I love my barn... I love my barn.....

[SharonA]

I was just looking at horse facilities in San Diego, on behalf of my sister, and at many places there is no even halfway decent turn-out, and of course no grass pasture.

I was feeling badly about not having been able to find time to ride my horse for a few days, but SHE DOES NOT KNOW HOW GOOD SHE HAS IT!!!! I completely do not feel guilty now. She has been lolling happily in her nice big grass pasture where she can chase the geese, play "remove the fly mask" with her peers, admire the beginnings of Fall foliage, and maybe occasionally suffer for, I don't know, 15 or 30 seconds without food in her mouth while she scratches her leg or something.

Board is expensive in my area, but OMG, it feels worth it when I look at the realities of boarding in, for instance, a high-population-density desert where land prices are ridiculous.

[sublimequine]

That's how I feel too. I changed barns recently, and my travel time to the barn has doubled. But it is SO SO SO worth it, now I don't feel guilty if I miss a day, I know she's fat and happy out in her big grass pasture, instead of sitting in a dry lot waiting for me to bring her a big bucket of hay cubes to keep her stomach satiated(sp?).

Once you find the perfect barn, you just are SO thankful. :yes:

[ThoroughbredFancy]

I definitely know what you're talking about.

When I was attempting to find a place for training board none of them seemed to offer turn out. And if they did it was in a 30ft x 30ft dirt square. Barely bigger than stall it seemed.

A lot of places just didn't just didn't seem to think turn out or large turn out was necessary.

Although I am still wishing that many of these places would be able to provide more turn out and believe in free choice forage/hay. It really helps a lot of horses.

[ontarget]

Board is absolutely terrible in So Cal. :no: Before I knew what was good for my horses, they were all boarded at a show barn with no turnout. Now with a horse that absolutely requires turnout for 12+ hours a day, I can't imagine boarding any horse in a place where there is no turnout. And to think of all the horses who might have had similar conditions, or horses who were going lame who might have benefited from moving around for at least half of the day...

:(

[LovelyBay]

I pasture board my horse now because I couldn't find a decent place with a stall at turnout! I scarifice being able to ride easily in the winters ( I have to haul somewhere), but my horse's happiness and well being is worth it.
Anyone ever looked into the Paddock Paradise movement??? It looks interesting but I don't know much about it.

[WombatCA]

Having grown up in San Diego I think about this a lot when I read all the posts here about turn out. I have owned horses for over 20 years and have never been in a place where turn out is available. The best we ever have is 20-30 minutes turned out in one of the riding arenas. I truly didn't even really know about turn out as a kid.
Now, I wish I could find a place with turn out for my horses, but it really doesn't exist. I've often thought that if I moved back East I wouldn't know how to keep a horse on turn out. It would be like re-learning horse ownership!