As I was perusing craigslist the other day, I found an ad for boarding at a facility with an indoor arena. Now don't misunderstand me; I love my trainer, love my barn, and ever like most of my fellow boarders. That said, it sure would be nice to be able to ride in the winter when the weather is crap, since we do not have an indoor arena. Out of curiosity, I emailed the people and googled their facility.
It actually looks nice and they sound competent. According to their email, they provide all the services that we get now (feeding, mucking, turnout). I'm intrigued. I wouldn't switch barns permanently, especially because they specialize in gaited horses, which while interesting, doesn't really get us anywhere. It would be so wonderful, though, to have somewhere to ride in Jan/Feb and maybe March, while the weather is rotten.
So... I'm going to go visit on Wednesday, I think. If I like the facility, the people, and everything feels right, and they end up having a spot for us at that time, we may be trying something new. I'd probably still work for Cathy to hold my spot at her barn, but the facilities aren't that far apart, so commuting between them shouldn't be a problem.
Any recommendations for questions to ask?
I seem to have lost my comment - so if this is a repeat, my apologies. Feeding - how often, what feeds - are feed types/amounts determined individually for each horse or is it "each horse gets one scoop", what type of hay, how often and are amounts individually determined and where do they get their hay - look at it and smell it and see if it seems good. Watch people ride and work with their horses in the arena and aisles and watch trainers ride and work with horses and people - are these people whose methods you are comfortable with and with whom you want to associate. How much turnout - most is better. Are fenes and stalls made of safe materials and well-maintained. Who will handle your horse and are they competent and will they use methods you are comfortable with. Who is the knowledgeable "eyes on the horse" person who will check your horse every day (or preferably several times a day) for illness and injury. Do they require you to use a certain vet or farrier (not something I like) and are you comfortable with that person. As you know, there are some very dark corners of the gaited horse industry, as well as some very good people - make sure you know who you're dealing with. Hang out there to get the vibe - you get the idea.
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