Today I went to look at the barn that I'm 95% sure Walker will be moving to next summer. I say 95% sure because I pretty much told the guy that he should reserve me a stall, but with my luck, you never quite know what will happen!
There are definitely a lot of things I like about the barn, and I would say they made up for any reservations I may have. The stalls were huge - which Walker will like - and the indoor arena is probably three times the size of the indoor arena I use now. That is a major plus since we will be spending so much time in there in the winter. The owner even said that he allows boarders to ride in the indoor arena when there are lessons going on since he can partition it off so easily. That is pretty good because I have such a crammed schedule and finding time to ride around lessons and around my work can be difficult. He's also a fanatic about footing and uses this special machine that not only drags the arena, but aerates it and causes a cushy footing which I'm sure both Walker and I will enjoy (especially me if I end up doing any more flying through the air).
Picture of the arena from the website
The barn owner is also very knowledgeable. His lessons are mostly taught by another instructor, but he does private lessons with some of his boarders. He seems like he would be able to work with Walker's "quirks" and help me get a handle on him. He worked with some trainer down in North Carolina so he definitely has the knowledge.
I only had a few reservations while I was there. First of all, there didn't appear to be a locker area. Perhaps he simply forgot to show me, but when I asked him where my saddle could go, he pointed out a fairly general tack room. I don't mean to be so prissy about my stuff but my Western saddle is 65 years old. I had it redone by a saddle maker. The last thing I want is for kids to knock it over and break the tree - or something equally as horrifying. I also have a lot of stuff in general. I pretty much have my locker filled with my two saddles, two bridles, saddle pads, brushes, helmet, etc. I really don't want to turn my car into an equine oasis - it's already messy enough!
The second reservation I had was the outdoor arena. It is not fenced in. When I asked him about that, he said he prefers it that way because it forces you to become a better rider. Perhaps he will change his mind when he meets Walker because that seems like a disaster of an idea! However, there is still the indoor arena and maybe he truly will give me the tools to make Walker listen to me. Or not... :S
Lastly, and less important, is the jumping. I really got the impression that he was a Western barn. I mean, he definitely teaches English, and he said that some of the kids do it, but he also said that it wasn't the focus. He said that they don't really promote a hunter jumper barn. While it is definitely a plus to have someone who understands the quarter horse breed and will be able to bring out the best in Walker's Western training, I still want to jump. Hopefully I can con the instructor into letting me do some cross rails or else it's looking more and more like I will be teaching myself a few of the basics.
The outside of the barn
All that being said, the barn is an affordable price and has some pretty neat amenities. There's a giant wash stall which is nice, and there's even a hot walker which, although I'm pretty sure Walker would not be impressed being hooked up to that thing, is still a pretty cool gadget! I never asked about trails for ttrail riding, but hopefully there's something in the area. As far as I'm concerned, I simply need to find a barn for when I get down there, and if after a while I decide it's not the place for me, I can always search for something else.
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