About
Built by horse people who got tired of the phone tree
StableStay started as a way to find a stall for the night on a long haul. It became a platform for the three things every horse owner eventually needs: a safe place to board, a sane way to travel, and people they can trust in the barn.
Why this exists
Hauling horses across the country means calling strangers from Facebook groups and hoping the stall is really there. Hiring a groom means bringing someone into your home, your family and your animals on the strength of a text message. Taking a barn job means moving your own family onto someone else's property with no idea what the housing — or the boss — is really like.
The equine industry is one of the last large employers in America with almost no shared infrastructure for any of this. We think that's solvable with the same tools that made it normal to sleep in a stranger's apartment: verified identities, real availability, money held in escrow, reviews that go both ways, and a clear standard of conduct.
What we care about
- Honesty over polish.A background check that says "not run" is worth more than one that says "clear" without checking.
- Both sides of every transaction. Hosts and guests, employers and stable hands — each gets verification, each gets reviewed, each gets protection.
- The animals. Health records, care briefs and welfare reporting are first-class features, not afterthoughts.
- Families. Stable hands travel with spouses and children. Housing honesty and family-friendly roles are stated up front, not discovered on arrival.
The company
StableStay is built by Data Management LLC in Dallas, Texas. Payments and identity verification are processed by Stripe; sanctions data comes from the U.S. Treasury via OpenSanctions; email runs on Resend. We don't sell member data.
Press, partnerships and investor inquiries: hello@mystablestay.com
FAQ
Questions we hear most
Is StableStay free to use?+
Browsing, planning routes, creating a stable-hand profile and posting a job are free. Hosts pay nothing to list. StableStay earns a service fee on completed bookings, and background checks are paid by whoever orders them.
Who can see my horses' health records?+
Only hosts you've requested a stay with, and only for the horses on that request. Records are read by AI to extract document type and expiry dates; the files themselves stay private.
How is a background check different from a reference?+
A reference is a person who worked with the stable hand vouching for them — we email them a private link and they confirm, rate and comment. A background check is a search of public and regulated data sources: sanctions lists, sex-offender registries, adverse media and, where activated, FCRA criminal records. Good hiring uses both, plus a conversation.
Can an employer run a background check on me without my knowledge?+
No. An employer can order and pay for one, but it does not run until you read the disclosure and authorize it. You can decline, in which case the employer is refunded. You always see the full results.
What does "pending activation" mean on a background check?+
Some components — specifically FCRA-regulated criminal record searches — are run through an accredited consumer reporting agency. When that provider isn't active in a given region or deployment, we show the component as pending rather than pretending it was run and came back clear.
Why can't I book the demo stables?+
The demo listings and demo stable-hand profiles exist to show how the product works. They're clearly labeled and can't be booked, hired or screened. Real listings appear as hosts join.
How do cancellations work?+
Each listing picks a policy: flexible (full refund up to 24 hours before), moderate (full refund up to 5 days before) or strict (50% up to 7 days before). Refunds are issued automatically by Stripe when you cancel.
What is the Barn Safety Standard?+
A six-point code of conduct for hosts, owners and stable hands, adapted from the U.S. Center for SafeSport's prevention policies for working barns where the workplace is also someone's home. Members accept it once; acceptance shows on their profile and job posts.
Is there an app?+
Yes — StableStay for iPhone is on the App Store. You can browse without an account, book and message hosts, manage your horses and their records, and run your barn and hiring from your phone.
Something else? Report a concern or email support@mystablestay.com.