08/08/2025
Here is the full text for this week's Substack Post: What Makes a Good Boarding Barn!
I think sometimes barns spend too much time posting about showing and riding. Yes, of course this is why many of us exist, but if you’re half a horse-person, what you really want to see is the behind the scenes stuff. How are things organized? How are things run? What does the day to day look like for a horse at this particular barn. At least, that’s where my curiosities lie.
Truth be told, I fully believe that much of the stuff we get impressed by as equestrians isn’t really stuff horses give two hoots about. Sure it’s aesthetically pleasing, but I’ve been in some gorgeous barns and I can tell you right now, I’d never board my horse there. So if you’re on the hunt for a new barn, what matters and what doesn’t? What does your horse need and what do YOU need. I have a list below, but I’m curious about your thoughts!
Also…coming next week…How to be a GOOD Boarder!
The Necessities:
High quality hay…far and away the biggest thing I’m looking at when I walk into any barn is what the hay looks like. All the grooming, currying, and conditioning in the world can’t put a dapple on a horse that doesn’t have good nutrition.
Sparkling clean water buckets…Like I’d be willing to take a drink out of them. Every day. Even more important…clean water troughs out in the field. Sometimes barns can fool you with nice clean buckets inside and algae filled disgusting tanks outside. Same thing applies…would you drink out of it?
Experienced Staff with Low Turnover…Yes this is tough. These are HARD jobs and they turn over frequently. If you can find a barn that has maintained the majority of it’s staff for a good stretch of time (more than a year) then you know they are doing something right: paying fairly, treating staff with respect, and ensuring that the facility is safe and pleasant to work in. The experience level of staff is massively important. Not every single staff person has to be a life-long equestrian, but someone with a good body of knowledge should be around most of the time. I swear I cannot stop raving about the folks who work for me so I always like to tell potential boarders how great they are, yet these are questions almost no one asks when they interview at a barn. I’d encourage you to begin:
Tell me about your staff?
What’s their experience level?
How long have they been with you?
What makes them great.
Safe Fencing…the debate over what that might be could go on forever. But one strand of electric tape blowing in the wind is not safe fencing. Pay particular attention to this if the farm is close to a busy road.
Adequate Shelter…no every field does not need a shelter. But understand your barn’s turnout policy very clearly. Do horses go out rain or shine? Then they need shelter. Do horses stay in if the weather is inclement? Shelter is less necessary. Do horses go out in the dog days of summer all day? Then shelter is necessary. Do they go out at night during the summer? Shelter is less necessary. You get the point.
Are stalls clean and bedded appropriately? This is a personal preference so you-do-you on this one. But make sure you look!
Good quality grain…and not too much of it. I don’t want to board my horse at a barn that would rather feed grain than hay. Yes, it’s often cheaper. Yes it’s easier. No, it’s not good for the horse.
Are the important things clean? I don’t need a sparkling facility. It’s a barn. It’s going to get messy. BUT…are the wash stalls and grooming stalls tidy? Are the supplies in those stalls clean (i.e. the shampoo bottle isn’t black with grime). Is the feed room organized and clean (again, doesn’t have to be fancy). Does tack look like it’s well-take care of, or is it lying in dirty heaps all over the place. Are there swarms of flies everywhere (it’s a barn, there will always be flies, but there shouldn’t be SWARMS of flies. The way a barn is organized and cleaned speaks volumes to the people working there.
Does this barn have a good relationship with their service providers: vet, farrier, bodyworkers, etc. It’s ok to ask who these providers are, and to ask if you can reach out to them for references. At the end of the day, every large animal vet and farrier is over-booked, over-busy, and over-tired. Making sure that the barn you board your horse at is a pleasure for them to be in goes a long way when you need help in an emergency.
Temperature Control…not everywhere of course…but in the important places. One pet peeve of mine is when people don’t temperature control their meds. Every single prescription medicine, and many topicals, have a temperature range associated with their viability. When these meds are stored in temperatures that soar into the 90’s or higher, or plunge below freezing, their efficacy simply cannot be guaranteed. Barns that have no temperature control systems often make sure these meds are stored up at their houses. This is a perfectly satisfactory answer and shows that the owner knows enough to care about this detail.
Community/Friendly Vibes/Safe Space for Learning…When I wrote this originally I thought this was the first thing on this list for humans; all the other stuff is horse-centric. But I realize now that I am wrong about that. This is just as much for the horse as it is for the human.
Every barn has an energy. A vibe. A feeling to it. You can usually tell when you walk in. Is everyone friendly and relaxed? Does everyone seem stressed and anxious? Is there flexibility or rigidity? Is there yelling? Are staff and other boarders friendly? Do you hear laughter? Take a moment when you walk into a barn to take a deep breath and notice how the environment feels. This has absolutely nothing to do with amenities. But the vibe of a barn matters greatly to your horse, and it will matter to you as well. The place you board your horse at should feel like home. You should WANT to be there. You should feel encouraged to learn and grow there. Pay huge attention to your spide-y senses when you walk into any barn!
Nice-to-Haves:
Grass pastures with plenty of grazing space…Definitely idyllic for a horse. However, we have to be reasonable about the quantity of land available for this, and the cost involved in fencing all the land. You might (and should be willing) have to settle for smaller pastures and dry lots. Where you live in the world makes a big difference in this as well.
Indoor area…definitely a necessity if you are a competitive and engaged horse person looking to advance your riding career. But for the average ammy I would choose a place that had all the above necessary items over a place that meant I needed to scrimp on great care but had an indoor. Also know that you will absolutely pay more for board if there is an indoor involved. They are super pricey to build and foot and owners shouldn’t be expected to invest in something of that scope and not charge more for board.
Hot Water Wash Racks…These are a luxury, but when you need them, they’re amazing. Almost no horse loves to be cold-hosed when the temps start to go down, but there are times when it is just unavoidable - vet procedure, injury, body clipping bath, etc. Hot water is a game changer in those situation.
Access to therapies (e.g., Theraplate, PEMF, cold laser, etc)…Not many barn have these benefits, but if they do they are certainly nice to have! Again, I would choose a barn that had all the above necessities and didn’t have therapies over a barn that had therapies but not all of the necessities.
Heated & Cooled Lounge/Tack Room…Lovely to have and makes a huge difference in mold control for your tack. But, not absolutely necessary and an expense that you should be willing to pay for. Heating and cooling (especially in barns that are not insulated) is expensive. Your barn owner will have to pass that cost on to you so decide whether this is a necessity for you or a nice-to-have. Obviously your horse doesn’t give two hoots about it!
Storage Space…Some barns have room for you to store a tack trunk or give you a tack locker or storage space. Obviously there are huge benefits to this. But not every barn is equipped to give you a ton of space. I have definitely met people who use their car as a tack room LOL. Again, a decision you’ll have to make. But more space = bigger building = more overhead = higher costs
Wi-Fi, restroom, mini fridge, or coffee station: Not much to add here…obviously if your barn has these types of amenities you are going to pay a bit more. A good rule of thumb is: if it costs the barn owner money, it’s going to cost you some money too.
Trailer Parking…This is totally at the discretion of the barn. Some barns encourage it. Some charge for it. Others don’t. Please know that when you park your trailer on someone else’s property for a period of time there is an inherent liability associated with that for the property owner. So if you’re wondering why there is a fee for this service it’s usually because the property owner has to cover insurance on that trailer sitting there.
Chandeliers/Fancy Furniture/Soaring ceilings/etc…I’ll just leave this here. Your horse doesn’t care. You probably shouldn’t either. None of this means a darn in terms of the care you and your horse will receive.
