Q.   I've never ridden before and would like to start taking lessons.   What do you offer?
A.   That's great that you want to start riding!   Hopefully, you'll discover how much fun it is.   However, at this time, we only offer lessons to clients on their own privately owned horses.   Please check the other local yards, your local Yellow Book, and websites such as http://www.nhequestrians.com/ for riding schools.

Q.   Do you rent out horses for things like trail riding or parties?
A.   No, at this time we do not rent out horses.   For horse rentals, try this website: http://www.horserentals.com/newhampshire.html.

Q.   Do you take "truck in" lessons?
A.   Yes, if you keep your horse at home or at another farm, but want to train with us, we are happy to have you bring your horse in for lessons.

Q.   My horse currently eats Purina / Blue Seal / Poulin / Nutrena / Agway / Brand X.   If we board at Kearsarge Meadows, can I have this fed to him?
A.   Yes, we currently stock Blue Seal and Poulin feeds but are happy to cater to our boarders.

Q.   Will you feed my horse supplements of my choice?
A.   Absolutely, we are happy to feed supplements which you supply for your horse.

Q.   Why do you have different rates based on the size of the horse?
A.   Generally, the bigger the horse, the more food we are going to feed him.   Also, the bigger the horse, the more waste they produce, therefore using more shavings.   Since the extra food and shavings is already built into the board rate, you will never get a surprise bill at the end of the month for these things.

Q.   Why is board more for horses 20+ years old?
A.   Horses and ponies require much more TLC in their later years.   For example, they often need special foods which are easier to chew and digest, deeper bedding, and a longer blanketing season.   The older horses, while often "retired", also demand more of our time and attention as we tend to their physical and emotional needs.

Q.   Our mare is going to have a foal next spring.   Do you have facilities for a mare and foal?
A.   We have double-sized stables for mares and foals.   WebCams are used to monitor the mares as their foaling dates arrive.   When the foals are born, they receive immediate veterinary checkups.   We will also help you use imprint training to get their educations started.   We have 2 mares of our own who foaled in 2006, while many friends and family around the world watched via the Internet!   Because we believe foals should grow up with other foals, the mares and foals share a big pasture where the babies can play together.   When it comes time to wean foals, this approach makes it much less stressful for them as they still have each other for company when their mothers return to work.

Q.   Will my horse get turned out?
A.   Yes, we turn out horses everyday, unless the weather is extremely nasty.   In fact, we strongly believe that the well-being and happiness of horses is greatly supported by daily turnout.   All horses on our farm are turned out daily unless they are on veterinary orders to have "box rest".

Q.   My horse needs company in the pasture.   Can you arrange that?
A.   Yes, most horses prefer a pasture buddy or two.   Whenever possible, we match up horses in pairs or small groups to be turned out together.

Q.   My current farrier and vet really know my horse well.   I would prefer not to switch to a new farrier and vet.   Is that okay?
A.   Yes, that's absolutely fine.   We do not have a "farm farrier" or "farm vet" with whom we solely do business.   However, in an emergency, if your farrier or vet is not able to attend quickly enough, we will select an alternative.

Q.   We heard Kearsarge Meadows has links to the 4-H Horse Club.   What do you do?
A.   Kimberley was in 4-H Horse & Dog clubs as a kid.   Now, (many) years later, she is helping the local 4-H Horse club by hosting 4-H Clinics and Lecture Demonstrations at Kearsarge Meadows with plans to continue doing so.

Q.   I would like to keep my horse at Kearsarge Meadows.   My best friend also likes to ride but doesn't have a horse.   Do you have a horse she can use so that we can trail ride together once in a while?
A.   No, while we understand how much fun it is to go trail riding with a friend, we do not have horses we can loan out.

Q.   Will my horse be used as a lesson horse while at Kearsarge Meadows?
A.   If you want lessons on your horse, that is fine.   But, no, we will not use your horse as a lesson horse for other riders, unless you quite specifically ask us to do so.

Q.   When do you feed the horses?
A.   We feed breakfast of hay & grain sometime between 7am & 8am, depending on the time of year and the amount of daylight.   Lunchtime, we feed the second hay if the horses are in, or if they are out on snow.   Between 4pm & 6pm, depending on the weather and the quality of the grass, dinner of hay & grain is fed.   And finally, a late night hay is fed during "Night Checks".

Q.   What is "Night Checks"?
A.   Night Checks is the last thing we do before we go to bed every night.   We check every horse on the property one last time, make sure they ate their dinners, top up their water buckets, check stable rugs & blankets, feed a hay snack, pass around carrots & mints, and secure the barns.   It is our way of making sure the horses are safe & sound, happy & healthy, and tucked in for the night.