Is there any demand for off site stabling (10 to 15 minutes away) for the larger multi week summer AA shows? I know that most prefer to be on the show grounds, but do competitors/trainers have the need for additional stalls not on the grounds? I am thinking perhaps horses that are taking a break from competition or some that do better in a quieter environment that still provides top notch care, turnout and amenities?
Yes this is quite common for many venues, but I imagine your location is a major factor. Which facility are you near?
Ocala for HITS and now WEC, barns typically fill up with seasonable boarders up to 20 or so minutes away from the show grounds.
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There are some near TIEC
My farm is less than 15 minutes from HITS VSF. I will have a couple of my own horses elsewhere during the summer which opens up some stalls. In the past I have had friends visit and stay at my farm during the show to give their horses a break and let them get some turnout. It seems to me though that there are very few (if any) horses showing at this venue that are not stabled on the grounds. I’m just wondering if it’s worth getting the word out and if so, do those looking use the Staller app or one of the FB sites?
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I don’t know if there would be as much demand at that location.
I think Vermont is usually only about six weeks long, and I don’t know how many people go for the whole thing. Most people I know go for a couple of weeks depending on their schedule.
So I don’t know if there would be as many people who would feel like their horses really need a break from the showgrounds when they will be there a relatively short time.
But you never know.
When I was at Traverse City in July, there were definitely places going up on that property across the street.
And there was one ring that was already in use, although I don’t know if those horses stayed across the street or just came over from the show grounds to use it.
I think it would be tough for that location, since most people are usually showing for a week or 2 there, and then headed to or coming from Fieldstone, HITS Saugerties, or Saratoga. So it’s usually a show that’s being used as a break between circuits or show weeks. Typically it’s the bigger circuits that get the barn rentals outside of the showgrounds, as they’re there for 2-3 months and some of the customes won’t show every week, so it’s a good way to balance things out and doesn’t require horses to be at the shows from Sunday-Tuesday morning, so horses can have a break. If you’re 15 mins in the direction of Albany, you could potentially advertise yourself as a reprieve or break between the 2 circuits. Someone might take you up on it and rest their Saugerties horses if they just have a smaller group showing there at VSF and they want to get the rest of the crew out of the showgrounds while they chill.
