Hi, all! Hope you are enjoying your holiday! I am looking forward to seeing my family and friends at home. The only negative part to traveling for the holidays (besides the horrible traffic) is leaving my horse. Today, I am going to share a couple of things I keep in mind and I try to do when I am out of town without my horse.
1. Find someone to take care of him/her. I always try to find a barn friend (and usually entice them by either saying I'll return the favor when they leave, bake them cookies, or just ask please like 10 times before they give in) to take care of Raven so I won't need to pay the management to care for my horse. This makes it a bit easier on my bank account, but also will yield (usually) more attention to Raven. I've found that management is often paid to take care of so many horses that it can be hard to find time to devote the attention that a friend will. On the other hand, your barn friend isn't getting paid as much or at all as the barn staff and can therefore not do 100% of the tasks you want them to do. Either way you choose, your horse will have an eye on them at least once a day while you're away to make sure they stay healthy and happy.
2. Either clearly text or write instructions of what you want them to do. This is always very necessary. Grain recipes can get oh-so-complex, so it's important to make sure your horse gets the right thing, every time. Back when my horse was on 5 different supplements and I didn't have SmartPak, I used to bag her grain ration. This makes it super easy for the person taking care of your horse! Also clearly tell them you want them turned out at least once or ridden everyday or if they have a special medication that needs to go in their eyes. Just remember to be very thorough in your instructions!
3. Tipping/Paying is not such a bad thing! As someone that does not have disposable income, I definitely understand how hard it is to afford horses. With that said, I would absolutely love it if someone paid me for taking care of their horse, even if it was a bag of horse treats or $5. This also makes them feel a little guilty if they don't do a good job taking care of your horse, so they will want to go above and beyond!
4. Relax! I know, just as every other crazy horse owner, that it can be really hard to leave your horse for extended periods of time. But, you came all this way to see your family whom you don't see for the whole year, try to relax and have fun! Honestly, your horse is probably happy to relax with his pals in turnout in a quiet barn.
5. Lastly, no news is good news. Whenever I go on trips, I always get worried about Raven. I used to freak out if I never got a text from the person taking care of her. But then I realized that she's probably fine. And guess what? She was! I know it's hard to say goodbye to them for 5, 10, 20 days, but she is getting taken care of by horsey people! If you had to choose anyone in the world to take care of your animals and a veterinarian was off limits, I would definitely choose an equestrian. We are so thorough to check for scratches, aches, pains, and we love to dote on our beloved creatures. All in all, your horse is going to be just fine.
My advice? Just remember to ask someone to take care of them and remember to have fun! And happy holidays to everyone!!
1. Find someone to take care of him/her. I always try to find a barn friend (and usually entice them by either saying I'll return the favor when they leave, bake them cookies, or just ask please like 10 times before they give in) to take care of Raven so I won't need to pay the management to care for my horse. This makes it a bit easier on my bank account, but also will yield (usually) more attention to Raven. I've found that management is often paid to take care of so many horses that it can be hard to find time to devote the attention that a friend will. On the other hand, your barn friend isn't getting paid as much or at all as the barn staff and can therefore not do 100% of the tasks you want them to do. Either way you choose, your horse will have an eye on them at least once a day while you're away to make sure they stay healthy and happy.
2. Either clearly text or write instructions of what you want them to do. This is always very necessary. Grain recipes can get oh-so-complex, so it's important to make sure your horse gets the right thing, every time. Back when my horse was on 5 different supplements and I didn't have SmartPak, I used to bag her grain ration. This makes it super easy for the person taking care of your horse! Also clearly tell them you want them turned out at least once or ridden everyday or if they have a special medication that needs to go in their eyes. Just remember to be very thorough in your instructions!
3. Tipping/Paying is not such a bad thing! As someone that does not have disposable income, I definitely understand how hard it is to afford horses. With that said, I would absolutely love it if someone paid me for taking care of their horse, even if it was a bag of horse treats or $5. This also makes them feel a little guilty if they don't do a good job taking care of your horse, so they will want to go above and beyond!
4. Relax! I know, just as every other crazy horse owner, that it can be really hard to leave your horse for extended periods of time. But, you came all this way to see your family whom you don't see for the whole year, try to relax and have fun! Honestly, your horse is probably happy to relax with his pals in turnout in a quiet barn.
5. Lastly, no news is good news. Whenever I go on trips, I always get worried about Raven. I used to freak out if I never got a text from the person taking care of her. But then I realized that she's probably fine. And guess what? She was! I know it's hard to say goodbye to them for 5, 10, 20 days, but she is getting taken care of by horsey people! If you had to choose anyone in the world to take care of your animals and a veterinarian was off limits, I would definitely choose an equestrian. We are so thorough to check for scratches, aches, pains, and we love to dote on our beloved creatures. All in all, your horse is going to be just fine.
My advice? Just remember to ask someone to take care of them and remember to have fun! And happy holidays to everyone!!