# Frustrated with boarding barn



## MyQHBooger428 (Jan 14, 2012)

<p>This is a bit of a vent. But I need to get this off my chest.</p>
<p>I've been boarding my horse at this small family run barn for over 2 years now. Things were great to start. He had great care I didn't really have anything to complain about .</p>
<p>Recently things have been going downhill. I pay for full care board with a stall with daily turnout weather permitting. He is never in his stall even when it is very hot, humid and buggy. There is no shelter whatsoever in the pasture. He can't get out of the sun or get under cover in a storm. I am all for maximum turn out but in the summer I would prefer night turn out (which is what I was told she did). It started out that way when I first moved there. One time it was in the 90's with high humidity so I put him in his stall before I left instead of turning him back out. The BO got angry and sent a very nasty txt saying he was fine outside and she didn't want me to take it upon myself to keep him in, that now I made more work for her because she will have to turn him back out and do his stall.In the winter he is out 24/7 too in all kinds of weather. I want him in at night in the winter. She never realizes when he is hurt. He has a huge scar on his leg from a cut he got around the time I had surgery so I couldn't get out there. Then she leaves his halter on 24/7. All the hair is rubbed off of his face where the halter goes. That has me irritated. I told her I don't want his halter on like that. Then I went out today and he is noticeably lame and I don't think she has even noticed. Then the indoor is small which I can work with but there are huge rocks all through it and it has only been dragged once or twice in two years so it's like cement with giant rocks. I am highly upset about all of this. I'm moving him at the end of the month to a place I can see him everyday and it can't come soon enough. </p>
<p>I really liked the BO until all this started happening. It's like did she realize that owning a boarding barn is a lot of work and just doesn't want to do it anymore? If that's the case she needs to get out of the business. </p>
<p>Sorry for how long this is. I just needed to vent.</p>
<p><font size="1"><i>Posted via Mobile Device</i></font></p>


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## MaximasMommy (Sep 21, 2013)

That is ridiculous! I expect a boarding facility to take even better care of my animal than I would. That's why they have staff and schedules and experience with animals, right? Otherwise I would just put my horse in my backyard, which is what it sounds like she is doing!


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## MyQHBooger428 (Jan 14, 2012)

MaximasMommy said:


> That is ridiculous! I expect a boarding facility to take even better care of my animal than I would. That's why they have staff and schedules and experience with animals, right? Otherwise I would just put my horse in my backyard, which is what it sounds like she is doing!


I'm glad I'm not over reacting about anything. I hate to complain, I hate being "that boarder."
Her horses have a run in and a large pastures but the boarders have smaller paddocks and no shelter or grass. I think she has us there to fund her kids shows and things for her horses.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## franknbeans (Jun 7, 2007)

I would move. I have been at a few barns that annoyed me with this. If I pay for a stall, I pay for my horse to sometimes be IN it. I did not stay long at those places. 

Sounds like "life happened" and the lady has gotten lazy. Start looking and get out.


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## MyQHBooger428 (Jan 14, 2012)

franknbeans said:


> I would move. I have been at a few barns that annoyed me with this. If I pay for a stall, I pay for my horse to sometimes be IN it. I did not stay long at those places.
> 
> Sounds like "life happened" and the lady has gotten lazy. Start looking and get out.


I am moving him on the 31st of this month. It is a beautiful facility where he will be pampered 
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## my2geldings (Feb 18, 2008)

MyQHBooger428 said:


> <p>This is a bit of a vent. But I need to get this off my chest.</p>
> <p>I've been boarding my horse at this small family run barn for over 2 years now. Things were great to start. He had great care I didn't really have anything to complain about .</p>
> <p>Recently things have been going downhill. I pay for full care board with a stall with daily turnout weather permitting. He is never in his stall even when it is very hot, humid and buggy. There is no shelter whatsoever in the pasture. He can't get out of the sun or get under cover in a storm. I am all for maximum turn out but in the summer I would prefer night turn out (which is what I was told she did). It started out that way when I first moved there. One time it was in the 90's with high humidity so I put him in his stall before I left instead of turning him back out. The BO got angry and sent a very nasty txt saying he was fine outside and she didn't want me to take it upon myself to keep him in, that now I made more work for her because she will have to turn him back out and do his stall.In the winter he is out 24/7 too in all kinds of weather. I want him in at night in the winter. She never realizes when he is hurt. He has a huge scar on his leg from a cut he got around the time I had surgery so I couldn't get out there. Then she leaves his halter on 24/7. All the hair is rubbed off of his face where the halter goes. That has me irritated. I told her I don't want his halter on like that. Then I went out today and he is noticeably lame and I don't think she has even noticed. Then the indoor is small which I can work with but there are huge rocks all through it and it has only been dragged once or twice in two years so it's like cement with giant rocks. I am highly upset about all of this. I'm moving him at the end of the month to a place I can see him everyday and it can't come soon enough. </p>
> <p>I really liked the BO until all this started happening. It's like did she realize that owning a boarding barn is a lot of work and just doesn't want to do it anymore? If that's the case she needs to get out of the business. </p>
> ...


Move out.

I find it very rude that she would tell you, the owner of the horse to not take it upon yourself to do or not to do something. Pack your things, and move out.


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## Syaoran (Jul 27, 2014)

Sounds awful. You pay full board for a stall and she gets mad at you when you actually use it? You didn't make more work for her, that was the work she was _supposed_ to be doing in the first place.

She also sounds incredibly lazy that she can't even bother to take his halter off when she turns him out. That's not even safe.


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## horseq (Aug 4, 2014)

Agree with the above comments. The way I see it, despite any relationship with the BO etc; you are paying for a service and it is not crazy to actually expect to get it in full - or move


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## BugZapper89 (Jun 30, 2014)

That wouldn't fly with me. Full board is about 650 to 800 a month at a decent barn and the horse would most certainly have day stall and night turnout if that is what the owner requested. That's pretty standard as I certainly wouldn't want a show coat blown. Now I do charge more 35 to 50 per day for full stall layup , but that is a lot of extra work as the stall would be cleaned 3 x per day


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## kkwb (Aug 3, 2012)

like everybody else I think that you need to move to a different barn and it might be nice to give her heads up about why you are leaving so if she wants, she can perfect her bisiness or quite what shes been doing


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## verona1016 (Jul 3, 2011)

MaximasMommy said:


> I expect a boarding facility to take even better care of my animal than I would.


If you find any barn that takes care of its horses better than the owners would, be sure to stick with it! IME no one takes care of your animals the way you would. Part of it has to do with different opinions on how horses should be cared for (whether or not they're OK without any shelter in turnout or not, for example) and some is driven by time/money constraints in making a business profitable (not stuffing hay nets and limiting hay to a certain number of flakes per day, for example)

I've only owned my own horse for a little over 2 years now and I so wish I had enough land to keep my horse at home so I could care for him myself in the way I think is best for him!


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## MyQHBooger428 (Jan 14, 2012)

My barn owner has me unhappy again. I had the vet out today to get my guys coggins done and to do a lameness exam since he's been off on his front end. First thing my BO says to me in what I thought was a rather rude tone is "You need to get a new farrier. He would benefit from different angles. He lays down a lot for two weeks after getting done. I wanted to tell you before but didn't."
Okay, 1-don't get snotty with me. I don't want to hear it or deserve it.
2-If this is actually going on why on earth did you just not tell me?! (I don't believe it. I've gone out the day after he had his feet done to ride and he was fine.)
So I said okay then when the vet got there I asked her what she thought of his feet. She said they are fine and the angles are good. 
I txt the BO to tell her that and she replies again that" he lays down after he gets his feet done but you do what you do." 
Then she txts me again and says "he's sore after your farrier does his feet, but do what you want."
That reeaallly ticked me off. The more I think about it the more irritated I get. It's like so are you saying that I'm a bad horse owner and my vet doesn't know what she's doing? That you know more than she does? I know horses can get a bit ouchhie after they get their feet done and my guy has been a bit sore on hard ground the day after (with a different farrier than the one I have now and with her) but for two weeks? She never noticed how lame he was the other day so I find it all very hard to believe. 
Sorry for the rant. I'm thinking she's just mad I'm moving him soon.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## stevenson (Sep 12, 2011)

try to ignore her. Does his stall show signs of him laying down more than usual ?
I would get out of there asap. If he has suddenly come up lame i would be suspicious


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## MyQHBooger428 (Jan 14, 2012)

stevenson said:


> try to ignore her. Does his stall show signs of him laying down more than usual ?
> I would get out of there asap. If he has suddenly come up lame i would be suspicious


He's never in his stall. She doesn't like having them in because then she has to clean them.
He was in the past 2 days because the vet wanted him in when I called and said he was lame. He was really lame I was afraid of what the vet was going to say when she did the lameness exam.
He didn't take a lame step once. We decided that he was lame from being out 24/7 in all weather with no shelter stomping his legs to get the flies off on the hard rocky ground. I have not seen him move so nice and beautifully in a long time. 
I only have 17 more days until he moves to his new home. I can't wait!
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## mslady254 (May 21, 2013)

So glad you get to move him soon. Be prepared for more drama from the B.O. up untill and very likely on the day of the move. She sounds like a person who is, how shall I say it....''emotionallly unfit". Maybe check with the new barn and see if there's any way he can go sooner. If so, then slip him away as quietly as you can and let her know after the fact,,if that would work out. That's assuming that you have paid thru the date you gave, and not shortchanging her on the board/notice to move. Even though she is shortchanging you on services. 

I had a b.o. act very ugly to me the day I moved my horse. I had given 30 days notice, and paid thru that time. The day I was loading him to move, she glared daggers at me and told me he would 'shut down and be dead in 2 months if I moved him'. He was 19 at the time,,, She had been a resource to me regarding horse care and nutrition, so I guess she thought I'd think whatever she said was 'the gospel' and be so scared that I'd change my mind and leave him. say wha???? (A year ago this month, and he's doing great, btw)

Thank goodness I had already moved all my tack and stuff, so I scooted out of there as fast as I could. It was very unpleasant. 
Fay


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## MyQHBooger428 (Jan 14, 2012)

mslady254 said:


> So glad you get to move him soon. Be prepared for more drama from the B.O. up untill and very likely on the day of the move. She sounds like a person who is, how shall I say it....''emotionallly unfit". Maybe check with the new barn and see if there's any way he can go sooner. If so, then slip him away as quietly as you can and let her know after the fact,,if that would work out. That's assuming that you have paid thru the date you gave, and not shortchanging her on the board/notice to move. Even though she is shortchanging you on services.
> 
> I had a b.o. act very ugly to me the day I moved my horse. I had given 30 days notice, and paid thru that time. The day I was loading him to move, she glared daggers at me and told me he would 'shut down and be dead in 2 months if I moved him'. He was 19 at the time,,, She had been a resource to me regarding horse care and nutrition, so I guess she thought I'd think whatever she said was 'the gospel' and be so scared that I'd change my mind and leave him. say wha???? (A year ago this month, and he's doing great, btw)
> 
> ...


I have given her a 30 day notice and his board is paid in full up to the date I am moving him. 
I have given her the date he will be moving but not the time. If she wants to be there then she needs to be there all day. 
I removed all of his tack yesterday when I was waiting for the vet. I have only left his first aid kit, his brushes and his halter and lead. Everything else is in the back of our jeep. 
When I was out there yesterday I noticed all the other boarders are gone. I'm the only one left. I do feel bad that her business is obviously failing. If she upheld her end of the contract and kept up with the upkeep of her riding arenas she wouldn't be in this situation.
As for your story I can't believe she said your horse was going to be dead! I can not believe some people! I'm glad you got out of there and your guy is doing well! 
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## danny67 (Nov 27, 2012)

Ever notice a lot of people on this sub forum tend to make their own drama?


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## BreezylBeezyl (Mar 25, 2014)

I know you are planning to leave now, but for anyone else who reads this and finds they are in the same situation:

Take it from someone who has some experience in this. It doesn't get better. Your barn owner sounds very opinionated and set in her ways and doesn't seem to like that you disagree with her. The horse world is full of opinions but that doesn't make hers more valid than yours. What concerns me most is you are paying for a service that you are not receiving.

If you need me to list the reasons for you:
- your barn owner sounds opinionated and therefor difficult for you to talk to. When you express a concern, she waives it off and gets defensive instead of listening to what you have to say. As the boarder with the money, YOUR opinion comes before hers whether she likes it or not. It sounds like she does not have the attitude required of a barn owner. Rule #1 of customer service: the customer is always right!
- Eventually you will feel like you cannot come to her for anything due to being rejected, ridiculed, and put down. This is not something you have to put up with from anyone, ever. It is disrespectful and rude.
- Your BO is not putting the well-being of the horse first. Furthermore, she is trying to make you feel like you do not understand the needs of YOUR horse. Unacceptable. You are paying her for her service that is supposed to cater to YOUR needs based on what YOU think it best for YOUR horse.
- She is shoving her opinion down your throat. There is nothing wrong with saying "Your horse seems sore after getting its feet done", but saying that you need a new farrier by pointing the finger is a childish and political way to go about things. She is free to offer her opinion, but she needs to know where the line is.
- You are paying for a stall with turnout. You are not getting what you are paying for. I would start documenting this right away with pictures, etc. If you signed a contract stating the services you would be receiving, and she is not following her contract, there has been a breach. This is like paying for a mechanic to fix your engine and then have them not fix anything and charge you for it. This is a completely unacceptable business practice.
- If you did NOT sign a contract, give 30 days written notice (mail, text, or email so it is timestamped). Do not fuss and wait. Even if you did not sign a contract, she may try to come after you if you do not wait 30 days.
- Final stage: get out of there with as little drama as possible on YOUR part. If she is hostile in any way, ignore her. Barn owners need to understand their actions have consequences and that their horrible attitude is in no way going go make you stay (this is never going to happen).

So glad you took the signs and got out of it. Chances are, if you are on the forums about this then you need to leave, ASAP. No ifs, ands, or buts.

Hope you guys find a new, respectful home.


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## MyQHBooger428 (Jan 14, 2012)

WillowNightwind said:


> I know you are planning to leave now, but for anyone else who reads this and finds they are in the same situation:
> 
> Take it from someone who has some experience in this. It doesn't get better. Your barn owner sounds very opinionated and set in her ways and doesn't seem to like that you disagree with her. The horse world is full of opinions but that doesn't make hers more valid than yours. What concerns me most is you are paying for a service that you are not receiving.
> 
> ...


I agree with everything you said. I don't like to complain or make demands I just like to go with the flow. Any time I do ask for something she seems irritated. 
As for the carrier it was the way she told me that upset me. It was very rude and haughty. I've had this farrier for 10 years now with no problems or issues. I love my farrier she is awesome. Once my guy is moved he's due for a trim so I'm going to call her out and see how he does.
I signed a contract before I moved him to this barn. It says maximum turnout weather permitting. I guess all weather is good with her. It is really hot, humid and the flied are terrible today. He's standing outside. On days like today it's just too miserable to be out with no shelter.
I gave her a 30 days notice by txt and verbally on the 1st of this month. I do not want to end things badly. I really did like her before things went downhill. The way she's been acting the last few weeks have upset me but I am not going to stoop to her level and start something. I think having a boarding business just turned out to be more than she expected and can handle.
Only 12 more days till we move. I'm taking my tack out to the new barn tonight and to meet all the boarders. They have a few evenings a week that everybody gets together and rides. I'm looking forward to getting my guy there and going riding with them 
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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