Opening the Door

I really appreciate all the comments/advice on my last post.  I have been thinking a lot about the comment about Arabians going a bit stir crazy only having arena time.  Tessa has been a bit hot and cranky lately and I'm wondering if this is a big part of it.  She's been in the same arena for a year now.

The one time she did go to a show was about a month after I bought her.  She was amazing.  She was quiet and walked around the property like an old pro.  It helped that it was all outdoors and there were lots of other horses.  Other horses give her confidence.

So, I have been researching other barns and had found a barn close to my house that intrigued me.  It seemed to have everything on my wish list.  Indoor arena, outdoor round pen, daily turnout and best of all, it was a short ride down a dead end road to a giant local park with outdoor arenas and trails.  They had three trainers working out of the barn.  A dressage trainer, a hunter jumper trainer and a woman who studies with Buck Brannaman.  Perfect!  My saddle fitter keeps her horse there and absolutely loves it.  This barn is also much closer to my home.  The only reason I hadn't looked into it before was the price tag.  My board would have gone up $200 a month and lessons were more expensive.  Would it really be worth it?  I have spent the summer discussing it with my husband (over and over and over and over....I solve problems by talking them out.  Luckily, my husband is a patient man.) and decided that I needed to try this barn.

My saddle fitter was out yesterday to take my saddle in for some adjustments.  We're removing some of the stuffing from the back so it doesn't feel so downhill.  It's hard to have a deep seat saddle on a downhill horse; it can feel like you're falling off the front.  I asked her about her barn again.  She was super excited and said I would be a perfect fit!  She told me they are letting the trainers go because they want a facility with people who aren't so driven by shows.  They are going to focus on having fun with their horses.  Perfect, right?

Then she let this little bomb drop.  They're raising the board.  Another $200.00.  Which brings board to a whopping $1,000 a month and puts it firmly out of my price range.  I was so disappointed.  She tried to convince me it was worth it because of the excellent care and everything, but my pony gets BEYOND excellent care at the barn I'm at.  The only reason I would be moving is for the access to trails and outdoor riding without needing a trailer and $400 extra dollars a month just isn't in my budget right now for that.  Especially when the barn across the street from them (it's full so I can't go there) charges only $450 a month.  Granted, they don't have an indoor arena or a wash rack, but $400 extra a month for those things?  No thanks.

So, time for a plan B.  The girl that rides my horse for me on Wednesdays (who is great with her) said that she can use a truck and trailer.  We would just need to fill up the tank.  I am going to email her today to talk about how much I could pay her to take my pony and I on field trips.  Knowing how Tessa does in new situations, new arenas, trails and outdoor arenas will help me figure out what the next step is....hopefully.