Horse Boarding

Horse Boarding

Horse boarding is something that many people have to consider before purchasing a horse. Boarding a horse can be expensive, but there are many with a great passion for horses and they would never be able to care for them at home. Boarding a horse also has many advantages such as other horse people to ride with, better facilities than many owners can afford to have at home, and also someone else to do the bulk of the care. So let’s look at some guidelines for choosing a horse boarding facility.

How many parents have heard the words, “Mommy, I need a pony!” or “Daddy, can I have a horse?” More than one suburbanite parent who has never even touch a horses nose has had a girl or boy who has been in love with horses since they were three years old. So once buying them pony wallpaper, model barns with horse stalls, and Breyer horses doesn’t satisfy the aspiring equestrian athlete any longer, many parents opt for riding lessons. This is a good way to introduce them to horses without taking on the responsibility of owning one.

Horse inside stall, Photo from Flickr.com vw4ross

A year or two goes by and the interest grows. Then the words once again surface, “Mommy, I need my own pony!” Taking the trainer or instructor’s advice about size of horse to purchase, age of horse, and experience of horse based on the child’s ability, age, and interest level can avoid a lot of problems in the future. Some of the most satisfied horse owners I know are the ones who listened to the teacher and bought a horse that the teacher helped them choose. Purchasing a horse or pony that the child had already ridden is a good idea. Taking lessons on a horse before buying it gives a very good low-pressure introduction and try out time.

Boarding a horse at the same horse barn that gives the lessons is usually fine. But by and by circumstances in the owner’s lives can change. This may mean the family has to relocate or downsize their monthly expenses. Allowing a child to take a horse or pony with them can really make the transition easier for them. So now let’s look at ways to choose where to move the horse to.

The best first step is to ask the current barn owner if they could recommend another equestrian center in the new town. Also ask if there are any barns that they would warn against going to. The next step is to get on the internet or look in the phone book and begin calling stables. Usually they are listed under a header such as “Horse Boarding and Training”. It is usually wise to avoid listings such as “Horse Rentals”. These places are more geared for hiring horses instead of caring for horse owner teams.

Top Questions To Ask About Horse Boarding

Here are some very important and insightful questions to ask when calling a horse barn or facility.

1. How many horses do you have at the barn?
2. How many acres do you have?
3. Are the horses turned out regularly?
4. What type of fencing do you have?
5. What size pastures do you have?
6. Do you offer riding lessons and boarding?
7. What type horse stalls do you have and what are the dimensions?
8. Do you have a fenced in riding arena?
9. Are most of the riders Western or English?
10. Does your barn go to horse shows?
11. Are there any riding trails near by?
12. How long have you been in business?
13. How much is the horse board?

These answers give you an idea of what kind of horse boarding facility it is. It is best to avoid any places that have barb wire fencing. For a young or inexperienced horse owner it is best to choose a facility that offers both horse boarding and lessons. Horses are very different if they are kept inside all the time. A lazy pony can become very hard to handle if it is not turned out regularly. So choose a place that has pastures that are at least five acres and leave the horses out for several hours each day. Having an indoor arena is nice, but in many cases just an outdoor riding ring with sand footing and wood fencing around it is sufficient. It is also wise to be informed as to which type of riding most of the people do. If your child likes to jump then a barn that has all driving horses might not be a good choice.

Amenities that can increase the price of horse boarding would include an indoor arena, proximity to the city, and how nice the barn is. Just like people view homes before they decide which one to buy or rent it is also a good idea to include horse boarding barn viewing with scouting out the new area. Take the list of the top four or five barns, give them a call and ask if you can stop out.

Commercial barns are usually very active all during the days, especially after school, so it is even a good idea to just get directions and then drop in unannounced. Then you see what a normal day at each barn looks like. Take a look at the horse stalls and see if they are unreasonably dirty or if they have fresh horse bedding and stall mats. Look at the resident horses and notice if they are fat or thin. Walk along next to the paddocks and pastures and see if the fencing looks in good repair and if there is grass in the fields. All stables fight mud and dirt, depending on the season, but it is not hard to see that horses are standing in nice size corrals and paddocks or if they are all crammed in together with mud up covering their hooves. Mud is not unusual by any means, but look to see if each pasture or paddock has a dry place for the horses to stand- somewhere that they can get away from the mud.

Also take a minute and watch a riding lesson. Compare the instructor to the one that the child is used to riding under. Watch the rider and see if the teacher upsets them or if there is a good working relationship between the two.

Moving to a new area is hard enough, but taking the time and patients to research a horse boarding barn is really worth it. Changing schools and relocating is very hard on kids, so getting to take their treasured horse friend along with them is very important to them. Choosing a place with large horse stalls, nice size fields, fenced in riding arenas, and a resident teacher can make the transition much smoother.

Horse boarding, horse boarding barn, horse stalls, horse bedding, stall mats, boarding a horse, horse stables,

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Sue, July 30th 2010 | Tags: , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Horse Boarding, horse stalls

Horse Stall Ideas

When someone owns a great majestic animal, simply referred to as a “horse” they soon come to realize how special they are. Simultaneously, it seems, the new owner also becomes aware of the special needs of the animal. Buying a horse can be a dream fulfilled, and looking into horse stall ideas is also important. So let’s look at some horse stall ideas.

Horses are many times thought of as a play thing for the rich. Yes, it is true that some very wealthy people own horses, but one visit to a horse barn will also reveal that a wide variety of people are present. In rural communities horses can be very economical to take care of. Many families purchase a pony or horse to teach a child responsibility, to give them a good thing to invest their time and interest into, and also so that they can participate in 4H. Horse stalls and horse barns don’t have to be elaborate or costly. They just have to be designed to do the job and to do it safely.

The most economical but safe way to build a horse stall is by simply buying some 2×12 inch rough cut lumber and some treated 4×4 posts. In a shed, out building, or unused garage a 12 foot by 12 foot area can be measured out. The posts need to be buried a few feet into the ground and to be set on four foot center around the outside perimeter of the stalls. The the boards are cut to length and screwed to the upright posts. The boards should be mounted no more than three or four inches between each horizontal row. Rough cut lumber shrinks and leaves gaps between the rows. To prevent horse hooves from becoming trapped between the rows, minimal space should be used between each. Stall wall boards should be installed to a final wall height of about 5 feet.

The least expensive option for a horse stall door is to simply mount three screws eyes on each side of the door and then purchase a stall guard to go across the entrance. A search on Amazon or horse tack sites for the term “stall guard” will give you some selection. Typically stall guards are made from heavy duty nylon stripes stitched together in a checker board sort of pattern. Many horses will respect the stall guard and not try to escape.

Ponies are another story when is comes to stall guards. If you find that the pony or horse will not stay in the stall and is crawling out or pushing too hard on the guard, then a wooden door may have to be built.

The simplest construction for a horse stall that I can think of is to make a door from 2×4′s and plywood. A frame about 4 1/2 feet tall can be made with a few supports in the middle. Then heavy 3/4 inch plywood can be screwed to it. Then the door can be hung from heavy duty hinges.

The main idea of horse stalls is to keep the horse safe and provide them a place to get out of the weather. Shelter not only helps to keep them from getting cold, but extended exposure to moisture also can cause skin problems like scratches (mud fever) and rain rot to their coats. Horse Stalls Guilde is written by horse owners for horse owners.

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Sue, July 27th 2010 | Tags: , , , ,
Posted in horse stall design, horse stalls

Horse Stalls And Caring For Equine Wounds

Horses are notorious for getting into things. It doesn’t seem to matter sometimes how good of an environment we provide for our horses, they still get hurt. I also think horses have their very own calendars. Have you ever tried to get a vet to come out on a Saturday or Sunday night? It is not easy to find one that will respond to your emergency calls. Horse stalls are a good place to put an injured horse while you wait for a vet to arrive.

A week ago, on a Sunday morning, a very nice young horse that lives at our farm came into the barn with a swollen leg. If you have ever worked on a two year old, you know that it can be a challenge. The best thing we did first was to catch her and then put her in the box stall. The confinement of space allowed us maneuver her into a corner. With one of us holding her and the second trying to feel of the flesh wound, she hopped around the stall. After a quick check the best thing was to run water on the wound. We transferred her to the rubber matted wash stall and held her. It is a good idea not to tie the young horse when working on them. Later, as they gain more experience, tying is fine, but horses have to learn to stand tied. With one handler and one person on the hose we began running cold water on the wound.

Slowly, as the water slightly numbed the area, we slowly rubbed away the dirt and other matter that had collected around the wound. Closer inspection revealed a small opening at the top of the blood covered area. Very commonly a horse will not just have a scrape. A vast majority of horse wounds also have a puncture wound. The best way to treat a puncture wound is to purchase a mastitis tube. These tubes are similar to a worming tube. A mastitis tube, commonly marked “Tomorrow for Dry Cows” is designed for putting an antibiotic up into an infected utter of a cow. But let me tell you, I haven’t found anything better for treating punctures. You simply insert the end of the tube into the puncture and them press the plunger until the medicine comes back out of the wound. Deeper wounds may require half or even an entire tube, but at $2.25 per tube, it is a very economical treatment.

So back to the young horse—

After running water on it, she was not at all inclined to let us use the mastitis tube on her. We took her back to her box stall. Along one wall I have a tie mounted in the middle of the side of the stall wall. This is the first place I tie babies. It is a good idea to drill a hole and mount a ring for tying to. The ring should be mounted at the top of the solid part of the horse stall wall and just under the bars or wire. This provides a solid place to tie the horse lead rope to. Tying directly to the bars or wire can bend or break them. So using a ring is a very good solution.

With the more confined horse stall, the stall door shut, and the horse tied to the ring, her movements were limited. I still kept a lead rope attached from her halter to my hand so I could turn her towards me while I worked on the puncture wound. I began scratching her and talking to her. I rubbed her shoulder and neck, and then while I rubber her chest with one hand I slid the mastitis tube into the hole and pushed. It only took a second and I only had a second before she jerked back. But still I got enough into the hole to make it come back out.

The danger with wounds that heal over and are not left to drain is tetanus. So whenever you have a horse with any sort of wound, be sure to check for a puncture wound. Tying a horse in the horse stall reduces the movement and also keeps them from hurting themselves more. Working on a horse outside is fine, but especially with a young horse, a more confined area, such as the horse stalls, can be safer for both horse and handler. Mounting a ring on the side of the stall also provides a good training aid, a place to tie.

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Sue, June 8th 2010 | Tags: , , , ,
Posted in horse stall design, horse stalls
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