Selecting a Barn for Your Horse

When selecting a barn for your horse, there are a few things you’ll want to keep in mind. Your horse’s happiness will be directly correlated to the quality of the surrounding that you provide him with. If you provide him with cramped surroundings, terrible food, and inadequate care, he will be miserable.

Location- Some riders couldn’t fathom the idea of travelling upwards of 15 minutes to visit their horses, while others spend more than an hour in the vehicle each day just getting to and from work, so travelling is an integral part of their life. It is necessary for you to make a decision on the location of your barn with respect to both your residence and your place of employment. If your options are limited, you always have the option to expand your search radius. If you want to make sure that your horse has adequate foot support in addition to great lodging, do check out horse tendon boots Australia

Budget- This is not as simple as it may first seem to be. Naturally, you need to be aware of the price for the most basic board, but you should also enquire about the specific services that are included in this rate. The daily cleaning of stalls, turnout, and changing of blankets may be on your to-do list, as well as the provision of food twice daily, along with prescriptions, as well as hay three times daily. On their websites or in their board agreements, some barns provide detailed explanations of the services they provide, while others do not. You should compile a list of the services that you want to be included and then enquire precisely about them with the stable manager or instructor, whoever is in charge.

Facilities- In the event that you are unable to locate the ideal barn that I described earlier or if it is beyond your financial means, you will need to choose which features of the amenities are essential and which are only “nice-to-haves.” Common factors to take into account include the size of the stalls, the run-outs, the outdoor ring, the presence or absence of an indoor ring, accessibility to trails or a cross-country course, and whether or not the paddocks are grass or sand. Consider just how many others will be using these facilities in order to help you in assessing how the presence of other animals and riders will influence the experience of riding or turnout for either you or your horse.

The standard of care- For those of us who only want the best for our horses, this is one of the most important factors to take into account. There are some barns that provide a “complete care” package of services in addition to the standard boarding options. This package may include grooming, tack-up, training rides, and occasionally even lessons. In situations like this, there is often a barn manager who works full-time as well as a team of groomers who will take care of all of your horse’s requirements, regardless of whether or not you turn up to the barn yourself. Although this is something that may appeal to you, it may be beyond your price range.