How to Find the Right Barn for You

Sometimes it can be really challenging to find the right barn for you in a new area. You like certain things about that barn but you like other things about another barn. Some offer different services or different approaches and others have varying price ranges. It can all get a bit overwhelming- especially when you are just looking out for your horse's best interests as well as your training needs.

I’ve come up with some tips on how to choose the right barn for you. Please note that these tips may not work for you and your horse, I am only offering up some suggestions that would help me to process the many choices.

Where to Start

Start by identifying what is important to you for the barn to provide. You must identify the minimum requirements you need to feel safe and comfortable boarding your horse at a particular stable and getting the training you desire. A very effective way to organize these thoughts is to physically write down on a piece of paper everything you require for you to board your horse at a facility and everything you require for training. Don’t feel like you are writing down too much or feel badly about what you are requiring. It is very important that you feel extremely safe and comfortable with your horse's new living space. Your horse is trusting you to provide them with excellent care.

Understanding the Goals of Fellow Boarders

Be sure you understand what kinds of activities the barn is catering to for their current boarders. If most of the current boarders are less competitive and do more leisure riding, you should take that into consideration. There is no wrong or right interest, but you will have a better experience and more fun at a barn with like-minded riders. Being a part of a barn family with integrity is also very important. Do people "do what they say and say what they do?" Are people honest and transparent?

Owner Knowledge, Experience & Philosophy

Next, consider the owner's knowledge, experience and how they structure or run their facilities. Be sure you agree with their philosophy- in other words, with how the day to day operations are run, how they would handle different situations, etc. You will be entrusting the care of your horse to these daily operations, the staff, etc. Few of us would leave our horse in the care of an incompetent barn owner. Also, make sure they and their staff would be able to identify critical danger signs, such as colic or tying-up. Make sure they have accurate safety protocols put into place and that their staff is well trained and qualified.

Trainers & Instructors

Sit down with the person(s) who will be training you and your horse. Ask them about their methods, techniques, etc. Be sure to observe a lesson as well. It may even be best not to tell the instructor you will be stopping by, but rather to observe them as they usually are, without feeling like a potential boarder is watching them. Make sure you like their teaching style.

Condition of Property

Make a point to notice the condition of pastures, stalls, the arena(s), etc. Is the barn well taken care of, neat and clean? Or are there fences falling down or held together by bungee cords? Is there clutter in barn aisles causing an unsafe passage way in case of an emergency? Make sure that the way the owners go about repairing damages is not a quick “band-aid” fix but rather a permanent and secure solution. You won’t enjoy spending your time at a barn where too little time and money is allocated to regular maintenance and safety.

Barn Cleanliness

Be sure that the way the barn is run is conducive to clean stalls and healthy horses. Know how often individual horse stalls, wash stalls, paddocks and pastures are cleaned and maintained. You can check by looking around closely inside several stalls. Examine the shavings, sawdust or whatever absorbent material the barn uses in stalls. Do they change out the stall shavings often or is the job “short-shrifted”? Are there mats in the stall? Are they being kept clean? Look at the horses water pails. Do they clean the pails everyday? Every other day? Or do they just refill it? If the latter, what else is in that pail and are you comfortable leaving your horse with no other drinking options? Come prepared with your standards for cleanliness to help the process of deciding which barn is for you and your horse.

Barn Supplies

Examine the quantity and quality of the barns supplies. Look at the storage area for hay. Take note as to how much bedding material and hay you feel is on site. This will help you understand whether or not you think they always have enough materials when they run low rather than barely making it on too little supplies. Ask to see where the grain is kept and assess how much is there. Are there other kinds of grain with varying fat, protein and fiber content to address different nutritional needs? Does it look like there is enough grain or too little?

Evaluate the quality of the hay; after all, this is large portion of what your horse will be eating at a certain barn. First, look at the hay, it should be free of foreign matter of any kind. Small, flexible stems will appeal to your horse more than long, hard stems. The color should look slightly green and not too yellow - it most definitely should not be dark brown. The smell should be appealing, fresh and sweet, not musty or moldy. Try slapping a bale- you SHOULD NOT see any gray-white dust coming from it. Moldy or dusty hay can make a horse sick. If the hay fails these tests, the barn is buying substandard hay - don’t bring your horse here and risk disease.

Now ask yourself: does it look as if the barn has adequate supplies on hand or does it look more as if its existing “hand-to-mouth” fashion? If the barn has plenty of supplies, it implies that it has ample financial resources, is likely well-managed and is run in an organized manner. If not, it could mean the barn is in financial distress with inadequate funding and/or that it is an organizational mess.

Pastures and Turn-out

Ask about frequency of turn-out and how many horses will share a paddock or field. Horses need enough room to occasionally run, and in a field, they need enough grazing pasture per horse if it will be a large part of their summer feed. 1.25-2 acres per horse or more is very good. If less, their feed will have to be supplemented with hay.

Space and “Extras”

How big is the property? Does the barn have the amenities you want for your horse and riding? This can take many forms from adequate paddocks, a round pen, a wash stall with running water (maybe even hot water), an indoor arena, adequate lighting in the barn and arena, nearby trails, etc. Not every boarder needs all of these amenities. Trail riders may not want to pay extra board for an indoor arena while those devoted to showing may not care about nearby trails. Ask yourself if the barns you are looking into have the amenities you want/need for the kind of riding you do.

Training Services

Important to most boarders is the ability to purchase some extra services. Is the owner, an employee or an outside expert available to provide riding instruction? How about horse training services? Even if you’re an experienced rider and can perform some of your own horse training, it’s always great to have an even more experienced resource at your disposal when more advanced questions arise.

Distance from Home

Distance determines how much extra time you need to add to every planned ride, lesson or visit to your horse. While all likely want to be as close as possible to our horses, driving further to keep your horse at a barn where you and he/she are happy is more important that having him close by. You may be more inclined to accept the longer drive if you’re happy, but a closer barn where you are miserable or you feel your horse is not well cared for won’t last long.

Cost

While important, cost isn’t the highest priority for most horse owners. We all want to spend as little as possible on boarding costs. Yet, we’ll willingly pay more if we and our horse(s) are happy at the barn. We won’t stay long at a cheap barn if we’re not happy with horse care, amenities and other boarders - no matter how cheap!

Conclusion

Now, take what you have observed and determine the overall feeling you get from the barn. Is this a place that seems financially sound? Is your horse likely to live a good, well-cared for life here? Does the barn look as if it's going to protect your horse or fall down on top of him/her? Does the barn have the facilities that are important to you and your style of riding? Are you likely to enjoy the company of the other boarders or do you feel like you won’t jive with them? It will be easier to understand if the barns you are looking at meet your overall goals and standards if you come prepared with a standard. Write out your requirements for all of these areas so you come in ahead of time prepared with what will and won’t meet your standards. There is no “right” combination. Every horse owner has his/her own goals and each barn has its own “personality.” The key to finding a “happy barn” is to know what your goals are, to asses how the barn fits with them and to finally find a happy medium amongst those goals, the distance and the cost of boarding there.

Happy Riding!