Stabling
STABLING INFORMATION
Stable Office: (818) 952-1289
Stable Manager: Joaquin Gomez
Horse safety and horse health is a top concern at Flintridge. We look to our long-tenured and qualified Stable Manager, Foreman and Night Watchmen to keep a knowledgeable eye on our horses. We also rely on our trusted team of grooms and stall cleaners, who are well-acquainted with the horses they care for, to alert us to any potential problems.
Feel free to contact our Stable Office with your questions.
STABLE HOURS
As a boarder at FRC, you may ride your horse whenever you please. However, you should be aware of our official Stable Office hours when standard grooming service, i.e., tacking up horse, untacking horse, putting horse on/off walker, turning out horse, etc., is provided. These stable hours are:
Tuesday through Friday: 7:00am – 12:00pm and 1:00pm – 5:00pm
Limited service Tues-Fri: 5:00pm – 6:30pm
Saturday and Sunday: 7:30am – 12:00pm and 1:00pm – 4:30pm
Mondays and holidays: Closed
GROOMING
A real benefit of being a member at Flintridge Riding Club is our comprehensive grooming service. Unlike most barns, this service is included at no additional charge in the monthly horse board. This means your horse will be groomed (including brushing or vacuuming), saddled, and put in the cross-ties for you prior to your ride. To streamline this process, it is important that your tack is correctly labeled. If you have multiple saddles, be sure to specify Hunter saddle or Dressage saddle when ordering your horse. All riders are required to bridle his/her own horse for safety reasons.
After riding, a groom will untack your horse, sponge him off or give him a shower, and put him on the hot walker or back in his stall, according to your request. Riders are responsible for putting away their own tack.
ORDERING YOUR HORSE
To accommodate our early morning riders, the Club has one groom who begins at 7:00am Tuesdays through Fridays. On Saturdays and Sundays, all grooms start at 7:30am and work until 4:30pm. Horses must be ordered by phone or in writing on the big chalkboard at the head of Barn C at least one hour, preferably more, in advance of the desired ride time. As grooms require at least 15 minutes to groom and tack up a horse, the earliest a horse can be requested is 15 minutes after the beginning of the work day, or after the lunch break. Of course, riders are free to groom and tack up their horses without groom assistance.
For those members who prefer to ride in the evening, one groom works until 6:30pm Tuesdays through Fridays to put horses away only. Horse preparation ends at 5:00pm. During summer daylight savings time, one groom will put horses away until 7:00pm Tuesdays through Fridays. Please return your horse at least 15 minutes before the end of the groom’s shift, so that your horse may be properly cooled down and put away. All riders have the option of putting away their own horses.
There are certain peak times when the grooms are especially busy, such as early mornings and after school. During horse shows held at the Club, members participating in the show have priority for horse grooming over members coming to ride recreationally, should there be a conflict. The Club appreciates your understanding and patience during these busy times.
STABLING OPTIONS
Stabling consists of approximately 12 foot x 12 foot box stalls in Barns A, B, C and D which are often referred to as the “hunter/jumper barns”. Built in the 1966 and recently refurbished, these airy wooden barns have high rooflines and wide windows to maximize airflow, a real benefit in the hotter summer months. Stalls have automatic waterers and secure mesh wire doors to provide horses with visibility of barn activities and each other. Each barn has one or more dedicated tack and feed rooms.
Barn F, our newer “dressage barn”, also has approximately 12 foot x 12 foot box stalls, each with automatic waterers and several large overhead circulation fans. This barn has a large central tack room.
We also have 40 large corrals of various sizes and configuration, some quite large, on the south end of our property. Many of these corrals have enclosed shelters and others have sun coverings or shade trees.
Stalls and corrals are priced at various levels based on their size and other factors.
Both stalls and corrals are assigned on a first come, first served basis with a Waiting List kept by the General Manager. They may be reserved, for a daily reservation charge, while horses are temporarily away at horse shows, on lay-up or on “vacation”.
FEEDING, CLEANING AND BLANKETING
Unlike many other barns that feed only alfalfa cubes, we offer a choice of alfalfa, oat blend or timothy hay. Alfalfa and oat hay are included in the standard monthly board fees, while there is a monthly surcharge for timothy. Horses are fed twice daily at approximately 7:30am and 3:00pm. Mid-day feedings or additional feed at mealtimes may be arranged. There may be a surcharge if additional feed is required.
Stalls and corrals, bedded with wood shavings, are cleaned twice daily, with the exception of Mondays and holidays when the Club is closed.
Horses are blanketed/unblanketed at no additional charge during the colder months of the year or as requested. As many blankets look alike, we ask that members clearly label all blankets with both the owner’s and horse’s name.
LAUNDRY
As a convenience to our members, we coordinate with a horse laundry and repair service that picks up and returns our blankets, sheets and saddle pads. Members are asked to place dirty or torn blankets and saddle pads in the large wooden box outside the Stable Office. As these items are also gathered periodically by stable staff, please contact the Stable Office if you do not want your blankets and/or saddle pads washed through this service. Importantly, be sure your items are clearly marked with both your name and your horse’s name using an indelible laundry marker, and complete a laundry tag which should be attached to your item. Laundry and repair services are billed to your member account. Please ask the Stable Office for pricing.
In the warmer months, clean blankets are stored in the Stable Blanket Room and brought out at the owner’s request.
TACK ROOMS
Tack rooms are available for convenient storage of member-owned tack trunks, saddles and bridles. Each horse is allowed one tack trunk, except in special circumstances approved by the Stable Manager. Mounted bridle and saddle racks are also provided and are reserved for tack currently being used. Due to limited space, tack rooms cannot be used to store inactive tack trunks, saddles and bridles.
After riding, members are asked to place their used bridles on the cleaning hook in their tack room. Grooms will then clean the bridles and replace them on each horse’s bridle rack later that evening.
TACK SHOP
The FRC Tack Shop, located inside the Stable Office, maintains a small inventory of supplies as a convenience to members. Members, guests and visitors may purchase from this selection and also order items not in stock. Prices are competitive with local tack shops and catalogs. As an additional convenience, tack repair can be arranged with the work performed off site. When the tack is returned, the member account will be billed.
SPECIAL SERVICES
The Stable Office provides special services at an additional cost. All requests for special services must be made through the Stable Manager in advance. Special services are provided by qualified Club Staff and will be billed to your member account each month. These services include:
- Lunging your horse
- Administering medications
- Feeding vitamins and supplements
- Body clipping
- Mane pulling
- Purchasing special feed or shavings
Please discuss fees for the above services with the Stable Manager. If you have additional requests not listed above, the Stable Manager will be happy to help you.
FARRIERS
Due to our large number of horses, you can expect to see one or more farriers on the grounds each day. Members are responsible for hiring and scheduling timely visits with their respective farriers. Your farrier will bill you directly.
VETERINARIANS
Veterinarians are always on call and visit regularly throughout the week, usually on pre-determined days/times. Please be sure to inform the Stable Manager of your preferred vet so this may be noted in the Stable Office files. In case of emergency, the first available veterinarian will be called, and we will notify you as soon as possible. Veterinarians will bill members directly for their services.
It is each member’s responsibility to be sure his/her horses are up to date on their shots. This is particularly important as visiting horses from other barns are stabled at the Club during horse shows and clinics. Also, we encourage members to establish a regular worming, teeth floating and sheath cleaning schedule for their horses. Your veterinarian will advise you on the necessary immunizations and will bill you directly for these and other services provided.
STABLE SAFETY POLICY
The Stable Manager has authority, in consultation with the Board of Directors, to determine issues of safety and prudent care and management for horses, members and Club personnel. While a member’s specific boarding location preference will be considered, individual stalls and corrals are not the property of members, and may be re-assigned when necessitated by a horse’s behavior or health needs.
In unusual circumstances, if the Stable Manager decides a horse is particularly unruly, until these behavior issues are resolved, grooming services will be denied and the owner will be asked to groom the horse instead. Members must inform the Stable Manager at least 24 hours in advance when bringing in a new horse to be sure a suitable stabling location is available. The number of stalls made available for stallions may be limited.