Moving to a new agistment center is an adventure that many horse owners face. New facilities, new friends and new adventures, it’s all very exciting. But moving anywhere new can also be quite a challenge with so many unknowns. We’ve put together a list of questions that you should ask your prospective agistment center when you’re checking it out so that you can take the guesswork out of your agistment search and find the perfect home for you and your horse.

How long have these other agisters been here?

Just like interviewing for a new job you want to be assured that this is a place that people want to stay at. If the owner can comfortably tell you that other agistors have been there for years, that’s a great sign! If you can see other agistors as you’re checking out the place, say hi and see if they have similar interests to you. Chances are you’ll spend more time with other agistors than with the owner and you want to know that you will all be able to get along.

Where are the best places to ride?

If you’re someone who likes to trail ride and hack out their horse it’s a great idea to ask the owner where the best trails are. If the property is on a busy road there might be a paddock that you can cruise around in. Don’t just see the arena and think yep done, find out if there are other options for you and your horse to explore.

Bonus Tip: Once you’ve checked out the property go for a drive around the roads nearby to drive the trails yourself. It’s a great way to explore the area and the riding trails available.

Do other people hire out these facilities?

This is important! If you’re moving to a property with amazing facilities chances are they won’t just be for agistors and people will come onto the property to hire them out. Now that’s fine but you don’t want to be stuck riding in the rain every night while the arena is being hired so find out upfront. If they are hired out find out how you go about booking in so that you can make sure you get full use of the facilities as much as someone else. It’s also worth checking if there are any additional costs involved ie lights usage.

Can I store my float?

Chances are you will have seen the tack and feed shed but so often we forget about float storage, right until we’re there with our horse dropped off and float hooked up. Find out if there is somewhere that you can keep your float, even better if it’s undercover!

Which paddock would my horse be in?

We’ve all heard horror stories of being shown a close, beautifully pastured paddock when we’re inspecting a property, only to be directed to a back paddock with very little ground cover when we arrive. Find out exactly where your horse would go and take the time to really check the paddock out to make sure it’s up to scratch for your horse.

Is there a small yard/stable to leave my horse in for appointments?

If you work full time, chances are you won’t be available for every farrier, physio, chiro, dentist, vet appointment which is why it’s handy to have a smaller yard that you can leave your horse in for the day. That way your equine health professional isn’t having to chase your horse around the paddock but can simply grab them, treat them, and pop them away making the whole thing easy for everyone.

Do you have a local feed run that I join in on?

This is a good question to ask once you’ve decided that yep, this is the place. Find out if the center has a local fodder store that delivers so that you can jump on the regular feed delivery. That makes it much easier than having to set up something from scratch. You might even find that the property cuts its own hay and you can buy direct from the owner’s feed shed.

Are you searching for your perfect agistment center? Check out our agistment available page here and find your horse’s new home.