
Facilities at Jaquima Ranch
The barn is 4000 square feet (371 square meters) in size including the hayloft upstairs. There are nine stalls of which three are oversized and used as foaling stalls when needed.
All the stalls can be interconnected and so can the paddocks. Eight of the stalls have their own paddock. The ninth stall could share a paddock provided the horses get along. Since horses are herd animals and very sociable, we're firm believers in letting them be together whenever possible, as long as they don't present a danger to one another. Horses thrive in compatible groups and benefit greatly from each other's company.
For safety's sake, the hayloft has a sprinkler system and smoke detectors installed. The main floor has a fire hose cabinet in the main area and a smoke detector in the tack room.
The arena is hog fuel based and measures 180ft x 90ft. There are a few jumping standards, barrels, cones and rails you can use at your leisure. We also have a 60ft roundpen with hog fuel for footing.
From your horse's perspective - safety, comfort and play
The full sized 12x12 stalls have free access to a good sized paddock, so your horse always has plenty of space to enjoy. The stalls have vaulted ceilings, plenty of ventilation, lots of natural light and no grills over the doors. They are equipped with an automatic waterer and salt/mineral block.
The paddocks are all hog fuel based and foreseen with drainage pipes, which keeps them absolutely dry, even in the winter months enabling year round turn out. The horses love the cedar hog fuel. It keeps the bugs away plus it gives them a soft surface to lie and roll on.
There are nine pastures in all. Seven with a gravel base and two clay based. The gravel based pastures are used in the winter to allow for some "mental health time" away from the barn. The clay based pastures are saved for the spring, summer and fall months. Several of the pastures can be interconnected and provide room for roaming.
A couple of the pastures have big double sided shelters. Some of the horses here, primarily our own, never see the barn. They love being outside with the herd and the shelters are definitely their preferred hangout. It's quite entertaining to watch the youngsters play hide and seek around the shelters too.
From your perspective - creature comforts and play
So your horse is looked after, now what about you?
Ronaye personally designed the barn with the convenience of people as well as horses in mind: "When it came to designing the "human" area of the barn, the first three things I put on paper were a separate tack and feed room and a bathroom. I never liked having the feed and tack sharing the same space. It gets messy and dusty. The bathroom was an absolute must. Going in the stall just didn't quite do it for me ... so, there you have it. Lastly, an extra wide aisle way! Not only do you have more room and can you pass another horse easily, the farrier and vet have plenty of space to do their job as well."
The tack room is equipped with eight lockers that can be padlocked. They're big enough to hold one or two saddles and your basic gear. Make sure you check with your insurance company to see whether your equipment is covered when away from home. Everything you keep here is at your own risk.