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GUIDE TO HORSE BARN SHOPPING
This time of year we get a lot of inquiries from horse owners who are barn shopping.
Some are displeased with their current boarding situation and others are at a barn without an indoor riding ring and want
to move to a place that has one so they can ride inside during winter months.
It can be difficult to know where to start barn shopping, especially if you're new to an area. A good first
step is to start thinking about what you want from a barn and what you can realistically afford.
If you're
a middle-aged pleasure rider, you probably won't be happy at a show barn with mostly teens and young adults. Conversely,
young riders looking forward to riding and competing with others their age won't be happy at a barn with mostly adult
pleasure riders.
A schooling barn may be ideal for riders who want to participate in lessons, but adults riding
on their own may find that the barn's lesson program limits their access to the rings and arenas or that it's too
crowded to make riding enjoyable.
Consider whether you want a full-board barn, where horses generally are stalled overnight in winter and
on hot summer days, or the less expensive field-board option. If you're strictly a trail rider, you may not care about
an indoor arena, but you'll want good access to lots of trails; otherwise, you'll likely want a barn with an indoor
and outdoor riding area. If you're a jumper, make sure the barn has jumps -- not all do.
Here are additional points to consider:
RECOMMENDATIONS.
Once you have a good idea of the type of barn you want, start asking around for recommendations. If you're new to an
area, check at tack stores and call a few veterinary clinics and see if the staff will recommend barns in the area that fit
the kind of facility you're looking for.
CONVENIENCE. Any barn
you consider should be a reasonable distance from your home or office if you plan to ride often, especially if you're
in a metropolitan area with a lot of traffic.
CHECK IT OUT. Even if you
get glowing recommendations about a barn, check it out carefully yourself. Questions to ask and characteristics to look for
follow...
PRESENCE OF OWNERS AND STAFF. Are owners and staff present
to keep an eye on horses, or are horses without a watchful eye much of the time? Personally, I wouldn't board my horse
at any farm where there wasn't someone living on the property, keeping an eye on the horses.
HORSE CONDITION. How do the horses on the farm look? Healthy and happy or underweight and depressed?
SAFE FENCING. Is the fencing safe and in good repair?
You don't want your horse in a pasture with barbwire, which can result in very serious injuries, or with any type of
fencing that's falling apart and could result in injury or escape.
VETERINARY
CARE. What veterinary service does the barn use and, if you wish, can you use your own veterinarian? Does the veterinary
service used by the barn have a good emergency care system?
Click here for an article about emergency veterinary services.
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| PASTURES SHOULD BE FREE OF DEBRIS AND BRIARS |
PASTURE CONDITION. Pastures should be free of potential
hazards such as farm equipment or briar bushes. They should look like they are maintained by mowing and dragging.
Ideally, horses should be rotated among pastures to rest the grass, but at suburban/urban barns where grazing land is
limited, rotation isn't always possible.
PREVENTIVE CARE PROTOCOL. Does the barn have an established plan
for preventive care? There should be a required protocol for vaccines, worming as well as dental checks and tooth floating.
The absence of a preventive care plan indicates a sloppy attitude about horse health care.
FARRIERS. What farriers service the barn and can you use a different farrier if you wish? If it matters to
you, must you be present when the farrier comes?
LATE NIGHT CHECKS.
Does the barn conduct late night checks routinely when horses are stalled overnight to make sure each has adequate hay and
water for the night and that none are ill?
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FEEDING DETAILS. How often are horses fed if they receive grain?
More frequent, smaller meals are preferable; twice daily is common. Once daily may be acceptable if horses are on field board
or turned out often, the grass is plentiful and don't get much grain anyway.
If your horse has special feeding
requirements or might require them in the future, can the barn accommodate? Does it stock senior feed for the oldsters, high-fat
feed for hard-keepers or low-carb feed for those that need it? Is there an extra charge for special feeds, which costs a
lot more than traditional sweet feed?
Does the barn provide three meals daily when needed for aged horses or
hard-keepers? A willingness to do so indicates the barn provides individualized, specialized care when needed.
Is feed stored and secured so horses can't get to it?
Who feeds? Preferably, the same one or two people,
which reduces feeding errors.
FIELD BOARD. If it's a field
board you're looking for, ask if horses are separated for feeding grain (they should be).
Are there run-in
sheds for protection from the elements and are they in good repair?
TURNOUT. How much turnout do horses get? Some barns have very little because
they have limited land. Excessive stalling, though, is unhealthy for horses and increases the risk for colic -- and horse
neuroses!
Are mares and geldings turned out together? It often doesn't matter, but in some cases, it does.
One of my own otherwise well-behaved geldings becomes an obnoxious lecher if he's turned out with mares and must be in
an all-gelding pasture.
CLEAN WATER. Look at buckets in stalls and water troughs in the fields. Are they
clean and filled with fresh water? Too often, horse owners who come to our farm barn shopping tell us they want to leave the
barn they're at because they find their horses without fresh water and sometimes, with no water at all.
STALLS. At full-board barns, do the stalls look to be in good repair?
How
often are the stalls cleaned and rebedded? Daily is preferable, although many barns, including ours, don't clean stalls
on Sunday to give the staff a break. In this case, are boarders allowed to pick out their own stall?
SPRINKLER SYSTEM. We were asked recently by a barn shopper if we had a sprinkler system in case of fire. We
don't -- wish we did -- but it's very expensive to retrofit one of these systems. I thought it was a good question
though, and a desirable trait for a barn.
OWNER DEMEANOR. Are the owners
or managers intelligent, knowledgeable, profesional and well-organized?
CONDITION
OF FACILITIES. Overall, do the facilities such as the indoor and outdoor riding rings look to be well-maintained?
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| HAY SHOULD BE CLEAN AND GREEN |
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| ARE FIELDS HAYED WHEN GRASS IS SPARSE? |
HAY. Does it look green and clean, or yellow, coarse
or dusty? Green and clean is preferable.
Is the barn generous with hay when horses are stalled or do horses
get only a flake or two then stand all night with nothing else to eat?
Are fields hayed when grass is sparse
or there's snow covering the pastures?
Horses shouldn't go for long periods of time without having
something to eat and digest.
HOURS OF OPERATION: Are there restrictions on the hours you can ride and if so,
do they matter to you?
Are there any limitations on access to the facilities due to riding lessons, summer
camp or other activities? Do the riding rings get crowded and when?
BOARDERS.
Ask about the population of boarders. What's the most common age and what type of riding do most do? Are they people
you'd like to be around?
If you can, visit the barn when boarders are likely to be present so you can meet
some of them. Generally, more boarders are around barns on Saturday and Sunday mornings and after work hours during the week.
UNDERSTAND FEES AND CONTRACTS. Make sure you understand all charges involved.
Is there an extra fee for services such as fetching or holding horses for farriers and veterinarians, for blanketing, administration
of supplements or when stall fans are used on hot days? Does the barn require you to commit to so many lessons per month and
do you care?
If the barn requires signing a contract, get a copy and review each detail carefully.
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BE REALISTIC AND HAVE A BALANCED VIEW
It's difficult to find an ideal barn that's going to have every good quality mentioned above.
Good care and a safe environment for your horse should be a must, but regarding the rest, carefully weigh what's important
to you and what's not, and strive to have a balanced view.
Keep in mind that an
old barn doesn't necessarily mean horse care is poor, and the care isn't necessarily good just because the facility
is new. For years, I had a retired horse at a small farm that was clearly old and a bit run down, but not unsafe. The owner
provided excellent care; my horse thrived and always seemed happy and relaxed.
Conversely, we have a new boarding
facility in our area that's in pristine condition, yet we hear alarming reports about inadequate horse care and staff
shenanigans that have prompted boarders to leave.
When checking the condition of horses at a farm, look at as
many animals as you can. Don't judge horse care based on one sorry-looking horse. A farm may have just taken in a horse
that's underweight or may have an aged or ill horse that looks poorly despite good care. If you see a horse that's
in poor condition but the rest of the herd looks good, gently inquire to see if there's a reasonable explanation.
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