# Moving barns..again



## wetrain17 (May 25, 2011)

I completely understand your situation. I moved my horse 3 times in the past year. Once because i moved, the next was because the place i moved him too was not as caring or boarder friendly as it seemed. They would make excuses all the time why they shouldn't turn out, and most of them didnt' make any sense...I would throw my horse in the round pen for a couple of hours while i cleaned my tack, did his stall and helped out her staff. Then i would get in trouble by the BO that my horse was in the round pen, even though NO ONE was using it, and I would always clean up after my horse. She said that "it wasn't fair to the other horses" Whatever. So I decided to get him out of there and move him to a friend's for the winter while i searched and searched for a nice, caring, hard working boarding facility where he is now.

Unfortunately there is not much you can do to make it easier on your horse when you move. I would suggested taking a few bales of hay to mix in your horse's new hay and waiting a while until he/she adjusts before riding again. I would also suggest giving your horse ulcergaurd the day of and the day after the move to help prevent ulcers. The last thing you will want to do is treat for that. You may also want to stop by the new barn right before you move him so you can have his stall set up with clean, fresh water and a couple of flakes of just the hay he/she is eating now. Other then that, not too much can be done. 

Good luck!


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## amp23 (Jan 6, 2011)

livestoride said:


> We moved here a year ago and were sooo excited that we found a boarding facility with the house on site for rent. This last year has been amazing having the horses in the backyard with an indoor and outdoor arena. Unfortunatley the landlords decided to gamble our rent away and the place is being foreclosed on. Now we have to find a place for our horses and for ourselves  Anyway....we found a nice barn not too far away and much closer than the 40 minutes they used to be before we moved here. This will be Gemmie's 4th barn in 1 1/2 years though :-( the first palce was terrible and the people mean. The 2nd was a haven and had everything we wanted including a mini xcountry course and access to trails. Then we moved to Wisconsin and had this place, but now we have to switch again. After all that my question is how hard is it on a horse to keep moving her? I am hoping to keep her at this barn for 2 years before I am done with my residency and can move back home. There is no other option at this point, but I am just sad that we have to move her again and she has to get used to another new place, new horses and new magangers. Any suggestions on making it easier? Thanks!


 
I am going through the exact same thing, but mine's been at 4 different places in 6 months  the first barn he'd been at for over a year changed ownership to a non-horsey person who was not willing to learn and i did not trust him, next was a friend's house for a few months but the dad blew up at us one day and told us he never wanted my horse there in the first place, he was at another friend's temporarily till we found a permanent place, and now at that 'permanent place' we found the leasees are moving out due to major water/electrical problems that the owner will not fix.. And 2 weeks to find a new place. So I COMPLETELY feel your frustration.

While moving around, keeping some things regular, like when he's fed and ridden may help. Thankfully my guy isn't really bothered by much at all, other horses or his surroundings. Hope everything goes well with your move.


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## coffeegod (May 6, 2011)

I just moved Hugo from a barn 45 minutes from my house to one 7 miles from home. Nice facility, several rings, decent pasture, small population, owner on site. He got there Monday. I fully disclosed his quirks, not least of which is pawing. He paws while he eats and if he gets antsy.

Tuesday, during a thunderstorm, the BO decided Hugo HAD to be wormed, that night. They wormed him in the pasture, right next to the barbed wire. Yep, he pawed and got hurt. The outside bulb on his near front leg got torn. She freaks out and calls me. I grab supplies and head out. Hugo is still pretty freaked out and won't let me near his hoof. I did manage to get some ointment into the wound but I couldn't get it bandaged. I start calling vets.

In the mean time, the BO who had vanished when I drove up, reappears and proceeds to tell me how my horse is going to kill me, I should sell him, send him back, shoot him...etc. (Mind you, I got a call from her the day before on how adorable he was, how friendly, how beautiful, what a great horse he was...blahblahblah)

I keep thinking if she hadn't tried to worm him in a thunderstorm in a pasture around barbed wire, we wouldn't even be having this conversation.

She leaves. I finally find a vet and we discuss the situation. We decide to leave Hugo stalled for a couple of days to keep the wound as clean (hydrotherapy and ointment if Hugo will allow) as possible and let it granulate. He then asks me where I board. I tell him. "Oh....that's Miss *[email protected]&#%." "You know her?" "Yeah..." I could hear him grinning. I like this doctor. He gives me his pager number and says call him if there are any further developments. I head up to the house to let her know what is going on. She starts up again, ssdd. I extracted myself as quickly as possible and went home to a Xanax and Pepsi cocktail.

She is an aging, rather frail lady, used to bomb-proof pushbutton equines. Hugo is no petite flower and does need major ground work.

Should I tell her (nicely) to back the frak out of my business and let me administer things needing administering or do I look for another barn?

(I apologize for hijacking)


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## wetrain17 (May 25, 2011)

I dont think you need to start looking for a new barn just yet. I would, however, sit this BO down and talk about what happened. You need to let her know that you're horse is different from the "pushbutton equines" that she is used to. I would also let it be her decision on whether you should administer any oral medication for your horse. Maybe once you're horse gets settled and they get used to each other, her views might change. It was not a very good idea on her part to worm your horse in a thunderstorm when he has only been there for a day or two and by a stranger.

You should let this be a lesson to you on how she thinks and how she behaves. And let it be a warning for things that may come up. I would make sure to communicate everything to her and ask her questions all the time. The frail, aging equine women seem to be very set in their ways and it seems the only way to get information from them is to ask, ask, ask. They also have a certain way of doing things and if you want something done, be very specific. If you're not very clear with her, I could see this not working out for you.


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## franknbeans (Jun 7, 2007)

To the OP-I move my guy about every 6 months, since I go home to Va in the winter...and back to NY in the summer. Over time, yes, he comes and goes to the same 2 barns, but last year he was at 5 total (I bought him and he moved to NY, trainers in NY back to Va, then back to NY this spring to a place with an indoor ntil the weather got nice, now at my friends, which is our "regular barn", even tho he had never been there. He is also only 6, and I am his 6th owner. I have to say-he steps off just like he has lived there for years every time, adjusts easily and barely gets a scrape in the pasture, which is unusual. But, I make sure that for the first couple of weeks at a minimum, I am there often so that I become the familiar thing, rather than his surroundings. I think it helps, and he always comes right over if he is out, and nickers if he is in, so I feel like it makes him know I have not taken him somewhere and deserted him.

To Coffeegod-if your BO is indeed a "frail old woman" and your horse needs major groundwork, I can understand why the BO is a little out of sorts. Hopefully she fully understood what you were bringing her prior to his arrival. I would guess he is a challenge for her to handle for sure. I really do not theink you can, even nicely, tell her to back off, since it is very MUCH her business, unless you do EVERYTHING for the horse. I do not agree with her worming him when she did, but what is done is done. I would concentrate on the groundwork so that she sees some progress and is more comfortable with him. I am adamant about that myself, and my first question in a new place is whether my guy(s) are being gentlemen. T


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## Alwaysbehind (Jul 10, 2009)

I am guessing all the moving has been more difficult for you than for your horses.
They seem to adapt well to new settings.


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## livestoride (Mar 30, 2011)

Thanks everyone for the responses!! I agree Alwaysbehind - I bet I am much more stressed than she is. I am very dissapointed that she will no longer be in my back yard  It was such a dream having her out there.


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