# Should we move our horse?



## county (Nov 29, 2008)

The blanket thing is meaningless to me this morning it was -26 here and none of my 32 horses wear a blanket. If your paying him to keep the stall clean then it should be clean. Ice on the water? Just how much ice are we talking about and for how long? Just how much ice can there be at 26 F? It takes a whole lot more cold then that to make ice thick enough a horse can't drink.


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## outrun (Dec 17, 2008)

Well lets put it this way.We had to take a hammer to it. When we broke it up she was there ready to drink it. The horse faces right into the wind. No cover. We are paying $250 a month and so I would expect a non motel 6 atmosphere.


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## county (Nov 29, 2008)

If your unhappy about it then I'd move breaking ice here is a normal daily think from about Thanksgiving to Easter just isn't an issue to me its a daily routine.


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## outrun (Dec 17, 2008)

Oh I agree it's a daily routine only it is not getting done. That is the problem. We also said hey where is the feed bucket. He said oh she like to pick it up and through all the food around so I put the hey on the ground and the feed on top of it. 

We were like oh. But in the truck we were like ok the stall is filthy and he puts the feed and hey on it. Does not even have a thing for the hey on the wall. 

Also on the blanket thing. Everyone around here has a blanket on there horse. Some a little extreme I think. I saw one that looked like it had a speedo on underneath the blanket. Maybe we just spoil our horses. But we live in Texas so the horses here are used to it being really hot. 105 days at a time. 30 and under forget it. You can tell the horse is freezing or just plain unhappy. Example when it was cold the horse wouldn't even come out of the stall. We put a blanket on here and after she figured out oh this is warm she would come out running and all. One day we said where is Trixie. The stall door was open but she was in the stall. OH... the blanket was not on. Put it on and she was good to go.


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## babyruth1984 (Dec 15, 2008)

I would first tell him to start cleaning out the stalls regulary(sp). The place I keep my horse at cleans the stalls out after each feeding, morning and night. It doesn't matter if a horse likes rolling in their poop or not, it's unsanitary. An unclean stall can cause so many different health problems. If he refuses to start taking better care of your horse, or does it for a few weeks then stops then you need to move her. 

Some horses don't need a blanket in the winter. The only ones at the place Kyanne's at that has blankets are the older horses or the horse that didn't grow her winter coat. Some horses need blankets, some don't. I would watch her for signs that she's getting cold and can't retain heat. If she seems fine I wouldn't worry about it.


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## county (Nov 29, 2008)

I would want my horses fed on the ground its the only way I feed better for their lungs. Horses very seldom need a blanket I have freinds and family in Tx. and go their every winter very few horses I see there wear blankets. If you want your horse to have one, are paying for it to have one then it should have one. If your leaving it up to the BO then its up to him.


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## babyruth1984 (Dec 15, 2008)

he throws the hay and feed on the ground? That's just not good. Not only could she colic but she can get bacteria infection from the feces and the urine that is in the stall. I would tell the guy to do the job he said he would do, that is full board and care. Daily cleanings, hay rack, if she throws her food dish then invest in a little feed bucket that hangs on the door. If he still has excuses then I'd move her. I pay $220 a month for where Kyanne is at, but it's worth $300 a month. If you can find another boarding facility that ya'll like and it's more than $250 then ask about maybe doing the care for the horses one night a week. I do every saturday night, takes me about 2 hours to feed, put the horses out in the pasture, clean the stalls and hay everyone, that is $20 every saturday. Alot of facilities will let you do that so that they don't have to do it every night.


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## outrun (Dec 17, 2008)

county said:


> I would want my horses fed on the ground its the only way I feed better for their lungs. Horses very seldom need a blanket I have freinds and family in Tx. and go their every winter very few horses I see there wear blankets. If you want your horse to have one, are paying for it to have one then it should have one. If your leaving it up to the BO then its up to him.


Yeah in some way I feel like he is mad at my wife. He is so nice to her but he wants her to be up there all the time training the horse. Says if you want to be showing western pleasure you need to be here every evening leaning and training. But my wife is a school teacher and we commute 38 miles each way to and from work so she just can't do that. 

What gets us is that he will blanket all the horses outside. But when she gets there he will be like oh I was going to blanket her but have not got around to it. Oh I don't have anymore blankets etc. It is suppose to be included. We don't really need blankets but with snow and sleet right now and 30mph winds we just would like her to have some protection.


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## starlinestables (Nov 24, 2008)

I'm in North Texas... where do you board? You should move your horse because that guy sounds lazy. FYI most boarders provide their own blankets and I wouldn't share blankets either cause you horse could get fungus from another horse. 

I charge $275 (cause we are still doing some construction on the arena and roundpen) but I take care of my boarder's a little too good. I don't know what kind of facilities your at and if it's worth puting up with his behavior..

My website is www.geocities.com/jolicheval if you click on services and then boarding you can get an idea of what we provide for comparison.


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## outrun (Dec 17, 2008)

starlinestables said:


> I'm in North Texas... where do you board? You should move your horse because that guy sounds lazy. FYI most boarders provide their own blankets and I wouldn't share blankets either cause you horse could get fungus from another horse.
> 
> I charge $275 (cause we are still doing some construction on the arena and roundpen) but I take care of my boarder's a little too good. I don't know what kind of facilities your at and if it's worth puting up with his behavior..
> 
> My website is www.geocities.com/jolicheval if you click on services and then boarding you can get an idea of what we provide for comparison.


Yeah I actually sent you an e-mail asking where you were located then realized it was right on the page. I am far from you. We are in Rockwall County or Royse City. 

Also the place I was looking at boarding at was called Mystic Acres. Not sure if you have heard of it. Also I checked out your site and you have a nice place.


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## QtrHorse (Oct 13, 2008)

If you have issues regarding the care of your horse you should discuss them with the BO. If you can not come to an amicable solution that is satisfactory to both of you, then you should consider the option of moving her. It is important that a young horses training program be consistent and she probably should be working 5 days a week at this point. Not only do you have to consider the facilities but the amount of time that you have to provide to her training requirements. If you can't swing it then you would be better served to consider putting her with a trainer. (We had a nice colt and paid about $1000.- a month for our trainer which included the boarding...the investment was well worth it)
If you can't afford it and don't have the time, consider selling her and getting a well trained horse your family can enjoy. I have made the mistake over the years of keeping a horse which did not fit our needs just because I liked it. I know it sounds harsh but I simply can't throw my money away like that anymore. You will know when you have a good equine match and your life really changes.
There is a system called "deep bedding" which is quite often used in winter months. The urine soaked bedding is removed and the manure is left in the box and fresh bedding placed on top. The build up provides a comfortable flooring and the composting process creates heat. However, it is imperative to remove the urine as the fumes can create an unhealthy environment. My vet suggested this to me once as he was familiar of it's use in the military and said it worked well during the winter. Is your BO trying to use this system?
I always feed the evening meal on the ground but the corner where the hay is placed is bare, swept and disenfected daily. Regardless of our weather, the horses are out for breakfast. I only have one boarder who asked me to blanket her Arab. The rest go in the natural birthday suits. Never a problem. Yesterday we had a freezing fog come through and I just loved seeing just the very tips of my mares fuzzy coat covered in frost. She looked like a road and it was really beautiful.
For those using a hammer to break the ice in the water tank. I use a section of a big metal pipe which I just let drop and it works great. I am not getting ice fragments flying in my face anymore and the weight of the pipe does all the work for me.


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## lovemyponies (Jul 26, 2008)

move the horse home, its obvious you aren't happy. $250 is pretty reasonable and this guy isn't going to go overboard giving you extras. If you want your horse blanketed you need to bring it home. I agree with blanketing depending on the horse/etc. the horse is young and doesn't necessary need extensive training right now. Especially since its so cold the ground had to be hard. He has been showing your wife what to do as well. If she gets some good books, videos and concentrates on simple ground work and simple riding until spring I think the horse will be fine. Driving 38 miles is keeping from her spending enough time with the horse. Bring it home, have peace of mind and do simple work with the horse. JMO good luck


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## starlinestables (Nov 24, 2008)

outrun said:


> Yeah I actually sent you an e-mail asking where you were located then realized it was right on the page. I am far from you. We are in Rockwall County or Royse City.
> 
> Also the place I was looking at boarding at was called Mystic Acres. Not sure if you have heard of it. Also I checked out your site and you have a nice place.


Yeah Rockwall is a hike from here!! Mystic Acres hosts a lot of shows but I've never been there so I can't tell you what the lady is like. Go to NewHorse.com and they will help you find a new facility.. there are also several websites with boarding directories. Good Luck!


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## clover (Aug 7, 2008)

If you are unhappy, try talking to the BO first. 
Where I board I have partial care for $275/mo. That means that the BO feeds my horse and brings him in/takes him out daily. I have to clean his stall daily, exercise him, etc... If I want a blanket on him, I have to provide it and most of the time I put it on/ take is off when needed. The BO is very reasonable though and knows that I come out in the evenings, so if it is worm in the morning and she thinks it shoudl come off, she will take it off. For the most part though, I understand that blanketing is my responsibilty, not hers and I appriciate when she does more than I expect. For $230/mo., you are really getting a good deal if you are expecting full care with blanketing. Maybe you are expecting too much. If I were you, I would sit down with the BO and if you don't already have one, do a written contract that specifically spells out what is expected by both the BO and you. If you already have a contract, read it and if you have any questions, go to the barn owner. If things are in the contract that the BO is suppose to provide and they are not providing it, then is when you talk to them again, if it does not change, then move.


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## WesternPleasure27 (Nov 9, 2008)

Wait, you are expecting the BO to provide you with a blanket and put it on??
I've never, ever heard of this. I've worked at many, many boarding facilities and none of them provide blankets for boarders. The one I'm currently at has every horse there blanketed, with several more blankets for different types of weather hanging on their stalls...every one of those blankets belong to the owners of the horses...not to the barn.

Also, it doesn't sound to me that you have what I would call a "stall"..more of a turn out with a one sided shelter. I don't clean my lean-to out like I clean out stalls.

I think you need to have a talk with the BO and go over exactly what services he is providing you because I think there is some confusion going on here.


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## Kincsem (Oct 27, 2008)

You will most likely be happiest having your horse in your stall where you can make sure she is happy and well cared for. Worrying and all that extra driving are not worth it. You can buy training videos or books new or used and learn how some pros are doing things. As for breaking ice I use a plastic gallon jug that used to contain corn oil filled with water. It works very nicely and really wipes out a large section of ice with one blow.


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## whitetrashwarmblood (Aug 24, 2008)

I would move.
I work at a boarding barn, and we try to keep all of our boarders happy. 
All of our boarder's have their own blanket's, but if they don't have one at the moment or if the blanket was torn/broken we use one of our extras. 
I understand that the BO agreed to provide the blanket, and he should've done that by now. 
As for the ice, you should ask him if he could add a water heater if he has one. If the ice is that thick at around 30 degrees then the BO should've noticed especially if the horse has been waiting that long for a drink.
As for stalls, it should be picked everyday, or at least gutted once a week. 
As for the whole 'poop keeps them warm' thing, I've heard of people doing that for cows, but not for horses. IMPO, I would never let a stall get that nasty. 
If you're really unhappy about the whole thing, and the BO keeps making excuses then I think you should follow your gut and find a better barn.


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## WesternPleasure27 (Nov 9, 2008)

Again, on the whole blanket issue, did he say "We will provide you a blanket" or did the contract say "Blanketing included"?

Blanketing included does NOT mean they will PROVIDE one, it means if you bring one, they will take it on and off.


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## Rebelappy (Dec 22, 2008)

I would move her i pay 300 for both my horses to have a huge turnout pen that is cleaned they are fed on the ground but they arent any manure piles near theyre food and i have a 26 year old that i blanket and if it gets really bad the owner will put it on him last year my 8 year old slipped on the ice and couldnt get himself up she was on top of that brought him inside where it was warm put him in the arena for the night . so there are people out there who will take good care your horse and there are some who only see$$$ and could careless as long as its still alive


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## zanytactics (Sep 8, 2007)

I would move if it was me. First off the fact that the stall is not being cleaned everyday is not ok. Second it's winter and you can save money by moving your horse home. If your horse is home then you can take care of her the way you see fit. That will buy you some time to find a new trainer. A lot of times you can haul in and take lessons from a trainer without the horse boarding there. The blanket issue is something that you probably have to provide yourself. I have never known a barn to provide blankets for people. It also kinda sounds like your horse needs a little bit of a better shelter with the type of weather you have. You don't have to put up with a BO like that, especially since you have horse property!

And unless your wife is planning on doing some big time showing there is no need to be drilling the horse every day, especially as young as she is.


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## PiggyPablo (Jan 17, 2009)

That's the lamest excuse I've ever heard: "The horses like the manure and it keeps them warm." It sounds to me like he's just LAZY. This is not true and your horse could end up getting thrush/hoof infections/re-infestations of worms. And she should get colic because no horse wants to drink icy water and if she doesn't drink enough, an impaction can develop. You should try to see if there's a good barn somewhere else and board her there. Where I live, $250 is a fortune to pay for boarding and when I used to board, I paid $175 a month and had the stalls mucked/the horse fed and watered/ and meds administered if necessary. You should get her out of there ASAP.


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## outrun (Dec 17, 2008)

Yeah, we took her out within a week. Brought her home. I have a stall 3 acres etc. That guy was just wasting our money. First thing the horse did though when she got home was run as fast as she could and jump the fence into the next yard. I was like what the heck. But I guess she was just excited. I brought her back over.


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