Oh Overboarder….I feel for you and I totally get what you experienced and I Am sorry for your heartbreak. I admire your knowledge and your soul for doing what was right for your horse….I’ve been there and it is heartbreaking. Not all owners put their horses first, you did. You are an angel and you are absolutely right, once horses are in your blood, your heart, your DNA, nothing can change it, it is forever and it’s a beautiful thing. Hang in there knowing the love and care you provided and required is top notch quality not everyone is capable of.

It’s hard to spend a good chunk of your life with the horses you love and then give them up. You’re right. You can take the horse away from the horse lover but never the love for the horses. I know it doesn’t mean much but I’m sorry to read you’ve had this sort of trouble. But I’m with you. The only way for some of us to truly be satisfied with our horse’s care is to do it ourselves. When that’s not possible, it makes us miserable. I have some friends who gave up city life and built a nice barn (and a home) in the country. They boarded a few of their friends horses and had a dressage trainer visit several times a week. Now they have a lovely atmosphere to keep their horses in and a group of friends to ride and socialize with. The horse business has always had major problems because it covers so many socioeconomic groups, so many interests, and has so many different types of people ranging from honest to crooks, and horse educated people to idiots. There are also many different attitudes toward horses and consequently we see horses treatment ranging from inhumane to animals that live better than people. I feel the pain of anyone who has boarded in a barn run by idiots or sent their horse to a bad trainer. Money can’t buy love but it sure ought to be able to buy your horse quality care and training. I hope the time comes for you that you can reenter horse ownership with control over the things that drove you away. The industry and the horses need people with a solid 30 years of experience. Don’t fade away.

THIS! Yup. One little “hey can my horse get xyz which is required from the vet” will in fact get you kicked out. I learned to just keep my mouth shut even with horse abuse and just leave. I ran out of places to go running from bad boarding barns. I always left with a thank you and a smile and no complaints as I knew it would get me no where.

THIS! Yes in my area too! I’ve watched barn after barn close, get developed etc. We’ve lost most of the boarding facilities in my midwestern city commuting area. I have 35 years experience, a serious ammy competitor, boarded for 30 years. In 2024 I finally GAVE MY HORSE AWAY in a last ditch emergency operation to save his life (recurring ulcers and not following the vets basic orders was my last straw) as each time I tried a new barn, it was total incompetence over and over again. I finally had to pull the trigger – I no longer could find the basics for my horse. And I’m just gonna say, I’m in the top 2 percent as far as wealth in the USA. I’ve got $$$$. This is how bad it’s become – there was no price point I could find good board. I’ve lost my purpose in life which 99% focused on my horse and horse hobby, showing, the friends I have in horses etc. All because no safe basic boarding was left. At least I wont be having more heart attacks showing up and finding no ulcergard was fed while my horse has very serious ulcers from an extremely stressful environment. I could write a 10 page book on the things that happened. I’m so out of fight. And so defeated. I fought for a LONG time trying to hold onto this. I’m now trying to heal but let’s be real…. you can’t take the horse out of the horse girl. I’m now half a person.

Thanks, Kathleen.

Hi Frederick & Joan, It’s very sad to see stables closing and also the loss of open areas to ride. It’s a good argument for supporting the places we have to use. The choices, as you say, are to relocate… or to buy land and do it yourself at which point we get back to how expensive horses are and the tremendous amount of time it takes to care for them. I hate seeing places go out of business and have seen some of the areas that had the very best horses go exactly the way you describe. It’s amazing how swiftly farms can become condos. The things we all complain about, price, location, service, don’t look so bad once they are gone. Thanks for your comment. I wish you the best with your horses. Barbara Ellin Fox

The ability to decline requires choices of facilities. In our area those choices have been declining dramatically due to the redevelopment of properties to industrial & residential uses. Many boarding facilities & pasture boarding operations are now under 4 story high school buildings & condos! Sometimes there are no or very few choices except to relocate as we did 23 years ago. Were soon to be 1 of the last thoroughbred breeders left within our state. It makes us sad driving by all the equine facilities that once were! We can count at least 20 facilities that are gone. Never to be replaced.

Laurie, Aside from missing many important considerations that go into the business off boarding horses for other people, you should remember a stable owner has the right to establish their prices. You, as a consumer, have the right to decline. Barbaras Ellin Fox