Can any of you put me in touch with barns that offer boarding near Bedford, Massachusettes? I am currently living in Belgium (military family) and our next duty station is Hansom AFB in Bedford. I am a dressage competitor and ideally I would like to be able to ride year round so an indoor arena is a must. Since I have two horses, I would like to keep the board per horse below $700/month but I am not sure that is realistic for the area. I am a simple, no frills person and I just want a safe, practical home for my horses. Also, I will need a knowledgeable, experienced dressage instructor once we are there. Any help you offer is greatly appreciated!
welcome!
Unfortunately the area is quite expensive, especially if you want an indoor attached. It might be easier for you to find a backyard type setting and trailer or have an instructor come in… generally, the farms around here with indoors that accept boarders runs $800-1500.
If you are dressage-oriented, I strongly suggest Elysium Farm in Harvard. I trailer there in the summer for ‘dressage tuneups’ (eventer).
There is also Huckins Farm, which is right in Bedford, but I have not heard if they are still accepting boarders. I used to ride there as a kid.
Also, join this group (it’s a local group):
https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/lochiatto-email
I’m only 30m away from Bedford, so if you ever want to meet up for a trail ride or a coffee, let me know.
Pretty much what Beowulf said. It is SUPER expensive to board anywhere near Boston, if you need “amenities.” Wish I had better news. OTOH the horse scene here is pretty active, especially dressage, eventing, H/J, and there are a lot of casual trail riders here and there. Good luck 
I am afraid you are going to have sticker shock for that area.
Elysium, Larkspur and Bear Spot are north of $1200 a month per horse from what I understand. Top notch instruction there available.
My farm is 45 min- 1 hr from Hanscomb and one of my boarders actually works there. Our board is $800 a month.
Are you living on the base?
beowulf- Thank you for your reply! I will contact the two barns you mentioned above but, with two horses, the cost may be too much for my wallet. When you say a ‘backyard type setting’, do you mean post an ad and see if someone has an extra stall or two on their place? We plan on purchasing a truck and trailer so trailering to a trainer once a week will be possible.
I have a 4 year old Friesian gelding here with me in Belgium that I will be importing after we are settled in. I definitely want him with me in Massachusettes. My other horse is a 9 year old Hanoverian mare that I have been leasing out to a friend. She is happy where she is so I could leave her in her current home if I have to. She is a very nice mare so I would like to campaign her along with my gelding but if I have to choose just one to keep near me, then it’s my young gelding. I would like to breed my mare next spring so I’ll be on the hunt for good pasture board soon.
I would love to meet up for coffee or a trail ride and pick your brain about all the horsey things to do in the area We should be in the area around the middle of June. We’ll spend a week or so searching for a new home ( we may live on base or purchase a home with acreage IF we can find one within a reasonable distance of Hanscom and within our budget) and then we’re flying home to Texas to spend a few weeks with family. I am shipping my gelding out toward the end of August/early September. I figure I will be settled in by then and have things figured out on the boarding front.
beowulf- Thank you for your reply! I will contact the two barns you mentioned above but, with two horses, the cost may be too much for my wallet. When you say a ‘backyard type setting’, do you mean post an ad and see if someone has an extra stall or two on their place? We plan on purchasing a truck and trailer so trailering to a trainer once a week will be possible.
I have a 4 year old Friesian gelding here with me in Belgium that I will be importing after we are settled in. I definitely want him with me in Massachusettes. My other horse is a 9 year old Hanoverian mare that I have been leasing out to a friend. She is happy where she is so I could leave her in her current home if I have to. She is a very nice mare so I would like to campaign her along with my gelding but if I have to choose just one to keep near me, then it’s my young gelding. I would like to breed my mare next spring so I’ll be on the hunt for good pasture board soon.
I would love to meet up for coffee or a trail ride and pick your brain about all the horsey things to do in the area We should be in the area around the middle of June. We’ll spend a week or so searching for a new home ( we may live on base or purchase a home with acreage IF we can find one within a reasonable distance of Hanscom and within our budget) and then we’re flying home to Texas to spend a few weeks with family. I am shipping my gelding out toward the end of August/early September. I figure I will be settled in by then and have things figured out on the boarding front.
dotneko- We are not sure if we will live on Hanscom but are leaning in that direction. I just checked out your farm’s website and it seems like a wonderful place to be! I will send you an email. Thank you for your reply!
I would recommend you sign up for the bulletin board on equinesite.com and post on the BB there.
In the Concord/Carlisle area there are a lot of smaller barns under $700/month but they don’t usually have an indoor. Sometimes within a short haul to an indoor, and often the barn is a mixture of hunter/eventing/dressage. If you are looking for a “dressage barn,” you won’t be able to find it that cheap in that area. If you want to drive further, to Pepperell or Harvard, you might be able to find it. There is a plethora or dressage instruction in those two towns, including Dot’s farm in Pepperell.
Little Brook Farm is in Carlisle - 15 minutes from Hanscom. The outside board is less than $600/month but the horses live in small herds, so if you want individual turnout, it is not for you. They do not have an indoor but there are quite a few places in the area that you can trailer to that have indoors.
Check out Liberty Tree Farm - small place, but well run and the horses are extremely happy and healthy.
According to the website, Liberty Tree is $850 a month right now. Huckins Farm doesn’t have an indoor. I definitely think Equinesite is a good resource to find what you’re looking for. Good luck, and welcome to the area!
