WHat your horse Needs: All Inclusive board
Our board rate is “All Inclusive” there are no hidden fees for what we consider to be a basic level of care for a horse. At LEC we don’t want horse owners to have to make a choice between writing a larger check for board or their horse getting what they need to be healthy and comfortable. There is no such thing as “extra hay” or “extra grain” we take care of the horses 365 days a year and provide for them the resources they need to thrive, consistently.
At this time LEC only offers indoor full-service care boarding.
Current Board rate is: $525.00 per month.
Board Includes:
12×12 or 10×12 box stall equipped with rubber mats, ground-level hay feeders and “gossip doors.”
Twice daily feeding of top quality Purina Feeds.
Continuous feeding of grass hay.
Feeding of Smartpak supplements as directed.
Feeding of daily medications as directed
Daily turnout in individual paddocks.
Blanketing services.
Stalls cleaned daily, bedded with wood shavings.
Nightly wellness checks.
Tack locker.
Horse trailer parking.
Organization of vaccination and dental visits.
Attentive daily care and checks for all boarded horses.
On site first aid supplies for horses and humans.
Knowledgeable, caring staff on-site daily.
Nutrition Management:
Proper nutrition, both in content of feed and quantity of feed given to each horse each day is a top priority at Lincoln Equestrian Center. Feed is the fuel for a successful equine athlete. At LEC we like our horses to be shiny and happy, and that is not possible without a proper nutrition program. Board fees at LEC include a twice daily feeding of appropriate grain and as much hay as your horse will eat.
About our Hay:
Hay is cornerstone of our feeding program. Hay is fed with morning grain, evening grain. Hay is also provided while horses are outside in turn out pens, and during night checks. Hay is fed at ground level, which is recommended by many veterinarians. It is believed ground feeding is more natural for horses, and reduces hay waste. Hay nets are available for those horses who over-indulge in hay or eat too quickly.
The purpose of this feeding program is two fold: one to fulfill the natural grazing habits of horses who would typically be grazing on grasses throughout the day if left in a field. Additionally, the constant access to hay keeps the horses digestive tract working throughout the day and night, thus our hay program reduces incidents of both ulcers and colic.
We take hay quality seriously, it must be high quality, contain few stems, sticks, weeds or other debris the baler might pick up. We work closely with our hay provider to ensure top quality horse hay. Our hay is always grass hay: brome, Teff or prairie hay. We do not feed Alfalfa. We minimize hay spoilage by storing our hay in dry containers. Keeping the hay out of weather (including sun) ensures that our hay does not lose nutritional value while we wait to feed it out. Any bad bales are culled out of the stack if they have too many weeds, or if the horses won’t eat them.
We have a constant and consistent stream of hay. Barring natural disasters striking the area such as droughts or floods that destroy hay fields, or fires that take out hay storage there is no increase in board in winter or other times of year because we have to source additional hay to “get through the year.” We’ve worked with the same hay grower since we began running LEC, he knows he’s growing hay for horses and so we get horse quality hay every year.
Despite recent trends in the use of hay bags, or different feeders, at LEC we have opted to hay throughout the day on the ground as opposed to using devices to deliver roughage. Although this takes us more time throughout the day, feeding hay several times throughout the day enables the staff to check in with each horse to see how they are doing. We have found this method results in less hay wastage as the horses
About our Grain Options:
Boarders at Lincoln Equestrian Center are not charged any surcharges for the amount of grain their horse eats. We do not have a "Scoop Maximum” we feed the horses the amount of grain they need to thrive. All horses in the barn are fed grain by weight. Although colorful scoops and coffee cans make great tools, when it comes to nutrition it’s important to know exactly how much your horse is eating.
We proudly feed Purina Products to our horses, and have had great success maintaining happy healthy horses as well as working with Purina to find the perfect selection of grains to suit the horses of LEC. Each of the feeds we have selected for LEC contain vitamins, minerals and amino acids essential to horses, thus cutting out the necessity of feeding expensive additional vitamin supplements to the horses.
For the horses who are working in demanding athletic programs we offer Purina Ultium. Higher in fat, Ultium is an excellent source of energy for competition horses. Ultium also contains a specific set of amino acids designed to help with muscle recovery and development of the topline.
For our older horses LEC offers Purina Senior is designed to meet the needs of Senior horses who are still in active use. Senior is a highly digestible feed, containing multiple sources of fiber. This feed ensures that our active seniors are receiving BOTH nutrients as well as roughage. For our older, but more active senior horses we have Senior Active. This HIGHLY palatable feed features a higher fat content to maintain condition of older horses as well as pro and prebiotics to aid with digestion.
For those “Easy keepers” in need of a little something to help them maintain body condition and get the vitamins and nutrients they need that aren’t available in hay forage we offer Enrich Plus. This grain is also suitable for horses who have some metabolic conditions as it is both low starch and low sugar.
In addition to these primary feeds we also keep in stock a range of Purina Supplemental Feed additives. We always have on hand Amplify. Amplify is a high-fat supplement which is used to help horses in maintaining their weight. Think of it as a replacement for corn oil. Amplify is our go-to replacement for alfalfa. It has all the benefits of weight maintenance without the concerns about sugars and “hotness” one finds with feeding alfalfa. We also keep in stock, Supersport an amino acid supplement that helps in muscle recovery and development. Supersport is a great addition for active horses like jumpers, reiners as well as aging horses who are still in work, but struggle to maintain muscle as they age. Finally, to aid in digestion LEC keeps in stock Outlast. Very often horses come into the barn with ulcers or develop ulcers as riding and showing schedules change. To help these horses handle their excess stomach acid we add Outlast to their feed. Additives are no extra charge.
Fore more information about the specific nutrient content and ingredients in feeds listed follow the bold face links to each feed option on Purina’s Website. If you are moving to the area or switching to Purina from another grain we recommend bringing a week’s worth of transition grain along with you. We are more than able to facilitate most all diet regiments and creating a perfect mix and ration for your horse.
We do not feed any other “outside grains.” If your horse requires a special feed out of medical necessity we will make an exception based upon a veterinary recommendation only. If your horse has other specific dietary restrictions, based upon a veterinary recommendation we will bring in the feed your equine partner needs to eat in order to be healthy.
A word about medications:
Should your horse at any time need to take medications prescribed by your veterinarian Management at LEC is more than happy to feed these to your horse if you cannot make it out to the barn for the required doses. If this is the case please speak to us about the medical regiment prescribed by your vet. If your horse takes a daily anti-inflammatory medication we are more than happy to feed that medication each day.
Our Partnership with Smartpak Equine:
In order to ensure the proper feeding of supplements LEC requires all horse owners who feed supplements to supply them via Smartpak Equine. Smartpak offers an extensive catalogue of various supplement for all of your horse’s needs. Because supplements play an important role in the wellness of the equine resident’s who eat them LEC wants to be sure each horse is getting the correct amount on a daily basis. Properly measured into correct daily does, labeled with the horses names, when you use a Smartpak you can rest easy knowing that your horse is receiving the correct amount of supplement he or she requires.
Supplements ship free to Lincoln Equestrian Center with Smartpak’s free Barn Saver Shipping. The supplements will be sent directly to us, with no worries about running out or having to go to the feed store to pick more up. You can also use your Barn Saver Shipping on other items for your horse! We promise not to tell your spouse you bought another saddle pad!
All new boarders receive 50% off their first shipment of Smartpak supplements. Our Smartpak consultant would be more than happy to speak with you about your horse’s nutritional and supplement needs. For more information please contact Smartpak at the link provided above. For a consultation about supplements we are more than happy to connect you to our barn liaison at Smartpak.
No worries:Daily horse care
Attention to Details:
Our clients LOVE the attention to detail that comes when you board at Lincoln Equestrian Center. Our professional management and excellent staff means you horse is not only looked at but looked over several times a day. What are we looking for? That our horses have drank their “normal” amount of water, that they ate their hay, grain, and pooped. If things don’t look right or your horse seems off you will be contacted by Margo or Zack. Injuries and the onset of illnesses does happen sometimes. It is our policy to alert owners with any updates about changes in their horse’s health or behavior immediately.
Turnout:
Horses need time to be horses, outside of their stalls, breathing in fresh air and stretching their legs. The LEC turnout policy is that horses should have as much time outside as possible. The goal is at least 5 to 6 hours a day of turn out for each horse. Every horse is turned out every day all year long, weather permitting. Horses will not go out during thunderstorms or excessively heavy or cold rain. Horses do not get turned out if: the pens are muddy and slippery, heavy rains, thunderstorms or electrical storms. If the weather is very cold or very hot turn out hours will be reduced to protect the health of the horses.
Our turn out paddocks vary in size, horses are placed in paddocks based upon their size, energy level, and ability to get along with neighbors. Each horse gets their own individual turn out paddock.
All of our pens are constructed with welded pipe.
Blanketing:
Fly boots, sheets and masks are put on at the request of horse owners and taken off when inside the barn unless otherwise requested.
Winter blankets are put on the horses prior to turn out. LEC is a heated facility, kept above freezing throughout the winter. As such, for the health of the horses, heavy turnout blankets are not necessary inside the barn, even overnight. LEC kindly requests that you put your horse’s name somewhere on the blanket so that we have the correct blanket for each horse. When taken off the horses blankets are hung to allow them to fully dry.