The Challenge of Boarding at Home

By Johanna Jessen

Hannah LeJeune is a resident of Lake Charles, Louisiana, currently in her seventh year of riding in the hunter/jumper discipline. Only recently has she been able to devote more time to horses, as she spent the majority of her childhood dancing competitively. This led to her purchase of her first horse, Bella.

Not in a search for a horse at the time, Bella was presented for sale at the perfect moment in December of 2020, a result of Hurricane Laura’s damages on her home farm in Lake Charles. Hannah instantly agreed to take Bella, stating that she had “always loved and dreamt of buying her, even with a college student bank account.” At this point, Hannah had never owned or cared for a horse on her own, but was more than up for the challenge and learning possibilities.

“I had no idea what to do, what to expect, or how to take care of a horse. I was so nervous. I pulled up to the barn one day and had a full panic attack trying to learn so quickly about what was needed. I wanted nothing more than to provide the best possible care to Bella. If there was a ‘learn to own a horse for dummies’ I needed it.”

Hannah gives immense credit to her close friend Amelia (also of Lake Charles) for helping her through the process of becoming a stay-at-home-horse-mom. She went on to explain that everything changed in her life from the day Bella came home, all rooted in the details of horse care. To blanket or not, water consumption, shoeing – the list goes on.

A day in Hannah’s life is far from average. She squeezes in much more than one-day’s work. Traveling to work outs, feedings, barn cleanings and horse checks, school, exercising the horses, Hannah’s own job, more horse checks, cleaning, and feeding. There is wonder to how one person could do it all – but Hannah is. As any true horsewoman, Hannah attributes her biggest struggle to time, and of course, the weather. She heavily prioritizes giving Bella the best care possible, and as shown in her above-mentioned schedule, this can be a difficulty to find a few extra minutes. Additionally, Hannah hasn’t had the time she desires to ride thanks not only to her schedule, but the south Louisiana rain keeping the ground in a bit of an overzealous layer of water. However, Hannah has goals of a grass field by the end of Spring for her and Bella to further their relationship under saddle. Not having the chance to ride as a reward for the day-in and day-out work may come as a disappointment to most young riders, but Hannah truly values the time spent with her lovely horse, along with the numerous things she has learned along the way.

Entering the world of self-care can be intimidating, and some of that fear is healthy. So if you’re gearing up to bring your horse home to care for them, what should you prepare for? Along with scheduling out her day hour by hour, Hannah advises to start learning early with the goal of “nothing but the best” for your horse. She also encourages a support group to pave your pathway to success. Like the best horsemen and women in our industry, Hannah suggests the timeless reminder:

“Ask all the questions.”

Hannah is aware of not only how much she has already learned through her beloved Bella, but how much she has left to gain, and she looks at the challenge with hope and tenacity.