How to Choose a Horse Boarding Facility

When choosing a boarding facility for your horse, you should first decide on the type of animal accommodation you require. The main types are:

Full board. The full board includes all routine items normally required by a horse. The monthly fee covers installations (standing, meadow / grass), materials (bedding, food) and work (mucking out, feeding, monitoring the health of the horse). Additional services could be provided include: regular brushing down the horses,
shower regularly exercising.

Partial board. In this case the stable manager provides the space station (box), together with meadow and / or grass. However, caring for the horse is the responsibility of the owner of the horse something the stable manager. One needs to consider what happens if you can not occasionally (eg committee work, family crisis, away on holiday) carry out all daily requirements. Do you need to find a friend to make them or the stable manager will do for you? In the latter case, what are the additional fees?

Board of grass. The grass is just a fenced in area. Provides food (grass) for horses and exercise. There is normally a number of horses in each pasture, providing a social group. This is usually the least expensive type of housing animals, as there are stops to clean and are not provided ninguÌ?? N bed. However, it is not appropriate for all horses of horses (eg old, sick or weak), especially during very hot weather or very cold.

Access and quality of grass

Except for short rest periods, horses generally prefer to spend as much time as possible in some grass in their stalls. The amount of access they have to graze every day and pasture quality will largely determine how happy and healthy son. In assessing the pasture for his horse stabled, the factors to consider include:

    * Quality and quantity of grass. The grass grass too small or of poor quality and your horse may not have enough to eat. Alternatively, if too rich, your horse is in danger of laminitis.
    * Physical security. The fence must not have holes or tears, for he could let his horse wander off into danger. The electrical wire is usually safer than the high voltage wire (which can cut and even pipe your horse if he gets tangled in it) or barbed wire (which can cause injuries). The fields must be clean of anything that could harm the horses (eg pieces of broken wire fence that has been left around can tangle around the legs of a horse and cause serious injury).
    * Maintenance. Are the fence posts solid (not rotten, not loose on earth)? Are the boards of the fence in good condition and no protruding nails? Is the taut wire fencing (not giving in or not lying on the ground)? Is not the amount of horse droppings on the ground too?
    * Weeds. Some weeds are toxic to horses. Depending on the weed, can cause immediate health issues or long term. If the grass is full of weeds, make sure that none of them are of a poisonous variety.
    * Size. A substantial grass provides a mental stimulus, the emotional satisfaction and more opportunities for the year.
    * Lee. Is there adequate shelter in the pasture for all horses? Note that a strong horse horses often bullied weaker coats away, so plenty of coat is required if all horses should benefit.
    * Drainage. Is the lawn well drained, or pools of water formed during wet weather? Placement in water can be bad for horse hooves.
    * Other horses. A horse is a herd animal and therefore requires the companionship of other horses. However, it is important that all horses in a pasture because they are compatible, to avoid excessive fighting or bullying.

Prado

Many stables have limited pasture access, but provide a field instead. Although access is preferable grass, good lawn can be a reasonable substitute. Factors to consider when evaluating the meadow plants include:

    * Size. A horse will prefer a large meadow small. If the horse has substantial access time to graze the lawn size is much less important than the case where the horse does not have any?? No access or only limited access to pasture.
    * Access. A lawn that is freely accessible to the horse (eg through an open door of his stop) will be of greater value to a horse in a field which has only limited access.
    * Construction. The field must be secure and must have a suitable surface. Most surfaces (sand, wood chips or gravel) are satisfactory for a horse with good hooks. However, a horse with problems of coupling may require a softer surface (eg sand, wood chips).
    * Distribution. There is nothing wrong with a shared lawn, provided that all horses get along and there is the bullying. However, if there are conflicts between the horses, the individual fields are often more convenient.

Stop

In almost all the stalls (unless you've opted for the shipment of grass), the horse will spend a considerable amount of time at their stop and in many horse stables will most every day at their stop. Therefore, this aspect of his barn early need to be carefully evaluated in terms of:

    * Size. The size of the stop is very important, especially if a horse spends a substantial amount of time each day at their stop. A brief stop is physically uncomfortable and forces a horse lying down in their own excrement because there is no additional place available. The minimum size for a stop is a matter of debate, but we recommend at least 3m by 3m for a standard size horse and at least 3.5m by 3.5m for a big horse.
    * Height. Are the doors to stop high enough that if a wheel horse with his head up, there are ninguÌ?? No risk of injury? Are the ceilings high enough that a horse can not hit your head?
    * Security. Is it safe stop? Have protruding nails, wood chips or bits of metal in which the horse could injure himself? They are solid walls and door with his foot rather than a horse can not hit through (if you can kick through, can hurt your leg, or trapped and breaks his leg).
    * Clean. The stop should be clean, dry and odor (particularly, no smell of ammonia). The stalls should be cleaned at least once a day, twice if the horse happens to most of the day at their stop.
    * Ventilation. Does the smell of clean air, or wet or moldy smell or stale? If the barn is closed at night and opens to the vent in the morning, the best time to check (if possible) is just before the barn opens to vent because this is the time editions of the ventilation will be easier to detect.
    * Parasites. Are there signs of insects or rodents in areas of excessive stop? If so, this is an indication of problems.
    * Time. A horse that spends most of his day at the bus stop is getting less physical exercise and mental one that has substantial access to put in a fence and graze. However, young horses (and horses too old) often appreciate a few hours alone in his stall every day so they can sleep and relax in peace.
    * Bed. The type and thickness of the bed is important for mental and physical wellbeing of the horse.
    * Water. Horses should have free access to water and most of the stops drinkers are equipped for this purpose. Care must be taken that the pipes do not freeze during cold weather, horses deprived of water.
    * Salt and minerals. The horses need salt and minerals. These are normally provided at stops, although some managers in providing stable grass instead.
    * Lighting. The abundant natural light is best for your physical and emotional health of the horse. A stop is pushing for a dark horse and tends to promote unhealthy growth of fungus and mold.

Food and water

The quality of food and water varies greatly from one barn to another. Because food is one of the main cost for stable owners, the trend is reducing the quality and quantity to make the business of housing animals more profitable. Points to consider:

    * Quality. What horses eat? Are supplements of hay and high quality food, or just the cheapest available?
    * Quantity. Do the horses get all the food they need, or is there a quota (eg only 1 kg of supplement / horse / day of food)?
    * Frequency. How often do you feed horses? Must be at least twice daily and preferably more (access to quality grass qualifies as food).
    * Water. Make the horse has adequate access to drinking water
    * Buckets. Are the buckets of food and water kept clean? Is the old food removed each day and the buckets cleaned well, or simply food again fallen on top?

General

One needs to consider how it works and how stable the horses are treated. Here one needs to look around:

    * The owner / manager. He (or she) sets the standards and overall tone to the stables.
          or talk with him about his experiences with horses and the functioning of a stable. "He gives an impression of experience, ability and dedication?
          or ask what he thinks his horse, and what special care may be required, if the stable manager takes the time to carefully examine the horse (including hooves and teeth) before answering this is a good sign but if he answers after that only a hasty examination, then one may want to go to a stable where more alert the manager.
          or ask if he has any objection to use your own veterinarian and farrier. Even if you are happy to use yours, you could be referred if he does not allow other veterinarians and farriers.

    * Horses. The appearance of the horses is a good indication of how they treat them. Are overweight or underweight? Do bright layers? Do they appear alert, active and happy? Do they appear nervous or nervous behavior (eg pacing, shaking back and forth, chewing on wood)? Are they well-groomed? Take the hooks a couple of horses to see that they are well maintained and appear to have been cleaned recently.

    * Stops. Are the stalls clean and tidy? Check not only the bed but also drinkers, feeders, and salt / mineral trays. Do all horses have salt and minerals?

    * General facilities. How do the various facilities they look? Do they appear clean, organized and well maintained? A lack of consideration for the facility may be an indication of broader issues.

    * Staff behavior. How do staff behave around horses. Do they appear interested in horses? Do they talk with their horses and treat them gently, or just drag them along behind them? Are there mature, experienced and well informed (or just cheap labor, however well intentioned is loving and can be)?

    * Other clients. If you have the opportunity, talk to other horse owners to get their impression and experience of the stables. However, do not put too much confidence in this, as friends of the manager may be stable or may be beginners who are not experienced enough to make a reliable trial.

    * Local veterinarian. Like other customers, can be helpful to ask the local vet their opinion.

    * Vaccinations. Is the stable manager requires vaccination against communicable diseases? If not, this can be a health risk for your horse.

    * Elimination of the worms. Do all horses on site eliminating the worms? Are worms eliminated all at once? If the answer to any question is no, then the effectiveness of worming your horse can be significantly reduced.

    * Access. How long ago did you have to access your horse and facilities (eg training ring) you may want to use? Can you drop in unexpected to see his horse and stop at any time, or an appointment is required (the latter is a bad sign).