Boarding Miniatures for Others

[remington]

Two questions......

How much would you charge per month for a horse you are just boarding, like for a year?

How much would you charge per month for a horse that is selling to someone?

Would you charge different and why?

What care do you include in the normal board fee?

Okay, I said two questions....lol...sorry

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[Sue_C.]

A friend of mine charges $9.00 per day, large horse. Includes all, and has an indoor riding arena. She charges me $7.00 per day for my minis, and I use the facility for a month in the spring when I have a horse in training.

Myself, as I have no indoor, but do have a good outdoor ring, and access to a dirt road, and many trails, charge $5.00. I have boarded friend's horses for as little as $3.00, but actually lost money when you think of the cost of feed, hay and bedding, and I hire cleanout due to my slight disability. Then again, in that case, I was doing a favour, not actually "boarding" the horse.

:

Edited because I forgot the second question...duh!

As for a horse I have sold, I have never charged board, as only once did I have to hold the horse any length of time. In that particular case, as it was an International sale, it was held up due to unforseen circumstances due to shipping. I should have charged board, and would, if it happend again. I ended up keeping the horse for free, another four and a half months, and that came out of any "profit" I might have made. Soooo....I think that in all honesty, I would grant perhaps a two week free-board period; then would have to charge $3.00 per day just to lower my loss.

 

[SweetOpal]

WOW, those are some pretty high prices for minis. Well right now I am boarding one of Disneyhorses yearlings and I charge her $45 a month she is in a 12x12 stall with a 24 x 24 turnout. She eats the same feed that my minis eat and she gets turned out to pasture daily. I have also boarded for other friends temporarily and have charged them the same amount. No im not making money and most of the time it is more of a favor for the person. But $150 a month sounds a bit high for a mini. Im in so Cal and you can find places for not much more to board a full size horse.

 

[Sue_C.]

But $150 a month sounds a bit high for a mini. Im in so Cal and you can find places for not much more to board a full size horse

Well you surely aren't going to find any $150. per month for large horse or pony here. Nearer to the city, they are paying upwards of $550., per month...PLUS taxes! :new_shocked:

Flax $25., Feed $20. and $25., Beetpulp $16., Shavings $4.50 bale, Hay $2.50-$3.50, Clean-out $6.50 hour, it all adds up. Plus the time it takes to clean-up the outside paddocks. Heck...people are paying $100., just for pasture board! :new_shocked:

 

[Mnmini]

Here, large horse board with heated indoor and stalls is $400 to 550. As my husband and I were going to be out of town over the holidays, I boarded 2 minis at my large horse facility ($400 per month). I pre-measured and packed all of their grain, and brought my own hay. I paid $10 a day for the pair of them (they shared a stall), and felt it was a bargain for the peace of mind. Definitely was cheaper than my kennel boarding bill for the same time period!

 

[Lisa-Ruff N Tuff Minis]

I hve a horse here I sold and he is still here.. looks like he will be here till perhaps Nationals this year which would be 1 1/2 years total lol

We were just discussing board and we decided like 40 bucks a month is fair she wanted to pay more. He is in his own 10x10 stall, gets turned out all day daily and stuff. That includes his normal daily care just as I do with my own horses and his de-worming and such. Really I will go ahead and vaccinate him with mine as well.. I will ask she pays farrier and vet costs though.

Not sure I would board an outside horse that I havent sold and most horses sold I dont charge board on they just work on there shipping and move the horse once it is weaned. This was just an unusual case with a repeat client that sort of worked out that he is still here.

 

[Devon]

around here large horse is about $500 but minis are around $50-100 I pay 50.

 

[Songcatcher]

Definitely was cheaper than my kennel boarding bill for the same time period!

This is something that just baffles me. Why do so many people think dogs are worth so much more than horses. A horse (mare) has one foal per year at most. A dog may have as many as 12-24 pups per year. And yet, I see many dogs selling for more than many horses.

: Sorry if I am fftopic:

 

[Dontworrybeappy]

I'm in Southern California, and I've been boarding minis since I first got into them a couple of years ago - I charge $100.00/month for feed and board (cleaning, water, facilities). If the mini required bedding that would double - more expense and time for me!

Big horses we board for $250 - $300.00/month in corrals - bedding and a stall would be $500.00. We're in Norco with trails on every street - we have a parking lot, 2 arenas, a roundpen, lights, fly system and all that jazz.

It's not worth it for us to charge less... boarding is much more than the cost of feed!

 

[Miniv]

So far, we have not asked for board on a sold horse......but we have boarded for friends. The charge depends on how much detailed care. We've charged between $50 per month up to $2.50 per day, with farrier/worming/shots additional.

Our problem here is that when they are "friends" you tend to undercharge and then get taken advantage of. We keep trying to get out of situations like that and then fall back into them.

My number one advice is to always have things in writing -- no matter how much you decide to charge!

MA

 

[royalview]

:cold: Up here in the frigid state of Maine I get 100 per month on a mini, 300 permonth on a big horse and when I had an indoor I got 450 per big horse. this all includes hay, grain, bedded stall cleaned daily and turnout. It costs more to keep a horse in bedding up here than hay in the winter!!

 

[MeadowRidge Farm]

I think $150.00 a month for board of a mini is high. I have boarded minis for $50.00 a month which includes a box stall--in at night, out in a pasture during the day, all hay, feed,and bedding, my stalls are cleaned daily. I have to pick a mare up tonight and foal her out here, she is due in about 4-6 weeks, on mares I have in for foaling I put them under my camera, plus use my equipage on them--I still only charge $60.00 a month for that, plus my vet (who is also a good friend) stops over regularly to check on things. Horses sold--no charge. Corinne

 

[stormo41]

in Ontario, i have over paied at $100 a month, I have paid $60 a month, witch i found very reasonable, and then over paid at $60 a month. when i over paied for $60 i was keeping my horse in a barn just till i could find a buyer, i aslo had to pay for feed and bedding myself, along with vet, farrier, worming ext. however he was kept in a large box stall, and i had outdoor and indoor arenas. but still one day i came and found my horse had been muching on a bail of straw all day, the people did not know horses that well, i also had to get up at 5am and get a ride to the barn to feed him, and feed him at 7pm myself as well, but sometimes the people feed him for me and did not tell me so he got feed the same meal twice. so it really all depends on what you offer for the price.

 

[bevann]

For some of you people that charge so little,it seems that you are really giving the boarder a steal.If I were the boarder I would be ashamed to pay you only $60 a month for the full responsibility for the care of my animal.Like 1 poster said, it costs more that that to board a dog.I board 2 Minis that I sold to a lady and I am not going to do it and lose money.Figure up what the cost of your feed, bedding, etc is and add to that the time you spend turning in and out plus time cleaning and rebedding the stall, hauling hay&feed&water to that horse,etc.See if the owner will get up and go to the barn when is is pouring rain, freezing, or hotter than hades and then figure.You are probably working for nothing -way even less than minimum wage.Your knowledge and how to take good care of a Mini ought to be worth something. I have almost 20 years doing Minis and I think I have a lot of knowledge about care and it doesn't come cheap.I pay $350 to have my babies delivered at foaling facility run by a vet tech and I think that is a bargain.They are under cameras 24 hrs a day 7 days a week.I did it for a while&boy did it kill my disposition and my health.Not sleeping well for over 8 weeks at a stretch can do a number on you.

 

[Shaladar]

I live in California, SW of Sacramento. I charge $5.00 per day. That includes, stall, (some with paddocks) bedding, and all feed, cleaning, etc. Turn out. I only board "Full care". It is not worth my time and trouble to charge less than that. The feed prices in California are high, shavings aren't cheap, and I don't skimp on them. I did have a boarder once ask if I could use less shavings in her horses stalls so I could charge her less. Ummm, no

Summer board in pasture, (w/shelter) is $100.00 per month. And Always a boarding contract.

Plus, people that know me know that their horses are spoiled rotten...LOL :lol: :lol: I go through a couple of pails of "Nicker makers" (horse cookies) a month.

I have never understood why some people think it fine to charge (and pay) $500.00-$1,000.00 a month for full board on a big horse, but feel that minis should be practically free. Are they not horses? Do they not use the facilities?

And sold horses stay for free for a month. I have never had anyone balk at paying board if the horse has to stay longer than that.

Maybe it's because I come from a big horse background. And I have paid these boarding prices and more on Minis I have bought without a problem.

:

Sue

 

[chandab]

I haven't boarded minis, but did board my full-size at a self-care facility when I was in Colorado. It's been six years, so can't remember for sure, but I think I paid $200 or $250 per month for all three of my horses for use of about a 1 acre paddock (I rented the paddock and had it to myself, no other horses in it); I supplied all feed and care (they would feed short-term, like if I had to be gone or there was bad weather, but otherwise I was there at least twice a day to feed and check on them). BO took care of water, as she was on city and didn't want it wasted.

 

[mininik]

The least I've paid to board a Mini was $75./mo. and it went up from there to $150./mo. These places were in the nicer areas North of Phoenix, AZ.

 

[virginia]

Last year I sold 3 minis to a woman truck driver. She asked me if I would board them when she was on a trip. I said sure. One month later all three came back. I charged $2 a mini or $6 a day plus Farrier and shots. Now it is a year later and all three are still here and she is now paying $3 each or $9 a day. Plus the extras. I'm wondering why she bought minis???? She's been back a couple of times for a visit.

Ginny StP

 

[Joyce]

Meadowridge, I don't know how you can do it so cheaply when foaling out a mare. That is a lot of responsibility and you certainly deserve more pay than that. And using your equipment is worth something also.

 

[DebiM]

I charge either $90 a month or $100 a month. For 90 it includes everything except Farrier, Vet and vaccinations. The $100 is basically the same except it includes Farrier.

I have one here now that was born here and it's been so good having her back. She came down to OK with Judy Bakker and I brought her home from there. I'll be breeding her this spring, foaling her out next spring, breeding her back then sending her home. All of that of course will be extra, amts depending on the stallion.

I just wouldn't do it for less. It's a tremendous responsibility caring for someone else's horse. I worry more abt her than anyone else!

Debi