# Thats strike 2 :(



## Librahorsegal (Nov 20, 2011)

Yesterday i was susposed to have a lesson. But it rained all day. So we never made it out to the barn. The trainer didnt call to reschedule either. 

So then today mom and i drive out to the barn and find out that the front gates are closed and locked with a combo lock. So that made me sad because when the barn is closed,i cant see my horse. My mom was like *do you want me to drive into the field so you can bring your horse inside and brush him?* I was like no...thats not exciting. I wanted to ride! I havent ridden my horse in a whole weeek! I couldnt even do that. :;sigh::

Tomorrow im going over,but i cant ride him,b/c mom is riding him. So i have to wait until tuesday (my normal lesson day)to finally ride my horse. 

now thats the second time that my trainer has left the barn for the day with out notice to us. 

Now ive posted about this before..so i am sorry about that. but i just want to get this off my chest again. 

i wish i could pack up and go to another barn...but there are no other places that have the same board price as my trainers barn. My horse is on a special food so it would cost extra im sure if we went someplace else.

again im sorry about posting this..


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## Speed Racer (Oct 21, 2009)

Did you call the trainer about rescheduling? If not, why not? Did you even call to cancel, or just not show up?


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## usandpets (Jan 1, 2011)

A few things strike me as odd about your post. First, like Speed Racer asked, did you contact the trainer about canceling your lesson? I have to assume not or you could have asked to reschedule then. It's not the trainers responsibility to call to reschedule. It's yours unless the trainer is the one canceling. 

There's a lock on the gate to the barn? That's the only way in and out? It doesn't sound like a good idea to do that. What if there was a fire? 

You said that the trainer didn't tell you that he/she left for the day. Did the trainer know you were coming out today? Is he/she suppose to wait around all day in case you show up? Maybe something came up that they had to leave unexpectedly. was there a reason given the first time? Did they tell you that they would be there certain hours each day?
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Speed Racer (Oct 21, 2009)

All good question us, and I wondered the same things.

If the trainer has standard hours posted, I'd think the barn should be open to all boarders. If not, and you just showed up out of the blue without calling, I hardly find it to be her fault if she wasn't there.

If your mother isn't willing to change barns, then you're SOL regardless of the answers given.

A little communication by both parties is in order here, and I hardly think it's fair for you to place all the blame on the trainer. In this day and age of technology, there's no reason you couldn't have called or texted.


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## Canteringleap (Aug 5, 2012)

At my barn we have a lock system also, when the barn owners are out everything gets locked (we don't have stables however) So the tack shed etc is locked and the gate onto the property. When we signed the contract for grazing we were given a key to the tack shed and the property, I would think that you should be given a key, seeing as you are paying to board your horse on their property?


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## Maple (Jan 10, 2012)

I'm as curious with the others about if you contacted the trainer. I don't know any trainer who chases up a student for a lesson, if you want to learn thats your responsibility. 

At the risk of getting "shot down" I'm also going to say that I'm a bit suprised that you couldn't be bothered to spend a bit of one on one time with your horse. In my opinion, having a horse isn't just about riding, it's about becoming a better horse(wo)man. I spend more time on the ground than I do on Bandit's back. As a kid/teen I would spend hours on end with whatever horse I was riding at the time just grooming, chatting and getting to know them. If I were after driving out to the yard, and couldn't ride I wouldn't just turn around, I'd get off my backside and do a bit of ground work with the horse.


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## ohmyitschelle (Aug 23, 2008)

I was just about to comment on what *Maple *has already brought up. Why did you turn down time with your horse just because you couldn't ride?

It sounds like a huge sense of miscommunication here and without the full facts yet, the assumption in my head (as we all do when commenting on an online forum, taking what facts are presented and giving over our view) is that you seem a little like horses are just for riding - and that sounds like you don't truly appreciate what you have. Of course, a majority of us own horses to ride - it's fun and exciting and I'm sure when you missed a lesson with your trainer, that's frustrating because you're excited to work on things with your horse. However, there's just so much more to be done with horses and I could never imagine owning a horse just to ride. 

My horse is my friend, I go to my paddock to look after her, just seeing her makes my day better. I'm a uni student so my riding times are completely limited to twice a week at present since it's winter and with little sunlight hours. In the past three weeks, I've ridden three times because it's been raining non stop and we have no facilities like an indoor over here (I live in New Zealand, the majority of us ride in our paddocks, or outdoor arenas and our horses live outside too, compared to barns) and yeah that totally sucks, but I don't complain too much, I can't ring up mother nature and ask her to postpone the torrential rain - even though I really wish to as it looks like riding this week may be out after the downpour we've just had! :lol: Truth be told, I spend more time mucking out paddocks, filling water, feeding, rugging and getting covered in mud and rain and all that than getting up in the saddle - and I don't really mind cos it's time spent dealing with my responsibilities to my equine friend.

My point is that, if we own horses to ride only, it's unfair. Horses are so much more than that, and there's a billion things to do with them when out of the saddle. Perhaps the different scenario that I come from makes it harder for me to comprehend the nature of your post here... and I apologise for any assumptions I've made with the lack of information as to whether you've contacted your trainer etc.

I wish you all the best and that Tuesday arrives fast enough for you without any other issues arising.


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## HowClever (Feb 16, 2010)

Agreeing with the two posts above me with regards to it not being exciting to bring your horse in and brush him and therefore not going to see him at all. That's a pretty crappy attitude to have.


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## Fowl Play (Sep 22, 2009)

My daughter would ride every day if I let her, but I have to draw the line. I will say that not a day goes by though where I don't drive her out to the barn for her to spend time with her horse. Often it's just grooming and hand grazing time, but time none the less. 

I give lessons at my barn. If a student of mine does not show up, I do not seek them out, nor does the barn owner who schedules lessons, especially if they don't call, or call to cancel within a couple of hours of the scheduled time. 

The part that bugs me the most is the locked gate. I understand it's to protect animals from being stolen, but what about access in an emergency? If barns have hours of business, then boarders should have access to their horse during those hours. If I'm paying my bill, I don't want to be restricted from my horse during REASONABLE hours.


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## usandpets (Jan 1, 2011)

Kind of funnily how the OP hasn't responded to any posts. Almost like "Feel sorry for me" but didn't get any sympathy
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Speed Racer (Oct 21, 2009)

Yeah, she's obviously ignoring the thread, because she's been posting elsewhere on the forum. :wink:


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## katbalu (Sep 8, 2011)

I had a lesson one day when it began to rain, so I called to see if it was still a go. The trainer said, 'ABSOLUTLY! rain or shine!' it wasn't a hard rain, and I was exited to ride, if she was willing to teach. Was she perhaps there waiting for you that first day?


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## Tianimalz (Jan 6, 2009)

> My mom was like *do you want me to drive into the field so you can bring your horse inside and brush him?* I was like no...thats not exciting. I wanted to ride! I havent ridden my horse in a whole weeek! I couldnt even do that. :;sigh::


Wow.....The others have summed up how I feel about that pretty well already


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## Speed Racer (Oct 21, 2009)

Tianimalz said:


> Wow.....The others have summed up how I feel about that pretty well already


Agreed. The majority of my time with my horses is spent NOT riding. I find it very relaxing to just hang out with them. It also helps with bonding, since they don't always have to work when they see me.


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## Tianimalz (Jan 6, 2009)

Speed Racer said:


> Agreed. The majority of my time with my horses is spent NOT riding. I find it very relaxing to just hang out with them. It also helps with bonding, since they don't always have to work when they see me.


Yup, nothing like some bonding time to make riding that much better later on. I haven't ridden more than 3 times since early July, too darn hot. I have, however, been having totes of fun playing in the post-rain puddles with Indie, going on hand walks for grazing in unfenced areas, working on "spooky" things like rubber balls being tossed in their direction, and even just sitting in the shade and reading a book to keep company with my fuzzy companions. 

Riding is a small portion of the companionship a horse offers in the big scheme of things.


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## Kayella (Feb 11, 2012)

Speed Racer said:


> Agreed. The majority of my time with my horses is spent NOT riding. I find it very relaxing to just hang out with them. It also helps with bonding, since they don't always have to work when they see me.


I've only ridden my new horse about 3 times in the month or so I've had him. Just yesterday he let me walk up to him and pet his face without running away like he always does. I was so happy!! Nothing better than having a breakthrough with your ponies


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## HowClever (Feb 16, 2010)

The last time I rode was a few months ago! (Thank you terrible weather and ground that turns to slush when someone so much as says rain). And yet I'm interacting with my horses every single day in some way or another and I am quite content.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Maple (Jan 10, 2012)

I'm with the last few posts. I havent ridden more than 3 times since April. It hasnt stopped raining since then and the only places I have to ride are under water... add ontop of that a 1year baby and thats me fairly snookered!. I'm still out with my boys twice a day, every day without fail. Even if I'm under pressure with the baby in the car, I still manage to give them both two minutes of my time for a scratch and a chat. 

A horse is not a bike that you pull out of the shed whenever you want to ride it. 

OP - I dont want you to feel "ganged up on" as that was not the intention of my initial post. Quite possibly you didn't mean the post to come out the way it did, but I'm just a bit suprised that you haven't responded at all.


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