What are the basics, recommended, for horse boarding in Minnesota?

Question

I live in Southwestern Minnesota, and board horses. I am planning out the new layout of my barn and boarding contracts. I have a small business, about 6 stalls. I live on 5 & 1/2 acres.
If you are boarding a horse, please tell me what should be provided by the stable owner( grain, hay, indoor/outdoor arena, tack room..etc.) i don't have an indoor or outdoor arena. how big should tack/feed rooms be? i have been charging $140 and that includes: daily stall cleaning and fresh water (indoor and out), turn-out in the morning and turn-in in the evening, i feed them 2x a day(but the horse owners supply their own feed and hay). I have new solar, poly-tape fencing with the wood posts. Please give me tips!

Answer 1

All stables ( I live in WI, and never seen otherwise in the midwest) should provide in the boarding price: food (you can set a limit to how much ex 3 flakes 2x a day),stall cleaning, and somewhere to ride. If you are looking for clients throughout the winter- you need to have an indoor. I know that is one big thing for me.
I would suggest making at least an outdoor arena- not having one limits the people that would board at your facility.
For a tackroom for 6 people (six stalls) you probably want at least 8-10ft by 5 ft...most people will have one or two saddles and a big tack trunk. Another option is to provide large lockers (wide enough to put a saddle in) with shelving- it makes the place look tidier, and then you don't need to actually build a tack room.
As for feed- it varies- are you storing excess feed in there? I worked for a 90 stall horse barn and their feed room was only about 8 ft by 4 ft.
Here are some prices from WI near Green Bay- $300+/month- indoor and outdoor arena, stalled at night, individual turnout (or small groups). $200-250/month- no stalls- outside board only with use of an indoor and outdoor.
150-200/month- use of 1-2 large outdoor areas and outside or stall board (I have seen both)
Look at what you are offering and look at what stables around you are offering. Find one that is similar to yours in size and amenities and charge a price similar or a little lower than that.

Answer 2

I think that's way too expensive since you don't have any arenas and they have to pay for hay and grain. I would consider expanding the stable. First of all, I would add some stalls. I would have a total of atleast 15-20 stalls. I would add an indoor arena because Minnestota gets so cold. You can add an outdoor arena in the future. You don't need to head the indoor arena since it's so expensive. The tack room should be atleast the size of a 1 car garage and there should be a locker for everyone's personal brushes and extra clothing. It would be neat if you could add a tiny viewing room overlooking the arena with a wood burning stove or fireplace. It should atleast fit a couch and a table with chairs. It is good that you turn-in and out every day. I would include grooming atleast 2x a week unless the owner prefers to do it. I would recommend hiring 2 horse loving teens and pay them $6 an hour plus discounted boarding and riding priveleges of your own horses (I assume you have a horse). Have them work each 10 hours a week. That's about $120 a week for both and it'll be alot of help esp. with the dirty work. Clients like to see spotless stalls! Could you also offer riding lessons for beginners? Invest in a really tame horse and pony and charge $20 an hour. You can get a older horse or pony for next to nothing. Advertise in all local papers and let parents know how much horses can teach kids responsibility and improve their self-esteem. Note, you may need special insurance and certification to give lessons. You also need to stop charging for feed. Owners only should pay for supplements. They also should pay for all vet calls. If you do all the things I suggested, you could raise the cost to $175 a month and offer specials like if you sign a year lease, you get the first month free! Are you boarding more to make money or because you love horses? Most small time boarding stables don't do that great and at the most, break even. You and your family should continue atleast with part-time work. You may even look into getting a couple of brood mares to help supplement your income or if you love dogs, start a small kennel and breed dogs. Riding lessons are a great way to supplelment. You could take photography lessons and invest in some good photography equipment and becomea an animal photographer that specializes in horses and their owners! You could buy some trailers and start a horse transporting business. You could be a personal trainer to the wealthy on the weekends and accompaniy them to big time shows! You could just stick to your 6 stalls but you need to get an indoor arena and you'll have to raise the rent atleast by $35 a month to help cost for this. You'll need to get a loan. Whatever you decide, good luck! And don't forget all the proper licensing and insurance which can get very expensive!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Answer 3

First, let me say that I am sorry to all that I will offend. At $140 per month you are supporting someone elses horse habbit. Just think for less than five dollars a day you feed, clean up after and turn out someone elses horse!

How in the world will you ever pay the insurance premiums you should be paying? How will you afford to replace a barn roof? What percentage of that 5 dollars goes toward interest on the mortgage?

And your advisors here want you to spend several tens of thousands of dollars to build an indoor arena! With a small viewing area! The business could never afford that!

Any accountant will tell you that you are insane! The problem is, everyone else in the horse industry is insane -- owners expect low board bills -- stable owners are willing to take outside jobs to pay for the farm (or they expect their spouse to work).

If you take insurance, mortgage interest, depreciation on fences and buildings and your time into account I believe you should be charging about $1,000 per month per horse.

I suggest you sell the farm and find a well paying day job before you and your husband go broke.

Sorry again, but from a business perspective, the advise you are getting really rubs me the wrong way.

Answer 4

My horses are boarded in central Minnesota, so I know the area. The farm they are boarded on is over 500 acres of with parts of it being CRP land. For $250 a month each horse, they are fed twice a day, hay and grain and given fresh water from the barn. We have both an indoor and outdoor arena, tack room, bathroom, office, 15 stall barn, and countless trails. We also have a trainer for lessons for $40 for two hours. The property has electric fencing for the outdoor pens. A farrier, dentist, and vet are available regularly.

Answer 5

Have you checked your phone book under equine/horse boarding?

Answer 6

Here is an article I found on boarding that might help you.

Answer 7

Everytime I see "Horse boarding" I always thinking of somebody throwing a board on a horse and standing up on them and riding them like skateboards. Living, breathing skateboards! I just felt like throwing that out there.

Answer 8

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