Moving is always stressful. The boxes, packing, transferring utilities and going to the Post Office to forward the mail, saying goodbye to old friends and then being the new person. Well, should I ever move homes in the future, I need to take it all in stride like Knight did a few days ago when he left his R & R boarding facility and touched down in his new home. He walked off the trailer like he was meant to be there, and promptly found some scraps of hay on the ground and a nearby patch of grass.
A new bromance. Knight has a really nice Friesian friend.
There were no shrill whinnies, no head up in the air, no nervous number two. I overheard someone use the word “gentleman” to describe him. Later when he was turned out in the pasture which doubles as a cross country field, he befriended a Friesian. Knight clearly loves his new home.
Over the weekend (Saturday) there was a torrential downpour and, I had anxiety that my poor baby outside with no roof over his head would be sad and dejected and cold. When I caught him (Sunday), he looked as happy as could be, his left side was crusty mud. (He walked right over to me too which is fabulous because it’s an eight acre field!)
Green Pastures
In case you missed it, over the last few months I have been wooed by the scenic vistas of mountains and vineyards, pastures, and good, old-fashioned horse keeping that I’ve become re-aquainted with thanks to my experiences going out with the local fox hunt several times.
Coming from the Midwest to California, I have never felt comfortable with the common lifestyle for most horses near where I live–a lifestyle that generally means 23 hours per day standing in a stall.
Over the last year I’ve thought about writing a blog post titled “Open Letter to All the Owners of ‘Horse’ Property With No Turnout in SoCal.” In it, I would rail on “them” (same people as “they”) for cramming horses into too-small spaces. It reminds me of the airlines trying to fit more seats on a plane–those horse property owners who cram more stalls or pipe corrals together rather than reserving open space for horses to frolic and play.
A Major Tangent Illustrating How Too Many Stalls is Like the Airlines Getting Greedy
By the way, have you flown on a 737 recently? I traveled to Chicago and back on one (about a 3.5-4 hour flight) for both Thanksgiving and Christmas. I could not get over how cramped it was! I told a flight attendant on the Thanksgiving flight that I did not remember there being so little leg room and such a narrow bathroom. She said the plane was older, but had been remodeled and agreed it was tight. She even admitted wondering why the 737 was being used for a longer flight like CA to IL. For example, when I took my laptop out and set it on the tray table, I could not even type because I was essentially on top of it and the angle was terrible! And the bathroom is so narrow. If you’ve had too much dessert, don’t even try to squeeze in.
Back to Knight, at any rate, it didn’t really occur to me that I could board Knight somewhere so far out in the country until. . . I began talking to different people from the hunt. A number of them live an hour or more away (Knight’s new digs are 66 miles from my house–about an hour and 5 minutes to an hour and 20–and, of course, it’s not at all near my school-it’s the opposite direction, 40 miles from my house–glad I have a plug-in electric hybrid).
I know horses are adaptable creatures, and many of them thrive in a highly-structured equestrian center type environments. I just don’t think Knight is that type of horse. I’ve had more health concerns with him that my three previous horses combined (too thin even though I’m feeding him a ton, ongoing ulcers, narcolepsy in the cross ties, mild colic more times than I can count, getting cast a handful of times, and that 10-day hospital stay for colic that freaked me out and was $$$$$.) Speaking of dollar signs, paying for pasture board is significantly less $. And for that I’m super grateful. (I’m happy to share the going rate of things out here in CA if you want to send me a message and ask.)
Last day at the magical R & R resort.
Hey Good Looking
Knight has never looked as good as he does now, having been about half on pasture and half in a stall for the last several months. The throat muscle that was really developed when he was 23/7 in a more traditional stall or pipe corral has receded. I can’t say he’s stopped cribbing because I’m not monitoring him at all times, but he had this demeanor before of like an addict getting a hit when he’d crib. Now he doesn’t have that vibe.
So 2019 is going to be an interesting year. My goal is to learn as much as I can in this new sport and spot and to have a happy horse. We’re on the first page of Chapter One and boy it feels good.
Share your comment (scroll down): What are your thoughts on horses in a pasture v. in a stall with limited turnout? What is your 2019 Chapter One going to be about?
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I'm Susan and this is my horse Knight. We have been a blogging team since 2015 and we're glad you're here. Tally ho!
Oh the elusive pasture board and the prices we pay for having “city horses.” It’s a constant struggle for us, who have little turnout but then immediate access to the horses to provide care. I don’t have the magic answer but someday I hope we’ll have that spot of land
I hope to have that same spot of land too! Gotta get hubby on board. Anything that’s money saving is right up his alley. But I’m not sure that kind of spot can be had on a two teachers’ budget in SoCal. #equestrianproblems
Roo was forced into limited TO because of rehab, and it was rather “unpleasant” to say the least. Once he started to go out on full day TO with his horsey friends, he completely changed. TO is critical for their mental health. Everything improved once he got outside on regular TO. His mind, his body, etc.
Oh my gosh, I barely recognized Knight in that last photo — he looks GREAT! Happy, shiny and chunky <3
Thanks, Tracy! Wow! Really? He’s that much more handsome. I’m so thrilled.
He looks great! So fluffy! Sounds like you are on the right track and love how happy he seems to be. Looking forward to hearing about your new situation and year.
Thank you! I love his fluff. I appreciate your comment. 🙂
The only thing I was REALLY unhappy about when moving from KY to CA was the horsekeeping situation. For 15 years I had pasture boarded, zero part-time stall at all. Just a field shelter and a good blanket in the winter (and even the blanket was just to save you an hour of mud chiseling if you ever wanted to ride your happy, muddy horse!).
It’s funny what you say about your husband’s reaction. I was directing a photo shoot at my barn a year or two back, and our creative director was HORRIFIED to see horses racked and stacked in pipe corrals. I mean, this is a great facility – very clean and horses all well-fed – but she did use the words “animal abuse.” It’s definitely a wake-up call to see it through a non-horse-person’s eyes.
I think my horse has adjusted fairly well; he loves his neighbors and has put on weight. But I still hate it. He was much easier to ride when he was exercising himself every day and I didn’t have to spend half the week just “getting the bucks out” so he could concentrate on dressage!
Interesting about your creative director said. Agreed about the wake up call.
Ugh that commute though
Seriously. I heart podcasts.
This is lovely!!! I am fortunate enough to keep my horses at home now. We have in/out stalls with doors that never close. In fact one of the stalls doesn’t even have a door (we’re such procrastinators, we’ve just never got around to building one). I could never go back to the “typical” boarding scenario. My horses are happy and healthy, they come and go as they please, and I’ve been able to cure my youngest one’s ucler issues too boot. Horses are outdoor animals. Your husband is right 😉
Nice to horses being horses 🙂
Yes! Agreed.
I don’t have much turnout, the horses go out in my ring for play time. Or they did before they both tried to kill themselves… but they will again once the vet gives the ok! I do agree though, the more a horse can be out the better. I’m hoping some day my next door neighbor will want to move, so I can level his house and build pasture…
It’s funny though, that it does depend a bit on what they’re used to. Jamp hates outside. I’ve never seen anything like it. When given the option (before he foundered, I would sometimes leave his back door open so he could enjoy his small walkout or his stall, his choice), he will hang out inside. He might stick his face out, but the rest of him is almost always in. Rio on the other hand would be happy out anytime it’s not raining. Old man doesn’t like to get wet.
I have a half written draft post on the whole California style of boarding. I think a lot of native Californians think it’s normal for horses to live inside all the time. And, to be fair, a lot of horses do just fine. But coming from the east coast – where turnout is a real thing, not 60 minutes in a tiny dirt paddock – California horse keeping drove me nuts. We were lucky to have a small pasture for our horses for the last few years we were there.
I am so glad you commented, Olivia, because it drives me nuts too. I always was in awe of your glorious CA pasture. And NOW, your VT views! Wow. But I know it’s so cold. Your horses seemed to have adapted well. I can’t wait to read your blog post. I’m sure that will fire me up more to write my open letter.
Ha. That half written draft has been sitting there for almost a year. Maybe I’ll finish now that I can talk more about my own management since I have my own place. One thing I took away from CA that I will stick with is the not feeding grain thing. East coasts barns feed so much grain it’s crazy, but I thought it was normal until I moved to CA. It’s not all bad out there, but the turnout situation drives me nuts.
Knight looks great! He’s gained some weight and looks utterly relaxed. Every time I whine about my commute I will remember how far you drive. I’m just spoiled because for 15 years my horses lived 5 minutes from me. But, they still have great turnout and are happy and fuzzy in their run in sheds. I can’t imagine how they’d do contained in a stall or a small pen.
Thanks, Liz! I’m glad your horses have great turn out and are fuzzy and cozy in their sheds.
I’m happy Knight settled in his New home so easily! I also just moved my horses and after a week they are happier and more relaxed than at the place I had them for the last 6 months. Where I am it is so hard to find pasture board which is what I am used to and prefer and I know my horses perfer it as well. My one horse used to be stalled when I first met him and he got the worst reputation because he hung his head out and tried to bit everyone that walked by (no thanks to the little kids not following rules at the lesson barn…) And my othet one has such bad separation anxiety I’ve had trouble walking her into stalls. They were stalled for a few months though. I have to say I did like how they did their stall time there, in from about 12-4 in the summer and then from about 4-6:30 in the winter (I’m guessing. I never saw them in once the time changed). I grew up riding at a barn that only has 5 stalls so everyone pretty much was out all the time. It’s what I grew up with, prefer, believe in, and it’s what my vet prefers too.
Lucky Knight and his new digs! My horses always had 12 hours of turnout growing up (day or night depending on the time of year). I thought that was normal until I moved here. Now I think social rides, afternoon snacks for grass, and getting your horse out a lot is a must if you don’t have access to turnout on the regular.