I represent many full service boarding facilities and most face the same types of challenges. The economics of operating such a boarding facility are often difficult for the average person. The market where the farm is located may not support the boarding fees that need to be charged in order for the facility to turn any sort of profit – and sometimes may not even support high enough fees for the facility to simply break even. I often half-jokingly/half-seriously tell folks who ask about becoming a boarding facility to do it only if (a) they have unlimited funds and enjoy having a business that needs someone carefully paying attention to it 24/7/365; or (b) their farm is located in an area with a strong market for stables and the boarding fees people will pay are high enough to make the venture profitable, even after taking into account the cost of adequate staff, insurance and maintenance; or (c) are simply just compelled to do it because of their love for horses or their love of the atmosphere of a good boarding barn, despite all the economic and liability downsides (similar to how comedians and pastors always say folks should not attempt their professions unless it is a true calling and you just CANNOT do anything else and be happy).
Adding riding lessons or horse training to the mix when you own a boarding facility ratchets up the liability, the cost and the complexity of the operations. Allow children as students and expensive horses in the stalls and the stakes are even higher. One child injured in a riding lesson can take down a trainer’s career and a lesson barn’s program, so it’s important to have substantial safety protocols in place and adequate, well-trained staff in addition to plenty of insurance (e.g., liability; care, custody and control; instructor liability and perhaps other coverages, depending on what opportunities the stable provides to its patrons). None of these necessary safeguards are inexpensive and all eat into the profitability of the enterprise.
While I do not in any way intend to discourage quality boarding facilities from opening and operating, I must be frank about the realities of the business because every week I have someone calling me with a romantic story about how they dream of operating a boarding facility. Often it goes something like this – they saw this pretty property and thought it needed horses in the pasture, so they are in the process of building a barn and are going to board a few horses “for fun” and need the business set up. Sometimes they have already set up their Facebook page and had a stable logo designed. So exciting! Bless their hearts, I love their enthusiasm – if only it were that simple. Oftentimes these are wonderful, kind folks who are not at all familiar with horses and really do not know what they do not know. Thankfully they are calling me (or someone else equally knowledgeable about the equine boarding business such as an equine-specific insurance agent or experienced or a local, successful boarding facility owner), so they are hopefully going to learn something about what it will take in terms of time and money before they spend a lot of money on the front end buying property, building barns, putting up fencing, investing in graphic designers, etc.
Operating a boarding facility day to day is also not for the faint of heart (I wrote an entire blog post about it, in fact), but one twist that might make it less stressful, less expensive and more feasible for the general public (and in some ways even more rewarding), is for a facility to limit boarding to retired horses who just need a peaceful, safe place to spend their golden years – with no riding permitted. The insurance cost is significantly lower and the human traffic at the barn (i.e., opportunities for injuries) is typically lower. Not to mention the learning curve is much shorter when all you are doing is offering retirement board with no riding, no lessons, no training, etc. And the owners of these retirement facilities are rewarding horses who have often worked hard and made their owners very happy, some for a very long time (or have even rewarded them with prize money, in some cases). Providing a safe and peaceful haven for these horses is quite fulfilling for many folks. When no riding is allowed, fewer staff member are needed at the barn and an inexpensive co-op structure is also quite feasible with retirement facilities as long as you are careful to choose the members of your co-op very carefully.
Some folks looking into providing boarding services, especially those with veterinary or medical training, may decide to offer special services for retired horses with health issues or even go the route of a becoming a rehabilitation stable for horses that are recovering from injuries. But, more commonly, folks are setting up stables to serve horses that have simply completed their working lives and now deserve some peace, quiet and good quality time with a herd.
So if you have always wanted to operate an equine boarding facility, you should consider the economics and your equine knowledge base carefully before embarking on such a venture. Once you are comfortable that you have the knowledge you will need, but perhaps the economics are a concern, you might want to consider the idea of allowing retirees only with no riding. A retirement stable may offer just the balance of economics, liability and service that you are seeking!
If you have a situation with some connection to North Carolina (I am only licensed in NC and cannot give advice regarding any other state’s laws) and get into a bind needing legal assistance or just want to ask some general questions to avoid getting in a bind, feel free to email me at dburch@rl-law.com. I used to answer quick questions for free if I could, but I am getting so many calls for free legal advice that I am having to start charging a little something for an initial chat! A good problem to have, I guess 🙂 Starting July 1, 2023, I’m going to be charging $150 for a 30 minute general question session. You won’t be engaging me as your lawyer, and we will still have to run a conflicts check, but frequently I can help folks a lot in 30 minutes. Can’t guarantee it, but usually I can at least give you some direction or general thoughts about a general type of situation. If you don’t hear back from me quickly, it’s not because I don’t love you or think you have a great question or because I don’t know the answer (usually), I’m probably just really busy and haven’t had a chance to email back. You can check out our firm’s Equine Law Group at www.rl-law.com if you’re interested, and yes, in addition to providing what I hope are interesting and informative stories and information, this blog is in some small way, I guess, also an advertisement for legal services. I have to tell you that in bold, says the State Bar.
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