Re: stall runner

[TStampke <zebella@northrim.net>]

Niccolai Murphy wrote:   
> 
> 1. Rent has to be related to square footage. So 24 hour turn out in a
> big paddock, even if shared with some other horses has to be more
> expensive in rent.
> 
When I have boarded, I have found it to be exactly the opposite..the
less "goodies" ie shavings, cleaning, fancy barn stall, the less rent.


> 2. Man-hours goes up too. Our horses are turned out 24 hours unless it
> rains and the paddock gets too slippery for humans to go wandering in,
> then they come down the hill to the barn next to the house. Cleaning
> and feeding takes less than half the time when they are in the barn
> than when they are turned out.

how is this so?  Most short coated horses are blanketed whether they are
inside or out.  Since I doubt that most race stable have a 5 acre turn
out, it shouldn't be too difficult to put out food in a small paddock. 
And, time is saved not having to clean a stall every day...most barns I
have seen simply drag their paddocks.
> 
> 3. Also increasing man-hours is the extra time it takes to go out
> there and fetch a horse everytime you need to do something with it,
> like vet visits, ferrier visits, feed supplements and grain (either
> you have to fetch it to a stall to make sure it gets the supplements
> and not some other horse or you have to nose bag it and wait for it to
> finish) and ride.

I am imagining at best, a 100 x 200 sq foot paddock...not exactly the
wide open range...ours are cross fenced and we merely shut the different
horses into different sides when we feed...after a day or so, each horse
knows where "its" feeder is, and we don't have to direct them at all.
> 
> 4. You also spend more time removing dirt and mud from the horse.
> Since track horses are probably mostly clipped, you probably need to
> spend extra time going out to blanket the fella too.
> 
maybe....but the horse is most likely blanketed and hooded, as I imagine
the horse in the barn is as well, so at most, it would probably be
limited to its legs/ underbelly...

The cost adds up.

what cost a happier, healthier horse?

Tracy Stampke