The Move. Part 1.

I'm moving Kaswyn to a new barn today.

I hate moving my horse, even when it's to a better situation. I hate moving all my crap. Why do I have so much stuff anyway? Every time I move him, more stuff ends up at home in my basement but I never seem to have less to move the next time.

I also hate moving him because I'm always afraid he'll be unhappy or at least stressed for the first few weeks. I'm sure it's like being the new kid in school for him, since he'll have to make new friends for turnout and figure out where he fits in the pecking order (the bottom, usually). And then I worry that the first night in his new stall will be scary for him, like a kid sleeping away from home for the first time.

Now I know he's not a kid, and he's not even a young horse. And he's lived in lots of different barns and gone to lots of shows so he'll be fine. But still, I worry. Because I love him and I don't want him to be unhappy.

But now onto the question I keep getting. Why am I moving him?

Well, that's complicated. I'm moving him out of a friend's barn. And I'm not happy there. It has nothing to do with the barn owner and my friend Marge, or Susan, her niece (and also my friend). In fact I feel rotten leaving them.

Here is the situation. Marge has been in the boarding and breeding business for a LONG time. She's ready to be done with it, and only has 9 of her 29 stalls filled with horses right now. And that is the way she wants it. I think she wouldn't have any horses on her property if she didn't have two of her own. She's tired of feeding every day, turning out every day, paying insurance and upkeep and all the hassles that come with boarding horses.

I am the only one who rides there. When I came back to her barn it became apparent that Marge wasn't going to deal with watering and dragging the arena. I mean, why should she put in that much time and effort for one boarder? All the other horses are pretty much retired and just get turned out every day. So it would be a lot of work for her, and I started doing it myself.

After almost three years I'm sick of it. I started not wanting to go out to the barn after work because I'd have to spend at least an hour (if not two) watering and dragging the arena at least once a week, if not more in the summer when the footing dries out. I want to just show up and ride and not deal with the arena.

Yes I'm paying board. But it's not expensive board, so I can understand not getting every little thing I want. I don't blame Marge for not wanting to do it. But now that I don't want to do it either it's time for me to go. I know she wouldn't agree to pick up the arena work just to keep me. She's looking for less work, not more.

So that is the major reason. The fact that the barn doesn't have an outdoor arena or anyplace to ride outside are also points that I considered. And the pastures are kind of muddy, not flat, and a bit rocky. Sure, Kaswyn's done fine with it, but I HATE scraping mud off my horse. I realize that he will roll in any pasture and get dirty, but this mud is pretty tenacious.

All this added up to me considering moving Kaswyn. Then, something tipped the scales and my decision to move was made.

To be continued...