Page 68 - Libro_MariaA_26agosto

María Alejandra Romelli

Location

Choosing the location of your horse’s house is a pretty personal decision. Some
riders can’t imagine having to drive for more than twenty minutes to see their
horse, while others don’t really mind having to drive for more than an hour to
be with their equine partner. By experience, I would recommend that you choo-
se a barn that is as close as possible to your home, because you will have to go
there almost every day of the week. Think that there are going to be days when
you will have other things to do besides seeing your horse, so being as close as
possible will be more comfortable for your lifestyle. Choosing a barn near your
house and work will also allow you to visit your horse twice a day, and if your
horse ever has an emergency, it’s better to be close by so you can get there faster.

MAGNUS TALKS

I remember that the barn where I lived before was
quite far from Maria’s house. It was so fun to see her
mom arriving angry at the barn because the traffic was
very heavy and it had taken her two hours to get there.
Anyway, two hours are always worth it to see me.

Pastures

Choosing a barn that has pastures is important because they are the most na-
tural way to keep your horse since being outside with fresh air, sunshine, other
horses and space to run is horse’s natural inclination (Hill, 2005). Always choose
a barn that allows you to turn out your horse in a pasture, especially if you can’t
take your horse out for more than an hour every day. Spending time outside in
a pasture is the best gift you can give to your horse. Some barns allow you to
keep your horse out in a pasture all day and keep him in a stall during the night.
Horses that spend most of the day in a pasture are less likely than horses who
spend most of the day in a stall to develop stable vices and respiratory diseases
caused by bedding (Hill, 2005). Although space to run is important, not only
because a pasture is big means that it’s ideal for your horse. Pastures should be
safe for your horse and must have basic safety precautions. Pastures must always

82