Isn't this a little odd?!?

[Buglet]

I was looking at a few websites of various barns, and I found this under the what was included in "full board" for one of the farms:
Stables will feed grain twice daily, but owner must supply feed and prepare individual feed bags for feeding
Stables will provide one flake of hay once a day

I found this odd considering that the board is more then $400 a month. For full care stall board I would expect that grain is supplied by the stables and that my horse have way more then 1 flake of hay a day. Anyone else find this odd? Are there many facilities that require the owner to supply and set-up their own grain when paying for full care? I have heard barns that have restrictions on hay amounts, but 1 flake?

[Gry2Yng]

I guess at least they spell it out. Sucks to move into a place and find out they are really stingy with the hay.

[nadasy]

Very odd/sad on so many levels.......

I wonder if they provide bedding?

For DIY places I've been to in the Winter, you provide everything EXCEPT fantastic shavings that are in a big trailer-loose. You bring/buy your own feed, get your own hay. Have private safe turnout and many fine amenities. At the time it was $275/month.

I always provided consistently fresh hay from the same place, Buckeye feed (2 or 3 different kinds), great bagged shavings, or straw, depending on the season and individual turnout. IF the owner wanted supplements, they just bagged up what they needed and I fed it. Even kept blankets changed, No charge - board was inclusive and less than $400/month.

Sometimes there is no accounting for gross stupidity.

[Lone]

The current barn I'm at is $385 a month and owners have to provide grain. They feed hay, but not a bunch, so most people there who own hard keepers have to supplement with alfalfa pellets.

The barn I'm moving to in a couple weeks is $400/month and includes all the hay and grain you want.

[atr]

How big is a flake--could be huge.

I haven't boarded at a barn that supplies grain for years. I've always done my own, and I baggie everything-so much easier for everyone, including me. It makes it much easier to keep track of everything and avoid running out of stuff, and I can feed what I want.

[buck22]

well, a lot depends, the facilities could be amazing, etc., a ordinarily $600 place thats $400 because of the low overhead. Since becoming more knowledgeable (and obsessive) about my horse's nutrition, I've been supplying my own feed for years now. I only baggie if I'm going to be away for a few days, but its not a bad idea for ease of management. And as was pointed out, those could be flakes off of 700# bales, you don't know till you ask.

I self care board now, so I supply all consumables (which I love because I never again have to 'beg' for extra hay, shavings, whatever!). My board now is cheap, $150, but in the past board at a very fancy (but drastically underpriced because of location) place was $450 reduced to $400 because I supplied my own hard feed. Worked out perfectly for everyone.

I actually don't think its a bad thing to make boarders accountable for their own feed, its a fairly easy thing to acquire, keeps cost and waste down for the BO I'd imagine and theres no snuffling about who gets what or the BO feeds crap feed, etc,... whereas hay and bedding can be a bit more of a hassle to put up.

the only major drawback I've seen to boarders being responsible for their own feed is that eventually someone runs low or out completely (happens to the best of us) and either their horse goes without or they pilfer from others, and then squabbling can ensue. And there is always the 'gee, I just bought feed last week, how is it running low already' and the sneaky feeling someone is pilfering yours. Fortunately, I've never been in this position, but have heard the groaning of others.

[danceronice]

BIG thing is geography--I get full board (though without an indoor and NOT a show barn, just someone's barn with their horses) and they supply the feed and hay, and he gets all the hay he wants, for $225/month. But that's the low end of normal for a full-board barn around here, with $350-400 the top end. The market can't/won't support much higher.

[CosMonster]

I've charged up to $400/month board and I've never supplied grain for people--well, actually did it once and it was a huge headache so after that I only fed owner-supplied grain. I never made them bag it unless they had supplements and no smartpak, but I know lots of barns that do.

The hay thing is kind of weird, though. I wonder if they feed half-ton or bigger bales? A flake in that case can be pretty big. Do they only feed once a day or what?

[TimelyImpulse]

If it's the same barn I'm thinking of, it's within 30 minutes of downtown DC, and has an indoor and turnout. It's semi-full care, which means you also are responsible for mucking your own stall. They do have round bales in each paddock/corral too, because they're out during the day, in at night.

It's the location, location, location. There aren't that many places to board in VA within that distance to DC with indoors that I know of... one in Woodbridge, 1 in Alexandria.

[Tegan]

Is it for stall board or are the horses out on pasture? I could only understand one flake if they had a nice lush field to live in.

[Gry2Yng]

If it's the same barn I'm thinking of, it's within 30 minutes of downtown DC, and has an indoor and turnout. It's semi-full care, which means you also are responsible for mucking your own stall. They do have round bales in each paddock/corral too, because they're out during the day, in at night.

It's the location, location, location. There aren't that many places to board in VA within that distance to DC with indoors that I know of... one in Woodbridge, 1 in Alexandria.

If you are mucking your own stall and bringing your own grain, that is not semi-full care. That's self care with a few bonuses.

[Melyni]

And it's going to depend on what the owners/operators feel they can do.
Over the years I have seen everything from no-care to partial self care to full care to over-the-top full care.
$400 a month isn't bad if they are supplying a stall, bedding, hay and turnout with all the labor.
It will depend a lot on geography, if the barn is in Wellington Florida, you probably wouldn't get the stall alone for $400 a month, in another part of the country you might get a stall and hay.

The 1 flake might be a flake from a 700# bale!

What else is offered in that area, and what other amenities do they offer.
MW

[spotmenow]

How big is a flake--could be huge.



It would have to be the size of a bale :winkgrin: And only once a day??? Even if it WAS a bale, my boys would have it gone in a few hours and would be without for another 20 or so hours...this is NOT a place that I would keep my horse.

[InstigatorKate]

I looked at the website. Actually looks like a nice place. Not a show barn, but a place where people can go to enjoy their run-of-the-mill horse. The price is awesome for the area, as is the turnout. If you're already out every day to clean your horse's stall, I don't understand why it's a big deal to scoop your feed and throw your horse whatever you want. I'm sure it really helps the older owners/managers. 1 flake is probably a token from the owners to make sure all the horses get something when they come in. Also, there's many horses who really don't need more than that after they gorge on round bales and lush pastures all day long. If I was in that area, it would be an ideal situation for me! And lastly, if you don't like it, DON'T BOARD THERE!!! No one's begging you to.......

[EqTrainer]

FWIW, I have some compressed orchard grass right now - ONE flake weighs almost 15 lbs. I feel so wierd throwing 1 flake per horse in the AM but damn if there isn't 10% wastage at dinner time..

does make you question one one flake can mean.

[Buglet]

And lastly, if you don't like it, DON'T BOARD THERE!!! No one's begging you to.......

Geez!!! I never said that I was looking for a place to board. Nor did I ever bash or talk bad about the facility. I was simply asking if others found this odd, and was curious if it was common practice for owner to have to supply their own grain when paying for full care.

[InstigatorKate]

Geez!!! I never said that I was looking for a place to board. Nor did I ever bash or talk bad about the facility. I was simply asking if others found this odd, and was curious if it was common practice for owner to have to supply their own grain when paying for full care.

I just think it's mean-spirited to come on here and bash what looks like a mom-and-pop place that's trying to provide an affordable option for people in the area. If it was my barn and I came on here and read this I would be sick. There's plenty of crappy barns out there to pick on, and your post rubbed me the wrong way.

[Buglet]

I never bashed or said negative things about the place. I think you are taking this wrong. I agree with some of the other posters that the facility looks nice. I was simply asking if it was common for owner to supply their own grain and only getting one flake of hay a day when paying for full care stall board. I was just looking for other opinions on whether this is a requirement at many barns.
I personally boarded at a place that was $500+ a month that only fed 2 flakes of hay in the am and 2 more in the pm. That was not enough for my mare (she dropped a lot of weight), so I simply bought some hay and gave her an extra flake or 2 each day. I didn't complain to the BO about it, and it was no big deal.
I never said that requiring owners to bring their own feed or extra hay was a bad thing.

[baysngreys]

If the barn is in the LA area, that sounds about right!

Most big boarding barns there do the most basic pick-out of stalls, you have to pay extra for a "dig-out" occassionally if you want the wet taken out. If you're lucky, they feed one flake AM & PM, a lot of barns only feed alfalfa cubes.

At one huge boarding facility, on top of "full board", I paid extra for more than 1 flake at feeding, extra for grain, extra for hay at lunch, extra for blanketing, extra for turn-out (all 15 minutes of it daily!), had to clean my horses waterer myself or it would grow mold.

Total was close to $800/mo before training or lessons.
Focus was definitely on quantity, not quality!

[CosMonster]

I missed the website I guess, but if the horses are out with round bales or on pasture all day then that changes my answer and I don't think one flake once a day (presumably to give them a little something to munch on at night) is that odd. I thought from the OP that the one flake was literally all the feed the barn provided.