# Leaving a wonderful facility because BM won't feed my horse properly



## dontskipthecafe (Apr 10, 2015)

Just a rant. I'm at the end of my rope. My 8-year-old TB mare has been at my current boarding facility since November 2014. And she's consistently dropped weight.

BM made excuses over the winter, refused to feed the horse more and just said all horses lose weight when it's this cold (we're in MA). I believed her and sat there. 

It's now June. My horse is still skinny. BM still refuses to feed more and says she's eating as much as she can safely eat. It's infuriating, and I'm done. We're moving back to our old place, which is a less fancy barn run by someone who actually knows how to feed TBs. There is nothing medically wrong with my horse that would explain this; she does not have ulcers, Lyme, or worms. I just learned on Sunday that this BM has been kicked out of other facilities for not feeding the horses in her care.

It sucks, because the place where we are is beautiful. They have lovely trails and a big indoor ring, and I love having barn friends. But my horse comes first, and she looks like this:










I am fully aware that this is partially my fault and I have failed here. We are moving June 12th. Old BM is extremely knowledgeable and took a different horse from 300 pounds underweight to fat and shiny last year. I'm just furious at the current BM and will continue to be furious until my horse looks amazing again.

Anyone else have experience with wonderful places run by awful people?


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## CA VA shooter (Feb 4, 2015)

I am sorry this happened to your horse. I don't have any boarding experiences myself as I keep my horses at home, but I do have experience with barns and caring for others horses. When you leave the current barn, if the opportunity presents itself, I would let the barn owner know (very politely) that the BM does not feed your horse enough to maintain his/her weight. Your pictures speak for themselves. I would also include documentation from a vet or equine nutritionist on what your horse should be receiving. It is common knowledge that horses will drop weight in the winter as they burn more calories to stay warm, I have never heard anyone state that this was ok or acceptable. I always give extra hay in the winter so my horses don't drop weight, ESPECIALLY my Paint who is half Thoroughbred and always needs more feed to keep weight on than my QH's. I think moving is a good thing for now.


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## EponaLynn (Jul 16, 2013)

I'd send her an email stating why you're leaving and include those pictures...that's disgusting!


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## dontskipthecafe (Apr 10, 2015)

EponaLynn said:


> I'd send her an email stating why you're leaving and include those pictures...that's disgusting!


Since we can't get out until the 12th, I'm going to hold off on calling out the BM until a day or two beforehand. I gave my notice on May 31st and paid the month's board, so she can't stop me. Honestly, I'm wishing I'd just bailed and cited neglect as a breach of contract.

The BO, actually, has been on the BM's *** for _months_, trying to get her to feed my horse and a friend's TB (he actually looks worse and just moved out on Sunday). I really like the property and the BO and the other boarders, but my horse is suffering and I am livid.

For context on how good the new place is by comparison, this is my friend's horse last year (6 month spread):










We left that place in November because they don't have an indoor :/ I'm wishing we'd stayed.


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## Mulefeather (Feb 22, 2014)

I would also let your barn owner know that not feeding a horse to where the horse can remain healthy violates your boarding contract, but you may need to research this first. It counts in many places as “failure to provide service”. I would check with other people you know at the barn, in an open-ended way of course. But the barn owner definitely needs to know, as the BM may be stealing feed or using funds provided to purchase feed for her own ends. Things like this can sometimes be the tip of the iceberg. 

But you are doing the right thing in moving your horse – without your horse, all the other nice things at this barn don’t count for anything.


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## stevenson (Sep 12, 2011)

I see Three things wrong in this. 
It is wrong for the BM to do this, and the Owner is flat out irresponsible to allow this to happen.
Why did you wait a year to move your horse, when you obviously had seen the horse was not being fed enough ?


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## dontskipthecafe (Apr 10, 2015)

stevenson said:


> I see Three things wrong in this.
> It is wrong for the BM to do this, and the Owner is flat out irresponsible to allow this to happen.
> Why did you wait a year to move your horse, when you obviously had seen the horse was not being fed enough ?


I've already established that I feel like trash about this.

1) It has not been a year. It has been 7 months and I know I made a mistake even staying that long.
2) BM had a lot of excuses. Horse didn't start noticeably dropping weight until January, and I unfortunately bought the old line about all horses getting skinny in winter and mine being a hard keeper.
3) I am not saying I did not fail here, but I'd appreciate not being thrown under the bus for something I'm in the process of fixing.


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## CA VA shooter (Feb 4, 2015)

I commend you for looking for advice and realizing you need to make a change. There are many people out there who would allow this to continue and "just deal with it" stay at the nicer facility. Not all people can make a change at the drop of a hat due to contracts, waiting lists, transports, etc. 

I wish you the best and hope the BO makes necessary changes (but you need to tell them the issue to let them make the changes) so you may return and have your nice facility with good care for your horse.


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## Corporal (Jul 29, 2010)

Smart to move back. I've had hard keepers and I'm not ever sure looking at your October, 2014 pictures that you TB IS a hard keeper. Stupid. I count flakes and own three Apgar 6 horses right now. They have maintained it on pasture. Yours looks like the BO counts the same # of flakes for every horse to cut costs. Hardly a "wonderful" facility.


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## dontskipthecafe (Apr 10, 2015)

Corporal said:


> Smart to move back. I've had hard keepers and I'm not ever sure looking at your October, 2014 pictures that you TB IS a hard keeper. Stupid. I count flakes and own three Apgar 6 horses right now. They have maintained it on pasture. Yours looks like the BO counts the same # of flakes for every horse to cut costs. Hardly a "wonderful" facility.


I honestly don't think she's really a hard keeper either. She simply is not getting enough food. On the track, she was a sleek and gleaming machine (looked like one, didn't race like one in her last season). I'm pretty horrified - with myself _and_ the BM - about what she looks like now.

The _facility_ is lovely. Miles of trails, big outdoor dressage ring, big pretty indoor... but not feeding my horse is the biggest of dealbreakers. I'm out next Friday.


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## KigerQueen (Jun 16, 2013)

where im at now the BO is convinced that if the horse eats more than 2 small flakes a day they will colic. he is feeding my 14.1hh 1050lb arabian mare about 4lbs of pellets a day, convinced that she will colic otherwise. so i shove 20lbs of soaked pellets at her to supplement and do the same with the rest of our horses.

before and after supplementing extra food


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