How far would you drive to board your horse???

[cindyf]

I'm debating on buying a farm right now. I and my husband currently own a house in a small small rural community. I have always had horses, cattle and all livestock and same with my husband. I currently give lessons and have been riding and caring for my own horses my entire life up until I got married 2 yrs ago. So I NEED to buy a farm and there are a few up for sale, my problem is they are a ways out. Further then I think people would drive. So, my question is how far would you drive for quality board. With a person who knows how to feed, what to feed, and at a place with nice safe fencing and barns. This would not have an indoor arena, and would be pasture board.....until stalls are built. So really how far would you drive?????

[jamied99]

At my current stable, there is an indoor arena, outdoor arena, washroom, heated viewing area and 40 stall barn with private lockers. A majority of the boarders drive at least 30 minutes to get there, some close to an hour. I got lucky and only live 3.5 miles away.
Honestly, I don't think people would drive as far as they do if it weren't for the amenities there.
Does the place you are looking at have an outdoor arena and access to trails? Is an indoor riding area something you could afford to put in? People may like the idea of that especially in the winter and could be a drawing point to get people in.
Also, how accessible to populated areas is it? Are there good roads and an easy route to get to your place? Are there other boarding facilities in the area, or do people just keep their horses at home?

[Luv2Game]

I think that ammenites speak for themselves, but i think the owners of the boarding facility are worth far more. I have a friend that has yet to find the owner of a boading facility that is actually nice, kind, knowledgable, helpful, and a good business owner. I think if you are kind, and treat your boarders with respect, treat their horses with the same respect, and work together, and communicate, you just might have people "knocking your door down" to board with you. JMO!!

[SCGaiter]

I currently drive over 20 miles to the barn where I volunteer. If I had a horse and they were a boarding facility, I would absolutely, without a doubt board there. There are a few other boarding facilities closer to me, but I've looked at them and met the people who run them and wouldn't put my horse there. I live in the middle of nowhere, so everything is over 20 miles away, ha ha!! For me, it would be all about the facility and the owners and how comfortable I felt there. Excellent poll by the way!

[greyhorse]

I like the smaller places provided they have a few things. My number one thing though would be a barn with nice stalls. I wouldn't be interested at all until it was ready.

If it was a nice small place and it was not up to me to feed twice a day, I would drive 20-25 miles. I would at least like to have a nice ring and small turnout area with good fence and maybe access to trails. I would also have to have a shelter in each pasture if there was no barn.

But if it was partial care and the horse owner is responsible to feed, the mileage would be cut drastically.

[Lopin]

Would I be more than willing to drive more than 20 miles to a boarding facility? If it were the right one, you bet! When we first got into horses, out first barn was less than 5 miles from home and then we moved and that one was about 7 miles from home, and we lived on the same road, so it was a straight shot!

How far out of "town" are these farms? Is the farm easy to get to? What do you plan on charging? Are there other barns in that area? Are they full? Is your facility going to be comparable to theirs? What's going to set you apart from them? Do they have indoors? When you say "quality board" what do you mean? Are you planning to build an indoor? (they're expensive to build! ) and how long do you expect it would take to get stalls built? Will you be remodeling an old dairy barn, an older horse barn , converting a shed into a barn or building a barn?

Our farm is 17 miles from the city and only 5 miles outside of our town, which has 4000 people. We are less than 3 miles off the Highway and it's a very easy, nice and pretty drive.

We have an indoor, outdoor, round pen, heated barn, trails, beautiful pastures with safe fencing, pasture board w/ shelter, large box stalls, tack room, bathroom, heated lounge, etc.

Most of our boarders drive more than 20 miles, one drives 22 miles, one drives 35 miles and another drives 50 miles. Sure there are lots of other barns around, but the facility and CARE sets us apart.

Like Luv2Game says: I think if you are kind, and treat your boarders with respect, treat their horses with the same respect, and work together, and communicate, you just might have people "knocking your door down" to board with you. JMO!! I couldn't agree more!!

[beckyp]

When we first got our horses it was about 5 miles from where the stable was to where we lived in Il. When we moved to Ky.,it was about 15 miles-did that trip get old. Now they live with us and it is so easier to be able to feed them and take care of their needs.

[JuJuBear]

Right now we drive about 12 miles to our barn. Since most of the time we are going out after work, I don't think I would go much further than that. It just doesn't leave enough time. for the fun stuff, especially as we are approaching those shorter days... as it is with traffic it can take 1/2 hr to go that 12 miles or so....

[beth55051]

I often board a horse out during the winter so I can ride and condition them for the next season. I don't so much look at how close it is to my house but rather how close it is to my daily work to home route. How convenient the barn is to where I go every day.

When we were boarding out all of our horses one place was 30 minutes from home but it had indoor/outdoor and everything else you could want. We moved our horses closer (2 miles) but then they were only on pasture board with no arenas. Just a tack shed and pasture.

I would be willing to drive farther for better care.

[Laskiblue]

The reason I chose more than 20 miles is that I teach community college part-time in a very horse-oriented community 35 miles away (Norco, CA) and there are lots of choices for boarding there. However, if it was a partial care situation, I would definitely want boarding as close to my home as possible.

Laskiblue

[cindyf]

The places I'm considering are about 20 miles from the major freeway, and about 45 minutes or more from a major city. It's a very rural area with small towns all around and farms. The one place I would consider is in a decent area off main roads and only about 20 minutes from some major cities and only about 5 miles outside a nice size town. It has a nice sized shed which if it doesn't have stalls could have them in it. Has a nice lean to on it as well with only 1 large pasture. Which that would change. It has an outdoor arena, but no indoor. If I could get the boarders which I think I could at this place I could build a indoor within a year or two. This place however is way more expensive then the others that are another 10 minutes away and more so in the "back country". So I don't know that I would get boarders at the other places. I was really looking to see what things people value and are willing to drive for, especially with the gas prices. And I think I have a good idea, thank you all for replying, and keep them coming. It gives me a good idea of what to look for when buying a place, as I know I WILL be boarding horses.

[RhettsMom]

I currently drive about 20 minutes one way, twice a day, to the place I board Rhett at. And it isnt anything fancy. Add on the fact I have to drop off housemate at work on the other side of the world first... and my horse commute is approx 45 minutes twice a day. I am working on moving him closer to the other side of the world. Will save me time and gas money plus the place is nicer and is only $75 more a month

[RhettsMom]

I currently drive about 20 minutes one way, twice a day, to the place I board Rhett at. And it isnt anything fancy. Add on the fact I have to drop off housemate at work on the other side of the world first... and my horse commute is approx 45 minutes twice a day. I am working on moving him closer to the other side of the world. Will save me time and gas money plus the place is nicer and is only $75 more a month

[morgansmom]

I drive 14 miles one way. The most important thing for me (aside from knowing my horse would be safe & well-taken care of) was access to trails. I want to be able to ride whenever I want, without worrying about dealing with a trailer. I would drive up to 20 miles, if the barn owner were friendly & helpful and there were good trails to ride. Couldn't be any farther for me, with the high gas prices.

[princesskristin]

I live about 15 to 20 minutes away from my boarding stable. I love it there, they have it all- full care service, trails, rings, trainers.

[eieio]

I Know for a fact that the care and atmosphere make more of a difference than the drive. Bad care or a bad atmosphere will make people leave a place with all the amentities 2 miles down the road.

I think that if you are with 30-40 minutes of the heart of a city you would be fine.

[Lady_MCSE]

I have really been struggling with this myself. I'm trying hard to put a value of time & expense on the effort to travel to see my horse . . .

For the past year, I have kept my horse at a place 12 miles away. That works out to be about 28-32 minutes from my house. (Can you tell, I pay a lot of attention to the time it takes?)

Currently he is at a trainer's about 55 miles away, or 1 1/2 hours of drive time. That's definitely too far. I am comforted by the fact that he is getting more day-to-day care from the trainer than he was when he was just being boarded, so I'm less worried day-to-day. But if the trainer were to call saying he's injured or colicking or whatever . . . he's (at least) an hour and a half away! Aargh!!!

Now I've been looking around, and in order for me to get him closer to home, I have to pay more money. But at 3.00-3.50/gallon for gas, the driving starts to add up. The farther away, the less I go, so the $$ evens out, but I see him less . . .

Aaargh.

So I voted "10-20 miles" and I wish you luck in your new adventure!!!

[sundance'sgal]

I board Sun about 30-45 minutes away. but its REALLY cheap I pay about 150 a month and that includes everything. but Im really good friends with the person I board at.......So its worth it for me

[Luv2Ride]

I agree with Luv2Game about the owners being the most important aspect of the boarding facility, but I will also say that if I were boarding 15 or miles from my home, I would always be one the look out for a closer place. If you were 20 minutes or more from your target city or area, I would think you would have a tough time keeping boarders, especially if places opened up closer to the city. JMO

[blugill13]

I drive about 20 mins to where I board summer and I love where she is at - the owner is SO helpful, but also there is a round pen outdoor and indoor arenas and trails.

I see youre in MN so the big plus for me was that the stalls and indoor are in the same building ( I am a wimp when it comes to cold).

I have thought about changing where I board as I ride english and everybody else rides western and I would love to find an english trainer -we have a western one.

Also, I hate driving in winter and where I am at right now is gravel roads and one place Im looking at is off the main road which would be a lot nicer for 1/2 the year. But I love the barn owner right now so Im just still looking.