Van
Hargis Basic Training
Boarding and Shelter
If you are a new horse owner or are considering buying a horse, one of the first things you should consider is what kind of shelter your horse will need. Depending on the weather in your part of the country, you may want to consider a fully enclosed barn or maybe just a three sided covered stall. In our area of northeast Texas the weather is fairly mild, even in winter, and although we do have a stall barn that is fully enclosed we also have sheds and shades for the animals who reside out in the pasture they can go in or out as when they need to to get out of the weather or out of the hot Texas sun.
We recommend if you stall your horse, that you build stalls at least 12x12 ft., this will give the horse plenty of room to move around and lay down if he needs to. They should be free of sharp edges and have walls stout enough to take a good kick. Corner feeders and hanging water buckets will keep your stall clutter free and roomy. We use pine shavings in our stalls and clean them twice daily. A few hours of turnout time every day is also very important to the good health of your horse to relieve boredom and give him adequate exercise.
If you decide to board your animal, then you have many options to consider. Do you want to pasture board or have your horse kept in a stall? Is there a boarding facility near you? Do they offer the kind of services and facilities you need, like arenas, lessons, trails and overnight supervision for your horse? Do they offer full board and half care and what is included in each service? Some facilities offer pasture care, or a small pasture with a small stall included. This option is a great idea for the horse owner who wants his animal to have a little more freedom of movement. Is the facility clean, well managed, the horses kept in clean stalls with clean water and good nutrition. It is always a good idea to visit with some of the other boarders and get their opinions. And shop around, if you live in a large city, there may be more than one boarding stable in your area.
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