# Need Advice in Making Boarding Decision



## Speed Racer (Oct 21, 2009)

I like Belinda's, and not just for the clever name.


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## waresbear (Jun 18, 2011)

I sure don't like the sounds of the first one but Belinda's would be my choice just for that name! I have never boarded anywhere so don't take advice.
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## JustDressageIt (Oct 4, 2007)

I would go with B or D. I would not go to barn A unless I absolutely had no other choice. Seems filled with drama and crap you don't need to put up with, and it sounds like you wouldn't get treated like a client at all. 
I would be weary going over budget, so my recommendation would be to go with barn B. 
You want, first and foremost, to ensure your horse is going to be well cared for and that you feel that your horse will be well cared for. Which barn did you feel the best at?
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## verona1016 (Jul 3, 2011)

Belinda's would be my choice, as well. How small are the enclosures and how many horses in each one?


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## caseymyhorserocks (Apr 5, 2010)

Belinda. Then C.


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## DuckDodgers (May 28, 2013)

If you are sure that your horse can go without feed then I would go with belinda. You don't want to be counting on staying under 300 only to find that you have extra to spend on feed etc. Given you are a student I would avoid anything self care. No matter how good your intentions may be you may have things come up that make going to the barn not in the best interest of your studies. Don't make your horse or your grades suffer for it. I would avoid barn a because of the drama. If things already seem bas then they would probably will only get worse. I would avoid the last barn because of the price unless you can get a contract stating that you will be paying only $300 for the next 6 months or whatever and have the ability to move if you have to. Don't go over budget!
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## equine24 (Aug 7, 2013)

If pasture board is 275 how much if full board in your area? I'm just wondering.


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## AlexS (Aug 9, 2010)

A. Too much drama. 
B. Would be my choice
C. Personally I could not commit to daily turning out my horse, that's why I board. I'd think if you are in college, there would be days when this would be hard for you too. 
D. Over your budget, so no. 


So B first, then C.


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## Corazon Lock (Dec 26, 2011)

Thanks guys, it's been really tough. I'm actually at school right now, and my horse is still at home...

Belinda's does seem like the best choice, even though the facility isn't...well...the greatest. There isn't all that much room to roam as the paddocks are pretty small, but there's only one other horse. The bad thing is that Casper is part Thoroughbred and needs his feed. So... 

Yeah, I've pretty much ruled out C because I know I'll be way busy. My friend keeps begging me to board at barn A with her, but I really just don't know, which is why I haven't made a decision. I would LOVE to do barn D but know that the price is just too much. Boarding seems like exorbitant amounts for crappy stables in this area. 

Gosh darn, wish my horse was here. Roommates are fighting, I miss my old job, keep screwing up my new job...nothing feels right. And nothing beats the blues better than a ride and being with my horse.


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## Dreamcatcher Arabians (Nov 14, 2010)

Where are you actually located? Just College & State. Ya never know when ya might know somebody in an area.


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## stevenson (Sep 12, 2011)

if you go over budget and get behind in board you can lose your horse. so that would be a No.
Gossip about everyone.. that would be a No.
i would be concerned about the handicapped lady, seems caring enough but I would be worried about her health , stay in the barn if she had to.. worrisome. so that would be a No
Belinda's seems to be the best deal


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## Corazon Lock (Dec 26, 2011)

Dreamcatcher Arabians said:


> Where are you actually located? Just College & State. Ya never know when ya might know somebody in an area.


_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Corazon Lock (Dec 26, 2011)

I'm at Iowa State University in Ames, IA.
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## mls (Nov 28, 2006)

I have no doubt there are many more boarding options near Ames.


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## Muppetgirl (Sep 16, 2012)

I like B. however the only upside to A is that you have a friend there that could probably help you out when you are busy, don't count on it though and as soon as I heard 'gossip' at A it was a big red flag.


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## Dreamcatcher Arabians (Nov 14, 2010)

Check out at the Fairgrounds, there is the Iowa Gold Star Arabian Horse show there from Aug 29 - Sept 2. There will be a TON of locals at that show, in the barns, working the concessions and they can refer you to a good boarding barn in the area. I just googled Ames Iowa Horse Boarding and a bunch came up. It's been a couple of years since I was up there for the show but I recall that the college was surrounded by countryside and there were several farms near it. You're lucky to be going to school up there, I've loved it every time I've visited.


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## DuckDodgers (May 28, 2013)

Dreamcatcher Arabians said:


> Where are you actually located? Just College & State. Ya never know when ya might know somebody in an area.


Good idea- if I looked up horse boarding in my area I wouldn't be aware of half of the options that I know about not. Including my current barn! Word of mouth from local horse folks can sometimes be the best way to expand your options.


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## TurkishVan (Feb 11, 2013)

HEY! YOU! I board two horses in Ames too!  
It's your LUCKY day! 

First off- option A is NOT an option.
I boarded my mare at Stagecoach for a month. I kept telling them to ease her out onto their pasture, which, by the way, is an old alfalfa field that they did not kill off or reseed. It's 75% alfalfa, and EVERY horse there colics repeatedly or has runny stools. The pasture board may be better, but I still wouldn't. The managers, Sarah and Ann, are just awful. Ann cusses up a storm just because she can, and Sarah was just as unprofessional. My mare colicked on their pasture when I had been trying to ease her out onto it (I think they were just throwing her out in the morning without my say, honestly). The day she colicked was in the middle of finals week, and I almost didn't come out. When I did, Sarah confronted me and told me that my horse was being a "megab****" and "kicking the crap out of all the other horses." Being less than 2 years old at that point, and lowest on the totem pole, I knew something wasn't right. When I went over to her, she was sweating profusely (on a relatively cool day), and kicking aggressively at her belly. It was obviously colic. When I told Sarah, she just looked at me. I called the vet out asap. Sarah and Ann were P.O.'ed that I'd called the vet at all, stating, "We have Banamine! We could have treated it ourselves!" Neither of them are vets or even vet students, but they wanted to treat this themselves. It could've gotten very bad very quickly. (Even the vets quietly tell you to steer clear of Stagecoach.)
After that, the vet said, "Don't let her out on pasture, but put her in a paddock to keep her moving or she'll colic again." Sarah refused to let her be put in their paddocks, as she'd pushed through one of the fences before (their electric fences are horrible- I literally held the fence in my hand and barely got a buzz). And I couldn't turn her loose in the arena because the pink fiberglass insulation was exposed on the walls, and she could eat it. So after staying up all night with my mare, I had to call my Mom, who drove up from 3 hours away, to come walk my horse all the next day while I went to complete my final.
I decided to move my horse the very next day which was, coincidentally, the first day of the month. We called a friend with a trailer, and Sarah and Ann blocked the driveway with their pickups because I "hadn't paid next month's board yet." When I finally wrote the stupid $350 check, they then took turns walking close by the trailer and my skittish mare (who was not good at loading) and loudly shouted random things to people in the barn, making my mare spook and come tumbling out of the trailer. I am still going to sue them to get my money back. Mark my words. I've never seen a more unprofessional place. They are just malicious there. 

I do not know of Stillwater, or Evan's stables. I know of 3G Stables, which is just north of Ames, but they're expensive and just overloaded with horses. When Canterbrooke (a very big horse boarding facility) closed, everyone had exactly 4 weeks to find a place or be snap out of luck.

Belinda is a great person. She's very easy to get along with, and everyone likes her. Her facilities aren't the greatest, and you'll have to drive to Cambridge everyday, but your horse will be taken care of for sure. I almost boarded with Belinda, but I found a little place in Ames called Clear Creek Stable. The owner is an old woman who is obsessive compulsive about EVERYTHING, but the horses are treated like gold and have pasture. You can work off your board too (starting rate is $240/month, without food or grain, and you can work off $200 of it with 20 hours of work per month; every little bit counts too- putting horses out/in, cleaning your own stall, etc.). Most people outside of the barn don't favor the owner, because she can seem awfully grumpy, but she has a reason for everything, and it's all about the safety of the horses. You just have to get used to her. 

Let me know if you have any questions. I'd be happy to answer. There aren't as many good barns around here as there should be, unfortunately. It takes a while to find a good one!


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## verona1016 (Jul 3, 2011)

TurkishVan said:


> I am still going to sue them to get my money back. Mark my words.


I'd have called the bank to cancel the check as soon as I was out of the driveway :evil:


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