Re: My Horses Live in My Backyard
Pinch me.
For as long as I can remember, I’ve been a horse girl. Ya know, horsey notebooks, equine daydreams, every Saddle Club book on my bookshelf — you get it.
But a longstanding dream for a good percentage of us horse folk would to be look out our windows and see horses in our backyards.
As long as I’ve been a horse owner I’ve boarded (which means I paid a fee to keep my horse at someone else’s property/stable), and have been really lucky to board at some great properties and make a lot of friends along the way!
However, when we moved back to Arizona from Colorado, we were vying to a place where our horses could live on-site. After months of searching — with a saint of a realtor by our side and a really good gut feeling later, that dream came true and we went from boarders to horse property owners — and speaking for myself, I haven’t looked back!
If you’re considering buying some property or if you’re thinking about adding some ponies to your pasture — I’ve found there are some things you should consider, so instead of oversharing and going into detail of every single one of my hypochondriac horse owner stories, I’ll share the list of pros and cons to boarding your horses in your backyard!
Pros:
You save on boarding costs
This was my rationale. Boarding in the desert isn’t cheap, so we are definitely saving money by housing, feeding and riding our horses at home.
10 PM blanketing is a breeze
Weird weather changes are never welcome, but a lot easier to deal with when your horses are only a dozen yards away from your back patio.
Know your horse (and their 💩) even better
I won’t go into too much detail on this one, but you really get to know your horse — inside and out.
You can visit your horse anytime
This is big. In between calls? Sure. You can even ride on your lunch break without starting your car.
No dress code enforced
Only the horses can judge. I feel sorry for my neighbors, though.
Your rules or BUST
You’re the barn boss. The head honcho. El Patron. You pick the music and you lay the law.
Cons:
Can be isolating if you don’t have horse neighbors or friends to ride with
Don’t be afraid to reach out to local trainers and clubs to combat this!
Hard to leave, even for a day trip
Horses aren’t like dogs or cats. They’re big, clumsy animals that require a ton of work (yes as I write this, I realize how crazy I sound.) Finding good help is hard and it can be stressful to leave, even for a night!
Time-consuming
Keeping stalls clean, water clean, blankets on — even for 2 horses, is easier said than done
Thinking about things you don’t normally think about. Manure.
In Arizona, we don’t have pastures (or a lot of room) to spread the manure around. Also, flies. We use a dumpster removal service weekly for this!
Not a lot of time for selfishness
Sleeping in? What’s that?
It’s up to you
No blame game here or a plan B. Your horses depend on you for food, water and care at all times.
It became official in 2020 when my first horse, Jack moved “home” with me. Now I couldn’t imagine boarding my horses anywhere else. The level of insight I now hold to detail and how well I know my horses, their routines, their preferences — really couldn’t have happened unless I had this opportunity.
It’s a lot of work but totally worth it.
If you have any questions about keeping your horse at home, I’ll do my best to answer them!
XO
Caroline
