With the influx of new horse owners that we have had at the Stables one of the most commonly-asked question I have encountered lately has been "what do we need to buy?"
A long-held axiom of horse ownership is that the purchase of the horse is the cheapest part of the entire experience (hard to believe, I know!). But there are quite a few other belongings that should be purchased, and some supplies that are provided by the Stables.
Tack is an obvious one. You will need to provide your own saddle, bridle, saddle pads, bits, etc. A bit less intuitive are other training aids, such as lunge lines/whips, side reins, brushes, fly spray. Blankets and wraps should be provided by horse owners, as well as basic first aid care, such as vetrap, ointments, thrush remedies, etc.
So what should be expected of a boarding facility to provide? I have been a part of stables that provide everything but the saddle and bridle as well as facilities that do not provide anything at all. Much is determined by the type of board offered, as well as storage facilities. In general, the more storage provided to owners the less the facilities offers in terms of supplies. At the Stables at Frederica, we provide boarders with storage space in the form of lockers, as well as shelving in wash racks. Since this amount of storage is ample for most supplies, the Stables provides very little beyond more specialized emergency care. For instance, emergency medications such as Banamine are stored and provided by the Stables, as they do have expiration dates and the likelihood of a single horse using it before it expires is low. Sedation is another supply that is provided by the Stables, although like any other medication it's access is limited to Stables employee and the cost of medication and administration will be charged to accounts. Any recurring medications (Adequan, Pentosan, Legend, Dexamethasone, Estrone, etc.) should be purchased and provided by that owners, as well as needles/syringes necessary to administration.
Below I've listed the common items most horses need that should be provided by owners:
- saddle
- bridle (bit, reins)
- saddle pads and girth
- boots/wraps
- blanket/sheet
- grooming supplies
- halter/lead rope
There are many other items that horses commonly need, some of which are listed below:
- thrush remedies
- lunging equipment
- fly sprays
- medications/supplements
- tack cleaning supplies
- bathing supplies
- clippers
A never-ending list could be made of all the "stuff" our horses need. If you are a new horse owner be aware that in the first year you will likely be making a decent number of orders from Dover or Smartpak (don't forget you can get free shipping to the Stables on Tuesdays from Smartpak, just mention to add your items to the delivery to the Stables!). Remember that there is lots of pricey things in the horse world, and a lot of cheap items that work just as well. and always, if you're not sure what would work best, don't be afraid to ask!