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Should I Stay or Should I Go Now??

1K views 9 replies 9 participants last post by  beverleyy 
#1 ·
Well the title is fitting because that's exactly what I am trying to decide!! Threading off of a last post I made...

Basically I am at a very small, run down barn. Everything is patched up when the time comes, very little turnout, and everything is DIY. I don't pay any board because it's my friends barn, but I have been given a possible opportunity. My dad has a friend about 45 minutes from my house who has an empty ten stall barn with 2-3 acres. And my dad brought up the idea that maybe I could board there. Of course, I jumped on it. Currently, the only turnout I have is a small paddock. My horse only gets about an hour a day. I know, I know. NOT GOOD:cry: I'm working on it.

Most people in this situation would probably get there horse and leave immediately. The only problem is, if something goes wrong... I can't exactly just return to my current barn because of hard feelings that will most likely arise. So, my question to everyone reading this is What would you do? I will list the two barns below and what they contain, and tell me what you would decide. I will also start with a little information about my horse, but feel free to read my "Depressed, Grumpy, or Misunderstood" post before reading because it tells a lot more.

My Horse:
13 year old palomino gelding. I have owned him for two years (on Monday!!) and before I bought him, he was a lesson/trail horse. He packed around little girls who pulled and yanked and trail riders. He did this every day 5 days a week all summer, and almost every weekend during the rest of the year. I am willing to bet he has hard feelings toward the arena and being ridden. (but that's for another post).

Current Barn:
-a stall: but the stall has a mud base, leaks in the roof (we're trying to fix, but the roof isn't very sturdy considering it's a sheet of metal) and very open
-a small paddock: turned out if I go down and take him, and every day that it's not too wet
-an large arena with barrels
-a stall sized tack room that I share with one other person: we store our own hay, feed, pellets, and the actual tack and stuff
-I go down there and care for him everyday, but I can ask someone to feed him for me if I can't get down there
-someone feeds in the morning
-farrier is the owner of the barn (and my friend's dad, so we know each other well)
-vet is the communal vet and everyone splits the barn call
-his stall is attached to the tack room and on the end. So it's his stall, tack room, two more stalls (and it's outside, not in a barn.)
-25 minutes from my house

Other Barn:
-stall inside
-2-3 acres for just my horse
-no arena
-I would have to find a way for him to be fed in the morning, and I would have to go down there every night
-The owner's house is right next door, but he wouldn't do anything with the horse
- I could keep my tack in a stall if there isn't a tack room
-I would have to make sure to go down there every single day, because it was just be my horse
-The vet would have to come to me, and only for me
-My farrier MIGHT come down there, but since I'm leaving his barn it would be a bit tense (but honestly I don't think it would be too bad because I would tell him that my horse is much happier and I feel more comfortable being able to turn him out in a pasture everyday)
-45 minutes from my house

So that's all I can think of, but if you need anymore information let me know what it is!
 
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#2 ·
Would your horse be alone at the new barn? If so that would be a deal breaker for me.

Another thing to think about is having to go care for your horse everyday, no matter if your sick, holidays, inclement weather etc. I had to self care board at a barn about a half hour from my home and traveling everyday to take care of my animals no matter what got old quick.

It sounds as tho barn two would be great but id be really weighing my options before I did anything.
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#3 ·
The turnout is nice, but I see a couple of issues.

- horse would be alone. Some horses do worse than others, but it really is not a good situation. You'd want at least a goat as a companion.

- 45 min from your house x 4 = 3 hrs of driving every single day. Plus the time you spend on chores, plus I assume you'd like to ride and spend time with your horse too. That puts you at probably ~6 hrs estimated horse time every single day. I don't know what else you do, but I couldn't and wouldn't want to invest that kind of time and it would quickly become a burden for me.

I think if I were in your situation, I'd either stay at your current place and keep looking for a better option, or try to find someone else with a horse to share the work with at your dad's friend's place.
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#5 ·
I think the distance for self-care would be a deal-breaker for me. I don't think it would be so bad if there were other boarders so you could help each other out if something comes up but it would be too risky for me if it was just my horse. What if an emergency comes up and you have to leave town? Would you be able to find someone to take care of your horse last minute?
 
#9 ·
The distance alone is to far for self care. What if there is a storm and you can't get there? What if you have an emergency? Do you have an hour and a half to dedicate to traveling to and from the barn?

Even if your horse "doesn't like" other horses it's still a good idea for them to have others. It's hard wired into them. They need buddies, even if they dont seem lovey dovey with them.
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#10 ·
I'd stay where you are and/or find somewhere better that's close or not total self board. I'm not sure how old you are but I'm assuming your horse eats at least twice per day, so that's 1.5 hrs morning and night - 3 hours per day spent driving to and from the barn. What would worry me is an emergency, there's no other boarders. What if your horse is choking or colicing, no body else will be there to notice and give you a heads up to get the vet out. For me, that alone would be a deal breaker.

Honestly, the only bonus I see to the second place would be pasture turn out. Is there no pasture at all at your current barn? Why can your horse only go out for an hour?
 
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