Did I want to build, operate, and manage my own horse farm? …..Nope! At the end of the day am I grateful?….Yep!
Building a barn is a very stressful project in and of itself, let alone moving horses in that then have to be cared for 24/7. I tried to divorce my husband several times through the building process. Would he let me?…No. Would it have been cheaper for him? Oh, heck yes! It was a pain we had to endure to get to where we are today, but I will save the conversation of building the barn for another day.
Operating and managing a horse farm is difficult when it is your own horses, but then add in boarding other peoples’ horses. Believe me, it is not for the faint of heart. There are so many things that come into play: feed/grain, what type of hay, how many times a day do horses get fed, can supplements be fed, what supplies does the barn provide, what services does the barn provide, how much turnout time do the horses get, is turnout on grass, limestone, dirt/mud, what are the barn hours, what are the arena rules, etc. Let me tell you, all of these topics are well thought out by the barn owner/manager. And many compromises are made because most people do not agree with something relative to board cost versus what is provided.
There are tons of posts on social media these days in regards to this topic. I used to get really frustrated seeing so much support for the boarders in these conversations wanting to justify paying less than cost for maintaining a horse, let alone the stall the horse is renting along with the space the horse is turned out in, as well as other areas provided for use (such as arena(s), barn aisles, tack rooms, etc). But when I took a step back and looked at the general population, only a small portion will own and run their own barn/farm. Most will never have the drive, ambition, courage or strength to do it (let alone funds). So, bravo to those that do because you all are a different breed.
Back to my original thought, because the general population will only ever be boarders, we cannot as barn owners be putting all the blame on them, if they are not educated on all aspects (including costs) of barn ownership. And I’m not going to bore you with each and every cost, but do note that most of us running a horse barn are doing a lot of work on our own and do not get paid for it, in fact we are putting are hard earned money into something that we are allowing others to share.
There are a few things that I have learned over some time operating a horse barn. Many people are looking for a deal when it comes to board, but as a barn owner I respect my help and pay them accordingly for it, so board is going to reflect that. Not everyone wants to care for their horse(s) like I do. However, I will never tolerate negligence with a horse (or any animal for that matter). In many cases, a horse with a behavioral problem does not have an owner that does not care, more so it is that the owner is uneducated on how to handle their horse, and there is no quick fix in horse training and relationship building. People that I thought were my friends, generally took advantage of me, and were not my friends. And people who I didn’t see as friends have become family based upon a shared love and respect for our horses.
I know not everyone will agree with my care for the horses, not everyone will agree with what I charge in board, but I do hope that others see and respect that I operate my barn, my farm, my home out of love and respect for each and every horse that steps foot in my facility.