Would this be a flawless place to board?
Im getting a horse soon and I live in a very small town. This ranch is the lone place that boards horses in my entire town. I also have another option of lately putting my horse on my moms friends land. (It's much closer to my house, but doesn't have alot of the things that the stables have) It's also only a few acres that already hold 3 horses on it, has grass, and a small shelter. It's very cold in the winter here, and extremely gusty everyday, but it would only cost me like $20.
The place I want to board my horse has masses pasture turnouts, 14 stalls, a tack room, feed storage, indoor arena, outdoor arena, group & private riding lessons ($25 with a institution horse, $20 with your own horse) feed 3 times a day. It will cost me $190 to board my horse here, and even smaller amount because I work in the summer.
Does that seem like a angelic price to pay? Would you consider boarding your horse here if you lived here and didn't have your own home? Or would you board your house on the couple acres?
Give me some pro's & con's of each place.
Thanks.
If you believe it have fantastic facilities, then yes, it's a accurate price to pay. BTW, are you talking weekly, fortnightly or monthly?
I would definitely opt for the board services especially if it's bad weather out where on earth you live.
I'm assuming you want the best for your horse.
However, if you wanted the cheaper option, breed sure to spurge on your horses winter attire. =) Make him as warm and comfortable as possible if nearby is only minimum shelter.
Perhaps you could fix up that shelter on your mums friends land.
A month, ay? Sounds pretty darn good to me!
Well I also live within a small town but there are many other fancy alternatives. However, I have my horse at a especially small barn, where I feed her grain and can solitary ride outdoors and she stays outdoors all winter w/ a shelter shed. I think pricewise your mom's friend's place is the best. You can always trailer her to the fancy fish farm for lessons, so I would go with the cheap place
Well, the small environment may be a lot cheaper, but think of it this way:
It's cold where on earth you live. So in the winter, there isn't much shelter for your horse on the land, and it'd be tricky to ride since it's so cold. But at the stables there are actual stalls and an indoor arena so you can still ride.
There's also a tack room at the stable so you don't have to convey your tack back and forth. Not to mention feed storage. They also offer curriculum so you can always brush up your riding or take regular lessons, and habitually times when you board there they offer lessons for cheaper prices.
Another piece for me is that horses need about 8 hours of grazing everyday. So think of individual on a couple of acres with 3 other horses who graze that much everyday. He won't get enough ruffage. Being contained by the stables you know for sure he's getting the nutricion (sp?) he needs and is getting his fill. Not to mention whether he doesnt get along with a horse they can be seperated.
The only pro for me on the friend's environment would be the price. Sure, it's closer, but then you have to bring tack back and forth, nearby isn't much room to ride, and you can't do much.
The barn is definitely the better choice.
I would board at the actual boarding facility. You would want the best care for your horse and the ranch would probably know how to provide it for you. That way you know your horse will be looked after and well-cared for, even though it is slightly more expensive and farther away.
you are intensely lucky to have the boarding facilities but i would prefer the ranch because of the weather ect. honourable luck with your horses.
I think the stable would be better than the few acres. It sounds close to a good price! Look at the condition of the horses there, and talk to other boarders.
Answers: If you have the money to board, I would definitely board for $190/month. That sounds pretty satisfactory. I live in a rural area and would be lucky to find board for less than $200/month. Your horse will be happier through the winter months surrounded by a boarding facility unless you can provide good shelter to keep them completely out of the wind. It will also provide you much more time to spend with your horse, and not obligate you to getting to your horse when the roads are too dangerous to drive in the winter.
Pros of boarding:
Someone else is cleaning stalls, feed, and turning your horse out
Requires less of your time to take care of your horse
If the weather is doomed to failure, you don't have to worry about getting to your horse to nurture
Facilities (you've already mentioned them all)
More time for riding
Security for your horses
Not having to find hay for the winter
Cons of boarding:
Putting up with boarders
Learning to not be so nit picky when people don't do things precisely how you want them done
Risk of barn fire in large barns
Pros of pasture board:
Inexpensive
You are alone with your horse (if you're not a social person)
Your horse is turned out nearly all the time
Cons of pasture board:
No facilities
You will need hay for the winter
You inevitability to tend to your horse at least twice a day for feeding and such
No lights, no indoor, smaller number ride time
Fencing may be unsafe
Shelter will probably be colder for your horse
No security (dogs, thieves, malicious individuals, hunters, ...)
Dealing with water in the winter
considering the weather i would board my horse at the barn were he could come inside we dont have the weather problem
I would board him/her. Sounds like a aspect place and trust me, in the winter you will LOVE an indoor arena! That price is also very good.
You might want to own your horse at your moms friends in the summer if it would make it easier for you to dance visit him.
Actually the boarding facility is the better choice unless you have the time and gas to go over to your mom's friend's place twice a daylight.
The $20.00/mo does NOT include feed. Because I know how expensive hay is I can say that right off the bat. With your horse stuck out within pasture, you're going to have to feed it a LOT of food to keep thaw out in those temps and a lot of that is going to be particle as well. So if your horse is eating speak a couple of bales a week (You're feeding more and if you're NOT feeding 100+ LB bales of alfalfa hay, you're going to enjoy to feed MUCH more hay so your horse can maintain weight.).
IF you're buying alfalfa hay, that's going on for $40.00/week worth of hay, then there's the grain...
When boarding, you are going to be responsible for the grain but they would be feed the hay. The barn would be a warmer place than the pasture and they would be responsible for the hay and cleaning your stall.
i would pick the arable farm. your horse would be safer and better cared for. it sounds warmer in winter, etc. whether i were a horse, i would rather live in the arable farm :) plus, it's got the arenas for summer and winter right there. i don't think the price is too impossible either, so that would be my choice
good luck, and have fun next to your new horse!
powerfully with the other place if they are paying for the feed for your horse and feed it every day for you and rug and un rug your horse and things like that yer it would probably be worth the price but if they a short time ago feed your horse for you and you pay for the feed i don't assume that it would be Worth paying that much and the other place your mums is it that would be fine for your horse it really comes down to whether you want all the arenas and stables and etc to use with your horse or you don't mind basically having a paddock to ride in so i hope this is a help to you. leah
If you can afford the board, the advantages of the ranch for you and your horse are huge.
On your mom's friend's land, adjectives you can do is watch your horse over the winter. If you want lessons on your horse, you have to trailer the horse to the cattle farm anyway. And the grass isn't going to last through the winter, so who's going to feed your horse and what will the food cost?
The smallholding sounds like it has all the services you need to get the most out of your horse in the winter.
Even whether you had your own land, the indoor arena is a terrific advantage you can't draw from there or on your mon's friend's land. It will allow you to ride at night or contained by cold windy weather (down to about 20 degrees). You will be able to glibly schedule lessons at times that work better for you and use them to keep on a winning streak over the winter. You can use your horse in the lessons, so you will get better on riding that horse as you win to know him, plus you can take advantage of school horses for new experience.
The price for the ranch is also very good. And the combination of lots of turnout plus stalls for the really fruitless weather will really let your horse live like a horse for as big a percentage of his time as possible.
Hope this helps!
The with the sole purpose pro's of your mom's friend's land is the price. You will get what you pay for and it will be your horse that will ultimately wages that price. I would go with the ranch. But first, find out what comes beside the $190 per month. Also, I know you said that this place was the only one in your nouns, but I would call a couple of other places not so locally to check on their boarding prices and services that will be equal to the ranch. I would ask the following questions:
1.) Is the $190 for full board or pasture board.
2.) What are their policies for the vet and farrier? Do they require you to use theirs or can you use your own? Is in attendance a handling fee for them to hold your horse during these visits?
3.) Is there any superfluous charges for putting on or removing blankets during the winter?
4.) Does the $190 give you access to the indoor arena and other facilities.
5.) What are their safety policies? Some things purely simple can be such dicey things. For example, do they allow riding in the barn or aisle way.
6.) Will your horse be pastured/turned out with other horses? Do you hold a say in which horses?
7.) Do they have a set feed schedule? This can possibly interrupt your riding schedule if they nurture right before you can come ride. This is very important to know particularly if they are group fed in a pasture. Not to mention not riding right after he finishes drinking.
8.) What type of hay and grain do they feed? Can you choose what your horse gets?
If your answers are to your penchant, then yes it is a good place to board.
