Barn tour

Since it appears we're actually going to be allowed to stay, I figure it's time for a tour of our new home. 

We'll start at the view from the parking lot with the indoor on the left and the main barn on the right.  They're about 10 yards apart which is nice when the weather is being very New England.

The indoor is about the length of a small dressage arena, but the big new outdoor should be ready in the spring.  It's a textile footing and quite fluffy.

It's an H shaped barn with two aisles and 14 stalls.  Big, airy stalls with drop downs to let the horses hang their heads out.

The tack room is tucked in the center with doors going to both aisles.  Heated, AC, and very cushy.  As Trainer Z said during her first visit, H/J barns know how to do it.  You can tell my locker is the one open because of the blingy browband.

At the center of the barn are the grooming stalls.  Two regular stalls on this side, one indoor wash rack with warm water on the other side.

Blanket system with the indoor wash rack in the background.

The feed room is also in the center of the barn (the middle of the H).

I keep my extra saddles and gear up in the hayloft.

If you walk out the back of the barn, you find a second cinder block barn with three shedrow stalls.  This building was original when the property was bought.  Theo and two TBs live out here.  The outdoor wash racks are also out here.  Theo decided to poke his head out and say hi for the photo.

The shedrow stalls look out over the sand paddocks.  Theo is currently in one of the sand paddocks since his grass pasture has closed down for the season and he's been spooking at the bridge construction which makes it hard to get him out to the grass paddocks.  It's plenty big enough for him to be dumb and he can touch/mess with no less than three horses.  He has buddies on all sides which makes him happy.  He's settled in very nicely and has kept his antics to a reasonable level.  This is from the entrance to his paddock and it goes down the hill and widens out.  He has a neighbor next to him and touches two paddocks at the bottom.

There are a whole heck of a lot of paddocks, including the round pen we use when Theo's just catching a break between appointments.

And finally, if you go down the hill and across the bridge that's being updated, you get to the grass paddocks.  The first picture is of the sacrifice paddocks that are smaller, the second is a shot of Theo out in one of the big fields.

Theo's settled in like he's been here his whole life.  He's very much part of the herd here and that apparently means everything to him.  He's happy to go out with everyone but equally happy to come in when the rest of the herd comes in.  He had to have his first day locked in due to weather on Friday and he handled it with no reaction at all.  No horses went out so he just nommed his hay and sat with his face out in the crazy wind and rain.  Being in a shed row stall means he has lots of things to watch and all the fresh air he could want.  The top door is only closed when the weather is extreme, like during our wind storm where we got two inches of rain and wind gusts up to hurricane force.  Whee.

The move has been nothing but good for us.  I'm looking forward to a more relaxed winter with our new accommodations and all new adventures with our new friends in 2020.