Board your horse at a private, professional barn with all the amenities of a commercial operation and none of the crowds.
Open Sky Stables, in Hanover, Illinois, is located on a 1,250-acre second-generation, family-owned farm and cattle ranch in the rolling hills of Jo Daviess County, just a stone’s throw from the Mississippi River.
We specialize in providing tender, loving care for all breeds, disciplines, and ages, and we take special pride in tending to retired and disabled horses. Our stables have been home to everything from hunter-jumper Thoroughbreds and Tennessee Walker mares to Western pleasure horses.
The staff at Open Sky Stables is kind, competent and the key to our success. Our seven core values guide us in caring for your boarded horse: Integrity, Respect, Safety, Growth, Cooperation, Gratitude, Play
Open Sky Stables opened for business in 2015, but we’ve been riding and caring for horses since 1972.
In the early 1970's, western horsemanship was an integral part of what became one of Jo Daviess County's largest cattle operations: Hanover Ranch. Our origins stem from those beginnings, when a cowboy's horse was his partner, best friend, and most important tool. That authenticity and respect for our animals is still felt here every day.
In the early 1990's the changes in scale of modern farming meant bigger equipment and less staff, and with that came the opportunity to pursue new opportunities with the horse herd. We became a large AQHA and APHA breeding operation, and soon 100 broodmares—spread across five barns and 60 acres of lush grazing paddocks—called Hanover Ranch home.
Over time, our vision changed from breeding to boarding. With a name inspired by the stunning vistas provided from our highest ridge tops, Open Sky Stables honors our past while maintaining a progressive focus on sustainable and natural land management methods, positive reinforcement training, and boarding for all breeds.