Horse Riding Articles

Choosing the Right Barn for Horseback Riding

Not everyone has the luxury of keeping their horses at home.  Although it is preferable to have some acreage and it's much easier to care for your horses at home, many horse owners live in areas where that is not an option.  Because of this, horse owners must choose a boarding barn where they can keep their horse in a safe environment.  Many barns are also used for horseback riding lessons, which can be ideal if you are looking to take your riding skills to the next level.
Horses should be kept in safe conditions at the least. This means aisles should be clear, stalls should not have any dangerous features such as hanging hooks or sharp pieces, and stall mats should not present a tripping hazard. Stalls should be well mucked. Some piles are acceptable, but it should not appear as though the stalls have not been mucked in days. That is unacceptable and harmful to the horses’ hooves.
 A good way to judge the quality of a barn is to make a surprise visit. After the initial meeting with the barn owner/instructor has been made, one can stop by the barn because they were “in the neighborhood,” and take a look around. If everything seems as it was before, then it is probably the standard level of safety and cleanliness. If things are a mess, one can assume that the barn is normally a mess—not the best to keep your horse or to take lessons from. It is never a good idea to keep your horse at such a facility or take horse riding lessons at an unsafe barn or to ride a horse that is unhealthy.
The cleanliness of a barn has a lot to do with your horse's health and not just in terms of having a clean stall.  A clean barn is also one that is swept and does not have excess hay or grain lying around on the ground.  Excess feed attracts mice and other small animals and these animals can cause disease to spread to the horses.  A good barn will also keep sick horses away from the healthy horses and will have pasture that you can turn your horse out into for exercise.  Horses are not meant to stand in a stall all day and a good barn will provide you with options for exercise.  Many barns also allow you to turn your horses out into their arenas for playtime if pasture is not ample.
Even if you are teaching yourself to ride, it can be useful to choose a barn that also offers English or Western riding lessons.  Trainers can provide you with a lot of insight into riding without you having to pay them for that information.

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