While some owners care for their horses on their own property, this approach is not feasible for many owners. Fortunately, boarding your horse is not only convenient but also beneficial for you and your horse.
Horse Boarding Options
When choosing a place to board your horse, consider your options and select the right facility for you and your animal.
Self-Care Board
If you can visit the stable daily to care for your horse, self-care board is an economical option. The facility provides a stall and pasture access for your horse, but daily care is up to you. You are responsible for feeding, turnout and mucking the stall.
Full-Care Board
Full-care board is the best option for owners who can’t be with their horses every day and for horses that require special care for the equine Lake County IL. While it is more expensive than self-care board, the fee covers all of the daily expenses of housing and caring for a horse, including:
- Building maintenance
- Utilities
- Waste disposal
- Feed
- Hay
- Bedding
At a full-care facility, barn staff tend to your horse’s daily needs, including feeding, watering, stall cleaning and daily turnout. If your horse requires daily medication or other special care, a full-care barn can ensure that your horse receives proper attention, although there may be an additional fee.
Partial-Care Board
Partial-care board requires more hands-on involvement from the owner than full-care but includes more services than self-care. Partial-care arrangements may vary, but generally, the facility provides bedding, hay and grain, and you are responsible for cleaning, feeding and turnout. Some barns reverse this arrangement; you provide bedding, hay and grain and the barn staff perform daily care.
In some partial-care facilities, boarders rotate daily care duties. This arrangement works well for reliable owners who are experienced in horse care but cannot visit the barn daily.
Whether you need full-time care or just a roof over your horse’s head, there are boarding options to suit every horse owner’s needs.
