Keeping your horse in the wrong barn can undermine your riding goals. The environment within which you keep your horse often has a bearing on the animal’s health and wellbeing. Furthermore, using the same trainer for a long time can create a sense of monotony and boredom to the horse.

Therefore, if you want to grow your horse and improve its performance, perhaps it is time to consider changing barns and hiring a new trainer. It is important to choose a barn that has the right set of people that match your personality, your social interest and your riding.

  • Facilities

The horse property design can contribute to the wellbeing of your horse. The design has to do with the quality of natural light, healings height, ventilation and ability to maintain warmth during the winter. The common types of facilities include indoors, outdoors, trails and hunt fields. Depending on the geographical location, a covered arena or indoor facility is recommended.

Furthermore, a barn should be comfortable and clean. A port-a-potty or bathroom can help a great deal in keeping the barn clean. Nevertheless, a clean, state-of-the-art barn that is perfectly manicured is not enough. The quality of care and atmosphere is paramount.

  • Feeding programs

Hay and grain choices contribute differently to the overall attitude, condition and performance of a horse. Therefore, it is important to assess your horse’s feeding program, instead of relying on your trainer, barn manager and/or barn owner to choose you horse’s nutrition. It is important to know whether your horse does well on grass hay.

It is equally important to know what type of grains your horse does best on.  Before moving your horse to the barn, it is important to know what it is currently eating. In addition, determine the horse’s weight, their stamina, their energy levels and their current & future workload.

  • Rules

It is advisable to consider the barn’s rules before choosing. Barns that have too many rules can curtail your freedom, and it ends up being extremely difficult to do make important decisions. Therefore, it is advisable to consider all the rules before signing the contract. Some barns may appear as if they do not have written rules. Hence, it is advisable to find out from the trainer, barn owner or barn manager whether any rules exists.