The Horse Forum banner
Status
Not open for further replies.

Need unbiased opinions!

3K views 20 replies 10 participants last post by  Acadianartist 
#1 ·
I'm in a bit of a dilemma, and need some completely unbiased opinions on these two barns. They both have pros and cons, and I'm very personal with both places so I can't possibly decide without help. I am absolutely stuck with either or, so it can't be neither.

Barn one:
• 75 acres of mixed terrain pasture, from large fields, rough cuttings, sandy spots, a brook.
• a single line of Hotwire around the whole thing
• absolutely no drama
• herd of four, two geldings two mares
• round baled hay
• hard feed comes out of your own pocket
• not many trails, but lots of wooded "could be" trails with a bit of work
• relatively quiet road/location
• no barn, but three run in shelters with option for a stall in one.
• minerals and additives out of own pocket
• I would have to learn my own hoof care
• lots of room to work
• option to build an outdoor arena or round pen, improve the site
• option of 24/7 turn out
• option to live on property for work
• riding partners an hour and a half ride away with indoor arena/jumping course
Barn two:
• secure secure fencing
• about an acre an a half of pasture, with two buildings inside
• one other horse
• other horse is extremely herd bound/buddy sour
• busy road, main drag
• miles and miles of trails
• an unnecessary amount of drama
• owners are a bit heavy on hard feed- they provide oats and are very generous with feed
• farrier on site
• no working area (arena, round pen, open field)
• no run in- either stalled or out
• must be stalled at dusk, pastured at 8-10am (out from 8-5pm, so 7-9 hours turn out time)
• square bales, non free choice
• salt block provided
• an hour and a half away from where I live
• no one to ride with within 50km

So if you had to choose one, which would it be and why? What would be the deal breaker?
 
See less See more
#2 ·
I would choose the first one, assuming that the livery fee is good for the basics and the amount of possible extra work you put in around the property. I like to have a relatively quiet and stress free environment to work with my horse, keep her out 24/7 if possible, wouldn't like to keep her with a very buddy sour mate, and I definitely wouldn't choose a place where hard feed is given to all horses - not to mention generously. That's also great that there is a chance live on the property for work.
 
#3 ·
I would also go with the first option, especially if you could work it that you could do some revamping of the fencing - maybe ask to go halfs in with the other owner/s? Get some lovely post and rail put in there :wink:

Just as an aside, I just want to say how lucky you guys are to have these options. I know many people where I live who, unless they buy their own land, cannot for the life of them get onto a livery yard that isn't single horse turnout during the day only through the winter. One of my friends actually had to sign a contract to say that she was liable if one of her horses injured her other own horse whilst in turnout, just so they could be on the same field.
 
  • Like
Reactions: boots
#10 ·
These are actually private barns, but I know the owners very very personally. I couldn't imagine single horse turnout for a young horse!

The fence does need work, but most of it is inaccessible to horses, (crosses swamps, beaver dams) as its a retired cow pasture. I DO want to build a hard rail paddock though.
 
#4 ·
I also would go with the first option. I would first train my horse to an electric fence using the same height and rope used at the facility. If there is some ruckus with dominance structuring I wouldn't want my horse to go crashing into the fence and possibly breaking it which would allow him to keep going.

My horse and the other two in my care are very well trained to my fence and will walk all along it but certainly not allow themselves to touch it.

When you say single line of hotwire, is it actual wire or do the have electric rope or tape that is visible to the horse?

Is there no farrier/trimmer that could come to the first area?
 
#11 ·
We have electric where Trouble is now, he's never actually been in a hard fence. There are red flags tied to the wire every 5-10 feet.

Also there is only one farrier who would come out, and I had an extremely unpleasant experience with him and am unwilling to let him anywhere near my horse again.
 
#5 ·
Is this for Trouble? What happened to your barn? Will he respect the single wire? That would be my biggest worry. I have three wires! It's pretty easy to add them though - my 11 year old and I did all of our fencing ourselves. Not that expensive either. In the winter, that one wire might sag... we built a paddock with a top board so we don't have to worry about that. We can also turn them out when the power's out. Would the BO let you add a strand of wire? Even if you had to pay out of pocket, you're not looking at that much money... maybe he'd be willing to deduct a little of your board for a month or two in exchange for you adding value to his property!
 
#12 ·
Yes, this is for Trouble. Unfortunately Barn Two, is his current barn. I'm thinking very hard on moving him out of here, but wanted some unbiased opinions. TBH I don't know if he will stay in the other pasture. He's quite the fence jumper, but quit after he moved, and now he's been gelded.

It would be an extremely hard task to add a line to the fence. Every post would have to be replaced (so cut, sharpened, pounded in) and more wire strung out over beaver dams, swamps and hard footing.
 
#8 ·
With 75 acres of land horses would be less likely to bother the fences, I don't really like the idea of a single strand but might try it. One thing I would be doing is checking the fence every time I was there to be sure it was working. I don't know if the posts are high enough to add another strand but that would be something I would think of, 75 acres is a lot of wire but for peace of mind it might be worth it, even if only in high traffic areas.

If there are no stalls and say that the other four (or 3 if your horse is the fourth) horses are taken out for a ride, leaving your horse alone in the field, that would worry me as I suspect he would not be happy to stay there. If there is a stall available and you could fix it up a securely for him to be left in that would be better.

Other than those two things, I think option #1 is the one I would choose.
 
#9 ·
Is there a smaller area you could wire? I know it's harder this time of year when you can't put in posts or even use step-in posts, but you're right 75 acres is a lot to wire. If you could do, say a 5 acre piece, it would be a secure place for your horse when you're not there to keep an eye on things. Besides, with snow on the ground, I'm betting the horses only use a tiny portion of that 75 acres. Mine just have a track around the paddock and to the hay nets beat down! They don't like to walk in the crusty snow.
 
#16 ·
The nice thing about wire is that it can be shaped in any way imaginable!

My two respect the electric fence (1/2" tape) to the point that I'm running old 1" tape through the woods, marking property lines (tacked to the trees!) so that I can eventually turn them loose on the entire property.
 
#18 ·
Alright time for the whole story, so fire away with your biased opinions now. I cut a lot of details out because I want what's best for my boy, and my personal relationships are getting in the way, painting a very biased and confusing picture in my head.

I am 18, just graduated, living with my father. My father has barn one. He's got a herd of retired saddle horses and this is where Trouble grew up. I moved Trouble to my mothers house because it sounded like it would be a great place for him. Sugar coated lies is all it was.

My mothers barn is full of drama. Drama about how I ride, how much feed my guy should or shouldn't have, what kind of feed, what kind of tack I ride with, how her mare behaves around me. I don't fight with her, but I'm growing tired of her and her boyfriend trying to dictate how I train, feed and care for my horse. Her boyfriend is my farrier, and does a decent job for free, but getting him to do it is a job in itself. Trims always come late and I have to pester.

If I had the funds to move to a decent boarding barn I would in a heartbeat. I also thought about leasing Trouble out but I just can't bring myself to do it. Selling him isn't an option, as he's going to college with me. I'm balancing his care, with saving money to move across the country to go to college with him, putting my car back on the road.

My mothers has secure fencing and lots of trails, but the amount of drama and stress makes me doubt if it's a better place sometimes.

My fathers, on the other hand, is completely drama free. He is very supportive of us, has 50+ years of horse experience, etc. Trouble had some problems with jumping the fence when he was at my fathers. He would visit the neighbours who fed him bread and cookies. His horses get no hard feed, only free choice hay, so hard feed would come out of my pocket. He was on board with building a 50x60 foot pole arena or a round pen in the spring so I would have a space to work. He's very old school, with an "if I say I'll do it, I'm going to do it" mindset. Whereas my mother talks a lot but nothing gets done.

The only trails at my fathers are heavily wooded bike trails that need some maintenance, but if I put some work into it I think I can make them useable. I don't wish to do much more than trail ride Trouble.

It's a personal, internal battle that I wish I didn't have to make. That's why I wanted completely unbiased opinions on which barn everyone would think is best. I can't let personal relationships get in the way of Troubles well being, but it's hard to do!
 
#20 ·
Since you're going to be going away to college and taking Trouble with you, I would stay put. If and when you come back to the area after college, then I'd probably go to your dad's place but for right now, I'd just plant. I would also have a CTJ with mom about staying out of my horsey beezwax unless and until I asked for her opinion. Find a farrier you pay and be done with the boyfriend. You're not in a position to move and pay for your own upkeep, then sit down with mom and have a big girl talk with her and her boyfriend about how it's your horse and why you don't feel their advice necessarily fits your situation. I wouldn't go through all the upset of moving the horse right now. But that's me.
 
#21 ·
Sorry you're having to choose between these two difficult options. So I assume your mother's barn is the one you've been clearing of manure, etc? That's what confused me.

I also think it might be easier to just stay put. When are you going off to college? Next September? When you talked about your dad's place in the past, it wasn't a great situation either. It sounds like in either place, you'll be dealing with some amount of parent-child grief (I know you're not a child - not suggesting you are, it's just that for a parent, you're always their child and they often think they know better). The only way to escape that is to move out, which you'll be doing when you go to college.

I know you're just trying to find the best place for Trouble, but moving him back and forth is probably not the greatest idea either.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
You have insufficient privileges to reply here.
Top