05/26/2022
So thankful I'm not in the boarding business anymore 😬 🤑😵💫
“$61.99”
“How much for the Amplify? Not $61.99 A BAG, right?”
“62, yeah. Before delivery and the fuel surcharge.”
This is an actual conversation Em (if you don’t know who that is, she’s my head girl, right hand, the reason your horse gets 5* care here at the farm) and I had this morning. A grim reminder that while horse prices are higher than Snoop Dogg at the Super Bowl, we horse owners are in for a major crash and burn when it comes to the care and upkeep on said horses.
If you’re a regular middle classer and keep your horse at home, you’re already keenly aware; and if you boarded your horse previously you now understand why he wasn’t bedded knee deep and standing in front of 20lbs of alfalfa like he was the 2nd coming of Storm Cat. Champagne taste, beer budget, am I right? Yeah, same here.
If you currently board your horse somewhere, I beg you to read all the foreboding posts about prices going up and being kind to your barn owners. We have been quietly absorbing the price increases in every aspect of horse care and I’m about to lay some hard truths on ya’ll, so buckle up lol.
Grain prices go up WEEKLY. Yes, that’s not an exaggeration here in the NY/CT area. Since January the grain we feed has increased 11-15% depending on the brand and type. Hay went up 13% from the last load we had delivered, and I’m guessing this year’s first cut is going to be easily 33% more than last year. EASILY. Maybe more, I’m trying to be conservative in a market that’s anything but. Shavings, same thing- 16%, and who knows what this next load will be.
Dumpster, that’s gone up. Also the mowers, Kubota, truck and tractor don’t run off love. $7 a gallon anyone?
And lest we forget lumber- those fence boards and posts your angel muffin EATS? Boards- they’re about $16 each, posts are running $32. EACH, PEOPLE! Your sweet Pon Pon, who crashes through gates- yeah those are roughly $250 each at TSC. None of this is including the time and labor of a hungry and disgruntled boyfriend who is fixing the broken fencing at 8:30 at night after a full day of work.
I can tell you here at Stoneleigh we have implemented minor changes to absorb the cost for our boarder where we can. I know every horse owner loves to look in their stall and see copious amounts of hay. You know what you don’t see? How much gets churned into the bedding and s**t and pi**ed on. Trust me, it’s a lot. Same for the paddocks; spend a Sunday here when the big machines come out to strip the fronts of the muck. The waste is sinful. Look, my personal horses are the biggest diva as****es- so now they get a flake at a time. You finish your flake, you get another. Finish that? Boom! Another! But I’m not wasting hay. Also, we use hay nets when applicable, so the hay stays clean and available longer. Please don’t fret if you don’t see hay out in front of them 24/7, and look, with money all things are possible, so if you just can’t stand the thought, then we’re happy to accommodate the visual you need.
If your horse blows through a gate or beavers my boards down to spindles, you’re going to get a bill for it. It’s not personal, it’s horses.
One of my coaches sent an email that her boarding and training prices were increasing-20% to cover costs. It’s an accurate number. Presently. I wouldn’t be shocked if it goes up again if inflation doesn’t shake out. But it was something else she said that resonated with me as well- that her boarding business needed to cover itself and not be supplemented by her lessons and clinic fees. Oh man. Light bulb moment for sure.
I don’t think most boarders understand that- for me personally my lessons and schooling fees go right back into the farm account- I essentially make NO SALARY. I’m clearly not the only pro doing this, and while I’m not complaining, (it’s my farm and I think that’s fair for now) it’s something to think about.
In the coming months you’ll see price changes happening at all levels of the boarding industry- maybe some will do a tiered pricing structure, a la carte services, surcharges or just a general percentage price increase, but it’s coming.
Satire aside, rest assured Em and I will do our best to keep board as affordable as possible without sacrificing the 5* care you’ve come to expect here. We’re not asking for hugs or accolades, just a momentary pause to remember as crazy horse owners, we’re all in this together.
(Horse in photo says he’s not responsible, but ain’t no snitch either 🤣)
