Are You Really Profiting? The Truth About Full Barns in Equestrian Businesses
May 11, 2025
In the equestrian world, a full barn can look like success. Every stall filled. Hay deliveries rolling in. Board cheques stacking up.
But here’s what I remind clients inside Equestrian Entrepreneur™ every day: a full barn doesn’t always mean full profit. In fact, for many barn owners, running at capacity leads to burnout, rising expenses, and a business that feels overwhelming to maintain.
Whether you offer board only or combine it with training, lessons, or other services, here’s something worth considering—more horses isn’t always the answer. Sometimes, it’s the problem.
Let’s break down why a busy barn doesn’t always lead to a profitable business, and how small shifts in structure, pricing, and strategy can change everything.
💸 Full Doesn’t Always Equal Financially Sustainable
If your income depends entirely on board cheques, you’re likely operating on thin margins. Feed, bedding, labor, utilities, insurance, and maintenance all add up quickly. And in many barns, those expenses consume most—if not all—of what’s coming in.
So while it may look like you’re earning good money on paper, what you’re really doing is covering costs. That leaves little space to pay yourself, build reserves, or grow sustainably.
This is why profit matters. It’s not what’s left over—profit should be a built-in part of your pricing strategy.
🧮 Plan for 75–80% Capacity, Not 100
One of the first shifts I recommend is redefining what “full” really means.
Instead of building your pricing around 100% occupancy, plan your breakeven and profitability targets using 75 to 80% capacity. That margin creates flexibility for seasonal turnover, horse movement, or even a well-deserved break in your schedule.
When every stall is full, your workload increases, but your profit often doesn’t. Giving yourself space creates a more stable, strategic model—one that allows you to run the barn, not let the barn run you.
🧠 Real Example: Volume vs. Margin
Here’s a simple comparison that illustrates the difference:
Barn A
- 30 horses at $750/month
- Offers standard board only
- Expenses are high: grain, bedding, labor, utilities, insurance
- Owner is constantly working, with little time or help
- Revenue appears strong, but profit is minimal and inconsistent
Barn B
- 20 horses at $950/month
- Board includes lessons or training
- Offers additional services like coaching, show prep, or rehab care
- Fewer horses = reduced costs and improved quality of care
- Owner pays herself, gets support, and has a waitlist
Barn B may not bring in more gross revenue, but it keeps more of what it earns. Lower expenses, better margins, and a structure that supports both the horses and the humans behind the business.
Here’s a real-world example:
A client of mine was running a barn with 28 horses, charging $700 a month. After expenses, she was left with less than $100 per horse and wasn’t paying herself regularly.
We restructured:
She cut back to 18 horses, raised board to $950, and made training part of every package. Three months later, she was working fewer hours, had weekend staff, and—most importantly—had money left over at the end of the month.
Same barn. Same skills. A business that finally supported her instead of draining her.
⚠️ The Hidden Cost of More Horses
Every additional horse brings more than a cheque. It also brings:
- Increased feed, bedding, and medical supplies
- Extra labor, time, and admin
- Faster wear-and-tear on your arena, paddocks, stalls, and fencing
- Higher utility bills and liability
- One more owner to communicate with and manage expectations around
If you’re not charging enough to cover these expenses and build in profit, you’re doing more work without seeing more reward.
I’ve seen barns with long waitlists and packed stalls lose money as they grow—because they’ve built a system that prioritizes capacity over clarity.
🐴 Fewer Horses. More Profit. Better Business.
I’ve worked with barn owners who downsized from 30-plus horses to just 12 or 15—and that’s when they finally started to earn a consistent, livable income.
What changed?
- They priced board based on actual costs
- Made training or lessons mandatory, or bundled them in
- Offered premium services for additional income
- Focused on clients who respected their time and business
- Reduced overhead and found support where they needed it
The result? More margin. Less chaos. A business that felt sustainable instead of survival-based.
🎯 Let’s Make the Math Work for You
If you’re asking whether your barn is truly profitable, you’re already on the right path. Awareness is the first step toward better strategy.
That’s why I created the Stable Startup Checklist—to help equestrian business owners build with clarity, confidence, and intention.
Inside, you’ll map out services, review financial structure, and make sure your barn is set up to support your life—not run it.
It’s a great fit if you:
- Are building your barn business from the ground up
- Are restructuring or reviewing your current model
- Want a clear, non-emotional way to assess your numbers
👉 Click here to download the Stable Startup Checklist
Your barn deserves to be a source of stability, not stress. Let’s make sure it’s built for profit, purpose, and sustainability from the inside out.
