Since my first horse purchase, I have only boarded at four different facilities, the first was the longest time frame, almost ten years. I addition to facilities I have kept my own horses at, I have also visited many more.
Interestingly, I heard the owner of one facility (not one I have boarded at or knowingly visited) set up a Facebook page for people to “Rate” their facility. ironically, none of her clients are allowed to comment on her own.
There is a lot of variance as well as commonalities between various barns so let’s talk about some of each. First of all, Canada has miserable weather, some horse people like to ride in the winter, while others avoid it altogether. So there is the “need” for an indoor arena – if you don’t ride when it’s cold, it won’t matter to you.
Handling your horses, are you comfortable with the facility owner moving your horse from inside to out side, blanketing and deworming when they want to so? Do you want other people riding your horse, either for schooling, for fun or for lessons?
I have seen some facilities that leave your horse out 24/7 (this is my personal preference), and charge extra for bring them in each night – which seems fair enough, but it is an added cost. I have seen at least one facility where the horses are kept inside for 23 hours each day with a one hour turn out.
Access to hay can be an issue both for having too much and having too little. I like my horses to have access to hay or pasture 24/7 but I don’t want them eating like Sumo wrestlers. So what is the quality of the hay? Some facilities have performance blends that are high in carbohydrates (usually alfalfa) and not appropriate for horses that get limited exercise.
Is access to hay sufficient for the size of the herd? If there is a herd of ten horses but only four can be at the feeder at any one time, there will be more conflicts and some horses will be heavy than others. Are the horses fed round bales or squares? How often are they fed? Are their diets restricted by the barn manager?
Does the facility use nets to restrict wastage? Feeding nets that are designed for open access hay bales are great for slowing horses down and blocking them from pulling big chunks of hay out. on the other hand the plastic net that many hay bales come rewrapped in are there to help prevent mold and preserve the hay – they must be removed before feeding or they could cause colic.
Moldy hay is a real issue, some boarding facilities but cheap, cattle grade, moldy hay – in fact I have seen this problem at several local barns. Some leave manure and urine soaked hay on the ground around feeders for the horses to eat after they run out of hay (prior to replacing the bale) – this is an unhealthy practice.
Staying on the topic of feed, most domestic horses really don’t need supplements as much as they need exercise – if you are concerned about your horse’s health ride it more or pay someone else to ride it, don’t waste money on fad supplements.
Water, some barns have free access water using heated water fountains, these are the best ( as long as the water is coming from a quality source). Some other barns use buckets, barrels or tubs. Putting fish in the water “to keep it clean” tells you the barn owner is lazy – standing water should be changed and the containers cleaned and disinfected daily.
Security, are the electric fences really electrified? If not, the wires could be dangerous. How about wood fences are they rotten and falling down? That is a very common issue. Be wary of T posts, they must have properly installed caps on them to prevent percussion injuries, a horse cold slam its head down on one and get seriously injured.
Rodents carry diseases, and possums (urine) can be lethal to horses, are they getting into feed rooms and hay lofts? How many other people will have access to your horse, and do you like the way they treat yours if it gets on their way, or hovers tab the gate? Will other people be randomly giving your horse treats, and if so are you O.K with that?
Maintenance, how responsive are the barn owners to maintenance requests? They are in business and you are their client(s) are they dismissive, or do they address the issue in a timely manner? Are gate properly hinged? At one facility the top hinge was upside down and horses would rub against the gate to lift it off its hinges.
Herd size is more than just access to feeders, how many horses are turned out together? Are the genders mixed? Are your horses O.K. in a gender blender – sometimes mixed herds can bring a whole set of new challenges. How much space is there for the horse to roam and play? Is manure picked up regularly? Manure attracts flies and flies bring diseases.
Those are some of the basic things to consider for your horse, but what about you? How needy are you? Do you need access to proper washroom facilities or will you settle for a porta-potty or a quick leak in the bushes or behind the barn? Do you need to shower up after your workout?
Are you looking for a hangout, a place that allows you some creature comforts, like a kitchen, a couch and TV room? Is the barn a social environment for you, or do you prefer to do your own thing? Are you looking for lessons or would you prefer to stay away from barns where lessons are offered?
Do you participate in discipline specific competitions? If so you should probably seek out a barn that offer that type of riding, either in lessons or in practices, allowing you grow and learn from watching and being around other like-minded people. Barns seem to be generally between saddles – English and western.
What kind of exercise facilities do you want or need? Do you need trails? Large or small arenas, how about a round pen? Would a horse walker be important to you? Do you need a track for your sulky or buggy? Does the barn have sufficient facilities for the volume of clients, does everyone have a spot to tack up? Does it have a tack room, or must you bring your tack each time you attend?
Are the barn’s clients predominantly male or female? Does the barn provide activities or outings, including seminars, clinics, competitions, or other scheduled activities – and are these things important to you?
Overall the very best facility that I have seen, has immaculate fencing, very well monitored nutritional programme, massive indoor arena with incredibly good footing, groomed trails, fabulous round pen – dressage quality outdoor arena, automatic water fountains – it has few boarders, the fees are about double average, and very well worth it if you can afford to pay such fees. But, and I say this unabashedly, the owner (is not only aware but warned me) has rules about “hands on” equine care that don’t work for me. However, I still highly recommend the facility for those looking for full care.
My top picks, and these are mine, not necessarily yours, are I want secure fences, I prefer smaller turnouts, free feed any, I like hay nets and water fountains. I like and indoor arena, some access to trails – I have a trailer so I can go other places and it is nice to be able to drop my trailer at the barn.
Personally, I have an aversion to people, I am an introvert and prefer to be left alone – although I can be social (all introverts can) unless the conversation is something I am passionate about, I’d rather not! I do not go to the barn to socialize, although I have met a few wonderful people at various barns.
At the end of the day, taking into consideration some of the basics, security, quality of feed and water, which I think we can all agree are fundamentals, pick your poison – what is important to you? That will help you determine the “best boarding facility.