# Stable on your own property



## mysnafflebit (Oct 30, 2008)

Does anyone here have a stable on their own property instead of having to board their horse? If so, how do you manage it and do other people board their horses there? I was thinking about having my own stable, but I know it is a lot of work so I would like to get some information/stories from other people who have experience with this.


----------



## xoHorsesAreMyLifexo (Nov 10, 2008)

Hi! I don't have a stable on my own land, but my best friend does and I've know her for 8 years. I practically live at her house. Yes, they do have other people boarding there but only in the summer because they don't have an indoor. They usually board their horses at the place I ride at when the ground freezes. Having a stable in your back yard is great. Its a lot of hard work but my friend and her parents and sometimes brothers all chip in. They muck their stalls every other day after they ride while the horses are out and on the days they don't completely muck it out they just pick it out. My best friend and I completely dust, sweep, and organize the barn once or twice every two weeks. When they go on vacations they have somebody look after them, but it is something you have to commit to because you cant go so far for so long. I hope I answered you question!


----------



## farmpony84 (Apr 21, 2008)

I have a six stall barn on my land. I get up at 5am run down to the barn and feed and throw hay (I feed in my stalls to keep fighting to a minimal) then I go up to the house, shower and dress, get my 5 year old dressed and run down to the barn to let the horses out, then I go to work...

When I get home I ride and then I clean stalls and feed, turn them back out... and go for another day... 

I pick up bags of feed at the local feed store and I buy round bales that I keep inside my barn. I peel the hay to feed, it's cheaper then square bales, although, in a perfect world I would feed square because it's so much easier. I used to go to the local saw mill to get sawdust for $20 a truck load but they've stopped doing that so I have to buy bags of pine shavings at tractor supply or the feed store...

It's really not that bad unless you have a sick one or an injury and then it becomes very time consuming....


----------



## mysnafflebit (Oct 30, 2008)

Farmpony84, did you build the barn yourself and are all six stalls filled? Do you happen to have any pictures of it? It sounds like a pretty busy life! It must be difficult to wake up so early and take care of a child while you have horses!


----------



## NorthernMama (Mar 12, 2008)

I have a barn, not a stable... very easy keeping. My horses are easy keepers too... once a day they get their supper, 2 - 3 bales of hay, mucked out and that's it, unless I have some extra time. I don't have stalls -- used to, but found it to be more work and I don't have a need for them. So I tore down the walls and it's just open barn space for them now -- they go in and out as they please. No one else here. I wouldn't want the responsibility or the discussions that are part of boarding someone's horse.


----------



## farmpony84 (Apr 21, 2008)

all six stalls are filled. Three are mine and three are my moms... But I am the only one that rides, she buys them becuase they are "pretty"...

I have 2 paddocks, a round pen, an imcomplete riding arena and a pasture....


----------



## QtrHorse (Oct 13, 2008)

I have 10 boxes. 2 are mine, the rest boarders. It is really hard work. I offer complete services and so at the end of the day you really have to say you do it for the love of the horses. 

It is nice to live to have my business at my home but I will admit that sometimes you miss the privacy when you have people coming and going all the time. You always have to be available. We don't have a lot of rules but I think the most important one is setting hours for the barn. I ask boarders to finish by 9PM on school nights and 10PM on weekends.

Most of my boarders know what color my pj's are.....


----------



## Kiara (Aug 27, 2008)

Not to high-jack your post, but to those that have their own barns: What do you think about having some girls come and clean stalls and for that they can ride? I had that deal when I was younger. There were some people that had a few horses and had us girls keep the stalls clean and for that we were allowed to ride for free. Was an awesome time. Bonded great with the horses. 

Plus, how often do you really muck out the stalls? Do you think its ok to pick out every day and once a week do a real muck? Or more frequently? Just curious.


----------



## farmpony84 (Apr 21, 2008)

I clean my stalls everyday. Otherwise they would get out of hand and I would have to strip them. I have a girl that comes out and rides. I don't ask for anything in exchange. I have 6 horses and I'm the only one that rides so I need help. I "gave" her Blue as her charge. She comes out and rides about 4 times a week. She bathes him and grooms him, she will probably show him next summer, she's not ready this year. She has had a few years of riding lessons and she takes them once a week at a local stables so...


----------



## Kiara (Aug 27, 2008)

I read my post again and I think I want to clarify even if you all got what I tried to say, I think its better to be clear, cauz I'm confused myself :lol:
So by picking I mean take out all the poop and peed on bedding, but leave the dry stuff in. By mucking I mean that you take all of it out, dry or not. That is how I understood the difference, but correct me if I'm wrong.


----------



## Blkjimni (Nov 11, 2008)

Wow I guess I have it easy, I have 4 stalls in my own barn but only two horses.
I muck stalls everyday so they don't get bad, I feed twice a day and hay them after each meal. I have a work lot and a walker, 120 acres to ride on but never ride , Not sure why. I enjoy the chores of having my own horses and barn but I do wish I had another one to work with. Its work sometimes but come show season its worth it.


----------



## farmpony84 (Apr 21, 2008)

I think mucking and picking is pretty much the same but I might be wrong... I always called it stripping when you took everything out... I dunno... we knew what you were saying!


----------



## wyleeluver (Jan 7, 2007)

I am currently boarding my horses because we just moved, but right now I have a 4 stall horse barn on my property but were only going to be using 2 of them! So I don't know all of the work that goes into it yet!


----------



## RockerWFarms (Nov 12, 2008)

We have 132 acres of an old dairy farm. Our barn has been converted from an old dairy barn to a horse barn. We currently have 3 stalls, 2 12x12 and one (for my draft horse) 12x20. We also have a smaller open air barn with stalls. Nothing fancy. My horses stay out 24/7, but both barns are always open and they can go in either if it rains or they are cold. I feed in the stalls twice a day, then turn them out before I go to work. They have a 300 gallon stock tank that gets dumped at least once every a few days, and once a day in the summer time. 

I have several pastures that I use to rotate in, but I try to keep atleast two together at all times.

Between my husband and I, we get the work done. And weekends are usually used to clean up around the barns. I could not imagine not living with my horses, I look out to see them every morning and I tuck them in at night. They are my big furry children, since I have none right now.


----------



## Appyt (Oct 14, 2007)

I have a 36'x60' barn. North half is people and hay end, south half is horse end. 2 big stalls 11.5'x15' each on one side and the rest 30x 24ish is basically a run in. I only stall when necessary and to feed my old appy as it takes him a while to eat. 

I feed in the am before work, picking out as needed while Cheno eats. Then again late afternoon. Sometimes I leave the old man in, sometimes not. I do have electric and water in the barn and run a deicer in a tank. 

This is a view inside of the open area along a stall wall. 









And this is inside one stall looking to the north, tack room wall in view.


----------



## kickshaw (May 7, 2008)

i will say that it is really unnerving when you go on vacation or anything away from your horses...you have to rely on someone else to do it...that is one thing about having them on my property that i don't like!


----------



## QtrHorse (Oct 13, 2008)

I clean boxes (poop and pee) 2X's per day, twice a week I do a complete clean and disinfect. The horses have free hay so it means I feed 3-4 times per day when they are in the boxes. When they are outside and using the "in and out" system so they have direct access to the pastures I have to clean the boxes and the access yard 2X's per day. Also, I daily clean and disinfect the groomming areas, bathroom and tack room. Check fences, haul feed from the bar, clean buckets. I clean the arena and round pens (groom 2X's per week). It never ends. I spend 5-6 hours a day working. 

My three best barn helpers are: my tractor, my leaf blower and my shop vacum.

I quit taking "teenage" boarders and although I don't post a rules list, I have found that careful screening of my boarders has helped tremendously. I ask for references and then we have a week trial period to make sure we are a good match for each other. 

I can't stand cleaning up after thoughtless people so I am pretty upfront face-to-face about it. We all forget things now and then but my boarders appreciate the work I do and the environment I provide for their horses. They are all very helpful and cooperative.


----------



## QtrHorse (Oct 13, 2008)

Oh yeah, when we go on vacation, I hire a professional who stays here at our farm and does the work for me and the clients.
We also have 3 dogs, a cat, 2 rabbits and 1 pig.


----------

