# Board without being hands on?



## eidna22 (Feb 16, 2013)

My husband and I are looking at a property with the following specs. We were wondering how feasible it would be to board horses here. What are your thoughts? I haven't been around horses in 10 years but was once an avid rider.

Custom built 3 stall barn w/enclosed tack room, run in shed with additional room for broodmare stall & hay storage (300 +/-bales), lit outdoor riding area (220 ton crush & run base & surface footing 120 ton screenings), 3 pastures with electric fence. Arena features superb lighting (60' pole lights).


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## 40232 (Jan 10, 2013)

I don't know about you, but instead of boarding other's horses, I would be keeping my own there :lol:


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## DuckDodgers (May 28, 2013)

I'm assuming you mean basically leasing out the barn to someone under a self-care arrangement? Assuming that the place isn't falling apart then I'm sure you could find someone interested. Heck, for the right price locally my friend and I would be there in a heartbeat. Exactly what she's looking for.


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## horselovinguy (Oct 1, 2013)

Personally, I would not want someone elses horses or them on my property, in my backyard.
Sounds wonderful, yes.
Now realistic...
Big one...Does the barn have a bathroom facility? Guess what door gets knocked on early morning or evening, after doing chores or riding..."Can I use the bathroom?"
What happens when bad weather of any kind arrives and they don't to feed the horses?
What happens when there is a emergency and the vet and owners are there all hours of the night, could go on for days!
Who gets the call the horse broke through the fence and is loose on the street..._ *you do!!*_
Who is responsible if the boarders turn out to be dead-beats and don't take stellar care of your barn, property or their animals..._ *you do!*_
Who faces a lawsuit if something goes wrong, someone is injured..._it is your property. *You do!*_

Who carries business insurance because you are running a boarding stable..._*you do*_ if you are smart!

Is it worth it? Maybe....a lot depends upon "who" those boarders are as people, and especially as care-givers to their animals...
Personally... for what it is going to cost you to maintain and provide the electricity and water along with added wear & tear to your yard and grounds...well...if it wasn't my horse I would be having to do some very serious thinking.
I see the downside, yes. Been there and watched to many friends do exactly what you are considering...
I just would not, that is me. 
My horse in my yard, fine. 
Strangers horse(s) out there, _no thanks at my home, in my backyard_.
_jmo..._


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## Maple (Jan 10, 2012)

horselovinguy - I keep my horses on livery at somebody else's home. I have two stables and a paddock for them, and do everything myself. The only time I have* ever* knocked on his door is to pay him, and to give him a bottle of wine for Christmas. I have called him once - to let him know the dentist was coming out, so as not to be alarmed when a strange man drove into the place. 

If you get in good boarders, there will not be an issue. If they are not taking care of their animals up to your standard - give them their notice to clear out. At the end of the day this is your property, make sure you have everything in writing, and stipulate absolutely everything you need to address to make this as smooth as possible.


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## eidna22 (Feb 16, 2013)

Thanks everyone! I am glad I got some responses. The barn is actually really amazing and is very professional. The arena is also super professional. We don't have any horses but may get one at some point. I know we would need good insurance and all of that and I am planning to contact a lawyer to get more info on that. 

I'm not really concerned with caring for the animals in emergency situations or in inclement weather. We live in NC so there isn't much of that in our area. Thanks for everyone posting such good questions! That was exactly the kind of feed back we are looking for, honesty. The water is all from a well on the property there is no city water at all so we wouldn't be paying for water. I'm not really looking to make huge profits but I'd like to have this amazing custom barn put to good use and I of course would love to wake up and see grazing horses every morning. 

I think finding good boarders who are well qualified and responsible will be the key. Honestly the perfect scenario would be to find someone with 2-3 horses to board on a regular basis. If anyone else has any input or ideas please share them I really want to research this to the full extent before we go any further.


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## eidna22 (Feb 16, 2013)

DuckDodgers said:


> I'm assuming you mean basically leasing out the barn to someone under a self-care arrangement? Assuming that the place isn't falling apart then I'm sure you could find someone interested. Heck, for the right price locally my friend and I would be there in a heartbeat. Exactly what she's looking for.


Exactly my thought. This would be for adults who can care for their own animals and I would have very little daily duties with the horses. I'm happy to feed and water and bring them in and out of the barn but beyond that unless it's an emergency I don't really plan to do too much.


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## Dreamcatcher Arabians (Nov 14, 2010)

eidna22 said:


> Exactly my thought. This would be for adults who can care for their own animals and I would have very little daily duties with the horses. I'm happy to feed and water and bring them in and out of the barn but beyond that unless it's an emergency I don't really plan to do too much.


I've done boarding from very small scale, 1 border 1 horse, to larger scale, 1 boarder 40 horses, plus have anywhere from 6-15 horses of my own at any given time. The 40 horse thing was sheer insanity and I wouldn't even consider doing it again, though it had its perks. The 1 horse thing was more work than the 40 horses, but if the same gal got another horse I'd take her back in a heartbeat. I've also had the 1 board 1-3 horse thing where I had to ask them to leave too. 

You say you wouldn't mind feeding, watering and turning in and out. There's the rub, what happens when you have a boarder who has a horse with no manners? It can get very dangerous. Or you have a boarder with no horse knowledge and no desire to learn? Dangerous again. 

The one boarder I had, had a big 16 hh halter horse who had learned to bull her way around the owner. This mare literally threw me across the barn one day because she didn't want me to put her halter on. Because of the boarder's refusal to maintain any kind of respect/discipline with her horse *I* was the one getting hurt, my equipment getting broken. I ended up having to ask them to leave. 

Another one, the one I'd take back, had a young gelding who had not really been taught anything as a youngster and so I spent HOURS and HOURS doing ground work with him and teaching her. She had very little horse knowledge but a huge desire to learn. I spent my time with this young horse voluntarily, it wasn't in the contract, but I really liked him and his owner. 

At this point in my life, I really prefer to just keep my own horses and handle them and let someone else do the boarding. If I had no horses, I'd close up the barn and just enjoy the break in the work. 

Because I do board, stand a stallion, and have people on and off the property, I carry a farm policy that covers the house, the property, the business and visitors. It costs me close to $6,000/year. Something you want to consider, it's expensive and it's getting harder to get.


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## eidna22 (Feb 16, 2013)

Dreamcatcher Arabians said:


> I've done boarding from very small scale, 1 border 1 horse, to larger scale, 1 boarder 40 horses, plus have anywhere from 6-15 horses of my own at any given time. The 40 horse thing was sheer insanity and I wouldn't even consider doing it again, though it had its perks. The 1 horse thing was more work than the 40 horses, but if the same gal got another horse I'd take her back in a heartbeat. I've also had the 1 board 1-3 horse thing where I had to ask them to leave too.
> 
> You say you wouldn't mind feeding, watering and turning in and out. There's the rub, what happens when you have a boarder who has a horse with no manners? It can get very dangerous. Or you have a boarder with no horse knowledge and no desire to learn? Dangerous again.
> 
> ...


I will look into the farm policy. This is only 5 acres so I'm not sure its the same scale you are on. Also is there no way to find out how much experience a person has? I'd plan on checking references and doing a lot of leg work to make sure the person/horse that is leasing this barn/arena/pastures has experience. There is no way I am boarding any kids horses, or adults who are chasing some dream with no previous horse experience. This will be a very specialized situation if it is to be anything. I don't _need _to board it would be a want to kind of thing and that means whoever is on my property needs to meet some high standards. I appreciate your feedback I'm going to look into that farm policy.


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## Dreamcatcher Arabians (Nov 14, 2010)

eidna22 said:


> I will look into the farm policy. This is only 5 acres so I'm not sure its the same scale you are on. Also is there no way to find out how much experience a person has? I'd plan on checking references and doing a lot of leg work to make sure the person/horse that is leasing this barn/arena/pastures has experience. There is no way I am boarding any kids horses, or adults who are chasing some dream with no previous horse experience. This will be a very specialized situation if it is to be anything. I don't _need _to board it would be a want to kind of thing and that means whoever is on my property needs to meet some high standards. I appreciate your feedback I'm going to look into that farm policy.


Well, as to experience, my husband and I have been married for 23 years and we dated for probably 8 years before we got married. I had horses the entire time. He didn't know which end to put the hay in when I met him and for many years that suited him fine. He started taking a more active role about 15 years ago and has learned a LOT. And I still wouldn't want him as a boarder........He just doesn't pay attention sometimes and sometimes I see him get bloody minded when he should stop, breathe and think a minute. 

Perfect example of what I mean: 

He said that he would feed the pregnant mares and let them back out, before he left for work yesterday morning. I looked out my front window to make sure he'd had time to let them out after eating. I saw one of the mares out in the pasture that's near the windows so, since he hadn't called to tell me otherwise, I went about my business in the house and didn't go outside. I went out later to check waters and discovered another pregnant mare, one who goes into a pasture I can't see from the house, still in her stall. Turns out he couldn't catch the one and ran out of time on the other. I can tell you without asking him that he chased the one mare around the pasture with a lead rope in his hand and she led him a merry dance. I can also tell you that had he picked up a bucket and walked out there she'd have come right to him. 

So, 1 year of experience 15 times? That certainly doesn't show me 15 years of horsemanship. In this case, no harm was done, the one mare had hay and water in her stall but I'd have like to kno w I should have turned her out and gone out and caught the one he couldn't catch and fed her. I would have been more upset if they had been client mares, naturally. 

The size of the property really doesn't matter for the farm policy, it's the liability of a horse business and having horses on the property. When my ins. co. raised my rates 25% this year, after last years tornados, I went looking for another company and found those who are getting away from insuring horse properties to be growing by leaps and bounds. I ended up staying with my current company. You're doing your homework and that's the most important first step. That way, you can have an idea of whether the fun of doing business will be worth the actual costs and liability involved.


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## eidna22 (Feb 16, 2013)

Dreamcatcher Arabians said:


> Well, as to experience, my husband and I have been married for 23 years and we dated for probably 8 years before we got married. I had horses the entire time. He didn't know which end to put the hay in when I met him and for many years that suited him fine. He started taking a more active role about 15 years ago and has learned a LOT. And I still wouldn't want him as a boarder........He just doesn't pay attention sometimes and sometimes I see him get bloody minded when he should stop, breathe and think a minute.
> 
> Perfect example of what I mean:
> 
> ...


That is a very good point  I am so happy to have found such helpful information! Can anyone speak to the quality of the footing that is listed in the arena? I'm not sure what that even means for someone who rides and boards. I listed what it is in the first post.


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## DuckDodgers (May 28, 2013)

eidna22 said:


> Exactly my thought. This would be for adults who can care for their own animals and I would have very little daily duties with the horses. I'm happy to feed and water and bring them in and out of the barn but beyond that unless it's an emergency I don't really plan to do too much.


The problem is that very often you'll find people that seem as though they're good, responsible horse owners on the outside. A couple of months in and you'll find that the rent is late or not coming in, the horses are knee deep in poop, or they haven't purchased a bag of feed in a month. If you look through the posts in this forum you'll see a lot of threads from people in similar situations that the horse owner didn't follow through and they had to take action and take responsibility for the horses' care. Not trying to scare you off of the idea, but you need to be aware that it may not go swimmingly. You need to be able and willing to step in if necessary, and take action if the owners don't do what they are supposed to.


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## Dreamcatcher Arabians (Nov 14, 2010)

eidna22 said:


> That is a very good point  I am so happy to have found such helpful information! Can anyone speak to the quality of the footing that is listed in the arena? I'm not sure what that even means for someone who rides and boards. I listed what it is in the first post.


The footing will be fine for most everyone but a dressage rider. It's not what I would consider ideal but it's a good start and should serve very well. FYI, ideal is HORRENDOUSLY expensive so don't think you'll go out and put in what would be considered ideal for most show horses. Dressage riders are extremely picky about footing and really need either their own place or to ride in a dressage barn, they aren't going to be happy otherwise. Just remember it will need regular dragging and leveling no matter what the footing, so make sure arena maintenance is in your "self serve" contract or you'll get stuck with it.


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## eidna22 (Feb 16, 2013)

Dreamcatcher Arabians said:


> The footing will be fine for most everyone but a dressage rider. It's not what I would consider ideal but it's a good start and should serve very well. FYI, ideal is HORRENDOUSLY expensive so don't think you'll go out and put in what would be considered ideal for most show horses. Dressage riders are extremely picky about footing and really need either their own place or to ride in a dressage barn, they aren't going to be happy otherwise. Just remember it will need regular dragging and leveling no matter what the footing, so make sure arena maintenance is in your "self serve" contract or you'll get stuck with it.


I'm sure we could handle that part of it  Apparently this place also has fans and rubber mats for every stall too. It seems as though the owner was quite the horseman. Looks like there are 5 individual paddocks. This is making me want a horse again is what is happening here LOL


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## Zexious (Aug 2, 2013)

I will say I don't think you'll have any trouble finding someone to board there, or lease out the space(though, admittedly I don't know the area). I'd love to have my horse at a place like that! xD


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## jaydee (May 10, 2012)

If you're lucky and get good boarders - one person with enough horses to fill the place would work best - and start as you mean to go on making clear rules and setting boundaries that you stick too - and you should be OK 
I did DIY and full board for a long time in the past and we had some great people that I still keep in touch with and we had some terrible ones that nearly drove me mad - having to check on their sick horses in the middle of the night, having to be there for vets and farriers when they called to apologise at the last minute that they couldn't make it, constantly helping them out when the, being expected to care for their horses when they were on holiday and the person they'd arranged to do the job didn't turn up or got injured on the first day, having to keep an eye on children that just got dropped off and left to cope on their own all day in all weathers, people who couldn't keep the place tidy, people who were always falling out with other boarders..................... 
I have sometimes wondered about doing it here if we ever reduced the numbers our own horses - for about 2 seconds!!!! Never again.


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## eidna22 (Feb 16, 2013)

I'm attaching a few pics that I have to see if any of this stands out as bad to anyone. I really want to know how nice of a place this is. BTW thanks again for all the input. I have no idea if this place is good or if the fencing is subpar or what. I plan to check it out tomorrow again and get more pics. I also am interested in the auto waterers and what else is on the property.


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## stevenson (Sep 12, 2011)

You do pay for water, as in your well, electricity etc, and when the water use increases , depending on the # of horses, bathing etc, you will see an increase. 
Are you irrigating the pastures ? or does it grow from the rain (not here thats for sure)
Liability insurance is a must. 
If you board to professionals, are they going to have outside clients? if so, you will also be liable for them. 
Outside seperate toilet a must. One gal would just trash my bathroom, disgusting. 
Manure removal.. what are the laws in your area ? who is going to be responsible for hauling off or discing in the manure..
Have a clause in the contract regarding sale of animals for non payment, find out what is and is not legal in your area and add into that contract. 
If you make them pay liability ins, get a copy of the insurance and Verify that is indeed paid. 
the electric fence may not keep horses in or dogs etc out. 
Dogs.. are you going to allow people to bring out there dogs ? do you own dogs that could cause issues chasing horses, biting, pooping in the pastures or barn?
Is there access seperate to the barn that will not block your driveway or house access? is there room for storing trailers ? room for hay delivery trucks?


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## stevenson (Sep 12, 2011)

the run in shed ? make sure that it is solid, no leaks. the inside of the barn looks nice and new.


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## Dreamcatcher Arabians (Nov 14, 2010)

^^^ What Stevenson said. I don't like the fencing. I would replace it ASAP with proper fencing, electric braid inside to keep them off the fencing is ok but not as the only fencing.


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## eidna22 (Feb 16, 2013)

Dreamcatcher Arabians said:


> ^^^ What Stevenson said. I don't like the fencing. I would replace it ASAP with proper fencing, electric braid inside to keep them off the fencing is ok but not as the only fencing.


Yeah that will be quite an investment. There is A LOT of fencing. Maybe I will just adopt a horse for myself and give up on the boarding


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## Dreamcatcher Arabians (Nov 14, 2010)

eidna22 said:


> Yeah that will be quite an investment. There is A LOT of fencing. Maybe I will just adopt a horse for myself and give up on the boarding


LOL! It's quite an undertaking. We're in the process of replacing some of ours......OUCH! You just have to do it a little bit at a time.


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## DuckDodgers (May 28, 2013)

eidna22 said:


> Yeah that will be quite an investment. There is A LOT of fencing. Maybe I will just adopt a horse for myself and give up on the boarding


Well, if you get a horse then the fencing would still be a concern :wink: Of course, you'll be responsible for all of the horse's care in that case. Since horses are herd animals I would highly suggest getting him a buddy for his own mental health. Some do alright on their own, but I think that horses do best when they have another horse around.


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## Chasin Ponies (Dec 25, 2013)

No matter how careful you are, you still run the risk of ending up leasing your barn to a person who turns out to be a real disaster.
Probably one of the most important things to work on before you do this is a very, very detailed, strict, iron-clad lease agreement. If I was doing this I would make it a month by month lease cancellable by either party at any time for any reason. This will allow you to get them off your property almost immediately if issues arise. Consider some issues that could arise as you write this lease. -Who is allowed on the property? Don't let it become the local party hangout. -How much liability insurance does the leaser have to carry and what does it cover? Are you going to be directly sued because some little kid came out, rode without a helmet, fell off and sustained a head injury. -Who repairs the barn/property and who pays for it Horses are naturally destructive and a certain amount of damage is expected but when is it too much. -If you end up with a leaser who stops feeding or otherwise neglects the horses, what are your options? What happens with non payment of the lease fee and how long do let it go on? Sadly, these are all things I have seen happen, usually with a casual verbal agreement between friends.
I'm not saying this couldn't work, just protect yourself by putting everything you can think of in the lease agreement and treat it as a business arrangement!


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## Saddlebag (Jan 17, 2011)

in other words - have a Philadelphia lawyer draw up the terms and conditions.


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## trailhorserider (Oct 13, 2009)

What a beautiful barn! It would be a shame not to have horses in it!


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## DanisMom (Jan 26, 2014)

eidna22 said:


> Thanks everyone! I am glad I got some responses. The barn is actually really amazing and is very professional. The arena is also super professional. We don't have any horses but may get one at some point. I know we would need good insurance and all of that and I am planning to contact a lawyer to get more info on that.
> 
> I'm not really concerned with caring for the animals in emergency situations or in inclement weather. We live in NC so there isn't much of that in our area. Thanks for everyone posting such good questions! That was exactly the kind of feed back we are looking for, honesty. The water is all from a well on the property there is no city water at all so we wouldn't be paying for water. I'm not really looking to make huge profits but I'd like to have this amazing custom barn put to good use and I of course would love to wake up and see grazing horses every morning.
> 
> I think finding good boarders who are well qualified and responsible will be the key. Honestly the perfect scenario would be to find someone with 2-3 horses to board on a regular basis. If anyone else has any input or ideas please share them I really want to research this to the full extent before we go any further.


I wanna move to NC. Can I come live with you and bring my horse? :lol: :wink:
Just kidding. Well, the part about wanting to move to NC is serious but my husband says no.


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