# Do you board or own your own barn?



## PaintHorseMares (Apr 19, 2008)

Our mares are at home, and I wouldn't have it any other way. We like to be able to just spend time with them, spend some training time, or saddle up and take off whenever we feel like.


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## AQHA13 (Apr 19, 2017)

Our horses are at home and I love it! We go out and see them whenever and can go for a ride at anytime. We know that they are being taken care of properly, that our property is safe and how their health is. Since we spend a lot of time with them, we have created a really strong bond with our horses

The biggest negative is that during the summer you have to find someone to watch them if you go on vacation.


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## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

I keep my horses at home and I couldn't imagine boarding them somewhere. I have them at my fingertips whenever I want to ride (even if that's 2am) and I never have to worry about my riding areas being full of other riders that I have to avoid.


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## BenJammin (Jun 17, 2010)

I board my horse. And I dislike it a lot! Hah the barn is always so crowded and can't go there SUPER early or past 9pm. I wish I kept him at home.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Poco1220 (Apr 6, 2010)

My horses are at our house.

Likes:
* right there whenever I want to see them or ride
* no worries about leaving when Liberty is in foal since she's right outside
* guarantee they are getting the care I expect
* many more captures of those once in a million photos 

Dislikes:
* nothing can be put off until tomorrow
* chores are my responsibility regardless of weather, tired, etc
* finding someone to cover if we leave town
* paying full farm call fee for shots/farrier/etc.


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## MissTee1 (Oct 16, 2009)

I board and love it. I don't have the option to keep her at home and where she is boarded is at a friends and she gets taken care of well. I do wish I could see her everyday by just looking out a window or something.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## haleylvsshammy (Jun 29, 2010)

I board, but we do half of the work, so he's it's kinda like he's at home... 
I wish that I could see him whenever, because driving to the barn is a PAIN!
Where I board it is a neighborhood and I can't ride in the neighborhood arena without a resident, so that gets annoying, too. I don't live in horse property, so we really don't have a choice. We would love to move to horse property, but we can't afford it right now. Currently, it is just a dream...


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## ridergirl23 (Sep 17, 2009)

I board, but i would love to keep her at home, but at the same time, i love boarding, because,

1.it keeps me in touch with the latest horse world gossip
2.I love all the people at the barn liek family
3.I can go away on holidays and know she is being cared for (its a great barn, no problems)
4.I can bike to the barn within ten minutes, so its not a long drive, haha
5.I LOVE my instructors and i cant imagine trying to learn dressage without them!
and more, i just cant think of them right now. but i do really have an amazing place to board, i wouldnt trade it for the world! ive heard to many scary boarding stories to think of changing barns!


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## squeak351 (May 20, 2010)

Right now they are boarded. We are working on a shelter and fence of our own so we can bring my girls home. I look forward to them being here. I do all the care for them at the barn, so it will be easier once they are home.


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## My Beau (Jan 2, 2009)

My 3 are home. I love being able to see them whenever I like, being about to know them better than ever, knowing they are taken care of properly everyday, receive any meds/supplements every day, being able to go feed carrots and brush horses whenever I feel like it 

Dislikes would have to be losing the flexibily to go to the beach/vacation weekend on a moment's notice and not splitting barn call fees for the vet.
But, even these aren't big deals to me - just requires planning further out for a farm sitter and a bank account with some money in it


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## LetAGrlShowU (Mar 25, 2009)

I currently board. Decent facility, i've had some problems but heres the pros and cons:

Pros:
-If my daughter is sick or I have an apt and cant make it to the barn, hes taken care of
-I have a lit arena to ride in whenever I want


Cons:
-The 20 minute drive from home can become a 40 min drive from work
-Can be crowded once in a while

I move in 7 weeks and Cooper is moving with me onto my property.
Pros: I can ride anytime I want, its just a walk across the feild
I know he gets the supplements he needs and everything is done correctly.
Cons: Making sure im up early enough to feed and clean stall and let him out before my daughter wakes up (or before hubby leaves for work) on top of my already hectic routine
Making sure I'm home to clean stalls and feed in the evening- ie: no going straight to supermarket or dinner etc.


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## Chella (May 23, 2009)

I keep them at home. Good and Bad. No riders in my arena or trail good and bad.
No one using my things. No one to share with. No one force feeding me their opinions
No one giving good advice.


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## Madiera (Jul 1, 2010)

I keep mine at home and absolutely love it. I get to see them daily, watch their behavior and how they interact as a herd, ride/train when I want, set my own schedule and am lucky to have in-laws and neighbors who are willing to care for them when I go away. There are no negatives-it has simply become a way of life for me.


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## equiniphile (Aug 16, 2009)

Mine are at home. Likes? They're right out my window, I don't have to worry about other people messing with them, and I'm not forced to get lessons from a barn if I were to board at one.

Dislikes? The upkeep of our whole property, having no riding arena currently.....

The likes outweigh the dislikes.


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## pleasurehorse11 (Dec 1, 2008)

My grandparents own their own boarding facility which basically makes it mine and it's only 10 minutes from my house.

Pros: 
I dont have to pay board but dont have to worry about getting all the chores done because it's taken care of ( i promise not trying to sound spoiled)

Huge indoor and outdoor to ride in at any time 

Can go to barn anytime I want day or night 

Stay at my grandparents house and just wake up to my horses

Cons:

Cannot complain or do anything about the farmhand who is my sworn enemy :twisted: ( we do not get along)

Its still is a 10 minute drive on days when I dont stay there 

I love being able to clean stalls and take care of my horses so I still want them on my own placee


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## Pinto (Mar 31, 2010)

I board simply because we don't have the room for a horse where I live. I wish I could keep horses at my place! I'd be out in the stables_ all _day 

Pros:
- Kind and knowledgeable people to help me if I need it.
- Most of the hard work is done for me!
- My horse has a lot of other horses to keep him company.
- There's trails and great facilities.
- He's taken care of if I go away.

Cons:
- It's about a 20 minute drive. So I'm paying for all that petrol.
- Board costs!
- Can't take care of him myself (I would if it wasn't so far away though!)


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## shadowanne (Jan 7, 2010)

I have 4 horse fenced acres and a lean-to. I have kept horses at home in the past and while it's nice to visit right there, there's also the upkeep of having them at home. Plus I don't have the resources to put in proper footing, nor coverage to ride year round (and I live where it rains 9 months out of the year). 

So I currently board. It's only 4 miles from my house so I just pop over there when I want to ride. It's not too busy and I like the place and the people. I can stay away for a few days and I know my horse is cared for. It's worth the cost of being able to ride year round with decent arena footing. My horse does have 365 turnout from 8am-4pmish and that is the 2nd reason I chose that barn over another, first was distance.

I also like the social aspect of the barn even just to have other like-minded people around. At home I'm completely on my own as the rest of my family isn't into animals. And that can get a bit lonely.


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## Jordan S (Jun 7, 2009)

I board. Why no poll?


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## Alwaysbehind (Jul 10, 2009)

Jordan S said:


> Why no poll?


Is a poll needed?



Right this minute one is boarded and one is at home.

Having them at home makes daily care easier. No issues with getting to the barn, etc. No issues with my horse not getting their hay or food or turn out or anything like that.

The nice thing about boarding is there are facilities (wash stall, indoor ring, etc).


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## AmberPick (Jul 13, 2010)

How do I add a poll? I should have done that!!

I currently have no horse so I'm jealous of all of you! Boarded or at home I'm sure you all love your horses!! Mine will be at home but my husband wants me to wait until after we have our next baby.. I'm so accident prone..

For those of you who have them at home, what do you do when you go on vaca? We were trying to plan a trip to Europe (husband's idea, not mine) in three years but I will need someone to watch two kids and a horse! Ahhh!


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## Alwaysbehind (Jul 10, 2009)

AmberPick said:


> For those of you who have them at home, what do you do when you go on vaca? !


Simple. We do not go on vacations.

When we had to leave town for a funeral we had a good friend take care of them for the weekend.


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## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

Yep, we never get vacations longer than just a few days (if that long) and we have someone here in town that comes up once a day to check water and feed.


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## AmberPick (Jul 13, 2010)

smrobs said:


> Yep, we never get vacations longer than just a few days (if that long) and we have someone here in town that comes up once a day to check water and feed.


 Well, we will be visiting my family (we'll be in Florida traveling to Wisconsin) right before I get my horse and we're visiting his family in Texas this winter.. I guess they are just going to have to come down to see us!


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## Gidget (Jan 19, 2010)

I would personally love to have my horse outside my door but I live in an apt. so that's a big issue,haha.

I board at a new stable and love it! I get excited every time I see her...which is everyday sometimes twice a day. I like the fact there are other horse owners that can help you out. I didn't know how to fit an english saddle untill the other day because I asked if someone could help me out  If you have your horse at home it is harder meet people and get that help.


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## starlinestables (Nov 24, 2008)

I own a boarding facility so my horses are at my home and I wish they were boarded somewhere else! LOL 

Then again I take care of 28 and my boarders drive me nuts.. lol P


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## Hunter65 (Aug 19, 2009)

I board (but we are looking for a new property of our own). My old barn was horrible (it was where I "rescued" Hunter from). I always worried about him and it was 45 mins away. Now I am at an awesome place 20 mins away with a huge outdoor lit arena. He has a humungous stall with paddock and has his own pasture 10 -12 hrs a day. They are all very well looked after. He used to have a pasture buddy but Blitz chewed half his mane off so now he gets it all to himself. My old barn always had people around and I never left anything there as it would disappear. Now there are 5 boarders including me and everyone respects each others stuff. I never run into anyone there, I always have the arena to myself - although it can be kinda boring.
We have 10 acres 3 hours away from here and we are going for 2 weeks on the 30th and this year we get to take Hunter, so I will have him outside my door for a little while anyways.


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## Cinnys Whinny (Apr 10, 2010)

I board but we have been seriously considering getting a place with some acreage...but after recent events I am more happy I board. I don't think I would have survived the last 2 weeks if I had to worry about my horse too so I guess boarding does have some advantages.


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## dee (Jul 30, 2009)

We have our horses at home. It's a lot of work to clear the pasture, but it would have to be done, horses or no horses. We learned the hard way that the daughter's family and DH and I cannot all go on vacation together. The trusted friend and neighbor let us down big time and did not care for the horses as she promised. We came back to horses in a very sorry state. If we had boarded the horses, they would have been fed while we were gone, but then again, we wouldn't have had the $$ to go because of the high boarding fees around here - Catch 22?

Next year daughter will have to limit her sojurn with us on vacation to just a weekend - since the horses will be in a (by then) all cleaned up pasture with a big spring fed pond, another neighbor up the road will only need to check on them for the couple of days that daughter is gone.

However, if we were boarding, we would have ready access to people with WAY more experience with horses to turn to for advice - hey wait - that's what YOU guys are for! :wink:


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## draftrider (Mar 31, 2010)

I have my horses here. We have 300 acres of wooded pasture, and our barn. Working on building a pole barn with 6 stalls.

There is no way possible I could afford to pay board on 10+ horses each month.


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## draftrider (Mar 31, 2010)

AmberPick said:


> For those of you who have them at home, what do you do when you go on vaca?


Whats a vacation?

Seriously, between my 5 and my rescues I'm never under 10 horses. My vacation is driving to town twice a month to pay bills and buy feed.


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## artsyjenn (May 12, 2010)

We have our own barn. I have never boarded, so I don't have that to compare to. Really the only drawbacks I've found are the lack of indoor arena (though plenty of boarding facilities don't have that either) and the never day a day off thing. Even if we are all sick, we can't say "Oh, I'm just not going to go to the barn today.."
We have a WONDERFUL petsitter who takes care of our animals when we go on vacation. The horses are no problem for her. We do have to send our german shepherd to a kennel, because he won't let her in the house lol. Our horses are very easy to take care of though. Our barn is set up with doors that open from the stalls to the paddock/pasture. We leave the doors open so that the horses can come and go as they please. Stalls don't get that dirty very quickly since they are never shut in their stalls (unless waiting for the farrier, vet etc) and none of them have any major special needs, so the petsitter really just has to feed and water them.


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## King (Jun 25, 2010)

Obie is boarded.
We have no where to put him at home.


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## ShezaFlashofGold (Jul 28, 2010)

I keep my girl at home. There are pro and cons to this...

Pros:
I know she is getting the care I want for her
I don't have to drive anywhere to see her
I wake up in the morning and look out my bedroom window and see her
She whinnies every time I go outside


Cons:
No one else to talk "horsey" to that is excited about horses like I am
No one to ride with
She is by herself
No vacations/horseless camping trips
Full price barn calls
extra charge for farrier for 1 horse


I hope to one day run my own boarding facility and then I can have the best of both worlds!


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## MNRescue (Jul 25, 2010)

I own my own. We sit on 80 acres. My barn is nothing fancy. But it is a barn! When. We go on vacation my neighbor watches the animals. As I do for him when he goes on vacation. Lol
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## horseservant (Jul 29, 2010)

I keep my horses at home and like that best. I like to be able to walk out of the door any time of day or night and see my horses. They also come to the gate to get me if they need me or anything scary is going on.
Boarding can be good in the right place. If you really have a good professional barn it can really free up your time.


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