# self-care boarding



## Aigoo (Jan 8, 2014)

Which one do you prefer to do self-care at a farm where there is no other boarders or at a farm that have other boarders?

I am planning to board at a farm that don't have any other boarders, but I wonder if it will be lonely to not have any riding partners. Or it is good for my horses because there wouldn't be any herd fighting?


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## Endiku (Dec 6, 2010)

I have done both and see pros and cons in each:

by yourself:
PRO
no or very little drama
you don't have to worry about your stuff being stolen 
typically you can work closer with the BO to get things the way you want them
CON
You'll have no one to trade vacation feedings with if you can't make it out for some reason.
Your horses/you may be lonely.
potentially less amenities.
You'll not be able to use discounted/group vet and farrier visits.
public boarding:
PRO
you might be able to establish friends who can help you when you're out of town
more amenities
you may be able to use the farm's usual farrier and vet.
possible training and lesson programs
friends for your horses

CON
more ridged.
if you don't like the vet/farrier, there may be a contract stating you can't switch.
drama/possible stealing.


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## SullysRider (Feb 11, 2012)

I do self care board, but with other boarders (the farm has three barns, one is dedicated to self care). There is generally always someone riding, though I prefer to always have someone around just in case something happens so for me that's good. I personally don't really care if I ride alone or not, so that wouldn't bother me. But having other boarders around is good for letting you know if something is wrong with your horse. For example, my gelding was colicing one day, one of the boarders got there early and was able to call me and let me know and they also got him up and likely preventing him from twisting something. I wasn't going to be out at the barn for another few hours, and it could have been much worse if I was the one who found him later. As it was he had to spend a week in the hospital. So me personally I prefer to board with other boarders, even if I don't ride with them.


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## Aigoo (Jan 8, 2014)

horses might be lonely? how? i have three horses, so they will be alright?


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## CaliforniaDreaming (May 8, 2011)

I do self care boarding at a facility that also has full care options. The self care area is in a different section of the property, but I have access to all the amenities and the full care boarders ride by frequently on that section of barn trails/gravel road. I love what I have, my two horses are kept in corrals that are bigger than most of the full care corrals (a fact my gelding appreciates since he was on full care until I got my mare), I get great hay and can feed exactly what they need with my own hay storage that is just fantastic (it's a combo hay/tack shed with the tack in a little room off to the side with its own door so no hay gets all over my tack and the hay side is built into the hill/ground in a way that mice and rats can't get in so I don't have the vermin problems the other self care people have.). I love having my own space and not having to share, I can still ride with friends from full care and someone is always down in that area so my horses are watched over pretty well. 

I'd never want to be all on my own. I like what I have, and can even go away on trips occasionally by working things out with someone who self care boards as well or setting up my hay/supplements etc ahead of time and a friend from full care will be around to help feed and care for my horses. 

I've got the best of both worlds. Maybe you can find something similar.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Endiku (Dec 6, 2010)

Sorry, you didn't say that you had multiple horses or I didn't catch the hint. Three of them will be completely fine together.


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## stevenson (Sep 12, 2011)

You may get lonely not having other boarders . Since you have 3 horses, hopefully more of them is rideable, and you could invite a friend to ride you . The only draw back is having to be there daily to feed, water and hopefully you are there more than once a day. Morning feeding and evening feeding, or do they have large pastures .


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## DancingArabian (Jul 15, 2011)

Aigoo said:


> Which one do you prefer to do self-care at a farm where there is no other boarders or at a farm that have other boarders?
> 
> I am planning to board at a farm that don't have any other boarders, but I wonder if it will be lonely to not have any riding partners. Or it is good for my horses because there wouldn't be any herd fighting?


It depends on how much you rely on riding partners. I've recently moved from a fairly active but combination care place to a not very active full care place and I do not miss the people. I have the indoor all to myself, I can play whatever music I want, I can babble at my horse or just snuggle on him or whatever. I don't enjoy people's physical presence all that much so it works for me. If socializing is a big part of your riding then you may miss people.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Aigoo (Jan 8, 2014)

stevenson said:


> The only draw back is having to be there daily to feed, water and hopefully you are there more than once a day. Morning feeding and evening feeding, or do they have large pastures .


It is not drawback for me since I love my horses and I love to take care of them. I always see them once a day to feed them and they have automatic water. I don't have to worry about the water. 



DancingArabian said:


> It depends on how much you rely on riding partners. I've recently moved from a fairly active but combination care place to a not very active full care place and I do not miss the people. I have the indoor all to myself, I can play whatever music I want, I can babble at my horse or just snuggle on him or whatever. I don't enjoy people's physical presence all that much so it works for me. If socializing is a big part of your riding then you may miss people.
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


True. I don't depend riding for social. I think I would go ahead with a private farm boarding. Thanks! 

Thank you for your thoughts. It helped me to decide!


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## stevenson (Sep 12, 2011)

Unless you have someone to help, then you will no longer have vacations , as you have to be there to feed every day. I dont depend on auto water , due to the fact that pipes freeze and break , and I like to see how much water my horses consume.


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## CaliforniaDreaming (May 8, 2011)

stevenson said:


> Unless you have someone to help, then you will no longer have vacations , as you have to be there to feed every day. I dont depend on auto water , due to the fact that pipes freeze and break , and I like to see how much water my horses consume.


^^^^ This

I don't go on many trips, but occasionally, I do leave town from time to time, and having a network of people who can feed for me because they're there to feed their own horses has been a lifesaver.

And I used to have auto waterers. The pony kept playing in it, so I switched to buckets instead that I fill up once (sometimes twice as I always like to keep them topped off) a day. If it hadn't been for that, I wouldn't have noticed my faucet connection had broken. It took 3 days to get it fixed and I had to haul water twice daily, but at least I was on top of the situation from day 1.

And if you only go once a day, that's taking a heck of a risk. So much can happen in 24 hours. Heck, I've had stuff happen 3-4 hours after I've left the barn (and right before I'm ready to go back for the second time) and get a phone call from a friend from full care who just happened to ride down to the self care area...

I guess I consider myself pretty blessed. My horses have more space than full care (currently expanding to make it even bigger, yay! :clap my own shed for hay and tack so stuff stays where it is, and a network of people I can fall back on if push comes to shove. I'd never want to be the only person at a private place. But that's just me, I guess.


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