I boarded for years (at four different barns mind you), then hubby and I bought an 18 acre farm and moved 1500 miles JUST to have the horses at home. :winkgrin: Our morgtage on the farm is exactly $197.00 more than just the board for my two horses was in Utah.
I was not happy, when I boarded, with either the quality, type or quantity of hay they were getting, so I bought my own anyway, so that hasn’t changed. Any supplements or ‘extra’ feed they got, I purchased, and had to go out to feed them if I wanted them to have it. If they got turnout (in an arena mind you - not a field) I had to be there - every time. And half the time, I ended up cleaning their stalls too. I aways made arrangements for my own farrier, dentist and vet - and made sure that I was there when they were, so that hasn’t changed.
I’m not at all a socializer, so that aspect of boarding did nothing for me, in fact I actually like it much better now that I don’t have to watch what other people do to their horses:eek:. I don’t particularly like to ride with others either, 90 percent of the time - either they talk too much, or are too timid, or in too much of a hurry. And group activities weren’t even my thing as a kid - never mind now:winkgrin:.
As for care - no, I can’t honestly say that my horses are brushed every day (like they were when I boarded), nor can I say that they are blanketed in various weights depending on the heaviness of the frost, but the flip side is they spend minimal (say maybe 4 days this year) in a stall, have been in knee deep grass in a 16 acre pasture all summer, are calmer, healthier and happier than I have ever known them to be, need (and get) no grain or supplements (unless you count the occasional apple or carrot), and every time I look out my bedroom window and see them, my heart absolutely overflows.
I don’t ride as much as I ‘used’ to, it’s true. but honestly, the year and a half before we moved, I didn’t ride much either - a function of too much to do and being exhausted all the time from work more than a lack of interest. The flip side however, is that if I do want to ride and can work up the energy, I simply walk out the back door, call Blue or Princess, and hop on. I have access to somewhere in the vicinity of 1300 acres via our neighbors properties which they have very kindly allowed me access to.
My Husband and I don’t travel, so the ‘farm sitter’ question is moot. Honestly however, the 5 dogs, 14 goats, 20 chickens, 4 turkeys, 1 mini donkey, 4 geese, 2 pigs and 3 guinea hens would be more of an issue than the 2 horses are, As long as they were upright, and in the pasture, our neighbor could (and would) certainly come by and check on them and they would be just fine.
I do, on occasion miss having an arena (covered or not) and the availability of a round pen, and the way our land lies, we really don’t have many options for putting such a thing in (we really only have 2 areas that would be flat enough, both are low lying and subject to the occasional flood - as well as being the best hay fields we own) but that, in all sincerity, is the [U]only[U] thing I miss about boarding. And to have actual PASTURE for my kids more than compensates for my not having an arena to work in.
Another consideration was the constant fear (it actually happened twice to me - thus the 4 barns) that the facility would be sold and bulldozed, or that something would happen to my income and I would no longer be able to afford the board and the house payment together. No matter what, I now do not have that nagging fear of “Where in God’s name can I take them if…” Also, when the time comes that they cross the bridge, they will be buried right here. I’ve already warned Hubby that he’d better plan on renting a backhoe and figuring out how to run it. The good lord willing, that won’t happen for a LOT of years yet, but one never knows.
So, am I happy with the decision to bring them home? YES.
