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 Member
Posts: 49
| For years, my horses have been in my back yard and I have had the luxury of not having to board. Now I have moved a few hours away from home and started a "big girl job" and until I can afford to buy land, I am looking into boarding my horse. What are the things I need to look for and questions that I need to ask when looking into boarding? I am in Columbia, TN and have found a place within 10 minutes of where I live (which I love being close), and they offer quality round bales, bringing horses in in inclimate weather, and do not overload their pastures. Soon I hope to physically go look at the barn but I want to be prepared and find out as much as possible before boarding my horse there. Thanks in advance! | |
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 Owner of a ratting catting machine
Posts: 2258
 
| I'm a hardened boarding veteran. I've seen a lot, and I've quit a lot of places. Some I've been terribly sad to have to leave again.
I don't do group pastures. Doesn't take but once to shatter a knee.
The best boarding places are the ones that mind their own business and keep their facility maintained--keep their arena watered and groomed, keep the fences and stalls repaired, water hoses functional, yatta yatta. If you're paying for use of a good facility, then it needs to be just that.
I only do self care boarding, I can't handle letting someone else care for my horses, but I expect the boarding place to provide good stall cleaning tools and a convenient place to dump the dirty shavings.
I feed my own, boarding places seem to get the cheapest 12% sweet feed they can buy, and free choice hay doesn't register for them.
I also haul to my own vet choice, unless the boarding place routine vet is someone I would choose myself-again they usually choose cheaply. I just chuckle when they say they have their own shoer that comes routinely, and ask for the credentials--if I'm within a six hour haul to home, I use my guy that I trust. If I'm too far, I work with my farrier to help me find someone in the new area I'll be in.
I guess my best advice is to not let a boarding place sell you on what 'they' do. It probably isn't in the best of interest of you or your performance horse specifically, but rather maintaining a group of regular/pasture type horses, which is a far different thing. You need to make sure to see your horse everyday-if you own them, you owe them your time. If you have to go out of town for the weekend, make sure you make arrangements for their care.
This is a list of why's I do, and why! | |
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 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 595
Location: North Dakota | I manage a boarding barn and I strive to take care of each horse as my own. We don't have the fanciest amenities but your horse will always be taken care of.
We just offer a mill feed as our "house grain" but no horse on the propterty in my opinion needs a lot of grain so it is really more so alittle extra "umph" for winter and a way for boarders to get supplements into their horses. We do offer free choice hay during the cold months and keep just 2-3 horses per pen.
Small herd sizes, safe fencing and quality hay is what I would find most important for boarding in my mind. I've heard some horror stories of other barns in my area running out of feed and hay or horses not being fed enough in winter. I couldn't even imagine.
When I show potential boarders the place I just give them a tour and let them take it in and ask questions they have. I don't try to sell the place. I let the way the horses look and how content they all are be the example. | |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 898
Location: Idaho | I am an avid boarder and have been for a very long time.
I would suggest going to check out the facilities, make sure you check the hay to make sure it is good. I always try to find one with all of the amenities that I require and for a good price. I searched for quite a while to find the facility I am at now, other facilities I looked at who offered the same thing was 3-4-5x's the price I have now. I feel so blessed to have found this facility. I want the owner to be honest and straight forward, and I want them to take care of my horse. I want to be notified if there is anything that is going wrong. I have had some bad places come across and I have no hesitation leaving there for the sake of my horse. I do not like DRAMA. There are some barns out there that will put your horse on a deworming/shoeing/vet schedule and require you to see their vet. That don't fly, as I like to have my own vet/farrier/ plus I do all my own shots so I don't need a vet out for that.
Currently my horse is on pasture board. Originally he was with four other mares that they would fuss with, and the owners mares would come out once in a blue moon and spread two 50 lbs bag of sweet feed on the ground and leave. I am AMAZED they didn't founder, and once I found that out I moved him to another pasture with an older gelding. They get along and have been together a good 6 months and haven't had a problem. It is also nice because the other horse belongs to the barn owner, so they were moved to the pasture by his house so I know he is being looked over daily.
I like a barn owner that listens. I am not a boarder than complains though unless there is something of great concern, I'm pretty quiet. I like to have the arenas taken care of. We have an indoor and three outdoor pens to pick from, plus a big pasture to ride in and trails. You have to pay attention though, recently I had to get on a kid who was trying to touch and pet my horse while he was eating his grain. Had to tell her to leave him alone because he has been getting kind of touchy while he has been eating his grain, and he's never done that before. A good network is important, when we see something fishy.. we as boarders communicate and talk to one another and sound the alarm. We have had strange cars come onto our facility at night, one time I had pulled up to my trailer and there were two strange vehicles parked in front of it. Three guys were standing outside talking and as soon I got out, they jumped in their trucks and left. I thought it was weird, nobody had seen them before. The dogs were also on edge, but luckily we haven't had anything stolen. So I think the networking helped.
Edited by DashNDustem 2017-02-05 11:20 AM
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 Money Eating Baggage Owner
Posts: 9586
Location: Phoenix | Will they feed your own supplements?
What does their hay look like?
Is it extra to feed more?
Is there daily turnout? Or a weekly turnout schedule?
Will they blanket?
What's the bedding situation? Free choice shavings? Stall cleaner fills the pen? Buy your own?
Arena lights?
How does the ground look? Do they ever water it?
How big is the round pen?
Are there trails nearby off property?
Is there enough room for your trailer? Tack room space?
What's the boarder traffic like? A lot of absentee owners or more involved owners?
Busiest times of day?
Just some things to consider when you visit. | |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 380
| I like to know what the owner is like to do business with. Honest, easy going, not a complete nut.
I like a safe barn and pasture.
Easy parking for my trailer.
Enough space for my tack.
Easy going atmosphere.
My current barn does not have an indoor yet, but next year they plan on putting one in. I know traffic will increase once that happens. I am not crazy about really busy barns.
I stay away from places that require you to take weekly lessons or have a reputation for BS.
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Married to a Louie Lover
Posts: 3303
| I think a lot depends on your activities and goals as well - are you a weekend warrior/trail rider/fun show person or will you be competing heavily and perhaps have a little higher maintenance horse?
Up until last year I always boarded. Love having then in my back yard, mostly miss the facilities as I don't have easy access to an indoor.
Things I look for:
Turnout, at minimum larger dry lots preferably pasture.
Water access in turnouts, how clean are they? Good access where a horse can't be cornered by a bully?
I don't mind group turnout, but I want to know the barn owner/manager is attentive to the pecking order and makes thoughtful pairings and introduces new horses appropriately.
Feed - either high quality or you can bring your own no problem. Who feeds and when, if it's not the same person every time is there good communication of changes.
Facility up keep, worked and watered arenas.
Lessons - if there are lessons at the facility are they always at the same time and what is the arena use policy when they are taking place?
Low drama - what's the average age of the boarders, how many kids are around and are they required to be supervised. Not that adults can't be terrible too, but in my experience a lot of the petty drama and problems come from teenagers.
A great boarding barn is worth their weight in gold. I barn sat a lot for the last place I was at when they were traveling for high school rodeo and after every time I had no problem writing my board check, it's a lot of work and often thankless. | |
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 Expert
Posts: 3815
Location: The best kept secret in TX | I posted this in your other thread. I don't know if you knew you posted twice. 
Does the barn offer shavings? Are they included in the price of board?
Does the barn vaccinate? Do they deworm? Do they do it automatically wihtout consent or do they ask for permission first?
Are they open to your own Vet coming to do the routine maintence/wound care should something happen or are you forced to use who they employ?
Do they offer a lockable tack trunk for your tack? Do they blanket int he winter? Does this cost extra?
When it is raining do they bring in all horses? Are you charged extra for this?
If it is raining and they don't bring in horses, should your horse slip in the pasture, are they liable for vet costs to get him back sound?
Are there cameras on the property and do you have access to the video footage via streaming? If no, are they opposed to you putting up a camera on your horses stall/turnout/tack area?
Last but not least, will they feed what your horse is used to eating and will they feed supplements? If yes, is this any extra cost? Do they have a lockable air tight bin for your horses supplemetns and feed to be stored? Are they measuring feed intake by pound and feeding the appropriate amounts of both hay and grain?
Hope these get you brainstorming about questions to ask. Remember: It's a n interview conducted by you to employ them. Be respectful and remember that you are paying them, not the other way around. If something feels off, it probably is. Good Luck!  | |
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Member
Posts: 49
| IRunOnFaith - 2017-02-06 11:39 AM
I posted this in your other thread. I don't know if you knew you posted twice. Does the barn offer shavings? Are they included in the price of board?
Does the barn vaccinate? Do they deworm? Do they do it automatically wihtout consent or do they ask for permission first?
Are they open to your own Vet coming to do the routine maintence/wound care should something happen or are you forced to use who they employ?
Do they offer a lockable tack trunk for your tack? Do they blanket int he winter? Does this cost extra?
When it is raining do they bring in all horses? Are you charged extra for this?
If it is raining and they don't bring in horses, should your horse slip in the pasture, are they liable for vet costs to get him back sound?
Are there cameras on the property and do you have access to the video footage via streaming? If no, are they opposed to you putting up a camera on your horses stall/turnout/tack area?
Last but not least, will they feed what your horse is used to eating and will they feed supplements? If yes, is this any extra cost? Do they have a lockable air tight bin for your horses supplemetns and feed to be stored? Are they measuring feed intake by pound and feeding the appropriate amounts of both hay and grain?
Hope these get you brainstorming about questions to ask. Remember: It's a n interview conducted by you to employ them. Be respectful and remember that you are paying them, not the other way around. If something feels off, it probably is. Good Luck!
I may have pushed enter a little too many times lol but thank you!! I really appreciate everyones replies! | |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 509
| Find out if the feed on a schedule,what kind of flooring in there stalls no concrete. Do they turn out. If the person handling your horse competent. My horse will let me know if he has been roughed up and it does happen. I've only found one barn I trusted and he sold out I could set my clock with his feeding schedule. And then you have all the drama the anti barrel racers,the Parrelli followers. I try to board Jan feb but have given up and I just ride in the mud, my horses usually get ulcers every time I board. | |
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Any advice on finding a boarding facility?