Natural Horse boarding facilities

The farm was designed in 2006 from the ground-up to provide the most natural environment for horses. We are a full-turnout, herd living facility dedicated to providing an environment as similar to the nutritional, sociological and physiological needs of your horse as possible. We use the principles of Natural Horse Keeping to encourage movement, socialization and play which results in a higher state of health and well being.

TWO BARNS WITH NINE 12x12 STALLS

The facility offers a total of nine stalls in two newly constructed barns. The main barn is a center aisle barn with five 12x12 stalls. The ancillary barn is a shedrow barn with four 12x12 stalls.. All stalls have a stonedust base covered by thick rubber mats providing a cushion for horse's legs. The main barn has lots of windowswith protective bars for more natural light and ventilation.

7x24 turnout

We recognize that horses are herd animals who need the company of other horses twenty four hours a day. A solitary horse is often a stressed horse. Therefore, horses are out in paddocks in small herds 24 hours a day with access to their stall for shelter whenever needed. We do not lock horses in stalls as this prevents the movement that horses need to stay naturally healthy both physically and mentallly. We have also found that letting horses wander as they would choose to naturally prevents "behavioral problems" such as weaving, cribbing, pacing etc. All paddocks are all built with wooden fencing and are large enough for horses to run. We do not use electric fencing as we have found it is not necessary to contain happy horses. Care is taken to keep fences in good repair..

lighted outdoor riding arena

The facility includes a 70 ft x 170 ft outdoor lighted riding arena. The arena is constructed of a tamped stonedust base wtih a washed stonedust/sand mix footing. The depth of the footing is monitored so as not to become too deep and cause injuries to horses's legs. The arena is groomed on a regular basis and new footing is added when necessary.Jumps are available as well as orange cones to set-up training courses. Plastic barrels and a large green Parelli ball are also available for those who practice Natural Horsemanship.

wide center aisle

The center aisle in the main barn is matted and has two cross tie areas so that you can groom and tack your horse. However, you can choose to ground tie your horse when using the center aisle. The center aisle has a stonedust base covered with thick rubber mats. There is no hard concrete footing in the barn which can cause stress and injuries in horses's legs. The barn uses flourescent lighting that turn on quickly even during the coldest New England weather. Flourescent lighting is eco-friendly as it uses much less energy than other lighting sources. At the time of construction we explored options such as solar and wind but these were not viable at the time.

tack room

There is a tack room in the main barn and another in the shedrow barn. The tack room in the main barn contains nine saddle racks and bridle racks. There are two emergency first-aid kits - one for horses and one for humans - fully stocked in the event of emergencies. We provide recycling bins and encourage the philosophy of reduce, reuse and recycle. All paper shavings bags and grain bags are recycled.

Hayloft

The hayloft provides a grain room where your grain is stored in galvanized containers in order to minimize rodents. The grain room also contains shelves and tables where you can store your supplements. By keeping the grain room upstairs we eliminate any possibility of horses gaining access. The hayloft also has a 12 ft x 12 ft storage area above each stall where you can store square bales of hay, shavings extra tack trunks etc. There are hay drops above each stall to make it easier to drop flakes of hay or bags of shavings.

circular driveway

The circular driveway is convenient for loading/unloading horses to the farm without having to back-up or turn-around. It is also convenient for deliveries of hay, grain and shavings. There is a parking area in front when you come to the barn. The driveway and parking area are kept clear of snow in the winter months to ensure year-round access to the barn.

Manure Pile

The manure pile is kept in an area that is out-of-the-way yet equal distance between both barns for easy access. We compost the manure which reduces odors and keeps the fly population under control by eliminating their breeding ground. Composted manure is given away to local area gardeners, nurseries, landscapers and home-owners.