I would choose closer to home/shorter commute. It will be easier to get your horse more time out and about, and that will be more valuable for both of you than the stall real estate. You’ll be able to be at the barn more which also means you’ll know sooner if anything is Not Quite Right.
Good luck and enjoy!
Hi! I ride with Amy Hess in Bradbury (about 10min east of Pasadena) in a beautiful gated horse community. Amy does a lot of retraining/breaking of thoroughbreds to do hunters/jumpers, but also has clients with other breeds that show in all hunter/jumper divisions. She goes to a lot of the big shows in CA and she and her staff take impeccable care of the horses. Turn-out as well as indoor stalls and outdoor paddock-type stalls are on the property. Nice outdoor ring, and if you so choose you can do your own grooming. I know we have a client who drives from Santa Monica so it’s not a terrible drive from that direction. PM me if you want her info!
I would choose option 1 as well. Unless the larger stall = paddock, the size difference isn’t worth it. You’re going to be happier to see your horse more often, he’s going to be happier to get out more often (possibly 3 times per day!), and I love eurosizers for horses who can’t have all day grazing/herd turnout where they walk a lot.
If you’re able to stop by a few evenings a week, talk to other boarders about helping each other out. Instead of just taking your horse out, take out both horses (bonus if they get along and can be put out together). Then when they’re at the barn, they can do the same. Depending on the set-up and rules, you might even be able to put their horse in a sun pen while you ride in the morning, and then they can put your horse out while they ride in the afternoon.
But gosh, if being at Barn 1 means your horse may get out 3 times per day, that barn would be high on the list!
ETA: I’d love to hear which barns you really like after touring them. I’m from Shadow Hills (Sunland/La Canada/Burbank area) and may be back there within the next year. So much has changed since I left the area 10 years ago. My horse will be making a very similar turnout to no turnout transition.
Rumorhasit93 - Thanks for the suggestion! It may be a bit too far for me right now compared to the other barns I’m looking at, but from what I saw on Facebook, it seems like a great facility and environment! I may be moving out East a bit (maybe even to Pasadena) in the next 6 months or so and I will definitely keep you and Amy Hess in mind!
Wonders12 - I’d be happy to share my experience with the barn hunting! If you do head back this way, let me know and I’ll pm you my observations on each. Looooots of time and worrying (natural worrier here :lol:) went into choosing the right place so I’d be happy to spare anyone else that work hah
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