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1) Subject: Pointers needed re: selecting boarding facility 2) Subject: Key points from your boarding 'contracts' 1) Subject: Pointers needed re: selecting boarding facility From: "The Beckers" [magsters@primenet.com] Newsgroups: rec.equestrian Date: Sun, 2 Jan 2000 19:16:33 -0700 In preparation for selecting a boarding facility for my horse, I've reviewed my books on proper horse care, have good commonsense as well as "horse sense," and have visited stables beyond my budget just as a point of comparison. I feel well prepared to make a decision, but would still very much appreciate hearing "real life" stories from others who have gone through the process and what they believe are the most important factors in selecting a boarding facility. In other words, what are the nitty-gritty questions I should be asking when I visit? What did you find out, if anything, after the fact that you wish you had known before? Thanks for the help. From: Pat Thrasher [gbexcel@aol.comgoaway] Newsgroups: rec.equestrian Subject: Pointers needed re: selecting boarding facility Ask about the boarding contract and *get a copy*. Ask about rules and *get a copy*. Wander about and look for signs of how the owner/manager communicates with the boarders. Are there lots of little notes with LOTS!!!!!! of caps and exclamation points? Bad sign. Are the rules posted? How many rules are there? ---the fewer, the better, but the few should be enforced. No Smoking, Clean Up After Yourself, Use Only Your Own Stall, and Lights Out When You Leave are the basics. Look at how the stalls are bedded. Is that enough bedding for your horse? If not, discuss it up front, including offering to pay extra for extra bedding, and don't allow the question to be brushed aside. What is their haying policy? Does each horse get one flake? Does each horse get what s/he needs? Or is the truth somewhere in between? Again, this is something that needs to be fully discussed *before* you move in, and settled. Look for--- fire extinguishers emergency lights backup watering systems clean aisles (not a lot of junque) handy garbage cans brooms security systems appropriate for the area and the situation (which could be as simple as a light on at the front of the barn so the owners can glance out and see any untoward activity from their house) Walk the fences. Look for sticky-outy things and holes and broken stuff. Look at the turnout. Look for gopher holes and junque. If the turnout is by a road, look for beer bottles and sandwich wrappers [sigh]. How is water provided? What about in the opposite season? The biggest question to figure out, and one of the hardest, is "How controlling is this person?" If there are tons of rules, and the manager doesn't want to feed what you want fed, and wants to insist that you use the barn vet and farrier, and wants to dictate what time you can come see your horse, and so on... it makes things very very difficult. From a veteran of the Boarding Wars.... Pat Thrasher Wilmington, Dela-where? ---------------------------------------------------------- 2) Subject: Key points from your boarding 'contracts' From: "RPM1" [rpm1deleteme@frontiernet.net] I'm trying to make a list of items that I would use. All boarders must sign, understand and agree to the terms listed in the "Release and Waiver of Liability and Indemnity Agreement". Board payment is due on the 1st of every month. No smoking in or near the barn. There is a picnic area near the trailer parking lot with receptacles for smokers. Horses will come in for feeding twice a day. Beyond that they will be outside in turnout with free choice hay, water and access to run-in sheds. They will be brought in for inclement weather, illness or injury. Horse owners supply their own supplements, medications and fly repellent. Blanketing, wrapping, booting [...] is the complete responsibility of the horse owner. No halters in turnout. No dogs. Children must be supervised by an adult. All horses must be on the barn's worming schedule. Barn hours: _?_ to _?_ unless prior approval from barn manager Horses deemed dangerous will be required to leave. A vet will be notified in the event of serious illness or injury. The horse owner will be billed directly by the vet. Horse owners must provide emergency contacts. Horse owners are responsible for meeting with and handling during farrier and vet services. The barn manager will provide handling during spring and fall shots. Horses should not be left on the crossties unsupervised. When possible use the crossties in each stall. No horses should be left in the arena or roundpen unsupervised unless prior permission is given by the barn manager. If your horse makes a mess in the aisle clean it up. Leave a note on the blackboard if you're going riding in the park and what time you left. Turn out lights before you leave. If you are the last person in the barn during the winter please turn the heat in the lounge down to 60 before you leave. Gates and doors - when in doubt, close them. Illegal activity anywhere on the premises will not be tolerated. From: Margaret Alfoni [malfoni@easternscience.com] As for bringing in a trainer..most places will allow it if the trainer/instructor is certified and has signed a release of liability. If, however, your own training fees are going to be part of your business income, then you'll want to figure that into your financial scenario. Your state might have laws regarding grace periods for non-payment of board and when you are allowed to sell the horse to recover lost board income. You'll have to check on that one. Make sure you include that in your board agreement. Trailers..if you have room and are going to attract the kind of clientelle who have/need trailers, then yes, I'd allow them. But make sure you have a designated parking area, and be strict about it! Trailers parked in places that block traffic flow are a pain in the a**! I'd add "or destructive" to your dangerous horse statement...don't want boarders who chew or kick down your place! Or have some kind of clause about owners being responsible for repairs to untoward damage done by their horses. I'd also have a 30 day notice (or whatever you want) clause for both you and your boarders for notification of termination of the board agreement. You're not in Mass are you (g)...I'm on a not-yet-too-serious barn hunt! From: [raykour@aol.com] (Whitney J Goodwin) allow a safety crown halter if they really want one. From: "Ruth Baltopoulos" [rudybal@mediaone.net] On all the stall doors at our place, we put laminated sheets with all necessary info: -Owner's name/address/phone #s -Feed schedule -Vet/Farrier Info -Supplements -Any special info It makes it very simple, as all the info that you need is staring at you when you are at the horses stall. There is a barn vet and farrier, but everyone is free to use their own. If a specific vet is not readily available, the barn vet is called. charge for all ancillary services, such as blanketing, washing, hosing legs, giving supplements, and on and on. We don't offer those types of services, everyone does their own thing. From: [chenders@mc1adm.uwaterloo.ca] (Chris Henderson) Our policy is that all riders 18 and under MUST wear a helmet and it's *strongly* recommended that ALL riders wear one, regardless of age. From: "JonquilJan" [ward39@imcnet.net] You might want to have a lawyer detail this out but some sort of time limit on overdue not paid board (talking months here) where by you would be able to take the horse and sell it for expenses incurred. Probably a state law would apply here. From: [chenders@mc1adm.uwaterloo.ca] (Chris Henderson) : Mary, here in NJ, the owner of a farm only has to post the signs on the : property from the state that say the farm-owner is not liable, 'ride at : your own risk'. That's it. Once those signs are up, then if someone : falls off and gets hurt, the farm owner is not responsible whether or : not the rider is wearing a hard hat. We have similar signs posted at our barn. I've heard though, that those signs probably wouldn't hold up on a court of law if the barn owners were to be sued. From: "Scott, Stokes Landing Sport Horses [phantome@ucinet.com] In this state (OR), we have a helmet law to ride a motorcycle, or a bicycle. Why then do some barn owners feel it's any different on a horse? It's not a matter of whether we'll get sued or not, it's a matter of principal. If someone, even if their over 18 wishes to add the extra risk to their riding experience, they can do it somewhere else. I know I sleep a lot better at night knowing that we've taken all the safety precautions available in order to keep this a fun, and safe sport. Stokes Landing Sport Horses C.M.Newell writes: Coggins -- to enter Massachusetts, you need one less than 6 months old. From: John Hasler [john@dhh.gt.org] Coggins While in Wisconsin you need one issued during the current calendar year unless it is January in which case you need one issued in the current calendar year or the previous calendar year. "Franks, D. A. (Deborah) [dfranks1@mail.ford.com] wrote: You might also want to have in writing that IF owner is called they NEED to get out there and see for them selves OR YOUR decision is final. Period. From: [megare@aol.com] (Corey Kaye) I think it's a good idea for every barn owner to know just how far an owner will go to save a horse. For example, I will not take a horse through colic surgery, a bad founder, and the only one I'll even consider repairing a broken bone with is Springer. I've never put this in writting where I board, but it wouldn't be a bad idea to do so. I feel more comfortable with my limits out there on the table, and know that if I can't be reached, and my emergency contacts can't be reached my horses won't (or shouldn't) have to suffer needlessly. Search additional posts at deja.com Forum: rec.equestrian, Keywords: boarding contract Dates: Aug 18 2000 and later |
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