HELP withChoosing the Right
Boarding Barn for Your
Show Horse
Choosing the right boarding barn can be a tedious effort that requires much of your time and attention. Most that are reading
this may take the approach of just winging it and hope for the best, while others have a tendency to go with what their
friends have suggested. Both of which may not be the best scenarios and here is why.
Being a long time boarder since I was
a wee child, I can confidently say that
I have plenty of data and experience
to reference; but back then I relied
heavily on the judgement of my parents
to make the best decision, since
they were the ones writing the checks.
When my free boarding ticket had expired,
this sizable expense was quite a
shock with every dollar scrutinized. Now
that I’m in my late 30’s and have been
paying board for over 25 years, the
shock has worn off but not the scrutinization.
Boarding as an adult amateur
rider that competed, I not only had
to vet the trainer but the boarding
facility they were attached too. What
I noticed in my travels is that all full
board is not equal. There are trainers
that offer full board which also includes
a training package, a package that
you have to pay for even if you don’t
use it, and then there are trainers that
offer full board with lessons optional,
but recommended. In order to gain the
best experience you really need to ask
yourself what will work for your lifestyle
at the moment, while making sure all
of your horses current needs are met or
exceeded.
There are many things to take into
consideration such as nutrition. Do they
cater to dietary needs? (Because not
all horses should be on the same feed)
Some breeds are more susceptible
to higher sugar intake and therefore
need to be on a simple pellet diet. If
you have an older show horse he/she
needs a completely different diet than
the young show horse. The older animal
also needs water added to their feed
for easier digestion, which goes for the
ulcer susceptible horse as well. Hay is a
BIG deal too. What type of hay do they
feed and the amount? Again all horses
are different, most show horses are ridden
an average of 4-5x’s per week. This
triggers high metabolism which requires
you to feed the beast with a good
amount of hay forage throughout the
day. Meals should also be broken up,
any quality show barn will normally
feed breakfast, lunch, dinner and night
time hay. This keeps the gut moving
and the horses from being bored, mak-
TRAINING & Showing
ing them less susceptible to picking up
undesirable habits, such as cribbing
and wood chewing. Along with feed,
don’t forget water access. Do they use
buckets or auto waterers in the stalls?
Do they clean the buckets and/or auto
waterer daily and their turnout water
cleaned weekly?
Do they add your provided supplements
at no additional charge? Do
they give ample turn out for the horses
to relax and stretch out, having the option
to graze on natural land? How onscious
are they towards bad weather
and your horse standing in it? Do they
provide run in shelters in the paddocks
in case there is a pop up storm over
night? The worst thing for a show horse
is to be rained on, which can cause
rain rot and other dermatological issues.
How deep do they bed the stalls? This
is a huge factor in stabling your show
horse. The most expensive part on your
horses body to insure are their legs, so
bedding needs to be up to snuff! The
system that is widely used and the one I
used when running a Dressage professional’s
show barn, was the Deep Litter
System. Even with rubber mats, wood
shaving bedding should be approximately
12”-18” high, banking the walls
and corners several feet up to prevent
casting. The deep bedding also
prevents hock sores and unnecessary
stress to joints and arthritic conditions.
The stalls should also be picked out
70 www.EliteEquestrianMagazine.com
multiple times per day eliminating odor,
flies and bacteria. Be sure to look into
manure removal practices, fly spray
systems, tidiness of the barn and cleanliness
of the aisles. Barn aisles should
be blown and sprayed down with a disinfectant
every day to prevent illness.
Stalls should be on a constant rotation
for disinfection, because disease can
spread quickly. This brings me to new
horse quarantine practices. A new
horse should never be immediately
thrown into an existing horse’s paddock
or a stall in the main barn. Make
sure that management has a protocol
for new arrivals, such as a separate
barn and paddock away from the
prominent areas. Routine shots and a
deworming schedule are extremely
necessary with show horses and should
be well documented and filed with the
barn manager.
Is blanketing and putting on fly masks,
fly sheets or bell boots for turnout included
in the board? Do they fly spray
your horse before turn out? In the summer
months do they wash your horse
off if they are sweating from the heat
and/or running around? The worst thing
to do is to throw a horse back in his stall
when he is over heated, this can cause
tying up and possible colic.
Continued...
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