| Many horse owners consider if it might be nicer to | | | | going to be away, you will need a farm sitter who will |
| have their horse at home. They would be able to see | | | | be able to keep an eye on your horse. Many people |
| him any time they wanted, and transportation would | | | | who keep their horses at home do not get a chance |
| never be an issue when it came to riding. | | | | to get away very often because of this. You can't just |
| There are many things you need to consider as your | | | | up and leave, even for a weekend get-away. You |
| make a decision about moving your horse to your | | | | need to plan ahead. |
| own property. | | | | Having your horse at home can lead to more riding |
| First of all, is your property set up to keep a horse? | | | | time, but keep in mind that you will need to make sure |
| You will need a barn with a safe stall, or even better | | | | that your coach is willing to travel if you want lessons. |
| two or three stalls, since horses are heard animals and | | | | At home, you may not have enough equipment to |
| prefer company. You will need a safely fenced | | | | practice for shows, so you might need to ship out for |
| paddock with at least 1 acre of grazing per horse you | | | | additional training sessions. If you pleasure ride, you will |
| plan to have on it. You will need somewhere you can | | | | need to find out what trails are available nearby that |
| work with your horse. You also need to make sure | | | | are safe for riding. |
| that the local bylaws permit horses on your property. | | | | Often, people find that with their horses at home, they |
| Once you have assured that your facility is adequate | | | | in fact get less riding time. So much time and effort is |
| for your needs, you need to consider how you will | | | | spent taking care of the horses that riding falls by the |
| take care of your horse. A horse needs to be fed | | | | wayside. It is not uncommon for riders to complain that |
| three times a day. He should be turned out in the | | | | they ride far less now that their horses are at home |
| morning, and brought in at night. Someone will also | | | | than they did when they were boarding. |
| need to clean his stall while he is outside, so it is ready | | | | Keeping your horses at home is a personal decision. |
| for him to come in. | | | | For some it works out very well. For others, it turns out |
| While you can leave a horse outside 24 hours if you | | | | to be more trouble than it is worth. You can always |
| have a run-in shed, you need to consider that in foul | | | | switch back to boarding if it doesn't work out, but it |
| weather, you might want to move him indoors. Outside | | | | seems a pity to throw away the money you sank into |
| you can get away with a round bale, but that round | | | | your farm to make it horse-worthy. |
| bale will still need to be monitored and replaced on a | | | | Take your time with your decision and talk to horse |
| regular basis. The water trough will also need to be | | | | owners who do have horses at home. Make sure that |
| checked daily, and scrubbed and refilled at least once | | | | you are well prepared before committing to moving |
| a week. | | | | your horse. There is no shame in deciding to continue |
| It is essential that someone be available to check on | | | | to board. You may find that it is the best solution to |
| your horse once a day. This means that if you are | | | | your situation after all. |