Boarding a Horse Requires Attention to Detail
Scrutiny and Caution Are Needed when Choosing a Boarding Facility
Oct 3, 2008
For most people, a horse represents a sizable investment of time and money, yet many people leave their horses in facilities that are absolutely inappropriate - even dangerous - where care and facilities are substandard. Here are some ideas on items to scrutinize before you leave your horse with someone.
Meet the Caregivers
Meet the caregiver, stable hand and every other person directly involved with handling, feeding or caring for the horse. Never settle for meeting "the manager" only. Who is ultimately responsible for the care of the animal? Even if it necessitates a return to the barn several times to meet all the staff, do so. Don't leave the horse if there is any concern or question about any employee's abilities, attitude or temperament.
Physically Inspect the Barn
Do a complete walk through of the facilities. Inspect everything. Look into every stall.
- Are there mounds of horse manure in the stalls? How often are stalls cleaned?
- Are the water troughs filled with fresh looking water?
- Is the bedding fresh, or does it smell of stale urine and feces?
- Is fresh air circulated throughout the barn?
- Is the drainage in the stalls adequate, or will the horse be standing in water or urine, both of which can attract flies and mosquitoes and invite hoof problems?
Look at the stall where the animal being boarding will be kept. If the horse is a "cribber," having a lot of wooden objects, like shelves, rails, and bars in the stall may not be a good idea. (Not to mention the owner will not like the damage the horse will do to the stall.)
- Are there nails or hooks sticking out?
- Are there wood splinters that could injure the animal in any way?
- Is the stall an adequate size for the horse to get up and down without getting hooves caught under partitions?
- How often is the horse "turned out" or given adequate exercise?
Is there smoking allowed in the barn? Are there fire extinguishers handy? Are there functioning fire alarms placed throughout the building? Is there a night watch person? How often are the animals checked at night?
Feed
Make a visit at feeding time. Check the quality and amount of hay/feed given to each animal.
- Is the hay thrown on the ground?
- Is the hay placed in a feeder? There is nothing essentially wrong with feeding on the ground if the ground is clean and not overly sandy.
- What are the feeding times?
- How many times a day are the animals fed?
- Are animals given supplements?
- Is the hay stored outside where it could get dusty or mildewy? Or is it stored inside?
Many times a buyer is unable to obtain the exact feed from one hay delivery to another. Ask what types of hay are fed.
Outside Facilities
Many facilities keep horses outside. This is a perfectly healthy environment providing several elements are considered:
- Is there adequate shade?
- Is there a wind break?
- What kind of fencing is used?
- What size is the area?
If the animal is housed in a small 10 x 10 enclosure, this is not satisfactory. Many facilities leave horses standing in these small (or smaller) enclosures for days at a time. This is cruel and inhumane.
If the horse is kept on a pasture, are the feeding times regulated? (If a horse is not used to pasture grass, it can easily founder.) Are the horse's shoes required to be removed for it to be on pasture? This is generally not a problem, but if an animal is not used to going unshod, it can easily become lame and experience a great deal of pain trying to take even a few steps. Furthermore, if the horse needs to be shod to be ridden, and you plan to ride regularly, this will be a conflict.
If the horse is turned out to pasture, is the horse with other animals? If so, it is wise to check regularly for a few days to make sure the "pecking order" remains status quo. Beware that often newcomers to the herd can be harassed, bitten, kicked and even denied food and water by the rest of the established herd.
Other Concerns
- Are all the horses in the facility current on their vaccinations?
- Are the horses sprayed with fly spray? How often?
- Are fly masks put on outside horses? Does your horse require one?
- Are horses used for schooling purposes? Some facilities do use boarded horses for riding classes. This is often a good way for the horse to get exercise, and often one can get a discount on boarding fees if the horse is used, but there are potential problems if students misuse bits, riding crops, etc. Make it clear whether the horse can be used for classes or not, and if so, how often. Don't let the animal be over-exercised in an arena.
- If the horse is injured while being ridden in a class, who's responsible for the veterinary bills?
- Who is the barn's farrier?
- Does the management allow private shoers to come in? Meet the farrier, by all means. If possible, watch him shoe a horse to see how he/she handles the animals. If the horse has special shoeing needs, be sure to make these needs known.
- Is there a barn veterinarian? If so, meet with this person. Make sure he or she receives a copy of the horse's health history, including injuries and any behavioral idiosyncrasies.
- Where is personal horse tack kept?
- Who else has access to these tack supplies?
Finally, what hours are owners allowed to come? Read the restrictions carefully.
Finding a good boarding facility is just as time consuming, perhaps more so, than finding a good school for a child. Both searches require diligence, attention to detail and time. It's imperative that the horse is placed in a facility, however, that frees you from worry and concern. Your horse will appreciate it too.
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