Tufts and Horses

[JumpHigherLivie]

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Hey all --

I'm a vet student looking at potentially coming to Tufts this summer for a summer long externship and am wondering if anyone has experience boarding horses in the area. I know it seems insignificant to many but the thought of potentially not being able to bring my mare really stresses me out and is a factor in my decision. I've had her for 11 years (she's my first horse) and is 25 now ... I'm not concerned iwth riding space/trainers/lessons, just quality care and turn out.

Thanks for any thoughts.

 

[flyinggoat]

I worked at a stable in Marborough, MA (not terribly far from Grafton) for a summer during my undergrad. Nice place, nice people, decent indoor, large outdoor, lots of turnout and excellent care. 'Course, this was around 2002, and I believe board was $500+ per month. I don't even want to know what it's like now.... I'm sure you'd be able to find a place, the question is just how much you're willing to pay.

 

[cowgirla]

http://discus.equinesite.net/cgi-bin/discus/discus.pl is a message board for local horse people. Check out the Mass forum, and the classifieds as well.

I will agree with the previous poster. Even for a low key, backyard type barn with few amenities, you are probably looking at 500++ a month. Depending on where you are coming from, farrier/vet/etc might also have a bit of a sticker shock. Land is at a premium in Mass, so any place with all day quality turn out is going to charge accordingly, unfortunately. If you are willing to drive 30-45 minutes you might have better luck with an affordable place.

If this is just a summer externship, 1) do you think you will have time to spend with her? 2) is it worth trailing her there just for 2-3 months? 3) I noticed you said she's 25, so you probably know best...how does she adjust to change? will the travel stress her out? is her health up for a move to a possibly busy facilty? 4) Would she be happier at home, maybe have someone half-lease her for the few weeks you'll be gone?

Honestly, just for a summer, I was always more inclined to leave my gelding at home where I knew he was safe/cared for/happy and have friends peek in at him.

 

[JumpHigherLivie]

Thanks guys!
Cowgirla -- you definately have good points that I have been thinking about. Bringing her definately isn't THE deciding factor, but something that I have been throwing around in my head and has weight. I would be willing to pay for her board (already pay close to that here) ... but is it worth the strain for the trip. <sigh>. At first I looked at it in terms of "if she died this summer without me home I'd regret leaving forever" and a few days ago I realized that the flip side of it was "if the stress of moving her was too much for her I'd regret it forever."

No clear answer ... and I'm the first to admit that I'm probably overly attached to her and am far more obsessed with this decision than I should be 🙁

 

[mas185]

Hey all --

I'm a vet student looking at potentially coming to Tufts this summer for a summer long externship and am wondering if anyone has experience boarding horses in the area. I know it seems insignificant to many but the thought of potentially not being able to bring my mare really stresses me out and is a factor in my decision. I've had her for 11 years (she's my first horse) and is 25 now ... I'm not concerned iwth riding space/trainers/lessons, just quality care and turn out.

Thanks for any thoughts.

I worked at Tufts for the last 3 years before heading to Ireland for vet school. My former boss Dr. Carl Kirker-Head, whose the head of large animal surgery there also owns a convalescence farm and boards horses. I'm not sure what the pure boarding rates are but I'm sure its reasonable. It's about a 20-30 minutes drive from campus depending on the time of day/weather. PM me if you want more details. The website for his farm is www.rosshavenfarm.com and I guarantee your mare will be extremely well taken care of!

Have a great summer, Tufts is amazing 🙂