Moving to Bay Area from Seattle

[Sister7]

I just accepted a job offer, and will be moving to the Bay Area from Seattle within the next month. I’d love any tips for boarding, vets, farriers, etc. My job is in Mountain View; I will be trying to either live close to there or close to where I board and commute via Caltrain.

I am going to be taking my 27 year old TB gelding with me. He’s semi-retired, but we still do some trail riding and lower level dressage. Trail access would be a huge plus. He does best with as much turnout as possible, but needs to eat mash twice a day so pure pasture boarding won’t work for us.

Also, I’m currently planning on shipping him commercially, so any recommendations there would be greatly appreciated. He’s a nervous hauler and I think he’d do better in a box stall and I’d be pretty nervous about coming over the Siskiyous this time of year.

I would love to meet new horse friends in the area as well. I don’t have any connections down there.

[rockymouse]

I spent a year at Stanford for a fellowship and rode with their polo club. (best part of the fellowship!) This was some years ago, but they kept their polo ponies - about 13 or 15 horses - at Webb Ranch. (don’t know if that’s still the case.)

The polo ponies lived in their own pasture, which had trees for shade and a brook. I never went into any of the ranch’s barns, but there were always people out and about, many different types of living it seemed, and the horses to me all looked good. Some trails and big pastures for gallop work or trot sets. It wasn’t fancy pants, but workable. Since it’s quite close to Stanford, I think it’d be a good possibility for you.

http://www.webbranchinc.com/home.htm

[mvp]

OP, you might call American Horse Transport in Chehalis. WA. They are a small but really competent West Coast company. You can get a box stall on an air-ride big rig trailer. Otherwise, I think Bob Hubbard would have rigs going up and down the West Coast and those guys will be good with your horse as well. I felt that I had a little more TLC in customer service (mainly communication) from American Horse Transport than Hubbard, but Hubbard did a fine job on the horse side of things (and that’s where it counts), and a good-enough job with the communication. They are just a larger company.

Webb Ranch is probably a good place to start for the mixture of amenities and care you want. But I’m sure there are other places, too. I think finding that daily care you need for feeding a senior horse and a barn that’s not landlocked will be the tough part. I have not lived in the Bay Area in a long time, but it would be a stroke of luck if you could find a private barn in Woodside that had keys to their trail system.

[Lucassb]

Have you checked out the Bay Area Equestrian network? https://www.bayequest.com/ Might be some useful suggestions there.

I have worked for Bay area companies for years and years but could never imagine living there! Best of luck with the new gig and the move

[Brown_Derby]

Indian Hills Ranch in Milpitas is pretty basic but spacious, and has a covered arena. Access to unlimited trails at Ed Levin Park. Less than 20 miles from Mt. View.

I do not know if Prevost Ranch, also in Milpitas is still around. Large facility. Nice people when I met them many yrs ago.

For shipping in that corridor I always recommend Twin Palms Custom Transport.

[Training_Cupid]

If you are in Mtn View I recommend Westwind Barn https://victoriadyeequestrian.com/boarding/ (though they don’t have a dressage court or covered arena, it’s more H/j and trail riders but you won’t get stuck on the Freeways getting there.)

Webb Ranch, mentioned above, has everything but it is very rustic and huge, hundreds of horses, and the arenas can get crazy especially the covered in the winter.

Rancho Viejo is connected to both Webb and the Portola valley Training center. They have a nice low key dressage program there, Seven Oaks. http://www.sevenoaksfarm.com/pv.html

I grew up in Mtn View and still live nearby. PM if you have questions, or want to grab a cup of coffee when you get in town!

[anon40672407]

Also, Portola Pastures, which is south of Webb Ranch on that east-of-280 freeway side. They have pasture board.

Both Los Altos Hills and Palo Alto have horse trails, so that’s pretty nice. Living in Los Altos Hills and Palo Alto is wildly expensive! So maybe your horse can live there, but you might not. Some folks board privately on private lands in Los Altos Hills area, which gives access to the trails, but a small 2-6 horse set up. I’ve seen ads up at Westwind for that kind of place. You might find a small cooperative situation who can handle the mash for you at least once a day.

Milpitas (Indian Hills mentioned above) has a couple of barns that have pasture and trails. There’s also a private ranch in Sunnyvale near West Steven’s Creek and Foothill Blvd that has access to a state park full of trails. So there are options for your horse! Los Altos Hills still has a Rider’s Association that cares about their trails, though I think not so many are riders anymore.

I ride at Westwind and am very fond of it. I think the barn management there is excellent.

East bay (down at the base of the bay) has some options in Sunol and Fremont. Hotter on that side, usually, but also cheaper. I don’t know of as much trail riding in that area, but you might find both housing for you and a place for your horse in the same general area.

[polkadotedpony]

Not sure where you’re planning on living but when I bought my horse he was boarded at Garrod farms in Saratoga which is pretty close to Mountainview and it seemed like a nice facility. Lots of variety from stalls, double stalls, to stall paddocks to pasture and multiple large arenas including an indoor. Seems like a mix of disciplines and I believe they also have trail access. Not sure what traffic is like in Seattle but if you are planning on riding after work I would try to group your job, barn and living situation very close together since things can get super backed up, especially in the south bay.

I used Adobe Equine for my PPE down there and had a good experience and think they have a strong reputation in the area.

[PNWjumper]

I have no suggestions for barns, but I ship semi-regularly to CA. Timing-wise, you’ll hit the Thermal shippers, so you should have lots of options for joining in on an already existing route.

My favorite is SSH Transport, which is a smaller operation based out of Snohomish. Absolutely top horsemen actually driving the trucks. But I have often used Bob Hubbard and Brook Ledge also and never been unhappy with any of the three. A couple of BC-based companies run by a horsewoman I trust are Horsepower Transport and WPS Transport - I would imagine both are making a fair number of Thermal runs through Seattle now-ish through March.

[FEI_JR2004]

@Training Cupid

Rancho Viejo is connected to both Webb and the Portola valley Training center. They have a nice low key dressage program there, Seven Oaks. http://www.sevenoaksfarm.com/pv.html

I board at Rancho Viejo currently. Seven Oaks is there, as well as Hillary Martin who is wonderful. But, turnout is incredibly limited (read: a few hours 2-3 days a week), so probably not what you’re looking for.

I’ve heard mixed things about Webb Ranch as well. As previously mentioned, it is HUGE and has hundreds of horses. I’m not sure how much of a program your horse needs, but I’m told that they don’t offer any services other than feeding hay and cleaning the stall 6 days a week, so you’d need to find/pay someone else to feed his mash twice a day.

I’ve heard good things about Ciara West in Woodside. They have individual paddocks for boarding, or stall boarding with daily group turnout, as well as an outdoor dressage ring and a covered ring.

Send me a PM when you’re here! I am still new to the Bay Area as well and have only had my horse here about a month, so I would also love a new horse friend in the area.