Yay for sunshine! I get really excited towards the end of February every year because it means that the worst part of the winter is over for the Pacific NW. I saw a robin the other day and there are little tiny buds on my trees.

I'm sharing an article I found online today. It gives great tips about saving money if you board a horse. I found it helpful and hope you do to:

How to Save Money on Horse Boarding
By Laura College

Horses are expensive. There's no way around it, and as the costs of gas and hay continue to soar, horse boarding is becoming proportionately more expensive. If you board your horse at a local stable or barn, however, there are ways to rescue your bank account from a painful collapse.

Step 1 Talk to the owner of your stable or barn about your situation. If you've just been laid off from work, or if you've run into significant emergency expenses, you might be able to request a temporary reprieve. This is especially true if you are close with the owner of the stable, but realize that this isn't a long-term solution.

Step 2 Consider boarding your horse in a pasture instead of in a stall. While this might not be as luxurious for the horse, it can save up to $300 per month in board, which will certainly open up more room to pay your "people bills." However, this option is more feasible if you live in a mild climate.

Step 3 Shop around. There might be another stable or barn in your area where you can save money on horse boarding. In some places, the differences in board can amount to hundreds of dollars, so decide which amenities you're willing to give up and move your horse.

Step 4 Muck the stalls. Some barn owners will give discounts on horse boarding if you are willing to do some of the work yourself, such as mucking out stalls twice a day. This is a great option for someone who lives near the barn and has the time to run out quite often.

Step 5 Buy your own feed. You might also be able to save money on horse boarding by providing your own feed. As with human food, there are brand names and off-brands that have significant price differences, but similar (or the same) nutritional content.

Step 6 Learn to share. You are probably not the only person who needs to save money on horse boarding, so talk to other boarders about how you can cut down costs for each other. For example, you might carpool to the barn every day or or share expensive supplements.