Re: Another Overnight Stabling Guide

["Susan Swope-Attardi" <NAGZARUS@prodigy.net>]

I was afraid that perhaps McAlisters guide was out of print.  A real shame.
It was an excellent publication with potential for becoming even better.  It
gave the "inside scoop" on these places.  At the web site for the travel
guide, it had an area for folks who had been to various sites to give a
critique.  Many months ago, I tried to access the site and it was no longer
there either.

Susan Swope
AERC SE Region
Kentucky

A horse is the projection of peoples' dreams about themselves -
strong, powerful, beautiful - and it has the capability of giving us
escape from our mundane existence.
                                                     Pamela Brown, b. 1928



-----Original Message-----
From: Linda B. Merims <lbm@ici.net>
To: ridecamp@endurance.net <ridecamp@endurance.net>
Date: Wednesday, October 07, 1998 8:57 AM
Subject: Another Overnight Stabling Guide


>
>Just this past week I discovered to my chagrin that Bruce McAllister's
>North American Horse Travel Guide has gone out of print.  Nobody I
>called has it anymore (SportTack, Dover, Amazon.com, State Line,
>Robin Bledsoe, Knight, Barnes and Noble, Borders, Book Stable, etc.)
>Many of them have something called "Hawkins Guide" which lists regulations
>and vets and emergency trailer service places nationwide, but which
>does *not* list stabling accommodations.
>
>The story I got from Teddy Lancaster at Running Bear Farm was that
>McAllister is getting a bit on and decided it had just gotten to be
>too much to revise and has let it go out of print.
>
>So I've got 1000 miles to go with my horse over two days, in our first
>long distance jaunt.  What am I supposed to do?
>
>At a small local tack shop I discovered another overnight stabling
>guide.  Evidently this book is one that is available through the
>Automobile Association of America (AAA).  It is called:
>
>  _U.S. Stabling Guide:  The Country's Comprehensive Guide for Horse
>    Transportation in the United States and Canada_.  336 pages.
>    By James Balzotti.  $24.95.  Balzotti Publications.  5 Barker
>    Street, Pembroke, MA, 02359. 1-800-829-0715.
>
>I've got the 3rd edition, for 1997.  Balzotti Publications says it is
>updated annually.  As near as I can tell, the thing does not have an
>ISBN number.  (There is an ISSN number on it:  ISSN:1083-4036.  But
>I'm not sure if that's for this book or a different book from Balzotti's
>called _Best Horseback Riding Vacations_.)
>
>I never took a good look at McAllister's book, so I cannot tell you
>whether this is as good, better, or worse than the North American Horse
>Travel Guide.  The listings are compiled by five regional agents.
>The listings are by state.  For each state there is a map that shows
>fairly clearly where the towns are in which there is a listed stable
>that will take overnighters, so you can look at your route and tell
>pretty quickly who the candidate farms are.  Then, each farm is
>listed. Here is a sample listing:
>
>  Washington State...
>
>   Deer Park
>   Blue Haven Stables
>   Randy & Pamela Heiman.  W. 8516 Staley Road [99006]  Phone:
509-276-7968.
>   Directions:  Located 4 miles west of Hwy 395 at Staley Road Exit.  Call
>   for directions.  Facilities:  19 indoor stalls, indoor arena, 40 acres
of
>   pastures and paddocks, 1/4 mile outdoor track, feed/hay & trailer
parking
>   available.  Has jogging machine for horses that goe sup to 18 mph for
race
>   horses.  Breeds, trains, & sells American Saddlebreds.  Farrier on
premises.
>   Call for reservation.  Rates:  $15 pernight; $75 per week.
>   Accommodations:  Motels 6 miles from stable.
>
>The number of farms listed per state varies from pretty dense coverage
>with 37 listings for Tennessee, to rather middling coverage like 24
>listings for New York state, down to pretty sparse coverage with
>small numbers like 7 for Iowa.  Some of the listings are B&Bs that
>can put you up for the night as well as your horse.  The book says
>the listed farms are not guaranteed to be inspected in advance of
>listing, but if they receive two complaints about any listing, it is
>inspected by one of the regional agents before they will continue to
>list it.
>
>I was able to find a place right near where I want to make my overnight
>using this guide, so it has served its purpose for me.  And at the moment
>it seems to be the only game in town.
>
>I have no association with these people whatsoever.  With McAllister's
>Guide unavailable, I believe people will be keen to know that some
>alternative exists.
>
>Linda B. Merims
>lbm@ici.net
>Massachusetts, USA
>