Not a commercial barn. Not hired staff. A real family that lives on the property, knows every horse by name, and genuinely cares about the animals in their keeping.
Cates Horse Boarding was founded in 2025 by the Cates family in Garfield, Arkansas. The idea was simple: Northwest Arkansas horse owners deserved a better option. Too many barns in the area were either overpriced commercial operations where your horse was just a number, or backyard setups that lacked professionalism and accountability. The Cates family had the land -- approximately 50 acres of beautiful rolling countryside along Gann Ridge Road -- and they had the heart for it. So they opened their gates.
What started as a family decision has become something the entire Cates family pours themselves into every single day. This is not a side project or an investment property. This is the family home, and the horses that board here are treated like they belong here -- because they do.
Cates Horse Boarding, LLC is a registered business with proper boarding contracts, liability considerations, and professional standards. But behind the paperwork, it is a family that genuinely loves horses and takes enormous pride in the care they provide. That combination of professionalism and personal warmth is what makes Cates different from anything else in NWA.
Shaed runs the business side of Cates Horse Boarding -- handling inquiries, managing contracts, coordinating with boarders, and making sure everything runs smoothly. He also works full-time in insurance, which means he understands risk, responsibility, and what it means to protect what matters most to people. When you call or text (479) 903-4996, Shaed is the one who picks up.
Donald does the physical farm work every single day. He is the one walking the fields, checking on horses, cleaning stalls, maintaining fences, and keeping the property in the condition these animals deserve. Rain, heat, cold, or holiday -- Donald is out there. The horses know him, and he knows every one of them.
Misty handles the social side of Cates Horse Boarding -- keeping the Facebook page updated, sharing photos of the horses and property, and helping the community get to know who the Cates family really is. She is also the one who makes sure the human side of this business stays warm, welcoming, and genuine.
The single biggest thing that separates Cates Horse Boarding from other facilities in Northwest Arkansas is this: the family lives on the property. This is not a barn that gets checked on once or twice a day by hired staff. The Cates family is here 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. When a storm rolls through at 2 AM, the family is already here. When your horse is acting off at sunset, someone notices -- because someone is always here.
Every horse at Cates receives a daily individual wellness check. Not a glance from a distance. A real, personal check where the family walks up to your horse, looks them over, and makes sure everything is right. They know your horse by name, by personality, by the little quirks that make your horse yours. That level of individual attention is something commercial barns simply cannot provide -- and it is something we will never compromise on.
We do not commute to work. We live here. Your horse is never alone on this property -- the Cates family is always within earshot, always watching, always available.
We learn your horse's name, personality, preferences, and quirks from day one. When something changes, we notice -- and we let you know.
Cates Horse Boarding is a registered LLC with proper boarding contracts. We take this seriously because your trust deserves that level of commitment.
Call or text any time -- even late at night. We understand that worrying about your horse does not follow business hours. We are real people, and we respond.
Cates Horse Boarding sits on approximately 50 acres along Gann Ridge Road in Garfield, Arkansas. The land features rolling hills, natural shade trees, open pastures, and the kind of quiet, peaceful setting that horses thrive in. We are located just minutes from Bentonville, Rogers, and Bella Vista -- making us easily accessible from anywhere in Northwest Arkansas.
We are also just down the road from Pea Ridge National Military Park, which offers beautiful trails and riding opportunities for boarders who want to get out and explore. The combination of our property's acreage and the nearby trail system makes Cates an ideal home base for horses and riders who love the outdoors.
Our facility includes a brand new round pen for training and exercise, no-climb safety fencing for private paddocks, a barn with four stalls, and all the infrastructure needed to provide professional-quality care in a family setting.
We are proud of our 5.0 star Google rating. It reflects what our boarders already know -- that Cates Horse Boarding provides a level of care, attention, and trustworthiness that is hard to find anywhere else in NWA. We earn that rating every single day by doing exactly what we promise: caring for your horse like family.
We believe that horse owners should not have to choose between affordability and quality care. We believe that a horse boarding facility should be run by people who are present, accountable, and genuinely invested in the wellbeing of every animal on the property. We believe that your horse deserves to be known by name -- not by stall number.
We started Cates Horse Boarding because we saw a gap in NWA. There were expensive commercial barns and there were unaccountable backyard operations, but there was not enough in between -- a professional, family-run facility that offered real land, real care, and real value. That is what we built, and that is what we deliver every day.
If you are looking for horse boarding in Northwest Arkansas or Southwest Missouri and want to trust your horse to a family that will treat them like their own, we would love to hear from you. Come visit the property, meet the family, and see for yourself what makes Cates different.
We encourage every potential boarder to visit the property before committing. See the land, meet the Cates family, and decide if this feels like the right home for your horse.