What Does It Mean To Board?

Boarding a horse can be very stressful for those people that like to keep their horse on a perfect schedule and like to have everything their way. In order to make sure that your horse is going to get taken care of the way you want, you must make a contract between your self and the boarding owner. Some things that should be included in your contract are:

• Is your horse going to be stalled or in pasture?
• How many hours will your horse be in its stall or in a pasture.
• Will the horse be around other horses?
• How many horses to a pasture?
• What type of hay and grain schedule is the horse going to be on?
• What type of hay and grain is provided?
• What extra expenses are you required for?
• What facilities are you allowed to use? (arena, round pen, etc.)
• Is your horse required to be vaccinated?
• What is the barn's hours of operation?
• Are there safety rules?
• Are you allowed to bring anyone to the barn to ride your horse?
• Who will be taking care of your horse?
• Will the stable hands apply fly screen and fly masks?

This is just a sample list of questions. I know that my list would have a lot more questions than this. You should carefully plan your list of questions and make sure to let the barn owner know of any special needs that your horse may have.

You should also discuss the boarding costs with the barn owner and when the bill is due. You should make sure to pay your bills on time. This will allow for smooth relations with the barn owner. Also, if you do need to move your horse to another barn, you want your name to be good and not tainted.

You should make sure that if there are any problems with the treatment of your horse that you address them promptly. This will allow for unaddressed problems to be fixed right away and this will also ensure that your horse is getting the best possible care.

You should make sure that you bring your own products for your horse and do not use other people's equipment. This will only make people angry. Bring what you need with you to the barn or keep it in a tack box. This also includes other people's horse. Do not use them or move them without the owner's permission.

Make sure to keep your horse's area clean and tidy. No one want to see the barn messy. Remember it is a business and looks do serve a purpose.