Thu 18 Nov 2010

Horse Boarding in Michigan

Posted by under Horse Boarding in Michigan
No Comments

Welcome to Horse Boarding in Michigan

The purpose of this site is to help people searching for horse boarding in Michigan.

There are articles about types of horse boarding and other topics to consider when choosing a stable to board your horse. The information here is intended to help horse owners identify the type of boarding they are looking for as well as give them information about additional options to consider.  For the first time boarder there is information about what to look for, boarding contracts, and etiquette in a boarding stable.

Horse Boarding Stables in Michigan that want to be found here can submit their information by clicking on the link on the right for either a link or a website banner ad by type of boarding facility.  E-mail Linda for additional information or multiple listing discounts.

We can also build you a website similar to the LWF Sport Horses site – contact Linda to find out more. These sites will rank hight on Google for people searching for horse boarding in Michigan or a particular city (as in the LWF Sport Horses site). There are also sites by counties in Michigan for more exposure on the internet. So far we have Horse Boarding in Oakland County and Horse Boarding in Livingston County and Horse Boarding in Washtanaw County with more coming. If you would like to see a site for your county, city, or your individual stable, email Linda with your request.

Horse Boarding Stable

 

Thu 18 Nov 2010

Horse Boarding Facilities

Posted by under Horse Boarding Facilities
No Comments

What type of boarding facility do you want for your horse?

How much of the care do you want to do? What services are you looking for? Do you want a riding arena?  Do you need training for yourself and/or your horse?

There are many things to consider before you even look at a horse stable.  Decide what you must have and find horse boarding that meets those needs, then you can compare the “extras” along with the costs and decide what is best for you and your horse.

Horse Boarding Facilities

The main types of horse boarding are pasture, partial board and full board. Specialty horse boarding facilities include: stallions, foals, older horses. Each of these are explained and discussed below.

Once one has decided on the type of facility for boarding your horse, the next step is to choose which of the local boarding stables best meets your and your horse’s requirements. Click on Evaluating Horse Stables for tips on how to separate the good from the bad.

Pasture Board

Pasture is simply a fenced in area. It provides food (grass) for the horses and exercise. There are normally a number of horses on each pasture, providing a social group. It may include the following facilities:

  • Shelter. A shelter can protect the horses again wind and rain (especially important during cooler months), provide shade during the hot months and may provide some respite from biting insects. Check how well and often the shelters are cleaned out (infrequently cleaned shelters can become a manure pit). If there are multiple horses on the grounds, the shelter should either be open on one side or have at least two doors (to prevent a weaker horse becoming trapped by a stronger horse during a fight).
  • Water. This may be naturally occurring water or a large tub of water. Ensure that the water is of satisfactory quality. In the case of a large tub, ensure that it is not allowed to become empty or fouled.
  • Woods. A piece of woodland provides shelter and stimulation for horses; if well maintained it is a definite plus.

Check what other horses will be on the pasture with yours.

  • Size, Age and Strength. The horses should be of approximately the same size, age and strength. Mixing young, strong horses with old, weak horses can result in the stronger horses bullying the older horses. This can result in injuries, stress-related illness, or simply that the older horses are not left in peace to eat and relax sufficiently.
  • Stability. Long term pasture rents are better than short-term, as each time a different horse is introduced there is stress and potential issues.
  • Numbers. If there are only 2 or 3 horses per pasture, it is relatively easy to see the relationships between the horses and ensure that they are compatible.
  • Stallions. Mature stallions need to be on their own, to prevent fighting and inadvertent mating.

The level of service associated with the pasture is important. Does an experienced horse person check the horses periodically? How often and how closely? Are the fences examined regularly for holes or breakages? Is the water kept clean?

Partial Board

In this case the stable manager provides stall space (a box), along with paddock and/or pasture. However, caring for the horse is the responsibility of the horse owner rather than the stable manager.

There are a number of variations on this:

  • Stable manager provides only the stall, plus paddock/pasture. Everything else is the responsibility of the horse owner.
  • Stable manager also provides bedding and hay. The advantage is that by buying in bulk, the stable manager can purchase these for a lower price than the individual horse owner. In addition, the stable manager can stock them on-site, which is more convenient for the horse owner than if they have to bring their own.
  • Stable manager does some of the work. In this case, certain activities are done by the stable manager and others are left to the client. The division of the activities is up to the stable manager and client, but includes: daily mucking out and replacement bedding, cleaning and checking of hooves, grooming, general surveillance for health issues and associated contact with vet, worming, exercise.

One needs to consider what happens if you are unable from time to time (e.g. work commitments, family crisis, away on holiday) to perform all the daily requirements. Do you need to find a friend to do these or will the stable manager do them for you? In the latter case, what are the additional fees?

Full Board

Full board includes all the routine items normally required by a horse. The monthly fee covers the facilities (stall, paddock/pasture), materials (bedding, food), and labor (mucking out, feeding, keeping an eye on the horse’s health).

Additional services which might be provided include: regular brushing down of the horse, periodic shower, exercising.

Facilities

In addition to the basics (pasture, paddock, stalls), additional facilities which may be present include: exercise/training ring, arena, tack room (with or without individual lockable facilities), changing room, food and drink facilities, horse shower, warming lamps, medical facilities. Their may be on-site horse trails, or public horse trails nearby.

Many of these facilities do not pay for themselves, so are paid for by higher boarding costs. If you make substantial use of the facilities, then you may wish to board your horse with a stable that can provide them. If you don’t use such facilities, it may be cheaper to use a stable providing more basic facilities.

Specialist Boarding

Some stables specialize in certain services or types of horses. For example:

  • Training. Some stables offer training, for you or your horse or both. This allows you to train without having to go off-site.
  • Older Horses. Older horses have specialist needs. They may require food supplements, due to dental problems which prevent them for eating sufficient grass and hay. They may need a diet which is lower or higher in certain nutrients to compensate for aging organs. They are less robust and need more care (e.g. warming jackets and rain jackets in winter). They are prone to bullying by younger horses. Stables which specialize in older horses have more experience and understanding of such special needs.
  • Stallions. Keeping adult stallions requires specialist facilities and expertise. Fences need to be higher and more robust than for other horses, otherwise the stallion may well go over or through them. If there are others in neighboring pastures, single fences need to be converted to a double line of spaced fences, to maintain separation between the stallion and the other horses. Stallions cannot be put on the same pasture as other stallions as they will fight (to the point of serious injury or even death) and for the same reason one should not put a stallion in the same field as a gelding. Even putting a stallion in the same pasture as a mare can lead to serious injuries to either or both (which is one of the reasons that breeding is often done under tightly controlled conditions). The behavior of stallions is also less controllable, especially when there are mares nearby, so they should have experienced handlers.
  • Foals. Young horses are educated and socialized largely through play with other young horses. The private owner and the smaller breeders may only have one or two foals at a time and consequently cannot provide this valuable experience. By sending the foal to a specialist foal boarding stable, they enable their foals to mature naturally.
  • Medical. A few stables specialist in injured and chronically ill horses. Although they may not be trained vets, they will have more experience and expertise than the average stable manager in routine medical treatments such as: icing tendons, cleaning wounds, changing dressings, administrating medications and injections, treating an ulcerated eye and other such common procedures.

by Dr. Doug Stewart from his website www.wowhorses.com

 

Fri 19 Nov 2010

Horse Boarding Stable Etiquette

Posted by under Horse Boarding Stable Etiquette
No Comments

There are several rules in riding arenas and horse barns that are universal.

While many barns have written rules that spell out many of these rules, some things are practiced in almost all situations where there are a group of horses owned and ridden by different people.  Knowing these rules and abiding by them is as important as the obeying the rules of the road when driving a car.

Boarding Stable Barn Etiquette

Each barn has its own personality, its very own unique feel. Some are friendlier than others. Some are fancy, while others are more down home. Some house very serious competitors, and there are those who just want to have fun. But across the board, the basics of barn behavior, barn etiquette if you will, is universal. When riding in an arena going the same direction as another horse, let the person ahead of you know if you are going to pass to the inside or the outside, say “inside” or “outside” and stick to it. Don’t change your mind at the last second. The horse and rider in front of you needs to rely on you to make the right choice. It’s hard to ride when you’re looking over your shoulder.

When a horse is approaching you from the opposite direction, it’s just like driving a car. That horse should most always be on your left. Changing directions and reversing should be announced also. You don’t have to shout, just simply state the fact. Most often the other riders will oblige. Let them know if you are going to school over jumps. There is nothing more annoying, not to mention potentially dangerous, than having a horse and rider start taking jumps without advance warning. When entering and leaving the arena, say “Door” to let others know you are entering and leaving; approach crossties with regard to the horse and rider. Horses can spook for seemingly no reason at all, don’t give them excuses.

Clean up after your horse in the grooming area and crossties. Until that bridle is on, there is no reason to not do it right then and there. If your horse is completely tacked, it’s a given you’re not going to unbridle him and put him back in a halter so you can clean up. Nor do you want to hook crossties to his bridle. Clean it up when you finish riding. Chances are if it is a busy barn, someone will go ahead and clean it up for you before grooming and tacking their horse. Thank them and remember to return the favor. A boarding stable with horse owners that look out for one another is the best barn to be in.

Thus said, this does not apply to giving treats to another person’s horse. Do not, I repeat, do not assume it is okay to pass out carrots, apples, sugar cubes, low-cal treats, or anything of the like. It is not your right. Let me say that again. It is not your right. It is wrong. If you have asked the owner’s permission and it has been granted, that’s a different thing. Aside from that, even if the horse is the best beggar in the world and does handstands and summersaults for carrots, please, please, please, walk on by. That horse could be on a special diet, he could have just been wormed, treated with medication. He could be allergic. You don’t know. His owner knows, and rightfully so. It’s not your horse.

In certain barns, it’s alright to give your horse extra hay. Not anyone else’s, just yours. The best thing to do if you are finding that your horse doesn’t have hay and you hate leaving him or her that way is to talk to the barn manager or owner. Ask them what time horses are hayed and how often, when is night check, when is water topped off? As a rule, horses are not always going to have hay in their stalls, particularly the easy keepers. They eat quickly and take a dream-filled nap in preparation for the next feeding.

If you do give your horse hay, be quiet about it. The other horses are bound to get stirred up when they see you blatantly serving up hay to your horse and not them. It is not acceptable in any barn that I know of to hay your horse and then go hay everyone else’s because you feel bad, now that you have them all riled up. It goes back to not knowing each horse’s needs. Again, check with the owner or barn manager. This applies even more so with grain.

Do not borrow another person’s tack, blankets, and turnout sheets, fly masks; fly spray, etc. without asking. Do not borrow grooming supplies such as hoof picks and scissors without asking. Do not borrow grooming brushes and combs, period. It’s not good practice. Don’t leave your horse’s halter hooked to the crosstie. Before you leave for the day, snap your horse’s halter and lead shank together and hang it in the designated area by his or her stall. In case of emergency or fire, this step-saving measure could possibly save your horse’s life. Post your contact information on the front of your horse’s stall, including blacksmith and veterinarian’s phone number. If you water your horse, rewind the hose. If you pick out your horse’s stall, empty the muck basket and put the pitchfork away. Flush the toilet when you use it. Don’t let things spoil in the refrigerator. Don’t get into barn gossip, nothing good will come of it. Turn out the lights. Close the gates and doors. Be careful. Sound like home? It is your home; it’s your second home. It’s where your horse lives and chances are you spend a lot of time there. Enjoy!

MaryAnn Myers is an equestrian, horse trainer, and environmentalist. She is the author of equine novels, “Maple Dale,” “Favored to Win,” “Maple Dale Revisited,” and newly released, “Ellie’s Crows.” She lives with her family on an organic farm in Northeast Ohio, that houses rescue dogs and retirement horses. For more information about MaryAnn, please visit: http://www.sunrisehorsefarm.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=MaryAnn_Myers
 

Thu 18 Nov 2010

Horse Boarding Contract

Posted by under Horse Boarding Contract
No Comments

A Horse Boarding Contract is designed to protect the boarding stable and the boarder.

You should expect any well run barn to have a boarding contract along with a liability release, a horse information form, and barn rules.  The boarding contract should spell out what type of agreement you are entering into when you board your horse.  It ensures that both parties understand what to expect of each other.

Horse Boarding Contract

What You Need to Consider Before You Sign

By Lynn Espinoza

Before signing that horse boarding contract, have you ever stopped to wonder what all that fine print actually means? Reading over the entire contract positions you as an informed consumer with a more complete understanding of your responsibilities. Below we will be discussing why you need to sign a contract, the important sections on a typical contract, and how you can best protect yourself as a potential boarder.

Why Do You Need to Sign A Contract?
A horse boarding contract is a binding document that spells out the agreement you have with the barn owner. Usually including your payment obligations each month and the rights of the boarding facility should you fail to comply with the contract.

It is also most likely a requirement of the owner for you to sign a horse boarding contract with them, and not your choice. The barn owner usually needs each boarder to fill out a contract for legal and insurance reasons. It is a means for barn owners to protect themselves from liability and hold you accountable for all fees and charges you incur while your horse is on their property.

What Are The Important Parts Of A Contract?
Fees and services are spelled out clearly in most contracts. General board includes basic services for the daily care of your horse. The price will reflect the amount of daily services you expect to receive. For example, you will pay more per month if your horse has a stall compared to someone who has their horse on full pasture board.

Other added services may include administering wormer or daily supplements, regular exercise, horse training, and riding lessons. Also included in this section is information regarding the day of each month board is due with late fees and charges.

Most boarding facilities enforce health regulations on new horses coming into the barn. Usually you will have to provide proof of current negative coggins and in some cases prove that your horse is up to date on all shots and deworming. Some facilities may enforce a routine care schedule for veterinary care and deworming. If the boarding facility has specific requirements, they should be outlined specifically in the horse boarding contract. Keeping your horse current in all veterinary care will help stop the spread of equine illness.

Some contracts outline a procedure for emergency situations. As a horse owner you must be prepared for the unexpected. From small injuries to potential life or death situations, it is a good idea to provide an emergency phone number at the very least. A release to provide veterinary care when the barn owner cannot reach you can help ensure your horse gets any needed veterinary care, especially in an emergency.

If you have an insurance policy on your horse for mortality, major medical or surgical coverage, you should always provide that information along with the emergency phone number for the insurance company should your horse become ill or injured. Most insurance policies require immediate notification of the illness or injury to honor the claim on the policy.

If your horse boarding contract does not have any information on equine insurance policies, provide the barn owner with an emergency phone number, a copy of the insurance policy, and the insurance emergency phone number. It may also be a good idea to keep a card in your wallet with the emergency insurance phone number and your horse’s policy number.

A liability release may also be included in the contract or drafted as a separate document for you to sign. Basically it releases the boarding facility from any liability resulting in your willing participation in equine activities on their property. Some facilities will require a signed release from any additional party you may bring on to their property, even if it is your horse they intend to interact with.

How Can I Protect Myself?
Your best protection as a boarder is to keep yourself informed by thoroughly reading and understanding the horse boarding contract before you sign. By doing this you have the complete understanding of all your obligations as a tenant to the boarding facility.

You also understand the rights of the boarding facility should you fail to pay. After a certain number of missed payments, a boarding stable may have the rights to take ownership of your horse if outlined as such in the boarding contract.

Your best bet is to stay informed and continue to make your payments on time. Establish a good relationship with the barn owner and anyone largely in charge of the care of your horse. Make sure the facility has updated insurance and health information along with an easy way to contact you in case of emergency. Not all of the above discussed sections will appear on a contract so if you have any concerns make sure you inquire with the facility owner and keep copies of everything you sign for future reference.

About The Author:

Lynn Espinoza invites you to visit http://www.stock-horse-show-source.com/horse-stables.htmlfor more information on horse stables, boarding, and the horse boarding contract.

Lynn has been active in riding and showing horses since 2000. She is a lifelong equine addict with no hopes of recovery and admits since buying her first horse as a young adult that she is an expert on not being an expert when it comes to owning and showing horses. She is also the creator and founder of Stock Horse Show Source http://www.stock-horse-show-source.com, developed to educate novice equine enthusiasts on the basics of horse keeping and showing.

(c) Copyright stock-horse-show-source.com, all rights reserved.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lynn_Espinoza