Castle in the Clouds - impressed and disappointed

dmjr · 07-02-2012, 02:24 PM

Yesterday I went up to the Castle in the Clouds for the first time in 21 years. I must admit I was impressed and disappointed at the same time.

The restoration work at the Castle in very nice, everything was well presented and the volunteers inside were very knowledgeable.

The part that disappointed me the most was the conditions of the horse barn. Walking through that barn was a very depressing sight. It was very dark, dingy and smelly. All of the horses had that look to them that was very depressing and they were in their stalls with saddles on. The staff in the barn also seemed very arrogant and it did not look like they cared about the horses.

NoBozo · 07-02-2012, 05:30 PM

I have been up there 3 times in the last three years. As far as I know..The Horse Barn is NOW (and has been) the restaurant with the patio outside. Is there another Horse Barn that is NOT on the regular Castle Tour. Just wonderin..

NB

Heaven · 07-02-2012, 07:47 PM

There is the stables used by the riding horses, over toward the bottling plant. It is a typical rental riding stable, with the horses leased for the summer from a rental ranch.

laketrout · 07-03-2012, 09:13 AM

I took my family to the Castle in he Clouds riding stables last week, the staff were professional and knowledgeable. The horse ride was fun especially for my youngest daughter. Horse barns do have a smell, I didn't get a bad impression at all. The kids loved to see Zeus the huge draft horse.

jmen24 · 07-03-2012, 10:45 AM

Horses should not be stalled with riding equipment left on them, they can injure themselves if something were to get caught (the girth should be loosened and stirups pulled up while in a resting state for the horses comfort. This makes the saddle easy to slip out of position and spook the horse).

There is really no reason to keep a horse saddled when not being ridden, especially after being ridden.

It takes 5 minutes to saddle a horse and put the bridle on.

For all there power, horses are quite delicate and require some care in keeping them healthy and happy.

dmjr · 07-03-2012, 10:56 AM

Well....all of the horses I saw in the barn in stalls had all riding equipment left on the them and the stalls were a mess. I understand that a horse barn would have an odor to it, but not an overwhelming one. I have been in other horse barns and that by far was the worst barn I have seen. They should be ashamed!

Gearhead · 07-03-2012, 11:59 AM

We were also in that horse barn yesterday, but I don't have too much idea what a barn should smell like, other than horse and horse by-products.

I kind of like the smells of a horse barn.

I'd say half the horses there were saddled, but when we left there were seven horses lined up with a group ready to leave with them. The horses might have been reserved and were simply ready for their customers but I really don't know. What I would do is ask someone there why the horses are saddled and in their stalls. Maybe there is a reasonable explanation for it. Maybe they are simply keeping them out of the hot sun?

I just returned from the Philippines and the horses there would pass for deer here. I couldn't believe the one I rode up the Taal volcano held me. The poor thing!

07-02-2012, 02:24 PM	#1
dmjr Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Moultonborough, NH Posts: 273 Thanks: 2 Thanked 10 Times in 8 Posts	Castle in the Clouds - impressed and disappointed Yesterday I went up to the Castle in the Clouds for the first time in 21 years. I must admit I was impressed and disappointed at the same time. The restoration work at the Castle in very nice, everything was well presented and the volunteers inside were very knowledgeable. The part that disappointed me the most was the conditions of the horse barn. Walking through that barn was a very depressing sight. It was very dark, dingy and smelly. All of the horses had that look to them that was very depressing and they were in their stalls with saddles on. The staff in the barn also seemed very arrogant and it did not look like they cared about the horses. __________________ DMJR Moultonborough, NH

07-03-2012, 10:45 AM	#5
jmen24 Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Posts: 1,139 Thanks: 223 Thanked 319 Times in 181 Posts	Hopefully that is not a standard of practice. Horses should not be stalled with riding equipment left on them, they can injure themselves if something were to get caught (the girth should be loosened and stirups pulled up while in a resting state for the horses comfort. This makes the saddle easy to slip out of position and spook the horse). There is really no reason to keep a horse saddled when not being ridden, especially after being ridden. It takes 5 minutes to saddle a horse and put the bridle on. For all there power, horses are quite delicate and require some care in keeping them healthy and happy.

07-03-2012, 10:56 AM	#6
dmjr Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Moultonborough, NH Posts: 273 Thanks: 2 Thanked 10 Times in 8 Posts	Well....all of the horses I saw in the barn in stalls had all riding equipment left on the them and the stalls were a mess. I understand that a horse barn would have an odor to it, but not an overwhelming one. I have been in other horse barns and that by far was the worst barn I have seen. They should be ashamed! __________________ DMJR Moultonborough, NH

07-03-2012, 11:59 AM	#7
Gearhead Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Alton Posts: 166 Thanks: 13 Thanked 19 Times in 8 Posts	We were there too! We were also in that horse barn yesterday, but I don't have too much idea what a barn should smell like, other than horse and horse by-products. I kind of like the smells of a horse barn. I'd say half the horses there were saddled, but when we left there were seven horses lined up with a group ready to leave with them. The horses might have been reserved and were simply ready for their customers but I really don't know. What I would do is ask someone there why the horses are saddled and in their stalls. Maybe there is a reasonable explanation for it. Maybe they are simply keeping them out of the hot sun? I just returned from the Philippines and the horses there would pass for deer here. I couldn't believe the one I rode up the Taal volcano held me. The poor thing!

07-02-2012, 05:30 PM	#2
NoBozo Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Portsmouth. RI Posts: 2,231 Thanks: 400 Thanked 460 Times in 308 Posts	I have been up there 3 times in the last three years. As far as I know..The Horse Barn is NOW (and has been) the restaurant with the patio outside. Is there another Horse Barn that is NOT on the regular Castle Tour. Just wonderin.. NB

07-02-2012, 07:47 PM	#3
Heaven Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 516 Thanks: 126 Thanked 94 Times in 66 Posts	There is the stables used by the riding horses, over toward the bottling plant. It is a typical rental riding stable, with the horses leased for the summer from a rental ranch.

The Following User Says Thank You to Heaven For This Useful Post:
NoBozo (07-03-2012)

07-03-2012, 09:13 AM	#4
laketrout Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Long Bay/ Paugus bay Posts: 115 Thanks: 127 Thanked 13 Times in 9 Posts	I took my family to the Castle in he Clouds riding stables last week, the staff were professional and knowledgeable. The horse ride was fun especially for my youngest daughter. Horse barns do have a smell, I didn't get a bad impression at all. The kids loved to see Zeus the huge draft horse.