Instructions
Search the Internet and the yellow pages for local horse stables and boarders. Decide how far you want to have to drive to see your horse and narrow your search accordingly. Talk to friends and check out local horse boards or chat rooms as well to see if anyone has any suggestions.
Call the stables and get some general information about them, like price, space and services. It might help if you put all this information in a notebook or a spreadsheet so you have it all easily accessible when you visit the stables or are trying to decide which one you want to use.
Go visit the stables you're considering and look them over. It wouldn't hurt to bring along a digital camera to take pictures so you can look them over later. See if the stable head will give you a tour of the facilities, but you also probably want to take the time to look around on your own as well.
Spend some time talking to the stable manager. Ask her questions about feeding schedules, stall cleaning schedules, worming schedules and about the stable hours. Some stables allow you to visit your horse whenever you like, while others have set hours that they're open.
Find out how the stable deals with vets and farriers. Does the stable have one set appointment where all the horses are looked over and they add the charges to your monthly bill, or is it your responsibility to get those services out to the stables yourself? Will the stable call you for permission to give treatment or medication?
Take a look at the stalls. Are they clean, spacious, and free of sharp edges? A rubber stall mat under the bedding is suggested, so ask about that. There shouldn't be an excess of rodents or bugs, and make sure that the water buckets are free of manure, algae, and pollen.
Next take a look at the pastures. Are they green, relatively free of large amounts of sand, mud or dirt? Make sure that there is plenty of water, but in troughs, not on the ground. Large pools of water signal bad drainage. Ask the stable manager about the turn out schedule. How often are the horses turned out (Ideally it's daily) and for how long?
Now take a general look around the stables themselves. Are the fences and buildings all in good repair? Try to judge the ventilation of the barn as you walk through it. There should be good air flow and the barn should smell fresh, but it shouldn't be drafty. The horses should seem healthy and happy, and the humans should seem relaxed. Make sure there is plenty of space in the fields for the horses to co-exist, even if they're bickering with one another. The tack room should be clean and well secured, and have enough space for you to store your gear.
How to Select a Horse Stable
A horse can take a lot of care and space and sometimes you just don't have the resources to care for it properly. If this is the case, then you'll need to find a stable to board your horse at, and it can be a time consuming process.