Operating a Horse Motel

Do you have a horse facility with extra space to accommodate occasional equine guests?  An equine motel can be as basic as a few secure paddocks, or as extravagant as a showplace barn with additional Bed & Breakfast accommodations for “the humans.”  Depending on your lifestyle and interest, a horse motel might be a worthy venture for you!

Points to consider:

• Do you enjoy working with the public? After a long day in a truck pulling a horse trailer, people appreciate a kind welcome and a helpful hand.
• Whether you are a small horse-only facility or a larger Bed & Breakfast (B & B), be clear and frank about your facilities and its access. We once booked a B & B that promised that they were only a few miles off the interstate and there was plenty of space to turn a large rig.  While they were only a few miles off the interstate as the crow flies, we actually had to travel 20 miles further east to find an exit and then 20 miles back west on rough, mountain dirt roads to arrive at the facility.  An extra 60+ minutes of driving in the dark was not welcome after a long day on the road.  Once morning dawned, we’d realized there absolutely no place to safely turn the large rig.  We ended up leaving two hours late after being forced to turn in a local field and getting the rig stuck in a collapsing drainage culvert.  We wound up paying the land owner for bent latches on his gate and the damage to the culvert.  This was not a good experience!
• How available are you to take overnight guests? If there are certain time periods when you cannot take guests, it may be a good idea to have an online calendar to show when stalls and/or rooms are available…  as a bonus it can also help to keep you organized!  We once showed up at an equine B & B and the owners forgot we’d booked with them.  We waited more than three hours for them to show up, then only had access to an uncomfortable hide-a-bed for the night.  Again, this was not a good experience… (if you are interested, we can help you set up a full-featured website with interactive calendars).
• Plan on keeping your facility clean and free of potential dangers. Traveling horses are stressed and more likely to get injured or sick in a dangerous or unclean facility.  Dirty stalls, bent nails, sharp metal and nonsecure holding facilities are not safe for traveling horses.  Keep in mind less obvious hazards in your environment…  a nosy neighborhood kid leaving a gate or stall door unlatched because they “just had to see the horsey” can be very dangerous to your equine guests.  Be conscientious when considering these security issues.  Always be alert for potential danger!
• Have your contact information readily available so that your guests can call you from the road if they need to.  Home, barn and cell phone numbers, email addresses, voicemail, and even texting can all be a part of this communication strategy.  Don’t be disturbed if you cannot contact one of your traveling guests at their cell phone number…  despite what the cell phone company commercials would like you to believe, there are vast stretches of this country with spotty cell phone service!
• All visiting animals should have current health paperwork and Coggins tests. This protects your own horses as well as any other visiting horses.
• Be sure you have a place for guests to comfortably turn their rig around and unload horses.  It is very frustrating to wrestle with limited vehicle access after a long day of driving!
• You should look into an insurance policy to cover your guests (horses and people). We recommend Mr. Butch Human with Star H Equine Insurance at 877-827-4480.  Policies to cover a horse motel are likely much less expensive than you’d expect!
• Check with your local zoning board to see if operating a horse motel is allowed in your neighborhood. You don’t want to run into a legal mess with neighbors who decide they don’t want such a facility in their neighborhood.
• Do you have R.V. access? Even if you do not plan to operate a full B & B, if you have electric and water hookups available, you can offer a place for someone with an RV to hook up!  People who have RVs and horse trailers with living quarters love facilities with 30/50 amp hookups.
• Do you allow dogs? If you allow dogs, be sure to spell out your leash policy as well as requirements for health paperwork.  It is recommended that your policy states all dogs be controlled on a leash or in a kennel.  You can be held liable if a guest’s dog hurts another guest or horse.
• Have a good relationship with you local veterinarians, farriers and mechanics.  Sometimes your guests will require these services and it will be very reassuring to them to know you can recommend someone.
• Have a listing of nearby restaurants, attractions, shopping and motels (if you do not offer ‘people accommodations’).