While many horse owners dream of having their horses in the backyard, the logistics often aren’t feasible between time commitments, the cost of real estate, and other responsibilities. Many owners board their horses instead and the topic of boarding rates is always a sore spot for horse owners and facility owners alike. Though it may seem like this transfer of funds is simply paying for a tiny 12×12 box and some field space, the actual costs of keeping horses—and keeping them well, meaning they have adequate feed and care—can be staggering, no matter where in the country the horse resides.
A competition barn manager in Central Kentucky put together the general cost of boarding horses in the Bluegrass and the costs are eye opening. Carleigh Fedorka leases a 10-stall barn on an existing farm and provides care for horses boarded there.
Fedorka, who went from boarding her horses to leasing her own boarding and training facility, said even she was surprised by how quickly costs beyond the expected expenses of hay and grain could add up. She provided her complete budget per horse from everything from barn cost to utilities to staff to maintenance on her blog, A Yankee In Paris.
Using her estimates, which Fedorka said could even be on the low side, she calculated each horse costs the business $710.80 per month to simply live at a farm where it receives quality care, suggesting that many facility owners probably find themselves losing money on their full-care board rates.
Read more at Fedorka’s blog, A Yankee in Paris.
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