boarding SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION Factors to Consider Beyond Just the ‘Day Rate’ onsidering the investment involved—both personal and financial—Thor- and Victoria worked as the principal of a oughbred owners should not take the care of their horses for granted. middle school, while running their Cali- There are many more factors to consider beyond just the normal “day fornia breeding farm. Their first experi- rate” a boarding operation charges. The welfare of each horse should be ence with Kentucky boarding farms was Cof paramount concern with any boarding operation, focusing on such key factors as a client, and it wasn’t always favorable. as safety, veterinary care, and employee competence. What follows are informative “We shipped back and forth to Ken- looks at various associations and farms offering boarding as one of their services tucky and were tired of our mares coming in the Thoroughbred industry. back thin and barren and always hearing that it was the mare’s fault,” said Victoria. Arundel Farm ment besides the sensitivity to owners’ Owning a Kentucky farm had long been Matthew and Victoria Hewitt, the own- costs are the guiding principles at Arundel one of Victoria’s childhood dreams, and ers of Arundel Farm, appreciate the chal- Farm. both Hewitts knew they would offer better lenge of making a small breeding opera- A top priority for the Hewitts is regular customer service. tion successful, having been boarding cli- contact by phone and e-mail with their “A lot of people are concerned about ents themselves. To help their customers, clients regarding the status of their mares going to small, more modest operations they are introducing for the 2012 breeding and young horses. They handle stallion because they think they are getting less,” season a flat-rate boarding schedule. bookings, offer sale prep, and connect said Victoria. “We work with Dr. James “Many people think that what they will clients with reputable consignors if they Slaughter, one of the best reproductive vets be paying is just the day rate, but then want to sell a horse. in the area, and we look at every horse, they find there are innumerable overhead Dr. Donnie Vice, a veterinarian in Jack- every day. We treat every client’s mare like charges they had never been expecting,” son, Miss., is one client who has seen first- it is a million-dollar mare, like she is one of Victoria said. “Our rate eliminates the hand the benefits of boarding with Arun- our own horses.” ‘fear’ of board bills by being all-inclusive. del Farm. We don’t charge more for necessities, like “I have a couple of mares that can be dif- Dutchess Views Farm stalling, when there is bad weather.” ficult to get in foal, and they got them all Because of its location, amenities, and The rate even covers trips to the breed- in foal this year,” said Vice. “I have used outstanding service, Dutchess Views ing shed. several other farms, but I wanted to find Farm, a full-service Thoroughbred facility The quality of Arundel Farm’s personal a place I could work with. I have input in that caters to just about every aspect of the care is reflected in its statistics. Since 2002 how things are handled, and we discuss industry, is ideally suited to board horses. the farm has gotten 96% of its mares in things really well.” Situated on 150 scenic acres near Pine foal. Among the horses foaled on the farm The 130-acre boarding farm near Paris, Planes, N.Y., Dutchess Views is owned by over the past five years (an average of 20 Ky., has been in business since 2002, when Michael Lischin and his wife, Anya Sheck- per year), 12 were nominated to the Triple the Hewitts relocated from Northern Cali- ley. Since the mid-1990s it has catered to Crown series and four became graded fornia. Both had careers outside of the those seeking boarding, breeding, foal- stakes winners. horse industry: Matthew had his own me- ing, sales preparation and representation, Communication and hands-on manage- chanical/electrical engineering company racing partnerships, and industry consul- D utchess Views Farm is located in Pine BOARDING | STALLIONS | PARTNERSHIPS | SALES Plains, NY in the fertile Hudson Valley. We are conveniently located two hours north of Belmont and Aqueduct and one and one-half hours south of Saratoga. In 2012, there will be tremendous increases in New York purses and breeders awards. We provide the full range of high quality services for owners that want to take advantage of these terrific opportunities. "We cater to participants in the New York program, using our extensive contacts at all levels in the industry." Owners: Michael Lischin and Anya Sheckley - Michael Lischin 189 Johnnycake Hollow • P.O. Box 656 Pine Plains, NY 12567 Tel: 518-398-5666 Fax: 518-398-5143 Email: [email protected] www.dutchessviewsfarm.com 3070 BloodHorse.com O NOVEMBER 5, 2011 BoardingSection.indd 3070 10/31/11 3:43:13 PM BLACK YELLOW MAGENTA CYAN BH44-3070.pgs 10.31.2011 15:45 TheBloodHorse We Know a Ting or Two About Raising Classic Winners 2003 Kentucky Derby/Preakness winner FUNNY CIDE was foaled and raised at McMahon of Saratoga Toroughbreds “Our newly expanded Meadowview and Eastview Farms encompass over 400 acres and are located just three miles from our main farm on Fitch Road. Since our beginning in 1971 we have amassed thousands of hours of hands on foaling experience. Let our experience work for you. Dickstein Skip Feel free to contact us for a tour of our facilities at your earliest convenience.” Stallions for 2012: Alphabet Soup | Catienus | Harlem Rocker | Silent Name | Tiago | Touch Gold | Utopia Inquiries to Joe or John McMahon 180 Fitch Road / Saratoga Springs, NY 12866 (518) 587-3426 | [email protected] | www.mcmahonthoroughbreds.com BLACK YELLOW MAGENTA CYAN BH44-3071.pgs 10.27.2011 11:45 TheBloodHorse khowe Boarding SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION tation. In addition, because of Lischin’s enable us to provide a great deal of valu- their development. background in law and Sheckley’s insur- able assistance to people participating in “We really have the ideal set-up here,” ance company, Hammertown Insurance the New York-bred program.” said owner Beverly Least, who has recent- Agency, equine legal services and insur- Dutchess Views is an attractive board- ly turned the day-to-day management and ance services are also part of what they ing option for those in the eastern New operation of the farm over to her son Gary. offer. York area because it sits just two hours “We have large foaling stalls with pad- “We have extensive contacts through- north of Belmont Park and Aqueduct and docks off the stall so every horse can be in 1 out all levels and geographic areas of our is only 1 ⁄2 hours south of Saratoga. Boston the barn when needed. I think it also gives industry based on our more than 30 years is also not far away. new mothers a calm, confident feeling.” experience in the Thoroughbred industry,” A former polo facility, Dutchess Views The farm is also a complete breaking Lischin said. “These services and contacts has an open and airy feel that horses enjoy. and training facility that includes a five- Highlights of the farm are its stallion barn eighths of a mile turf training track, a with six 14x24-foot stalls, a pair of brood- starting gate, and an Equicizer with a sand mare barns totaling more than 80 stalls, and rubber composite base. Foggy Bottom and 25 paddocks that all include automatic Least has been a horse lover her entire heated water systems. The eight foaling life, having started out riding Standard- Farm stalls are complete with security cameras breds and pleasure horses. She and her hus- and are monitored by the managers and a band bought the more than 100-acre farm FBF full-time night watchman. The farm has about 30 years ago to support the family’s foaled up to 90 mares in a year. horse hobbies. Gary and his sister grew up Lischin and Sheckley live on the farm with fox hunting, and he went on to com- and actively breed and race, giving them pete as an amateur steeplechase jockey. a vested interest in the business as well Gary later went to work at Finger Lakes as a pulse on current happenings in the Race Track, which is only 30 miles from industry. They even stand three stallions Foggy Bottom. At the track he met his fu- at Dutchess Views: Andromeda’s Hero, Pa- ture wife, Laurel, and now they work side triot Act, and Roaring Fever. by side running the family farm. “We can help people with their own It has been a challenge for a small fami- mares or find the right trainer if they race, ly-run operation to find its niche, but Gary because we are active in doing that our- said the recent recession has helped the selves,” Lischin said. “We will even take family focus on what it does best. lay-ups. We feel like we can help clients “We’re not a big operation that can with whatever they might need.” throw money at our challenges,” Gary said. “Instead, we throw horsemanship Foggy Bottom Farm and elbow grease at our problems. We are Foggy Bottom Farm, a full-service farm in the business of being able to drop off a nestled in the heart of the Genese Valley in horse at the racetrack or take it to a sale Western New York, prides itself on manag- and have people say, ‘Wow, that is a good- ing clients’ Thoroughbreds at any stage of looking horse.’ ” TERRIFIED..