What do you expect in a training facility?

[half_pass1]

We are finally getting ahead in developing our new property into a place where I can train client horses. We are basically working with a blank canvas which has it’s positives and negatives. So I am after some general opinions on how you expect your horse to be kept when sent away for training. Any input is greatly appreciated!

Stables
What is the minimum size you would consider appropriate for your horse?
Would you want your horse to be able to have contact with the horse in the next box? A half dividing wall with open top? A half dividing wall with bars/mesh? A solid wall?

Turn out
Would you want your horse to have all day turn out? Half day? An hour?
Turned out into a day yard or into a field?
If in a field, with or without carefully selected companions?
If a day yard, what is the minimum size you would expect the yard to be?

Anything else that is make or break for you?

I mostly start young horses under saddle, and train dressage horses, just for a bit of background as to the clientele I’d be wanting to attract!

[SonnysMom]

I have a smaller horse- 15.2 and short coupled so a 11x11 or 11x10 would be fine for a stall. I would prefer a 12x12 if I had a larger horse.

I don’t mind if my horse goes out with other non-aggressive horses. I don’t mind if they play a little and a minor love bite doesn’t bother me. I want my horse to be a horse.

However at the barn I currently board at the majority of the serious dressage horses all have individual turn-out. The rest of the horses are pairs with one field of 3. In other boarding barns I have been at the serious dressage riders seem to prefer individual turn-out which by default is in paddocks rather than a big field.

For young horses I would prefer a larger field and full day or night turn-out. Preferably with carefully selected company. I think it is more important for a young horse to have more turn-out time and more room and some company.

Therefore I would think that your different clientel may have different turn-out preferences based on young horse versus mature dressage horse.

I would prefer a solid wall between stalls for a training barn where the neighbor may change every couple of weeks. For a boarding barn where the BO can more carefully pick the compatibility of the horses next to each other I would wouldn’t mind the half dividing wall with bars/mesh. I think horses in their stalls should have some privacy from their neighbor. I think it allows them to relax more.

Now I don’t live in a really really hot area of the US like Florida or Arizona. In those areas I would probably prefer a more open divider between stalls for airflow.

One barn I was out had the entire front of the stall as mesh with just about a foot at the bottom that was solid to contain shavings out of the aisle. The dividers between the stalls were solid to about 5 feet with mesh panels on top. This gave a lot of airflow in the front, a lot of visibility into the aisle for the horse but privacy from the neighbors. I really liked that design.

[TrotTrotPumpkn]

I really prefer private turnout for a training horse. I want them to see other horses and not feel isolated. I don’t care if they share a fence line if it is safe, tall and hot. I don’t care if my horse has a stall or just a private run-in as long as it is deep enough to get out of wet weather.

If she is stalled 10 x 12’ would be the minimum, 12 x 12 the norm. I do want some turnout, and lots of hay, I don’t need to get a horse back with ulcers. If you are working her six days a week, then I’m fine with just a decent sized private paddock for turnout vs. a large field. I think it depends if this is a year-round training horse (long-term client) vs. someone sending you a horse for 90 days.

I’d be interested in a young horse being ridden both in an arena and outside.

The biggest thing to me would be safety, quality service, a variety of exposure to new things (for a youngster), being kept up-to-date without me having to nag to find out how it is going and if paying extra for video and pictures is possible (for a sales horse) great. I want to get the horse back in good condition.

[saddleup]

My trainer’s barn is just about ideal, I think. Horses are in 12x12 stalls, 2/3 of the dividers were bars on the top half, and the front 1/3 were solid, to minimize irritation at feeding time. All the horses are turned out every day, all day, in individual paddocks that have run-in shelters. Each turnout is separated by an asphalt covered pathway, so the horses can see each other, but can’t fence fight. A few, whose owners prefer it and whose horses have the right temperament, (mine was one of those), are turned out in pairs in large pastures, all day. Some of the owners were worried about bites, or their horses were on diets, so pasture turnout wasn’t really an option, but I wanted mine to socialize and get that pasture turnout. Horses in training were ridden six days a week, with Sundays off.

[joiedevie99]

We have those style bars as well. The back 2/3 of each stall has bars between the horses. The front 1/3 is solid. We have the curved fronts that you can see in the third and fourth pictures here: http://martinranchsupply.com/content/stall-fronts as well as several stallion stalls with full doors. That being said, all of our stallions currently live in normal curved front stalls.

I prefer solo turnout for at least 3 hours per day, and at least 12 x 12 stalls. I like in/out style stalls, but have never had the fortune of boarding at a place with them.

I’m not super picky on fence style as long as it is safe.

I am picky about arena footing, and about safe areas for young horses to learn to hack out.

[half_pass1]

Thanks so much for the input!!

24 hour turnout is not possible at the moment, nor are shelters in the turn out areas - I need to earn a bit of money first! But I’d be expecting the horses to be out at least 8 hours a day year round, rain or shine - perhaps not in hail however :lol: But given that many horses here are lucky to be out of their box for an hour a day, I think that this situation is much better than in many other training barns.

I’m thinking solo turnout is probably the best option, except maybe for some of the long-term horses who have already good, established relationships with another horse.

Regarding day yards, the area I am thinking of putting them allows me to make them to be about 30m (100ft) by 20m (65ft). Not heaps of space, but allows them to stretch their legs and trot a bit. Perhaps on their day(s) off work they can spend an hour or two out in a bigger field to let off a bit of steam.

Stables would be minimum 3.5mx3.5m (12x12ft), walk in/out doesn’t work here due to our set up unfortunately.

Arena footing will be as good as possible - that is in the plans at the moment and will be built before winter.

Hacking out is also something I find very important for young horses, I try and get them out of the arena as much as possible, even just riding out in the fields. We have a forest directly across the road from us with tracks that lead out onto a moor. There is a good 30 minute loop we often take.

[DHCarrotfeeder]

This is tough, unless we assume we’re all participants in a survey.

Turnout: I do believe all horses should get out once per day for free time. In bad weather a couple of hours will do, but we find that 8-10 hours is perfect. So in winter it’s daytime turnout, in summer it’s nighttime turnout. There are times when weather is bad during their scheduled turnout and they simply must stay in. 24/7 is harder on pastures, makes it harder to spot minor injuries, and as a dressage horse they must ultimately be comfortable with stalling.

As already mentioned, some highly valued horses get very limited turnout. I find that unfortunate so I would only do that if specifically required by the owner.

I believe with performance horses it makes sense to turn out in small groups if you have small pastures. (If I had, say, 10 acres and 10 horses, I’d rather have 8 small pastures for groups of 1-3 horses, than 2 pastures and two groups of 5). This gives them social support but minimizes pasture injuries. And if a particular horse has no safe turnout buddy, they go out alone but have neighbors.

Definitely must have paddocks with improved footing for winter weather. It seems you’re on the milder side of Germany, but even still I loathe putting horses out on pasture when they will tear it up. As a boarder it always bothered me to see the horses go out and slog through the deep mud in wintertime - this is far from ideal when you’re trying to keep your horse in condition for a clinic or show.

[red_mares]

IME, all of the things you listed are nice to have, but not really my top concern.

I had a horse in training at a beautiful facility that was very well thought out - the trainer sucked though. Horses were taken care of, fields & paddocks, but the trainer sucked.

Moved horse to a run down barn, with a good amount of duct tape, vet wrap & bailing twine holding things together. Trainer has BTDT, has several t-shirts and a double bypass.

I’ll take option 2. As a matter of fact, I’m inclined to turn tail and run for the hills if the place looks like a post card.

[js]

Since you are in Germany, it might differ as to what clients expect compared to here in the US, so perhaps take that into some consideration.

I prefer half wall with grills between stalls so horses can see each other. If you are working with bigger size horses you might want stalls that are a bit larger than 12x12, however, 12x12 would be the average size I would prefer. I want a small paddock off each stall so horses can have access to the outside even when they aren’t turned out. I have covered paddocks so horses can access them year round, mine are 12x16. Small pasture turn outs where horses can socialize across fences but not be together might be better since you will have young horses and horses that are there for short term, with your herd dynamics constantly changing. The longer you can have turn out the better but I’d base it on the owners wishes, since you are working with young and likely frisky horses.

I much prefer a well maintained facility that is safe and kept presentable.

[half_pass1]

[QUOTE=DHCarrotfeeder;8278733]
Definitely must have paddocks with improved footing for winter weather. It seems you’re on the milder side of Germany, but even still I loathe putting horses out on pasture when they will tear it up. As a boarder it always bothered me to see the horses go out and slog through the deep mud in wintertime - this is far from ideal when you’re trying to keep your horse in condition for a clinic or show.[/QUOTE]

We are really fortunate with our soil here, we live on the edge of a moor and the soil is rather sandy and extremely well draining. Even in the middle of winter after very heavy rain we just don’t get mud - also with heavy use (eg. sacrifice areas). Any dirt they do get on them brushes off within minutes. But I would want to put in some all-weather yards just to be on the safe side - perhaps with woodchips or sand or something similar.

[half_pass1]

[QUOTE=red mares;8278769]

I’ll take option 2. As a matter of fact, I’m inclined to turn tail and run for the hills if the place looks like a post card.[/QUOTE]

Haha, it certainly won’t look like a postcard here, that’s for sure! But I know what you mean, those immaculate places always make me wonder if they spend more time on property maintenance that on the back of the horse.

[half_pass1]

[QUOTE=js;8278789]
Since you are in Germany, it might differ as to what clients expect compared to here in the US, so perhaps take that into some consideration.
.[/QUOTE]

Yup, I am just trying to see if I can get different perspectives

[Forte]

I am in a similar situation as you. I do a little boarding and break and train young warmbloods.
I prefer to have at least a 12’ x 12’ stall. Turnout is a major issue for me. I like my horses to have as much turnout as possible. At least 8 hours a day. I don’t mind them being out 24/7 if weather permits. If the fencing was not safe (barb wire or similar), that would be a deal breaker for me.
Footing is also very important to me. I would not board my horse at a facility where the footing in the arenas is to deep or too hard. Same goes for paddocks.

[Miss_Motivation]

Consider the norms and expectations in your nearby horse community when it comes to things like turnout and other features. Your local climate and geography will make a big difference there too.

When in Rome…

[arapaloosa_lady]

I’d prefer an individual turnout for a horse in training, especially since they won’t be there long-term.

And shelters are 100% necessary in turnouts. Food, water, and shelter are the basic mainstays of caring for an animal. I’d rather let my horse choose when to go into a shelter than hope a barn worker can read his mind & bring him in when he’d prefer shelter.

[ladyj79]

I hate half walls. I prefer and my horses seem to prefer when they “have their own room”.

Not too concerned about shelter in turn outs, with someone on the grounds at all times ie a pro training yard, I presume horses will be brought in as needed.

While my personal horses go out in pairs or small groups, with client/training/performance horses private turn out is probably best.

12x12s. And I’d try to have at least one or two larger stalls for the giants. My giant is sad and too big for his 12x12. Watching him pee is awkward and sadly comical. Windows. I think they need windows.

I’m in belgium at present and thing my yard has a pretty ideal set up. Our paddocks are more like small fields, maybe 20x40m with ok grass. Turn out as much as possible depending on weather/bugs/etc.