# Horse Boarding horror stories!



## mslady254 (May 21, 2013)

Not exactly horrible, but :
1st place I ever boarded, I was a brand new horse owner and didnt know nearly enough, so I didnt realize she had too many horses for only putting out 1 round bale. Every weekend Sonny would have 4-5 new boo-boos from biting and kicking in the herd to get his share of hay.Thank goodness even newbie me picked up on the problem and got him moved somewhere way better before he lost any weight or seriously injured. She never would acknowledge she had too many horses for the pasture/hay allottment.

Most recent place that I had to leave , the b.o. was a personal friend, which was good for the most part, but ended up being very awkward when we had a big falling out. Long story short, I was so uncomfortable after that , I knew it would effect how often I went to the barn because I'd be dreading a confrontation with her and wouldnt know what to expect any given time--pleasant or unpleasant. She always said she had a bad temper, but I only saw bits of it directed at me until that last big one. Plus, I couldnt take a chance of another big episode in which she might demand I move him asap. So, rather than risk him being thrown off the property so to speak, I moved him as soon as I could but with time to do a lot of looking and choosing. I still have a bad taste in my mouth over the whole experience. The good ending is that he seems very,very happy where he is since the move. I thought he was happy there, but he seems even more content now. Though, that might have something to do with the change in his diet with the move. No more grain or alfalfa cubes. everybody who knows him remarks how much more laid back he is these days.

Fay


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## kiltsrhott (Mar 11, 2012)

You always have to enter into a boarding situation prepared to be at least a little unhappy with something. I've never boarded anywhere where something didn't annoy me. The first place I boarded was an epic mud pit. I really liked the barn. The horses were well taken care of but the pastures and the riding arena were in desperate need of some drainage work. Because of this, there was never any grass, and half of the arena was completely unusuable due to flooding every time it rained.

That property was then sold and we moved to another barn, which was probably my favorite place to board. The biggest problem there was the outdoor arena. It only had stone dust footing on the rail. The center was just grass and we were not allowed to ride on it because the BO didn't want her grass torn up, so the outdoor arena was mostly useless unless you could stick to the rail the whole time. The indoor was pretty nice though. It had recylced rubber footing that got a little dusty sometimes and the lighting wasn't the best but it was a good size and was always available to use.

The elderly owners of that barn decided to retire so we moved again. The next place had nice facilities but each horse was only alotted one water bucket, which was not enough on a hot summer day. The riding arenas were never dragged so they were lumpy and hard. My horse was hard to halter when I first got her so the BO would leave her halter on in the paddock. I don't like the halters on during turnout but I could at least understand it at first. After I had worked with my horse and she was fine to halter, the BO continued to leave her halter on and refused to even try to take it off. My horse developed sores on her head from the halter being left on, and broke 3 breakaway straps. the price of board continued to be raised too, so I eventually left to go to a cheaper barn that would actually take my horse's halter off.

The last barn I boarded at was muddy, though not as bad as the first place, and the outdoor riding arena was great! The indoor was small and had a pile of junk in one corner that I didn't think was safe so I never used it. When my horse first arrived there she was put in a pasture with rope fencing that was not electric. She's so tall that she could reach over the fence to graze on the other side. After a few weeks she stretched the fencing to the point that she could just step out. She was found grazing in the neighbor's yard a few times before she was put in a no-climb fence pasture, and lost privilages to be housed in any other location.

After that, my grandfather finished construction on his own horse facility and I took my horses to his place. At first the place was super muddy, but we installed tile drains put stone dust down in the dry lot paddocks so that's no longer an issue. We only have one run in shed and need to get more, but that should hopefully be remedied this year. We need to plant some trees, and put lighting on the outdoor riding arena, but it's coming along nicely. It is certainly more work to have your own place, but at least you can do things your own way!


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## Zexious (Aug 2, 2013)

I have thankfully only ever had good experiences, save for some bad habits that my horse picked up while being used as a lesson horse in Texas.

I've heard horror stories about horses not being fed (?!) Who does that?!


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## Skipsfirstspike (Mar 22, 2010)

^ That happened to my horse, not being fed. I boarded my horse about 45 minutes away from home, and the BO just rented the facilities, he lived about 35 min away. I noticed my horse was seeming a bit 'dull', and seemed to be losing weight. I was going to get a vet out, when the owner of the barn next door came out and said that my BO was not coming out every day, much less the 2x a day he was supposed to. BO insisted he was coming out twice daily every day to feed. Anyway, I put half an apple in my horse's feed bucket. When I returned 3 days later, apple was still there.
That is 3 days of no feed, and no hay, only sparse grass. Water? Doubt it.
Was out of there as soon as I could arrange a trailer. Horse put all of his weight back on in a month or so.
Terrible, lazy lying barn owner.


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## Ninamebo (May 25, 2013)

I was in a no feed situation at the first place I boarded. As a young teenager, I didn't know any better and thought the best of everyone. I regularly was out to do the PM feedings (working off board) and would notice that they were low on hay/ groceries. Let BO know and the response was always "Oh yes, a big shipment is due next week." 

Those big shipments never came about. She'd buy one or two square bales and somehow divvy them up between 25 horses over the course of a week- usually accomplished by straight up not feeding her own horses/ horses of people working at the barn.. i.e. me. Once I put all the pieces together we hightailed it out of there fast. 

I don't understand the logic behind owning animals if you can't afford to/ won't feed them. Crazy.


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## kiltsrhott (Mar 11, 2012)

That's just terrible! I can't believe a boarding stable would just straight up not feed the horses. I mean, I've heard stories, but didn't realize how many of you have actually experienced it.

The worst I ever had to deal with as far as my horse's condition goes is that sometimes the people feeding my slow-eating appaloosa gelding would get impatient and not give him enough time to finish his food. I'd come to the barn and he would be out, but there would still be feed in his bucket in his stall left over from the morning. It may be a minor inconvenience, but if you don't wait to start turning horses out until he's done, he'll get excited about going out and stop eating. He drops weight really quickly too, so it made a difference. The good news is, when I said something, the issue was resolved.

Then there was the one water bucket issue. I was not happy with that. I don't want my horse to ever be out of water for any amount of time, hence why I want two buckets in the stall. The BO would water the horses at least twice per day, so they had water, but it would get awfully low between waterings if they happened to be inside when it was hot. I constantly worried that she would not be able to make it out to top off the waters on time one day and my horse would sit without water on a hot day. Luckily that never happened but it still annoys me that she wouldn't just put a second bucket in the stall. I don't feel like that's an outrageous request.

Thankfully my horses have never been outright neglected at a boarding stable. I count myself as one of the lucky ones!


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## Chasin Ponies (Dec 25, 2013)

Ninamebo said:


> I was in a no feed situation at the first place I boarded. As a young teenager, I didn't know any better and thought the best of everyone. I regularly was out to do the PM feedings (working off board) and would notice that they were low on hay/ groceries. Let BO know and the response was always "Oh yes, a big shipment is due next week."
> 
> Those big shipments never came about. She'd buy one or two square bales and somehow divvy them up between 25 horses over the course of a week- usually accomplished by straight up not feeding her own horses/ horses of people working at the barn.. i.e. me. Once I put all the pieces together we hightailed it out of there fast.
> 
> I don't understand the logic behind owning animals if you can't afford to/ won't feed them. Crazy.


I was also boarding at a place where the owner was money hungry. She made hay out of her own fields and had a supply of decent hay and very bad hay. Since she had her own 5 horses, guess who got the good hay?
She honestly thought we boarders were too dumb to notice! 
When I told her I was leaving she stopped feeding my horse altogether. Despite the fact she had a 30 day notice clause in the contract I pulled my horse out of there immediately and told everyone I knew about it. She is now struggling to keep her barn full and the boarders she does have are dirt poor hillbillies (many on welfare) who often don't pay her.
I moved to a partial board place where we all supply our own hay and feed and will never trust a barn owner with full care ever again.


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## Chasin Ponies (Dec 25, 2013)

kiltsrhott said:


> TThen there was the one water bucket issue. I was not happy with that. I don't want my horse to ever be out of water for any amount of time, hence why I want two buckets in the stall. The BO would water the horses at least twice per day, so they had water, but it would get awfully low between waterings if they happened to be inside when it was hot. I constantly worried that she would not be able to make it out to top off the waters on time one day and my horse would sit without water on a hot day. Luckily that never happened but it still annoys me that she wouldn't just put a second bucket in the stall. I don't feel like that's an outrageous request.
> 
> Thankfully my horses have never been outright neglected at a boarding stable. I count myself as one of the lucky ones!


 The BOs where I board now had an issue with me putting 2 water buckets in all my stalls but they did finally shut up about it. I told them that every time I came out around noon, every single bucket was empty and that was only 3-1/2 hours after feeding time. I warned them that there would be major trouble for them if one of my horses got sick or died-water is cheap and there's no excuse for withholding it!!


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## Maple (Jan 10, 2012)

Oh god where do I start.

The first place I boarded at started on a DIY basis, but they would feed/turn out in the morning for me. They then requested the stable for another horse, so he was bumped out to the field. Taking him in and out of the field was a job in itself - a pony in the field would run at the gate and let loose with a double barrel kick. THEN they decided there was no field livery and he was put in a "pen".... which was made up of the large metal fencing used at building sites and he was in with another horse so couldn't even eat in peace & had nowhere to get away. 

I Moved to my old boss' yard, but I sold that horse. 

Move along a few years, I buy another horse. 1st yard was grand, no arena but I made due with the fields. It was a yard full of backstabbing gossiping know-alls. People who had only bought horses with sod all experience, yet knew everything there was to know. 

I then moved to a yard that suited me, full of racing people, but slowly it fell apart when he cut back to no grazing, insisted by horse and pony be kept in the same stable (my horse then lost condition). So moved from there....

Moved to a large riding school. The school closed at 5pm Mon - Sat. It did not open Sunday. They knew I worked full time before I moved them there, but I couldn't as much as get in to see them. One Sunday I arrived at 4pm (I've two young kids, finding time is difficult) and they got very snotty with me as they wanted to get finished up. They also took it upon themselves to use my pony. 

Moved to another yard, where they were kept in pens. The place was falling down around them and after a few puncture wounds I moved them closer to home. I liked the people there, and there were good facilities but I also had to add into the equation that I was travelling 45 min each way. 

Where I am now... It's has it's issues. Had a few words with the BO when he told me i had to replace his rotten fencing as my horses has broken it. There is no arena. He hasn't had the muckheap cleaned out in a few years, emptying the wheelbarrow is like climbing mt Everest..... BUT on the bright side mucking out has become a work out in itself and I've become considerably more toned  It's on a DIY basis, but I know they are fed/watered/taken care of so it's how I like it.


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## DraftyAiresMum (Jun 1, 2011)

Too many to list from my old barn.

Right about when I left, the BO started feeding moldy hay because he couldn't afford to replace it with fresh. Last I heard, he had had six horses die from colic in a nine month period. I think that was the worst of it.

Mainly, it was just a bunch of needless drama perpetuated by the BO, who was definitely old enough to know better.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Whisper22 (Jan 2, 2011)

My first boarding situation was with family, enough said.

After my mare had her baby we moved to an actual boarding facility. I really liked it, although I did suspect they were not feeding my horse all of her grain.

I am now at a pasture across from my neighborhood. The owner is the nicest guy, I have no complaints.


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