Starting a horse business?

Question

My family is interested in starting a horse business.

1. Is 40 acres big enough for a good riding stable? ( http://www.realtor.com/FindHome/HomeListing.asp?snum=22&frm=bymap&nearbyZp=&lid=Enter+MLS+ID&pgnum=3&ss_aywr=&st=CO&mls=xmls&mnbed=0&js=off&mnsqft=0&fid=so&vtsort=&poe=realtor&mnprice=0&ct=parker&zp=&primaryZp=&mxprice=99999999&typ=6&typ=5&exft=0&exft=0&exft=0&exft=e5acres&mnbath=0&areaid=91321&sid=080AE86E9C2FC&snumxlid=1051932609&lnksrc=00002 )
2. On average, how long would it take to build a barn (s), indoor/out door riding arena, ect?
3. For those of you who own a horse business, how much money does it cost when you first start (buildings, horses, land, tack, employees, ect.)? How much does it cost to keep it monthly? Yearly?

We plan on having:
Horses for lease/sale
lessons
training
boarding
trail riding (if our land allows)
and summer day camp

We may race horses, too.

Answer 1

I believe 40 acres will be enough... my barn has over 50 acres but we have a pasture we don't use and a field just for walking the horses in the summer and growing some pretty good grass and hay for them to eat. I really think we only use 3/4 of the land that we have.

Building a barn will take some time... think about how long it takes to build a house (mine took about 3 months) and add the excess size that the barn will be and the extra construction for the riding arenas and stuff. Ohio University started building their new barn in November of 2005 and it's done now except that the power company has to come turn on the power for there to be light and heat and stuff. I think most barns are finished in a shorter time than theirs has taken... it's difficult to build in Ohio over the winter because of snow and cold.

As for the money, I don't own a barn and couldn't imagine the costs... I know it's really a lot... probably a few hundred thousand dollars. Remember that once you get a horse (even if you get a cheap ex-racer) that there's more than the initial costs... you have to feed, vet, and farrier the horse until it sells... and it'll cost you in the time it takes to keep him trained.

I'd first build the barn and look for boarders during construction, then buy some nice horses to start your lesson program, and later get some horses to sell and lease (and you can lease out your lesson horses too... make a plan for a price for people to come ride a certain number of hours a week so you can still use the horse for lessons). Since the barn and acquiring horses will be expensive, start with the stuff that's going to bring in some money before spending too much.

Good luck with the new barn!

Answer 2

It is very expensive to build barns and trails and have people work for you taking care of the horses.
Racing is even more expensive as it is over $100 per day to keep a horse in training to race.
Most people either race or they do other things. We raced on our farm and had a few horses that the kids showed in 4H and such andthat we trail rode with but racing and breeding was our main business.
Now they use the place mostly as a boarding stable and no one has racers there.
40 acres would be ok but you are going to be limited on what you have on the land.
For a good place you need a barn and hay storage and an arena indoor is prefered but they are costly to build and take up space. You will need turn out for the horses and pastures and trails for riding.
Also be very careful to get plenty of insurance and have all your boarders sing contracts and waivers of personal liability. You need to be careful about people getting hurt on horses on your property.
Good luck in your business.

Answer 3

consider the two solutions above... plenty.. and much. If I have been beginning some thing comparable in uk (the place i'm based) then i'd prefer £2million, minimum. the cost of the land and kit on my own would be £a million.5m and then the different £500k would circulate to buying a collection of selectively experienced or bred horses. 3/4 can not be sufficient... you will prefer 3/4 middle ones that are your stars... yet then you would prefer others in matching colorations that did different particular issues... % up horses (quite and affected person), bombproof horses (for the actors to journey), stunt rider horses and dealing horses... i think of you will prefer a herd of roughly 20 a minimum of. Going into the action picture & television business enterprise is a few thing i became attracted to, till I realised you quite plenty would desire to be born into it.. or already have the animals! Plus, the paintings is by no ability consistent sufficient and you plenty times would desire to have a accepted business enterprise that keeps the farm conceivable. frequently breeding or education different persons's horses. So in case you may desire to make the business enterprise a conceivable one (for the sake of your challenge) then i'd advise which you plan it to be an latest stud or education college which you purchase for a collection quantity (some horses secure) after which you herald a herd of roughly 10 specialized horses which you focus your "Animal Actors" element of the business enterprise with. via procuring the land and homes as an entire, you save money on the initiate of that latest business enterprise. A convertion of a business enterprise is so plenty extra financial than a initiate. quite in farming/agribusiness. truly than buying any of the farm kit (tractors, autos, goosenecks etc) i'd propose which you plan hiring them on a scheme that helps you the choice to purchase them at a discounted cost on the top of a 5 twelve months hire. maximum farmers try this in the event that they're beginning on a clean challenge. Its no longer clever to throw money around on new kit simply by fact a) it loses cost almost in the present day (depreciation) and b) if it doesnt paintings as a challenge, then you havent wasted money procuring something great.

Answer 4

i don't own a busoness, but i help run one. the rules for horses per acers is - you need 2 acers for your first horse and 1 more for every horse you add on to that. 40 acers is great the barn i work at has 20 acers so your set to go. what i would is first decide if you want your horses to be pasture horses or not. pasture being that they live in a pasture not in a stall. it thats the case then you really don't need that big of a barn so i would use 3 acers for a barn/ wach rack and lunging ring 5 for an covered arena and the rest be pasture. work in a way to wind a trail through the pastures so that way you can hve trials too.


more to come.....

Answer 5

OK for one thing, sounds really fun....40 acres is big enough....it would take about three weeks or mayb less to build something that big.....i don't own a business but i do know somethings.... like: Horses for lease/sale, lessons, training, boarding, trail riding, and summer day camp will bring money IN to you. Racing will bring in if u win and take out to enter....(keep that in mind)....Remember buildings cost a lot...so do horses....but they are onetime costs (Unless you want more horses or need building repairs...) land will always be a onetime cost (unless you want more) tack will need to be replaced if torn, broken, or out of shape....so it may not be a onetime cost....employees (that's a different story) i would start on minimum wage at first and slowly give them promotions...for more information, try buying books and reading lots of info in magazines...i wish you the best of luck and it sounds like a load of fun

Answer 6

You do sounds like you are already into horses but I want to say before you get into anything. Please make sure you know enough about horses are are actually a horse person. This is not a learn as you go thing.