# Desperately need some insight!



## jumpingrules92 (Aug 2, 2011)

Okay so last year I was riding and working off my board at this barn. It was a barn in which the owner ( A ) had horses- but didn't know much about them so had someone else run the place ( my friend, J ). 

So, to the point. I was riding this horse that was there on "foster", he was a PC horse but was severely underweight and they brought him in for hopes of leasing him out. This other girl and I both started to ride him and he was doing really well! A, asked us if we could start to work off riding him, I had no opposition to this- so we both started cleaning pastures weekly in exchange. I, then, brought in another friend who worked out a similar situation on a different trail horse she had- worked off her board and rode her 3x a week on trails. So now A is getting all of her pastures cleaned 2x a week and her horses ( all horses on property) fed by me twice a week- and other boarders rest of the week. Pretty good deal right? All for me getting to ride this amazing little pony 3x a week.

I did this throughout the whole summer. Up to temperatures in 106 degrees. Cleaning pastures was no easy task either, EVERYTHING was manual. Load buckets, drive truck, dump buckets. Lather, rinse and repeat. It was not fun nor was it easy. Feeding sucked too. I rarely complained though. 

So summer was beginning to end and school was starting again and I was had to tell her that I could no longer ride him/work for her (plus the barn was an hour away). I sent her an email saying that in two weeks I would no longer be coming out and the reason why and apologized. Two weeks notice, I did give it- I have been working long enough to know to give one in ANY situation  I found it weird that she hadn't said anything about it, at all. So I called my friend J, who is the barn manager and asked her if she had said anything and to my surprise- she didn't even know! I called the BO and she got REALLY upset because she NEVER received the email because the email that I sent it to (the one on the barns website) "she doesn't use anymore". There was a huge verbal altercation and some not so nice things were said. She told me that I was liable for feeding these horses and cleaning these pastures and she could come after me *laugh* me, you know, a boarder....not the barn owner... no way. I never signed a contract saying I was doing all of this, either. 

By the way, she is not the easiest person to deal with. A lOT of the boarders tend to go through the barn manager rather than deal with her. :-|

So I guess what I am trying to ask is...Was I in the wrong to not follow with a phone call? Should I have done it in person? 

*Basically*how would you of handled it?

Gahhh. 

I can't believe you read all of that, what are you, crazy?!


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## Skipsfirstspike (Mar 22, 2010)

Absolutely you should have given your notice via telephone, and preferably face to face. I would not rely on email for anything important, it tends to not be dependable.
I would apologise to the BO, and hope that she doesnt terminate your boarding contract. I would also go out of my way to do the job for the next few weeks, either before or after school, even though it may be an inconvenience.
If it is an absolute impossibility for you to do this, (and I mean impossible, not just inconvenient) I would in the very least get a dependable other boarder to cover for you.
I am sure there is nothing legally she can come after you for, but it is the right thing for you to do.
Sorry, but you are in the wrong on this one. Good learning experience.


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## jumpingrules92 (Aug 2, 2011)

Skipsfirstspike said:


> Absolutely you should have given your notice via telephone, and preferably face to face. I would not rely on email for anything important, it tends to not be dependable.
> I would apologise to the BO, and hope that she doesnt terminate your boarding contract. I would also go out of my way to do the job for the next few weeks, either before or after school, even though it may be an inconvenience.
> If it is an absolute impossibility for you to do this, (and I mean impossible, not just inconvenient) I would in the very least get a dependable other boarder to cover for you.
> I am sure there is nothing legally she can come after you for, but it is the right thing for you to do.
> Sorry, but you are in the wrong on this one. Good learning experience.


It's pretty much all over with- I was just wondering what everyone else thought. 

I do not board there, I was just riding that horse because she was simply allowing me to- in exchange for the work. 

Thanks for your input though!


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## Skipsfirstspike (Mar 22, 2010)

Check 3/4 down your last big paragraph, it sounded as if you were a boarder. 
I just can't seem to get the hang of 'quoting', lol, poor computer skills, oh well.
Anyway, good, you don't have to worry about your boarding contract ending then! 
Yes, still, in the future, if anything is that important, I would always reccommend speaking to the person in question directly.


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## Joe4d (Sep 1, 2011)

i disagree, this is a business, its the busnesses responsibility to keep there contact info current. If they dont want email contact they shouldnt post a email. 
You did the right thing, you sent notice in a form of contact chosen by the BO, later you followed up to be sure she knew. It isnt your fault the BO doenst keep up her correspondence. You dont owe her anything other than what is in the written contract, which from the sound of your post there wasnt one.

I see these same posts over and over and over, boarders with unwritten agreements of money/ work, and disagreements and hurt feelings arising because the two parties are too lazy to write it down. 

Your not really even clear who to report to, there's an owner, then there's a barn manager, seems like people pick and choose who they deal with. SOunds like a royal goat rodeo.


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## jumpingrules92 (Aug 2, 2011)

Joe4d said:


> i disagree, this is a business, its the busnesses responsibility to keep there contact info current. If they dont want email contact they shouldnt post a email.
> You did the right thing, you sent notice in a form of contact chosen by the BO, later you followed up to be sure she knew. It isnt your fault the BO doenst keep up her correspondence. You dont owe her anything other than what is in the written contract, which from the sound of your post there wasnt one.
> 
> I see these same posts over and over and over, boarders with unwritten agreements of money/ work, and disagreements and hurt feelings arising because the two parties are too lazy to write it down.
> ...


It goes without saying, I am glad thats over with. I am experienced in the business world and the horse world- but it still amazes me sometimes with what people try to get away with. As a business person it amazed me she would have horses coming in without contracts and not having people sign liabilities. Blew my mind.


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## jumpingrules92 (Aug 2, 2011)

Skipsfirstspike said:


> Check 3/4 down your last big paragraph, it sounded as if you were a boarder.
> I just can't seem to get the hang of 'quoting', lol, poor computer skills, oh well.
> Anyway, good, you don't have to worry about your boarding contract ending then!
> Yes, still, in the future, if anything is that important, I would always reccommend speaking to the person in question directly.


Oops, I am a boarder- just not at *her* barn. Sorry for the confusion!


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## Skipsfirstspike (Mar 22, 2010)

Joe, while I agree that the BO sounds like she is inexperienced, unorganized, and perhaps unprofessional, it doesn't mean that the OP should also be such. 
In any sort of 'job' situation, you should always act professional, even if dealing with an idiot.


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## jumpingrules92 (Aug 2, 2011)

Skipsfirstspike said:


> Joe, while I agree that the BO sounds like she is inexperienced, unorganized, and perhaps unprofessional, it doesn't mean that the OP should also be such.
> In any sort of 'job' situation, you should always act professional, even if dealing with an idiot.


Which I believe I did, by providing an email AND giving a TWO week notice.


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## Dresden (Jun 24, 2011)

I have to agree with Skip. Notice should have been given in written form- an actual letter handed to a human, on the phone or face to face. The OP probably should've followed up by speaking to the barn manager as well. I work in a professional atmosphere and have for years. I would never give notice via email. It is unprofessional. Most places I've worked still expected written notice to be given.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Saskia (Aug 26, 2009)

I think email is a valid form of communication. 

Times have changed, its not 20 or 30 years ago where people didn't have access to the internet. If a business chooses to advertise an email contact then I think it is perfectly reasonable for any correspondence to be delivered through there. In fact, I prefer email to phone calls or face to face communication, because with those you have no "paper trail" that you can rely on later. By sending and receiving emails you can use the proof to clear up misunderstandings later on. 

In my experience, most correspondence between an employer and myself was made over email. Job applications, pay receipts, requests to work different days. When I did give my notice to leave they said that's fine but to send an email with the information. Most aspects of my life is addressed by email communication; applications to university, my housing application, contract and acceptance was all by email. Any communication with my university is preferably by email, you call up or go in and they ask you to email instead, and this is a pretty standard occurrence in the modern world, it's basically instant post. A business is not obligated to use email, but if they don't want they should not display it on a public website.

Although, I always like to add at the end of emails "please reply to confirm this" or something like that, and if I don't get a reply I will call to follow up, and at the end of the phone conversation I ask the to confirm the conversation with a response to the email or something. 

Saying all this, it does not sound that you had a formal employment anyway. You were just helping out with horses in return for a discount, without a contract or anything. It's good that you gave notice, but I don't think the owner should act like she has been.


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## maura (Nov 21, 2009)

Saskia posted most of what I wanted to say. 

Often, in my corporate working life, I greatly prefer email to either phone or face to face because then I have a record I can refer to later. 

Also, back in my professional horse days, though I had boarding contracts, lease contracts and training contracts, I did not have contracts for the kind of arrangement the OP is describing. 

I don't really know what the OP's riding level is, but sounds like she was trusted to bring a prospect along, as well as provide services for the privelege. Sounds like a sweet deal for the BO to me.

If I were going to fault the OP for anything or suggest a way she could have done it differently, following up in a couple of days after sending the email would have been a good idea, as well as the "Please confirm..." language that someone else suggested. It also would have been a good idea to let the BM know separately. 

So, to the OP - I think you mostly behaved professionally and well in this situation, and that the BO is a bit of a jerk. I would just the lesson from this experience and move on happily.


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## With Grace (Oct 20, 2011)

I think an email was fine in this situation...I'm an email/texting type of person...but, I do think you waited a little too long to check in with her to be sure she received it. After 48 hours if someone doesnt respond to an email, a phone call is warranted.


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## Skipsfirstspike (Mar 22, 2010)

Maybe this is a generation thing, although I am still a few years shy of 40. Maybe if you had already had a steady email correspondence with this person, which you did not.
But nothing burns me worse when someone fails to produce or show up, and says "Oh, didnt you get my email/text?"
In this situation, it obviously didn't work, and I think the onus falls back on the OP. In the very least she should have made a follow up call within 24 hrs.
I guarantee you that if you simply send an email to your vet to cancel an appt, you don't hear back from them, and they show up, you are paying for that farm call.


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## Dreamcatcher Arabians (Nov 14, 2010)

I think both have to bear a little of the burden. I agree with everyone who says, follow up within 24-48 hrs of an email if no response. If the BO has the e-mail posted on the website that's a vaild e-mail address to send your notice to and she really shouldn't be acting like such a >>>>>. Anyhow, I don't see where you owe her a thing, you were actually 'paying' for the privilege of riding the horse by feeding and picking. If you aren't riding then you don't need to 'pay' by providing service so she needs to pick and feed herself and hopefully she'll find someone else to do it for her soon. 

Gotta add this though. I am a barn owner, I board horses and exercise them if agreed with their owner. Picking and riding isn't a 'carreer' for a college minded kid and while I have a college aged kid working for me, I certainly don't expect her to not go to college because it will inconvenience me. She feeds, picks and works some horses for me and I pay her for the privilege of not having to do it myself. I have encouraged her to look for other jobs that pay more and have benefits when she's able to work full time, I certainly don't expect her to stay here if she gets a chance at something better. Two weeks notice is nice but if she got a good job that needed her immediately, POOF I would send her right along. So I really think the BO is being an unreasonable b....anyhow.


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## jumpingrules92 (Aug 2, 2011)

Skipsfirstspike said:


> I guarantee you that if you simply send an email to your vet to cancel an appt, you don't hear back from them, and they show up, you are paying for that farm call.


I feel that if you are a professional and you are using email for your clients, as well as other forms of communication, you have a responsibility to check your email every day. If thats yhow you told clients they could reach you, you better had be available.


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## maura (Nov 21, 2009)

Agree with Dreamcatcher on a couple of points, particularly what reasonable person expects a student to be a permanent employee. 

Skip, it's not a generational thing, it's a personal preference thing. I am 53 years old, and I *greatly* prefer email. Folks who work with me or know me know I'm much more likely to respond to an email than a voicemail. 

However, *publishing* an email address on a website and then admitting you don't both monitoring it is first of all, very bad marketing (!) and guaranteed to produce miscommunication.


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## Dresden (Jun 24, 2011)

I am 31 yrs old. I asked a friend who is about 10 years younger. He thinks giving notice by email would be fine but then it'd be important to follow up as other posters have said because emails do get lost(or auto sent to spam folders sometimes). I don't think the BO is acting appropriately but the OP should've made sure the email was received.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## ChristineNJ (Jan 23, 2010)

You have a horse and are boarding at another barn??? You have time to ride your horse & this other horse at the other barn & do stable work there??? Why not help out at your boarding barn and receive a reduced rate there? If the other horse is a "foster" then she should pay you to ride it and keep it exercised and in good shape!! LOL


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