Question for those of you who co-op/ work out board

[4Martini]

How does your agreement work? If one person owns a horse property and the other boards and shares the work. What to watch out for? How much work for how much of a discount etc...

Thanks!

[kellyb]

How does your agreement work? If one person owns a horse property and the other boards and shares the work. What to watch out for? How much work for how much of a discount etc...

Thanks!

Mine went like this....

It was a big, pretty private farm with about 14 horses on it at any given time. My friend was working off board there, but they wanted a second person to come help in the winter/etc. I went out and rode a couple times, ended up purchasing a horse that they bred there, and wanted to keep her there. That was kind of the deal when I bought her that we could work out the board, but I have a feeling the agreement would not have been much different if it were an outside horse.

We were responsible for almost everything labor-wise, and our horses stayed for free. 7 horses came in for ~10 hours a day (day during the summer, night during the winter). They were fed once in the morning. We had to do stalls, feed, turnout, medicate (if needed), arrange the farrier, be there for the farrier, check on the other horses that were turned out in paddocks. Also we had to keep up with general maintenance here and there (small things).

My friend & I were pretty close, so there was never any kvetching about schedules...I'd simply feed/clean 3 days, she'd feed/clean 3 days, and the last day we'd rotate. It worked out good in case one of us had to go out of town, we rarely had to ask the family to feed/etc for us.

Our horses didn't have a big monetary impact, they ate a small bit of grain in the morning, and most of the time, save winter, they just are turned out in the fields for forage.

Sometimes it was great, sometimes it was pretty labor intensive and a pain in the butt. I ended up selling my horse and leaving (for other reasons), but if I had to keep her any longer I would have probably just switched barns and paid board. The place was really nice, but I had a long drive to get there, and after cleaning stalls/etc for 2 hours I didn't really feel like riding afterwards (I also have a full time job).

If you are doing this with someone you don't know, definitely make a written contract, even if it simply outlines who is responsible for what. That way there are no hurt feelings/misconceptions if it's all spelled out on paper.

Edited to add: the barn I ride at now also has folks that work off their board. They clock in/clock out, and say for instance they are paid $10/hr...the time they spend just comes off of their board. They work on weekends and clean stalls/turnout horses/etc whatever they're asked to do.

[HydroPHILE]

The place was really nice, but I had a long drive to get there, and after cleaning stalls/etc for 2 hours I didn't really feel like riding afterwards (I also have a full time job).

I feel your pain. I worked for a barn once that was "feeding three times a week in exchange for riding whenever." Mind you, it was not a show barn. I ended up busting my arse those three times a week: feeding, stripping stalls, mucking stalls, turning out horses, bringing in horses, blanketing, grooming, cleaning the barn aisleways, cleaning tack, moving feed, etc. because the other people (including the BO's daughter) didn't do ANYTHING the other four days besides maybe throw some grain in with the horses, turn them out, and bring them in.

I was working until 5pm, driving an hour out there, cleaning and feeding until 10p-11p and getting up the next morning to work again. I brought a friend out with me one time to help and found a note on the blackboard that said to "strip stalls 1, 3, and 6 and muck out the rest." We got done at 11pm when the BO and her friend decided they wanted to ride in the lighted arena...got horses out we had just put up, groomed them, rode, and handed them to us. She asked how come we hadn't ridden yet, and I replied, "I haven't had any time. I don't get done here until 10:30p-11p." She laughed and told me, "that's what the lighted ring is for" (outdoors.....in the winter?...when I had to get up at 6am the next morning for work *shakes head*).

[olympicprincess]

I have very limited experience with this: I work off some of my board by cleaning stalls & blowing out the aisles with a leaf blower.

The BO learned long ago to just pay per job, not by time, since everyone works at a different pace. Otherwise, those that were slower were rewarded. Now our "reward" for working fast is that we're done sooner for the same amount of $$. :winkgrin:

[findeight]

How does your agreement work?

It didn't. Twice...once with a friend and once with a more casual aquaintance, both times with a written agreement. Both times I leased a small barn and was looking for a partner and in both I was the one financially on the hook.

One was irresponsible and "forgot" to order feed for hers and had to "stay late" at work all the time so I paid the feed guy and fed it to hers and did all the work most days, twice a day. That was pretty much the end of a 12 year friendship.

The other sort of didn't realize the horse work needed to be done 24/7/365 and they eat on holidays too. I did most of the work yet she still wanted half off the bill. The end was when I tried to see how she wanted to split the chores on Christmas Eve, Day and New Year's Eve/Day and she informed me she was going to be in Austria and Switzerland for 6 weeks skiing. She was gone all Thanksgiving week too.

Don't do it.

If you must, pay them for their work then take it as part of the payment. Somehow, when it is not a "real" job, it does not seem to carry the same importance with some people.

[Lilykoi]

I did it for many years. It was always a much better deal for my employer than it was for me. But sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do to keep your ponies.

[Here Comes Luther]

I work off board at my trainer's place. It's a nice facility with indoor, outdoor, and trails, lounge, and all that.

I feed and bring in horses usually 3 days a week in exchange for money off of board. At the end of the month, I pay the balance that was not worked off. It works really well, and the terms are in my contract.

[4Martini]

As always - thank you for some good feedback! I'd love any other experiences esp where you are the only boarder at a private house!

[findeight]

As always - thank you for some good feedback! I'd love any other experiences esp where you are the only boarder at a private house!

Good and bad. Depends on who is in the house. Back when out in LA there were many such set ups and I boarded privately as a single or shared with their kid's horse or one other many times over many years. Thats all gone now, of course.

Had a few lovely experiences and a couple of bad ones like with my "friends" who were supposed to share. Also had some problems with the home owners re the following.

Parking.
Feed and shaving delivery when I could not be there.
Being there when they were entertaining.
Being there when lights were required (like, every evening after work).
Bringing a friend.
Their guests/kids messing with my horse.

The worst was the water hose. Yep. Water hose. The barn had no water. When their kid had a horse, they ran a hose from the house. I had to open the gate and enter their back yard daily then recoil the hose. They did not want me in the yard and would not allow the hose to just stay rolled out behind some shrubs and invisiable from the house. That was the one with the "friend" who always had to work late so I just left her about 20 messages I was moving at the end of the month (that she had not paid for yet) and hauled out. I assume her horse did not starve but just couldn't do all of it anymore....and she never anted up on her share of the lease, the feed I bought that went to hers or the shavings.

So, boarding privately has it's own little set of issues you never think of ahead of time. Just like the big barns, there is always something.

The biggest plus of boarding privately as a single is you have the place to yourself or just one other.

The biggest minus is you have the place to yourself or just one other. You can get stuck with extra responsibilities and get lonely.

[Jumphigh83]

I did it for many years. It was always a much better deal for my employer than it was for me. But sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do to keep your ponies.

Then by definition it DID work out for you.
As one of "those" barn owners I can tell you that we are not "making out" as good as you think we are! Anytime trade boarder doesnt feel like showing up, it IS a holiday, I am sick, my dog is sick, my great aunt died, I want to go to the in laws for (insert holiday here)..guess where the buck stops? Thats right. Right HERE! Buy your own property, pay the mortgage, build a barn, buy the hay, grain,bedding, tractor, manure spreader...pay the taxes (:eek::eek:) pay the insurance, do the repairs and maintenance, pay the phone bill, stay up with the colics, fix the chewed boards, the kicked boards, the fence damage....etc...etc....etc..then tell ME who gets the deal here. You are lucky someone cares enough about YOU that they are willing to make it possible for you to have a horse. I feel like Santa Claus!

[BigHorseLittleHorse]

I've done all of them - work off board at a trainer barn, work off board at a private barn, live on premises, live off premises, self care, co-op, etc :)

They all had their advantages and disadvantages, similar to what others have said...

However, sometimes it really does work out perfectly! The place I'm at now is a true co-op. There are 3 of us and 5 horses, and we all pay board at a self-care rate to the property owner. We buy our own feed and bedding and split the feeding and care evenly. Since we're all knowledgable and trustworthy, it's the perfect situation. We have a schedule that works for everyone, and we're all really flexible if someone needs a day off or a vacation.

[smid2]

I work off half my board at my boarding barn. I'm responisbile for feeding and turnout every morning except Saturday and responsible for everything on Sunday (feeding x2, turnout, bring in, cleaning stalls, whatever else). I have a set amount I "earn" each month towards my board. I also help out on holidays, except I will be away for a week over Christmas (with BM's blessing). We find this works out very well for us and I'm able to keep my two well cared for while trying to finish up with school.

[Sulta]

Currently at a co-op place, with 4 others. We rent stalls from the BO, pay him monthly. All else we divide amongst the 4 of us. We buy our own food, split the hay/straw costs. Labor is divided by # of horses/times per week. Each of us has an individual contract with BO - so if something happens, that person is liable. BO does all maintenance on property, we handle all items related to the horses.

Has worked out pretty well so far - biggest issues have been over people's individual pet peeves (X wants horses fed by 6pm, Y feeds sometime before 8pm, Z is sloppy, A is a neat freak). other issue was working out how to do hay/straw. Initially we were one large pile, everyone chipped in a flat amount per horse. But due to people's preferences and horse needs, we've now moved to buying in bulk, but everyone buys their "own". More of a hassle day to day, but if someone wants to put 4 bales of straw in a stall, noone cares anymore, cause it's out of their pocket.

What has made it work is a) communication across all people and b) people not letting the little things bug them. At the end of the day, it's CHEAP and thus affordable.

[ReSomething]

My buddy at work has 3? 4? horses boarded at a private farm. He does the AM feeds and mucks stalls, buys the grain, hay and bedding. The farm owner feeds nights and takes care of major repairs. The FO was just taken ill this past week, to the hospital, and my buddy had to skip work to handle the PM feeds (he works swing shift). They have also had some disputes. My buddy buys the hay in bulk and has to unload it all, he gets a little miffed when he is asked to pay for fencing when he just dropped a couple thou on feed for all the horses.
Anyway, they don't seem to have an emergency backup person. Accidents do happen and the horses have to be fed anyway.
I'm not privy to their agreement, but it can't be that clear if big bills like feed and fencing hit at the same time. Communication is key.

[War Admiral]

I feel your pain. I worked for a barn once that was "feeding three times a week in exchange for riding whenever." Mind you, it was not a show barn. I ended up busting my arse those three times a week: feeding, stripping stalls, mucking stalls, turning out horses, bringing in horses, blanketing, grooming, cleaning the barn aisleways, cleaning tack, moving feed, etc. because the other people (including the BO's daughter) didn't do ANYTHING the other four days besides maybe throw some grain in with the horses, turn them out, and bring them in.

I was working until 5pm, driving an hour out there, cleaning and feeding until 10p-11p and getting up the next morning to work again. I brought a friend out with me one time to help and found a note on the blackboard that said to "strip stalls 1, 3, and 6 and muck out the rest." We got done at 11pm when the BO and her friend decided they wanted to ride in the lighted arena...got horses out we had just put up, groomed them, rode, and handed them to us. She asked how come we hadn't ridden yet, and I replied, "I haven't had any time. I don't get done here until 10:30p-11p." She laughed and told me, "that's what the lighted ring is for" (outdoors.....in the winter?...when I had to get up at 6am the next morning for work *shakes head*).

Did we board at the same barn? :rolleyes: Sure sounds like one I used to be at before I moved up here. Give or take the BO disappearing for a week or several without buying any feed.

[PaulaK]

I am in a co-op barn and consider myself fortunate. BO has four horses and one pony, the other boarder has 3 retirees. Right now we have another two horses here - just on a temporary basis. I do evening feeding 5 days a week for an agreed upon rate reduction (and clean my own stall). If BO's horses are out at feeding time I bring them in (happens only occasionally). The other boarder cleans BO's stalls for her reduction. We both cover feedings if the BO is out of town (averages once a month or so). If for some reason the two of us can't cover a feeding she has two back-up people that she can call on. BO orders/supplies grain/supplements, hay and shavings and also keeps up repairs (we just got new fencing!!). BO has told me how happy she is with our arrangement. I am pleased enough that I make sure to do little things through out the week (sweeping, raking, straightening, throwing down hay - you get the picture). In over a year we have not missed one of my feeding days. I said "we" as I'm lucky that my DH is able and willing to fill in on occasion. On holidays the BO has offered to cover for me and I have declined - a deal is a deal and this way the BO has some extra time for herself/family. If/when I take a real vacation and cannot cover the feedings I will pay her the difference.

Pros - I get a large stall, plenty of shavings, good feed, small indoor, large outdoor ring and the place to myself for the most part. My horse can be turned out alone or with BO's horses (mixed herd but it works). I figure I'm probably paying a few dollars more than the cost of feed and bedding for my mare. BO has also trailered us for vet or trail rides.

Cons - I'm not crazy about the other "boarder" but we can still work together. Sometimes I don't want the place to myself.

So ... a co-op can work but everything must be spelled out in advance and there must be respect between boarders and barn owner.

PS - I've also cleaned stalls at another barn for reduced board but that's hard work for me at my age. Make sure you are physically capable if mucking more than a few stalls is part of the agreement. You don't want to be too tired to play with YOUR horse!

[Sparky Boy]

As always - thank you for some good feedback! I'd love any other experiences esp where you are the only boarder at a private house!

I do this at my place. I only have one boarder and they work off about half, sometimes more, of their board. I'm sure I make ZERO money from them but it's very much worth it to me to have them doing stalls for me 3 days a week. Fortunately, they live close by so it's convenient for them. I'm lucky that they are responsible, knowledgeable, and very nice. I really enjoy having them there. I'm pretty sure they are happy to be there as well.

[AUeventer]

I do it just as if I was getting paid cash. I used to get $25 a morning to do "morning chores" which included bringing horses in (9-12), feeding, dropping hay, water, feeding the 25+ pasture boarded horses, checking troughs, cleaning a stall or two for horses that stayed up overnight, etc etc. I just deducted that $25 from the board I owed him. It's a little different now because it's by the hour, but similar situation. I deduct my hours from the total board that everybody else has to pay. I really wish I had a discounted board on top of that, but I don't work every day so it works well enough for me.

BTW this is a relatively large "public" barn. Not private. I am moving to a private barn in January where i will be working off board/apartment rent, but that person is doing it more out of generosity for me than benefit for herself. I will probably be riding some of her horses as well, and that may be an option for you. If the BO has babies that need to be worked with, or even if it's in full training he/she may really like to have somebody hack or do trot sets on it a couple times a week. I'm young and dumb and about to be a working student, so I'm finding that a lot of people really have no problem paying somebody else to ride these horses when it may not be as fun/life-threatening for them!

[Sonic Boom]

In the right situation, it can be *wonderful.* I do it now and adore my farm as well as the BO/BM. She gives me something I could not have otherwise, and my horse gets wonderful care. I also bought my horse from her, so it's especially nice as she knows him inside and out.

In return, I try to bust my arse for her, and no, we don't really have set task lists. I get there after work, see what needs doing, and go to it. I generally don't ride until chores are done (this is after work), but try to ride at least one horse besides my own as well, to help out (there are many that need a hack/exercise). It *is* exhausting...I do work full time, at a demanding job, and in order to leave at a time I can get to the barn in time for chores, I do need to work at night a bit to make up for it. Long days, but no longer than my BO/BMs.

There are also some nights where I end up just riding, if chores were done before I got there, or something similar. Weekends, I ride as many as I can to help, and chores and other things. It is fun because she is great and so is her family; I have learned a lot and of course my riding has improved. It is, in some ways, a bit like being an "adult working student," haha.

However, it is very informal because neither party would ever take advantage of the other. I would never tell her she could count on me for something at a certain date/time and not do it. Likewise, I know what I get in return, and it's a LOT to me. If you happen upon a situation like this and you have the time/energy, GO FOR IT. It's a great experience for all, I think.

I've also had a couple where it did not work out, long ago. I know it can be a real recipe for disaster depending on the people and the situation. I am very lucky that it has worked out so well for me, and very grateful for it.

Edited to add: This is a very large boarding barn, rather than a private one..thus there is plenty of work to be done to reach what everyone feels is the equivalent value in board.