Carlsbad, CA?

[Horsing_Before_Velcro]

Oh dear. It appears I am bound for San Diego County sooner than I expected.

Lucky for me, not so lucky for my horse-of-a-lifetime! She is from the South (first 4 years in SC-last 4 years in FL) and has always enjoyed 6+ HOURS of daily turnout in large grass paddocks.

I know she can kiss the grass goodbye, but does anyone know of any facilities around Carlsbad where she won’t be stalled 23-24 hours daily? (My hands are trembling as I try to type, this is so very important.)

As a lifelong serious rider I covet a nice facility, but my precious beastie means the world to me and her needs take precedence.

Please pass along any suggestions…

[TullyMars]

How about Newmarket? There are many facilities in the ranch that have nice amenities and some that even have coveted grass. I will start thinking of fresh choices! Good luck! Now you will be in my neck of the woods! I am in Fallbrook!

[BITSA]

Carlsbad is so close to Del Mar, there’s got to be some nice places. But grass…not so much. Lots of horsey stuff in Fallbrook too.

[Andrew]

Tish Quirk!!!

[vagabondrider]

Carlsbad, even south Carlsbad, is quite a schlep from Del Mar. Particularly during commute times or during the summer during the races or fair at Del Mar. If you are in south Carlsbad or La Costa, look for something in Olivenhain (part of Encinitas) or Rancho Santa Fe or Elfin Forest maybe. If you’re in the northern part of Carlsbad, Fallbrook would be a good option.

[Horsing_Before_Velcro]

Wow. Newmarket didn’t come up in my earliest search and looks very nice. I know I’ll be checking out Fallbrook, too. Thanks and thanks!

[Horsing_Before_Velcro]

Olivenhain and Elfin Forest are new names as well. Thank you so much. If only I weren’t dreading the awful climate thereabouts:lol:, I could almost be encouraged!

[Horsing_Before_Velcro]

Fallbrook and Del Mar are definitely considerations, especially as I don’t know where exactly I’ll be yet.

I’m not worried so much about losing the grass, it’s the confinement I would like to minimize if at all possible.

[Horsing_Before_Velcro]

LOL! Once I get my czarina settled and happy, the trainer search begins. One step at a time:yes:.

[Dune]

Fallbrook is sure being mentioned a TON. Where in Fallbrook would you folks recommend for good footing and turnout?

[TullyMars]

I live in Fallbrook and have had a tough time. There is only one A level trainer that I know of in Fallbrook(Hunter/Jumper) and that trainer is just going to do sales from this point forward. I have only found county level barns and struggled up here to find a place. I can name some farms that you can look at and if you IM me I can tell you who to stay away from! Ones that are up there…
Fairbrook Farm (Julie Z Taylor)
Del Rio Farm (Dee Gleason)
Horse Spirit Farm
Burma Ridge (Sue Briles owner)
Chestnut Hills (Shayne Berridge)

The Gopher Canyon area facilities lack turn out other than 30-40 min per day.
and quite honestly that area scares the heck out of me in a fire evacuation situation due to the small and windy roads and just limited access in a very steep canyon.

this list is not a recommendation, just an idea of the farms that are here. If you have others I can give you the yeah or neigh(so to speak).

Dune are you up this way?

[vagabondrider]

Also look in San Marcos.

[quietann]

[QUOTE=Horsing Before Velcro;7666919]
Olivenhain and Elfin Forest are new names as well. Thank you so much. If only I weren’t dreading the awful climate thereabouts:lol:, I could almost be encouraged![/QUOTE]

If by climate you mean weather, I suspect you will find it MUCH nicer than in the South. It can get very hot, yes, but the heat is usually very dry. And the closer you are to the ocean, the cooler it will be.

Do think about fire safety… There have been evacuations; even Steffen Peters had to evacuate his barn in Rancho Santa Fe recently. Fires requiring evacuation are not that common but they do happen. Every barn should have a fire plan.

No, grass turnout will not happen. Many horses are kept in pipe corrals with some sort of shelter, much bigger than a stall but not true turnout the way easterners think of it.

(I grew up in San Diego, ages ago, so don’t know much about specific barns in the North County area.)

[Peggy]

[QUOTE=quietann;7668328]
If by climate you mean weather, I suspect you will find it MUCH nicer than in the South. It can get very hot, yes, but the heat is usually very dry. And the closer you are to the ocean, the cooler it will be.

Do think about fire safety… There have been evacuations; even Steffen Peters had to evacuate his barn in Rancho Santa Fe recently. Fires requiring evacuation are not that common but they do happen. Every barn should have a fire plan.

No, grass turnout will not happen. Many horses are kept in pipe corrals with some sort of shelter, much bigger than a stall but not true turnout the way easterners think of it.

(I grew up in San Diego, ages ago, so don’t know much about specific barns in the North County area.)[/QUOTE]

Yes, IMHO the weather is far better in San Diego than Florida. I’ll even take the baking heat inland over the humidity in the Southeast.

Ask barns what their fire plan is, what they do to attempt to keep fires from spreading on to the property, how many ways out there are, and when the area last burned. In general, horse people with trailers are remarkably generous and the trailers show up to help evacuate; however, that’s of little help if they can’t get in or back out or the barn management is too poorly organized to coordinate an evacuation or, worse yet, gets in the way when others try to coordinate.

[paw]

It’s going to be a scary fire season, no doubt. IME, though, most of the larger barns around do have experience and a plan in place, so I wouldn’t worry too much about that. Never hurts to make sure, though. Otherwise, there’s not a lot of “weather” to be concerned about, usually. The climate is nice (mid70s - mid80s much of the year at the coast) and fairly dry. The only real downside is the traffic.

Turnout varies, of course, but many places have partially covered long-run pipe corrals available instead of a traditional stall, which the horses seem to like. Perhaps not as good as a large paddock, but better than a 12x12 or 14x14… Do be prepared to kiss grass turnout goodbye or pay a really high premium for it. Most horses make the adjustment just fine.

There are a lot of smaller facilities in the Rancho Sante Fe and Olivenhein areas along with the bigger show barns - you’ll find the right fit.

[RanchoAdobe]

Newmarket does not have turnout - at least no more than an hour or so in small paddocks. Try Tish Quirk- her place is gorgeous!!

[adhock]

There are tons of different ways to skirt traffic but you need to be clever and flexible. Fire threats are very real throughout all of California. And, flooding/hurricanes, tornadoes happen in the south. The issue is preparedness. During the last evacuations, there were many discussions with local firefighting agencies (our heroes) about large animal evacuations and, saying that, I would only go to a barn/farm/facility that has a plan and trailers on site or a strong relationship with good shippers who are on call (and they are heroes, too). That said, Rancho Santa Fe is great and has grass and trails. However, please note that drought issues are ubiquitous and water rationing is being mandated. If you board at a facility with a well (and I think that Tish’s might have one, but I’m not sure), you’ll have grass. Otherwise, most of the grass will dry up to nothing by the end of the summer and won’t get back to “normal” until it rains. Check arena footing issues, too, because of water rationing. Personally, I would only board at a facility that’s invested in great year-round footing that does not need repeated watering. There are many great trainers and facilities, depending on your training and showing needs. There are also private farms that board and where you may bring in a private trainer if you’d like. You can also find them advertised on the bulletin board by the post office in RSF, or just by talking to many people. The benefit of RSF, or its environs (like Olivenhain), is that it is equestrian-friendly and the trails are wonderful. It really is horse heaven here.

[FEI_JR2004]

Look at Caballos Del Mar in Encinitas (Penny Wahler). It’s only a 15 minute drive or so from Carlsbad, so would be an easy drive for you. The barn is beautiful and immaculately cared for, and most importantly for you, it has grass paddocks. The horses only go out 1-2 hours a day on the grass, but they can also go on the Eurociser each day for more movement. Not the same as the South (my horse and I just came back from NC, so we feel your pain), but I think it’s the best you’ll get in San Diego, particularly within a reasonable commute from Carlsbad.