Question re: equine retirement

[Amanda Perez <amandaperez@ureach.com>]

  Since the subject of auctions has come up, I'm taking an 
informal survey?  
  If your horse became unredeable but was pasture-sound and not 
in pain, would you pay to baord it at a retirement farm?  If 
so, how much would you be willing to pay?  What level of care 
would you expect (stall baord vs run-in shed, blanketing etc.
  Would you be willing to ship your horse out-of-state to an 
affordable retirement farm?

  The reason I ask is that I have friends who own a farm in 
Maine.  Currently the raise cattle but I think they could make 
more money boarding retired horses than they do raising cattle. 
Where I currently board my horse there are a couple of retirees
whos owners pay $200 and $250 per month to board.  For $200 you 
get pasture and a run-in shed, and hay only when there is snow-
cover (the pasture is adequate for a non-working horse).  No 
blanketing, excerize etc.  I believe the owners have to arrange 
their own vetting, farriery and worming (I'm not sure). For 
$250 someone will feed your horse twice a day (you pay for the 
grain).  Seems pricey to me but for the area it's dirt cheap.  
I just wonder if there is a market out there for affordable 
retirement boarding.

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