Took a pig to the processor...and fired some customers

As I mentioned in a response to an earlier post, I took the first of my three pigs to the processor today. At age 54, this is the first "consumable livestock" I've ever raised, having spent way too much time on "rideable livestock" and their owners. Looking forward to the results- figure to have some pork on the table at Thanksgiving. At the same time, I "fired" two customers- sent one boarder and her horse home at the end of this month and told another to be out by the end of October.Both older women, and just too much drama... it was harder emotionally (and physically of course) putting the pig on the trailer than it was putting those two on the trailer.

Jose,

Can you share some of the good, the bad and the ugly about having horse boarders? We have thought about that some but have only had one person board for a few months that was pretty good. Sounds like your situation has been bumpy...

John

Boarding horses is a part of what we do to afford the farm and keep our girls on competetive animals. Good boarders are a wonderful thing- a huge help around the place as well as a source of income, and they become friends...which is where the trouble starts, because then they get a "friend rate", and expectations get elevated, etc. and suddenly kindness is mistaken for weakness.They learn a little about the business, and suddenly they think they know it all- experts on hay, water, pasture, training, blah blah blah- when we all know if it was so d@mn easy they'd have a place of their own. It's almost better to have a real "beeyatch" who's expectations are high- you charge them an appropriately crazy amount, treat them with the same high faluting distain they treat everyone else with, charge 'em extra every time their animal poops in the aisle and absolutely know where you stand the entire time. In EVERY case, the animals and the children are easier to deal with than the person paying (or "not paying", or "paying late") the bills. If I had to do it all over again, I'd set it up as a "self care" deal where I could beeyatch and moan at THEM instead of vice versa. That said, I still have plenty of boarders and couldn't make ends meet without 'em

What I've seen work in some cases is a "good cop- bad cop" deal- wife (usually) has the contact with the boarders, husband keeps his distance and runs the business. He has no entangling alliances with customers, can be hard nosed and wife shrugs and says, "Well, he's the business man- he runs a pretty tight ship, and that's why we're able to stay in business."

Takes some skill to pull it off, but it works. Delinquent boarder is mad at the husband, but realizes that she's not going to be able to pit her supposed ally (wife) against husband. Or if she tries, wife doesn't let it happen. Wife becomes the mediator between boarder and husband, in working out a deal to get things back on an even keel.

And it really works great if husband happens to be a lawyer!

How is this to solve the problem.

Remember the Animal house movie where the guy fires a gun and a horse is standing 3 feet away, the horse has a heart attack and keels over dead. That would be a way to handle it. "Gee Mrs. Beeyach your horse had a bad ticker"
It happens.

Cousin boards horses. Some are self care, and others are full care. In either case, they're under a contract. If the rent isn't paid, the animal is attached and sold. No bull, no questions. Takes a bit of book keeping, but it works smoothly and everyone knows where they stand.

I will never forget the look on the deans face as the janitor finishes with his tape measure, decides the dead stiff horse is too big to fit the door, then fires up the chain saw =:-0

(quoted from post at 14:09:21 09/20/12)
Jose,

Can you share some of the good, the bad and the ugly about having horse boarders? We have thought about that some but have only had one person board for a few months that was pretty good. Sounds like your situation has been bumpy...

John

Click to expand...

We've had folks ask, but value our privacy (and my people skills) too much......

Sometimes money ain't all that important... We visit quite a few places that board horses and see the horrors as well as the decent folks. A couple of the better places (and happier owners) are the ones that live on the place, but lease the barn, land, etc to an outside person. They get more money than they would have if doing things themselves (and no work involved). Some will even got to work for the leaser and get a second income off it....

We own 200 acres. When I first retired from the Army I thought about boarding horses. The more folks I talked to the more of a horror story it became. Fast forward a few years. A small place just to the west of us sold to a single lady with a professional job in the twin cities. She came to me about boarding over winter. I told her I would get back to her and checked with my insurance company. My agent convinced me that it wasn't a good idea. So I talked to a lawyer who as a friend gave me a contract for her to sign. Stated that she was responsible for paying the boarding fee up front and a monthly feed fee plus any vet bills that may come up. Also stated that short of negligance on my part should an animal die I was not responsible. I gave it too her and she freaked! She boarded with a guy I know.....he will never board another animal in his life!

Now it's getting very common for land owners to"board" dairy hiefers. But the owner pays to fence, feed and all vet bills. An animal dies and the land owner is not responsible. In some cases the farmer is providing a tractor with loader to move round bales.

Rick

looks like were thinking alike, this was the first summer we didnt have any "riders and their horsies" here too, wont rent out the stable due to flood danger from runoff from 2 major wildfires in the area,, we had 4 feet of water across the place last year, the only thing that saved us this year so far is we didnt get the usual amount of rain this summer, not going to risk it, still have 3 of ours here, but man it was plumb peaceful around here this summer! no idiots on the place no broked walker or stall doors, no fast driving on the farm lane,no arguing to collect the stall rent. hmm, this may be habit forming lol

I've experienced similar situations at our place, the best policy is to weed them out before they step foot on the place, meaning do the best you can to eliminate potential problems up front, however you see fit, which could include checking references, having a detailed "landlord-tenant" agreement, the goal is to obviously avoid those who are or will be a problem. Having multiple boarders, unless they're all good and no nonsense can be a real pain in the @ss ! Having no boarders results in a lack of cash flow, and that too is a pain in the @ss LOL !

I have found that the best scenario is less boarders, one with multiple horses, and say a customer base with lessons and the like, whereas you are dealing with one person, and they deal with multiple people. We have a sitution like that right not, 19 stall barn leased, indoor arena leased, and I'll tell you what, cause I left, the place was going into the drink, gutters hanging, aisles like the surface of the moon, was depressing to show up there every morning, but thankfully, the person whom is leasing, rode for us, we know her and things are run smoothly, both make money. One thing is for sure, those gutters would still be hanging and the stalls like craters and so on if it was not for this arrangement. During my tenure (I can't risk fooling with horses anymore) there was no boarders, just our own and though I tried, had people come in to speculate about leasing that were serious, powers to be( my father LOL !) were intimidated, 1 year later, I pay a visit and low and behold what a complete turn around, most of it from the lease, I said a year ago I could not get a tablespoon of stone dust for the stalls and the aisles, now theres piles of it, + all the other badly needed repairs. Funny how things can change with a little income. The other thing is you need good help and I'll say this, we have one guy an older gent whom is one of the nicest, good worker, he's been around since day 1, but over the years I've had help that I literally wanted to strangle, LOL !!! He is a different story, and we worked well together even during the worst, you know, barn flooded, snow on roof threatening to or brink of collapse, all the fun stuff.... (don't miss any of that LOL !!!) You have to have good help period, and that takes money too. Its good to visit now, as I anticipate a much better job for me doing work at a state agency after some time off, I know dairy farms are a lot of work, but these darned horse operations will tell you your age right quick, I'm done with it, no way I'd want to own something like that either, as the larger customers like described above, want to move on to their own place, so you never know about longevity or the long term. We've had a few "whole barn" leases thinking back and all of those were good money makers, best thing is my father lives there now, owner presence on site full time makes a big difference, no stealing, or hiding when it comes time to pay the bills.

We also have a select few additional boarders, one of which that comes every year during the warmer months. Been coming here for years now, and its a pleasure to have her around, so you have those types too, she also does other work, business related and they're good friends socially, without any chummy discounts, business is business.