The Ups & Downs of Boarding Your Horse

Hiring someone else to deal with the heavy lifting of horse care may sound like the “easier” option, but you may have limited say in how your horse is cared for and handled. The facilities may not be up to your standards, and you may or not be comfortable with barn policies or the services they provide.

While there are exemplary boarding facilities that place your horse’s welfare first and run their business with absolute integrity, there are also those that will cause you sleepless nights as you wonder whether your horse has enough water, if a loose fence board is going to cause an injury, or if someone is riding your horse without your consent.

When you board, you are basically renting space for your horse to live in someone else’s “home.” Your monthly payment should include safe housing; a low-stress environment; opportunities to run, play, socialize, and rest; shelter from inclement weather; access to quality forage; a balanced diet; and fresh, clean water. Generally speaking: a good quality of life; check out the Five Freedoms for equine welfare here.

You can increase the odds of finding a safe and suitable place for your horse with a bit of preparation and effort. Start with a complete list of all your must-haves before you meet with the farm manager.

Be picky! If your horse needs a dry lot in the spring, his hooves cleaned regularly, and a specific type of hay, find out if those services are available. Also ask for references from current and past boarders for a clearer perspective of day-to-day goings on.

Discuss fees up front. Some farms have a flat boarding rate with add-ons for additional services, such as holding horses during vet and farrier care. They may have policies regarding general health care, such as worming and vaccinations, that you’ll be required to follow.

Winter blanketing could be another added expense, and with the high cost of feed these days, the cold weather may also mean hay surcharges.

Ask questions about what your horse’s daily routine will be. Will he be turned out with other horses? Will it be a compatible herd group?

Some farms leave horses in whenever it rains, which can add up to several days in a stall, while others leave them out, no matter the weather.

Know when feeding time is, too, so you can plan your barn time around when your horse is happily eating instead of fretting about him missing a meal. Learn how barn management handles illness and injuries, too.

Former home horsekeeper Cindy Peden of Chapel Hill, Tenn., decided boarding was the right option for her in terms of overall enjoyment and peace of mind.

“While I miss having my girls right out my back door, boarding them has greatly reduced my stress level and allows me more time to just enjoy them,” she says. “I have more flexibility and freedom to do things like travel and spend time with family and friends. I have a wonderful boarding situation where I know my girls are well taken care of, and I get to see them often.”

Special Requirements to Consider

Feeding is one of the biggest worries for horse owners, and no two boarding barns do it the same. Some include supplemental feed in the cost of boarding. Others charge extra for anything in addition to hay or available pasture, while some won’t provide anything outside of forage and water.

If your horse is on a special diet, you may have to purchase the feed yourself. Try offering to pre-mix and bag your horse’s meals to make it faster and easier for the farm staff. Special requests do have an impact on farm routines, and may be impossible to meet or require an additional fee.

You may also find the barn is strict about what’s on the menu and unwilling to give your horse anything other than what they already offer, regardless of what he needs or you want him to have.

You may need to supplement your own hay at times, too, which can be difficult if your horse has pasture mates—you’ll have to pull him out of the field and wait while he eats.

Be upfront about all of your horse’s special requirements and quirks. That will give farm management the best chance at doing a good job for you and your horse. Ideally, the facility will provide a contract or agreement that details your horse’s needs, the farm’s obligations, and your responsibilities so everyone knows what to expect.

You deserve to have a great experience where your horse resides, so make sure the vibe of the barn suits you, too. If you prefer a casual culture, a competitive show barn may not be a good match. It will make your barn time happier if you find a place that’s in alignment with your sensibilities and has boarders with similar interests.

If you’re not interested in traditional boarding, but don’t own a property where your horse can dwell, look for a facility that offers “self-care.” Your monthly rent covers a space for your horse live and use of the facilities. It gives you the freedom to care for your horse as you wish, within the parameters of farm rules and regulations. It also means you’ll be responsible for feeding and cleaning, but you might be able to form a cooperative with other owners and share daily mealtimes and mucking chores.

Keeping Horses at Home

If your horse lives on your property, you have total and complete freedom. There are no rules except your own, and you’ll never have to question policy or be concerned about your horse’s well-being or care.

Oh, wait, isn’t that horses’ well-being or care? Horses are not solitary creatures. They need a herd group to feel safe, secure, and have their needs for social interaction met. One horse can, and should, quickly grow to two or even three, especially if there’s angst when one horse is left behind. The best herd mates will be other equines, but friendly farm animals can fill in, in a pinch.

Another way to increase your herd size is to invite other owners to board with you. Bringing on boarders might be a good way to offset costs, too.

It’s a common belief that having horses at home will save dough, but when it comes down to it, you might not be that far ahead. Feed, supplies, and maintenance add up—including your time and/or the price of paid help.

There are additional expenses, such as the purchase and upkeep of equipment, barn and fence repairs, and having manure hauled away if you’re unable to compost and/or spread it.

Also consider what you’ll spend on bedding, mud management, arena footing, pasture care, electricity, water, and unforeseen issues (busted pipes, insect and rodent control, tractor breakdowns, et cetera), all of which will require both your time and pocketbook to resolve.

“Having horses at home is a lot of work, more than I ever imagined,” says Ann Deklerk of Lynchburg, Tenn. “But it finally gives them true free choice, as it does me. At last, we can be on an even playing field.”

The bottom line is that wherever you house your horse, he should be safe and have all his needs met for a happy and healthy life. It should also be as stress-free for you as possible.

If your horse’s current accommodations aren’t hitting the mark, look into other options that might be a better fit. You both deserve to have great experiences and enjoy your time together to the fullest.

This article about the horsekeeping decision to keep horses at home or board them appeared in the September 2023 issue of Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

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Because virtually every aspect of horse ownership carries some degree of risk, horse owners should consider the possibility that things can sometimes go wrong and lead to legal issues. In most common cases, the horse does not present the only risk: People who will be interacting with him can cause a multitude of problems, which in a worst-case scenario can land you in court as a horse owner.

Our generally optimistic outlook on life with horses is not often eroded by a fear of being sued. Most of us never expect it from loved ones or horsey friends, yet this precise situation happens with some frequency.

A myriad of hazardous situations involving horses can result in a lawsuit, most too complicated to resolve without an experienced attorney. Yet we offer horseback rides to family members, casually board horses on our properties for extra income, and lend our trailers to friends.

The following should not constitute legal advice—always consult an attorney for that—but these five topics are designed to give you an idea of the common areas of conflict that crop up in horse legal issues and court cases.

1. Buying and Selling

Far too many horse buyers are more emotional than careful when buying a horse, and thus they are amazingly cavalier about documenting the transaction. They fall in love with a horse, sometimes by merely looking at it online, and purchase it sight unseen.

Most buyers and sellers jot a few words on paper about the exchange of money and consider that sufficient to change ownership. It may be for some, but protection in a dispute about ownership is better ensured with a detailed and thorough contract that you can easily find if needed.

If presenting a contract—or signing one already drawn up—seems beyond the needs of the average horse owner, consider how many horse buyers wait for registration papers that never arrive, take possession of an injured horse upon delivery, or discover their new performance horse has a periodic lameness issue related to a previous case of laminitis that the seller neglected to disclose.

Sometimes the seller insists on a “right of first refusal” (see below), yet the buyer sells the horse without informing the former owner. What is the recourse when a sale is made on a proverbial handshake deal?

If hiring an attorney to draw up the specifics of a sale seems like overkill, at least consider using one of the many online equine sales contracts that provide a good starting point for buyers and sellers. Specific details or modifications can be added by either party to strengthen its viability, should a dispute arise.

2. Boarding

Most boarding stable owners are careful enough to require signed documentation from boarders limiting the business’s risk of liability in the event of an accident involving a boarder or their horse. That document typically outlines the rules established by the stable for everything from turning off arena lights to requiring all one-day riders or those test-riding a horse for possible purchase to sign a legal liability waiver.

High-profile boarding stable owners don’t rely on loosely worded boarding contracts with one-size-fits-all contractual language, because they know the cost of an attorney is minuscule compared to a judgment against them in a personal injury lawsuit.

More casual horse boarding operations would be wise to follow suit. Non-paying boarders or those routinely late with payments often present a problem that ends up with the horse as the only bargaining chip. In these situations, frustrated stable owners sometimes overstep legal boundaries.

“Declaring the stable to be the owner of the horse and selling it without following the law or putting the horse in the stable’s lesson program may not be legal,” says Julie Fershtman, a national trial lawyer, legal consultant, and author of two award-winning editions of Equine Law and Horse Sense. Fershtman is widely considered one of the top equine attorneys in the U.S.

“Stable owners of all types and sizes should be aware of their state agister’s lien statutes that give them a security interest in the horse that allows them to enforce the lien after a specified period of time has passed and the stable has performed specific procedures,” she says.

Boarding contracts typically include the Equine Liability Law for the state, and stable owners are also required in many states to post signs in the most visible barn areas to remind everyone of the inherent risk associated with horse activities. Copies of equine activity liability releases (sometimes referred to as waivers) should be on-site, signed and dated by non-boarders.

Some horse owners mistakenly believe equine liability waivers are not successfully defended in court, when the reverse is true. Even so, an equine liability release does not guarantee the stable cannot be held liable for any accident. For instance, a lawsuit can be brought by a boarder who can prove the stable owner has been negligent by failing to perform reasonable measures to protect the safety of boarders and their horses.

“Many in the horse industry misunderstand equine activity liability laws, currently found in 48 states, and wrongly assume that these are ‘zero liability’ laws,” says Fershtman.

“That is not true. Although many of these laws limit the basis for a claim or lawsuit, they typically allow for the possibility of certain types of claims to be brought.”

Horse owners sometimes view boarding contracts as routine paperwork that protects the rights of the stable owner, yet these signed agreements are often relied upon by both parties when a dispute arises.

3. Leasing or Share Boarding

While an arrangement for leasing a horse can be a win-win for both parties, the best way to make sure everyone is on the same page is to write down the terms, fees and exclusions, and require each party to read and sign the contract. Without a written reminder, the lessee may believe her payments are for the purchase of the horse rather than its temporary use.

That’s merely one of many disagreements that can arise when time passes and memories fail. A written contract can include standard terms, such as duration of the lease, payment schedule, which days are assigned to each rider, and who is authorized to ride the horse.

More detailed contracts can define liability issues, who is responsible for veterinary and farrier care, and whether the lessee has the option to buy the horse during or at the end of the lease. The more specific the contract, the greater the chance of a positive outcome.

4. Trailering

When you own a horse trailer, you can count on someone eventually asking to borrow it, use it in an emergency, or asking you to transport a horse in your trailer for a fee.

In these situations, you need to be aware of what your insurance policy will or will not cover. Those who assume their homeowner’s policy or car insurance will pay an accident claim involving a horse trailer and someone else’s property can live to regret it.

For example, a policy may cover personal use of your truck and trailer, yet consider you a commercial entity if you were paid to transport someone else’s horse. Unfortunately, insurance companies look for holes in your policy that allow them to deny claims. This is why policy holders never want to hear their insurance agent say, “read the fine print” after something goes wrong.

5. Insurance

Commercial horse businesses generally carry extensive insurance because their liability is multiplied by buildings, equipment, employees, boarders and visitors. Always know what your insurance specifically covers before you need it.

Trainers and riding instructors should be especially careful since they are on the “front lines” with more hands-on responsibility for clients and horses. Many carry umbrella policies that cover general liability insurance plus added coverage for care, custody, and control of their clients’ horses. The facility where training and riding instruction is conducted does not typically carry coverage that indemnifies trainers and riding instructors.

Horse owners and those in the horse industry shouldn’t live in continual fear of being sued, but we do live in a litigious society. Covering all bases with solid, detailed contracts, hiring a lawyer to handle complicated but common legal issues, and buying insurance specific to your horse activities is the best way to protect your assets.

This article about common legal issues in the horse world appeared in the May 2022 issue of Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

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Here, we’ll talk to equine behavior experts to find out how and why horses change ranks with changing herd dynamics—and how those changes may impact overall wellbeing and behavior. Your horse’s position in the herd may affect his overall disposition and interactions with you. We’ll also provide tips to help your horse transition to new settings.

Rethinking Herd Dynamics and Hierarchy

“We traditionally thought that social hierarchies were linear,” says Suzanne Millman, Ph.D., who teaches animal welfare and behavior courses at Iowa State University. “We thought there was an alpha down to an omega. We now know that it’s more complex than that. In a larger group of horses, a singular horse may be really attached to one horse more than another. If a pony was attached to a lead mare, the pony’s rank may be higher than if he were on his own.”

If your horse seems suddenly different in a new location, consider what may feel different for him in the new surroundings.

“Even though a horse may have been subordinate in the groups he was in at his old barn, it may be that in a new barn, he acts like top dog and bullies the other horses,” Millman says. “The context matters. It’s not always predictable.”

What factors may influence behavior and herd dynamics at a new locale? Millman says the size of the herd can make a difference. While it’s important for horses to have companionship of other horses, having only one or two herdmates limits the horse’s ability to choose his own social groups.

“There can be an over-attachment if there are just two horses,” Millman explains. “That can make a horse more reactive if he is taken out alone. Horses form very close social bonds. Having a larger group to spread his attachments around means that when he’s separated from one of the individuals, he’s not going to panic to the same extent.”

Millman explains the dynamics of how horses form clusters, or “friend groups,” within a larger herd. Clusters remain in place for decades when horses enter a herd together. Many geldings prefer to be with other geldings. Mares may choose to associate with other mares. Research with Mustang herds also shows that horses tend to form clusters with horses who have the same coat colors as their dam.

Being removed from a bonded pair and taken to a new location could affect a horse’s behavior. The loss of a high-ranking pal could also affect a horse’s position and rank.

Settling In to a New Location and Herd

Whether you get a new horse who acts differently in a new location or you move to a barn with a totally different turnout routine, it may take time (usually two weeks, but sometimes up to a month) for your horse to settle in. Plan for your horse’s introduction time—and plan to spend as much time as possible with your horse in the new setting.

“Whenever you’re putting an animal into a new environment, it’s going to be stressful,” Millman says.

You may ease the transition by talking to the barn manager. Find out how new horses are introduced and what groups will be there. A good barn manager will get to know horses and recognize who will be safest to meet first.

Keep in mind that the lowest-ranking horses may not be the best for your horse to meet first—they may be the horses who are competing for resources and may act out. The best horses to meet first may be those in the middle of the herd rankings.

It’s also advisable to introduce a horse to a herd slowly, such as putting him in a smaller pen at first with one or two buddies, so they can work out a pecking order in a smaller group. Then put him and those horses in with a bigger group once there is harmony.

Millman suggests being with your horse to see how he’s responding in his new environment. Know that if you watch your horse’s introduction to the herd, there will be bites and kick threats. She says most horses will work it out safely if there are ample resources. Make sure there are multiple hay locations so that if your horse is moved away from one, he’ll be able to find another.

When you’re alone with your horse, you can help bolster confidence in the new place.

“Predictability is the key,” Millman says. “Groom your horse and do lots of hand-walks. It’s all about the little obedience things that you do daily. You want your horse to have confidence and know what to expect.”

When you do start training, go easy.

“Go back to something that your horse really knows well,” says Millman. “He has to learn that in this environment, the skill still applies.”

Training for Resiliency

Emma Kjelson is a horse behavior consultant certified with the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants. She guides horse owners through transitions and focuses on helping horses feel calm so that they can learn in their new herds and homes.

Kjelson notes that not all horses take as much time as others to get used to new surroundings or the dynamics of a new herd.

“Horses who have had a good training program—one that includes generalizing behaviors to new environments—will acclimate faster,” she says. “We have to help horses with their fears of new places. When they’re young, we want to take them to new environments with as low of stress as possible. We want to build up resiliency. We want to generalize our horses’ experience to all new places and things.”

Find out as much as you can about your horse’s past. Where has he been? What types of horse groups has he been with? What type of barn or care setting did he live in? The more knowledge you have about your horse’s past, the more you can help him transition to a new place.

Change of Pace

However, the past isn’t always a predictor of the future. Tweaking the setting and providing consistent contact can help.

Kjelson shares a story about a horse she helped and what it took to help the horse feel safe in the new setting. The shift from a fast-paced training barn to a pasture board setting with only one other horse caused the new horse to act differently than expected.

“A week and a half after she moved him, the horse was still pacing the fence lines,” she says. “He was super stressed. This horse was used to being with a ton of other horses in a stall environment. He was put in a pasture with just one Miniature Horse. It was a big change.”

What Helped?

“I had them put an acrylic mirror on the barn so that he could see more ‘horses,’” Kjelson says. “We also put him on a milk protein supplement that helps to relax your horse. He went from calling, losing weight, and pacing to engaging with the other horse in about a month.”

If you plan ahead and provide positive experiences in the new location, your horse should settle into the new herd and home in no time.

This article about herd dynamics appeared in the March 2022 issue of Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

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You can try to stop the damage by installing chew guards or similar preventive measures, but a better fix is to figure out how to keep your horse from becoming bored in the first place. Time outside is probably the best equine boredom buster possible. Horses naturally prefer to graze most of the day, and when they’re grazing, they’re probably not engaging in destructive pastimes. Grazing is excellent for your horse’s mental health, and it’s often the best for their physical well-being, too.

The problem, of course, is that this isn’t always practical or possible. Many horse owners—and even boarding facilities—don’t have the acreage to ensure that every horse on the property can be outdoors all day. Or perhaps it’s winter and your horse doesn’t have anything to graze on. Or perhaps he needs to be kept in a stall while healing from a health issue, or maybe you stall him at certain times to avoid weather or wildlife.

Whatever the case, there are many solutions to the destruction dilemma. Here are six horse boredom tips:

1. Hay nets/bags

Many horses enjoy hay nets, and they offer a couple of benefits. For one thing, hay nets generally slow down the amount of time it takes a horse to consume their meal, which can help limit a horse’s boredom, plus it better mimics the grazing process of picking smaller amounts at a time.

Some horses simply love batting the hay net back and forth and tearing large mouthfuls of hay out of the holes, so it has a high entertainment value as well. Hay nets are relatively inexpensive, so you can’t really go wrong.

2. Toys

Some horses love toys, while others could care less. You’ll have to experiment to see if your horses enjoy toys, and if they do, the toys can be an excellent distraction from boredom.

Many equine toys—like the popular Jolly Ball and its kin—are made of soft, durable rubber and feature an equine-friendly grip that makes it easy for a horse to hold the toy in his mouth and wave it around. The sizes range from not much bigger than a dog toy to large rubber balls. Many horses love playing with these objects and catch on to the concept quickly.

3. Food toys

You can combine the concept of the hay bag (where the horse has to work harder to get the food out) with the fun of a toy by supplying your horse with a food toy.

These work like some dog toys, where you insert treats or licks into a toy that your horse has to spin or manipulate in order to reach the goodies. It can keep some horses occupied, and the entertainment value may last longer than a regular toy thanks to the incentive of the treat.

4. Music

It’s difficult to say whether horses enjoy music, but some researchers say that yes, it can have a calming effect. But much of the time, you probably don’t notice any particular difference in your horse’s behavior whether the barn radio is playing or not.

They certainly don’t seem to dislike music played at a lower volume, but you can try it out on your own horses to see. One study showed that horses seem to be most calm when listening to classical or country music.

And while music may or may not help with horse boredom, a barn radio can be helpful at times as a distraction. Perhaps you’re having unusual construction work, chain sawing, or loud machinery operating near the barn—if that’s the case, then turning on the barn radio can help muffle the sounds (at least partially) and provide your horse with a “everything is normal” atmosphere, especially if you normally play music while cleaning stalls or feeding.

Another case would be if a horse’s best equine buddy needs to leave the barn for a time; the music can be a distraction, or at least keep the barn from sounding completely quiet. You might also have success playing music during farrier or vet work.

5. Grooming

You can also help break up your horse’s day and introduce a diversion to his indoor time with regular grooming sessions.

Many horses enjoy this, and the time it takes to fully groom your horse’s coat, tidy his mane, clean all his feet, and comb his tail are all times that he’s being occupied and engaged, with less time to stand around thinking about which portion of the wall to chew on next.

6. Games and tricks

Finally, if you have a bit of extra time but don’t need to ride, you can enjoy some one-on-one time and keep your horse occupied by teaching him some simple games and tricks. Horses can easily be taught to bow, smile, paw, come, and to fetch toys on command. It’s mentally engaging for them, and can be useful for breaking up long blocks of time.

Stall time doesn’t have to be boring for your horse, and hopefully some of these ideas will help keep him occupied—and help keep the stalls and fencing intact!

The post 6 Tips to Help Your Horse’s Boredom appeared first on Horse Illustrated Magazine.

Whether you’ve owned horses for a long time or you’re planning to buy your first horse (or first horse in a long time), one of the most important decisions you’ll have to make is: Where will my horse live?

There are essentially two answers: board your horse at a nearby equestrian facility or bring him home to live on your own property. Your choice will depend on multiple factors, including cost, zoning, and the question of how much control you prefer to have over your horse’s care.

Let’s check out some of the benefits and drawbacks of keeping your horse at home versus keeping him at a stable nearby.

Boarding

You’ve seen the local horse barn advertising and driven by a few times. Would it be a good place to house your horse? It could be.

Benefits:

◆ Reduced workload. Individual rules may vary from facility to facility, but in general, you can count on enjoying less of a workload when boarding your horse. Depending on the type of boarding plan you agree to, you may not be required to perform daily feedings. You may be able to skip out on the veterinarian and farrier appointments if you want. Stall cleaning, hay hauling, aisle sweeping—you may be free to do as much or as little of that as you care to. Broken fence? Not your problem. ATV won’t start? You’re not on call.

◆ Knowledgeable help. Maybe you’re new to the horse world and could really benefit from some help early on. Boarding can be a perfect solution, as you’ll be surrounded by experienced horse enthusiasts who can help walk you through certain aspects of horse care and training.

◆ Social contacts. You’ll probably meet a lot of horse friends at the barn and enjoy the company of a like-minded group who wants to go trail-riding, take lessons, and attend shows as much as you do.

◆ Flexible scheduling. When your horse boards, you have the option of not going to the barn every day, which may be helpful if you have a lot of other commitments to family or work. If you travel frequently, boarding may be the only sensible option for owning a horse.

Drawbacks:

Boarding isn’t perfect, and you can expect a few downsides.

◆ Expense. This is probably the most significant downside for many people. Boarding a horse (or two!) can be a very expensive proposition. Prices will vary depending on the region, and possibly by how rural your area is, but expect a monthly bill that may run several hundred dollars and up—sometimes way up. You’ll pay less if you agree to perform daily care, but that isn’t as easy to do when you’re not living on the premises.

◆ Less control. When you agree to board your horse at a facility, you do agree to give up some amount of control over his care. You may or may not be able to choose what to feed your horse, particularly when it comes to forage. Your horse may not enjoy as much pasture turnout time as you’d prefer. You’ll have to share certain aspects of the facility—riding arenas, round pens, feed rooms, wash stalls, even the barn aisles—with other boarders.

◆ Less convenient. There will be busy days where you just can’t make it to the barn—and therefore don’t get to see your horse. There might be other times when you have a stray hour (or half an hour) where you could go the barn but choose not to because the commute is too inconvenient for such a short visit. By boarding a horse, you forfeit some of the one-on-one time that you might have if you kept him at your home.

Building

You might realize that boarding is fine for some people, but perhaps you’ve always had a dream of keeping horses on your own property.

Benefits:

◆ A room with a view. There’s nothing quite like looking out the windows of your home and seeing a pasture with your very own horses grazing happily. It’s hard to beat! You’ll experience the pleasure of having horses integrated into your everyday life. For many people, having a horse say hello to you each morning and feeding him hay right before bed just makes life better; it’s something you can’t put a price tag on.

◆ Handy horses. If you have a spontaneous whim to take a ride, you can do it! If you have a free hour, you can easily spend it with your horse—all you have to do is put on your boots and walk to the barn. It’s easier to fit horses into your schedule because they’re so easily accessible.

◆ No sharing. At your own place, there’s nobody waiting in line for the round pen or blocking the aisle with their hose in cross-ties. With the luxury of your own barn, you won’t have to wait on anyone.

◆ You make the decisions. Home horse ownership puts you fully in the captain’s seat, able to run your barn the way you want. While this may be a big responsibility for newbies, more capable horse owners will likely enjoy the freedom and the option of making all of the care choices.

◆ Stable design. If you’re building from scratch, you get to decide what your barn will look like and how it functions.

◆ Cost savings. There may be a significant initial investment in your infrastructure (see below), but assuming you already own the land and have some of the vitals in place (a water source, electricity, et cetera), keeping your horses at home can represent a significant monthly savings over boarding.

Drawbacks:

With all of these advantages come some potential downsides. Specifically, you are the one responsible!

◆ Building can be a big job. Maybe you’re starting out with an ideal horse property with stables, pastures, water, fencing, and arenas already installed. But for many folks, bringing their horse home means constructing some or all of this from scratch, which can be a major task. Transforming vacant acreage into a horsey paradise might involve removing trees, bringing in gravel, and constructing driveways. Not to mention the cost of electrical and water hookup, stables and fencing. However, some of these features may already be present on your property, and the cost of building a stable for one or two horses is significantly less than one designed for many animals.

◆ Daily care. For many horse people, the daily feeding, grooming, turnout, and exercising of their horses isn’t a downside at all. But there are logistics to consider. Will this fit in with your job or family life? Caring for your horse only “when you want to” is not an option the way it is at a boarding facility. Even if the weather is bad, or you’d like to sleep in, or something important comes up, your horses are still depending solely on you for care, so it’s a big commitment. And you may need to arrange for backup care options if something happens to you, whereas at a boarding barn, boarders have been known to pitch in when others need help.

◆ You’ll make important decisions. Feed choices; finding, purchasing, and storing hay; keeping water thawed during the winter; deworming schedules; farrier appointments—managing your own barn comes with a lot of decisions and responsibilities. Again, this may not be a downside to some people, but it’s worth taking a careful look.

◆ Vacations are more complicated. If you’re used to traveling a lot or enjoy spontaneous “let’s hit the road for a long weekend” excursions, keeping horses at home may not be ideal for you. Horses are heavily routine-driven animals, that usually prefer everything done in the same way at the same time of day. Whenever you leave home, you’ll need a responsible, horse-savvy farm sitter to step in for you.

◆ You may need more than one horse. This could also be considered a benefit, depending on who you ask! Horses are social animals that need the company of their own species, so it’s probably wise to own at least two horses if you’re keeping them at home. Many people add a third to keep the one that’s not being ridden or trailered out to shows company.

Ultimately, only you can make the choice of whether to build or to board, and there may in fact not be a wrong choice. In either case, you’ll be able to enjoy life with horses in a satisfying and pleasant atmosphere, whether that’s a busy barn full of horse enthusiasts or a quiet corner of your own property with just you and your favorite equine buddy.

This article about deciding whether to board your horse or build a barn originally appeared in the September 2021 issue of Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

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