Boarding is the Horse-Person's Boardroom

A while ago I went to visit a gal who bought a horse from us last year and has since become a friend. I drop the barn where she boards whenever I'm in the area to deliver a carrot to her stall and catch up on my need for horse-talk with like minded people. I boarded for years before I brought my guys home and I must say that one thing I miss is interaction with other horse- people.

There is just something about the atmosphere at a public barn. Everyone is wrapped up with their seperate horse issues, disciplines, schedules, but there is always common ground to be found. Always someone who would appreciate hearing about how Tickles somehow managed to get a clump of hay in the middle of her back and performed the most amazing horsey acrobatics trying to reach it. There's usually someone to chat with as you're cleaning stalls or grooming, and riding buddies aren't hard to come by either.

Don't get me wrong. I love having my kids right here in the backyard and there are too many hastles involved with boarding for me to do it again unless I had to. Aside from the high cost of board, feed, and travel to and from the barn, I no longer have to worry about my tools and tack wandering off, my horses being fed things that are not in their diet, and countless other annoyances. I hated having them so far away, I love walking out the back door to visit with them any time I want.

But I do enjoy briefly re-immersing myself in the busy barn enviornment from time to time. I admire the two big indoor arenas and wash stalls. I laugh over a few funny horse moments and share some gossip, I make the proper comments over the horses recently put on the market "He's so pretty...sweet personality...such a shame she doesn't have time for him anymore..." yada yada. It's as important I think for horse-people to have bonding time with each other as it is with their horses. So consider it therapy, not necessarily aroma therapy, but whatever floats your boat.