How far do you drive to board?

[paintedtrails]

I'm used to having my horse within a 10 minute drive, but with the current move (to Memphis, TN) I am having a harder time finding a good spot close by. Problem 1, I am in a hotel house hunting while starting work...and thus, have no idea what part of town we will be living in long term. Problem 2, most stuff nearby is H/J and I am a pleasure & trail rider (thus even more expensive to board).
So, my horse has been back in IN without me for the past 3 weeks now...I have a great BO and we check in a lot. Needless to say, I am dying to get him here!

So anyway, I found a great barn and love the people and the area (tons of trails)...Problem: 45min from my current local making it only possible for me to get out there consistently on weekends until my hubby is in town too. It is also a little more expensive than the current barn, so the 1/4 tank it takes to get there & back is an additional cost to that too (which could be bad if gas prices surge again).

For those boarding...How far do you drive (miles/time) to see your horse(s)? How often do you go out there?

[sublimequine]

15 minutes typically, I can get there in about 8 on an early Sun morning or in the middle of a weekday. :lol:

I go every day, sometimes twice a day. I do love having my barn close by, as I feel I can watch over my mare's care better, and do a lot of her care myself (ie, I change her blankets since barn doesn't offer that, I feed her an extra meal every day, give her supplements, etc).

[hunt_jumpfl]

I currently drive 30minutes, but with the tolls going up next month I will start driving the surface streets and the drive will be closer to 45 minutes to an hour. It is about 25 miles one way. I'm a PhD student and work - typically my job is only 20hrs/wk during the semester, but this term in addition to my normal job I'm on a 20 hr/wk teaching assistantship. Riding is my break from the real world. Most weeks I get out to the barn to ride 4-5 times per week. I'm luck that my trainer has arena lights so even in the winter we can typically ride in the evenings. Actually down here summer is often more difficult due to the rainy afternoons.

I should add that I am single and don't have 2 legged kids, so I have minimal family obligations (though much of my family is in the local area, so I still see them quite often).

[Parker_Rider]

30-45 min, depending on traffic and if I take the toll road because I'm late for a lesson :) It's a hike, but my parents live about 3 minutes away from the barn, so it's convenient for them to visit the ponies and spoil them rotten when I'm not around (or stuck in class like I currently am!) Also convenient for me to drop by their house to get free meals on my way home ;)!!

[webmistress32]

gas is going to get much more expensive, you want to factor that into your thinking.

[LuvMyDressageQH]

My drive is about 20 minutes - about 9 miles. I go to the barn about 5 days a week. Would probably be more but I have to work some nights & weekends, and on the weekend the barn closes at 5 pm.

I had been boarding at a lovely smaller facility but over the summer I moved, increasing the drive to that barn from about 1/2 hour to an hour :( With the crazy gas prices last summer it was awful, but I was out there at least 3-4 days per week.

I definitely like being able to be close enough to drive out if I feel like it, or *knock on wood* in case of an emergency.

[paintedtrails]

The barn that I like COULD be only 20 minutes away, depending on the house we end up buying...if it stayed at 45min away, I'd likely try and move him closer in the long run.
We don't have kids YET...this fall there will be an addition though! We also have lots of 4 legged creatures at home to spend time with.
I am also trying really hard to find a house with a barn, so I can move him home if I want to too:) (and that would add a hubby/kid horse to the fam too)

[atr]

About 25 minutes from home, but about 45 minutes from work.

[KBG Eventer]

Five minutes tops if the traffic at the four way stop is built up. :D

Thirty minutes from school.

[kahjul]

One time I boarded 30 minutes away-never again. I'll forfiet ceratin things for location. I don't want her more than 15 mins-and the closer the better. If you ever have an injury and need to treat 2-3 times a day you will more than make up for other things in gas, time, etc. If you pay someone for the service, it's even more. Plus you have to wonder if it's done right, etc. Hopefully you never have this issue, but it seems to me most everyone would have some issue sometime.

[Irish Ei's]

25 miles=45 minutes, average.

[Beverley]

My barn is 5 minutes away- 10 if I catch both red lights. It's one of three within the same driving distance- but when I moved here in 1995, there were many more that have since been subdivided. I figure with the economy as it is, I'm safe for a few more years.

[kellyb]

I'm currently 30 minutes/15 miles from the barn. I wouldn't want it to be much more than that - the waste of time kind of bothers me...that is 1 hour just in the car per trip. An hour that could be spent riding, or getting home sooner to be with family.

I'm looking into options that are closer to my house...even though they are more costly, I think the time saved will be worth it.

[dalpal]

45 minutes and it's a pain in the ass drive.

I live in the city and the first part of the drive (last part coming home) takes forever through all the freakin stop lights. It takes me about 15 minutes just to get through 4 miles of the drive, if I hit all the lights red.

I try not to drive during rush hour....not that Raleigh is a huge city, but I detest getting on the beltline with all the crazies who are late for working/driving like lunatics.

Once I get to the country part of the drive....it's okay. I have about 15 minutes of city driving, 10 minutes of highway, and 20 minutes of country roads.

There are few decent dressage barns in this immediate area and even fewer with top notch instructors. I've driven as much as 1.5 hours one way before.

I just wish we could win the lottery and I buy my own place. :yes:

[Beethoven]

I am spolied! I walk downstairs! I live in the barn apartment as I am the barn manager, but I still technically am boarding my horses! I love it! I like looking out my windows and seeing them!:D

I have driven as far as 50 mins one way for boarding. When you have a good trainer its worth it!

[Donkey]

25 minutes with no traffic. I live in a condo in a city so I must head out of town or sit in horrific traffic to get to any barn. I don't really notice the commute but living closer would be nicer (I'd love to stop by just to say hello to my girl), but then my commute to work would be longer :sigh:

[Simkie]

I'm about 12 miles or 20 minutes away. I live in a pretty small town, so nothing is TOO far away. I have boarded up to 60-90 minutes away, depending on traffic...but was mostly an absentee owner then.

[WhisperHeart]

right now about 5 mins if i don't have wait on other cars if i have to wait it can be close to 10

when i move it'll only be as long as it takes me to walk from my back door to the pasture gate.

[ReSomething]

I take lessons only, and my current barn is 20 minutes , 7 very country miles, and on the way to work. Same distance from my daughter's school and in a pinch she could take the schoolbus there. The old barn is now 20 minutes on the other side of work, or about an hour or hour and a half depending on the traffic. Daughter would have to be chauffeured there. It wouldn't be such a huge deal, if I were alone but with DD in the picture it becomes a deal breaker. (Especially for DH, the chauffeur).

[SarahandSam]

About 50 minutes generally, might end up being closer to an hour when I move in a few weeks. It's a pain in the butt, and I do have someplace to board that's only 20 minutes away or so, but I love my barn and barn owners, and my horse is happy and well-taken-care-of. I don't worry as much about injury care, because frankly my BOs know a lot more than I do, so I'm happy paying them to do that service. In the summer I'll make it out to the barn 4-5 times a week usually, because I'm a teacher and have the summer off. In the winter, I go on Saturdays, and that's usually it--the drive is just too long and snowy most of the time, and it's hard to make it after work when it's dark and I'm tired. I wish he were closer, but in my case, I'm willing to sacrifice my getting to see him more often because I know he's getting great care in a great facility even when I don't get to see him for a week or two.

[Simbalism]

The farm where I board is 22 miles one way. It takes me about 30 min from my house and just slightly longer from work.

[lalahartma1]

45 minutes from home, but half that from work.

[Carolinadreamin']

10 minutes away. Our trainer is also the barn owner. The facility consists of jumping arena, 2 dressage arenas, 200 acres including huge field with cross country course, trails through the woods. She takes care of it all by herself (and works like a dog). Subdivisions are slowly encroaching and we dread the day that the owner of the land decides to sell. I appreciate what we've got every time I'm out there. We're happy and our horse is happy.

[loshad]

I board about 40 miles from home -- during the work week it takes me about 50 minutes to an hour to get there (rush hour traffic) and 40 minutes to get home again.

[myhorsefaith]

I board 18 miles from home, currently. 38 miles from work, unfortunately.

3 weekdays per week, routine is this: work by 6am, leave by 3pm (most days), drive straight to barn. Get there by 4 (usually). 2 days a week I do not go to the barn, because i usually have to stay late at work, which means traffic would turn the commute into a multi-hour ordeal.

Weekends I tend to go at the same time as I am responsible for turning them in those days.

I would LOFF to find a place closer to home, but it is just way to expensive, and land is scarce. So, driving a little ways out means I can pay the same price for full care as I would for self care a little closer to home- and at least out there they have decent turn-out. Actually, I think even self care would be more expensive than full care if I brought them closer to suburbia.:dead:

If I had my way I'd live out there, the full 40 miles from work. Ideally they'd be on my property (dreaming), but if not at least there is a slew of cheaper self-care places that'd be minutes away. And I'd love to do it all myself.

Le sigh.

[equest]

I share-board/half lease and the barn is, mercifully, about 15 minutes from my home.

Considering the amount of traffic and driving that is part of life in South Florida, I am very thankful!

[Tiffani B]

I can't take the poll since my answer isn't one of the choices. :(

20-30 minutes depending on traffic.

[CamdenLab]

First barn was 25 minutes away from home and 40 minutes from work, but through backroads so it seemed longer. I went five days per week. When they stopped really caring for my horse, I went seven days per week, sometimes twice just to be sure he was still alive (OK, over-reacting a little).

Second barn was 45 minutes from home and an hour or so from work and that was PAINFUL. It was freeway, highway, backroads, lots of stoplights. This was when gas was $5/gallon. So, doubly painful. I went 4 - 5 days per week, but sometimes three as the drive was just too much.

Third barn was 20 minutes away from home, 10 minutes with no traffic and lots of luck with lights and about 30 minutes from work. I had to go seven days per week as it was partial care. It did not have good riding amenities. I only boarded there because my horse was having issues with his weight, the gas prices and being away from home for so long was wreaking havoc on my relationship.

Current barn is 30 minutes from home and about the same from work. It is pretty much all free-way except for a five-mile stretch of highway with lights, but the lights are more often than not in my favor. Plus, along the highway are grocery stores and feed stores so I can do errand there instead of near home and my home is five minutes off the freeway without any stores between, so it works out well. He is on a four acre pasture with run-in so I don't feel guilty not going to the barn. He has lots of space, food and friends.

I have three dogs, a full-time career, a fiance and he has three kids that are with us every weekend and some weekdays during the summer. So, it's important that the barn be at least convenient to me. I factor in everything from location, how far from freeways, traffic patterns, places near the facility, etc. I go early, 4:30AM, so that I can get barn-time in before work and have my evenings for myself, my relationship, the kids and the dogs. On the weekends, I'm more flexible and occasionally I won't go on one weekend day.

[zippandrich]

i went from 10 mins down the road at a while clean back-yard barn the owner was mentally nutts to a 15 min from work/ school to a 30 45 min drive home. There is no good way to get home from the barn but i wouldn't trade it for anything people are awesome and great care.
i go to school from 6-12 then work from 12-5 then i go up normally on monday, wednesday,thursday, friday,saturday sunday. But he's abcessed in both front feet so i've been driving up everyday which is fine if i know he's okay!

Just ready to be done with school to walk out my back-yard and have him home!

[GreyHunterHorse]

I voted for over an hour, because if I go from work, which is most days, it takes me 1.5 to 1.75 to get there.

If I go from home, weekends, it takes like 40 minutes.

[BuddyRoo]

If traffic is decent, I can get there from work in about 30 min and from home in about 45.

Hate it.

Used to have them 5 min away. Prior to that they were 20 min away.

I think the reason it bugs me so much is that it makes "going to see the horses" a minimum of a 3 hour deal and that's if I only ride one or do a little grooming on both.

I've been trying to go about 4-5 days per week. It's starting to get $$ on the gas.

[LD1129]

I am about 45-hour from home and 40 minutes from work.

[Arizona DQ]

My drive is about ten minutes max on unimproved dirt roads. I could take the paved road but after my speeding ticket (cost $125 :no:) I stay off the main roads ;).

My trainer is also my BO and takes care of everything, We have a small barn (9 horses), dressage arena and unlimited dirt roads and open country for trail rides. I am very lucky to have such a great situation and have my horse so close by.

I work full time, breed and show dogs and also judge, so my time is limited. I ride about 3 or 4 times a week. Living in AZ makes it a lot easier as we do not have the bad winter weather many of you have to deal with. In the summer, I ride in the early morning before going to work, so we have decent riding weather pretty much all year round...:cool:

[Ponyclubrocks]

45 to 55 minutes each way. I go every day that I am in town. If I could I would move closer to my barn, maybe when I retire....

[BuddyRoo]

Question to those of you who board 45-60 min away....

How do you organize your life?

(not kidding--totally serious)

I have two horses that I really want to keep in full work. I work full time, I also tutor and work a few hours a weekend at a PT job (just 4 hours on Sat or Sun)

I own a home and have the yard/house work, laundry, etc thing to take care of plus my monster dog.

It used to be that my barn was 5 min away, my dog could go with me, etc...

But now I find myself burning 2 hours just doing the driving--making it a 4 hour thing if I work both horses. I can't do that on weeknights AND get any laundry done or walk the dog or whatever....I'm sure there's a way, I just haven't found it yet.

What's your schedule like?

[Tilly]

I currently drive 20 minutes on a really scary highway, but it used to be 50 minutes, on the freeway :yes:

ETA: and I go every day, no matter what the distance is :)

[Bayou Roux]

30 miles, and I'm there every day.

[barrelchick00]

I'm lucky its only 10 minutes and I'm there almost everyday.

[veebug22]

I've gone from having them at home to 10 minutes away, BUT I have an indoor and many other amenities, so fighting the local high school traffic is nothing! I split chores with a friend so some days I only need to be out there once. I have boarded up to 35 minutes away... total pain, but it was full board so it wasn't the end of the world if I didn't get there every day. AND it was better used time when I was there. I was able to spend that time with my horse, not doing stalls, filling buckets, etc. In my mind, if you can afford full care and time is at a premium, I would do that over a closer facility that's self-care. I never thought I'd say this, EVER, but I would love to show up at the barn during the week, have my horse tacked up for a 1/2 hour ride before work, show up at the barn in the evening, and hop on the other one. That is like my dream. I can spend all the time I want with them on the weekends, but week time is at a premium and I do occasionally need to see my husband!

[GreyHunterHorse]

To answer your question, I honestly do NOT think I could do it without a very very very supportive spouse. I have a long commute, 1.25 hours, and we split dog chores in the am. I go in to work at 730, leave at 4. My husband works closer to home and takes care of the dog in the pm, and also cooks dinner. The nights I go to the barn, sometimes we also go to the gym afterwards, which makes for a late night. I have a half-leaser, which takes some of the burden off to ride every day.

Most weeks, I feel like all I do is drive, work, drive, ride, sleep.

[paintedtrails]

Ok, so I guess 45 min isn't too bad...If I get the support I need ;)

[Mrs. Cowboy]

I have a relatively short commute to see the horses 10 miles/15 minutes. But I also have nearly free board, as my horses are kept at my parent's ranch. I pay feed ($50-100 per horse per month) and maintain the facilites on weekends. It's got to be the only affordable way to board 4 horses!

But it beats paying $300 a month per horse to have them in stalls full time!