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  Discussion on Starting A Boarding Business
Author Message
Member:
Soljan

Posted on Monday, Dec 8, 2003 - 1:11 pm:



Hello Everyone, My name is Mike Soljan. My wife Amanda and I are going to start a stabling business (like you havent seen this before). We only want to do the partial boarding where the owner is responsible for taking care of the horse. We live on the Gulf Coast in Alabama and would really like some input on almost anything you can think of from your hindsite. Also any other members in the southern Alabama area that would like to talk about the buisness or lend some advice that would be just great! We are going to use about 4 acres and would like to stable 8 horses at the present time. We have more land avaliable to us. We are very new to the business end of this, so any advice on insurance, barn rules, shelter design, fencing design, where to find local laws concering boarding, type of grass to put on our pasture ect ect would be just awesume. Our home email address is soljan31@mchsi.com Please put something in the subject line about horseman's advisor friend. In addition, if we have any knowledge that would help anyone, we will recipricate imeditally. I would rather have email responses until I can get used to the website. Sometimes I read a post and cannot get back to it later heh heh but I am getting better.
Member:
Penner

Posted on Tuesday, Dec 9, 2003 - 1:09 am:

Some thoughts of mine.. I am NO expert, no degree in this or anything!

1. get an "umbrella" insurance policy for not only your stable business, but it should cover your homeowners, auto etc. Check with your insurance agent. It may be cheaper.
2. Have GOOD contracts in writing & signed. Prototypes of these are (I think actually here on this website). Spell out everything YOU want (care, buying feed, payments, shoeing, shots, worming, blanketing, exercise).
3. I personally, would make sure the person has to get all the usual vaccinations for their horse. I do not want my horses coming down with some disease because some owner didn't want to get the shots.
4. Who is going to buy the feed, how much & when are they going to buy it? (I suggest the first of the month always so its there to feed). I have seen too many times if one runs a small boarding facility, that renters (Conveniently???) forget to get food until they are out, then they "borrow" yours, & you do it, out of the goodness of your heart. URGHHH!
5. Do you have a shelter? Is it legally required in your state? Do you want blankets on the horses in the winter? Search on www.google.com for Alabama Revised Statutes, they may be online for shelter requirements.
6. Will the boarder help out with chores (cleaning stalls etc).
7. If there is an emergency (ie: like colic), are you allowed to call the vet (any vet, or a specific vet) without notifying the owners first?

These are some of my thoughts - too many to list.
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