# Most Wanted Features



## Kyleen Drake (May 26, 2016)

I would really like to know, if you were boarding with me on my 40 acres, what features would matter to you the most when looking for a stable to put your horse in? What is your list, from most important to the least important? 

I realize all the legal issues, those go without saying. I realize I am in Oklahoma and a tornado safe barn for emergencies is a no brainier. I realize a quarantine place across the highway would be necessary, and bring only one horse in at a time, and then sanitize the heck out of that sucker, let it wait a month, before bringing in another horse to quarantine before bringing it into the main barn.. 

I realize a public bathroom would be necessary. And a small kitchen that serves coffee and has a few snacks around for the people and the horses would be nice. But other than that, what matters most? 

What features could I put in that would make my barn more appealing than my neighbors?

I realize this thread has been done before perhaps. But there's been a lot of new innovations in the past few years. I know, my contractor is making me crazy with questions of what I want put on the property and how I want it done.

For me I would like to have an in-door grooming station that doubles as a shower with heat lamps above it. Those fancy heating lamps that's suppose to be good for a horses' blood circulation before you ride him. I would like a walk-in tack room near that. And across from there, on the other side of the barn a place for a farrier to work on my horses, indoors, with lots of places for him to sit his stuff down and get to work. I'd like to keep a small laptop around for myself and others to use for urgent information, a place to look things up.

An outdoor area with shade and a place to sit would be important to me. Inside my pastors. I'll go out there, sit with my horses and read. Often.

But for my renters, what matters to you?


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## Jan1975 (Sep 7, 2015)

Here are my favorite features of the barn where we board:
1. large indoor & outdoor riding areas 
2. heated barn 
3. restroom 
4. indoor wash rack w/ hot water
5. clean


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## Avna (Jul 11, 2015)

I already like your place!

For myself, what I would look for would be:

Access to trails (for me, #1)
Large, well-groomed arena with plenty of 'props' to fool around with
Lockable individual tack closets that are roomy (plenty of space for two saddle racks) and well-lit, no dim crammed little boxes. 
Enough tie spaces that you don't have to wait to tie up and groom, and can pass other tied horses safely and without inconvenience. 
Safe footing in the aisleway.
Scientific feeding with the possibility of custom feed (my lone venture into boarding, all that was offered was alfalfa cubes. Not even salt!)
Night lighting for those who can't make daylight hours in winter.
Trailer parking area (for a fee, no doubt)
Safe fences, and watchful turnout (i.e. no bullied horses)


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## karliejaye (Nov 19, 2011)

First and foremost for me is a knowledgeable, experienced barn owner or barn staff. 


Next would be safe, sturdy fences, configured in a way that allows ample room for dry lotted horses as well as pasture rotation and rest (ie, a lot of cross fencing).


A covered arena for all weather riding, specifically big enough to do a small jump course.


In any arena, good, well maintained footing!


A secure tack room


Trailer parking.


Access to trails or a trail obstacle course


Heated wash rack would be nice, but I've never had one in my 20+ years of horse ownership, so it is not essential.


Horse/boarder health requirements! Had a friend who boarded at a place with no quarantine and no vacc rules. Some infectious disease (not sure what) killed her mare.


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## greentree (Feb 27, 2013)

I have never heard of those heating lamps...do you have a link? 

I think one of the keys to a successful boarding place is a good trainer/ riding teacher. The students give the place consistent income and life. A boarding barn needs life....so older people like me enjoy coming out to see their horses. 

Agree, boarding barns need individual tack storage. Kill two birds, and design a locker in between each stall, and you do not have neighboring horses who do not get along!


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## Kyleen Drake (May 26, 2016)

I own just the 40, but all the land around me is owned by aunts, uncles and cousins who live out of state. Their land is not in use. Not fenced either. Could ride for about 4 miles in all directions, no one would say a word. Nearest neighbor is down the road about a quarter mile. Some trails are already set up, but I'd like to go out, make sure they're safe, and then make them longer. Part of the plan, I like to trail ride too! 

Indoor arena vs a round pen looking arena, or both? 

I don't think I would have more than 10 stalls. So only 10 boarders. Pulling a trailer up wouldn't be an issue. Leaving it there? Eh, don't think I would care. So long as it was parked out of the way of my other boarders and you were responsible for it, not me. I wouldn't mess with someone's trailer. 

Thought about the individual walk-in tack closets in between stalls with locks. And myself and the person who uses that stall the only people with keys. (Sorry but I'd have the police come out often with a drug sniffing dog and of the dog alerted to anything you can bet I'd be having that place looked over. Most people won't try anything, but safe than sorry!)

Here in Oklahoma we've some issues with beetles, so I'd have to be picky about what feed I would offer. But good quality hay would be on hand in the walk-in feed room. Salt blocks and granulated salt on hand. I'd have enrichment stuff laying around so you could make toys for your hoses using treats. And the treats like carrots and apples would be in the human fridge area.. lol Tons of types of oats, giving myself and my boarders choices depending on a horses' weight, health, ect. I would have one hell of a medical supply area. My luck my horse will be as weird as my kids. lol I also wouldn't care if you went out into the field where my horses are and played with them a bit, or stole a few of their toys I would be using for enrichment, and used my horses' toys for awhile, then put them back when done. Your horse would've already gone though quarantine, so I wouldn't think anything of it. Pretty laid back. 

When you say a large outdoor work area, how large is large to you? 

I'm a neat freak. And I know I can be a bit of a germaphobe when it comes to staying healthy. Just don't let my husband in the barn! See my husband coming, run! Hahaha! Love the man but neat is not his first best attribute. 

Lighting will not be an issue. It is wet here in the spring and fall, so in-door areas that are well lit will be very handy. I can't see myself waiting two weeks for it to stop raining long enough for my ferrier to come in and work on the horses. I'd rather it not matter. 

Heated barn?? It is not cold here in the winter a lot of times. It's hot, I would have fans for the summer, but heat the whole barn? Would that be necessary?? I can understand having a few heat lamps about for the foal stalls, other than that, I don't understand how that would be an issue? But clue a newbie in! I'm all ears.

I'd like to keep on-line cameras in my foal stalls. Owner can watch at home.

So long as someone wasn't being obnoxious, they could come and go on and off the lot when ever they liked, night or day. If I had a renter who got overly crazy, and woke my family up at all hour, I might have to nip that in the bud. Make that a rule, all except the foal pens. Mares about to faol, na, I wouldn't keep owners away from that at all. I'd understand if it was my mare.

I'm going to go for an easy to clean cement floor for the barn but it has that really good drainage in it and on either side of the train those thick rubber tile floor padding. Doing some reading about it, it looks like a good solution. Of course good drains in each stall. And tons of various types of bedding on hand. (My horses will be spoiled so what ever I got my renters will have, can use, I'll just replace it as we go). 

Only thing I wouldn't provide is vitamins and supplements. That would be up to the owner. And mine would be off-limits. Can't think of much else that would bug me to share with others.
Obvously my tack, that's a no-touchie. 

I want to install a washer / dryer to wash up horse blankets and saddle pads near the bathrooms. Renters would just have to take turns using it if it was already in use. 


What else??


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## Reiningcatsanddogs (Oct 9, 2014)

karliejaye said:


> First and foremost for me is a knowledgeable, experienced barn owner or barn staff.


^^^Absolutely this! Without this, none of the bells and whistles of the facility matter. 

Personally, given a choice between a place that has lots of amenities but a barn owner who doesn't understand horses, can't differentiate between a situation that requires a vet and one that does not, doesn't know how to deal effectively with the little issues that crop up during day-to-day handling, bad communication skills and a barn with so-so facilities but a knowledgeable, communicative staff....I would prefer the latter, hands down. 

Obviously, the best choice would be both a good staff and nice facilities.


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## horselovinguy (Oct 1, 2013)

For me...
* safe, secure fencing appropriate for horses.
NO BARB WIRE

* Quality feed fed.
Good hay in proper amounts, not necessarily free-choice.
Quality feed {grain} that has the added vitamins and minerals already
added.

* A experienced horse-person is on-site making sure all is as it should be.. 
Possibly as a on-site live-in owner or worker.

* A arena, covered or indoor would be fantastic for riding in bad weather.
Lights in it.

* Good footing that is dragged and maintained as necessary.

* A secured tack room with other courteous boarders.

* A "real" bathroom would be heavenly.

* A outdoor riding/ turnout area where no grass is grown. Lit so if a problem
the horse can be seen and watched

* I love trails and having access to them through a gate off the property would
be wonderful.

* Trailer storage.

* A nice parking area that is level, not full of puddles when it has rained
hard.

* A secure perimeter fence surrounding all the property in case of a
"escapee"... 

* NO DRAMA....a peaceful place to enjoy my horse{s}, maybe making new
friends who share the same hobby.

I don't think any one thing is more important than another.
Some things are not a necessity, but a luxury in a boarding situation.
Good fences, good food fed, knowledgeable eyes watching and taking care
of the animals is a must.
A environment that is quiet, peaceful for horse and human, perfect!.....:wink:
:runninghorse2:....
_jmo..._


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## Jan1975 (Sep 7, 2015)

A heated barn is probably not a necessity where you live. Here, it stays in the teens & 20's for days on end sometimes. It's no fun tacking your horse up in those temps. All of your other ideas sound great!


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## Kyleen Drake (May 26, 2016)

Equine Solariums Silver Shadow Solariums

Here's the heated lamps / solarium. I'd like to have one of these over the wash station. Sorry, can only afford one wash station, renters would have to share, or use the portable heated wash station outside. Or maybe keep this heat lamp over the area where the farrier's station is. What do you think? Noob here not sure. My horses would be getting baths year round without getting cold. Spoiled brats.. And there would be massive amounts of bleach-able towels around anyone can use. 

I'm looking for a soul-mate, keep it until I die or it dies kind of horse for myself, so yeah, looking for the best life I can give him / her. And so yeah, I'd be dang picky about how other people kept thier horses medical health, everything would be up to code before they were allowed out of the quarantine barn and to the main barn where my animals are kept. Quarantine barn will be nice, but no where near as nice as my main barn near my house.

I'm hoping to encourage a trainer onto the place. And let that person board free in exchang for thier services, in writing of course.

I would like to host BBQs, have some bon fires on occasion. 

So long as someone asked before hand, they could go into my vegetable gardens and raid a bit. I wouldn't care. Same with my fruit trees.

The ladies and gents rooms would probably have a small shower in each. Just for those times when you yourself get clumsy, land in a huge pile of ****!


Anything else?


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## cosmomomo (Aug 10, 2010)

1. Different formulations of feed offered (it seems to me that around my area, basic sweet feed is still widely accepted as being good for all horses) and in actual amounts needed to maintain a regular sized horse. Also tack on good quality hay (will cut down on feed costs!)

2. HOT WATER - I feel like this is a no brainer, but I'm currently at a barn without it and it was my personal hell this past winter. 

3. (Should move this to #1 ha) a knowledgable, competent, and caring barn manager/owner. We don't have to be best friends, but when I say to stop feeding your laminitis causing sweet feed and only give what I provide, I expect you to do that. 

Just remember that all the bells and whistles can certainly make clients happy and draw them to your facility, the actual care and safety of the horses should ALWAYS come first. *That's* what makes me happy.


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## Kyleen Drake (May 26, 2016)

I would have to hire a barn manager. I'm too inexperienced and I know I would need help. If I could find someone to do that and double as a trainer also, more the better. But my house is on-site. You're basically in my side yard, the north side of my house. The barn is a ways off, but yeah. So I would be there all the time. I would be the one mucking the stalls, keeping the bathrooms, kitchen and floors clean. I would be the one re-stocking supplies. I'd be doing the work I was qualified to do, learning more as I go, and leaving the rest to the professionals. Otherwise I wouldn't have time to work my own horses. I'd be miserable! >.<

And definitely no drama! Those people would not be allowed to get a new lease. If I had a renter with a really bad attitude that everyone complained about he / she would be getting the two weeks notice, a clause I would have on the contract. Two weeks to find a new place or they'll find their horse and their stuff in a very unpleasant area. I can put up with anyone for two weeks, so long as I know they'll be gone by the end of it.


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## Kyleen Drake (May 26, 2016)

cosmomomo said:


> 2. HOT WATER - I feel like this is a no brainer, but I'm currently at a barn without it and it was my personal hell this past winter.
> .



Well the bathrooms will have hot water / showers. The kitchen will have a two troff sinks, one for humans, one for washing dirty horse items. Probably a dish washer in the kitchen. Obviously hot water there too.

The propane portable horse wash station will have hot water.

And the in-door heated horse wash station will be heated also. That enough? Or I miss something.

I can kinda see how a heated barn might be useful. It did get down to -3*F here, but that's unusual. Most the time I can walk out to my mailbox in only my flip flops t- shirt and jeans, and not be too frozen by the time I get back inside during winter.


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## cosmomomo (Aug 10, 2010)

Kyleen Drake said:


> Well the bathrooms will have hot water / showers. The kitchen will have a two troff sinks, one for humans, one for washing dirty horse items. Probably a dish washer in the kitchen. Obviously hot water there too.
> 
> The propane portable horse wash station will have hot water.
> 
> ...


I was just meaning a wash stall with hot and cold water access :lol:, but yes, yes, I think that would do just fine


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## Kyleen Drake (May 26, 2016)

I am seriously wondering if I can make any kind of profit doing this. It seems a bit crazy. I know I won't get rich anytime soon doing it. But it might be a way for me to keep my own horse costs reasonable, as well as be around other horse lovers.

Any of you know how much a really good barn manager gets paid? I've already got an idea how expensive a good horse trainer is.


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## karliejaye (Nov 19, 2011)

Something to ponder:


Your barn plan sounds deluxe and luxurious and I am quite envious. With all those features comes O&M costs, which I assume will be passed on to the boarders in higher board fees. What is the current boarding market in your area? Is there a demand for such facilities and costs, or is the market dominated by small, backyard facilities and lower costs?
For example: In my area, there are a few barns with amenities like you describe, but they are large show facilities. The majority of barns around here (95% or more) are small, humble barns or even pasture arrangements with small shelters. Most people are on a budget and will spend $350/month on a well maintained, functional barn, but I know of few outside of the show circuit who will pay $600+/month for luxury accommodations. And those who do pony up the big bucks are in BIG barns.


Your market may be very different, just food for thought before throwing a lot of money at nice but not essential amenities. Unless you have unlimited cash, in which case, can you adopt me!?


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## natisha (Jan 11, 2011)

Kyleen Drake said:


> Equine Solariums Silver Shadow Solariums
> 
> Here's the heated lamps / solarium. I'd like to have one of these over the wash station. Sorry, can only afford one wash station, renters would have to share, or use the portable heated wash station outside. Or maybe keep this heat lamp over the area where the farrier's station is. What do you think? Noob here not sure. My horses would be getting baths year round without getting cold. Spoiled brats.. And there would be massive amounts of bleach-able towels around anyone can use.
> 
> ...


All of your ideas sound great initially but let's probe a little deeper.
Quarantine area. Unless your area is dripping in diseases an off site place seems too extreme. I wouldn't keep my horse all alone in a strange place.
Areas preventing nose touching & sharing water would be enough.

Is there such as thing as a tornado safe barn?

Kitchen. A lounge area is always nice. Stocking coffee, snacks (for horses & people) will be costly & of course people will complain when you don't have what they prefer. A small fridge for 1 day use would save you a lot of grief.

Farrier station. A grooming area will suffice as your place won't be so large that there is a farrier there every day.

Drug sniffing dogs. Do police do drug searches without cause?

Playing with your horses. Not sure what this means but why would anyone want to? Would they also feel free to play with other people's horses?

A heated barn has to be a well insulated barn which can cause problems. I've seldom walked into a heated barn that didn't smell strongly of urine. A heated barn is for people, not horses. 

Concrete floors with drains can be a full time job for a neat freak.

Washer/dryer. I've seen lots of barns with them & never saw them used by boarders. Horse stuff is hard on machines so expect to replace them often.
People should bring their own towels otherwise you'll be their maid service.

Trainer. Free board? Why? What if they bring in 5 horses? Will they be an instructor or a trainer? Big difference.

If you allow people to raid your garden- they will.

A small barn doesn't need male/female restrooms. Showers? Overkill- wash your hands & go home to shower. Will you provide soap & towels? It won't be the right kind-ever. Most people don't bring a clean set of clothes to a barn & most won't clean up after themselves as you would like. 

Barn manager. Who is the boss? You, trainer or manager. Where will wage money come from?

Drama people. "They will find their horse & stuff in an unpleasant area?" What does that mean? A horse should never be punished for the actions of their owner.

If you offer too much extra stuff, as a neat freak all you'll get in return is frustration. Most people will not keep things as neat as you would.
Keep things simple so you won't have to have a big list of rules.


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## Jan1975 (Sep 7, 2015)

Kyleen Drake said:


> I am seriously wondering if I can make any kind of profit doing this. It seems a bit crazy. I know I won't get rich anytime soon doing it. But it might be a way for me to keep my own horse costs reasonable, as well as be around other horse lovers.
> 
> Any of you know how much a really good barn manager gets paid? I've already got an idea how expensive a good horse trainer is.


I don't think anyone is getting rich off owning a boarding barn but I could be wrong. Also, since you aren't going to be the barn manager & trainer and you have to hire that out, that will cut into your costs significantly.


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## jgnmoose (May 27, 2015)

A covered arena and fly control are top of my list. Public bathroom was a good one.


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## jgnmoose (May 27, 2015)

You can cut a lot of cost by keeping the extra creature comforts pretty simple. To start I think focusing on the quality of the horse facilities is what is going to attract and keep good boarders. I don't mean expensive, just safe, clean and properly installed.

Once you've done that you can have a little bbq or something out there once a month, maybe something for the boarders to come out and get to know each other. There are a lot of ways you could go with that from church play days, team roping jackpots, you name it. Just depends on how you build it.

If you have the ability, a main arena (covered) that can be set up for jackpot ropings or other shows could potentially be a money maker.

I've never heard of "tornado safe" anything. An F5 will knock a brick house right off the foundation. Having said that, the main thing to think about is missile hazards. Don't have things that can be picked up an thrown at high speed laying all over the place.

The book "The Arabian: A Guide for Owners" by Sharon Byford has a lot of good quick information in it about horse facilities. 

Good luck, sounds like a fun adventure starting your business.


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## Kyleen Drake (May 26, 2016)

No, a quarantine barn is nearly a must have. If it would be okay to have more than one horse in that barn, and just make sure the horses can't touch, then that would be fine. I might keep a goat or something around for company if it would help. Still learning. But after seeing the effect of strangles, it would be a must-have.

There are tornado safe shelters for horses, you can find them online. I've already priced one for my area, it can hold 20 horses.

I already mentioned the kitchen area with the fridge, dishwasher, sinks. I'll offer coffee and a few snacks. If they don't like what I offer, bring your own!

I have family who are officers, they will be around often and we're dog people, and the dogs are trained. If I see one of the dogs alert for any reason on one of the locked tack rooms, what happens then, oh well. Honest people have nothing to worry about.

It rains here, a lot, in the spring and fall.. An area where a ferier can work on my horses, out of the rain, will be a must. If this doubles as the grooming area, fine. But he'll need a place he can set up.

If someone who rents with me, that I know, whats to go out, spend time with my horse, I wouldn't have a problem with that. They would have to ask me or my trainer before they rode him, but just to go out and pet it, no problem. Obviously doing that with some other renter's animals is not okay without permission. 

Considering the size of the garden - who cares. There will be more than enough for my family and anyone who's in need.

Most of this barn set up will be for MY use. My renters will just be getting perks from what my own horses are getting. The money to build the place will come out of my own pocket, and I don't expect to see a full return anytime soon, if ever. I want the old washer / dryer in the barn for my own horse blankets and stuff.

I'm not tracking horse poo into my new house. I will have a shower in the restrooms! Showers are cheap!

I'm not an evil person. I wouldn't harm a horse. But I can be quite creative. If I were to ever ask a major trouble maker to leave my property, and gave them 2 weeks to seek someplace else, they'd best be gone by the end of the 2 weeks.

Messy people? No biggie. What are they going to do? Leave out a dirty towel? A dirty cup? Leave their own tack unlocked for someone else to get it? I'm not responsible for personal items. As for the messes, I'd clean them, wouldn't bug me. I'd be out there cleaning up after my own every day anyway. I'm neat, not a complainer.


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## Saranda (Apr 14, 2011)

If you have no real experience, a good idea is to start small, without renters and 5 star extras. I know a couple of cases when people with funds greater than their knowledge start up huge, pristine barns with all the extras, and then get played around by the managers and trainers they hire to help. Thing is, you don't know what you don't know and there's a huge chance you will be lead into believing things that will cost you a lot and that are really not necessary.


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## Kyleen Drake (May 26, 2016)

For just me, my horses, this is kinda the thing I have in mind. I really like the indoor round pen or the indoor arena because of the weather around here sometimes. If I do go the 10 stalls, with renters, obviously bigger and more of a pain in the **** and I'll need all the employees and stuff. But for my two horses to start with, and a bit of extra room, this would be more than enough.

A little common sense goes a long way when it comes to hiring someone. Talk to them about how much they charge, who they have worked for before hand, get references and follow those references up, save you a lot of headaches. Go to the place they're currently working, and watch them work. And then do the same for a few others, compare, contrast.. Same with anything in the animal world. Always risks, but there's always ways to minimize those risks. So yeah, I'm new, yeah I can be taken advantage of because of it. But yeah I also have a brain I can use to try and help my ignorant self.


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## Saranda (Apr 14, 2011)

Actually I wouldn't recommend joining the round pen and the stall area, as the inevitable dust from working horses in the pen will affect the air quality in the barn greatly.


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## Kyleen Drake (May 26, 2016)

Good tip, thanks.


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## gottatrot (Jan 9, 2011)

Some good friends built a nice, small barn. It was all cozy and enclosed. That winter two of their horses got pneumonia in their warm barn. The vet told them to redesign the barn with air flow coming through. The best barns for horses keep the animals protected from strong winds but allow for constant air flow. It's even healthier to have the horse stalls open into outdoor runs so the horses are never closed up inside. At the very least, if you can have windows to the outside air that stay open on each stall, it will help keep the horses from developing lung issues.

Your amenities sound very nice. My current barn costs as much for partial care as other barns I've boarded at charged for full care. Even so, the owner loses $7,000 or $8,000 per year, every year for the past 20 years she's run the place. That doesn't even include how much free labor she puts in. She has 11-12 boarders. The reason she keeps boarding is for the tax write off since she has another business too. You've probably heard that if you want to make a million dollars with horses, start with two million. I've known lots of people who run barns, and the only real reason to do it is to have a nice facility for your own horses, and people around to ride with. Most barn owners have a spouse working to help support the place, or they are independently wealthy, or they have another business that helps support the place. I wouldn't expect to make money, or break even, but instead you could consider how much you would spend to board your horses elsewhere and it might help running your own place seem less expensive.


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## horselovinguy (Oct 1, 2013)

Kyleen Drake said:


> For just me, my horses, this is kinda the thing I have in mind. I really like the indoor round pen or the indoor arena because of the weather around here sometimes. But for my two horses to start with, and a bit of extra room, this would be more than enough..


For a personally owned barn. This ^^^^^^^^....... is perfect* for you!* 
It is_* not*_ "perfect" for a boarding barn, which is where you say you want to head towards....
When you build, you need to know what exactly your end goal is...
A barn for your private use or to bring in outsiders, boarders cause they are very different goals, sizes and things you need to consider.

_So.....
Have you ever really *ridden* in a 60' round pen.... :confused_color:_
Personally, if you had the nicest place in town and that was your riding ring I would walk away.
A covered arena or indoor yes.
A 100' round yes, _has possibilities...
_60' round pen,_ NO!
_ _Make that riding area as large as you can._
You can always "round" corners as needed, but having the ability for the horse and you to a long side, straightening of the body, is critical.
You are also "dreaming" of what would work for you, alone. Now though when you refer to having a boarding barn you must plan bigger, so when you have 2 or 3 riding at a time they can...._safely!
And if you might have all your "boarders" riding at one time you need to plan larger yet...

_ I also would_ *not*_ "fully attach" my arena to my barn by choice....a covered breezeway, yes.... with ability to have air flow extraordinaire and access out of the barn...:wink:
You never *ever *only want one way out of a barn for human or horse.
As yours is shaped you have _*no way out in a emergency*_ but be trapped under one roof-line!! 
These are things you need to really think about, plan and be aware of.... Accidents happen..
 
Barns that board, make money do so because they do not have many horses of their own to feed from the profits._ Truth.._
They are lucky to break even if 1 or 2 horses fed is absorbed by 8/9 others if you factor in the B/O wages they could of earned having a income from a job.
_Barns make money by offering "extras". _
Such things as lessons, shipping, training, day camps, clinics, clipping, cleaning of sheaths, horse lay-ups and more...inventive "extras" others will pay someone to do.
Giving them away because "I'll be there and don't mind" is _not_ smart business practices. 
That goes for that garden of yours too...there won't be any left for you if the boarders are allowed free access to it.
It gets you taken advantage of and others then "expecting" and at some point you will no longer want to just keep on giving. :neutral:
It is very different having your own barn and keeping it neat and tidy as you want...
To be the boarders maid, food and snacks provider, no! 
Gets tiresome and expensive quick! :x
Although it sounds wonderful to offer a "kitchen", not under the same roof as the horses are kept!! Fire hazard....
A lounge, place to sit....give them a covered gazebo.
Having a refrigerator in the barn area, make sure you faithfully clean the dust/debris away from the coils and cooling system often.._.fire hazard!_

As someone else pointed out....many barns have another income coming in to help pay the bills of the place let alone where you yourself will live....
The added expenses of commercial insurance covering you for boarding {now a business, theft, fire, death, injury, etc.}, water and electric, maintenance and upkeep of grounds now not used just by you personally....it all adds up.
Sure, some don't insure, don't make the business legal and one small misstep and a lawsuit now takes away everything you own. 
EVERYTHING.:shock:
_Be careful and look fully into what you dream of, not easy in reality._
:runninghorse2:....
_jmo..._


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## jaydee (May 10, 2012)

You look to have only got 2 stalls plus a foaling box - why on earth do you want a foaling box? Something like that is best suited to a facility that's going to be dedicated to breeding. Even if you turn that area into 2 more stalls that's only 4 horses which isn't going to be enough income to justify the other things you're wanting to put in there.
I don't think you need all of those storage areas if your putting in a tack room - and really that needs to be separate to the Feed room. Having a place to store blankets is useful
Do don't need that First Aid area either, you can use the wash area for dealing with injuries etc
A roundpen could be outside, if you want to spend money on a covered riding area it needs to be big enough to ride in. Its now against zoning laws to have a covered riding area attached to the stabling in the area I live in so that's something you need to check on
You also don't have enough stables to warrant a bathroom with a shower in it - a toilet and washbasin is plenty - or a kitchen and rest area, you can put some seating in the tack room and a kettle. If I was going to have a rest area at all I'd buy a good mobile home and position it away from the barn


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