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A beautiful building and golden handles on the stalls make an impression on a person, but not on a horse. We talk about what truly determines a good boarding stable with Joanna Szulc, who, together with her sister, has been running the SKJ Golden Dream sports stable in Feliksów near Głowno for eighteen years. With specifics instead of nicely sounding promises: from air circulation and stall size, through paddocks and staff competencies, to clauses in the boarding agreement that can save a lot of trouble.
Why read this interview?
Choosing a boarding stable is one of the most important decisions a horse owner makes. It determines not only the convenience of daily riding but, most importantly, the health, safety, and psychological comfort of the animal, which spends most of its day in the stable. Meanwhile, many people make this decision based on aesthetic impressions or the lowest price, rather than on the real quality of care.
In an interview with Monika from Equishop, Joanna Szulc looks at the topic from two perspectives simultaneously: as a trainer and as a co-owner of a large sports stable. Thanks to this, she can point out things that are not visible during the first visit but turn out to be crucial when the horse has already moved into a new place. This interview is a practical guide for anyone looking for a boarding stable, and for those who want to better understand what responsible horse keeping entails.
From a pony in the woods to one's own stable
Monika (Equishop): Where did your love for horses come from? How did your equestrian adventure begin?
Joanna Szulc: I don't remember it completely, because my sister and I were very young. It definitely started with my grandfather taking us to see ponies. He would rent a pony and take us to the woods, and halfway through, he would swap me with Ola. That's how it started. We loved all animals very much, and horses were always present in our lives, and over time, it became serious.
Monika (Equishop): How did you go from riding horses to running your own stable?
Joanna Szulc: When we started riding more professionally, there wasn't a facility in our district that met the conditions for safe sports training. So we were in a quandary: either we had to move, or we had to build our own stable. With a lot of help from our parents, we managed to build the stable that has been standing for eighteen years now.
Monika (Equishop): How were the beginnings and how many horses do you care for today?
Joanna Szulc: The beginnings were tough, because we were in our first year of university, very young. We had already had several of our own horses in boarding, so caring for them was normal for us. But owning your own stable is a completely different level. You face economic problems that a regular boarder doesn't think about: the water broke down, the fence went down. As an owner, you are responsible for everything. It was hard, but we managed. Today, the organizational matters, which I handle alongside training people, are simple for me, and there's nothing I can't manage.
What makes a good boarding stable and how to recognize it?
Monika (Equishop): What does a good boarding stable mean to you and how do you know if a stable is well-managed?
Joanna Szulc: First and foremost, by the fact that when you enter the stable, there's no stuffiness. This is very important to me and something we focused on when building our stable. The idea was to make it airy, to have a high building with good air circulation. It's cold here. For people, it's not always comfortable, but for horses, the smaller the difference between the indoor temperature and the outdoor temperature where they later go for training, the better.
We also made sure that the stalls were large, safe, and functional, and that the stable was bright and well-lit. In the summer, we practically don't need to use lighting. The horses have large, spacious windows through which they can look out, so it's more pleasant for them.
We started with seventeen stalls in a brick stable connected to an indoor arena. Later, we added forty English box stalls, and honestly, I think these are some of the best solutions. The horse is outdoors all the time, can look around, observe who is coming, where other horses are going. They don't get bored, they have access to fresh air, and thanks to this, they don't have respiratory problems.
"Everyone dreams a little about a stall with golden handles. But those golden handles are not always necessary."
Horse management systems: barn, English box stall, free-range
Monika (Equishop): What are the types of horse management in a boarding stable and how do they differ? We have a brick stable, English box stalls, free-range systems.
Joanna Szulc: We also partially operate a free-range system. About four years ago, I built large shelters where our ponies and horses with respiratory problems, available to clients for training (because we run a sports school here), are kept. I decided on a shelter because I had ponies with highly developed RAO. At first, I was worried about how they would cope with winter.
It turned out they manage perfectly. They just need a draft-free place where they can hide when they feel like it. We've had four winters behind us, including one harsh one, and the horses feel great and haven't gotten cold. In very cold weather, you can always put a blanket on them. These are conditions close to natural, in which horses once functioned.
Among clients, this can be a barrier, because everyone dreams of an elegant stall. But the truth is that a wooden, safe, airy stall or an English box stall open all day, as long as it's a good size, with a non-slip floor and clean, is perfectly sufficient.
Monika (Equishop): An English box stall is a bit of a compromise between a stable and free-range. Are your horses open at night?
Joanna Szulc: We only close them in winter, at night, when temperatures are low, and open them again in the morning. Otherwise, they are open all the time. Some stalls have direct access to a paddock, so they are practically open all day, and in summer also at night, so the horses can go in and out. Seventeen horses are kept in the brick stable.
Monika (Equishop): Horses on free-range and those in English box stalls with paddock access are a bit like "Paddock Paradise"?
Joanna Szulc: A bit like that. Honestly, I think they are very happy. Besides, all our horses, including those in brick stalls, go out to the paddock. All sports horses, every single one. The ones in brick stalls are on the paddock for a bit shorter, because the others can go in and out themselves. If I ever build a stable again, it will definitely be an English one.
How to choose a management system for a specific horse?
Monika (Equishop): What should guide the choice of a horse management system?
Joanna Szulc: First and foremost, the type of horses we have. For me, it started with horses with respiratory problems, so I was looking for a solution that would make their lives easier. Every owner should be guided by what is best for their animal, not by the stall being close to the tack room because no one wants to carry a saddle. Ultimately, it's about the horse; they live there.
I also keep my young horses, those being raised, on free-range. They live in a herd, there is a hierarchy among them, they grow up on paddocks, and it serves them well. You just have to look at what animals you have.
Monika (Equishop): I'll say something a bit controversial: many people are guided by the horse's value and are afraid to let a valuable horse out into a paddock for fear of it getting hurt.
Joanna Szulc: That used to be the case. I've been to several stables with really good trainers, mainly in Poland, because abroad, horses were always turned out. In sports, there was a belief that why risk it, so they didn't go out to the paddock at all. We always tried to let ours out.
We had one of the most decorated horses whose vet, after a tendon injury, restricted paddock access. It took several years to finally let him out, and it was a lot of stress and logistics to ensure he wouldn't get hurt. Since then, I believe that no matter if a horse has been injured, it always goes out. Initially, the paddock is reduced to the size of a larger stall, a small enclosure, but still outdoors, and then it is gradually enlarged.
"Here, regardless of their value, every horse goes into the paddock. It's good for their psychological comfort and for their entire organism."
We must remember that these are animals that need movement. To walk at their own pace, move when they feel like it, and simply be in the fresh air.
What is included in the boarding price and what is extra?
Monika (Equishop): Let's move on to costs. What is usually included in the boarding price, and what might be an additional charge? This is important knowledge, especially for new owners.
Joanna Szulc: Here, we usually don't have horses just for boarding. It's usually boarding combined with training. This is a very good question and an important issue, because people focus on the fact that it's expensive. We are the most expensive boarding stable in the region, but we also have a lot of services included in the price.
Stalls are cleaned daily, and feeding is prepared on-site. Since we mainly have sport horses and private horses, and almost everyone eats something different, there can be up to five meals, and all are included in the price. Releasing horses to the paddock by a staff member or to the horse walker, even on holidays and Sundays, as well as blanketing and applying leg protectors, are also included.
In regular boarding stables, food is rarely prepared individually, because with a large number of horses, that's practically a new full-time position. Not everywhere are horses released on weekends and holidays, and stall cleaning also varies. If I had to stable a horse somewhere, I would primarily look at how clean the stable is and what exactly the service includes. Also, whether someone would call a vet if the horse started to lie down and there was suspicion of colic or cut a leg in the paddock.
Monika (Equishop): And how do you handle medication administration?
Joanna Szulc: We have a range of medications and staff with veterinary technician qualifications who can administer injections, of course after prior consultation with a veterinarian. We also have it written in our boarding agreement: in life-threatening situations, we have the right to save the horse and call a vet before we can ask the owner.
Monika (Equishop): If the situation requires it?
Joanna Szulc: Yes, if it's a serious case.
Monika (Equishop): What should an owner pay attention to to avoid being surprised by hidden costs?
Joanna Szulc: First and foremost, the scope of services, meaning what exactly is included in the price. Most stables now have a boarding agreement. As for the boarding costs themselves, it's worth calculating surcharges for blanketing, leading horses out, or extra hay. You should always read the agreement before choosing a stable and not focus solely on finding the cheapest boarding.
"Sometimes a more expensive boarding stable, which includes much more in the price, turns out to be cheaper than paying extra for each thing separately."
First visit: what to look for?
Monika (Equishop): What should you pay attention to during your first visit to a boarding stable?
Joanna Szulc: I always look first at the stalls and how the horses look. Are they shiny, are they relaxed? A lot depends on what kind of boarding you're looking for. If someone only wants to ride out, infrastructure like an indoor arena or outdoor arena isn't as important.
However, if they are thinking about sports, it's worth looking at the footing and whether it's well-maintained. Are there paddocks, what kind of footing do they have, are they safe, is the area fenced? Is there a social area where equipment can be stored so it doesn't get moldy? And if it's not about sports, a pleasant atmosphere is simply important. A large, clean stall is enough, regardless of whether it's built from planks or made by a professional company.
Staff: staffing and competencies
Monika (Equishop): How important is staffing and how do you assess how many staff members there are per number of horses?
Joanna Szulc: You usually don't see that when you're looking at a boarding stable. You only start to notice it when the horse is already in the stable and you see what the staff is like.
We have a lot of people working here, about ten. Four or five stablehands work shifts during the week so that someone is always available, because we clean the stalls daily. They are exclusively responsible for cleaning the stalls when the horses are out, and for tasks like sweeping or watering the arena. For horse care, we have separate, competent people, trained girls and guys who can ride, have knowledge about horses, and love these animals.
They understand the seriousness of the situation. If the chart says how a given horse should be fed, it will get exactly that. If a horse is a stallion and needs special attention when being turned out to the paddock, they are prepared for it. These are not random people from an advertisement.
"It's good to have people who will notice if a horse doesn't eat everything, is sad, might have a fever, or colic. If caught early, there's a good chance it won won't turn into anything serious."
For people involved in leading, feeding, and grooming horses, knowledge of how the animal functions and how to recognize the first symptoms of horse diseases is an absolute must-have.
Smell, appearance of horses, and red flags
Monika (Equishop): What does the smell of the stable and the horses' behavior say about it?
Joanna Szulc: If there's no stuffiness, it means there's good ventilation and air circulation, and it's probably quite clean. Horses vary; some are messier, some less so, but if cleaned regularly, it's usually clean. Ventilation is very important, because fresh air and no ammonia stuffiness mean greater comfort for the animals and fewer respiratory problems.
"The best sight is when you walk through the stable in the morning and some horses are still sleeping or lying in the paddock in the sun. That's a sign that they feel good and safe."
Monika (Equishop): And what red flags should raise an alarm? Besides a nervous stablehand running with a pitchfork.
Joanna Szulc: A neglected, stale feed room would definitely concern me. That could mean a lack of order, dampness, rotting food. The storage place for hay and straw is also very important. I would check the quality of the bedding in the stalls and the hay the horses are getting. A bad bale can happen in any delivery, the only question is whether someone will throw it away or still give it to eat.
I would be concerned about the poor quality of straw and hay, horses looking unwell, and a broken fence in the riding area where a horse could get its leg caught or someone could fall. The stable can be modest, have an ugly bathroom, and an old common room, but if everything is relatively clean, the stalls are large, and the walls are sturdy with no risk of a horse injuring its leg, then it's fine.
"They don't have to be beautiful, painted stables with golden bars, because ultimately, animals don't appreciate that. The important thing is for the stall to be large, spacious, and have access to fresh air."
Paddocks and the riding arena should be constructed for safe riding: not across a road, in close proximity, with proper fencing. These are the basics of welfare and safety.
Paddocks: how often, for how long, and with whom?
Monika (Equishop): You've mentioned paddocks many times. How often and for how long do you turn out the horses?
Joanna Szulc: We turn them out daily. There are horses whose owners want them to be in the paddock from morning to evening; they then have access to water and receive feed in the paddock. Some horses are turned out for about four and a half hours, some in the morning, others in the afternoon. When the day is longer, they stay out longer. Free-range horses are outside 24/7. We absolutely always turn them out.
Monika (Equishop): In a herd?
Joanna Szulc: Both yes and no. Usually, clients don't want their horse to go out with others. Paddocks share a fence, so horses can touch each other, but they go out individually. Some school horses and ponies go out in small groups of several horses. Stallions and young sport horses go out separately but next to each other to have contact. Contact is necessary because a horse is a herd animal.
Monika (Equishop): How should the stable respond to the individual needs of horses: young, old, or a convalescent after an injury?
Joanna Szulc: For us, it's standard practice because we only have sport horses, so we are adapted to their needs. We have retirees from sport, very young horses, stallions, and sometimes horses recovering from injuries that need rehabilitation. The most challenging is a horse in convalescence, because not everyone takes it seriously. Such a horse cannot go out into the paddock, it must be led out for ten minutes, and sometimes someone will take a risk, put it in the paddock, the horse runs around and gets injured again.
All our employees are trained and responsible. They know that with such horses, special care is needed, and all knowledge and effort must be focused on doing everything correctly. We adapt one hundred, even one hundred and ten percent to what a given horse needs.
Monika (Equishop): How much trust do you have in your employees?
Joanna Szulc: A great deal. When I'm away, I can calmly leave, knowing that everything will be done as always.
Monika (Equishop): Do you advise boarders on individual problems with their horses, whether nutritional or veterinary?
Joanna Szulc: Ola and I have a lot of experience, so when someone has a dilemma or a question, we always share our knowledge and help, also in finding specialists for nutrition and supplementation, horse equipment, or physiotherapy.
Boarding agreement: what should it regulate?
Monika (Equishop): What should a good boarding agreement regulate?
Joanna Szulc: I used to have a very simple contract; now I have a very long and detailed one. These are the times when it's necessary. The owner signs, among other things, consent to turn the horse out into the paddock or walker and accepts that, despite everything, the horse may still sustain an injury. No one, even with the best intentions and knowledge, can guarantee that a horse won't, for example, get a splint. This is about avoiding accusations. I myself have never been in such a situation, but I've heard from friends who received a lawsuit because a horse was injured in the paddock, and allegedly it wasn't supposed to go out there. It's better to put it in writing.
The most important clause for me is the right to react when a situation threatens the horse's life, before informing the owner. What is included in the service is also listed in detail. Additional services are charged, so the price list is very clear.
It's worth checking the contract to see what constitutes an additional service, because many favors take up a lot of time, and are sometimes treated as free, such as holding a horse for the farrier or veterinarian. We reached a point where employees spent four hours with clients' horses during a vet visit, instead of performing their duties, and I had to pay extra for that and got nothing from it. That's why we also included additional services in the price list.
The contract also includes a clause about what happens if a horse kicks another horse or damages the facility's property. For us, responsibility always lies with the owner, not the boarding facility.
Monika (Equishop): What about insurance?
Joanna Szulc: The facility, of course, has liability insurance, as do the instructors, including accident insurance, for example, if a horse were to hit a client's car in the parking lot. In addition, about eighty percent of our riders have their own horse insurance.
Monika (Equishop): And the organization of veterinarians and farriers? In some stables, everyone makes their own appointments, in others, one specialist comes for everyone.
Joanna Szulc: Here, everyone has the right to choose. If a client wants, we organize farriers, veterinarians, and physiotherapists; everyone gets a farrier's appointment date and can add someone. If someone has their own, for example, a horse under the constant care of one veterinarian or farrier, they arrange it themselves, and we don't interfere; we just provide that possibility. If anyone has a problem with anything, from fitting equipment to ordering boots, we always offer advice.
This is important because there are stables that have a monopoly on selected specialists and don't allow anyone from outside. Here, the only monopoly concerns training: Ola and I train, or people invited by us for consultations.
Horse adaptation after moving
Monika (Equishop): What does good adaptation of a horse after moving look like?
Joanna Szulc: It depends on the type of stable. If the horse goes to a free-range paddock, it's good for it to have at least a few days to slowly get acquainted with the new environment. In the case of young horses that are in a herd, we always have two days of adaptation without going out into the paddock with other horses. Only when the horse gets to know the rest by smell can it join the herd. All of them experienced this, so there's something to it. Depending on whether they are young and sensitive horses, they have two or three adaptation days.
Monika (Equishop): What can the owner do to facilitate this process for the horse?
Joanna Szulc: It's good for them to come to the stable every day at first, familiarizing the horse and leading it around so that the horse gains courage in the new environment. The owner's presence during turnout or simply spending time with the horse is important for the animal, regardless of what the owner is doing with it.
Three quick questions and one piece of advice
Monika (Equishop): If you had to give one piece of advice to someone looking for their first boarding stable, what would it be?
Joanna Szulc: Clean stalls and well-cared-for horses inside. That's two pieces of advice already.
Monika (Equishop): The most common mistake when choosing a stable is?
Joanna Szulc: Being guided by beautiful buildings. It's nice to have them, but it's not everything.
Monika (Equishop): A good boarding stable is not judged by its price, but by?
Joanna Szulc: The quality of services.
Monika (Equishop): A question too few people ask, but everyone should?
Joanna Szulc: What are the competencies of the people caring for the animals?
Summary: what's worth remembering
The conversation with Joanna Szulc forms a simple, yet demanding list of priorities. A good boarding stable is not judged by its beautiful facade and golden handles, but by good ventilation and lack of stuffiness, large and safe stalls, daily cleaning, and constant access to paddocks for horses, regardless of their value. Equally important are the competencies and responsibility of the staff, because it is the people who daily catch the first signals that something disturbing is happening with the horse.
Before signing a contract, it is worth carefully checking what is included in the price and what is an additional service, as well as how the stable reacts in situations that threaten the horse's life. Instead of looking for the cheapest offer, it's better to calculate the real cost including surcharges and assess the quality of care. The key rule that Joanna suggests is simple: always choose what is best for the horse, because it is the one living in that stable.
If you want to delve deeper into horse care, visit the Equishop blog - you will find practical guides on horse health and care, as well as a series of posts on horse breeds, such as the Hanoverian horse bred for competitive sports.
