Tuesday, October 7, 2014

boarding sacrifices

For those of us that board horses, what sacrifices are you willing to make?

What I mean by this is each barn is different and offers different amenities. The first barn I boarded at had a beautiful, large, well lit indoor arena. The pastures were huge with grass and nice fencing. There was a custom feeding program and good hay provided. The stalls were large with nice bedding. The owner did training rides and gave me lessons. 
Cooper, my dog, and Shy in the large arena.
But turn out was not a guarantee. . .like, if there was a 10% chance of rain or it was too cold, the horses stayed inside. So sometimes, they would be inside for days and even though I said I wanted Shyloh out pretty much no matter what, she stayed in unless I came to put her out.  And sometimes the horses didn't get fed until noon. . .for their morning feed! Or midnight for their evening feed. Things would remain broken for periods of time before being fixed and there was a lot of clutter. 
Outside!
So, I left for a place that had more of that I wanted. Pasture board on 15 acres with trees and fields with varied footing in a herd situation. This barn has a large outdoor arena, an indoor arena, and access to trails. It is well maintained, anything that needed work or was broken was fixed immediately. Feeding is consistent. The owner keeps an eye on the pasture horses to make sure no one is dropping weight and if so makes accommodations. And the water troughs are always full and clean. 
So much woods for a woodland pony!
But this place has fencing I don't care for, not that it matters to Shy. She doesn't wear a halter in the pasture and it is so big she doesn't stay around the fences. And the fences are tall so Shy can't get hurt on them. Pasture maintenance isn't great (Burrs) and the feeding is not custom. For Shy, this doesn't matter. She is clearly doing fine with what she is getting. And although I would prefer her to be pulled out to be fed her supplements and not barn grain, they will not do that. But it is a sacrifice I am willing to make. I can feed the supplements (which is just a vitamin and mineral pellet) and Shy can get the barn grain, even though I am not a fan of grain. There is also no trainer, which is okay for me, for now. If I could afford lessons, I could bring an insured person in or haul out. We will revisit this in the spring when I am in a better situation.
I am sobbing over that forelock that Shy no longer has. Sobbing!
My friend's private barn that I took Shy to was great for being able to control Shy's food. She was out all day, she had great hay, and was very well taken care of. There was a set of eyes on her all the time and I got photos all the time of things that Shy was doing. But the paddocks were small and has no shelter and there was no riding area (except for a round pen, which got taken down) that I felt safe practicing riding. I also spent more time helping with the barn that with my horse, which was okay sometimes, since I like barn work. The main problem with this barn was the distance from home and work. It got to the point where I was spending much more time driving there and back than with my horse. 
She did love her afternoon naps in the plentiful hay and sunshine, though. 
In my perfect horse world, I would have acres for Shy to roam on with nice grass (but not too nice), trees, shelter, and nice fencing. I would have an enclosed place to practice, an indoor arena would be great, especially for winter. I would have all the trail equipment to practice on that I could think of along with trail access (for that elusive day when we start trail riding). Shy would get no grain but be fed her supplements every day and have quality grass hay. I would have a barn so if I needed to bring her inside for care, I could. And there would be no crazy. None. Also, more Halfingers. In my perfect horse world. 
And now we have this sad excuse for a Haflinger forelock. I am still crying!
Everyone wants and needs something different for their horse. I don't have a competition horse or anything fancy. So for me, the most important things are a big area for Shy to be a horse and good feed. I think for the large area that Shy has, I sacrifice a bit on the feed. Am I thrilled about it? No. Is Shy doing just fine with this arrangement? Yes. So it is okay as long as she continues to do well.
And as long as the draft doesn't run her off her food. . .
In my area, there is not a lot of choice. It is mostly stall boarding with turnout in small paddocks. Getting the acreage I have for Shy can't be found anywhere else in the area. Or at least, I haven't found it yet. 
She continues to be a goof. A forelock-less goof.
What type of sacrifices do you make in your situation? Or are there perfect barns actually out there?

27 comments:

  1. I'm not boarding anymore, but the main sacrifices I made at my barn were, 1. I couldn't get out there much. 2. We didn't have a good closed in area to area (no arena, and a sucky round pen) and 3. Getting my horse out of the pasture was awful because he was in there with every horse known to man and I've gotten trampled before, ew. My old barn is as close to perfect as I can imagine as barn could be, though, and the sacrifices were worth it. That being said, nothing like having them home. The only sacrifice I'm making now is that it's difficult to get him out of the pasture *alone* (which we're fixing) and we don't have super good flat pastures to ride in.

    ReplyDelete
  2. My barn is pretty perfect for me. The arena isn't as nice as I'd like and we don't have a covered, but the turnout and horse care is exceptional so I don't complain.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I'm with a trainer I've been with for a long long time so sometimes I feel like I sacrifice just about everything to stay with her. But also its just harder when the prices and distances to barns are so disparate.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I didn't even want to get into boars costs! Maybe in another post though. . .as distance, costs, and trainers are all considerations in where to keep your horse.

      Delete
  4. This is an interesting topic. I don't feel like I currently sacrifice very much, although the distance/commute is a big one for me. My current barn is about 30-40 minutes without traffic from my house, which means stopping in just to check on my pony isn't an option. But the care is fantastic, and I have lots of friends who look in on Miles when I'm not there, so it helps ease my mind!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The distance to my friend's just got to be too much. Going to the barn meant spending the whole weekend there to make it worthwhile. So calculating gas and time vs board made my decision to move. It;s good to have lots of friends at the barn to keep you updated on Miles!

      Delete
  5. I'm a bad owner, I guess. I want access to great trails, and in the big city, if you want trails, you don't have much choice in turnout. Our guys are only turned out when we turn them out. They spend an awful lot of time inside--but they get an awful lot of exercise from all the riding we are able to do--because our park is across the street. It is a trade off--for sure.

    We have been boarding our horses like this for years, and they are so well adjusted--it is surprising. You can be sure, if they showed signs of unhappiness or stress, we would have to move.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I would never say you are a bad owner! You do a ton of riding with your horses and they are out all the time. I enjoy reading about your training and trail rides.
      I just listed the things I think are important for my horse and what I think she likes. Every horse and situation is different.

      Delete
    2. Thanks, Allison. I was actually worried about commenting that our horses don't get a lot of turnout. I do think that they cope with it because we ride so much. (Besides--Cole simply hates rain!)

      Delete
    3. I truly apologize if I came across that way! For Shy, she doesn't get ridden much, so the more she moves on her own, the better it is for her.

      Delete
    4. You didn't come across that way at all--I was afraid your readers might take offense, but I see that they are as understanding as you.

      Delete
    5. I could never take offence to anything you say Judi! :D

      Delete
  6. I'm very, very luck in my current situation and it works very well for O. That said, I am sure that with any facility there are downsides. My biggest one in this current facility is the footing in the outdoor gets hard. Easy fix, though so I shouldn't complain.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Shyloh is so pretty! I love her coloring!

    ReplyDelete
  8. I think the tradeoffs are very much about what works best for your horse and you. If you're competitive, an indoor arena where you can ride year-round may be non-negotiable. If your horse loves to be out 24/7 but absolutely MUST be separated for feeding, that may be non-negotiable. There are downsides to almost every situation, including keeping your horses at home! You just have to choose what works best for you and your horse.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes. Even keeping horses at home, where you can control things like pasture maintenance and food, you often sacrifice time. It will forever be a balancing act.

      Delete
  9. Blogger ate my comment :(
    My barn is close to home (5 minute commute, yes please!), excellent trail access most of the year, and has two round pens/one arena that can be used for owner-supervised turnout as availability permits.
    But Confetti's in a 12x36 stall, doesn't have regular turnout, and the footing in the arena is variable (mediocre to kinda-awful) and goes to muck when the rain comes.

    She's happy enough being stalled, but it's always in the back of my mind that I'd like to get her in pasture someday, unrealistic as it may be.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. A 12x36 is unheard of here! The options are usually 12x12 or 10x10, which is why little to no turnout did not cut it for me. I know a lot of the differences are where in the country you are able to board with regards to space, stall size, and turnout.
      A five minute commute would be a dream!

      Delete
  10. Nothing anymore except my hard earned pay check! Boarding was always hell for me, and the reason I have always wanted a farm.

    ReplyDelete
  11. I've always felt that the deck gets stacked against those of us without the land to keep our horses at home. My dad always says that I can have anything I want, but that I can't have everything that I want and I guess that's what happened with my horse boarding. I've been at the barn where I am for years. I've tried a few other places, but for some reason, where we are now is the best of what works for us. (I'm not saying it's the best of the best because there are plenty of things I'd wish I could change.)

    What I really want is trail access, a riding arena for times when trails aren't up to snuff, plenty of room for my horses to move around, and total control over what my horses eat. Where we currently board, I have an arena, we have barn trails which aren't that awesome, but I suppose I could trailer out with a friend if someone is willing to take me, and self care which gives me control over what my horses are eating, and when, and how. Is it perfect. No. But do we make do? Yep. Plus since we moved, it's only 2.8 miles away which is a super quick drive (but a little longer by bike ... maybe 10 minutes, depending how fast I'm trying to haul ass and pedal.) Plus, they even let me use one of the three arenas to drive my cart in, which is probably above and beyond what other places (which are namely hunter/jumper show barns) would allow.

    Ironically, there's a stable about a half mile away from the new house in the other direction near the beach. I even boarded there once upon a time, and hated it awfully. The stalls and paddocks are ghetto, the place is a falling down dump and it's a co-op, which is in my opinion the kiss of death (especially with college students). Sure, it's closer, sure I wouldn't have to sweat it out going over an overpass on my bike to get there, and sure, it might even be cheaper and I'd be able to ride on the trails by my house and ride on the beach whenever I want. They even have a sort of falling down arena place to ride, but I'd never go back there if my life depended on it.

    So what we've got is what we've got. I've resigned myself to the fact that we won't have pasture turnout for grazing, but since I completed my corral reconstruction project, the mare and Mitch have more space than they ever did before. I want to keep going and build something that're more like 3-sided shelters and put better footing down, but for the moment, it's just fine as far as living space goes. It's close by and since it's an avocado farm, the horses are sort of a side business, rather than being the only means the place makes money so it'll be around for a long long time.

    But that doesn't stop me from wishing I could have the empty lot by the clubhouse to put up two stalls, some good sized paddocks and an arena to ride in.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. There really is a lot to take into consideration with what our horses need, what we want for them, and what we need.

      Delete
  12. Before I had my guys in the back yard I experienced a number of places. None perfect. The best had good wood fences. Horses were turned out most days. Feed could be customized and they had a tiny indoor and a nice outdoor. The downside? $$$$$$!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, money is a huge factor in usually getting better things from boarding.

      Delete
  13. I think I'm in near-perfect situation:

    - It's affordable.
    - They keep an eye on my horses all the time
    - The horses have two 14 acre pastures; stream access; more grass than they can eat; and all the hay they want in the winter
    - Stalls are available if you need
    - Indoor and outdoor round pens
    - 20+ miles of trails and access to the rail trail which has oodles of miles
    - back field I can do whatever I want with + barnyard for play/work, too
    - My BOs bought me a trailer I can use as long as I board there that works with my 4Runner

    The only cons? No shelter in the fields for winter beyond trees/elevation breaks. I wish they had a place to escape the rain/snow/wind beyond that, but they don't. So I'm having to blanket them to help them keep weight better. The other horses came through winter okay, but with endurance horses who need to go right into competition in April, I need them to be at a good weight. The BO won't take blankets on/off so that's my deal. If I lived closer, it would be easier...so I'm currently working on purchasing a home near the barn. =)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That sounds wonderful and the use of a trailer is a huge bonus!
      And good luck with the home! Exciting!

      Delete
  14. I keep mine at home, so I probably shouldn't comment, but I want to so I will hehehehe! Having him close where I can check on him multiple times a day, having control over every aspect of his care, having him where no one can mess with him without my knowledge and being able to sneak out in the middle of the night when I can't sleep to talk to him and hug him are the things I won't sacrifice. To have all of that I sacrifice some things like no barn (only a three sided run in shed), no stalls, no arenas, no trails (only road access) and the ability to just up and leave isn't there without planning out someone to take care of him and keep an eye on him while I'm gone. That might sound crazy, but it's worth it for me. I can ride whenever I want and I don't have to drive to get to him. I have access to a dressage boarding barn that is ten minutes away with a trainer who gives lessons and an indoor arena, but I haven't used it yet because my trailer needs repairs and I'm broke. That should change soon I hope though. :)

    ReplyDelete
  15. Shy is beautiful, even if she is forelock-less . :-)

    Wow, I am really lucky. Your "perfect horse world" description is pretty much what I have. All day turnout or 24/7 turnout if preferred. Plenty of protection from the elements with over 70 acres of pasture, trails and forest, in addition to an arena and huge front paddock. There is a herd health program and the place is pristine. Trainer onsite. It's affordable and 15 minutes from my house. The thing that sealed the deal for me was when she was interviewing me and I her, she said that if she thought there was something seriously wrong with my horse, she was calling the vet first and tracking me down second; her main concern was the horse's well-being. I was absolutely OK with that. I would give up other activities if the cost of board went crazy....I would want to keep my guy where he is and I would make it work.

    ReplyDelete

Share your thoughts or comments, I love to read them!

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.