Iron Gait Ranch - Arvada, Colorado

Zuli D.

The staff at Iron Gait Ranch are some of the best I've ever encountered. They are attentive, professional, and treat each horse like their own. My horse's health and happiness have improved immensely since boarding here.

Niko ?. D.

Love this place! Everyone is so friendly and kind. Not to mention, the barn owner Nick is awesome. He took me in when I was dealing with a nightmare of a facility and accommodated me and my mare right away. I also love the facilities and how there's access to wash racks, a bathroom, tack room, grain storage, the arena is also a great size and they have a roundpen! They have a nice field to ride in or graze your horse in and are about a 20-minute ride to standley Lake. The shared pastures are 24/7 access to feed, fresh heated water, and they do a great job to scrape them regularly. My mare is a healthy weight again and happy with her horsey friends. I have absolutely nothing but great things to say about this place.

Sarah C.

I moved my mare to Iron Gait Ranch in March. Ellie and I are both very happy here! She does great with the free choice hay, clean water and laid back environment. There are many things to work with ( tarps, poles, barrels, etc.). Nick and Shawna have been incredible. Very helpful and accommodating. They always take the best care of each and every horse.

Kim Y.

I have been at Iron Gait Ranch since 3/2016. Originally I moved two horses in. Both geldings were happy and well taken care of. I lost my older boy in June. The support I received from the staff and boarders at the ranch was above and beyond. A large arena, locking tack rooms, trailer parking, access to Standley Lake trails, quality feed and care. Nick goes above and beyond. If you are looking for a smaller, quiet barn with a bunch of quality folks, this is the place.

Mia S.

Pros:
- Free choice hay 24/7
- Clean and organized
- Trailer parking
- Everyone has a designated spot in the tack room (and there are multiple tack rooms)
- Access to trails
- Lots of places to ride on property (arena, round, pasture)
- Hay is tested
- They de-worm for you and it’s included with board
- Many other friendly boarders
- Different housing options for your horse from small stalls to bigger stalls to group paddocks
- A LOT of people/horses = someone is always there

Cons:
- Pricey (Bare minimum expect to pay around $400)
- Opinionated horse people who often times don’t mind their own business (horse people- if you know you know)
- Owner (Nick) is rarely there and if he is, surely doesn’t interact with anyone on property. He doesn’t seem very friendly and if you never met him, you would never know who he is in relevance to the barn
- No indoor arena if that’s important to you
- A LOT of people/horses = someone is always there (yes, this is both a pro and a con)
- Barn manager (Jordan) comes off detached and like he lacks compassion. Unsure if he isn’t educated in horse care or if he’s just aloof
- If your horse is in a group paddock, there is often a lag when one of the two feeders doesn’t have any hay in it which causes stops some horses at the bottom of the pecking order to not eat
- Communication problems with both the barn manager and the barn owner. I have had a hard time getting ahold of both of them to include times of emergency. Actually, it is rare they I get a response period and I don’t reach out unless I need something
- Speaking of emergencies… don’t rely on anyone who works there to be there for you or help you out if it is outside of their work hours. I was in a position where I was out at the barn late one evening (around 8-9 pm) and needed to provide aide to my horse who was sick at the time. I was not particularly experienced in this one medication and needed help. I tried contacting barn manager, asking him for help and he never came or responded to my messages. There was another incident where my friends horse was colicing bad in the middle of the night and she was left there to handle it alone. Maybe this is my error in assuming barn managers are there to recognize and help in horse emergencies if they live on site?

Overall, I wouldn’t recommend this place but that’s because the cons outweighed the pros for me. I guess it’s up to what’s important to you in a boarding facility and your needs and non-negotiables are. I boarded my horse there for 5 months and got her the hell out of there as soon as I found somewhere new.

Stefanie T.

In April of 2013 we were looking for a new home for our horses. We looked all over the Arvada/Westminster area and stumbled upon Iron Gait Ranch. Nick was very thorough in his first conversation with us and very honest about the expectations of the ranch. His first concern was the horses and providing the best place he could for them. Nick and Monique live on-site and have 3 of their own horses also on the property so the ranch is more than a business, it is personal. Hay is tested and results are posted so all can be aware of the food their horses are eating. Health clinics are offered on a regular basis, worming rotations are regulated (and they worm your horse if you want), horses are monitored all the time to ensure they are at their best, etc. IGR goes above and beyond, like no other, to ensure the horses are healthy and happy in every way they can. This was proven to use last December when one of our horses started to colic. My son had just left the ranch 15 minutes early and received a call from Nick saying he should come back as the horse was showing some signs of distress. The next 5 hours were spent trying to save our horse. Nick and Monique helped us walk our horse, helped called vets (it seemed every vet in the area was busy and couldn't come out) and never left our side. When we finally got a vet out, they honored our privacy but were still right by our side. The decision was made to put our horse down and Nick made sure we had a private place to say goodbye. I might add that the temperature was around 10-15 degrees during this whole time. Nick and Monique treated us as family not as a boarder! They shared our loss and gave their unending support!

Since we first arrived on the ranch, there have been improvements: new paddocks, new fences, new tack barn, full size arena, and heated water tanks just to name a few. There are more improvements planned but even with those, I know that that family friendly environment will not be lost. From Halloween parties to a Christmas photo (including many of the boarders), we love to call the ranch our home away from home. I can't imagine a better home for our 4 legged family member and a fun place for us to spend our time!

Jodi K.

We love visiting the Snow Cone Shack at Iron Gait Ranch in the summer. The flavors are many and delicious and Shawna is lovely. She posts her hours for the week on Instagram.

mike E.

This ranch is absolute heaven for your horse. The ranch is very well maintained and the staff is great... I would highly recommend Iron Gait Ranch!