Where will you keep your horse?

Since most of us don’t live on a 50-acre farm, you’ll probably need to find a suitable barn where you can board your horse. Owning a horse is not a small commitment. If you can’t visit your horse a few times a week (or better yet, every day) then you should reconsider whether you truly have the time to devote. But if you’re like me and would love to spend every day, all day, at the barn, read on!

There are several different types of boarding arrangements. Full care board is the best option if you want the peace of mind of someone else’s experienced horse care. Prices will vary depending on where you live, but make sure full care board includes the feeding of grain and hay, cleaning your horse’s stall, and ample pasture time.

Pasture board or field board is what we eventually chose for Sky. It allowed her to spend twenty-four hours a day outside in a pasture with a run-in shelter. I believe horses need to be outside for their mental well being as many hours a day as possible. Pasture board is usually much cheaper, because there is no stall needed and less work for the barn. But it’s very important that your horse has adequate shelter (not just a tree out in the field) and 24/7 access to fresh water. Hay and grain feeding is usually included as well.

Some barns have a self care option as well. Eventually we decided we wanted more control over Sky’s feeding, and since we live close to our barn this is what we currently do with Sky. Basically we rent a pasture and take care of everything else. We buy the feed, hay, keep her water trough clean and fresh, and check on her at least twice a day. This allows us complete control but isn’t something you’ll want to do if you live far away from your barn or just don’t have the time.

Often barns will cater to a certain discipline. We started at a very small barn that was mainly Western pleasure and trail riding. In fact, we chose the barn before we had a horse. The barn manager (the same gal who bought the Bashkir Curly horse) didn’t have an opening right away, so we waited until she did, and then we began our horse search. The atmosphere was relaxed, and it was a great way to begin. But if you desire to learn dressage or how to jump, for example, you’ll probably want to find a barn that specializes in that discipline. There’s nothing like the camaraderie of like-minded horse enthusiasts. You’ll never run out of things to talk about! And you can learn just by watching each other ride.

Barns will often give tours to those interested in their facilities, so find some in your area and set up appointments. Or better yet, drop in to see what happens on a normal day. Sometimes when you get a tour you’ll only see the best. Watch lessons and training sessions. If you’re not allowed to watch a trainer work with his or her horse, there very well could be a reason, and usually not a good one. What a trainer does behind closed doors is valuable information. Go with your gut. If you get a bad feeling about anything, leave.