Home/The field guide
14 guides for the everyday
Learn the work.
Love it properly.
Clear starting points, useful questions and enough detail to make the next decision. Read from the beginning or go straight to the job in front of you.
Chapter 01
Start riding.
Find a suitable horse, understand the appointment and build experience before a bigger commitment.
Chapter 02
Find a barn.
Compare the offer, the daily routine and the answers you receive on a visit.
Find a barn
Choose the routine your horse will live in.
A polished aisle is easy to photograph. Daily care takes a longer conversation.
Find a barn
“Full board” needs a second sentence.
The label is a beginning. Feed, turnout, handling and required training finish the description.
Find a barn
Leave a barn visit with answers.
A simple record of the offer, the routine and the questions that remain.
Chapter 03
Keep horses.
Make the costs, responsibilities and backup arrangements visible.
Keep horses
A horse at home changes the whole day.
Compare the work and the support before comparing the invoices.
Keep horses
The bill is bigger than the board.
A useful budget starts with your quotes, keeps the units attached and admits what is missing.
Keep horses
Plan for the morning when everything freezes.
Water, access, supplies and another capable pair of hands.
Chapter 04
The property.
Water, grass, gates, shelter and the routes between them.
The property
Draw the chores before the barn.
Place water, gates, feed and manure so a wet Tuesday still works.
The property
Good pasture needs time without horses.
Plan rotation, recovery and somewhere else for the horses to go.
The property
Buy a fencing system, not a pretty line.
Containment, visibility, gates and upkeep belong in the same quote.
The property
Somewhere sound when the grass is closed.
A dry lot gives pasture a rest. Its surface, shelter and daily work still need planning.
The property
A barn should work at horse height.
Space, fittings, light and air matter more than a handsome aisle.
The property
Know where the manure goes next.
Collection, storage and the final destination form one job.