# Looking for a barn near Golden, CO.



## Left Hand Percherons (Feb 1, 2011)

Right now boarding options are rather tight in the front range due mostly to the hay situation. It's easier to just drop your number with boarders than to find hay. Most barns had to raise prices $50-100+ to cover the increased costs. In the past you could find postings for barns almost everyday on CL but now there are only a handful and there must be a reason...

The 2 eventing barns I know of are both in Boulder Co. My friend has her mare at one and pays $495 for an outside pen by herself. They have a nice indoor and two trainers. Great drama free and top care. They blanket and will grain (you supply) and have 1/2 day or more turnout. No pasture really to speak of. The other one is a hard core barn. Board just went up to $1k a month. 

Table Mountain is the most recognized barn in the Golden area. It's more of a general little bit of everything English barn. There is a great Jefferson County Open Space trail right across the street from the barn that will almost get you to Golden Gate State Park. I've known people who had horses there but that was over 15 years ago. There are a few big barns still left on Indiana (E of 93) in Arvada that would be worth checking into. Their names elude me right now. Land prices are crazy in the metro area of you're unlikely to find a place with an outdoor course unless you get farther out. You will be limited to riding on the property which might only be 5 acres. 

Contact the Jefferson County Horseman's Association and Buffalo Bill's (very large and inclusive trail riding club) for some places to check out and them come out for a visit. I"ll try to dig up some names and #s.


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## PaintedBandit (Feb 2, 2011)

Awesome information! I wont be moving until the end of summer so the market has some time to change up on me. I found a few barns that I was looking at. Mainly, Cottonwood Stables, LLC and then another barn that seems like it's mostly a training/selling barn but if they will take an average boarder I wouldn't mind going there. Anything over $500/m is pushing it but my boyfriend's offered to get a part time job to try to help me out on covering the costs (he's a smart guy and realized that if I can't bring Bella, I'm not going anywhere).

Like I said, driving 45 minutes right now. I'd be willing to even drive an hour though I wont be doing that everyday. It doesn't necessarily _have_ to be an eventing barn though I'd love to be at a barn where I could keep training. If anything just a Dressage barn is fine, though if they have jumps even better! If the move to CO doesn't work out I'm thinking about looking for working student positions at farms all over the US but I really want to try to get closer to my boyfriend, not father away!

Any information you have on barns/whatnot would be great! #'s and farm names too!


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## Left Hand Percherons (Feb 1, 2011)

I'm not familiar with Cottonwood. Places move and change names all the time plus cottonwood is a rather common name around here. Kind of like Left Hand in Boulder county. Littleton, Arvada and the area around Standley Lake are good places to look. Indiana Equestrian Center is one (duh) on Indiana. Housing growth has really encroached on the farms on the W side of Denver and many have sold out to developers. Dressage barns are much more plentiful in the area. Check out Rocky Mountain Dressage Society. They've got a big long list of trainers and barns. 

The problem with 45 min drives in good weather is they can turn into 3+ hour nightmares in about 10 minutes. You're better off finding something closer but more expensive than cheaper and farther away. Our gas has also jumped up 60 cents a gallon in the past 3 weeks. We're up to $3.39.


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## Skyseternalangel (Jul 23, 2011)

I was at Cottonwood... had a bad experience there. But some like it there. My friend used to ride at a barn near mine.. and she did jumping and dressage. I will ask her which one she was at.

Here may be another option: Legacy Valley Farm | Horse Boarding & Riding Lessons | Arvada, Colorado or http://www.swedegulchfarm.com/

No experience with it though as far as I know.


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## 5kiddos (Nov 15, 2012)

I board at Amen Acres off of Indiana (Arvada). Very low key and personal, I like it a lot. No indoor arena, but they have a great trainer there and participate in some showing and eventing Amen Acres . There is also the Standley Lake Stables, also on Indiana but I am not personally familiar with them Standley Lake Stables .


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## PaintedBandit (Feb 2, 2011)

Gas here in NC was at $3.69 when I put some into my car tonight and it's been at $3.59 for the past week or so... my car also gets ok mileage! From talking to my boyfriend about the weather I could see how seemingly quick drives could end up taking much longer though I'm sure traffic can also get kinda out of hand. For a while I'm sure I'll only be able to go out on days off kinda deal so a long drive wont bother me too much but something closer would be better as far as saving money on gas would go!

I believe I did look a bit at Legacy Valley Farm, I couldn't find any prices though so I was going to give them a call closer to when I was moving. If you know what they charge I'd love to be able to write it down with all the other barns I've been checking out! I didn't see Indiana Equestrian Center so I'll look that up, and the Dressage Society!

Skyseternalangel, mind sending me a message with your story? I'm curious and picky. My baby is, well literally my baby! Really trying to be informed as possible before I go up there and start trying to visit barns. She probably wont ship up until a month after I leave if we can actually get the money and plans together to move me out there!

I'll also give Swede Gulch Farm a look and Amen Acres, and Standley Lake Stables! Thanks for all the help, keep it coming!


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## Skyseternalangel (Jul 23, 2011)

This was my friend's barn: Capricorn Farm Colorado


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## PaintedBandit (Feb 2, 2011)

I'll check that one out too! Man I'm going to have a lot of homework next time I start looking at barns! Since I wont be moving until the end of summer I'm letting myself take my time on this! You guys have been super helpful though!


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## Skyseternalangel (Jul 23, 2011)

What I didn't like about her barn was they didn't have pasture space, only dry lot pens.... or stalls. But whatever works for you and your horse!


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## PaintedBandit (Feb 2, 2011)

Ugh. I have the feeling I'm going to really miss all these pastures here in NC. Kinda wanna re-yell at my boyfriend since originally HE wanted to move back home and go to school here in 2 months later changed his mind and decided I should move up there.

I'm sure I'll find somewhere I feel good about at some point...


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## thesilverspear (Aug 20, 2009)

I suspect that vast majority of stables in Colorado dry lot their horses, due to the poor quality of the grazing. The one I was at in Boulder certainly did, as did most of the ones I went to when I was showing.


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## PaintedBandit (Feb 2, 2011)

thesilverspear said:


> I suspect that vast majority of stables in Colorado dry lot their horses, due to the poor quality of the grazing. The one I was at in Boulder certainly did, as did most of the ones I went to when I was showing.


That's what I'd been expecting all along. I hate the idea of it though. My girl was born and raised in the South and she's certainly already going to be knocked off balance by the MUCH colder weather up there plus no grass to graze on at any point during the year? I almost feel like I should just leave her here in NC but going anywhere without my pony is *not *an option.


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## Skyseternalangel (Jul 23, 2011)

Why do you have to move, just curious?


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## thesilverspear (Aug 20, 2009)

PaintedBandit said:


> That's what I'd been expecting all along. I hate the idea of it though. My girl was born and raised in the South and she's certainly already going to be knocked off balance by the MUCH colder weather up there plus no grass to graze on at any point during the year? I almost feel like I should just leave her here in NC but going anywhere without my pony is *not *an option.


Some barns have limited grazing they use for part of the year. Ours used to turn the horses out at night onto the pastures during the summer and bring them back into the dry lots during the day. That said, I don't think they did that the last couple years I was there, as the weather was drier than it should have been and the fire danger extremely high. 

Horses adapt and don't get hung up on these things like we do. My horse has survived moving from Colorado, to the East Coast, back to Colorado, and then to the UK.


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## PaintedBandit (Feb 2, 2011)

thesilverspear said:


> Some barns have limited grazing they use for part of the year. Ours used to turn the horses out at night onto the pastures during the summer and bring them back into the dry lots during the day. That said, I don't think they did that the last couple years I was there, as the weather was drier than it should have been and the fire danger extremely high.
> 
> Horses adapt and don't get hung up on these things like we do. My horse has survived moving from Colorado, to the East Coast, back to Colorado, and then to the UK.



She'll adapt that's not my issue. But she drops weight and not just a little bit of weight but noticeable amounts every winter and my main concern is her weight. Plus the idea that the most snow she's really seen is a few inches that's gone by the middle of the day. I'm not sitting here thinking she's going to actually miss the grass or wont adapt but I KNOW she's going to drop weight. She's getting more food now than ever and is still thin while the Thoroughbreds in the barn are getting the same amount and have a healthier weight than she does. I don't want to move her and be paying board on a horse I wont want to ride because she's too thin.

So yes while I'll miss her having actual grazing space (I mean they're grazing animals) I'm just concerned with finding a barn that I feel could keep her weight up and I wont have to worry about it.


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## PaintedBandit (Feb 2, 2011)

Skyseternalangel said:


> Why do you have to move, just curious?


My boyfriend is in school in CO and we've been talking about it for a while. We've been managing distance fine but another 3 years of this would really suck. I'm not all that excited about the move and having Bella to worry about with a MUCH harsher winter than she's ever lived through up in CO I'm even less excited. As it is I see him when he can fly home on his school breaks but that's not much. So it's not a necessary move so to speak and if I can't find a barn I feel comfortable with my horse at then it's not happening but I want to give this move a decent shot.


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## Ashleysmardigrasgirl (Jun 28, 2012)

I'm in Boulder, Colorado likely to be relocating to the golden area in the next month or so. In colorado unless your horse is on several dozen acres you won't find much grazing (in most cases). Though I did (in boulder) have my filly on enough pasture during the summer/early fall that she didn't need to be fed grass to maintain weight. Personally, I'm not going to spend 600+ to board my horse, that's ridiculous IMO... I have a family friend who lives and owns a facility near JEFCO county fair grounds (literally across the street) and a few miles from the school of mines. I'm going to see into it, if you would like once I speak to them about boarding, I could give you some contact info...


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## thesilverspear (Aug 20, 2009)

Any decent barn will give the horses enough hay to manage winters with no trouble. Plenty of hard keepers in Colorado, just like anywhere else. At my old barn in Boulder, they could even keep weight on late-20 and 30 year old horses in the winter.


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## verona1016 (Jul 3, 2011)

Skyseternalangel said:


> Here may be another option: Legacy Valley Farm | Horse Boarding & Riding Lessons | Arvada, Colorado


That's the one I was going to suggest- Dolly Hannon (dressage trainer at that barn) is coming to my area next month to give a clinic.


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## PaintedBandit (Feb 2, 2011)

Ashleysmardigrasgirl said:


> I'm in Boulder, Colorado likely to be relocating to the golden area in the next month or so. In colorado unless your horse is on several dozen acres you won't find much grazing (in most cases). Though I did (in boulder) have my filly on enough pasture during the summer/early fall that she didn't need to be fed grass to maintain weight. Personally, I'm not going to spend 600+ to board my horse, that's ridiculous IMO... I have a family friend who lives and owns a facility near JEFCO county fair grounds (literally across the street) and a few miles from the school of mines. I'm going to see into it, if you would like once I speak to them about boarding, I could give you some contact info...



My boyfriend's attending school of mines! Contact info would be great!


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## PaintedBandit (Feb 2, 2011)

verona1016 said:


> That's the one I was going to suggest- Dolly Hannon (dressage trainer at that barn) is coming to my area next month to give a clinic.



Yeah I think I have that one written down, need to look into it a bit more but since it's been recommended twice I'm absolutely going to look into it!


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