Compass Line Equestrian LLC: For Boarders

A few things to know about boarding on the Compass Line property:

  1. We are a pretty chill bunch. Have a question? Ask!
  2. We’re open from 7 am – 8 pm, or sunup to sundown. If it is dark and there’s something you need to do out here, PLEASE notify Jolene so she doesn’t panic when she can’t tell who is creeping around our precious horses.
  3. Feel free to use the washing machine in the barn. Feel free to use the hose behind the barn to rinse off your horse, their flymask, etc
  4. Help yourself to drinks in the fridge – we don’t keep track but if you enjoy the coffee and/or sparkling water, please occasionally contribute.
  5. Parking is done “parallel parking” style along the metal fence between the lawn and driveway. if that’s full, feel free to park on the road that leads down toward the canal.
  6. Only tie your horse to the ties in the barn aisle or to a hitching post. If you’d like to hard tie your horse, please use the patience pole.
  7. Our main turnout is West Park. Due to the new regulations from Grand Valley Irrigation, we have to change our fencing to turn out in Forrest Jump. We do encourage you ride out there or hand walk your horse out there.
  8. You’re welcome to turn your horse out in West Park if the gate is open. Please leave the gate open when finished. (We’re working on completing the separation out there as well as signage).
  9. Please clean up your horse’s manure. We’re fortunate to be in a dry climate so any manure in the arena or round pens can be tossed outside. Please note that manure left in the arena will ruin the footing. Manure near the barn can go in the big, giant pile behind the main barn.
  10. Please do not feed horses unless you’ve been specifically asked. Please do not feed snacks to horses unless you’ve spoken with the owners and know it is okay. There are horses with sensitive stomachs on site.
  11. You’re always welcome to grab a handful of grass or alfalfa hay while you’re tacking up or untacking your own horse. Having a bit of hay in a horse’s stomach can prevent ulcers – so this is especially important if your horse is not on free feed.
  12. Write your name on things you don’t want shared. Because we’re a casual group, if we see something without a name on it, we’ll assume it’s for community use. Name tags are inexpensive. You can go to a pet store and get standard pet tags. Etsy has a TON of choices. We also have grandparents of a regular lesson student who makes them.
  13. Helmets must be worn at all times when mounted.
  14. Every person and every guest must sign a liability waiver.
  15. ARENA/ROUND PEN: Please use standard arena etiquette. Faster horse has right of way. Pass left shoulder to left shoulder if going opposite directions. Call “inside”, “outside”, “diagonal”, etc if doing maneuvers off the rail.
  16. FARRIER: We use Pete DeGraw and Wade Rutkowski. There is a Google spreadsheet where we’re happy to give you viewing access, but we generally have the next date (or approximate date) up on the whiteboard in the main barn. Feel free to add your horse’s name and any specific instruction/worries. You may also text those to Jolene. You are also welcome to have your own farrier of choice come do your horse.
  17. VET: Desert Spring Vet (Dr Bessert) comes every spring for spring shots, teeth check, and worming. We tend to split the dental work between Bessert and Shafer Equine. But those are the two vets mosts familiar with our facility. If you’re bringing a vet out to look at your horse, feel free to spread the word as there is often someone needing something and willing to share the farm visit.
  18. BODY WORK: We often have Krista Nobilo come out to do body work on our horses. If we’ve set a date with her, we’ll put that on the whiteboard, and again, feel free to add your horse’s name. Her sessions start at $65.
  19. HOLD FEES: If you cannot be present for vet, farrier, or Krista, hold fees start at $20.
  20. MEDS/SUPPLEMENTS: Minimum $5/day for horses needing medications. There is no charge for supplements/meds that can be fed with grain as part of the standard feeding routine.
  21. TURNOUT: If you’d like your stalled horse turned out in West Park or in a corral with other horses, let Jolene or Rachael know. $15 for an in/out.
  22. BLANKETING: $15 for one on and off, or off and on.
  23. LESSONS: Boarders take priority for lessons. Also happy to do a half session for $35, rather than requiring a full session as we would for non-boarders. Standard lessons are $65.
  24. TRAINING/WORKOUT sessions: Also happy to do a half-session or ground-session for $35 (boarders only), and a full session will be at the lowered rate of $50 (again, boarders and horses in for training only).
  25. SCHEDULE: We try to keep a decent schedule on the whiteboard for feedings. Grain is in the AM. Horses get three meals/day. In the summer they get a big breakfast and dinner and a small lunch. In the winter they get a big breakfast and dinner and a late night snack when we do late night check.

FEED

Corralled horses will be fed a mix of grass and alfalfa. Stalled horses can have any combination – owner’s choice.

Horses on corral board will have grain added to the cost of board and will be on identical (or almost identical) grain mix.

Boarders in east and west barn stalls have the option of the Compass Line mix, or providing pre-measured or mixed grain of their choice.

I’ve spoken with two equine nutritionists as well as several vets about the mixture we give our horses. A blend of rice bran and balancer that’s slightly shifted for different times of the year: higher percentage of rice bran in the winter, higher percentage of balancer in the summer. I will continue to research and will do at least 1/year check-ins with an equine nutritionist.

Compass Line EQ will do all the picking up, purchasing, and mixing of the grain. Horses will receive between 1-6 cups per day, depending on need. Supplements will be added by hand when/if necessary as we feed grain. Salt and/or electrolytes will be added in the summer, and by owner request in the winter. We’ll put in a small bit of sweet feed or complete in the mix b/c we like to spoil our animals, and it adds a little something fun to their feed. Approx 1 part per 4-5 of the other.

Rice Bran will be ADM, Max E Glo, or Buckeye nutrition – we will slowly mix if switching from one brand to another.

Balancer will be Purina Omega Match for anyone preferring a more forage-based diet or for those horses who have been prone to ulcers in the past. 

We’ll use Triple Crown Balancer for all others.

Triple Crown Senior and Amplify for seniors/horses in need.

Any provided supplements or simple meds will be added without extra charge.

Any owner is welcome to keep a grain bin in the feed shed for snacks, treats, or supplementary feeding for when they’re visiting their horses.

Stalled horses can opt in or out of the standard mixes. 

We will have ADM metabolic mineral pellets (think the horse version of a flintstone vitamin) in the barn as treats. Feel free to grab a handful at any time. 

If you’ll be traveling with your horses, give us a heads’ up and we’ll be happy to pack up grain for you.

The “why”:

Horses are herd animals. Between the anecdotal and scientific research and evidence, horses’ mental health is far better when they’re in a herd for at least a portion of the day. We do a lot of “musical horses” around here when herd dynamics change – we do our best to keep horses safe, happy, and within a herd community that best suits them. It’s an ongoing process, and will always be an ongoing process–even if no new horses came in and no horses left. Herd dynamics change.

One of the biggest obstacles in a herd is ensuring that each horse gets proper nutrition. But when one horse has tastier grain than another, we start to see more bickering (biting and hind legs), and that’s something we want to avoid when possible. (Small scuffles are part of herd behavior and not something we worry about).

When horses realize that they’re all getting the same (or nearly the same) it takes about 2 days for the bickering at feeding time to dissipate.

The cost:

Rather than adding a few-dollar-a-day charge when horses have special needs, or having the board be constantly changing depending on how many grain pick-ups we do, or how many supplements we add,  etc etc, we hope to do one simple charge that will cover your horse’s needs. 

Wehave 3 levels:

  • Pony
  • Horse
  • Specialty
  • $45/month for ponies or pony-sized horses with standard nutritional needs
  • $65/month for full-sized horses with standard nutritional needs
  • $85/month for specialty/seniors

Supplements will be provided for by the owner but there will be no additional charge to add those to feed. We’ll stay in communication if the supplements are causing tension within the herd and collaborate on how to best solve the issue.

We watch these four-legged critters every day. We keep an eye on their weight, get hay tested at LEAST once a year through the co op, and constantly monitor herd dynamics. Most horses’ feed won’t change at all, some will change a little. 

Common questions:

Horses are all different, how can one feed work for all of them?

This is why we’ll have simple adds on hand for specific needs (higher fat content, senior etc). If the base is the same, we should be able to maintain moderate peace during feeding time and streamline our graining process. 

Why not just use feed bags that can be put on and taken off?

I’m not willing to do this to the people who help me feed without doing some solid monetary compensation, and the end cost for owners would be far higher.

What if I want my horses in a corral but want to feed my own feed?

I’m happy to sit down with any owners who want to discuss costs of their horses being in a single corral, unmoved, and on their own feed schedule. I can’t promise that I can accommodate, but I’m very happy to try.