At one time I kept
my horses on my own property. Loved having them right
there. Life changes and now I board. For the past 13 yrs. rough
board at the same barn. What makes it unique is that I've always had a
partner. It's a small place & only 5 horses. 2 are mine.
Basically, we co-op horse care. One big hay order & we divvy the
price per bale. Each buys own grain, etc. We have a set feeding
schedule, who feeds when. All use the same farrier & take turns as to
who is there for trims/shoeing. Use the same vet = 1 barn call. All
worm the same day. Each cleans their own stalls. We basically own
the barn & field. The owner only does major repairs. We fix
fencing, mow, rake, shovel snow, manage manure, seed fields,
etc.
Now then, all this
takes a lot of co operation & people who have the same basic horse
sense. Over the years we've had 2 nut cases join us. Luckily, the
property owner realized this & agreed when it was time to tell them to
go. Since the last nut was at the barn, the owner & my other partner
& I agreed that a contract was necessary. We drew one up, all
reviewed & added 2 cents & we all signed. Newest partner is
working out great.
So we all
have it like it was our own place but also have the advantage of someone to
"cover" for vacation, rides, etc. After you just "pay back" your
shift, stall cleaning or whatever. It's kind of nice to go to the barn at
10 am for a ride & not have to worry about the other work. Great
situation if you can find it.
