Boarding Services
Keeping Happy, Healthy Horses
Our Philosophy:
Every horse matters. We work to keep happy, healthy horses.
We believe in meeting horses’ basic needs first. Horses need freedom, friends, forage, and safety to thrive. They need the freedom to move and make their own choices about where they spend their time and how. As herd animals they need the opportunity to socialize throughout the day at their own discretion, playing and interacting naturally. They need unlimited resources to prevent resource-guarding, and unlimited forage especially to prevent gut issues. They need safe shelter, fencing, ground, skilled handlers, feeding practices, herd management, etc. to prevent health issues or injury.
Every horse is a unique individual with their own needs, so we do our best to meet each horse’s basic needs in the ways they need it. For example: Horses with metabolic issues are kept in a large dry lot with constant hay instead of grass. Harder-keepers are fed higher-calorie grain, easier-keepers fed a ration balancer. Some need blankets, others grow a great coat. Some wear fly masks, some pull them off the second they are turned out, so they get other products put on instead.
Every horse owner matters. We believe you deserve to enjoy owning your horse. We maintain a truly drama-free environment where you can come and enjoy your horse however you see fit and without judgment – whether that is riding, liberty work, or putting up a lawn chair in the field and reading with your horse. You don’t have to worry that your horse is taken care of when you go on vacation, or when the weather changes suddenly, or when a new horse comes to the farm, or any other situation… We hold a high standard of care and ethics in all that we do, and have a barn team of compassionate and highly-trained staff who genuinely care and go above and beyond for each animal on the property.
Amenities:
We are blessed with a beautiful 52-acre property that includes:
- 15+ acre hay field where we grow our own hay
- large fields (about 6, 5, and 8 acres) where horses can roam naturally with their herd
- each field also has a smaller “dry lot” to close them in as needed for ice or mud
- each field has an automatic anti-freeze waterer
- each field has a spacious run-in shed
- each field has a hay feeder
- a large dry lot (about an acre) set apart for our metabolic horse herd
- separate 1/2 acre-2 acre paddocks, some with dry lots, for use during quarantine, rehabilitation, lay-up, or as a separate hang-out when you come to spend time with your horse
- two large barns housing horses; we separate the therapy herd and boarders so that boarders have a more private area
- a separate bank barn with 5 stalls; we use this for special events, lay-up, or quarantine
- a separate small barn with 2 stalls and attached dry lot with access to paddocks; currently housing our miniature herd
- a 100′ x 200′ outdoor ring
- a 180′ x 74′ indoor ring
- a 50′ round pen
- a 12′ x 12′ standing pen for lay-up or “outdoor stall rest”
- a large outdoor wash stall
- plenty of parking or space to turn around trailers
- a trail around the property, including a small wooded area, and potential to ride down quiet farm roads behind the farm
- nearby to Blue Marsh Lake for trail riding
How We Do Things:
Here are some examples of the way we do things to create the best possible environment for each horse on the ranch.
Hay and/or grass (forage) is always available to each horse. In the case of specialized diets, we are mindful of the amount of hay vs. the amount of time – no horse goes longer than 4 hours without forage so they are not at risk of ulcers or other digestive issues. This also creates calm horses because they don’t fear being without food.
Feeding time is 8am and 6pm to give an almost 12/12 schedule for medications or dietary needs (while still balancing our staff’s scheduling needs!). Each horse is fed separately in their stall to prevent anxiety around herd feeding dynamics, as well as give us the chance to look closely at each horse. In this way, we are able to notice any changes in your horse’s wellbeing quickly, such as treating small cuts or monitoring any swelling. It also means each horse is handled regularly, and the horses seem to enjoy the sense of routine. Routine creates calm horses!
We personally train each new barn staff member, as well as hold regular barn team meetings. We want our staff to be fully equipped to offer all animals on the farm the best care possible. While we have volunteers help with the Take Heart therapy horses, boarded horses’ care is all supervised by staff members.
The horses live mostly outside in the fields, except during feeding/care or extreme weather. Living naturally keeps them the healthiest as they get regular movement, social interaction, and fresh air. Studies show that horses kept in stalls regularly are more prone to joint and leg issues, digestive issues, and neurotic issues such as cribbing or weaving. Those horses are also more prone to accidents in the field because they are so excited to be out. When being out is the norm, horses are relaxed, and bonus – they are happy to see you, because you are not robbing them of their turnout time.
We follow strict quarantine procedures for all new horses, to ensure the safety of all horses on the property. Even horses coming for clinics or on-site events are required to show proof of vaccinations and coggins and submit application with this information in advance.
For more information about how we do things, please submit a boarding application and we can discuss whether your horse would be a good fit.
Boarding Services:
You may have already noticed that we do things a bit differently here. We price our boarding services differently from other farms, because the care your horse gets is different from other farms. We don’t offer “field board,” because all horses deserve the freedom of field time in the herd. We don’t offer “retirement board” at a discount, because senior horses deserve more attention and consideration for their changing needs, not less – we don’t throw your seniors out in the field and forget about them. Instead, we do what is best for the horse, and have created our services around common needs. If you are looking for something not mentioned below, please contact us for a boarding application and to discuss your horse’s specific needs, to see if this would be the right fit.
We require all boarders to fill out a boarding application to start the getting-to-know-you process of both you and your horse. Then, we do an interview where you’ll meet Meagan and Grant, tour the property, and we get to know each other better to discern the best fit and care needed for your horse. Ultimately our goal in this process is to ensure fit – we take our job to protect the peaceful, therapeutic, and fun environment on the ranch very seriously, and want to make sure you and your horse will be happy here.
Additional Boarding Packages Available:
Full Care PLUS Boarding: For those who are not able to visit their horse at least once per week, those who want a retirement-type care, or those seeking a higher level of care so that they don’t have to worry about it themselves.
Customized Nutrition Program Boarding: For harder-keepers, those needing more than a balancer due to needing higher calories or senior/forage-based feeds, those prone to ulcers/colic/choke, those with dental concerns or metabolic concerns (e.g. overweight, or Cushings or insulin resistance), or rescues needing to gain weight on a specific plan.
Training & Enrichment Boarding: Perfect for horses with any needs – from those who need to maintain fitness for competition, to those who would benefit from liberty groundwork or walks to keep them mentally and physically enriched, to those on layup after injury and needing slow rehabilitation stretches or exercises.
Current Openings: Yes
For a boarding application and more information, please email Meagan@TakeHeartCounseling.com. Once your application is submitted, we will set up an interview.
