# Stupid Barn Rules



## xXEventerXx (Nov 27, 2010)

I dont know if its me or what but every barn i go to there is always drama and bitchy people there.

Today i went to go see my horse and there was a clinic all weekend and they were done and the lights were off everything so i thought it be ok to lunge my horse but i guess i couldnt !! noone was in there or around but still not allowed. BS i say!!

Then the same person who told me to leave talked to me about shavings in my horses stall cause i asked if my horse could have more, he had maybe half a wheel barrel in his stall , the person said the shavings are there to catch urine and poop not bedding... so WTF do i pay 450 for they only put new shavings in once a week like man the barns i used to work at must have been royalty cause how much shavings we take out we have to replace....

And i dont pay for a blanketing fee cause i do it myself well the other day it was blizzarding so i called and asked to bring my horse in a few hours early and they made a big deal out of it...


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## Iseul (Mar 8, 2010)

The only rule I think is stupid is our age rule. Every other barn I've been to/heard of has the age of 16 to be the age of where an owner/leaser can ride their horse without an adult present, but it's 18 at our barn. I could understand needing to have a competent partner, but why an adult? A 16 year old can call 911 on a phone just as easily as an 18 year old... :|
Otherwise, it changes around quite a bit from my experience...One month I'm not allowed to ride without an adult present, then my friend and I (both 16 at the time) were allowed to go on a trail ride while our BO was out and no parents were on the property, then we're not even allowed to touch the horses unless there was an adult present. :|
It just seems like it hops around to accommodate BO's mood toward us individually. *sigh*
Otherwise, I don't believe the rest of the rules are stupid..noting that all the other rules are also just common sense, lol.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## starlinestables (Nov 24, 2008)

I had like 5 rules when I first opened now I have like 2 pages worth! Stupid as they may seem... someone did something stupid which is why they are there.

About the Shavings... horses don't need a ton of shavings. More shavings=more dust. More shavings also requires more labor to haul in more and it takes a lot longer to clean. Not to mention if they spread their manure.. shavings suck the nitrogen out of the soil (turning it yellow) it also sucks moisture out of the feet. Unless, your horse is in majority of the day, gets sores or has sore feet, he doesn't need a "soft and cushy" bed. They've slept on rocky, hard ground for centuries.

With that said though.. if you are willing to pay for more you should get it!


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## Ali M (Mar 28, 2011)

starlinestables said:


> I had like 5 rules when I first opened now I have like 2 pages worth! Stupid as they may seem... someone did something stupid which is why they are there.
> 
> About the Shavings... horses don't need a ton of shavings. More shavings=more dust. More shavings also requires more labor to haul in more and it takes a lot longer to clean. Not to mention if they spread their manure.. shavings suck the nitrogen out of the soil (turning it yellow) it also sucks moisture out of the feet. Unless, your horse is in majority of the day, gets sores or has sore feet, he doesn't need a "soft and cushy" bed. They've slept on rocky, hard ground for centuries.
> 
> With that said though.. if you are willing to pay for more you should get it!



I second this, 100%. Some boarders don't know how much extra work it is to clean a stall with a foot of bedding in it. I know you just want your horse to be comfortable and happy and you're not doing it maliciously. There are some in my barn that will steal an extra bag or two of bedding after we leave for the day. Now THAT is not ok!


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## morabhobbyhorse (Apr 17, 2011)

*I heard that Eventer*

I dont know if its me or what but every barn i go to there is always drama and bitchy people there.
I've had Sienna with the same BM for 3 years, one at a bigger barn and the other was a small one she started herself.
At the bigger one, there were always people who weren't the least interested in talking about their horses but rather, 'did you know so and so did this or that.' it was a new drama every day. Now I'm moving her to a HUGE barn and I'm already dreading it. I'm a friendly, gregarious person but I haven't the least interest in 'whisper, whisper, whisper stuff. 
Oh and one girl who brought her horses said her saddles were out being cleaned. The BM let her borrow one of hers and we had to show her how to put it on. 5 out of 6 trips she never brought one of her horses in to groom, or ride, or do ground work with, anything. She would stand around gossiping and then she was the first to tell you what you SHOULD do with YOUR horse. And it's surprising how it only takes one before the whole barn is in an uproar about something. Everyday. I go to see my horse to relax not listen to that BS. My horse is usually very high energy and paws. Well that was the least of her bad habits when I rescued her so I let it go when I first got her. So she would go while I was in the tack room and tell her to stop. Or yell from 10 feet away, 'Sienna quit it.' Or tell me 'Your blanket isn't even. You didn't tighten her girth all the way without doing her arena stuff did you?' This from a girl I had to help saddle her horse. If someone misplaced something she'd say with _THAT_ look, I know who took it. No I don't want to _start_anything so I'm not saying anything else.  I was so glad to get to that smaller barn and so nervous about going to a bigger one.


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## EmilyandNikki (Sep 7, 2010)

When I eventually get my horse I will go out at times when the least people are there. Why? Because I am going in to be a vet and I know that they will all attack me with complaints, so I will have to avoid them. Because if stuff doesn't get fixed, it will be my fault.


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## Alwaysbehind (Jul 10, 2009)

xXEventerXx said:


> I dont know if its me or what but every barn i go to there is always drama and bitchy people there.
> 
> Today i went to go see my horse and there was a clinic all weekend and they were done and the lights were off everything so i thought it be ok to lunge my horse but i guess i couldnt !! noone was in there or around but still not allowed. BS i say!!
> 
> ...


Your post does not sound like stupid barn rules but simply how the barn is run and that you did not check it out to make sure it fit your needs prior to taking your horse there.

Bringing your horse in early made not seem like a big deal to you, but I can see how it would be a problem for the barn.

And I doubt they bedded stalls totally differently when you checked out the place to board. That is their system for stalls.


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## mls (Nov 28, 2006)

xXEventerXx said:


> I dont know if its me or what but every barn i go to there is always drama and bitchy people there.
> 
> Today i went to go see my horse and there was a clinic all weekend and they were done and the lights were off everything so i thought it be ok to lunge my horse but i guess i couldnt !! noone was in there or around but still not allowed. BS i say!!
> 
> ...


Where is the drama and bitchy people? I see you complaining because you did not get your way. 

Have things changed since you started boarding at this facility? If so, you need to approach management with your concerns. If not, you need to understand you walked into the situation knowing what it was. Complaining then boils down to drama and bitchiness.


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## Cinder (Feb 20, 2011)

At every barn there is going to be drama one way or another. Unfortunate but true.

Not all barns have rules, but in my expierence the ones that do have rules tend to be better. I've had a cousin going to a barn with no rules for years and listened to her ranting as the barn slowly got worse and worse every year. She eventually moved to a different barn because it got so bad. 

Sometimes rules are for the best, no matter how bad they might seem.


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## morabhobbyhorse (Apr 17, 2011)

In any weather below 20F or or a cold rain, etc. my BM automatically brings the horses in. To leave a horse out in a blizzard or freezing rain, etc. is poor care no matter how much you pay for your board. You shouldn't have to call, it should be automatic. Sounds like the barn is in the wrong business. And my panties can't bunch 'cause I don't have any on


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## Alwaysbehind (Jul 10, 2009)

If my horses stayed in any time it was below 20degF they would be in all winter. :shock:

I believe what the OP was stating is that since does not pay the barn to do her horses blankets her horse was out with out one, which meant her horse needed special attention because of it.
This is not the fault of the Barn. It is the fault of the OP.


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## morabhobbyhorse (Apr 17, 2011)

I live in VT and my horse stays on one of the green mountains and I know when it's too miserable out for a horse. I understand what she said about a blanket but I can't believe people have to pay fees for this, that and the other. The horses were brought in early maybe 10 times this winter, and I don't even own a blanket, BM told me not to get one. Sienna is a fuzzy, hardy thing that likes to be outside. But when it's that cold, the BM puts her extra blanket on her in the stall. Full care should be full care.


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## Alwaysbehind (Jul 10, 2009)

Morab, your barn has different policies in place.
There are different barns with different rules and different policies because there are different things that matter to different people.
One set up is not wrong.
Just different.
Different is not wrong.

A person has to pick a barn that works for them.

Yes, there are barns that charge extra for feeding and stall cleaning. 

It is hard to believe that your horse is every outside in the winter if you feel they should not be out if it is below 20degF.


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## morabhobbyhorse (Apr 17, 2011)

This is getting to semantics, sometimes it can be 40 with freezing rain and wind gusts up to 60 MPH and they come in. If it's a bright sunny day at 20 the horses are fine. There nothing wrong with different and I doubt her barn rules have changed, I agree. I'm just wondering why someone would leave a horse out in a blizzard if they cared about horses. I wouldn't board there where it seems to be a lot about just the money, but where people board is their choice.


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## Alwaysbehind (Jul 10, 2009)

Mine stay out when it blizzards because I am at work and they are at home and I do not have 40 minutes to drive home and then another 40 minutes to drive back to work. 

They have shelter if they choose to use it.


It has to be very frustrating to be a barn owner and have a system that you have had all along and have someone come in and since they are paying you the prescribed boarding amount they insist they are entitled to other treatment than what they signed on for.

Boarding horses is a business. If you want the barn to be there for your horse to live in they have to figure out what they have to charge to break even and make a profit. To you it is 'just about the money' to them it is a business and if they do not make enough money to pay the bills it does no one any good because they will have to close.


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## VelvetsAB (Aug 11, 2010)

_We've left pregnant mares in a bush all winter, not blanketed, with plenty of hay. They have been perfectly fine and delivered healthy foals._

_Not to mention the fact that wild horses still stay outside year round and seem to be fine.....let alone the ones that lived years ago. Blankets are a fairly "new" thing, and has probably only been happening for 100 or so years. _


_If the arena was closed for the weekend for a clinic, that usually means the arena is off limits for the whole weekend. Maybe the barn owners wanted to have it free and clear for any number of reasons after the clinic....that they don't have to tell you about._

_Barn owners are not always at the barn every single minute of every day, so for her to have to make an extra trip down to the barn just to bring in your horse would be an inconvienance (sp) to him/her._

_Seems reasonable to me really...._

_Barns have rules for a reason. It does not matter why they are there or who put them in place, they are there to be followed. If you don't like them, then why board there?_


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## kmdstar (Nov 17, 2009)

morabhobbyhorse said:


> In any weather below 20F or or a cold rain, etc. my BM automatically brings the horses in. To leave a horse out in a blizzard or freezing rain, etc. is poor care no matter how much you pay for your board. You shouldn't have to call, it should be automatic. Sounds like the barn is in the wrong business. And my panties can't bunch 'cause I don't have any on


I certainly don't want my horses in if it's below 20*F...they'd never be out during winter months!- they LOVE snow and they LOVE being outside. They can handle it! I don't consider that poor care at all. I had to change barns just to GET that. My horses looked the best this winter outside then they have in the past where they've been stalled for the majority of the time. The one I worry about losing weight, didn't shed a pound I think because she wasn't stressed being cooped up!

I don't see any big problems or drama. The arena thing is a little weird though. If you want more bedding, simple...buy it & add it yourself. I would check with the BO on that first though. I've seen the difference in a little bedding & alot and can certainly say I don't want alot in a stall, especially if you're using shavings. SO much waste and really hard/time consuming to clean! Horses don't NEED alot of bedding, it's nice, but they don't need it. If I use sawdust I like to add alot, shavings...NO! So annoying. 

I don't get how the blanketing fee has to do with asking them to bring your horse in early, but basically boarding is what it is. You have to get used to a barn, find out what you don't like & don't expect it to change - do what YOU can to fix it. Buy your own shavings, bring in your own horse, etc. It sucks, but that's the price you pay when you board. I'm on my 6th boarding barn now, so trust me if these are the only issues you're having you should consider yourself lucky. If you've got a barn owner that feeds, waters & turns out...you should thank your lucky stars! I know that isn't what you want to hear but after dealing with all of the crap I have from several different barns, these 'issues' seem so silly & easily fixed to me.


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## kitten_Val (Apr 25, 2007)

starlinestables said:


> About the Shavings... horses don't need a ton of shavings. More shavings=more dust. More shavings also requires more labor to haul in more and it takes a lot longer to clean. Not to mention if they spread their manure.. shavings suck the nitrogen out of the soil (turning it yellow) it also sucks moisture out of the feet. Unless, your horse is in majority of the day, gets sores or has sore feet, he doesn't need a "soft and cushy" bed. They've slept on rocky, hard ground for centuries.


I second that too. I keep just enough shavings in stalls to absorb the urine. If I put more my qh will dirt all over the place, so I have to trash all of them again. 

Frankly, I don't see too much drama there. And if you don't like something just talk about it with BO (in polite way). In most cases BO will try to solve the problem (if any of course) or at least give good reasoning why its done this way and not another.


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## Whisper22 (Jan 2, 2011)

My husband has family in Colorado that breed QH's. The stallions and unpregnant mares are kept out at pasture all winter and as far as I know they do not use blankets. I thought you said you were the one who wanted to bring your horse in a few hours early, not have them do it. If that's the case I don't really see what the problem is, that seems kinda weird.


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## Delfina (Feb 12, 2010)

Boarding facilities exist to make $$$, not throw it down the drain. Every time something has to be done with a horse it costs $$$ because either the BO is paying someone to do it (and hired help never works for free) or the BO is doing it themselves which means they can't be doing anything else that could earn them income. A BO can either charge enough for full care board that it is monetarily feasible to include blanketing or they can charge a lower boarding charge and a blanketing fee for those who wish it. A lot of people would rather have the option to pay for just the services they need instead of a higher boarding rate for a horse that never needs a blanket.

My horse most certainly stays outside when it's below 20degrees. He's been out in the rain too and guess what? He didn't melt! I'm sure he didn't like the hail storm (ow!!) but since he has shelter in his turnout, he went inside last as everyone without a shelter obviously needed to go in first and my BO doesn't stand outside all day staring at the sky for the first sign of inclement weather! I'm sure I could pay her to but then my board would be more like $10,000 a month!! You get what you pay for....


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## kmdstar (Nov 17, 2009)

Delfina said:


> and my BO doesn't stand outside all day staring at the sky for the first sign of inclement weather!


I had one that did...

Worst boarding experience so far. Even worse than the BO who kept trying to OD Dream on Bute. That's saying something...

(see, this is why everything here looks fairly easily fixed to me! LOL)


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## Delfina (Feb 12, 2010)

Oh heavens, that must have been one really, really, really bored BO!

I'm in CO and the weather changes every 15 minutes around here. No way to predict what on earth the weather is going to be like. It can go from hot and sunny to frigid cold and hailing and then back to hot and sunny all while my BO is in line at the feed store! I'll call my trainer, she'll say my lesson is on as the weather is absolutely gorgeous and during my 45min drive, the wind will start howling and rain starts falling, so I'm playing the game of turn around and go back home or press on and hope it stops (which isn't at all unusual). Frustrating!


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## kmdstar (Nov 17, 2009)

Delfina said:


> Oh heavens, that must have been one really, really, really bored BO!
> 
> I'm in CO and the weather changes every 15 minutes around here. No way to predict what on earth the weather is going to be like. It can go from hot and sunny to frigid cold and hailing and then back to hot and sunny all while my BO is in line at the feed store! I'll call my trainer, she'll say my lesson is on as the weather is absolutely gorgeous and during my 45min drive, the wind will start howling and rain starts falling, so I'm playing the game of turn around and go back home or press on and hope it stops (which isn't at all unusual). Frustrating!


LOL I always say no man lies more than the weather man. Around here one day it'll be 60 degrees, the next 30. :shock: You never know when it's safe to put away the furry boots and winter jackets! & if I followed the weather man, my horses would NEVER be out! Man, it's such a relief to not have to print out a weather report for the BO anymore. We actually had to do that a few times because she'd tell us they were calling for rain and 50 MPH winds...we must have been checking on weather for different states when my report said partly cloudy. :twisted:


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## ridergirl23 (Sep 17, 2009)

What time did you go to lunge your horse at? I know the barn Rena is at closes at a certain time, and the arena is usually closed all weekend if a clinic is going on. 

I personally like my horses stall with a lot of shavings in it because I've seen horses get sores on their hocks from lack of. But that's just MO.

As for the weather, that's understandable if they didn't want to bring him in, that can be a huge pain in the rear end if your doing barn chores to do that. It's hard to blanket to the weather, but I'm almost sure your horse would've been fine out in the field for a few more hours in bad weather without proper blanketing, horsesndont get cold like we do.

I would try and talk to the BO if you're upset about anything serious.


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## AlexS (Aug 9, 2010)

I like the suggestion that you could buy your own shavings if you want more. This seems reasonable to me, as I assume you toured the place before you boarded there and knew the amount of shavings they put in. 

as far as the clinic, it could well be that they left it open in case anyone had questions or concerns after the clinic was done. How often are clinics happening at this barn?


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## morabhobbyhorse (Apr 17, 2011)

morabhobbyhorse said:


> This is getting to semantics, sometimes it can be 40 with freezing rain and wind gusts up to 60 MPH and they come in. If it's a bright sunny day at 20 the horses are fine. There nothing wrong with different and I doubt her barn rules have changed, I agree. I'm just wondering why someone would leave a horse out in a blizzard if they cared about horses. I wouldn't board there where it seems to be a lot about just the money, but where people board is their choice.


Are you all ignoring this post? I have agreed, I surrender, this post is getting a tad off track


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## Beauseant (Oct 22, 2010)

I board at a 23 acre private farm with people we know and are friends with.....6 stall barn, 23 acres, hot/cold wash bay, heated tack room and our own private bathroom...and we have the entire facility to ourselves.....and I thank God every day.

We do self care, we like it that way. WOULDN'T want it any other way actually....we do what we want, when we want concerning our horses.....


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## ChristineNJ (Jan 23, 2010)

I live in New Jersey and in the winter sometimes it gets really windy and cold and icy hail storms. At my barn they bring all the horses in if it is a really bad night. There are stormy nights when I believe horses are better inside!! We also got alot of snow this year so the horses were all brought in during the heavy snow. Of course they were let out again to play in the snow!


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