Hey everyone! I have just been accepted into veterinary school at Univeristy of Arizona and will be moving with my horse from CT. While University of Arizona is in Tucson, the veterinary college is in Oro Valley. Where I decide to live will depend partly on where my horse is boarded. I am looking for a hunter/jumper boarding facility where I would feel comfortable leaving my horse in the event I have to fly home for the week. I am looking for a facility where he would have full care so that if I had to miss a day at the barn he would be fed, watered, turned in and out and blankets changed. I do not need a facility that offers training rides or tack ups etc., but would like to be at a barn where I have the opportunity to show if I can find the time. Do barns in AZ usually have indoor or covered rings? Are the horses typically turned out at night because of the heat? I was in Tucson for a weekend for my interview and am not familiar with what the area has to offer. Any suggestions or tips would be much appreciated!
Hi there! I lived in Tucson for about a year and a half. I will say horse care is very different in Tucson than on the east coast. You won’t find somewhere with grass, unfortunately. There’s one main big training barn that does boarding called Bandalero Ranch. It’s a lovely facility with a couple big barns, a giant indoor, good size outdoor and a couple round pens. They have a couple small paddocks that they rotate turn out in. It is a big expensive but I’m sure it’s full care. I boarded my horse at Cloudbase Ranch. It’s much quieter and smaller but a really great place. The owner is very sweet and the guy who takes care of the horses has worked there for like 20 years? I think. It has a nice size outdoor ring, a dressage ring and then another unfenced area to ride in. There one barn that’s got stalls with runs. The rest of the stall areas are just a few stalls together. Not an actual barn. The horses take turns throughout the day being turned out in the arena. It’s a bit cheaper than Bandalero.
Feel free to ask any questions that you have 
I’m from the east coast originally so I understand where you’re coming from.
No jumps, but I’ve overnighted at https://www.milagroridingclub.com/ within the last 3 years and was very happy with the facilities and care.
Judy and Red Martin used to have a h/j show place in Oro Valley but this was 20 years ago. I worked as a tech for a large animal vet in Tucson back then and got to see a lot of places.
My old trainer, Julie Smith, started Desert East Equestrian. She sold the business, but still helps out and acts as a consultant.
https://www.deserteastequestrian.com
Thank you for all of your suggestions and guidance! It is definitely very different than the east coast. I hope to be heading to AZ this summer to tour some of these places before making the big move down there. I am sure I will have more questions as the time gets closer.
I’ve shown (years ago) at the place where Desert East Equestrian is located. It’s really nice and the most full care around, as is Bandalero. Bandalero has the bonus of a really big covered ring. The problem is that neither is close to Oro Valley. There really aren’t any barns like what you are looking for that are in Oro Valley. These 2 are on the polar opposite side of Tucson and when I say it will take you an hour to get there, it’s the truth. It’s all surface streets, no real highway to get you from east to west and back. So you will either be driving far for classes or for seeing your horse. I would love to board at Bandalero but it’s way too far to go except maybe once a week (though now, the traffic has definitely been less thanks to the virus - I surely hope that will not be this way by the time you start).
You should definitely see what is around before you bring your horse - the differences between here and CT will be huge (board should be cheaper no matter - bonus).
Congrates on getting into vet school! I live in Phoenix and most barns do not have covered arenas, at least that I’ve found, in Arizona. We don’t really need them. There also is basically no grass to be found anywhere. Arizona has a great hunter/jumper shown scene, with Westworld in Scottadale only about an hour and a half from Tucson!
