Where to Board?

When you first think about getting a horse, the second thing which should come to mind is "Where am I going to keep this animal?" Horses are typically herd animals, meaning they do not like being alone. I can't say I blame them, I don't like being alone! For many people the option of having more than one horse is simply not an option. To have two, simply to keep each other company is a costly endeavor, especially if you do not have a proper facility on your property. Depending on where you live boarding your horse can range from $200.00 rough board to well over $1,000.00 per horse. When I bought my first horse I knew I would be boarding, for a short while. We had a barn, but the stalls were not built, the land for turn out was not cleared, and I did not have money for a second Friesian, and Friesians are my passion. So the search was on for a facility close to my home where I could board my horse. I did not want to be more than 20 minutes from my house, as my time to spend away from home, after working was very limited. Living in a rural agricultural area, where the joke is "More horses live there than people" I looked at several barns easily within 15-20 minutes of my home or less. I spoke to the owners, looked at the type of horses kept on the facility, was there a ring to work in, what type of fencing, the ages of the other boarders, etc. When I think back now and ask myself why I picked the first barn I did, I realize I would not do it again. At the time I was looking for trails, and the barn had plenty of them. Horse do not live on trails, they live on the stalls and in the turnouts. I later learned, fences and stalls were much more important. Safe fencing should be the number one concern, and right behind that a safe stall. Soon I began to realize the fences were not nearly what my horse needed; they were too low, unsecured in some areas and the stalls were not designed to keep neighboring horses from sticking their noses, and sometimes their entire heads, into my horse's stall! I also soon found out the true meaning behind the saying "My barn, my rules, my farrier, my trainer, etc". Needless to say I was only at that barn for 4 months. I was on the lookout for another place to board my horse. When searching for a boarding barn talk to the other boarders as much as possible, before moving to the barn.Ask what they like about the barn and what they would change if they could. Those answers reveal so much. More later! Happy Trails.