Horse boarding is a facility to house your horses, where someone else takes care of them. The caretaker for the horse charges a fee for taking care of your animals. There are different types of boarding available. The costs of boarding the horse depend upon the type of boarding selected. In this article, we will have an overview of how much horse boarding costs and explore the different types.
Cost of Boarding A horse
A boarding stable is a facility where your horse is kept and cared for for a monthly fee. This is when you own a horse but you don’t have land to keep it or you do not have enough time to take good care of him. Boarding can be expensive and can cost up to $400 a month. However, the cost depends on the variety of boarding you are opting for and the facilities you might avail of.
Keeping a horse all by yourself will cost you a fortune too. It can be somewhere between $300 to $450 which is a lot. Moreover, this requires a lot of time, effort, and consistency. Boarding facilities lend you a helping hand in handling your horses or you can fully depend on them. Several factors affect the cost of a boarding facility. These include location or region and the type of boarding.
What are the Types of Boarding Available?
Listed below are some of the most available boarding facilities.
1. Full Boarding
Full boarding is when the horse is fully dependent on the boarding staff. This includes feeding and caring for the horse as well as doing all the chores like cleaning, changing waters, picking up the paddock, and taking care of the stall. In this type of boarding, the owner is not required to visit now and then. You can go out for weeks and do not have to worry about your animal as it is in professional care.
This type of boarding is relaxing however it can be very expensive to keep up with. The cost of the barn can vary depending on the area. Even if you find a cheaper one or an affordable full boarding facility, you might have to compromise on the quality of the care. This can make your horse go out of shape and become more prone to injuries on the field. The cost of full boarding for horses ranges from $400 to $500 but in metropolitans, the facilities can go as high as $1000.
2. Pasture Boarding
Pasture Boarding is when the horse is kept in a pasture for a full day. The horse is looked after by the staff or the owner himself or they both combine the tasks. Pasture boarding does not have a separate stall. The stall is only used if the horse is sick and needs to be quarantined otherwise the horse stays in the pasture. A pasture boarding has more than one horse at a time kept together. A pasture boarding facility mostly provides an option of self-care. This is that they provide you with the space and farm and you have to do the chores yourself. Many farms provide a 100% handling facility too where the staff takes care of the horse.
Pasture boarding costs vary according to the facility you are opting for. If you choose the self-care pasture farm the monthly fee will reduce to the minimum. Moreover, choosing group pastures over private ones can save you a lot. A pasture boarding can cost you from $150 to $400 depending on the services you might avail of.
3. Training Board
This is the type of boarding you should opt for if you have a sports horse or you want to train your horse. Training boards have an indoor pasture as well as outdoor walkout paddocks. These facilities have vast arenas for horses to train. This is spacious land for your horse to live in. You can come and ride your horse on the property too.
Training boards have the main barn and an arena. They have the facility of wash racks, unlimited water, and feeding the horses multiple times a day. The staff of these types of barns is professional trainers for horses. The price of a training board can cost up to $500 to $1000 a month. This highly depends on the facilities you avail and the area of the boarding place. The cost of training your horse is another instance and depends on the condition of your horse.
4. Partial Boarding
Partial boarding is when you give away your horse to be used by another person in exchange for low boarding charges. Say, for example, the horse stays in a full boarding facility but another person is allowed to use your horse for riding or giving lessons twice or thrice a week. This is partial boarding and it can cut the cost of a full boarding to half. If you pay $800 to a full boarding facility, opting for partial boarding can cost as low as $300 a month.
The other person is also responsible for the care and well-being of the horse.
This is a good option if you have a tight budget to board your horse. The only con of this boarding is the risk that comes with it, therefore everything must be carefully outlined in the contract. You should find someone trustworthy for partial boarding.
5. Self care Boarding
Self-care boarding is for people who are looking for space to keep their horse while taking care of the horse themselves. In this, the facility is provided and the rest is on the owner himself. There is no staff to assist you. The owner has to bring his horse feed and bedding and arrange the vet for him when needed.
The self-care boarding facility is very cheap in terms of paying the monthly expense. You can get the facility for $100 to $400 keeping in mind the place. The drawback of such boarding is that the owner will have to visit daily and keep a regular check which can add to the expense of the boarding. If you live nearby and have a group to take care of the horse it can be an ideal type of boarding for you.
6. Co-op Horse Boarding
Co-op boarding can be very convenient for people who are looking for a boarding facility that has all the facilities yet is affordable. This is a facility where you can become a member of the group. The barn members belong to the Co-operative team and they have one elected representative who keeps a check on all the chores and does the regular maintenance.
The Co-op members contribute to purchasing hay and shavings. This sharing mechanism lowers the cost for everyone. Being a member of this barn has some amazing benefits. You can leave your horse for days and someone will look after him. The families who operate the facility live there, so there’s always someone watching over the animals. The members charge very little monthly which is used for maintaining and upgrading the area or for the cleanliness. The feed for the horse is the responsibility of the owner. These boardings are mostly present near villages or farms.
7. Retirement Boarding
Retirement boarding is the place for senior horses to relax. At these boarding, your horse can enjoy lush green pastures with their mates and can live in their comfy stalls for the night. Retirement boarding is made for horses to stay after the hectic life they have spent. They live in groups and can be used for mating.
Retirement boarding costs somewhere between $300 to $400. The cost is moderately low as the horses live in groups.
FAQs Related To Different Boarding Types for Horses
Below is a series of FAQs to further clarify any confusions you might have regarding boarding facilities.
Boarding a horse can be very facilitating and safe for your horse especially if you are away or need a place to keep the horse in professional care. However, you should keep in mind that a horse constantly living in a boarding facility can be out of shape and unhealthy. He might not remain the same and gets more prone to injuries when back on the paddle. Horses are expensive animals and owing them is a financial commitment. Horse boarding facilities will cost you a fortune and you may have to face extra expenses too. The horse needs to be well-fed and well-groomed; you should never compromise on that.
To start your own horse boarding business, you need to have lush green land at a good location to increase the worth of your boarding. An ideal boarding place needs a good amount of investment for a better outcome. For this evaluate your facility and figure out the prices.
Before you act upon it, you first have to plan out your goals and the type of barn you want. Next work on the constructions of spacious pastures and comfortable stalls for the horses. Plan a good disposal system and ensure a clean and fresh environment to attract customers. The insurance of the place is very important to save from future loss.
A horse is an expensive animal and requires emotional as well as a financial commitment. Owing and grooming a horse can cost a lot. The feed and equipment for horses are expensive, and compromising on quality is not an option. According to a horse ownership survey, the average cost of owning a horse per year lies somewhere between $2500 to $3500.
The cost can fluctuate due to many factors including if you have your barn or have to pay monthly rent or in case you are paying for a horse boarding facility the annual cost can rise. The horse expenses per year are five times more than the expense of a car which is approximately $300 per year approximately.
Keeping a horse on your land will cut out the amount you have to pay for the barn and boarding. The exact amount depends on the feed you are using and how much your horse eats in a day. If you are using an ordinary feed without supplements the average cost a month would fall somewhere around $100 per month. The monthly expense can rise if you are using supplement feed for your horse, which is a vital element of the horse’s diet but good quality supplements are heavy on the pocket.
Other expenses that vary are the bills of the vet or farrier. Horses lick salt or mineral blocks for extra energy. These blocks are required to be purchased every couple of months. Moreover, the expense of the facility or your land is a one-time investment and annual maintenance.
Conclusion
Boarding a horse is expensive but a need for the owners of the horses. The location, facilities, and budget should be kept in mind, before zeroing in on any of the boarding options. Boarding horses is essential if you are a busy owner and have to spend days away for work or stuff. This is useful when you do not have enough space and land or the facilities to keep your horse. The best option while you choose for the type of horse boarding is a Co-op Horse boarding facility. This boarding works as a co-working space. The workload and cost are divided between the group members. This facility provides the features of a full horse boarding but is very affordable and trustworthy.
The boarding type should be selected after reading, researching, and understanding all the pros and cons of the type.
