You've always dreamed about keeping your horses at home. Whether
you already have property or are thinking about buying property,
it's a good idea to start thinking carefully about whether
keeping your horses at home is the right thing - before
you buy a barn!
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Money |
A flat fee every month.
The cost of board varies widely from area to area and
from barn to barn. But regardless of the dollar amount,
money spent on board is like money down the drain. Oh,
except for those one or two days a week you can actually
make it out to see your horse. Ask yourself, how many
hours a week do you spend at the barn? And how much do
you spend per week on board? So then... how many dollars
per hour do you spend to see your horse face to face?
The amount will probably surprise you. |
You'll have the upfront
cost of buying the barn, fencing, stable tools, and probably
a horse trailer. You need to figure out how to afford
the upfront price and how long it would take for all these
things to pay for themselves versus boarding. But the
point is, they likely will pay for themselves eventually.
In addition, all this should increase your property value.
In the long run, you can save yourself money and even
get some money back if you sell your property. |
Services |
This
is the nice thing about boarding! You likely have access
to a riding arena, amenities like a wash stall, instructors,
trainers, trails, etc. Furthermore, someone else is
out in the snow at 5am to feed your horse and clean
its stall. If you show, a professional barn will generally
trailer your horse, get them ready, and even handle
all the paper work and entries for the show. Boarding
barns also provide a sense of community and camaraderie
that might be harder to maintain if you have your horses
at home by yourself. And perhaps it goes without saying,
but a boarding barn is a business, so it is well-equipped
to handle all the “fine print” logistics
and paperwork of keeping horses. Make sure your property
is zoned for horses, and check into any other liability
or legal issues involved with keeping horses in your
area. |
With your horse at home,
you are likely the only person responsible for their well-being.
As a daily minimum this likely includes feeding, cleaning
the stall / barn, turn out, and exercise. And these things
must be done 365 days a year—no matter the weather,
no matter that summer vacation. You’ll also have
to provide for a vet and farrier, both scheduling the
appointments and being there to handle the horse. Check
the availability of these professionals before you bring
your horses home. Furthermore, you must ask yourself how
much professional training you and/or your horse need
to accomplish your riding or driving goals. Be honest
about your experience. Can you do all the training yourself?
If not, can you trailer to a trainer or have a trainer
come to you? |
Time |
Boarding is a Catch-22
when it comes to the issue of time. Sure, you don’t
have to spend time doing the physical labor involved with
daily horse care. On the other hand, you can’t spend
as much time with your horses as you might if you had
them at home. Add to that the time you spend traveling
back and forth to the barn…. With your horses at
home, this is time you could be spending with them! Ultimately,
your work schedule may decide the practicality of home
horse-keeping. |
There is no way around
it: having horses at home will take a larger time commitment
than boarding them elsewhere. And the time isn’t
just fun and games either; you must do all the other farm
chores besides just riding. You’ll have to repair
fences, plow snow, manage your pasture, organize hay and
bedding deliveries, keep yourself in fly spray, schedule
farrier appointments, etc. |
Peace
of Mind |
If you’ve found
a boarding barn you trust, that isn’t something
to let go lightly. On the other hand, if you’re
not satisfied with the quality of care at barns in your
area, handling everything yourself may be a better choice.
Beyond the level of care, remember horses are social animals.
If you have only one horse, you know they have buddies
in the field and receive attention at a boarding barn.
Making a horse live by himself isn’t an ideal situation
(and he may not even mentally tolerate it). Are you able
to provide a companion? |
You have more control
over what happens to your horses if they are at home,
and there’s great satisfaction in that. Having said
this, take some time to think about your experience. Do
you know how to identify health problems and do basic
equine first aid yourself? You can’t call the vet
for every little thing. What about a medical emergency,
natural disaster, or fire? You must be prepared to handle
unforeseen, catastrophic events on your own. |
Seeing
your horse from the back door |
Not happening... |
PRICELESS! |
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