Question for you Trainers out there...

[displacedyank]

who are at other's facilities. What kind of arrangements do you have with your current barn? I'm just looking for ideas of what others are doing as I've been asked if I'd be interested in taking over a facility as a trainer, but also to manage anyone I brought in.

Let me tell you a little bit about the facility and maybe you guys can help me out. Facility is on about 20 acres, 5 large pastures with run in shelters in a few of them and automatic waterers. Brand new 18 stall barnmaster barn w/ the works...lounge w/ fridge, microwave, etc., seperate tack room with wooden tack lockers for each stall, 2 wash pits w/ hot and cold running water. One major problem is the arena is very small. Owner did tell me he would widen it for me, but not suitable for jumping, just flatwork. I would be allowed to put my jumps out in the pastures though and he said he would mow around them. :) There are no lights and I told him that would be a requirement, so he said he would put those up as well. Said he'd also buy me a round pen if I needed it. *LOL*


What kind of arrangement would you guys expect to have here? Would you rent stalls and if so for how much? Would you expect to have horses boarded for you included? What responsibilities would you want/ not want, etc.?

Just for reference, local pasture board runs about $250, local stall board around $400-$450 depending on amenitites.

Thanks!!

[eventrider]

I have found that my personal preference is to rent the "whole" facility for a set fee, with things like utilities and mowing provided by the owner. Then I charge whatever I like to whomever I like to be there, and have complete control of how many horses are there, where they are turned out, etc. That way the owner is fairly hands-off and it is essentially my facility. As to a price, I couldn't hazard a fair guess if your area.

[Jeannette, formerly ponygyrl]

Can't help with the $ part, but boy, I would think long and hard about footing conditions in the field before I tied my future to a too small to jump in arena... If it's sandy, or sandy loam, might be just fine, but if it's Carolina clay? And would the ring get too crowded or are youo thinking more of a training facility where rides would be staggered?

[Equestryn]

I am renting a facility where I pay a certain price per horse living on the property. The Stalled horses cost A and the pasture horses cost B. I have given myself a limit as to the number of horses I'll allow since I don't want grass depleted.

Pasture mowing is done by the owner but regular mowing is done by me. She provides the mower and the gas for it.

She's not TOTALLY hands off as she has come and asked me to implement some rules regarding safety as she's paying the insurance on the place. All utilities are up to her to pay for but managing the horses is my responsibility. She is very excited about the facility being used (was used by some jerk faces for the last two years who over ran the place so she's extra cautious now).

She makes money off every horse that I bring in, whether it's my personal horses or boarders horses.

Oh and Fence maintenance is her responsibility and her expense too.

I enjoy renting my facility. I can't wait for the day when I have my OWN facility so I can do ABSOLUTELY anything I want, but for now, this is working out very well.