To move or not to move?

[Mercedes2]

I just visited a barn yesterday and now I’m trying to decide whether or not to move my horse…what do you all think?

For some background, I just moved my horse to a new barn 6 months ago because of a simultaneous situation where I was moving to a new town and the barn I was boarding at was being sold (they kicked everyone out soon after I moved my horse). My current barn is nice - the indoor is small but the outdoor is a decent size, there’s a pretty trail loop and some conditioning hills on property as well as a cross country course. I’m primarily interested in dressage at this point in my life but I guess having the course is nice in case I want to ride through the field or pop over a tiny log. I take lessons with the BO and she is an effective trainer. Turnout is all day and her paddock is fairly large. The only major complaint I’ve had from day one is the drive - this was the closest barn I liked within my price range at the time, but I really don’t enjoy the drive. I have to drive to work nearly every day and the last thing I want to do is get back in the car and drive all the way to the barn in the evening. I also know I won’t feel safe driving on those winding back roads on icy or snowy days.

I haven’t been looking to move but I belong to a lot of local Facebook groups so inevitably I see other options being advertised. A stall recently opened up only 6 minutes from my house which is a dream come true in and of itself. Board is the same price but with more services - hay 4 times a day instead of only 2 (my pony is an easy keeper but I do worry about ulcers with only two meals a day), blanketing services as necessary, a worming program, etc. The barn owner at barn #2 is new to managing a farm but the place was clean and in good repair. The main drawback is that the indoor is even smaller than the one at my current barn and the outdoor isn’t massive either. They do have access to a nice conditioning hill and trails that I don’t think I’d have to cross a ride to get to, so that’s nice. That doesn’t help me in the wintertime but I love having outdoor places to ride.

What do you all think? I would feel badly moving my poor pony for the second time in a year, I don’t want to cause her unnecessary stress. My boyfriend came with me on the tour and he thinks I should perhaps just keep this new place in mind for the spring. What would you do if you were in my position?

[trubandloki]

These are the types of decisions that no one else can make for you.

How much is ‘even smaller’? If the existing ring is 60’x90’ then even smaller is going to be hard to use with more than a couple of other boarders using it.

Edit to add:
Though I guess the size of the indoor at the current place does not matter if you are not going to drive there and use it.

[Posting_Trot]

The six minutes from home aspect (plus the promised level of services) has got to be a major attraction, particularly in winter.

What might make me hesitate is that the barn-owner is new to the business. It makes me wonder if she is being realistic about the level of services (and the amount of hay!) she can offer at the price, although you’d be in a better position to gauge this than I am, for sure. It also means that you can’t just look at the horses that are being boarded there and assume that they’re representative of her care.

All in all, if it were me, I think I might wait until spring. The larger indoor at your current place, plus the known level of care and of training/lessoning (you didn’t mention anything about that at the other barn?) makes me think that it probably makes sense to stay.

By spring, you’ll know how bad the drive was in winter and how infrequently you went based on timing as well. You’ll also be ready to be out of the indoor again, and if you want to move then, you’ll have a better idea of what the track-record is of the newer option.

[Mercedes2]

@Posting_Trot

What might make me hesitate is that the barn-owner is new to the business. It makes me wonder if she is being realistic about the level of services (and the amount of hay!) she can offer at the price, although you’d be in a better position to gauge this than I am, for sure.

This is my concern since the price seems a bit low for the area, although part of that might be because the barn is not “fancy” at all. The barn owner has owned the place for a little over a year now, so she’s not completely green I guess but in the grand scheme of things that isn’t very long. My current barn just raised board this month since the cost of hay and shavings has gotten so high, so I guess I’m a little concerned this new place might raise board.

[Obsidian_Fire]

If you wait to move, the other place may be full with a waiting list. Or, it may shut down. You never know which way things will go.
Sucks to be in this position, I get it. Have to weigh your pros and cons, being honest with yourself how much of a downer the drive is to your current barn. You say you like the BO as a trainer, so that’s definitely a plus. Could she ride for you on days you don’t feel safe driving out? Something to think on.

[stargzng386]

I find that winter is where all of the kinks in a program come out…mainly hay. Is the new barn in a place where you could drive by and see the winter care? I’d maybe ask to be put on the list for spring and setup one more visit in the middle of winter and drive by. Pretty much every single barn I’ve left has been in the middle of winter. They either don’t feed the hay they said they would or think it’s ok to stretch it out by waiting to put out new round bales until horses have been totally out of hay for days/weeks in really cold weather. I’d hesitate to move right before winter if you’ve been happy with the care at the current barn.

The second big factor is lessons. Who can you take lessons with at barn 2? Can you lesson with them a few times to make sure it’s a good fit before making a decision?

[lenapesadie]

Tough one!

In my area, suitable boarding facilities near where I lived were few and far between and usually had a lot of competition for stalls.

For me, proximity was super important. If the barn was close enough I could supplement hay myself if needed and still break even on my cost analysis where time = money.

[peedin]

“New to running a barn” is a huge red flag for me. They can promise you anything, but will it really happen? Will your horse really get hay 4 times a day? And if your horse is outside, how do they get 4 feedings a day? My horse is out all day, get breakfast hay, dinner hay, and bedtime hay. How small is small at the “new” indoor? Who would you take lessons from? I would stay put and stay home on days you aren’t comfortable driving.

[trubandloki]

@lenapesadie

For me, proximity was super important. If the barn was close enough I could supplement hay myself if needed and still break even on my cost analysis where time = money.

If you (general you) are planning on supplementing hay be sure that this is something the barn allows. Some barns do not want this happening, even if you bring your own hay.

[173north]

I think everyone suggesting you ask to be put on a wait list for the spring and see how they fare through the winter is a good idea. I will also say that I recently moved and my drive time went from 90 min on a good day to 20 min on a terrible day. The new place has far fewer amenities (no lessons on site, much less turnout, only one arena, I have to set my own jumps, etc) but being able to easily go to the barn every day has transformed my quality of life and general happiness.

[lenapesadie]

That’s a fair point and def something to bring up prior to signing a boarding contract

[Arlomine]

Let me preface with the fact that I am a barn owner, a trainer, and have been in the business for over 30 years. That being said… Absolutely never underestimate the importance of factoring in a “first time barn owner”.
That old saying that you don’t know what you don’t know really applies here. Perfectly normal people become raving lunatics after they figure out that there’s absolutely no money in boarding, and actually they are destroying their property daily because horses are really rhinoceroses.
Nothing could prepare you for how much work it is, how much personal interaction you have with the borders, and what kind of maintenance is required to keep up with the destructive qualities of horses.
There are some people who really are perfectly suited for this task. They enjoy having folks around on their property, they like the company. They love the horses, and it gives them something to do with their time. Maybe they’re independently wealthy. But truly, there’s a very steep learning curve and you would need to go into the situation with your eyes open. Be prepared for rules to change as they figure out what works and does not work for them.

[Heinz_57]

If the arena isn’t so small it’s useless, I would move. A very short drive means you will be more likely to go ride and even just hang out with your horse. A long commute home always makes me feel hurried. A ‘new’ BM wouldn’t necessarily scare me… I’ve known very experienced management that was absolutely crazy and dangerously cut corners, and also those who were first timers who did an excellent job as promised.

[Against_All_Odds2]

I have boarded very close to my house, very far from my house, and somewhere in the middle.

I can tell you the quality of my rides has gone up being in the middle.

When horses were close I’d visit often but not really ride, when they are far I dreaded the drive. Now that they are somewhere in the middle I really carve out the time to see them AND ride. Because I can’t just go willy nilly it has really progressed my riding fwiw.

[candyappy]

If the horses are happy , well fed and the new barn meets your riding needs and budget as well as being closer, then why not move?

Most barns have a waiting list so your current place will more than likely not care.

[js]

Back in the day when I had one horse and boarded, I moved my horse from a really fancy place to a bare bones barn that was 5 minutes from our house. While I missed having a heated indoor, I loved being close to the barn and not driving across town in the winter and in traffic. Being close gave me more time to spend at the barn, whether to ride or just hang out.

Go to the other barn and check it out, don’t feel bad for moving your horse again but do what will work best for both of you.

[SuzieQNutter]

I have trained a dressage horse with only a 20m circle. It does mean no straight lines but you can do all sorts of exercises like figure of 8s, etc. Bigger than that and you can have straight lines as well, that is all you need to train a dressage horse.

[Bebe_Falcon1]

@Arlomine

Perfectly normal people become raving lunatics after they figure out that there’s absolutely no money in boarding, and actually they are destroying their property daily because horses are really rhinoceroses.

This wins the internet for me today. Thank you for the - very literal - lol.

Some really great advice here already, so all I’d add is if you do decide to move to the closer facility, make sure your existing manager knows how much you’ve appreciated the excellent care/facilities over the last six months and that this decision is purely to cut down on your commute.

If you can preserve that relationship, then you’ve got a sure thing to move back to if this new facility isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.

[Mercedes2]

Thanks for your opinions! I’m still feeling a bit torn so I’m trying to ask around my network to see if anyone knows the BO or is familiar with the farm at all. If I can find someone who is able to give the farm a good recommendation I will probably move, but if not I will wait until spring and reevaluate where I want to be.

[Zu_Zu]

. Winter approaches • Wait ! A new barn owner / manager and first winter - NOPE ! I hate surprises !

Enjoy Fall where you are - Evaluate after winter • you just may decide you’re ‘home’ now.