I am FINALLY feeling better today. I have been sick ALL WEEK...very queasy and just completely exhausted. It was horrible.
BUT I would like to add that my horses got fed well every day, and most of the mucking got done, too. In reference to my last two posts, one thing that also bugged me about boarding barns was when the barn staff got sick, there didn't seem to be any backup. Now with only a couple horses, that's not so bad, but I was always surprised that there was never any plan for getting sick when you had 20-25 horses to care for!
Anyway, this weekend I am catching up on some stuff that I missed all week. I'm sure I'll be very busy at work tomorrow, too, as now I'm an entire week behind. Oh, well. When you are sick, I believe you should take the time to get better! It doesn't help anyone if you spread germs around the office, and yet there are so many people who come to work sick anyway!
I am disappointed that I'm not riding this weekend. It is pretty nice weather, but my little riding area is mostly mud, and I just don't really feel well enough to get up on the back of a critter with spring fever!
March 15, 2009
March 04, 2009
What to look for in a boarding barn, Part II !
(see Part I here)
ATMOSPHERE is very important to me. I've been at big barns and small barns, and I'm more of a small barn person. That said, I also do not like any barn with a lot of nasty people. I was at one barn where the boarders and clients were SO nice to each other. Very respectful and thoughtful, always encouraging each other with their riding, and everybody listened to each other. I've also been at a barn where the barn manager was rude and made fun of people...way to encourage a great atmosphere. Another thing that I've noticed is the mix of disciplines. I personally have ridden dressage and hunter/jumper, and I always love a good trail ride. However, I was at one barn that was ENTIRELY trail riders. As much as I like the trail, I also enjoy schooling in the dressage arena. However, there was nobody else there to ride with. :( I am also more of a backyard rider...I don't do a lot of shows and prefer to take occasional lessons and work on riding on my own. I found it hard to be in a barn where people were going to shows alllllll the time. I'm sure some of them were wonderful people with wonderful horses, but sometimes it made me feel left out.
Now don't worry, the boarding barn FACILITIES are also important to me! Safety of barn and fencing are definitely crucial, but I do believe that you can find a diamond in the rough. One of the best barns I've been at was older and not necessarily beautiful, and one of the worst barns I've been at was BEAUTIFUL with brand-new stalls, fencing, indoor/outdoor arenas, etc. Honestly, an indoor arena is not that important to me. Sometimes in the dead of winter, I do wish for one, but as I have almost never had one where I've been, I've gotten used to it. I do know a couple of people who would die without their indoor, though! :D
I am rather obsessive about MANURE MANAGEMENT, and I think I have only been at one barn that was also obsessive (for both stalls and pastures). That place also had the fewest flies! All barns did daily stall cleaning, but almost nobody managed their pastures. And since I wanted my horse to spend less time in a stall and more time out in the pasture, I would have liked her pasture to NOT resemble a sea of manure. I understand that keeping up with the manure with a lot of horses is very difficult, but with the small pastures in this area (no 100-acre pastures here!), I would have liked to see more frequent pasture cleanings. Manure is just a part of having horses!!! :D
Oh, one thing I forgot to mention is BARN HOURS. I'm really not crazy about them. I thought I could deal with a barn being closed one day per week, but I was so wrong. I thought, oh, I'm going to need a day off from going to the barn anyway. Well, of course that day the barn was closed usually tended to be the nicest weather or when I had the most time or when I had the most energy to ride. Also, I found some of the times to be very limiting. I am NOT going to show up to the barn at 2 AM (unless for an emergency)...I do try to respect the barn owner's home!!! But on a hot summer day, I like to ride at 7 or 8 AM. Or 6-7 at night. When the barn opens at 9 and closes at 4, that doesn't work. :(
Well, those are my thoughts for tonight. Perhaps you think I'm crazy, and you would never want me to board at your barn!!! Well, maybe so. But before I came to your barn, I would try really hard to see if we're a good match. I have tried to think really hard about what my horse and I can deal with. Maybe we'll fit in your barn, and maybe we won't. But at least I will be honest with you about it!
(see Part I here)
ATMOSPHERE is very important to me. I've been at big barns and small barns, and I'm more of a small barn person. That said, I also do not like any barn with a lot of nasty people. I was at one barn where the boarders and clients were SO nice to each other. Very respectful and thoughtful, always encouraging each other with their riding, and everybody listened to each other. I've also been at a barn where the barn manager was rude and made fun of people...way to encourage a great atmosphere. Another thing that I've noticed is the mix of disciplines. I personally have ridden dressage and hunter/jumper, and I always love a good trail ride. However, I was at one barn that was ENTIRELY trail riders. As much as I like the trail, I also enjoy schooling in the dressage arena. However, there was nobody else there to ride with. :( I am also more of a backyard rider...I don't do a lot of shows and prefer to take occasional lessons and work on riding on my own. I found it hard to be in a barn where people were going to shows alllllll the time. I'm sure some of them were wonderful people with wonderful horses, but sometimes it made me feel left out.
Now don't worry, the boarding barn FACILITIES are also important to me! Safety of barn and fencing are definitely crucial, but I do believe that you can find a diamond in the rough. One of the best barns I've been at was older and not necessarily beautiful, and one of the worst barns I've been at was BEAUTIFUL with brand-new stalls, fencing, indoor/outdoor arenas, etc. Honestly, an indoor arena is not that important to me. Sometimes in the dead of winter, I do wish for one, but as I have almost never had one where I've been, I've gotten used to it. I do know a couple of people who would die without their indoor, though! :D
I am rather obsessive about MANURE MANAGEMENT, and I think I have only been at one barn that was also obsessive (for both stalls and pastures). That place also had the fewest flies! All barns did daily stall cleaning, but almost nobody managed their pastures. And since I wanted my horse to spend less time in a stall and more time out in the pasture, I would have liked her pasture to NOT resemble a sea of manure. I understand that keeping up with the manure with a lot of horses is very difficult, but with the small pastures in this area (no 100-acre pastures here!), I would have liked to see more frequent pasture cleanings. Manure is just a part of having horses!!! :D
Oh, one thing I forgot to mention is BARN HOURS. I'm really not crazy about them. I thought I could deal with a barn being closed one day per week, but I was so wrong. I thought, oh, I'm going to need a day off from going to the barn anyway. Well, of course that day the barn was closed usually tended to be the nicest weather or when I had the most time or when I had the most energy to ride. Also, I found some of the times to be very limiting. I am NOT going to show up to the barn at 2 AM (unless for an emergency)...I do try to respect the barn owner's home!!! But on a hot summer day, I like to ride at 7 or 8 AM. Or 6-7 at night. When the barn opens at 9 and closes at 4, that doesn't work. :(
Well, those are my thoughts for tonight. Perhaps you think I'm crazy, and you would never want me to board at your barn!!! Well, maybe so. But before I came to your barn, I would try really hard to see if we're a good match. I have tried to think really hard about what my horse and I can deal with. Maybe we'll fit in your barn, and maybe we won't. But at least I will be honest with you about it!
March 03, 2009
As I was outside feeding the horses tonight, I thought about how thankful I am that they are in my care. I have boarded at a variety of barns and did not always have the best experiences. I realize that boarding horses is tough! You do hard work for long hours and deal with a lot of different horses and a lot of different people with a lot of different demands.
Recently "what do you look for in a boarding barn" has been a hot topic of discussion. I thought maybe I would start writing down some of my thoughts here. I'm not sure how coherent this will be, but I'll try!
While I was boarding, I think the most important realization that I came to was: What can I live with, and what can my horse live with? Things that I thought I would be okay with, I wasn't. And neither was my horse.
For example, TURNOUT. I am a huge advocate of 24/7 turnout, and so is my horse. I realize that this is not always possible for everybody, and not all horses like it. At one of my boarding barns, they did 10-hour daily turnout and in a stall overnight. I thought this would be fine, but I was wrong. My horse hated it...she was restless, and she didn't like being led out in the morning and being led in at night. She would be led into the stall, and then she would try to run right back out again. The barn also failed to follow through on the 10 hours...some days it was 5 hours, and some days they didn't go out at all. Now just because my horse and I hated that routine doesn't mean every horse and owner would hate it! You have to find the turnout routine that works for you. Some barns I know offer both daily turnout AND 24/7 turnout. One thing I don't like, though, is when my horse is on 24/7 turnout, but all others are stalled. Then mine spends the whole night screaming for her buddies...that's not good either. :(
Also, TURNOUT BUDDIES. My horse grew up in a herd of about 8-10 mares turned out 24/7. She was not turned out with geldings, and at one boarding barn, they turned out in mixed groups. I was game to try this because I wanted to follow the barn's routine, but that DID NOT WORK for my horse. The geldings beat her up and tried to mount her, and there were NO OTHER MARES at the barn, so my mare ended up in individual turnout. Not something that worked for a mare who always lived in a herd. :( That said, I have friends whose horses MUST have individual turnout and other friends whose mares go out with geldings. It all depends on what works for you and your horse! I also recommend knowing what your horse's position in the herd is...my mare is very low in the hierarchy, completely non-alpha, so the geldings just beat her up, and being alone didn't work for her either!
FEEDING became quite an issue for me at several barns. I buy all of the hay and grain for my horses now, and I know how difficult finding good quality hay can be. I don't expect top quality, soft, green, leafy hay all of the time, but I also don't expect yellow, brown, coarse, moldy hay either. And I don't expect to be LIED to about the hay. If it's a tough hay season, please tell me. And if you're having trouble finding hay and think you won't have enough for the winter, please don't buy two more horses.
FEEDING AMOUNT is also important to me. I support more hay, less grain. I like when people talk to me about my horse's diet, I like a consistent diet, and I like to know what my horse is eating. (I know other owners who could care less.) One barn stuffed my easy keeper full of grain and very little hay without my permission. They also changed the type/brand of grain quite frequently. As I mentioned above, I understand that hay can be scarce some years. Maybe we will have to find a forage supplement...maybe we will have to increase the grain a bit. But please talk to me about it first! Also, please make sure that my horse is actually GETTING the allotted amount. When she was stalled, that wasn't a problem, but unfortunately, the stall was the problem! So when she was turned out, it was harder to make sure that she got her share. I know horses will be horses, and dominant horses will chase others away, but please keep an eye out during grain time, and please put out enough hay piles so my submissive mare can eat.
FEEDING ROUTINE is also important to me. Now some people encourage varied feeding routines for horses so they don't expect a meal at the same time every day. If that works for you, that's great. I really like feeding on a schedule, and that's how my horse grew up. When one barn fed anywhere from 4-9 PM, she became quite panicky and nasty and food-aggressive. That didn't work for us. :(
Well, I still have plenty more to comment on, but I think I'm going to stop here for tonight. I've always had so many boarding barn issues, but I've never put them down on paper (er, blogger) before. It's interesting for me to write...I hope it is interesting to read!
Recently "what do you look for in a boarding barn" has been a hot topic of discussion. I thought maybe I would start writing down some of my thoughts here. I'm not sure how coherent this will be, but I'll try!
While I was boarding, I think the most important realization that I came to was: What can I live with, and what can my horse live with? Things that I thought I would be okay with, I wasn't. And neither was my horse.
For example, TURNOUT. I am a huge advocate of 24/7 turnout, and so is my horse. I realize that this is not always possible for everybody, and not all horses like it. At one of my boarding barns, they did 10-hour daily turnout and in a stall overnight. I thought this would be fine, but I was wrong. My horse hated it...she was restless, and she didn't like being led out in the morning and being led in at night. She would be led into the stall, and then she would try to run right back out again. The barn also failed to follow through on the 10 hours...some days it was 5 hours, and some days they didn't go out at all. Now just because my horse and I hated that routine doesn't mean every horse and owner would hate it! You have to find the turnout routine that works for you. Some barns I know offer both daily turnout AND 24/7 turnout. One thing I don't like, though, is when my horse is on 24/7 turnout, but all others are stalled. Then mine spends the whole night screaming for her buddies...that's not good either. :(
Also, TURNOUT BUDDIES. My horse grew up in a herd of about 8-10 mares turned out 24/7. She was not turned out with geldings, and at one boarding barn, they turned out in mixed groups. I was game to try this because I wanted to follow the barn's routine, but that DID NOT WORK for my horse. The geldings beat her up and tried to mount her, and there were NO OTHER MARES at the barn, so my mare ended up in individual turnout. Not something that worked for a mare who always lived in a herd. :( That said, I have friends whose horses MUST have individual turnout and other friends whose mares go out with geldings. It all depends on what works for you and your horse! I also recommend knowing what your horse's position in the herd is...my mare is very low in the hierarchy, completely non-alpha, so the geldings just beat her up, and being alone didn't work for her either!
FEEDING became quite an issue for me at several barns. I buy all of the hay and grain for my horses now, and I know how difficult finding good quality hay can be. I don't expect top quality, soft, green, leafy hay all of the time, but I also don't expect yellow, brown, coarse, moldy hay either. And I don't expect to be LIED to about the hay. If it's a tough hay season, please tell me. And if you're having trouble finding hay and think you won't have enough for the winter, please don't buy two more horses.
FEEDING AMOUNT is also important to me. I support more hay, less grain. I like when people talk to me about my horse's diet, I like a consistent diet, and I like to know what my horse is eating. (I know other owners who could care less.) One barn stuffed my easy keeper full of grain and very little hay without my permission. They also changed the type/brand of grain quite frequently. As I mentioned above, I understand that hay can be scarce some years. Maybe we will have to find a forage supplement...maybe we will have to increase the grain a bit. But please talk to me about it first! Also, please make sure that my horse is actually GETTING the allotted amount. When she was stalled, that wasn't a problem, but unfortunately, the stall was the problem! So when she was turned out, it was harder to make sure that she got her share. I know horses will be horses, and dominant horses will chase others away, but please keep an eye out during grain time, and please put out enough hay piles so my submissive mare can eat.
FEEDING ROUTINE is also important to me. Now some people encourage varied feeding routines for horses so they don't expect a meal at the same time every day. If that works for you, that's great. I really like feeding on a schedule, and that's how my horse grew up. When one barn fed anywhere from 4-9 PM, she became quite panicky and nasty and food-aggressive. That didn't work for us. :(
Well, I still have plenty more to comment on, but I think I'm going to stop here for tonight. I've always had so many boarding barn issues, but I've never put them down on paper (er, blogger) before. It's interesting for me to write...I hope it is interesting to read!
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