Then the barn owner can simply say - so sorry, that is not included here, or no problem we will gladly feed your different grain but remember the contract stated no reduction in board and it is your responsibility to keep it stocked.
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exactly.
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I expect for feeding what we agreed to when I discussed the arrangements. Often around here the barn manager is not the trainer. My current feeding practices is frequent good quality hay and minimal grain. Iād be happy with that. Last place I sent project mare they didnāt end up feeding her VMS but it was only 3 months and no harm done.
Once you let your horse out of your care you need to compromise. I do self board so I do micromanage my horses but also donāt create extra work for myself either.
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I wonder if 24/7 hay expectations are different based on how expensive or easily available hay is in a region. I think everywhere Iāve ridden has aimed for 24/7 hay or grass available to the horses, but Iāve lived in areas that have a lot of good hay. Now the one place did complain about how much hay that lease horse ate, but that wouldnāt have come up if they fed it by volume instead of duration. Usually two options available but I think my barn now only has one, which they grow themselves on site.
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Right now I pay $750 a ton for good commercial Timothy. I donāt waste hay.
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Horse is provided a stall, turnout would be a bonus. Board + training includes hay. Trainer/barn employee feeds owner-provided feed within reason (necessary meds, or maybe one or two supps).
Sorry, we canāt accommodate that request.
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