From: Sue
Hi Jessica,
I really appreciate the insight you offer on your website! Being new to the horsey world, I can't tell you how many times I have referred to your archives.
My daughter is the equestrian in our family. My husband and I are completely ignorant and feel very overwhelmed at times, especially now. We are considering purchasing a horse for our daughter. Her coach is helping her with the selection process (thank goodness!).
They have a horse that is currently on a free-lease situation at the barn. He is currently on 24/7 turnout and has been all his life, from what I understand. If he is stalled, he cribs. It appears to be a boredom-related vice as he doesn't do it unless he is confined in a stall. We are considering buying this horse because he seems to fit the bill - he's young-ish, athletic, fairly well schooled but hasn't jumped much (she plans to use him for hunter and eventually jumper and I've been told he has potential for both at low levels, which is fine).
The problem is this: The barn where my daughter rides only provides "full service" boarding. No pasture board. So, if we buy this horse from the barn owners (where he is on consignment of sorts to be sold), we may end up having to move him! Things have to make sense to me, and keeping a herd animal designed to live outdoors in a stall (where he will crib) does NOT make sense to me.
Why do some boarding stables only offer "full service" (complete with a box in which to keep your equine friend) boarding? Is it simply a financial thing? Keeping a horse in a stall equals more revenue?
I am preparing myself for the arguments... "He'll be fine in a stall if you get him a Miracle Collar" etc... That doesn't make sense to me either!
Am I wrong?
Thanks in advance, Sue
Normally, "full service boarding" means that a horse is given everything it needs by the staff at the boarding facility. Feeding, watering, stall-cleaning, turnout, grooming, bathing, routine farrier and vet care would all typically be included in a "full service boarding" arrangement. Turning horses out every day and bringing them back in would typically be included in this arrangement. There are many variations - at some show barns, "full service" includes putting on and taking off boots and blankets, and may also include pulling manes and tails, cleaning tack, etc.
"Ordinary" boarding would mean that the horse would be fed and watered two or three times daily, and that its stall would be cleaned once daily, with turnout available - but that it woud be the horse's owner's responsibility to take care of such things as boots and blankets, farrier and vet care, turning the horse out and bringing it in, etc., unless special arrangements were made (and charges were added to the board bill).
Some facilities offer "DIY board" which generally means that there is water available on the premises, but that anyone keeping a horse there will be responsible for filling and cleaning his or her horse's tanks or buckets, and will also be responsible for buying, storing, and feeding the hay and grain to the horse, and will be completely responsible for arranging, scheduling, supervising, and paying for every other aspect of the horse's life, from stall-cleaning to vet and farrier care. In other words, DIY board usually means that each horse owner is renting a stall and a share of a field, or a share of a field and a shelter, for his or her horse.
So, as you can see, "full service boarding" does NOT necessarily mean "no turnout" or "no access to pasture." In fact, it should NEVER mean that, because denying a horse basic necessities is certainly not providing full service.
Every barn and every situation is different, and you need to know all the details before you sign your horse up for any arrangement anywhere. One barn may advertise "limited turnout" but your horse's six hours of daily turnout might be in huge fields with good grass and safe fencing; another barn might advertise "unlimited turnout" or "full-time turnout" and crowd a large group of horses into a small drylot fenced with heaven knows what materials. One facility might offer "everything included, $1000/month" whereas another might offer a full board rate of $700 and then add between $5 or $15 for each and every variation in your horse's arrangements (boots on? off? blankets on? off? hold for farrier? hold for vet? turnout in drylot? turnout in field?), causing your monthly bill to be much higher than $1000. ALWAYS investigate before you commit! There are bound to be some surprises in any case - usually some good and some bad ones - but minimize the shock to your system and the impact on your horse's health and soundness by doing a really thorough investigation and comparison before you take your horse to anyone's facility.
Now, all that said, here's my "take" on the arrangements you've described. A horse that does well on a scheduled of 24/7 turnout should remain on 24/7 turnout, or as near to it as possible. A horse that cribs when confined is not exactly news - cribbing is generally a reaction to confinement, or a reaction to the gastric ulcers brought on by confinement and set "mealtimes" instead of turnout and a more natural, "nibbling" diet.
If you buy this horse, he will be YOUR horse and YOU will be able to decide what his life should be like. I would not put him into a stall if I were you. The horse you like has a certain sort of athleticism, a certain level of fitness, and a certain personality. All of those things will change for the worse if he is confined to a stall - and I haven't even mentioned the cribbing, which will certainly reappear very quickly under those circumstances. Look for a place where he can live outdoors, and IF you can find a safe, affordable, appropriate facility, THEN buy the horse and take him there.
Confinement has nothing to do with "full service" - it has to do with space, money, time, and convenience. Some owners, believe it or not, prefer to keep their horses confined. Some facilities are set up to cater specifically to owners who prefer to keep their horses confined. Some facilities just don't have much space - often not enough to keep horses in a way that promotes physical or mental health or soundness. Some have only a certain amount of space and have to decide whether to add ten more stalls or an exercise paddock - and guess which decision will be more financially advantageous? Sometimes the decision to forego turnout space is based on survival, not on greed. Some barn owners DO overcrowd their facilities; many don't. Many barn owners do the very best they can with the land and facilities they have. Operating a boarding stable is not an easy job, nor is it always a pleasant one.
So without becoming angry at the owners of THIS facility, just begin looking for a more suitable home for the horse you want to buy. After all, if he's there on consignment, it's quite possible that his owner just wants him to be easily available and CLEAN until he sells - and she may have brought him to that barn because a lot of people walk through its doors every day, and it gives her a much better chance of selling her horse. If he's been turned out all his life, his owner obviously hasn't kept him at this facility until recently when she decided to sell him. I'm sure that if the barn owners think about the horse at all, they're aware that, given his history and his habits, he will most likely be moved somewhere else as soon as he is sold. I don't think you're likely to get a lot of arguments - and if people DO try to persuade you that the horse would be "just fine" in a stall, you can simply smile and continue looking for the horse's new home.
Do keep in mind that if you're in an area where stall confinement is considered to be "good", it's possible that you'll have to look for a much more downmarket facility where turnout is the norm. It's also possible that the best home for your horse will have drawbacks for you and your daughter - it might be at a greater distance, it might lack an indoor arena, it might not have a tackroom or a lounge or any of the amenities you may have come to appreciate. Most situations, and ALL boarding situations, involve tradeoffs. If you find a place with wonderful turnout arrangements, you're going to have to compromise in some other direction.
Talk with your daughter's instructor. She, after all, will be the one working with your daughter and her new horse, and she may have helpful suggestions about which local facilities would be most suitable for your needs.
Jessica
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