Sunday, January 22, 2012

Misfit

I just spent an hour and a half looking at boarding barns on Bay Equest and freaking out. There are so many choices, and they're all so nice, and none of them look like the place for a big hairy galumph of a TWH who does (very slow) endurance. Where are my people? Who are my people?

It's really easy for me to forget that Dixie's in the minority when I'm actually out riding with a bunch of Arabs. They're just horses then - more naturally gifted athletes, sure, but they're short and chunky or big and leggy and many of them are exceptionally hairy. But somehow looking at the beautiful pics on the barn websites just terrifies me. Nobody in the whole Bay Area could possibly want to ride with me! A barn that proudly boasts of seven miles of trails is right out. H/J barns are right out.

I've boarded at barns where my discipline didn't mesh at all with the rest of the boarders, and it was very lonely. If I have to, I'll do it again - lonely is ok if my horse is getting the best care - but I'd like to find a place where I'm not That One Crazy Endurance Rider.

Gotta get off this computer and quit feeling sorry for myself. I have plenty of time to look through every barn in the East Bay if I need to.

25 comments:

  1. Again, you might want to talk to Jane from The Literary Horse. Even if where she put her colt is too far away, I bet she'd know of a couple places where you're looking or will know someone who does. After all, Murphy is at an endurance riding barn. I'm sure the B.O. there will know someone or something in the area you're looking in.

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  2. But, I fully understand being the misfit at a boarding barn. Taz and I were misfits at our first boarding barn. Out of 40, he was the only Arab in a stock horse type setting. It was hard finding people who wanted to be friends and socialize with us.

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  3. Wow it IS hard to imagine you and Dixie boarding at some snooty Bay Area barn! In my mind you guys are a tough pioneer pair making it happen on your own in the desert wilds. But things change in life and I'm sure you'll find a good spot that the two of you will like. Don't believe the websites either, who knows what it all looks like in person ;)

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  4. South Bay here (Santa Cruz) so I don't know any barns off the top of my head, but.. ask on the BAEN forums for recommendations. There are still folks around here who don't bother listing their barns - my current one can't be found online easily, and then doesn't have much information at all. Yet it backs up to the state park with equestrian trails!

    That being said.. are you dead set on the East Bay? ;)

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  5. Cazenovia - husband works in Potrero Hill and will need to BART in, so, yeah. Morgan Hill / Gilroy is on the far side of SJ and that just sounds like a horrible commute to see the horse. Same with North Bay - I would LOVE to board up there, but not if I have to pay $10 in tolls and spend an hour driving one-way up there - and I can't ask him to drive in from the North Bay, that's not remotely fair.

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  6. Ack! In that case, definitely East Bay. I'll ask around and see what I can find for you.

    (Cazenovia -> Figure.. didn't even realize my Google account was still set to Caze!)

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  7. Definitely post on the chat board, people are very nice, and I know there has been talk of barns with great trail access. Many don't even have fancy websites. My current barn has no website, no online presence, but miles of trails, other riders if I want to go out with them (sorry we're in the foothills, you'd be more than welcome!)

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  8. No help from me here but I did think of the place Murphy is at too. Who and where are your people? You will find them, I'm confident of that.

    But what great blog fodder if you did board at a HJ barn!!

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  9. Seven miles of trail? LOL! How many laps will you have to take of those 7 miles!

    Come spring, Dixie will be shed out and looking fit (from lapping those 7 miles).

    Good luck. It would be a tough gig to have to move to a barn after having horses at home.

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  10. Ouch, Funder. when you said it had to be the East Bay I winced, but then, I really don't know much about the East Bay, and I don't want to discourage you. If it were me, I might try to find something that was more like a private place that would take a boarder--with another like minded endurance rider. I board one horse here (out of five horses total) for a friend, and it serves me very well. His board bill pays for my horse feed, and he trail rides with me and my son--giving us a little extra safety and companionship. But we don't have any boarding stable interpersonal drama--which I could never stand. Maybe if you put the word out for awhile, you could find something similar.

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  11. One... why are you moving to a different barn? Two... my vote is trying to find private too. Rose really the only working horse at my barn (the rest are pasture potatoes who get ridden maybe 30 minutes a week at best). I don't mind it too much though because the family who runs the barn are awesome and totally don't try to undermine or complain about some of the things I do with my horse. Show barns make me miserable. If no one else there has been bitten by the distance bug then they turn their nose up because your horse doesn't jump pretty or hold her head just so as she goes along. Rose and I came from a show barn... hope I never have to go back to one.

    Now... how to find said private barn?... I just wandered around being nosy and saying hi to folks who looked like they had horses and knocked on doors of private horse people till I found one that had space and I liked. Not most people's approach but then consider what I do for a living... probably safer. Perhaps post an ad for it on CL or ridecamp... ask other endurance riders in the area too!

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  12. Caitlin - because I'm moving to CA this summer? And the horse needs a place to stay?

    I'll ask a few riders in the area / post on ridecamp later I suppose.

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  13. Are you def. moving to the East Bay? The peninsula has a lot of horse activity and most of it backs up to parks. We keep our horses at a stable that connects to 24 miles of trails and we can ride through that park into another park with about 30 more miles. Try Woodside, Portola Valley, and up closer to SF there's the Half Moon Bay area.

    On the east bay side, try Hossmoor. It's wonderful, but not snobby.

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  14. I second the nomination for Endurance Heaven that Jane (http://theliteraryhorse.wordpress.com/) discovered for Baby Murphy. I wouldn't just move my horse there, I would move there myself if they would let me stay.

    So, does that mean that SF is back on the table again? You aren't having enough fun discovering the hidden treasures of the Nevada house?

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  15. Look at smaller barns. I've found the smaller the barn (under 10 boarders) the more likely the owners/riders are in the whole horse thing for FUN, not competition and won't laugh at your fuzzy yak.

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  16. Oh Funder. I would take your fuzzy TWH in a minute ('cause she's so cool) and we have miles and miles of great endurance building trails; however, we are a bit more than a hop, skip and jump from where you are moving. Good luck; I know something will work out for your next great adventure.
    Bionic Cowgirl

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  17. I agree with going private. I show and hate show barns!

    I found my current place on craigslist under 'services'. When I was "shopping" for new barn I hit all the tack stores, and feed stores. They all maintain lists. I find the feed store guys are more willing to give "con" information along with the 'pros'.

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  18. If you think endurance is bad, try telling a prospective barn that you joust.

    Having said that, I hope you can find a place that works for both you and Dixie, isn't too crazy of a drive, and has decent people. Let us know how the search goes!

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  19. now that you're a paid member of AERC and all, yay!, ask them for the latest membership book, look up all the endurance riders that live in the area you'll be, email them and ask them where they keep their horses. they might have some good leads.
    - The Equestrian Vagabond

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  20. Hi Funder-
    I lived in Reno for most of my life and moved several years ago to the NorCal foothills. Unfortunately there is nothing like the accessibility of Nevada around here. I rode out from a boarding facility adjacent to Mt. Diablo State Park last year. There are more than seven miles of trails there, and it's a very nice place. It's called Summit Ranch in Danville- here is a non-linked link:
    http://www.summitranchequine.com/
    There is another boarding facility on the northerly side of Mt. Diablo, but I don't know the name of it, maybe in Clayton?

    Also, LOTS of endurance people ride at Pt. Reyes National Seashore. You can camp there at Stewart Ranch(415) 663-1362. It's a beautiful place with miles and miles of trails with varying difficulty.

    Be prepared though, State Parks require dogs to be on leashes and there are very few places in National Parks that allow dogs at all. They suck.

    I apologize in advance if I'm repeating someone else, and good luck in your search.

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  21. I know, I'm not going to be able to ride with Cersei anymore. Sucks, a lot. :(

    That's like the third recommendation I've gotten for Summit Ranch, but egads, almost $600 a month? And no pasture option? Ouch. It's definitely on the list of places to visit in person!

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  22. Ha! The Bay Area is always in the top 10 in the nation for unaffordability. Prepare yourself.

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  23. My husband's been in an apartment in Nob Hill for the past 13 months - I do understand the unaffordability of everything. But I don't think I should have to pay $600/mo for the amenities I want: a large paddock or pasture, with other horses is fine, with a run-in shelter and grass hay. I don't WANT her stalled. A 12x24 paddock attached to a stall sounds REALLY small to me. Especially when I know I'm paying extra for the privilege!

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  24. Post on ridecamp for recomendations. It's what I'll be doing when my parents move this summer and I have to find something. I HAVE to have something I can ride off the property for 5 miles or so - even if it's along side a road. And I want pasture. I'll compromise on the grass hay if I can have pasture and some elbow room for riding. I'm actually freaking out a bit thinking of trying to find a place to board her that will be doable cost wise and time wise (for driving to see her).

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