Natural Retirement Boarding
Redemption Farm's natural boarding on the track paddock (see Track Paddock page) is ideal for barefoot transition, layups, young horses and retirement. We specialize in the care of horses with metabolic challenges, such as insulin resistance (IR) and cushings (PPID). Healthy horses are also welcome.
Hoof rehabilitation is also available (see Hoof Rehab page).
We strive to provide the luxury of full care boarding, with the natural lifestyle of outdoor living in a herd. Stalls are available as needed for medical emergencies, but are typically only used for feeding twice daily. The herd stays outside year round with access to multiple run in sheds and the indoor arena. We have two all weather footing dry lot paddocks with run in sheds, as well as various types of gravel and sand covering the surfaced track. This provides the horses with a dry mud-free environment during the winter. We also have larger summer track for those horses who tolerate limited grazing in appropriate weather.
We offer rehab, layup, and retirement boarding only and do not board horses who are currently being ridden.
Our services are appropriate for a temporary transition period or for retirement boarding.
Retirement boarding includes:
- Free choice tested low sugar/starch grass hay in slow feeders available in various locations 24/7
- Customized diet with mineral balancing per hay analysis (see Diet page)
- Monthly maintenance hoof trims
- Blanket changes (if provided by owner)
- Fly protection (if provided by owner)
- Holding for vet, dentist, bodywork, etc
- Routine fecal checks and deworming as appropriate
- Medicating as needed (provided by owner)
- Special requests can be accommodated
Long term retirement boarders will receive regular grooming and attention.
Updates and photos are sent to owners at their desired frequency.
Owners are responsible for veterinary and other service provider expenses.
We live on site with a direct view of the tracks from the house. Horses receive twice daily checks and feeding. Paddocks and sheds are cleaned twice daily, hay in slow feeders never runs out, and we have a heated automatic waterer as well as troughs.
Horses without metabolic problems may also be turned out on our grass pastures and track infields. We are careful to allow strategic grazing during times when the sugar levels are lower, based on weather patterns and pasture management. We manage our land to create healthy diverse pastures with more native plants and variety of shrubs and herbs to browse, which is a more species appropriate diet than fertilized monoculture improved grass that was designed for fattening cattle. We are currently working on adding a silvopasture (semi wooded pasture with trees) for those who can safely graze part time. Silvopasture is ideal for some horses, as grass growing in the shade is typically lower in sugar, the "improved" cattle fattening grass types do not grow well in shade, and the horses will move more browsing for limited grass.
Horses must be barefoot or in composite shoes only; no metal shoes are allowed. This is partly due to metal shoes being in conflict with our goals, partly for the safety of the other horses, and partly for the horse's own safety since we use small mesh hay nets near ground level, which are not safe for shod horses that may paw at them and get a shoe stuck on the net.
Basic retirement or layup board starts at $575 per month.
