CS wrote:Fair Play wrote:I get billed $1000 mo for a mare to board in KY. $100 is shoes! Some of my horses in training get by without shoes. Thieves!
If the $1000/mo is just board (no vet, shoes, etc) - then you are boarding at one of the top facilities in central KY, as that equates to ~$33/day. Although I heard that Lane's End is going to $40/day plus additional for a foal at side!
There is good boarding to be had at $25 - $27/day which would help cut down some. $100 - is that for 2 or 4 shoes? For 2 that is quite high, it should be about 1/2 that. Many mares ended up in shoes this year - as it has been quite dry and the ground is rock hard. Even my personal riding horses who never wore shoes are all shod this summer - otherwise they'd be walking on nubs.
The day rate is $25 per day but they have managed to nickel and dime it up to $33. The farrier is for 2 fronts per month! We only pay $65 at the track for two fronts! It is possible they need the fronts if it is dry as we had record rain falls here. There is a ton of questionable stuff on the bill and this is the second farm that has done this to us. The first charged $30 every two weeks to trim a foal. When I picked her up, she looked like she hadn't been done in 8 weeks and her dam was thin. We keep up to 25 mares at home and sometimes at farms locally or in FL for 30+ years. None have ever needed the vet work the KY farms seem to find necessary for you every time. Neither mare had a foal at side. I imagine if it weren't for the live cover rule, many of those places couldn't find a boarder. I live 12hr from Lexington, but it would be cheaper to trailer breed and take my chances!
