Saturday 16 June 2012

Update on the Barn Search


A few weeks ago i posted about a barn that i was going to look at and i just wanted to follow up on that post, i decided to stay were i am for now and keep searching for a barn, i do have until my divorce is finalized to keep my horse were he is now so i am in no rush unless i find something that i just cannot pass up.

***Please keep in mind these are my personal opinions and everyones views things differently and treats their horses differently so this is not intended in any way to be bashing the barn or the trainer nothing like that just reasons why it wasnt the right fit for me or my horse at this time***

A Barn Review  

Location- Was amazing it was nice and close to my house and on the way home it would cut my driving time in half. Its about 10 minutes off of a paved road so there is a lot more places to ride and it is a lot more quiet and relaxing than were i currently am.

Hours- I work 2 jobs and silly hours so i usually end up riding fairly late at night and since this barn is on someones personal property and there are small children present they request that you are not there before 7AM or after 10PM which would make it even harder for me to get riding in than in already is with how hectic my schedule is, I completely respect this time frame and it is a really open time frame compared to some other barns i have ridden at they definatly stay open later than some barns in this area.

Tack Lockers- Right now i am spoiled and have a nice big tack box that fits both of my saddles and my feed and everything else horsey related, at this barn they are fairly small room for one saddle and the things that you would need on a regular basis preventing pack rats like me from moving into the barn *ha ha* but they are very accomodating as well and allow people to keep rubbermade containers in the storage sheds and ontop of the tack boxes for extra things that might be needed.

Feed- They feed the horses 4x a day which is fantastic G's weight issue would be gone very quickly with that feeding schedule. I cant remember exactly but it was hay 3x a day and custom feed 1x a day they didnt however feed beetpulp unless you bought it and paid extra for it since they used mainly grain. Which is fair enough i could have done the beet pulp myself on the days that i rode with the ground flax i currently have G on to put on some weight.

Barn its self- The flooring was cobble stone, they had wash racks with heat lamps tack stalls, and beautiful big box stalls with 2 big airy doors at either end of the barn to make it night and cool inside the barn as well as bright. As soon as i walked into the barn i was in love it was kept so clean and tidy and best of all... no dirt floor like i have at my current barn.

Indoor arena-Nice dressage size arena with sand footing and a viewing area that has a big door that is kept open in the summer, sand is treated (cant remember with what) to keep the dust down, nicest arena i have ever been in by far.

Outdoor arena- was currently under renovations which is good because the old one looked like a sand box it was very small and hard to tell were the edges were since the wooden railties that had grass growing over them. There were also a few caveleties(sp?) that could be set up outside if you wanted.

Outdoor board- outdoor board was alright it was a big feild with 2 horses and at the top of the feild they had a shelter and water, the pasture was very nice because there was only the 2 horses on it at any time.

Indoor board- This was the only thing that really turned me off about this barn, im not sure if all showy barns are like this or not but i felt a little  bad for the horses... The horses were turned out at 7AM and brought back in at around 4pm. While turned out they were in individual paddocks which ok thats not a big deal they were close enough to each other the horses were still able to socialize, but the paddocks were tiny little rectangles with old wood fencing and a little wooden wind block not even a shelter. The horses had no room to move around it really turned me off. I know those horses are heavily in training and im sure there is a really good reason to it but i just couldnt picture G in there.

How ever i will be looking to possibly get a few lessons out of there on lesson horses if it is an option and when i can afford it because regardless she is still a very talented trainer and i have a ton of respect for her and her riding as well as the overall care of the horses there was fantastic. Just not a place that i could see G and i long term.

I guess i am a little more picky than i had thought.


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