Traveling with your horse… for most equestrians, the mere thought of having to scour the internet for a barn to safely board their horses is a hassle, often keeping even the most adventurous rider close to home. Enter Stall Destinations, an online stall rental hub that’s working to change that.
Stall Destinations was created by South Florida native and equine veterinarian Dr. Weston Davis. Being a well-known surgeon at a referral hospital in Wellington, Florida, Dr. Davis has had his fair share of diverse clientele, ranging from trail-riding enthusiasts, to rodeo riders, to horse show competitors from around the world. Through interactions with these traveling clients, he recognized the need for a network of equine facilities. Everyone seemed to struggle finding accommodations for their horses, particularly those from afar. “I just had this lightbulb moment where I knew the horse world would benefit from a system of easy-to-find, high-quality facilities,” Dr. Davis explains. “Folks should be able to travel simply and feel at home with their horses too.” A whirlwind of networking, planning, and web development started there.
Several months later, this labor of love resulted in the launch of an online marketplace for listing and booking stalls. Stalldestinations.com went live in the spring of 2017, and while the network started locally in Florida, it quickly spread nationwide. Stall Destinations currently boasts over 120 barns to choose from, coast to coast, with more barns being added daily.
“We really set out to create a big network of friendly horse people and a convenient system where equestrians of all disciplines could find places to board, overnight or permanent,” Dr. Davis says of the company.
Searching for stalls within the network is as easy as inputting a location and selecting the best barn for the job! Renters can be as broad or specific with the query as they wish, by selecting the price or amenities they desire with the advanced search functions. High-resolution images are included for each facility, so those booking can be sure it looks like the perfect fit. A review system is also incorporated to provide potential renters with previous boarder testimonials, as well as the option to leave a review at the end of their stay. While a mobile app is in development, the current site is mobile-friendly, so you can search and book on the go. Crowther Barrel Horses’ Margo Crowther utilized stalldestinations.com on the road throughout her 2017 professional rodeo campaign, and she had nothing but good things to say about the service. Starting in South Florida, Crowther traveled around the Western U.S. before wrapping up her trip at The American in Dallas, Texas.
“I can’t thank Stall Destinations enough for all of their help finding places to stay while I’m traveling with my horses,” she says. “Whether you’re looking for layovers or permanent board, the website is very easy to use.”
For barn owners with open stalls (or even an entire facility for rent) registration and creation of a listing takes only minutes. For the technically challenged horseman, Stall Destinations’ customer service team is happy to create the listing for you with a simple phone call. After the listing is established, Stall Destinations keeps the rest of the rental process easy by handling all bookings and transactions so that you spend as little time away from your horse as possible. Melissa Taylor of Legacy Farms in Wellington was one of the first to sign up with Stall Destinations and said “signing up on Stall Destinations took me less than 5 min… It was easy and straight forward. Plus the Stall Destination’s staff was right there along the way to provide me assistance with any questions or concerns I had”.
Although they are a rapidly growing start-up in the equine world, Stall Destinations prides itself on mom-and-pop-style service. Dr. Davis or another experienced team member makes it a priority to personally speak to the owner or manager of every facility in the network. For customer service, they are always just a call away.
The company was also designed to give back to the horse community as a core value. Every month, Stall Destinations spotlights an equine non-profit and donates a small contribution, as well as 10% of their proceeds, to them. Thus far they have supported Red Bucket Equine Rescue, Equus Foundation, Rein and Shine, MTRA (Marion Therapeutic Riding Association), Colorado Horse Rescue, Equine Land Conservation Resource and Mini Therapy Horses.
So whether you’re a cowboy in Arizona looking for an RV hookup and stalls on the way to a rodeo, a trail-riding couple on the hunt for a weeklong camping experience, or even an FEI competitor searching for your WEF show facility, Stall Destinations has a listing to fit every need.
