Need advice on temporary boarding in Lexington area

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DH and I have finally sold our home and small horse property here in Southwestern MI and are moving to N. Carolina where we are building a home south and east of Asheville.

Our closing is the end of Feb. and we, two horses, two dogs, and a cat must vacate our home of twenty years.

Our horse set up in N. Carolina is not started and we are currently working out prices for fencing off a small pasture with a local contractor. He is about a month to two months out with being able to start our project.

We need temporary boarding for our two senior mares who have never been off our property here in MI in twenty years. I have contacted a lot of very nice horse farms and equestrian centers in the Asheville area and in the Rutherford County area. And they are full, with waiting lists, and do not do temporary boarding at all.

Since we will need to pass through Lexington, KY, I thought about trying to find a good place in that area where we could drop them off and come back in two months to pick them up. I need to feel like they will be safe and cared for while we are in N. Carolina.

I have done several Google searches and have come up with a few names. One was Bryan Station Farm which had wonderful pictures and great depictions of various boarding options. Then I read the reviews and about died.

Does anyone who lives in or near Lexington have any ideas for me? My stress levels are suddenly sky high as I lost a mare to colic at the last place where we boarded our horses after we moved to Michigan. (While getting our horse set up done on our new property and then moving two horses, not three when it was ready.)

Thank you for any suggestions that you all may have for me. This move is extremely hard.

[SharonA1]

Oh, I am envious! I hope you’ll keep in touch about your new home.

Would it be possible to just set up some electric fencing, for two senior mares? I don’t know if the ground will be frozen in that area in early March, but I tend to think not… Could you put in step-in posts, string some electric, and get a wooden shed or one of those Shelter Logic things (ugly, but… just temporary) for shelter? Or, even just buy a bunch of corral panels to make a round pen. The girls might be okay with a run-in shed and a small turnout area, just until your contractor could get the bigger paddock set up.

[midkniggit]

Unfortunately, the people I trusted to care for my retired horses no longer live in the Lexington area. But Sharon A1 has a great point. My husband and I together set up a half acre of electric fencing (6’ t-posts, spaced at 10’ with 4 strand electric and a heavy duty solar charger) very quickly. Add 8 corral panels & 2 shelterlogic corral panel shelters and you’ll have a paddock & 2 stalls/run-ins in no time and at a very reasonable expense.

The other thing to do is go on here or Facebook and look for temp boarding near where you are moving. They’ll know about the backyard farms that might be willing to board your horses temporarily, or someone near your new home who will rent out a paddock. I know around me there are dozens of people who do some boarding, but entirely by word of mouth. They don’t have farm websites or advertisements. When I moved my horse to CT years ago, I asked on here, and was given the name of a lovely lady with a private farm. Her farm was her horses, mine, and one retired boarder. However, it was perfect for my horse, the owner was wonderful, and I would never have found her except by posting on here.

I know it can be nerve-wracking, but if you find someone near where you’ll be, you can check on your horses easily.

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Thank you, SharonA1. I really appreciate your suggestions. We have two half draft mares, one who is a big girl at 17 hds. She would bust through fencing that was just wire, even with it electrified. Using panels is a really good idea! Panels provide a good visual that looks strong and solid. We will think about that when we get down there.

I did get a call back yesterday from one barn owner in our home area who I had called (left several messages) and then didn’t get any responses back. I basically gave up. (She was busy and the messages went to her barn phone.)

She has two empty stalls and a paddock with a shelter that we could use for the time we need. Hearing that was a godsend for me. Her farm is beautiful and her barn is clean and spacious. (We stopped by last week to say hello but she was not there. But we looked around.)

She uses our vet, same worming program, and, best of all, her farm is really close to where my sister lives.

My sis is coming off from losing two ottbs in the space of a year. The first to colic (had surgery) and the second was put down due to neurological issues that two different vet clinics could not find answers to help. (Suddenly acting like a stallion and attacking geldings.)

My sister can check on my horses, go out and brush them, and even take lessons on them too - heated indoor arena. So big win win happening! She’s excited. And I’m relieved. So relieved!

Thank you, SharonA1. I will post back on our progress! Now we need to find something to rent for ourselves. So many changes and it’s so hard leaving my home, even if the weather will be warmer in N. Carolina. (Will be 15 minutes from Tryon though!)

[going_gray]

Thank you, midkniggit. Great ideas! I will keep searching for places closer to where we will be living. I’m not on Fb but my sister is and I will ask her to do some looking or finding places to ask questions.

We will certainly ask our fence guy about the set up you described. We could do that quickly and bring our horses down sooner and put on our own property. (I will show my husband your reply as well as SharonA1’s and get him thinking. He has put up a lot of fencing for me in forty plus years of marriage! (yes, we are old!)

Thank you for your info! Very much appreciated!