SPOKANE SPORT HORSE FARM LLC. BEST PRACTICES
We have been a boarding, training, schooling and show facility for 30 years. We have always advocated for the care and well being of our own horses as well as those which live or attend functions here. We are happy to welcome you and your horse but recent circumstances make if necessary to clearly state the requirements to enter our private property.
SSHF WAIVER OF LIABILITY
This waiver must be signed by all who enter, riders and non-riders as well. Parents should list minor children on their form. Be Legible please!
EHV EXPOSURE RELEASE
This waiver should be provided by the adult responsible for the horse. Confirms no known exposure or symptoms of EHV in the preceding 21 days.
PROOF OF VACCINATION WITHIN 6 MONTHS FOR EHV
You may provide a copy from your veterinarian or you may document on the USEF form. This has been a long-standing USEF GR845 rule. You WILL NOT BE ALLOWED TO ENTER THE PROPERTY WITHOUT PROVIDING PROOF OF CURRENT VACCINATION.
TEMPERATURE LOGS
Current veterinary practices suggest twice daily monitoring at least three days prior to entrance and during residence on facility grounds. We highly recommend you adhere to this policy. Currently we will not ask you to provide this log but do suggest you monitor your horse’s temperature and record it. DO NOT bring a horse who has had a temp of 101.5 F or greater. If you are on grounds and your monitoring reveals a new temperature elevation to 101.5 F immediately contact farm owners and your show or clinic director. We will help quarantine that horse away from others.
BIOSECURITY
Please enter only your assigned barn. Bring your own buckets and cleaning supplies and do not borrow equipment from the farm. Do not put hose end into your bucket. Try to sanitize hands between horses you handle and try not to share equipment.
We can attempt by adhering to these stringent best practices to reduce risks for all who attend.
SSHF Barn Rules:
1. All visitors must sign a waiver release form prior to riding or handling a horse on the property.
2. Follow biosecurity practices.
3. No smoking on premises at all.
4. Dogs must be on leash during organized events.
5. No dogs allowed in riding arenas. You may bring your dog out to the stable and walk them, but they always need to stay on a leash.
6. Riders under the age of 18 must always wear a helmet when riding.
7. Correct footwear with a heel must be worn while riding, No sandals or tennis shoes.
8. No running or yelling in the barn areas as this could spook a horse.
9. Show respect of employees and involve management before complaints given to staff.
10. No riding in any stable aisle way.
11. Never leave your horse unattended in the crossties. If you need to step away from your horse, then please make sure someone is nearby to watch your horse.
12. Never tie a horse to stall grills. Damages including repair and replacement of the damaged grill will be the boarder’s responsibility.
13. When using hydrants, turn off when finished. Do not use accessory to stop water flow-this can cause leaks underground after prolonged water pressure. Make sure handle is down and turned off.
14. Clean up after your horse, BEFORE and AFTER you lunge or ride. This includes sweeping up the crosstie areas and placing the sweepings in the muck bucket. Clean up all manure in the riding arenas after use.
15. Do not place trash into manure tubs! All twine, braiding bands, yarn, trash, need to be in trash.
16. Adult supervision required for all young children. A minors need to have permission from the barn owner before being left at the barn alone without supervision.
17. All horsehair clippings and loose hair should be put in designated muck buckets.
18. The wash stall needs to be cleaned after each use. Immediately after you are finished using the wash stall please sweep up all debris and put it in a muck bucket. Please hose down remaining debris.
19. When bringing your horse into the barn/arena in winter please always stay on the path. Be cautious of ice and slippery ground during inclement weather. Look above entry to indoor arena when snow is on roof, ensure that it is safe to walk under.
20. Turn off the lights if you are the last one to leave the barn. Make sure all arena lights are off as well as the aisle lights. Make sure all yard hydrants’ handles are turned down and completely off.
Additional rules applicable to visitors of SSHF.
21. Please do not enter boarder's barns, hay barn, etc. Please use port-a-toilets and not the event center bathroom.
22. Cleanup after yourself and horse, around stall or trailer area.
23. Do not put your horse in another horse’s stall without the owner’s consent. If you have permission to use a different stall, then leave it exactly how you found it. Make sure it is clean from all manure. Clean and fill the water bucket if your horse drank from it. Please leave the stall better than you found it.
24. Your waiver must be completed, and fees paid before you ride
25. Those accompanying friends or family, even if not riding, should complete a waiver of liability form.
26. Trainer/instructors must be SSHF approved, have insurance on file with SSHF and be current on their monthly instructor fee.
27. Helmet and boots with heels required for all rides. When cross country jumping safety vest and an accompanying person (mounted or not, trainer or friend) with cell phone access required.
28. Schooling and facility fees are dependent upon facilities used.
29. Follow all parking directions, do not block fire lanes.
30. When leaving strip permanent stalls unless permission granted otherwise.
31. Ride at your own risk!
Riding Arena Etiquette and Rules for Safe Riding:
1. When entering the indoor arena be sure to announce your entrance WELL BEFORE you enter. Call out, “Coming in” or ‘Door” and listen for a reply that it is okay to enter.
2. No Lunging in the indoor arena. If you find that one horse is already being lunged in the round-pen, you will need to wait until they are done before lunging your horse or use the seconf round pen behind C Barn. Please communicate with each other. During winter when unable to lunge outdoors, riders have the right-of-way, lunge at end of arena, and be respectful and safe.
3. When passing another rider from behind, always pass on the inside (not between the rider and the wall). When meeting another rider coming towards you, pass so that your left shoulders meet. The “Inside” of the arena is towards the center. The “Outside” is by the wall.
4. If the arena is crowded, please call out your direction of travel if you will be traveling across the diagonal of the arena or need to do lateral exercises on the wall. Please be courteous and understand that when the directions are called out by a rider it is your responsibility to free up the requested area until the pattern is completed and that it is only temporary.
5. Stop your horse and dismount whenever a rider is having trouble controlling their horse.
6. Do not stop in line of travel of another rider. If you need to stop/ dismount, please do so in the center or corner of the arena.
7. If you are coming into the arena and someone is having a lesson, please be courteous and stay out of the area that they are having the lesson. If the rider is using up a good part of the arena, then communicate with the trainer to find out where the best area would be to ride.
8. When using jump standards, ground poles and trail equipment, please set them up on one end of the arena so that others can ride around them and have room to ride on the other end of the arena. Remember to put everything back in the same place you found it when you are done. Some of the equipment may be for show use only so you need to have permission to use any equipment that is not yours PRIOR to use. All equipment needs to be put away when you are done using it.
9. Please be sure to communicate with each other when sharing barn and arena spaces. If you are unsure about something, please ask each other or the barn manager.