# Self care boarding vs full care-why & why not?



## natisha

Someone in another thread was wondering why some barns do not offer self board. That's an interesting question. Let's talk about it.

I'm a BO who does not offer self board. Here are my reasons.
-Most people do not realize the amount of time involved-every day
-Anything not done I would have to do. I plan my day according to what needs to be done. I don't want a dirty stall or water bucket waiting for someone to come & clean it. I also don't want any last minute phone calls asking me to feed or clean because roads are bad, hangovers, sick or have something better to do ie: more fun
-Feeding would have to be done individually & that may mean bringing your own horse in to feed, then turn back out or require individual turn out. How many times will someone hang around while their horse munches on hay before they are tired of doing that? The horses here are in small groups when outside & eat breakfast & lunch outside when not on pasture.
-I don't have room for people to store their own feed/hay/bedding etc.
-Too many stories of people buying bad hay or running out & stealing good hay from someone else
-If someone runs out of food I would have to feed their horse my food anyway
-I feed 4 times a day every 6 hours, the last feeding after midnight. I couldn't feed only mine while others nicker for some too.
-Many self care boarders get the "it's none of your business" attitude when it comes to how their horse is taken care of, which can cause problems. If a horse is at my place it is my business
-I don't want to be a nagging baby sitter
-The horses here get a high standard of care & the only way I can ensure that is to do it myself.

I hear of some self care facilities that run smoothly but I've never personally seen one where at least one horse didn't get pity from other boarders because of the way it's cared for.

Thoughts?


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## Susan Crumrine

I would never board self care for all the reasons you have stated.
I ran a large barn once that offered it and it was a nightmare.


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## Moveurasets

Sounds reasonable to me, have never had to board so I am not much help lol.


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## sillyhorses

Before I came along, my spouse had allowed people to "work off"their board...not full "self care", but stall cleaning. I wondered, too, why we didn't offer that and relieve ourselves from some of the work. He showed me a video he took, showing an owner how to clean a stall. O.M.G.
Apparently, the people would scoop the manure ou
t, but leave the wet stuff and just throw new stuff on
top. They built up a two foot base of wet sawdust, and my spouse had to do a ton of repair work to the stall after cleaning it. He showed the video to the people and said "no more..."

Additionally, the idea of having someone come in and doing their own thing seems like it wood certainly increase the already high risks involved in horse boarding...
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Ray MacDonald

natisha said:


> Someone in another thread was wondering why some barns do not offer self board. That's an interesting question. Let's talk about it.
> 
> I'm a BO who does not offer self board. Here are my reasons.
> -Most people do not realize the amount of time involved-every day
> -Anything not done I would have to do. I plan my day according to what needs to be done. I don't want a dirty stall or water bucket waiting for someone to come & clean it. I also don't want any last minute phone calls asking me to feed or clean because roads are bad, hangovers, sick or have something better to do ie: more fun
> -Feeding would have to be done individually & that may mean bringing your own horse in to feed, then turn back out or require individual turn out. How many times will someone hang around while their horse munches on hay before they are tired of doing that? The horses here are in small groups when outside & eat breakfast & lunch outside when not on pasture.
> -I don't have room for people to store their own feed/hay/bedding etc.
> -Too many stories of people buying bad hay or running out & stealing good hay from someone else
> -If someone runs out of food I would have to feed their horse my food anyway
> *-I feed 4 times a day every 6 hours, the last feeding after midnight. I couldn't feed only mine while others nicker for some too.*
> -Many self care boarders get the "it's none of your business" attitude when it comes to how their horse is taken care of, which can cause problems. If a horse is at my place it is my business
> -I don't want to be a nagging baby sitter
> -The horses here get a high standard of care & the only way I can ensure that is to do it myself.
> 
> I hear of some self care facilities that run smoothly but I've never personally seen one where at least one horse didn't get pity from other boarders because of the way it's cared for.
> 
> Thoughts?


 
Geeze! What times do you sleep?? LOL
I completely agree! Sometimes it does work out, like young girls who, you know for a fact will come everyday to see their horse, they might want to get more involved in the taking care of horses. But I have heard a lot about self-care soon becoming No-care.


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## Sharpie

I am at a self care place right now as a boarder, and were I running a facility, there is ZERO chance I would allow self care given what I see. Not that anyone is abusing their horses where I am at or anything, but I still would not be willing to allow such a low standard of care at a place with my name attached.


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## natisha

Ray MacDonald said:


> Geeze! What times do you sleep?? LOL
> I completely agree! Sometimes it does work out, like young girls who, you know for a fact will come everyday to see their horse, they might want to get more involved in the taking care of horses. But I have heard a lot about self-care soon becoming No-care.


I've been an insomniac as long as I can remember. If I got 4 hours of good sleep at a time that would be rare. I grab a couple of hours here & there. The strange thing is I seldom feel really tired & even then a couple of hours revive me.
I once had a cop stop at my place at 2 AM because he saw all the barn lights on & thought something was wrong. I was working a horse.


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## Wallaby

I do self care right now but I'm also the only "boarder" (I "work" off board, which takes really no work at all since I board from the nicest little old people ever). It's also my neighbor's house which makes it really easy for me to get out there everyday.

However, if I were a BO, I wouldn't allow self care except for under very specific circumstances with strict guidelines for care. 
I might allow self care to a very responsible, mature person who lived close but other than that, no way. I certainly wouldn't offer if to people who were trying to use self care as a way to cheap out on their horse, or if I did, I'd have ridiculously high punishment fines for failure to follow the care guidelines. However, since I'm a huge softy, it's probably in my best interest to not ever offer self care. hahaha


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## wild_spot

Such a different culture! I can't even imagine not having 100% control over my horses care. Though some days when i'm out there in the rain feeding, I think it would be nice, lol!


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## Delfina

I'm have what's kinda in-between self-care and full-care.

I have my horse about 10mins away from me at a barn with 7 other horses/ponies. The couple I board with feeds and turns him out during the day. At some point during the day or early evening, I clean all 8 stalls (they provide shavings) and if a water bucket is dirty and something else needs or should be done, I'll take care of it. So a couple weeks ago when their gelding dug a hole to china in his run, I found it, so I filled it in. When my horse escaped and ended up with a minor gash, they cleaned and treated it, then chained his gate. 

They blanket/fly mask/whatever as needed but if I am there and the sun comes out and it's hot, I'll pull off everyone's blankies/sheets. Or if the temperature suddenly drops, it's starts hailing/pouring/whatever, I'll bring everyone in or throw blankets on. Every time any of us are walk past a water trough, we check and clean/refill if needed. If the horses are stuck inside for the day, I throw everyone extra hay while I clean stalls. 

They provide grass hay and beet pulp, breakfast and lunch are served in turnout, dinner in stalls. My horse needs alfalfa, I store it at my place, haul in 10 bales at a time and stack them in the corner of the barn. Since breakfast/lunch are done in turn-out, I had to accept he would share his alfalfa with his turnout buddies. He attacked one of his buddies, so dodohead ended up with individual turnout but he still manages to share his alfalfa through the fence with an ancient pony. It is what it is.... I can't expect them to stand out there and tell him to quit sharing!!

Since my horse gets almost 2x the quantity of grass hay as everyone else, I haul timothy hay over (I have horse-quality hay for my cows) and he gets half timothy, half their grass hay (their grass hay supply is limited due to the hay shortage here). I provide his grain/supplements.

Whenever I go on vacation, they do everything. When they go on vacation, I do everything. Since most of the horses have very specific dietary needs (IE soaked for the toothless, grain 3x per day for a thin rescue, alfalfa and 2 kinds of hay for my guy) we both prefer it this way as there are zero worries about feed or horse mix-ups. The BO hired a "professional vacation care provider" last year during a trip and he mixed up a white Welsh with a bay Morgan despite having been left a guide with PICTURES! Thankfully they were eating basically the same diet.

It works out well for us but then I am the only boarder. I could see issues if there was multiple boarders. Nothing goes missing or gets taken.... other than occasionally if someone escapes I'll find bites taken out of my alfalfa bales!


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## Dresden

I honestly can't see even how people who board can manage self care. There are days I get stuck at work until late and I would hate the thought of my horse waiting for food while everyone else got fed. OP, your reasons in opposite are the reasons as a boarder I prefer full care.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## AllegroAdante

My boys are at home now and are on pasture with a run-in 24-7, but up until the past year they were boarded. 

Every place I've kept my boys at, I pretty much did partial care. 

I boarded at a military stable for probably close to 20 years and did partial care. I cleaned my own stall and bought my own grain/shavings. People could feed their own hay or buy it from the barn at "x" amount per flake. For a minimal monthly fee they would feed your horse twice a day (you had to set out the meals for them to feed). Turn out a was also the owner's responsibility, but often we'd help each other out. One would turn out, another would bring in. They started to offer full-care several years ago- but the owner still had to provide their own shavings and grain, 4 flakes of hay per day was included. The only difference is they cleaned the stay and turned out/brought in.

After leaving there I moved them to a private barn, where the lady had 5 stalls and only one other boarder. I was still partial care - I was responsible for cleaning my stalls and providing grain. She provided shavings and hay, fed twice a day and turned them in/out. She would clean for me if I was ill or the weather was extremely bad.

The last place I kept them at briefly, they were pretty much out to pasture, but had access to a barn for shelter. He would feed grain that I provided (or he said he did, I don't really think he fed them like he was supposed to, not that they lost weight or anything) and I had to provide hay - which kind of sucked because he didn't provide hay for his horses in the winter and there was no way to really separate them so I got stuck feeding 4 additional horses hay over that winter. Needless to say I didn't stay there very long and was luckily able to find a place to keep them home with me. 

I've never really been a big fan of "full-care" because I'm pretty particular about how I liked my stalls to be, so when I've kept them stalls I made sure to board them at places where I was responsible for cleaning their stalls, and it wasn't ever an issue for me to get out there daily, most cases I was there several times a day.


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## ChingazMyBoy

Finally, this makes more sense to me, I never really understood why until this thread.

Thanks Natisha, for making a thread for me.


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## DressageIsToDance

I agree with you wholeheartedly. If I ran a barn, my reasons would be exactly the same. Simple fact of the matter is, you can't trust that everyone will be responsible for what they need to be responsible for.

One person lets their care become lacking, and even if the BO let's each horse be it's owner's business, the other boarders will undoubtedly complain.

It's different somewhat if it's one person. Without a clear contract on the care expected of the boarder, that too could become an irritating situation.

Better to charge more but know everything will be done.


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## natisha

wild_spot said:


> Such a different culture! I can't even imagine not having 100% control over my horses care. Though some days when i'm out there in the rain feeding, I think it would be nice, lol!


I don't take away the control of the owners. I take away the work & the worry.


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## ChingazMyBoy

wild_spot said:


> Such a different culture! I can't even imagine not having 100% control over my horses care. Though some days when i'm out there in the rain feeding, I think it would be nice, lol!



Is it just my area, or is it an Australian thing? We don't tend to do _full-care_ and we seem to do more _self-care?_


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## natisha

ChingazMyBoy said:


> Finally, this makes more sense to me, I never really understood why until this thread.
> 
> Thanks Natisha, for making a thread for me.


You're welcome


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## Dreamcatcher Arabians

As a barn owner, I don't allow self care or partial care, for all of the reasons listed above. Plus, I'm out in the country and one of the draws around here is the proximity to trail riding, but not necessarily convenient to town folk to come out every day especially mid-week. 

Now, I am having very FOND thoughts of when I sell this place and most of my horses and just keep a couple for pleasure. I want one of those fancy barns where EVERY single thing is done for me if that's how I want it. I'd like to be able to call and say, "I'm on my way, please tack up So and So" and have him be ready when I get there and then when I'm done, if I'm tired or don't want to, they'll take over and groom and put away. That way all I have to do is just the pure enjoyment of my horses, not all of the work. I expect to pay THROUGH the nose for this kind of treatment too, as I know it's waaay over the top.


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## Brookside Stables

I thought about self-care for my older barn and have had several people ask about it. So far I have not found one individual who I am willing to let do it. 

People just don't understand how much work there is to care for their horses.

I will still entertain the idea if the right person came along, but I wont hold my breath.


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## kitten_Val

natisha said:


> I hear of some self care facilities that run smoothly but I've never personally seen one where at least one horse didn't get pity from other boarders because of the way it's cared for.


Friend of mine boarded in "half" self-care (if it's possible to call this way). The owner has a breeding pony operation + 5 or 6 boarders. The agreement was he feeds all boarder's horses in morning, but they take care of the feeding in eve and clean the stalls. I know they rotate between themselves, and it's been quite smooth. 

Personally as a very responsible person I'd have no problem to exist in self-care place as long as my own feed + boarding price would be appropriate. In fact it would be probably cheaper (because I did buy my own grain in both places I boarded at anyway). When the BO at the last place allowed me to keep my mare in stall for 2 weeks (I did field board), I got my butt there and cleaned the stall and did the feeding every morning at 8 am. But... I also know not everyone is like that, and unfortunately in my experience too many people don't like to clean after the horses when they leave them in stalls and all.


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## thesilverspear

I have kept my horses at several places where there was a mix of what UK people call DIY (and Yanks call self-care) and full livery. So far, I have yet to be convinced that this is a good idea. Horses were being brought in from turn-out at different times, and while the BO insisted they all be fed together, the rule was that the last person at the stable in the evening fed everyone, thus the horses could get dinner any time between 5 and 9pm. This uncertainty in the routine made most of the horses a little bit neurotic (one cob even tried to jump a five bar gate), and mine a lot neurotic, which was one of the reasons I found her a new barn. When my horse could be brought in from the field any time between 3 and 7, and the schedule of her barnmates was even more random, she developed the habit of pacing the fenceline incessantly.


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## natisha

thesilverspear said:


> I have kept my horses at several places where there was a mix of what UK people call DIY (and Yanks call self-care) and full livery. So far, I have yet to be convinced that this is a good idea. Horses were being brought in from turn-out at different times, and while the BO insisted they all be fed together, the rule was that the last person at the stable in the evening fed everyone, thus the horses could get dinner any time between 5 and 9pm. This uncertainty in the routine made most of the horses a little bit neurotic (one cob even tried to jump a five bar gate), and mine a lot neurotic, which was one of the reasons I found her a new barn. When my horse could be brought in from the field any time between 3 and 7, and the schedule of her barnmates was even more random, she developed the habit of pacing the fenceline incessantly.


How would a person know if they were going to be the last one there? Someone could come after they left.


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## thesilverspear

Aye, someone could do. But the BO and owners would have had the feeds made up and waiting -- if you did show up at the barn late and the feeds weren't out, it meant someone had already fed them. There were only three or four liveries at any given time, so you could figure it out easy enough. The main issue, as I saw it, was that the horses found it quite stressful not knowing when they were going to be fed.


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## sarahver

Having come from Australia and always done everything myself it took a little while to relinquish control to someone else in regards to my horse's every day care. I have boarded at two places here and both have taken wonderful care of my horse.



wild_spot said:


> Such a different culture! I can't even imagine not having 100% control over my horses care. Though some days when i'm out there in the rain feeding, I think it would be nice, lol!


I am now spoiled rotten and don't think I would want to go back to shouldering all the responsibility in between working and studying!



ChingazMyBoy said:


> Is it just my area, or is it an Australian thing? We don't tend to do _full-care_ and we seem to do more _self-care?_


I think it is much more common in Australia to do everything yourself and often agistment is really just the right to put your horse on someone's property - everything else is up to the owner.

If there is one thing that continually amazes me about America is that if there is a way to make something easier, faster or more ergonomic, it is available! On top of that, most things are also _cheaper_!


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## thesilverspear

I find full livery in the UK to be a bit odd compared to full-care in the US. At the stables I boarded at in the US (and there were a lot of them as I had to move around a lot during university), the BOs gave the horse owners far space to care and make decisions for their horse however they saw fit, and feeding, blanketing, et. al. was much more of a team effort between horse owner and barn owner. If the BO felt something needed to be changed, they would say, "I think we should up her feed," and vice versa. Here, BOs are much more likely to make decisions *for* you unless you step in far more proactively and insist that this is how you want it done. And even then, they may argue with you. I've found a kind of "paradigm" amongst BOs in the UK that your average horse owner is a numpty who's decisions for their horse can and should be overruled. For instance, I've had running battles with a few successive BOs about how my horse should be rugged. Drives me nuts but it seems to be a part of the horse culture.

I'd love to have my horse on DIY, but for that to work I need to be living within ten minutes or less of the barn and all horses at the barn need to be on the same schedule -- not like your average chaotic DIY barn -- or she will pace the fence.


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## hobbyhorse

I am a self care boarder of 4 horses. I rent a barn and a couple of acres of grazing pasture. I have to run 300' hose to the owner's well to get water. I have no electricity.
The barn was built for goats. Luckily I have my own horse panels because I had to make my own horse stalls. I made 4 large cozy stalls. But when the owner said I could use the back pasture I took my round pen panels and I use them as a fence. I can now leave them turned out 24/7.
I feed 2x a day and I work a rotating schedule. Some days I feed at 4 a.m. in the dark and when I work the late shift I feed in the dark. I spend a couple of hours everyday during the work week with them rain or shine. I look forward to the weekends and holidays that is when I spend all day with them. They are alot of work, but I really enjoy doing it all myself. The only bad thing is after I moved all my stuff out there and cleaned the area up the owner told me he took a new job in New Mexico and will be selling his house and property after the holidays I am hoping and praying the new owners will let me continue to rent the barn and pasture cause my horses love not being stalled up. BTW I still clean my house and manage to feed my husband before I run out the door.LOL


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## mls

natisha said:


> I don't take away the control of the owners. I take away the work & the worry.


Exactly.

It is up to both the horse owner and the barn owner to communicate.

Ask up front what you 'need' for your horse. If it is not offered, don't expect to get it just because you move in and then complain.

Same with BO's - interview and feel out the barn jumpers.

We post rules and a copy is included with every board contract. The rules are for the benefit of E V E R Y O N E.


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## hobbyhorse

I don't think a BO can take the worry away from a horse owner. We horse owners worry about our horses no matter who cares for them.


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## GhostwindAppaloosa

I have a self care boarder at our barn now. She takes excellent care of her horses... OTHER than a few things  

-Thinks its ok to come out at noon for AM feedings. 
-thinks its ok to feed horses early/late for PM feedings while others around are nickering. I've had horses colic from watching others eat. 

I have since taken over AM feedings as she is very reliable about PM bc she comes after work. I will not offer self care again. This was the one and only time and not again


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## Hidalgo13

The reasons you stated are quite good and I'm glad you posted this because I also didn't understand the "downs" of self care... now I understand.


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## wild_spot

Our horses have always had to watch while others eat - in fact I don't know of many that haven't. It hasn't caused us any issues. The most dominant horse is the one who needs feeding most, sometimes he is fed in the paddock and keeps the others away on his own. 

I can see how there are benefits to feeding all at once though.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## natisha

hobbyhorse said:


> I don't think a BO can take the worry away from a horse owner. We horse owners worry about our horses no matter who cares for them.


Yes, worry comes with horse ownership.


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## MudPaint

I rented a barn that was part of a large ranch that offered self care. Basically everyone had their own separate barn/pasture but all shared my barn for winter hay storage. It was a great way to be able to operate my own business but very stressful when it came to feed times.

I was generally the first one on the ranch to feed and start barn chores. So the rest of the ranch would be screaming for breakfast from 4am till whenever their owner showed up (some as late as 10am). One thing I noticed was that the horses seemed more stressed and that there were a lot of vices like wood chewing, stall walking, weaving...etc. Even my steady eddy, adapt to all environments TB began eating his stall in the winter. Because all the boarders stored winter hay in my barn, they were in and out at all times of the evening or day getting hay... riling my guys that might be stuck in for whatever reason up. 

Because some owners were less than stellar owners, I ended up watering half the farm in the afternoon. I couldn't just leave a pasture full of horses baking in the heat with no water. And because I was the closest one to the ranch, I was the emergency feeder... not fun when there was a group that had adopted wild mustangs and didn't bother socializing them but insisted you get them in stalls. 

Lesson learned. 

For the horse's sanity and my own... should I have my own place I would not allow self care boarders. It disrupts the schedule, stresses the horses out, and though may seem to create less work, unless it's done to standards, it's just more you have to check at the end of the day. I would however allow someone to work off their board doing stalls, feeding, helping out, provided they did it to my standards and schedule. 

Self care takes a lot of responsibility. You can't just go away on a whim, need extra planning if you compete, and requires you to worry about where your horse's food is coming from rain, snow, sleet, or bad economy. 

I would do it again, if the circumstances were right, I love getting up early and mucking stalls. It really cuts down on the alcohol consumption. HA HA.


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## qtrhrsecrazy

Self care boarding can be chaotic, but that being said I prefer taking care of my own. I have boarded at a strictly self care place and had absolutely no problems (other than the BO stealing my feed for her own horses) and enjoyed it, but I'm the exception. The reason I have a horse is because I enjoy them, and I can't enjoy them unless I'm around them. I am not one of those people that see their horse a few times a month but like to announce to the world I'm a horse owner!
Now boarding at a full care where I still take care of my own for the most part because I want to, and there have been times because I've needed to... some barn helpers don't believe in fresh water or give the best care when the BO isn't looking if you know what I mean, and I won't have that. I'll take care of things myself to make sure it's done.
So there are both ends of the spectrum. You sound like a wonderful BO - wish they all were like you


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## zurmdahl

I used to do self care at a barn I was at before I left for school, I did it for about two years and I thankfully was never put in a situation where I had to ask someone to care for my horses last minute and I made it out every day. They way they did it was you had to bring the horse in for dinner and then clean the stall and buy hay/shavings/ect. There was almost everyday a problem during turn-in because someone would be late and then there horse would be left outside running around like a nut because it wanted food and was alone and the BO did very little to prevent this from happening. 

I did enjoy having a lot of control over what my horses got for food and making sure their stalls were very clean. But getting out their everyday could get a little challenging, especially when I didn't have my license and had to depend on my parents. If I was a BO I would not offer self care to anyone, it's way to much of a hassle for all the reasons you listed.


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## Cowgirls Boots

Where I am at now is an old cow farm that this guys grandfather had left to him when he died. I'm pretty sure he knows next to nothing about horses but he loves feeding them treats and petting them. 

It's a 300/400 acre farm. 11 horses in the big pasture (60 acres) including mine. And 3 in the front pasture. (old man and babies) 

I guess I do 'self care' if that's what you want to call it. 

One of the boarders that has literally been there forever runs the whole horsey part. She feeds in the am. (givin grain to the ones that are grained and hay in the fields.) I have to supply my own grain and I had the choice of a stall or not. And I chose a stall. So that being said she feeds in the Am. Income at night feed in the Pm, clean my stall (I supply own shavings as well) and depending on the weather my guy stays in or goes back out. Hay is included I just buy my own grain and shavings. 

Personally if I owned my own place i would let people work off board but never total self care (unless I knew and trusted them). 
Alot of 'forgetful' people who wouldn't remember to feed/clean buckets/ stalls, etc.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## AllegroAdante

As a horse owner, I was always pretty particular about how I liked my stalls cleaned, bedded, etc which is why I preferred self care. I enjoyed cleaning my stalls - it was my downtime in the evenings and I found it relaxing. I took a lot of pride in my stall cleaning, and it always made me feel good to bring my boys in to their stalls in the evening, knowing they would "sleep well". I kind of miss cleaning stalls now that my boys are on pasture with a run-in 24/7. 

However, if I agree with the BO's here and if I were a barn owner, I wouldn't allow self care either. I saw too often at the places I boarded how people wouldn't properly care for their horses - didn't clean the stalls daily, or cleaned the stalls poorly, left the horses standing in their own mess for days...it used to make me so mad.


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## mom2pride

I was at a place for a year here in CO that the BO did the feeding and cleaning and us horse owners supplied the feed and hay...I didn't mind the situation, since we were all in seperate pens. 

Well mid-way through this year, my horse and another horse swapped pens, I was cool with that, since my mare was in a larger run. But then a couple of months later, the BO decided to bring in another horse into the large pen with my horse...she didn't really discuss it with me, either, just all of a sudden said hey, there's another horse moving in with your horse. What??? 

During this time I was also dealing with some kind of illness that made hauling hay impossible for me, and my husband and I were tossing around the idea of moving her to a full care boarding facility that supplied hay and feed anyway, but the BO bringing in another horse without our consent, and us still having to supply our own hay and not knowing what kind of hay this other owner would provide, kind of sealed the deal for us. 

My mare did have to be with the new horse for a few weeks until we found a new barn that worked for our budget, and had what I wanted, and then we had to set up a day to have her hauled.

If I could, I would prefer to have my horse in my own backyard...I hate having to board, but it is what it is! My current boarding place is pretty good; the owners are down to earth, the trainer is friendly, and pleasant to talk too, and always asks how you are and how your horse is. It is a bigger stable too, and nothing fancy, but it I like it, and my horse is content there, so that is what matters.


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## BarnQueen

When I was in college I boarded at a self care barn. My barn owner would feed in the morning, and provide the hay and bedding straw. We would clean our stalls every day, fill our containers of grain, and leave the amount of hay we wanted fed in portions in front of the stalls. 

We were a really nice group and had turn in and turn out schedules, with some other "jobs" that would be allocated in a bi-annual meeting. People that could make it in the morning would turn out, and those that would make it in the afternoon/evening would turn in and feed. If one of us needed to go away, we'd always have a friend who could clean our stall for us. 

I only remember one girl that was there for a while that would never clean her stall, and we felt so bad for her poor horse, that we ended up cleaning it for her, on the days that she didnt come in. 

We would meet for people's birthdays, always put on a Christmas show, go on group rides, would always have cookies and coffee with as a group on the days our trainers would come in. 

It was a great time with amazing people (about 15 of us) and I fondly think back on those days. However, now that I have my own barn, I do not offer self board. I know I am thorough, and I know other people my try "their" best, but that is not good enough to have my name on it.


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## Bridgertrot

I think self care works better on a smaller scale, generally. My boyfriends mom recently bought a place that has a little bit of acreage, a barn, and run in shelters. She only wanted the house on the property to run a business out of. I suggested to her that she should offer boarding since everything would be sitting unused otherwise.

So I help her set up everything and told her that we can do complete self care. The benefit being we get to see/pet horses daily and get money but don't have to care for them. The place is zoned for 7 horses, but the first two women just had single or two horses. The women were on the property at separate times. Long story short, neither of them worked out because they just weren't responsible and were complete "female dogs" to us. One of them constantly left gates open letting animals out and the other just had no idea what she was doing.

Anywho, we never exactly could figure out a way to board more than just one person/family at a time due to storage issues. But we got really lucky and got a family with three mustangs and paint that board with us now. They are responsible, nice, and clean up things. So like I said, on a small scale, they can work well.

I used to manage a 20 horse boarding barn that was self care. Overall most of the horses were taken care of well, had a few duds as usual, and nobody wanted to do chores so we always ended up doing most of the things but it ran relatively smoothly. I can see why people to full care though with multiple people boarding.


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## mls

Bridgertrot said:


> So I help her set up everything and told her that we can do complete self care. The benefit being we get to see/pet horses daily and get money but don't have to care for them.


Who fixes fence? Cleans the turnouts? Hauls manure? Insurance?


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## Bridgertrot

Me and boyfriend do maintainence (there's not much really), horse owners clean turnouts, we have space for a manure pile that people take for fertilizing, and boyfriends mom took care of insurance.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## BarnQueen

I think the key is really to find responsible owners. That is the bottom line to having self care work out. However, there are so many BO around, that can't even take care of their properties and animals (not necessarily BO that have boarders, but just keep their own horses), that it really comes down to chance of finding good suitable DIY boarders.


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## Endeavors

Can someone define what "full care" might mean in any formal way? I realize this can vary. I have only owned our horse for 3-4 years and never owned my own prior to that knowing that horse ownership is demanding and cost of care & vet bills can be forbiddingly expensive on a modest salary. However, I cannot keep my girl's horse at home; we adore him and he is great therapy for all of us. So, we have had him 3 places in 3-4 years, trained him as a 4H project etc....he is a kind, though spirited gelding. Our moves have been mostly due to "constant rule changing" and the facilities managers' willingness to do only minimal care)....each one has had different versions of what they will and will not do as part of "full care" and each facility varies greatly in standards of care; while seemingly changing the rules as they go along. When a boarding facility says "full care" I once assumed that meant any and all care either requested by an owner (within reason) or whatever is reasonably necessary for the general well being of the horse EVERY SINGLE DAY regardless if owner is present or not. IS there a formal definition for "full care" any where at any "horse association" websites? Where is the line drawn typically? How much feed should be provided to an average horse? Alfalfa limits? Is it common to put a cap on how much they will feed if not requiring a "special diet". And how often should hay be offered...3x or 2x daily? What if boarders feel the horses aren't getting "ample" hay and alfalfa for them to feel "comfortable". It seems they are more "agressive" at pasture if only fed "minimally". Is it appropriate to set a limit on amount of hay/alfalfa vs. "whatever it takes"? Is it unreasonable to expect ones horse to be turned out on the schedule promised or ask to be promptly notified (ie: morning turnout is cancelled frequently due to weather/construction etc... without any daily/regular notice or e-posting to boarders). I find this problematic because if my 10 yr old gets on this horse that's been cooped up all day or for several days its hard on her and the horse (even dangerous). Even if we lounge him it's sometimes not enough if he's been cooped up for several dAys in a row. There is no way for us to know in retrospect if he has been out or not if we arrive "after business hours". Lastly, Is blanketing and unblanketing daily during winter considered reason for extra charges? My horse is a Mustang and is sometimes feisty and anxious to get blanket off and get turned out. He can be pushy especially with littler people or inexperienced handlers; and it can be intimidating to someone who is not very horse saavy. He doesn't buck or try to hurt anyone, he's just feisty and can move about quickly in anticipation to get out to pasture. Personally I'd rather he not be blanketed at all, but my kids see others doing it and think this hardy mustang needs same after a late evening workout in winter. If he gets feisty, people won't take it off in the morning saying he "scares them" and turning him into the "no no bad horse". Is it reasonable to expect someone on staff that is saavy to have to do the blanket/turnout? Or at least request a phone call notice that no one has done so?

The "rule" has been that he gets turned out first to reduce his anxiousness and reduce danger to the blanket/turnout crew. Is it fair that if the person responsible gets scared they just leave him in with his blanket on and dont' call to let me know? Hmmmm. Full Care, just what does that mean in a "professional" facility?


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## MudPaint

Endeavors said:


> The "rule" has been that he gets turned out first to reduce his anxiousness and reduce danger to the blanket/turnout crew. Is it fair that if the person responsible gets scared they just leave him in with his blanket on and dont' call to let me know? Hmmmm. Full Care, just what does that mean in a "professional" facility?



Full care at a professional facility varies greatly (as I'm sure you've noticed). Typically it involves regular feeding (at the amount required to keep your horse healthy) and turn out. What is important is to read your boarders release or contract.... whatever they give to you to sign that tells you what the farm does. If they don't stick to it, politely bring it up. If they fail to hold up their end... say notifying you because they've cancelled turnout or that your horse needs it's blanket removed, then that's a breach of contract and you can up and move... In my opinion... others may have something else to say. 

Blanketing here is typically included, however, I have a horse that was difficult to blanket when I originally purchased him. He was randomly terrified of his clothes. He still acts stupid in the early fall... so I make it a point to change his blanket till he settles. It's a pain, but it's part of being his owner and keeping the barn staff from possibly getting hurt. 

The most important thing in boarding and training is communication. If they are not doing what you think they should be, then it needs to be addressed. Perhaps they are wrong, perhaps you are.


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## Dreamcatcher Arabians

My board contract states: 

DCA agrees to provide a clean facility and appropriate feed and water required to maintain the animal:

Stall: _____________ Mare Motel Corral: ______________ Pasture: Payment is due upon arrival. 

Horse Owner agrees that he/she will pay DCA for the aforementioned facilities, feed and services the total sum of $________ per month in advance.

I will turn out before cleaning stalls, but I don't guarantee turnout every day, though that's pretty much what happens and there's no charge, IF the horse can go out in the herd. If the owner wants private turnout, that's a higher level of service and there's a charge. If the owner provides a blanket for foul weather, I will blanket mid-day if it's warranted, then remove the sheet or blanket after the storm is over and I don't generally charge for these service. However, if you want the horse blanketed and unblanketed daily, there will be a charge. For one horse it's not that timely but you multiply that by 20-30 horses, 2X/day, and you're talking a significant amount of time every day. 

I feed 2X/day normally, though when I've gotten in a boarder's horse who looks a bit thin, I frequently will do a 3rd feeding until they are up to where I like them to be (and that has NEVER been thinner than an owner likes the horse to be). If a horse is a hard keeper and requires more/special feeds or feeding, then the monthly rate for that horse will be higher. I say I feed 2X/day and that's true for concetrates and night hay, but during the day when they are out they have free access to round bales of hay. Here in OK I do not feed alfalfa because of blister beetles. If an owner wanted the horse fed alfalfa they would have to provide it and they would have to either provide it in cubed or pelleted form or proof that it came from a blister beetle free state. I'll happily feed it, no extra charge in those circumstances. I require supplements to be in Smart Paks and delivered here, they can be ordered through the Barn Buddy program and shipped for free. I don't charge for feeding the Smart Paks. If the boarder wants the horse groomed daily, that can be done too, but there would be a charge for that. 

That pretty much describes FULL board at my place.


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