How Much Does It Cost To Board a Horse?

What Does Horse Boarding Mean?

You may ask yourself how much does it cost to board a horse? Horse boarding is the process whereby a person who a horse rents a place for their horse to stay due to a lack of enough space of their own.

Acquiring that place to board a horse is not free. For this reason, you need to know how much it would cost you. Read on to find out more about the prices and other essential facts.

Let us dive deeper:

How Much Does it Cost to Board a Horse?

The total cost of boarding a horse usually is $350 to $400 for one month. This cost can also vary at other times due to your area and the facilities available at the stables.

The kind of boarding package you select also affects the total amount of money you will pay at the end of the month. This section answers the question of how much does boarding a horse cost?

How Much Should I Charge to Board a Horse?

If you are a horse stables owner, remember to set the cost to board a horse according to the services you provide to them. Below is a list of boarding services you can offer your customers and the amount you should charge per year.

Partial care boarding: $3600 to $5400
Full care boarding: $3600 to $8400
Self care boarding: $1200 to $2400

Pasture boarding: $1800 to $4800
Cooperative boarding: This type of bonding is chargeable depending on the tasks you agree to finish.
Paddock boarding: $200 to $500

Stall boarding: $200 to 1000
Training boarding: $550 to $2500
Private arrangement boarding: Here, you will charge according to how both of you agree.

Retirement boarding: $350 to $400
Sharing boarding: This type involves paying half the total amount since you will be sharing the place with another person.
Boarding a horse on your own: The cost of this package continuously varies from time to time due to the arrangement between you and the customer.

Remember that you may choose to adjust these package costs a little bit as a horse boarding service provider. These adjustments can either be low or high, depending on the location of your facility. For instance, the price you charge can be higher if your establishment is in an urban area.

If your horse stables are near a rural area, you should charge less. Your prices need to be a little lower since many people may have access to their stables. This tip applies to stables near a place with fewer people as well.

The Different Types of Horse Boarding Packages

There are several packages to look at when it comes to horse boarding. Each package comes with specific things that you need for your horse. Below is a list of the packages:

Full Boarding

This horse boarding package comes with all the things your horse needs. The boarding facility owners provide all these necessities and care without your presence. Some of these necessities include wellbeing, maintenance, and proper feeding.

The workers at the stables will look after your horse as if it was theirs. All this care comes with the total price you and the owner agree on. It all means that at the total cost, you can even travel away without having any worries about the wellbeing of your animal.

As a reminder, some stables usually require you to add an amount of $300 to $2000 every month for additional expenses. Some other times this average price may increase. The demanding benefit and the natural breed of your horse are the main factors that usually determine the amount of additional monthly charges.

The additional charges that may come in per month wouldn’t hurt since it all pays back in the end. That fact means that you can pop into the stables any day and any time and find your horse in perfect conditions.

You can also negotiate and agree on the amount to add every month. Some of the primary services that are available in a complete boarding package include:

A proper and appropriate shelter for your horse.

A good supply of food for at least two times a day. This food supply comes with a limitless water supply and a lot of healthy horse supplements.
The package also comes in with proper grooming. With this package, the outer appearance of your horse is of high priority.
The stall at which your horse stays goes through thorough cleaning and spraying together with floor shavings.

The complete boarding package also includes all the equipment used during cleaning and maintaining the stable.
Daily horse exercise is also an advantage for this horse boarding package. This additional advantage means that you never have to come in to exercise your animal by yourself unless you want to.
A designated area for riding your horse also comes in here. You can check in at any time and enjoy the company of your horse. This particular feature in the package is beneficial, especially if you live in an urban location where horse riding is not easy.

A personal tack storing place also comes with the package.

Often, this package does not include farrier, dentist, or vet services. Other horse boarding facilities usually provide these services when you get the complete package. You can personally check with the owner to be entirely sure.

In some cases, you may personally choose to add more money to the average amount and ask for further provision of particular necessities to your horse. The special services include providing food and supplements and proper blanketing for cold weather during winter.

You must always read the entire boarding contract carefully to ensure your horse receives all you desire.

The pros of the complete boarding package are:

The workers at the establishment will take total care of all the horses’ daily requirements.

Even though you may lack time to visit the stable in a while, your animal will still receive all the care.
You may choose to ask and pay for other additional services like applying the fly spray and pulling the mane.
You don’t have to buy the necessary foods by yourself.

Your horse gets to have a warm and safe stall during winter.

Some of the cons of the complete boarding package include:

Despite this boarding option having so many advantages, it comes at a very high cost.

It can reduce the natural relationship between you and your horse because you may rarely visit it since it gets most of the critical care from the workers at the stable.

Paddock Boarding

Your animal does not get its personal space in this horse boarding package. The horse receives an adequate space to rest. For this reason, you may need to find two facilities for your horse. One place will provide pasture daily, while the other includes housing.

On how much to board a horse on paddock boarding, the price is around $200 to $1000. This price may vary sometimes depending on the provisions of various paddocking facilities.

Several prons are available in a paddock boarding package. These pros are:

Adequate space for tack storing.
Enough space set aside for exercising and riding.

Shavings, water, and food supply.
All the equipment for cleaning the stable and maintaining the ground.
Several other amenities come in depending on the paddocking facility type.

Despite having several pros in paddock boarding, several cons come with it. These cons are:

The facility cannot provide all the requirements for your horse.
It serves as a disadvantage if you are busy since you need to pay frequent visits to the facility.

Pasture Boarding

Pasture boarding is the most economical horse boarding offer available. This type of boarding offers your horse an entire supply of pasture throughout the whole day. In addition, there is free access to shedding at any time. This offer protects your horse from direct sun, as well as enough space to feed and run around.

Some of the pros of pasture boarding are:

A regular supply of water and food.

Access to farrier and veterinary services in case you agree.
Sun and shade together with enough pasture to last the whole day.
Inclusion of other amenities is also available depending on the facility’s location.

You choose to include an addition of blankets for your horse when cold weather comes.

Pasture horse boarding comes in to be very handy, especially when:

Your horse doesn’t like being inside the stable for long hours.

Your horse needs time to get better from an injury.
The horse has certain health conditions like diseases that come in from time to time or specific allergies.

Despite this relatively affordable horse boarding package, there are several cons to look for. These cons are:

If a situation comes when your horse gets an injury, the facility may not have a boarding facility.
Your horse needs to adapt to herding. For that reason, pasture boarding can be a hindrance.
Your horse may lack daily needs like daily care and a stable.

Stall Boarding

This boarding package offers your horse its very own stable. To get this package for your horse, boarding a horse here, you need to pay a monthly fee of around $200 to $2000.

The cons of stall boarding include:

Provision of necessities like water, shavings, and food.

Adequate space for track storing.
Availability of facultative offers that depend on the facility.
Enough space for horse riding.

Availability of cleaning equipment for your horse.

Some of the cons include:

Since your horse gets most of its provisions from the workers, you may lack personal time with it.

You may need to show up and clean your horse once in a while.

Partial Boarding

This is among the most affordable horse boarding options available. There is a complete housing space with this option, but you will need to make your supply of hay, feed, and beddings. After you make this supply, the staff in the facility will feed your horse by themselves.

The feeding takes place with a schedule that both of you agree on. Before deciding, always remember to check the conditions and terms of the facility.

Some of the pros of partial boarding include:

Provision of a shed.
A manure disposal area.

Availability of water and electricity supply.
Enough staff to properly feed your horse.
Enough space for tack storing.

Cons that come with partial boarding include:

You must supply your food.
You need to do the cleaning by yourself.

Self-Care Boarding

This type of horse board provides you with space for your horse, but you are the one to bring in all the other things, including food and vet services. The facility gives you beddings at a fee. This fee ranges from $100 to $200 in one month.

This horse boarding option comes in to be very helpful, especially for those taking part in the horse racing industry. Self-care boarding is a good option when you want to create a good bond between you and your horse since you spend a lot of time together.

The pros in self-care boarding include:

A lot of bonding time is in place for you and your horse since you spend more time together.
This boarding option is quite affordable.
Due to the bonding between you and your horse, you will always know its needs.

The cons in this boarding package are:

You must make personal visits to the stable each day to see how your horse is doing.
You need to plan vet visits by yourself.

You must bring in feeds, hay, and shavings for your horse that the staff cannot provide.
Any issues that come concerning your horse, you need to fix them by yourself.

Sharing Boarding

This horse boarding option involves sharing your boarding space with another person to reduce the amount you should pay. In other words, the two of you get to share the total cost. This horse board type is a favorite option for people taking riding lessons.

The pros for this boarding option are:

You get to pay half the total boarding fee.
You can also agree to share the vet service payments.

You can create a specific feeding timetable for the two of you.

The cons are:

You may get little bonding time with your horse.

Sometimes you may disagree on decisions regarding the partnership.

Raining Boarding

This package involves a temporary agreement to keep your horse for a specific training duration. If you get a trainer to come to your property, think twice since this horse boarding option is quite affordable. This package costs from $550 to $2500.

The pros in this package include:

Frequent professional training sessions.
Enough area for tack storing.

The cons are:

The boarding option is not permanent.
If your horse needs more training lessons, you may need to add more funds.

Private Boarding

In this case, you get to offer your horse for training other riders at a lower horse boarding cost. There is no specific cost to board a horse for this boarding option. If you choose this package, talk with the owner and agree on the price.

The pros of private boarding are:

The price you agree to pay is relatively affordable.
There is a division of responsibility between you and the trainees.

The cons are:

In most cases, you are responsible for the well-being of the horse.
This contract can get terminated quickly.

Retirement Boarding

This horse boarding package is among the latest ones in the market. It targets people with issues taking care of horses. This package comes at $350 to $40 a month.

The pros of this package are:

Administration of medication by the staff.

Provision of a specific special diet for your elderly horse.
The staff organizes a special cremation or burial ceremony if your horse passes away.

The con of this package include:

Lack of enough time with your horse during its last days.
You may need to add specific monthly amounts to the original fee for additional special care.

Cooperative Boarding

This is an organization that is medium in terms of size. These medium horse board organizations find a way to divide labor and reduce the total payable fee in the long run.

The pros for this package are:

The fee you pay is relatively affordable.
There is more bonding between you and your horse.

The cons are:

You need to do a lot of activities by yourself. These activities include feeding and cleaning.
The amount of fee you pay may increase if you reduce the labor you provide from your side.

Which Factors Can Increase The Cost of Horse Boarding?

Several factors tend to add up the cost to board a horse. These factors are:

Shows
Training

Additional expenses

Shows

Prices of horse boarding increase from time to time due to how frequently a facility organizes horse events. These events may include trips and horse racing.

Training

If you own a horse and you are not very good at riding it, you may choose to get special riding lessons from the staff. This training will, in turn, require you to add some additional fee. In several cases, this fee is usually $200 or less.

Additional Expenses

Your horse may need special attention. This attention may be like special health checks or food together with other supplements. You will have to put in some more money for more care for these needs.

Tips on Choosing The Right Horse Boarding Facility

Before selecting a facility to horse board, you should keep in mind the following tips:

Boarding options: Before making a choice, be sure that the facility offers you the best horse boarding options that you can afford.

Location: Remember that the facility’s location affects the fee you pay. At the same time, choose a place that is not so far from you. Such a choice helps you visit your horse easily and at any time.
Stable activities: Take a look at the facility’s activities for its clients. You may be a fan of horse ridings and horse shows. For that reason, choose a boarding facility that offers you your favorite horse activities.
Facilities available: The number of people boarding their horses in a specific facility depends on the number of helpful facilities available. These facilities may be like arenas, trails, turn out, and stables.

Monthly fees: The total cost to board a horse at the end of the month also determines the number of people to bring in their horses. The monthly payments should always balance all the provisions at the facility.
Turn out for the horses: Horse turnouts should never overcrowd. Before choosing a boarding facility, always be sure that there are enough pasture and grazing fields.
Horse friends: You should not board a facility that does not have other horse lovers. Always find a place to create more bonds with friends who love horses just like you. In most cases, these friends are your fellow horse boarders.

Trainers: The horse boarding facility you choose needs several instructors and training to help you improve your horse’s behavior.
Supply storage options: Make sure you choose a stable that provides safe and secure storage.

FAQs on Equine Boarding

Which Additional Costs Can I Expect with Full Horse Boarding?

There can be city or additional urban costs in the full horse boarding option. The extra horse boarding cost may come in since the facility is near an urban setting. Most of the other expenses are in the total annual or monthly fee.

What Details are Covered in a Horse Boarding Agreement?

A horse boarding agreement includes:

Description of the horse
Indemnity
Boarding terms
Care and feed
Personal belongings
Facilities
The health of the horse
Visitors
Right of lien
Additional covenants
General conditions

What Do I Have to Pay for Additionally with Equine Boarding?

In most cases, you may need to pay for additional special health care and special supplements for your horse. There is no specific additional amount. That fact is because the additional charges depend on the type of horse board package you select.

How Much Does it Cost to Board a Horse Overnight?

The overnight price ranges from $30 or more. This price increases or decreases depending on the facility management.

Is There a Cheaper Way of Keeping a Horse?

Yes, there are several less costly packages that you can select.

What Should I Look for When Boarding a Horse?

The monthly or annual fee, location, and the services of the horse boarding facility are among the top things to look for before boarding.

Is it Cheaper to Board or Keep a Horse?

Yes, it is since when boarding, essential things like the security of your horse get proper attention. That fact is better than losing your horse. It is also cheaper since you can have some time of your own after boarding. Such a case is better than doing all the horse activities by yourself.

Is Boarding a Horse Worth it?

Yes, it is worth a lot because the exceptional staff gets to attend to your horse fully. If your package does not cover complete horse treatment, they will inform you and direct you on how you can help.

The Final Neigh

Boarding a horse can be simple. This article gives you the knowledge of what horse boarding is. Before boarding, get to know everything your horse requires. After getting to know the requirements, select the best package available.