Rules for Boarders

Hours of Operation:

The barn is open to boarders daily between 8:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m. from May 1 to October 31, and from 8:00 a.m. to 7 p.m. from November 1 to April 30.

If you need access to your horse at other times, please give us 24 hours advance notice.

Parking:

1. Please shut front gate after entering and leaving. For safety reasons, the gate MUST be kept shut at all times.

2. Park in the lot in front of the barn or on the gravel traffic circle in a manner that does not block the front door of the barn or other vehicles.

3. Trailer parking is available in the area by the chicken coop. Please provide us with evidence of insurance coverage prior to leaving your trailer on the farm.

Feeding:

Horses are fed grain twice a day.

We use Horse Sense feed and guarantee its integrity. Feed is provided based on pasture conditions, activity level and ideal weight of each horse. It is designed so that no additional nutritional supplements or nutraceuticals are required. We are happy to consult with owners about how Horse Sense meets the nutritional needs of their horses. Only authorized personnel (i.e. owners and our paid staff) are allowed in the feed room and may feed horses. Boarders are not to feed grain from the feed room or other source to the horses.

Hay is provided to all horses on an as needed basis (i.e. winter, stall rest) by authorized personnel. Boarders should not feed hay unless prior arrangement with Ironwood Farm.

Field Location:

Horses are kept in fields in groups of 5 – 7. Field assignment is made based on horse compatibility and forage availability. Ironwood Farm reserves the right to switch field location as needed. Any move involving a boarder’s horse will be discussed with the boarder in advance whenever possible.

Lockers:

Boarders will be provided with individual tack lockers and provide their own locks. Lockers are being built in late 2005. In the interim, boarders may keep their tack in the tack room. A key will be issued to the boarder and the tack room must be kept locked when not in use. Ironwood Farm is not responsible for the security of personal possessions outside of the locked locker or tack room.

We recommend you label everything in your locker or tack room to eliminate confusion. We maintain a lost and found in the tack room. Please check with us to see if your lost item has been turned in there.

Please consult your insurance agent for your homeowner’s policy regarding any insurance coverage you may need for your tack and equipment.

Riding:

1. Anyone mounted on a horse, at any time and for any reason, MUST have an ASTM/SEI helmet on his/her head. There are NO EXCEPTIONS to this requirement.

2. No riding may take place on or from the farm unless there is another person, age 18 or older, on the farm premises and aware that you are mounted.

3. Boarders going on a trail ride off the farm premises should leave information on time of departure, general direction of ride, and expected length of ride on the main bulletin board. In case of an emergency where your horse returns to the farm without you, we’ll have an idea where to start looking for you.

4. Our ring is available for use during operating hours. We do teach some group lessons and a schedule of lesson times are posted on the main bulletin board. Boarders are welcome to share the ring during group lessons with the instructor’s permission. If a private lesson is being given, then that lesson must share the ring with any boarder wanting to use it. Boarders should be prepared to share the ring with other boarders as well. If you need to have exclusive use of the ring, please let us know and we will try to accommodate you.

Dogs:

Visiting dogs are not permitted on the farm. Please leave your dog at home.

Guests:

Your guests are welcome and you are responsible for their behavior. Please be sure they are familiar with the barn rules before arriving. Any guest riding a horse, even if it is just your horse, MUST sign a release first before getting on. Similarly, any guests visiting with horses, MUST sign a release first prior to riding on our property.

Vet and Farrier Calls:

We will provide advance notice of routine veterinary (White Oak Veterinary Service) and farrier (Brian Porter) visits on the bulletin board and web site (www.ironwood-farm.com). If you wish to have your horse included in these visits, please give 24 hours notice. There will be no additional charge for holding or handling your horse on a routine visit.

If you wish to use a different vet or farrier for routine care, it is your responsibility to schedule the care and be present to hold or handle your horse.

Horse holding or handling for emergency care for any vet or farrier is provided at no charge.

Blanketing:

We do not blanket horses, however separate arrangements can be made with our staff for an additional fee if blanketing is required.

Fly Spray:

Our barn and run-in sheds have automatic fly spray systems. We also have found predator flies to be effective and apply them in the fly season.. Additionally, there are flytraps placed at key spots on the farm. These measures have reduced the number of flies on the farm. We do not offer daily spraying of individual horses.

Boarder have the option of participating in the “fly spray pool” by paying a nominal charge and having access to the farm’s supply of fly spray.

Enjoying the Property:

Ironwood Farm wants its boarders to use and enjoy the property. Boarders and their guest are welcome to picnic, fish in the pond, and walk in our woods. We will try to do our best to make your experience at the farm pleasant.

We have a library of horse books and magazines for your reading enjoyment at the barn. Please let us know if you wish to borrow a book. We also offer access to a refrigerator so that you can keep your lunch and beverages cool.

In order to assure everyone's enjoyment, we ask that you:

· Keep noise in and around the barn to a minimum.

· Dispose of all litter and trash in the proper receptacles.

· If you turn it on, turn it off. Conversely, if you turn it off, turn it back on.

· Ask first before you use something that is not yours.

· If you take it out, put it back where you found it

If there is a problem, please let us know immediately and we will do our best to solve it. Thanks! Margaret Bogie and Tom Snyder