Getting into Horse Boarding $$$ is it worth it?

[Paul Staszel]

I know this is an odd ball question, but do any BP members have/own/run a Horse boarding stable? Is it worth it?  Or is running that kind of business a hassle? Here in the Chicago land area (1.5 hours away from the city) a 12'x12' stall runs $400 - $700 a month on average.  Let me know if any of you have experience or stories of trying to start one up.  

[Jana Cain]

@Paul Staszel Question for you - how much horse experience do you have? If you're looking at this purely from a "board can run $x/mo" standpoint, don't do it. Horses are highly unpredictable, and are exceptionally hard on their surroundings. We horse people can be deemed a tad crazy (think: Best in Show), so even if your equine tenants are saints, their humans might not be. :-)

If you're truly serious about getting in the business of boarding, you'll want to be very clear about what the demand is in your area for boarding (in general), and what type of demand there is for the operation you want to run. Stalls can cost more to maintain than pasture - flooring (mats or bare?), bedding (none? sawdust? shavings? pellets? other?), and labor (will you pick/feed once a day? twice? three times?) can swing wildly. How will turnout work (owners do it themselves or will you do it for them?)? What kind of riding space will be provided? Insurance bills will be high.

I have extensive horse management experience and would be happy to chat offline about things to think through.