# Boarders and Guests



## EponaLynn (Jul 16, 2013)

Not without at least letting you know they'd be coming. 

What if they were not a friend and were really there to give the horse something that made it sick? You are responsible for the welfare of that horse so you need to know who's doing what and make sure it's in accordance with the owner's wishes.


----------



## Zexious (Aug 2, 2013)

I don't think that it's invasive and rude.

I don't currently live in the same state as my horse, though I am planning to have him hauled back soon. However, because of this I have my parents check on my horse. They should not need to ask permission to go and check on my horse and make sure he is healthy and safe, in the same way that I do not need to ask permission.

If it is that big of an issue, have a discussion with the horse's owner, and say you'd like a heads up in the future if guests are going out to the barn.


----------



## DancingArabian (Jul 15, 2011)

The horse owner should give advance notification. You don't know if they had a right or something and the visitor is going to take out issues on the horse. The visitors should also all sign waivers.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


----------



## verona1016 (Jul 3, 2011)

I agree that if the horse owner knows ahead of time that she'll be gone for a while and has asked someone to check in on her horse, she should let the BO know out of courtesy. However, there are some circumstances where that's not possible (personal injury, family emergency, etc.) and I wouldn't consider it invasive for someone who has been to the barn enough times for the BO to recognize them to go and give the horse some attention.


----------



## franknbeans (Jun 7, 2007)

verona1016 said:


> I agree that if the horse owner knows ahead of time that she'll be gone for a while and has asked someone to check in on her horse, she should let the BO know out of courtesy. However, there are some circumstances where that's not possible (personal injury, family emergency, etc.) and I wouldn't consider it invasive for someone who has been to the barn enough times for the BO to recognize them to go and give the horse some attention.


Sorry, Verona-there is no horse that needs immediate attention. If there is an emergency, the horse getting attention is not usually at the top of someones mind. I am best friends with my BO and I still would NEVER send anyone out to the farm without letting her know first. And yes, they all have to sign waivers. After all, it is a PRIVATE boarding stable, not a public barn, like the zoo.


----------



## verona1016 (Jul 3, 2011)

I'm not saying that the first thought to come to anyone's mind when Grandma end up in the hospital and it looks like she doesn't have much longer is "Oh, better get Sally to go make sure my pony is OK!" But after you've been gone a couple days you do start to worry about your horse. And you may ask your friend who's gone with you to the barn many times to go give him some love until you get back. And not all of us are best friends with our BO's, so while we may think to let them know we've gone out of town unexpectedly, we may not also think to tell them that Sally is going to stop by at some point.

My barn doesn't have waivers (which may have something to do with my state's equine liability laws), but even if it did, odds are that a friend who has been there many times before has probably already signed it.


----------



## franknbeans (Jun 7, 2007)

We will have to agree to disagree on this one. I also believe it is common courtesy. Now, I may not think about it so much if my horse was at a huge barn......a lesson and show barn type where kids and people are going in and out all the time anyways........


----------



## BornToRun (Sep 18, 2011)

Assuming that this is a first time occurrence, and therefore no waivers have been signed, I would be pretty peeved if someone just showed up on my property, out of the blue, without any notice in advance. I wouldn't think a horse would be in dire need to be fed cheetos, cheez -its, or whatevers, and to be petted. I think any respectable BO would be able to look after the horse(s) on their property on the odd occasion that the owner would not be able to make it out. And if not, it's still safe and courteous to alert the property owner that there is someone else there in their stead.


----------



## Saskia (Aug 26, 2009)

I think it really depends on the place. Like I, along with a couple others, boarded at a private place where the family lived. I wouldn't send someone there that they didn't know. However, I did used to board at a place that had many boarders and a riding school, and I certainly wouldn't have told the BO if I sent someone over - I never saw the BO. In that situation it would be fine. 

So it's hard to know I think.


----------



## CCBella (Jul 6, 2010)

I always advise who is watching my horses if I'm going away. After issues at another place where a friend of a boarder, that the BO had met before, was caught helping herself to (ie stealing) other boarders equipment I won't let anyone look after my horses unless the BO knows they will be on the property. Not only better security but also prevents false accusations


----------



## DancingArabian (Jul 15, 2011)

I wanted to add that I absolutely expect my BO to try to contact me if someone shows up unannounced to mess with my horse. I would be LIVID if she let someone do anything with my horse without being sure I was okay with it.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


----------



## MHFoundation Quarters (Feb 23, 2011)

I'm also of the opinion of giving notice for something like that. I would want/expect notice and would be irked if someone strange just showed up and went out to my barn. That said, I'm a private barn and only have 2 boarders, might be different at a big barn that is exclusively a boarding barn. I see too much risk with someone unknown coming in. How is the BO to know who that person is and what their intentions are unless told by the owner? I wouldn't want someone feeding anything to any horse without knowing it was okay. What might be fine for the horse they came to see might not be okay for mine or someone else's that they chose to feed too just because they were there. Not to mention the liability, if no waiver is signed many insurance companies won't cover and where does that leave the BO? Not to mention things like carrying in a communicable disease from another barn, how would one know if said stranger hadn't been at a barn with a strangles outbreak or, or, or. 

Our barn was cleaned out in the mid 90s (tack room & lockers were emptied) - culprit, friend of a person that had came to buy a horse from my grandfather. Thankfully insurance covered the almost 20k worth of stuff that was stolen but goes to show you can't trust people even if they seem to have good intentions on the surface. 

Aside from the liability & risk, I would think it common courtesy. If I were the boarder, I'd want to let the BO know for the same reasons I'd like to know as the BO. I would expect a BO to be leery of a stranger they'd never met stopping and saying 'hey, going out to feed one of the horses some crackers" if they'd not been notified that would be taking place. It takes all of a minute to text or make a quick call.


----------



## Cacowgirl (Feb 19, 2011)

There are still people (that are good citizens) that Don't Text!


----------



## beau159 (Oct 4, 2010)

verona1016 said:


> I'm not saying that the first thought to come to anyone's mind when Grandma end up in the hospital and it looks like she doesn't have much longer is "Oh, better get Sally to go make sure my pony is OK!" But after you've been gone a couple days you do start to worry about your horse. And you may ask your friend who's gone with you to the barn many times to go give him some love until you get back. And not all of us are best friends with our BO's, so while we may think to let them know we've gone out of town unexpectedly, we may not also think to tell them that Sally is going to stop by at some point.


If you have that much time to put through a thought process, then you can take _two seconds_ to call the BO and let them know a stranger will be coming to check on your horse. It's not rocket science.

I would not board at a barn where there weren't checks and balances like this. You don't want any Joe Schmoe to be able to wander around the barn, because there are some crazies in the world who will do things to animals for no reason. 

The safety of my horse is important to me and no one is to handle my horse unless it has been approved by me.

So going back to the OP's question, I wouldn't necessarily label it "rude" or "invasive" but I think in that case, the horse's owner needs to give the BO notice that it is okay for X friend to feed her horse Cheez-Its. If I was that BO, her friend would not step foot in the barn until I heard from the boarder herself. (Unless the BO wants to be liable for a law suit, because we know America is sue-happy.) I would expect the BO to want notices like this, to protect themselves legally. 

And I agree. Anyone who sets foot in the barn needs to sign a liability waiver. Again, the BO needs to protect themselves too.


----------



## DuckDodgers (May 28, 2013)

Yep, even in that family emergency situation you can pick up the phone and notify the barn owner. If you have to pick up the phone once and call your friend, you can easily swing another 30 second conversation to notify the owner.


----------



## Iseul (Mar 8, 2010)

In all honestly, my BO would probably force them off the property and give me 30 days to leave with my horse.

She lives there and not only are other boarders' horses there, so are her own, plus her other animals.

I text her and let her know when I'm coming out myself because I think it's common courtesy, she does live there. She wouldn't be happy with me sending someone she doesn't know out to see my horse though, and while she'd deal with it, she'd make it known she wasn't happy. Though, I trust her to make sure my horse is alright if I can't show up for an extended period of time. If she didn't refuse to work woth Alahna because she doesn't like her, I'd have no problem leaving her there for a year with just updates from my BO. We're like a family where I'm at, and I'd most definitely take that over a big barn that has a ton of boarders and an absolutely beautiful facility where it would be normal for that to happen.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


----------



## Sharpie (May 24, 2009)

Many places have owners sign a form that says, essentially, that Joan Doe is officially authorized by the owner to come and care for horsey in their stead. I have one that authorizes three people, other than myself, to care for my horse (including handle, groom, feed, etc) so that if something happens, I know I can make sure pony-boy is taken care of. 

On the flip side, I have take care of a friend's horse and caught, groomed, and tacked him up at a couple of places and that I know of, she had never signed anything officially authorizing this privilege. To my knowledge, it was a non-issue at both of those places and I am reasonably sure only one of the two BO had a head's up to expect it.


----------



## TessaMay (Jul 26, 2013)

Since I board at a small facility, I would definitely call the BO before sending anyone except for my SO, who they know well, out to take care of my horse. I would hope that they would never allow some random person to show up and mess with my horse. 

At my last barn, which was also fairly small, the owners knew that there was one friend who was allowed to come out and mess with my horse and her baby whenever he wanted. He would swing by whenever he was in the area without even telling me until after the fact most of the time, but that was fine because I had authorized it. If other people in the barn were allowed to play with a horse that wasn't theirs while the owner was away, they would always inform the entire barn via our barn's FB group, who was allowed to play with or even ride their horse. It just makes everything easier and safer with clear communication. 

If I were you and this is a first time thing, I would talk to the horse's owner and let her know that she needs to inform you before someone comes out without her, otherwise you won't let them touch the horse. Explain that the reason for this is concern for the safety of her horse. I'm sure she will understand that she wouldn't want just any shmuck to be able to walk in off the street and mess with her horse. It may even be that the friend came out without her knowing she was going to. Many non-horsey people don't understand that it's not ok to just pet and play with a horse without permission simply because they know the owner.


----------



## verona1016 (Jul 3, 2011)

I guess it's a matter of different perspective- I board at a 76 stall barn. People come and go all the time. I've never boarded at a very small facility, but I imagine if I did I would probably be much more used to letting the BO know every little thing that's going on with my horse. For example, I would never think to notify them if I sent DH to refill my horse's hay nets for me while I was traveling for work. DH isn't a horsey person, he doesn't usually go to the barn with me, and is in no way part of the boarding contract I have with them. He's been there enough that the BO and trainer would recognize him, but in reality they have no idea if he's there at my request or if we just had a big fight and he's going to take revenge by feeding my horse something bad.

OP didn't say if she has a small barn with only 1 boarder or a large barn with many people, and she didn't say that the owner was the only one allowed out based on their boarding contract. But she did say she recognized the friend who came, so she must have been there before with the horse's owner. This would imply that if she required waivers for visitors, this person would have already signed one. This isn't some random person the BO has never seen before.

I do agree that if it's a small facility, especially if it's gated to prevent people from coming in unannounced (and the owner has shared that gate code with her friend!), that it would be a courtesy for the owner to let the BO know. In a very small facility where there are only maybe 1 or 2 boarders, it might be a requirement. But we don't know enough about the actual situation to make that call.


----------



## bkylem (Sep 21, 2013)

Isn't liability a bit of an issue here ?


----------



## littrella (Aug 28, 2010)

I board my animals at a private farm. I am the only boarder. I always ask permission beofre I bring any friends with to see my animals. If I can't come out, the BO takes care of them for me. 
On the other side of it, is the barn where we do lessons. There are 4 different trainers there + probably about 100 horses that are boarded there. The BO probably has no idea whom half the people are that come & go out of there on any given day


----------



## Delfina (Feb 12, 2010)

I greet unannounced visitors with my shotgun.

Boarders of any animals (I board cows also) here know ahead of time that you do not send ANYONE, unaccompanied without prior notice onto my property. Everyone is very happy with this and if they are coming by after dark or in a different vehicle will send me a text prior.


----------



## alexischristina (Jun 30, 2009)

If I were a boarder there's no way I would want a random stranger coming in off the streets to visit / feed / play with my horse. How is your BO supposed to know the difference between friend and stranger? Unless your friend has come to the barn with you a couple of times, signed a waiver, been made aware of the rules and shown the BO that they aren't "up to no good" then sorry, not their horse, not their property, they can't wander right in. I DO think the same standard is applied to family members, at least make the BO _aware_ that your husband is your husband, your sister is your sister, etc. before sending them in your place. It's common courtesy at any barn.


----------



## stevenson (Sep 12, 2011)

number one rule.. if its not your horse dont mess with it. If the owner gave written permission for the other person to come out, and if its alright with you and you need to accept the liability issues. I would state what hours any visitor would be allowed and that advance notice be given. if you choose to allow this.


----------



## Incitatus32 (Jan 5, 2013)

I've always liked that rule Stevenson! haha I don't mind if you pet it out in the field and check it out, but don't bring it up to the barn unless it's an emergency! 

My BO has no problem with us bringing people out to visit the horses, but if they want to ride she has a waiver (that is available for us to pick up any time in the barn and have the person sign it). I trust her completely to look after my horses, so if I don't go out I know that they're taken care of, but we had a friend who lost her horses in a freak accident. All four of us: me, my mom, our friend, and the BO all knew each other and knew that while she usually came out with us, if she ever wanted to go and groom on our horses she was more than welcome. A situation like that I don't mind, nor find it invasive if all are in agreement. (I don't know if she ever contacted her before she came out though.) My BO lives on the property and quite frankly I hardly ever contact her to let her know that I'll be out. IMO she might live there, and I do respect that, but my horses are there as well and I'm paying to virtually rent on the back section of her property. I never go up to the house though unless I'm invited or I've contacted her ahead of time. And I respect her family time (so on holidays I might go out but I make sure to not ride in the 'arena' and instead ride in the horse field or just go out to visit). 

Then again it's a small place with only a small amount of boarders, and we're all pretty low key. If someone strange does show up my boss will check and see what they're there for, but honestly the only people who've done that are ones looking for riding lessons, or asking about any horses for sale.  Also, there's the fact that my mustangX gelding has a habit of running down people with bad intentions. We had two guys who decided to hop the fence (electrocuting themselves in the process), then go and 'ride' a horse in the field. We watched my gelding run them out of the field at a full gallop and every time they tried to get back in he'd run them out again. Poor guys ended up having to be rescued by us boarders and the BO because my gelding wouldn't let them leave a corner. He seems to know the difference between good and bad people because if someone who just started boarding and he's never seen before goes out there he might be alert and watch them, but won't do much more than come and sniff them and say hi. So that's our security! lol


----------



## cebee (Apr 4, 2010)

OP- are you the barn owner? If so, your barn, your rules. If you were uncomfortable with this person ( who you state you know... so not a stranger on the property) by all means talk to the boarder and ask them to let you know if someone has her OK to be there loving on the horse.
I board at a small barn... maybe 7 or 8 of us there. I think we would all give anyone we do not know, the 3rd degree...


----------



## mls (Nov 28, 2006)

bkylem said:


> Isn't liability a bit of an issue here ?


Yes. Unless stated otherwise - the contract covers the boarder only.

If friend wants to feed cheese it's to a horse, they can get their own.

IMHO.


----------



## Barrix (Oct 30, 2013)

We have to think about how the world has evolved over time; crime is a common occurrence. In fact, in September, a local equestrian center had someone tack up one of their best mares and ride it off the property without permission. It took a while to finally find the mare (it was unharmed) and the woman who had stolen it. 

With this incident fresh in my mind, I can see how an unexpected arrival of a stranger can raise a red flag for both the boarders and the BO as they aren't aware of the person's intention(s). Before having anyone visit my horse and tend to its needs, I would make everyone aware of the situation and let them know who exactly is authorized to interact with it so that they don't 'freak out', thinking that someone is doing something that they aren't allowed. The last thing I want is to cause a scene.


----------



## steffijo29 (Oct 27, 2013)

I never take anyone to my boarding place without asking the permission of the owner. I think its just respectful. And I wouldn't want someone in with my horses without my knowledge or my being present. Horses can be unpredictable and you have to always be cautious of everyones safety. Likewise, she always lets me know if she will be in the field with my horses or if she needs to move them for some reason.


----------



## Dreamcatcher Arabians (Nov 14, 2010)

Copied straight from my barn rules: 


11. No visitors allowed in stalls. Boarders may retrieve their horses from the stalls and properly tie their horses for visitors to pet. No outside riders permitted.

12.	No visitors allowed in pasture. Boarders may enter the pasture to retrieve their own horse, ONLY.

13.	Boarders may not handle any other equine than their own. 

15.	Do not give treats to any equine other than your own unless you have written permission to do so on file with the stable. 


My boarders all understand that I would not allow a friend of theirs to show up and handle their horse. I won't accept the liability. In the case of an out of state boarder, I'd welcome a FAMILY member to check on their horse but not just a friend who decided to show up.


----------



## tlkng1 (Dec 14, 2011)

Even in an emergency. if someone is going to make a call to a friend to check on their horse, they can take the half minute to call the barn, leave a message if necessary, at the same time. Few emergencies, other than the first couple of hours, are going to take up all of someone's time and attention. When I was out of town and my mother passed it took me all of a couple of minutes a few hours later to contact a fellow rider to ask her to keep an eye on my horse and the barn manager to let her know what happened and that so and so was keeping an eye out.

I don't know of ANY of my friends, other than fellow boarders, who would just show up and ask to see my horse even if the barn owner had met them prior. I can almost guarantee they wouldn't get anywhere near him without my getting a text or phone call for verification.


----------



## caisiemay (Sep 3, 2013)

I'm looking at this from the stand point of another boarder. I don't want a stranger out in the pasture for my horse to possible kick at (she's never once kicked but who knows!) or hurt in any way. OR feed my horse from their hands, who knows what they’re out there doing… My barn is small (20 horses) and I know everyone who owns a horse out there. If I saw a stranger I would most likely give my BO a call. We have a lot of horse theft in my area though so that may make it more concerning. 

If I were to send someone out it would only be someone that my BO has met and I would notify my BO beforehand. It's courtesy, the barn isn't a store or a public park. It's a boarding facility that people pay to use. Strangers shouldn't be walking around for their safety, the other boarders sake and the peace of mind of the BO.

My BO was telling me that a while ago she saw a trailer pull up and didn't think much of it because she knew one of the boarders had sold a horse. However, when the strangers started loading the horse without the boarder present then there was an issue. She had sent them to pick up the horse without her being there and without notifying the BO. I can't imagine ever doing that.


----------



## SlideStop (Dec 28, 2011)

If someone is coming down to handle your horse I'd say advanced notice should be required. If I was a BO or BM and someone showed up to "love on and feed" a horse you best bet I'll be asking that STRANGER to leave, if not ill be calling the cops. if no notice should be given what's to stop anyone from walking in and handling any horse?
_Posted via Mobile Device_


----------



## Hang on Fi (Sep 22, 2007)

I think it purely depends on the location...

When I lived in Maryland and boarded at a public military barn we had visitors ALL the bloody time. People who saw it from the main road came in to look at the horses. Granted the worst that happened was a horse got a carrot or two, but it isn't uncommon (in my experience) to see non-boarders show up at a facility. 

If there aren't rules against visitors visiting without supervision of a boarder, there should be some placed if it's an issue.


----------



## TurkishVan (Feb 11, 2013)

My BO requires everyone that steps on the property to sign a waiver. Riding or not. And they must be updated every 6-12 months. She would not allow another person to handle my horse until she got permission from me, which is how I would like it to be. 
I am picky about who handles my horses, but I didn't used to be this protective. Unfortunately, an incident with someone I considered a friend made me rethink who handled my horses. I had said friend caring for my horse over a weekend. This horse had a terrible eye infection, that needed 6-8 treatments daily. My friend- who loved this horse- said she treated the horse, but when I returned on Monday, the eye was much, much worse (it'd almost been completely healed). I originally thought another horse had kicked mine, until my "friend" stated that, "Since the eye infection looked worse, I'd never be able to sell this horse. So could she have her?" Needless to say, we haven't talked much since then. Thankfully, her infection is completely healed, but that one weekend of no care set us back an entire month and a half.

From now on, my BO knows never to let this girl set foot on her property, and to always question me before giving anyone permission to do anything with my horses.


----------



## Saddlebag (Jan 17, 2011)

Theft usually occurs when someone is familiar with the layout. Thieves like to get in, grab and get out, usually under three minutes. I knew of an owner of a large stable being robbed because someone was familiar with the show schedule, knew where everything was, and "cleaned house" while a number, including the owner and his family were at a large show. I think it is wisest now to have friends pasture visit, not need for anyone else to be in the barn. If the boarder wishes to have someone else attend the horse, ask the BO or manager about doing extra for compensation, first.


----------



## horsencorgi (Jan 20, 2014)

*Asking a boarder to leave*

I have a boarder that brought a bday party with children and parents to my private boarding farm. We spoke 7 days before when I told her that she could not ! She told me that it was only 4 children her 2 and 1 other girl who takes lessons and 1 of my other boarders. She assured me that it was not a party and only those 4 girls, when they came on Sunday it was 6 children then more parents and children showed up !!!There were over 13 people and people coming and going! when I got her aside she was very confrontational and argued with me !!! A few of my other boarders were there and they too were annoyed by all the children.Its the 20th of the month so do I tell her to leave? and how! My husband is very annoyed by her disrespect and wants her out!:-x


----------



## Zexious (Aug 2, 2013)

^It depends how you look at it... Part of me thinks that a one time issue seems kind of silly to kick someone out over.

Then again, did the children sign liability waivers? That could be a valid reason.


----------



## Chasin Ponies (Dec 25, 2013)

A boarding stable is still considered to be a business by the outside world and many outsiders feel that that means they are always "open for business". One way to control that is to make the boarding contract a "membership" which allows guests on site when accompanied by a boarder or with express permission from the boarder. In our 32 stall stable, people come and go all the time but if they are unknown or suspicious, the boarders will question them. 
It's not at all uncommon to have boarder's friends taking care of their horses for whatever reason but since we have seen them around and have many times become friendly with them, it's not an issue. At least by having boarding called a "membership" it lets outside people think twice about wandering around on the property.
In our barn, you would be over-reacting but every stable is different in rules and attitude.


----------

