Horse Boarding Services
Boarding includes…
- Fresh bedding daily
- Daily clean outs
- Complementary trailer parking
- Dedicated secure tack/supplies storage room
- Feedings twice per day, using a variety of personally selected, no-compromises quality feeds:
- Boarding incudes your choice of:
Alfalfa/Grass Mix Hay
100% Grass Hay
We also offer some of our favorite feeds and supplements on a per day basis to our boarders. These include:
Timothy Hay Pellets
Black Oil Sunflower Seeds
Bio Algae
VivoAnimals Natural Detoxification
Camelina Oil
Redmond Natural
Trace Mineral Salt
Thorvin Kelp
- We utilize slow feeders to allow horses to eat according to their natural grazing habits.
In addition to the exceptional array of natural equine services offered by Four Cat Ranch, our newly-built horse boarding facility now has stalls/stables available for short stays, overnight boarding, extended stays and also the therapy/rehabilitation of your horse.
We welcome all breeds & sizes at our equine boarding facility – Our caring & professional staff of 5 are both familiar with & proficient in the care of horses, with each personally trained in giving the best possible treatment to each horse during its stay. On-site owners and staff both perform daily inspections on all aspects of the facility, and are certified in horse safety & first aid as sponsored by the Gallatin Valley Back Country Horsemen and US Forest Service.
While boarding with us, horses and their owners can enjoy 20 acres of beautiful countryside, as well as miles of country riding trails in the nearby surrounding area, no trailering required! When indoor riding is preferred, there are 5 indoor horse arenas conveniently located a short 10-15 minute drive away.
Horses are turned out daily in regulated group sizes to our wide-open pasture, featuring natural grasses, live water (natural springs & creeks) sources, natural shelter & loafing sheds and salt/mineral blocks. To ensure safety, the borders of our pasture are fenced with smooth twisted wire & wooden rails attached to wooden posts.
At the end of each day, horses return to a comfy, clean stall with fresh premium-quality, kiln-dried pine shavings and/or rubber matted flooring. The boarding facility is conveniently equipped with owners’ choice of cross ties or hitching posts in stalls & stalls, a secure tack room for storing tack & supplies, with heated water available for wash-downs.
To board at Four Cat Ranch, we require a current health history including vaccinations, worming & any current health concerns. We ask for a a copy of your horse’s negative Coggins status. We welcome horses with special diets and needs, and are happy to provide customized care according to your instructions. Staff and owners have an excellent track record of catching problems, and are trained to notice health changes or concerns – We have emergency trailering & an on-call veterinarian to quickly respond to any issues, and an Emergency Plan customized to each owner (at the time of boarding) will be followed.
Frequently Asked Horse Boarding Questions
What type of fencing is used around the pasture?
We use only smooth, twisted-wire or wooden rail fencing on the borders of our pasture. There is absolutely no barbed wire at Four Cat Ranch.
- What sort of bedding is used in stalls?
Only premium quality, kiln-dried pine shavings & rubber matting are used. We replace bedding, wash mats, clean & inspect each of the horse stalls on a daily basis.
- Are grooming or wash-down facilities available?
Owners are welcome to bring their grooming supplies & store them on-site in our secure tack room, and the facility has warm & cold water available for wash downs.
- How often are horses turned out?
We turn our horses daily in the summer, and completely during the winter, in regulated group sizes to ensure they are comfortable and have plenty of space to spread out if they like.
- Are salt and/or mineral blocks (or “licks”) available?
Yes, to ensure the maintained health of all horses, a number of both salt/mineral blocks are easily accessible.
- Are the property & buildings inspected for safety & potential hazards?
Absolutely – Owners & staff are constantly on the lookout for the well-being of horses, and any potential hazards are addressed & resolved immediately. Our buildings & surrounding areas have been designed & approved for safety & quick escape in case of fire.
- Do barn tack up areas feature cross-ties or hitching posts?
We have both, plus pull through tie rings. Owners are welcome to secure their horse using whichever method is best and most comfortable for their horse. We have indoor and out door tack up areas available at all times.
- What veterinary work is required for boarding?
For the safety of your horse, and all other horses boarding at the ranch, we ask for a current health history, and that your horse has a current negative Coggins.
Whether visiting us just for boarding, or for therapy and/or rehabilitation, we isolate newcomers for 2-4 weeks before introducing them to herd. This helps ensure any communicable health issues are kept to an absolute minimum. We have the facilities to run fecal floats to determine parasite loads and treat if needed before newcomers are turned out with other horses.
- Are there any special safety rules?
Riders of all ages are welcome to come enjoy our property and the miles of beautiful surrounding country trails, but all riders under 18 years of age must wear a helmet regardless of experience level.
For horses visiting us for therapy and/or rehabilitation, we follow a highly-effective sanitizing procedure both coming & going to ensure the safety & health of the horse and other animals on the premises.
- What water sources are available in the pasture?
Our pastures have natural, steadily flowing springs & creeks throughout them, which supply a consistently fresh source of water to the turned out horses. Drylots have clean water provided in troughs. We supply heated troughs throughout the winter to encourage adequate water intake even where live water is present.
- What happens in an emergency?
We customize an Emergency Plan for your horse upon boarding at our ranch, but will always try to contact you first. In the event that you are unreachable, the Emergency Plan will ensure we follow your directives to protect your horse’s health. We furthermore have an on-call veterinarian available, and will gladly trailer your horse to/from the veterinarian if needed.