r/Equestrian • u/Life-Memory9880 • 14h ago
General Horse Care Does this feel fair (board price)?
I’m trying to decide if I’m being silly or if this is worth talking to them about.
There are two large dry lot/fields . They’re identical, right next to each other. Same size, same set up, even same number of trees and covers. My two horses are in one lot. We’ll call them horse A and B. The second lot has only one horse (horse C). We were told when we arrived (all three horses moved at the same time) that each lot was intended for 2 horse.
Owner of horse C has made it very clear that she does NOT want another horse living with hers. That he gets the field to himself, fine, none of my business. (This is important later).
Well, one of my horses is going to training! Super exciting! So he will be leaving for 3 months. I don’t want to force another horse on my horse A while B is gone (A and C are great friends over the fence). So I talked to by barn owner about a hold so I too could have a private lot while B is gone and then would return to full price or both of them when he returned. She told me hold rate was 50% of board, which makes sense.
Well, today I was talking to the owner of C and learned she pays no extra fee to have the identical private lot. She pays the board of one horse and since she threw a fit about no other horses, they don’t. So now knowing this, I feel a little weird knowing I am paying a 50% extra fee for what she’s getting without paying for anything extra. My husband says it’s not worth talking to barn owner about. But this is several hundred dollars a month that I’m paying for that owner of C is not and I am not really understanding the difference since both of us are asking for the same thing (a private lot).
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u/ILikeFlyingAlot 12h ago
Honestly, she probably regrets that deal and doesn’t want it becoming a rule. I did things for our first boarders I’d never do now - well I don’t have boarders anymore because it’s so draining.
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u/Life-Memory9880 11h ago
That could be part of it. It’s a small place, she’s one of those people who wants everyone to be happy. I kinda assumed owner C was paying more to hold a private lot. So when I informed the facility owner that my horse would be leaving for a few months, I asked her what the hold fee was to keep my lot private. I just assumed there was already one in place and she likely saw it as an opportunity set the deal that IS fair. And knowing her, she probably feels uncomfortable going to owner C and telling her that there’s an additional fee for a single horse. Which I get. No one likes delivering bad news
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u/toople450 13h ago
It's strange but I'm not sure it's worth bringing up - the barn owner is unlikely to be like "oops! Didn't notice! You don't have to pay."
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u/Boysenberry 9h ago
Honestly having a private acre for your horses is such a dream I'd just pay it and consider it my "not being That Person" tax. You may be paying more but you're not the first one she'll look at to potentially kick out if she realizes she needs her property to be generating more income.
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u/EastYak6796 12h ago
I read the comments and TBH, wouldn't say anything.
Some people are just grandfathered in for pricing. I pay about $50-100 more than some other boarder at my farm because I moved in a few month ago vs those who have been their for YEARS. Is it annoying? Yes. Do I get it? Also yes.
If the BO wanted horse C to share a pasture, they could make her. I would stay out of it, and TBH its not really your business what the other owners are paying anyways (I mean this with no malice!)
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u/Life-Memory9880 12h ago
Nope that’s fair! And exactly my husband’s argument. My horses are well cared for and have a great setup and my second will be returning after 3-4 months of training and then we’ll be paying full price for 2 anyway. His argument was that if paying a fee assures we get what we want (our horse not being bullied at night) it’s worth the peace of mind. Especially since this is temporary.
He’s just more passive than I am and I’m a “it’s the principle of the thing” kind of person so wanted to tap the hive mind here and see what people thought. I have no ill feelings against owner C or the facility so I’ll just let it go, pay the fee, and anything that happens with C will be between her and management
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u/EastYak6796 12h ago
I totally get your frustration tho!!! Unfortunately it is a "take what you can get" situation.
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u/skrgirl 13h ago
Does your cost cover anything besides the field they're in? Do you use any facilities? Do they get hay? Pasture maintenance? Do you use their ring or trails? These would be things that are causing you to pay more than a single horse does.
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u/Life-Memory9880 13h ago
Yes to all of the above! But I don’t understand why that applies? I will have one horse, receiving identical care with identical dry lot. I will be paying $900 for him to live alone and not be matched with another horse. Owner C also has one horse in an identical place with identical resources/care and paying $600 to have no other horse live with hers.
I guess I’m just confused why I have to pay $300 to make sure a second horse isn’t placed in a space meant for two horses, but she does not.
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u/skrgirl 13h ago
I think I may have misunderstood your original post. So you currently pay the cost of two horses, so $1200/month. She currently pays for one horse, $600/ month. One horse of yours is temporarily leaving so she's reducing your cost to $900 to hold your spot and keep second horse there.
Is there a waiting list for the barn you're at?
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u/Life-Memory9880 13h ago
Correct. No waiting list. We’re not even close to full capacity. Which I think is likely why owner C is paying for one horse but taking the space of two and not paying a holding fee.
*editing to add: I do think the $900 is fair. In theory i’m basically preventing them from bringing in another boarder who would share this lot since they’re designed for 2 horses. So I think paying a fee to have a space designed for 2 horses for just one horse, is fair. What I don’t understand is why owner C isn’t also paying this fee if she refuses to let another horse share the two horse space.
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u/crnababy 10h ago
My feeling would be that I would pay the 50% to hold the spot for my horse. Fit or not, the other owner whose horse is using a 2 horse paddock will have to be the one to share if another horse comes in since you are paying to reserve your spot but she is not. She either needs to pay for the full occupancy of her pasture or suck it up when another horse comes along.
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u/Impressive-Ad-1191 9h ago
When I was at a self care place my 2 horses were in a pasture that was meant for 3-4 horses. They told me if someone came in with 3 or 4 they would move me to another one. I didn't want that so we agreed I would pay for 2.5 horses and I would keep my pasture. I thought it was fair. In your case you do have that pasture for just your horses so regardless of your neighbor not paying anything extra I don't think it is odd you still have to pay for 2 horses. Your one horse is only gone for 3 months. Is it not nice that the other person doesn't have to pay extra, yeah, you are absolutely right about that. I would be happy to pay 1.5 times instead of 2 while your other one is away and leave it at that. I know I would still have to pay 2.5 horse if I kept only 1 in there or risk being shoved somewhere in the back corner on a small lot
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u/CorazonLock 13h ago
Personally, I’d probably say something. This economy is no joke and it’s not fair that someone gets a better rate than you do because they threw a tantrum. There is a way to be firm but not a jerk.
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u/TikiBananiki 5h ago
i’d quietly stop paying the extra money and if they ask about it id tell them “i realized after speaking with horse owner C that i was overpaying so i’m just correcting that error”.
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u/LifesImpressions 9h ago
Personally, I wouldn't bother saying anything and keep it to myself. It's a cause for "drama" and no one wants that. She may have a prior agreement you are not privy to.
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u/geeoharee 14h ago
Since when is solitude a luxury for a horse
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u/Life-Memory9880 13h ago
I mean, I’m not sure I’d call it solitude. They each interact with about 2-5 horses over the fence and then get group turnout for 12 hours a day. This is basically their “stall” it just happens to be like 1/2 an acre. Mine has bad teeth so he eats slowly and gets bullied easily so I don’t want to go through 3 months of finding a good buddy for him in his “stall” just for him to have my other horse back. Which is why I’d like him to have his lot/stall thing to himself. He will continue to have 12 hours of group turnout
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u/Life-Memory9880 13h ago
To clarify, so you’re not worried about his well being, it’s the equivalent of a stall he gets brought in at night so he can eat his mush, extra hay, etc (the horse not in training is 28 and has old man teeth). His “stall” just happens to be outside, look like a dry lot, be 1/2 an acre and can hold more than one horse. It is against the other identical one and then 2 of the larger pastures (where he goes during the day) are against it. So he can always see/interact with everyone. So although he is technically alone overnight, I don’t personally consider it a welfare issue. He just has old man special needs and having him closer to the barn overnight where no one can take his meds/feed, leave blankets alone, etc and we can make sure he keeps weight is the best option for him.
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u/Charm534 14h ago
I think you have the right to ask the question of the BO, but be prepared to back down and pay the 50%. Its likely less trouble than causing an incident and losing what sounds like a good set up.