What barn would you choose…

[Mittenkitten]

Hey all interested in what barn you guys would choose for your horse… I live in an area where boarding barns are not super available and many have closed.

Barn 1: Private farm, 10x10 stalls with aisle drop down and window in stall (this is the biggest draw back for me as my horse is 16.3 wears a 81 blanket), turnout 8-10 hours daily, has both dry and grass turnouts, high quality hay fed 3 time a day 730, 430/5, & 11. Only outdoor wash stall. 21 miles away. $ just barn owners caring for horses 99% of the time.

Barn 2: Large boarding farm, 12x12 stalls with window and Dutch window to outside, turnout 2-5 hours daily (this is the biggest draw back for me), grass paddock which haven’t been managed, hay fed 3 times a day 730, 130, 9 but hay quality is not great. Indoor wash stall. 9.5 miles away. $$ many different workers

Barn 3: Fancy private farm. 12x12 stalls with window, Dutch window to outside, and EU stalls so horses can hang heads in aisle. 8-9 hours turnout, grass paddocks which haven’t been managed, if on grass they only feed hay 1x a day and not much, the hay quality has been questionable lately and they switch from alfalfa to grass randomly just two weeks grass then two weeks alfalfa (this is the biggest draw back for me) in winter they will feed twice a day but always last feeding is between 330-5 so horses go a LONG time without forage, 39 miles away. $$$$ many different workers

Thanks for your help - only other options are over 2 hours away and of course all in the $$$$ range. There is one other place that checks all the boxes for me but they are closed to boarders as of now so not an option. So trying to figure out which is the best of the downfalls of these places:

1: affordable quality care but small stall
2: amazing grounds middle price range but lack of turnout and quality forage
3: beautiful stalls with good turnout but very expensive and far away but forage feeding is questionable quality and practice and lacking unless you go feed yourself and buy own hay for quality

[crackerjack]

Number 1.

With a bigger horse (and really any horse) the more turnout the better. 2-5 hours is definitely not enough for my liking. 8-9 is acceptable. I don’t like the idea of very minimal hay in #3. Seems a recipe for ulcers at the very least. They are meant to have food in front of them at all times (which can obviously be challenging in boarding situations).

Mine is 16.3 and wears an 84. His stall is 10x10 and no window (which he would love). He’s absolutely fine in it size wise. I’d obviously prefer something bigger but like you boarding options are very limited where I am.

[Dr_Doolittle]

1. Definitely. (Agree with @crackerjack)

[FjordBCRF]

I agree barn number one is the best choice.

I have seen many people get burned with being told one thing about turnout and in reality it being another after they move in. Or VERY differing opinions on “weather permitting”. If you know when the horses should be out and if you can tell from the road, I’d drive by a few times in different weather if you are able to just to confirm.

[Mittenkitten]

100% I plan to do this … and have a few times. I hate to be non trusting but like you said there is difference of opinions… because the place is so affordable I am considering adding better footing to the dry pen my horse would use to prevent no outside turnout due to mud in spring and she is planning some enhancements to make that better as well - she does turnout in her indoor on no turnout days but of course that’s limited as she has 10 horses to get out those days and 1 space …

Thanks everyone so far for weighing in.

[cnd8]

Option 1 is my pick.

Option 2 turnout time is a no-deal for me.
Option 3 I think you have already talked yourself out of it for all those reasons.

[2DogsFarm]

What @FjordBCRF said about turnout.
Random drivebys @ different times before you move in & - if necessary - mention you happened to be in the area & noticed no horses out, ask why.

Otherwise, #1 all the way.
My 17h TWH & later 17’3 (84 blanket)WB were fine in my 12X12. That 2’ difference us negligible.
Also: in some stalls that measurement is not interior, might include stall wall (generally 2X4s), so subtract 4".
Both my big guys were able to lie flat.

My current 3 - 16h horse, 13h pony & 34" mini - have been known to all hang in one stall.
Mini routinely shares hay with the horse in horse’s stall.

Bigger is not always better re: # of horses or workers.
When you mention pastures “not managed”, don’t expect lush.
My smaller field - ~1ac - can border on drylot dependent on weather. But horses still keep busy grazing on what’s there.
I feed hay year-round, less when there’s grass & no one is losing weight.
This pic was taken last month & winter floof aside, ribs may exist

Mini demanding entrance, also not lacking

[FjordBCRF]

@Mittenkitten

she is planning some enhancements to make that better as well

Take these comments with a grain of salt. If it actually does happen wonderful, but one of the barns we were at, the BO was raving about all the things she had in the works when I went and toured the place. Yeah, none of that happened LOL.

[endlessclimb]

#1.

I don’t understand the current fad of absolutely massive stalls, honestly. Turn the damn horses out more! Big stalls don’t negate the need for max turnout. And, if you have a horse who can get riled and crazy in a stall, it’s not a benefit it’s a curse.

[mmeqcenter]

Agree, #1, most turnout possible and best hay.

My 17hh 84" blanket and 16.2hh 84" blankets were just fine in 10x10 stalls that had no windows to the inside or outside.

[OverandOnward]

Classic pros & cons board barn choice questions.

I also go with the #1 greater turnout.

It’s too bad that #2 has so little turnout time, otherwise it sounds good.

I would look more deeply into two things.

In terms of turnout, is there any grass, or is it all sand or dirt? More turn out is still preferable even without as much grass, but that’s something to consider. If the difference is 2 to 3 hours less, but the horse is on reasonable quality grass and eating grass the whole time, I think the horse would vote for the grass.

Secondly, it isn’t just about how often hay is given, but how much. Does it amount to free choice hay for the horse? Is there a little bit left over from the previous feeding, indicating that yes the horse did get enough for free choice?

Putting out a too-limited amount of hay three times daily is not as generous as it sounds.

Good luck that all goes well!

[mmeqcenter]

@OverandOnward

If the difference is 2 to 3 hours less, but the horse is on reasonable quality grass and eating grass the whole time, I think the horse would vote for the grass.

Not my mare.
Turnout, for me and my horses, is about movement, not grass.

[Mittenkitten]

Thanks again… to answer the questions…

Option 1 has dry lots for winter and bad weather but they are not the best footing again I think if I move there I will offer to pay to bring in a better material to eliminate the mud … she does drag them and they are pretty level. She then has 3 decent grass pastures best of the 3 barns as she doesn’t allow them to be overgrazed like the other two… she doesn’t use them as a feed source tho so the horses are still fed hay. So horses will have to be rotated on and off I expressed I would love for my horse to get out there for couple hours a day at least once worked up again. She didn’t think that would be an issue.

And you are correct on hay … I have confirmed she feeds 3 flakes all shook out each feeding (I know it’s better to do by weight) but she did say she would be willing to do more if I needed or I could always supplement with more if my own hay (I do this today already so probably will continue as I agree with you in free choice is the best)

Thanks everyone.

[Virginia_Horse_Mom]

Definitely # 1

A thought about staffing at each… yes… barn 2 and 3 have more workers. But if you have boarded anywhere in the last few years that uses workers who don’t have an ownership stake in the business… you have likely witnessed frequent staff turnover. I’ve had horses in training board at 3 different places over the last few years… all of which are very reputable and had GREAT trainers on site… but… the size of the facilities and the number of horses on site meant that management needed contracted workers or working students to accomplish daily horse care tasks (feeding, mucking, turning in and out, blanketing). And guess what? They all went through periods when staff suddenly quit or working students left early, and they were short staffed while trying to backfill these positions.

Anyway… if option 1 involves actual owners doing daily horse care tasks, and the facility is set up well and doesn’t have so many boarders that the owners have challenges keeping up with tasks… that actually might be preferable to # 2 & 3… because I bet there might be more stability and continuity when it comes to horse care at # 1. And that’s a positive thing!

[FjordBCRF]

@Virginia_Horse_Mom

Anyway… if option 1 involves actual owners doing daily horse care tasks, and the facility is set up well and doesn’t have so many boarders that the owners have challenges keeping up with tasks… that actually might be preferable to # 2 & 3… because I bet there might be more stability and continuity when it comes to horse care at # 1. And that’s a positive thing!

Age of the owners is a consideration too. I boarded at a small private place as a holdover until we moved into our barn now. Owners were wonderful, husband/wife that were well into retirement. Certainly not trying to be agest, but they just weren’t as able to be as on top of things getting up in age which is expected at some point. And if one of them got sick or laid up with something, that was a big hit. They did have some help which was good, but as mentioned above, wasn’t always the most reliable.

[Virginia_Horse_Mom]

That’s a fair point.

Staffing is really hard.

[TWH_Girl]

Option 1. No way would 2 work with so little turnout and 3 sounds like for the price, you should not have to worry about a thing. No way.
Boarding can really be stressful that’s for sure. It’s akin to finding day care or a place for an elderly parent.

[anonevent]

Does Barn 4 have a waitlist?

Barn 1 would work for me if I had a hope of moving to Barn 4 within a year.

If your schedule is flexible enough that you can schedule your visits around turnout so that your horse gets less stall time, Barn 2 could be an option. This is kind of my current situation. Turnout has been very limited. I visit twice a day and hand walk, do ground work, whatever. It has been tough, but it isn’t permanent, so it is something I’m willing to do. I also supplement with my own extra hay. If you have to ride during that 2-5hr turnout window -no way.

[Mittenkitten]

Unfortunately barn 4 at this point has no plans to open stalls to boarders again … maybe they will change their mind but not banking on that.

I will plan to go out after turnout no matter the location to get the horse out of the stall longer probably between 2-3 hours 5 days a week… but can’t go twice a day unfortunately.

[anonevent]

Then I think Barn 1 is really the only option.

There are TONS of boarding options near me, but something I consider a necessity is almost always missing from them, be it nutritional (hay quality or portions), turnout time, safety of the pastures. It sucks that it has to be a “lesser of evils” choice.