There are two basic ways you can go about turning boarders down. The first is to be honest, and to tell them that their credit or income or past history at other barns (or any other reason) has disqualified them from boarding at your barn. It might spark anger and argument, but at least you don’t have to make up an excuse.

Another option is to simply tell the applicant that you have filled all available stalls. Explain that you offer stalls on a first-come, first-serve basis, and another boarder got his or her application in first.

I always recommend the first option, but you should let applicants know in advance that you screen boarders for certain criteria. Give them an opportunity to explain any problems they might have had before you conduct a background check.

Good luck getting your barn up and running, and thanks for reading!

I really liked this article because I am in the process of setting up my own boarding and training barn. I am a certified coach and have worked on the business end for some time, but as this will be my first solo mission I was glad to get the information. I am in complete agreement about screening boarders, but if you decide they are not a good fit for your barn how can you handle this gracefully?
I am curious for your imput.

Thanks,
Laura