Hey guys, sorry I went MIA, I got a new job and lots of personal things and don’t have time for PB :( I will still pop on sometimes!
I have a dilemma I’m hoping you can help me and I’m asking what you would do in this situation.
I’m trying to decide whether to take my horse to be boarded at a local indoor. (I previously boarded there for the last two years, then in spring decided to board at my trainers as she hauls me to all my shows and it was easier)
Pros: Indoor-Able to ride anytime - Huge advantage, could ride anytime in practically any weather. Right now I work until dark almost everyday & it rains/snows everyday so I never ride even on weekends. There would also be people to ride with and it’d be unlikely I’ll be alone.
Cons: It can be dusty, especially if there’s lots of traffic. It’s not worked very often.
Pros: Turnout - pastures are much larger/less muddy which it turn means more turnout at indoor. Also doesn’t have to wear a halter.
Cons: fencing can be iffy sometimes. My horse is a fence tester and there’s only one paddock with electric fence.
Care is great at both places, they feed the same feed. Hay quality is lower at indoor barn and she doesn’t feed 2nd cut. I may be able to take that over weekly but it’d be annoying.
Indoor barn doesn’t dump water buckets everyday & uses a leaf blower often which I’m pretty sure was starting to affect my horse before I left in May as he started coughing occasionally when I rode him, but the indoor also may have caused that because it went through a super dusty period. I haven’t been there lately to see if she still uses it a lot or how the indoor is.
Turnout at trainers barn is small and muddy, don’t get to go outside as often. Also currently turned out with a horse that’s pushy (mine is too) and my blankets/ horse I think are going to take a toll, but they’ve been out together for about a month and no injuries so far. They also have to wear halters outside in case they get loose because it’s close to a high traffic road, I put mine in a break away but I still don’t like it.
Indoor barn has large paddocks, there’s only two my fence tester could go in but they are still large and will work, they are less maintained and have burdock (plant that has seeds that stick onto everything) in them usually. They get turnout more often because it’s on a hillside and often not muddy. They also can get turnout in indoor on days they aren’t outside.
Right now I’m only boarder at trainers barn so have lots of room for tack. Indoor barn doesn’t have as much room for tack/equipment but it’s still doable and there’s cameras so I wouldn’t be worried about it being stolen. Indoor cost $150/more a month which I deem worth it if I’m able to go ride.
So idk what to do…. I have a horse so I can ride, I want to go to indoor so I can ride, but overall quality of care I think is better at trainers. I would go back to trainers in spring again. Trainer says we can haul over to indoor 3x a week. Problem is I’m at their mercy and I work until 5pm and they want to ride at like 1-3pm so I wouldn’t be able to go most days anyway. Trainer is 5 min from me. Indoor is 10 so that’s not an issue.
Please help! Thanks,
Iddy
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To be honest if I were in that situation I would board at the indoor. The care although less than the trainer still sounds quite nice/fine. I think the real deal breaker is that you can ride all the time and at your own convenience. Because what else would be the point? Like obviously we love our horses but being able to ride them when it suits us is really the best part about it all
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