Need to find a boarding stable (Update)

[babyblue]

Dh is getting a job in the Selinsgrove PA area. We have been looking for houses to keep the horse at home with us, but everything we look at in a reasonable price range has turned out to be awful IRL. So far finding a reasonably priced boarding barn as a back up is also terrible. I have found so many big huge heated show barns with 1 or more indoors. I just don't need that. Currently the old man has a stall in the barn and the pasture has a run in shed, no indoor, no ring actually and we are doing just fine.


All I need is fencing he wont get killed on, a stall or a decent run in (the run in would be better for his joints long term anyways) and gets fed properly. If anyone lives in the Selinsgrove PA area and could point me in the right direction that would be very much appreciated.

 

[Duker17]

Could you try posing an ad on craigslist for that area? The farm and garden section would probably be more helpful than the wanted section. Good luck!

 

[patandchickens]

It would help to edit this thread title to put your location in -- that way it may catch the eye of someone who's not otherwise highly interested in the subject, also it will clue readers in to your wanting geographic-specific info rather than general advice.

As far as general advice goes <g> I've been in your shoes fairly frequently, not in the same location of course, and have had best results by asking pretty much every person I meet. By all means talk with the folks at the local feed stores and tack shop, explain what you're looking for and see if they have any leads; but sometimes the right contacts come from the unlikeliest people... you never know who's a "secret horseman" or who knows someone whose wife's cousin does some boarding, or something.

I have yet to meet anyone who's had anything good come from a "boarding wanted" type ad, be it online or on feedstore bulletinboards or whatever... but, I suppose all it takes is ONE, so I guess it can't hurt, just don't get your hopes up and IME you should be pretty skeptical of anyone who replies.

Good luck, have fun (as if looking for boarding barns is ever "fun", hah!

),

Pat

 

[babyblue]

I've called feed stores and boarding stables, in a round about way after about 5 degrees of separation we are going to visit two boarding stables, then see 4 houses, talk to bank people and get the pre approvals done and have dh's final job interview/introduction done this next Thursday. With a 4yo and a 9mo in tow. It will be a fun day I tell you.

 

[welsummerchicks]

Since every barn you look at in pricerange A is awful, your pricerange may not be reasonable.

In general, board prices have gone up nationwide and often we have to just sort of clear our throat and decide we need to spend more to get decent care, feed and a place to ride.

What I would recommend to you is to move into one of the nicer barns that provides what you want, and continue your search for a barn that's 'between a palace and a pigstye'.

 

[equine chick]

Contact some local feedstores, mom and pop type places., also vets or farriers. Sometimes They might know somebody who may rent you out some space. When I first got a horse I had 24 hours to find some place and found a small barn with a great family through my feed store.

 

[babyblue]

@wellsummer

its either unsafe pig sty's for $400-500 or heated dream barns with multiple indoors for $700+ I don't find the price range so unreasonable, its totally the safety factor that concerns me. Its a bigger horse area then where we are, but a much more rural style. There just seems to be huge show barns or cr@p holes that I cant believe people are willing to spend their money at.


The places we are curently going to be looking at are under the 500+ and run by someone I know threw the 4h grapevine in both cases. I am not willing to ever put him someplace I don't deem safe and will leave him at a boarding barn in my current town for my mom to watch over him until I do find something safe.

 

[homesteadmomma]

What about some of the neighbors at the houses you are looking at? Do any of them have horses? Most likely someone might be willing to let you keep a horse there for a couple weeks or more if you were willing to pay and most might do it for just the cost of food and a bit of their time.

 

[babyblue]

the houses we are going to look at are a little more in town, price wise it seems like the best bet as we are a young family with young kids and this is our first house. the chickens will be ok, but i dont think any of our neighbors will have room for a horse.

 

[babyblue]

I have found not one but two, clean safe actually nice boarding barns within a reasonable budget. Finding a house for ourselves is not going well at all, everything in a reasonable price range that is safe clean and nice gets snatched up within a day or so of going on the market. There are a lot of terrifiying dumps for houses out there