# Just pay the board, and shut up.



## WickedNag (Sep 7, 2010)

Are your stalls outside? Are you renting just a paddock? It sounds as if you are getting what you pay for. Stalls mucked and horses fed a couple of times a day. 

I am not sure what to tell you. I don't think it is feasible to think the BO will be out in the barn babysitting every horse. This is my thought, depending on the size of the barn, most chores would have been done by 8 and it is very possible that when your friend showed up, there was no one around. Or they were off at another area giving lessons. 

I board my horse at a private farm now but there is no one there watching them 24/7 to see what they are or are not doing. When I boarded at a bigger boarding facility chores were done twice a day. If we seen something amiss we would let the BO know or contact the owner of the horse.

I think you want more than you are getting so maybe should look to board elsewhere. I think your BO is doing what is expected of her. If you want the extras I can see where you would be expected to provide it. JMO.


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## Jacksmama (Jan 27, 2010)

Have you asked if the BO can have shavings or something brought in for those that wish to pay a small extra fee? Unless it was specified that you would have shavings, etc...., I don't know if there is much you can do. I understand your situation, I wouldn't want my boy standing in mud all day long either.


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## Buckcherry (Nov 18, 2010)

I personally think it is crap. I mean here in Maryland when you pay full board on a horse it includes providing feed, providing hay, saw dust, and they turn out your horse and bring them in. It also includes blanketing in the winter and of course filling and cleanin the water and stalls. And every place I've boarded has always taken emergency contact info and checks on the horses daily. If the person who is cleaning and feeding doesn't know signs of colic then they probably shouldn't work at a horse boarding facility. IMO And i can imagine if you live in california its probably pretty expensive. around here typical board if around 350 per month. I'd say if your paying that kind of money then they should be doing all those things. 

If your paying Full care you should not have to provide the extras. And saw dust IMO is not an extra.


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## Sophie19 (Apr 13, 2009)

I'd say if your horse is off his feed and you didn't get a call about it then you have a right to be mad. And if the stalls are flooding then it should be the barns responsibility to fix it.


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## MIEventer (Feb 15, 2009)

I agree with Buck, absolutely. If you are paying full board, you should be receiving full care.

At the previous barn I was at, the board was $375.00 a month, and that included EVERYTHING. Seriously. At the time, it was a very large Fox Hunting/Eventing Barn, very popular and always busy with something going on. 40+ boarders and that monthly fee, took care of Feed, Shavings, Unlimited hay, Blanket Changing, turn in and turn out, full use of facility Emergency Care *meaning, vet called asap and someone there to handle things until you arrive or even if you cannot show up due to work or other means. All repairs were done by the Barn Workers *they were burly men who could hande anything* and a boarder was never left to "fend for themselves".

You bet your bippy, that the Workers at that barn, kept a very close eye on the horses - and there were A LOT of horses. Any injuries, lost shoes, off feed, colic, fever - did not matter, the barn knew about it before the owner did. 

I say, you should find somewhere else if you can, and if you choose to stay, you need to voice your feelings and opinions about this. If they don't know how you feel, they wont beable to "fix" anything. I was always taught by my parents, that if you want to stay in the game, you have to lay all your cards on the table to beable to proceed forward. I do not agree that you should just "put up with it" because that's garbage. I would voice your opinion to the BO/BM. If you decide to stay, make yourself known and have a 1 on 1 conversation with the "authority" there and tell them exactly how you feel about this.

Your horse should not have to be stuck in rain pooled muddy stalls - and if your BO want to pay for your horses foot work when he incurs scratches and thrush, then fine - but if not, then they need to do something about this - since it is their barn and their business. You are paying them monthly for the care of your horse, they need to hold up their end of the deal.

I understand your frustration about the colic issue - the barn I am at now, DID NOT notice Nelson was colicing either. He was in his stall, and NO ONE noticed. He was standing there not eating his feed, and had his head in the corner with it drooped. No one took notice, and it wasn't until I showed up after work to take care of his leg *this was when he had that bad injury* when I discovered his situation.

It ended up being a very bad bout - and you BET YOUR BIPPY I made the BO and her help get out there with me and spend the next 7 hours with my Vet trying to get him back. I almost lost him, honestly - it was bad, it got to the point where my vet was saying we might have to let him go.

I had a long discussion with the BO telling her exactly how I feel, and you can be sure that they keep a closer eye on the horses. If they are running a facility and taking money from people for the care of their horses - they had better do their jobs.


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## mls (Nov 28, 2006)

Interesting replies. 

The rain is an act of God, force of nature. It doesn't matter how much the OP pays in board. The BO cannot control the weather.

As far as the person doing the feeding not seeing the horse colicing - how do you know it was when feeding was in progress?


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## Alwaysbehind (Jul 10, 2009)

mls said:


> Interesting replies.
> 
> The rain is an act of God, force of nature. It doesn't matter how much the OP pays in board. The BO cannot control the weather.
> 
> As far as the person doing the feeding not seeing the horse colicing - how do you know it was when feeding was in progress?


I totally agree!!!!!!!!

If the barn was just crappy and was expecting you to pay extra for their lack of proper care that would be different. You are talking about 100year rainfall rates that no one can plan for.


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## Speed Racer (Oct 21, 2009)

My question is, what exactly are you paying _for_? If it's minimal care, then you can't squawk and expect more just because the weather's bad. The weather's bad for everyone, the BO included.

It has nothing to do with whether where you're boarding is considered a show barn or not. It has_ everything_ to do with the services for which you're paying.

You say you can't afford the high end full care barns, so why should the BO take on additional expenses just because you don't want to spend the extra money?

If you're that concerned, make arrangements to have shavings hauled in for your horse, and spend more time at the barn with him.

Bottom line, it's _your_ horse and thus_ your_ responsibility to make sure he's cared for properly.


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## apachiedragon (Apr 19, 2008)

Personally if my barn were flooding, I'd be doing everything in my power to stop it, because I'd worry about damage to the barn with mud and wet and then 1200lb animals stomping around in it. But technically there isn't much you can do but talk with them about it, and see if you can come to a mutual agreement, and if not, get the heck out of dodge. There may not be much they can do about it, but unless the amount of care is not what you agreed to, then there isn't a whole lot you can do about it either, except move. 

As far as the colicking goes, a colic can come up suddenly. Who's to say the horse was acting oddly when they did morning chores? It could be that they weren't paying attention, but it could also be that there was nothing to see. 

The best thing you can do is TALK TO THEM ABOUT IT.


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## Alwaysbehind (Jul 10, 2009)

I agree, Apachie. Talk to your BO. So many problems could be avoided if people did not assume things and jump to conclusions about things and actually read their contract and talked to their BO.

OP, maybe you and some other boarders could get together and make and set out sand bags. I bet the BO would love some help with things.


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## VelvetsAB (Aug 11, 2010)

mls said:


> Interesting replies.
> 
> The rain is an act of God, force of nature. It doesn't matter how much the OP pays in board. The BO cannot control the weather.
> 
> As far as the person doing the feeding not seeing the horse colicing - how do you know it was when feeding was in progress?


_I also agree with this._

_The weather isn't something that anyone was expecting, and I bet some people in Ireland are complaining about all the snow they have and how they were not expecting so much of it._

_If it was a situation where the barn flooded every year in the spring due to snow melts, then yes, I would expect the BO to have extra bedding on hand....but this is a freak of nature._

_If you really wanted to get extra shavings to the barn you could beg/borrow or even rent a truck. Have you offered to help the BO with this? They might not have an idea of what to do._


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## Bre (Dec 2, 2010)

Just wondering what are your expectations from the barn are Oxer? 

My parents run a family bording facility and Our family takes a lot of pride in our facility, our horses are feed twice a day, with automatic wateres. But sometimes borders request can be pretty demanding at times. Speaking from experiance we do everything we can do to keep our borders happy! But with all the rain that you've hade what could the barn owner do to prevent the flooding? is it even possiable?


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## churumbeque (Dec 20, 2009)

apachiedragon said:


> Personally if my barn were flooding, I'd be doing everything in my power to stop it, because I'd worry about damage to the barn with mud and wet and then 1200lb animals stomping around in it. But technically there isn't much you can do but talk with them about it, and see if you can come to a mutual agreement, and if not, get the heck out of dodge. There may not be much they can do about it, but unless the amount of care is not what you agreed to, then there isn't a whole lot you can do about it either, except move.
> 
> As far as the colicking goes, a colic can come up suddenly. Who's to say the horse was acting oddly when they did morning chores? It could be that they weren't paying attention, but it could also be that there was nothing to see.
> 
> The best thing you can do is TALK TO THEM ABOUT IT.


 
I am curious as to what you would do to stop it? Seems pretty unlikely that a whole lot could be done in a natural disaster. Any man power to help would probably be trying to save houses before barns. That is why they call them a disaster.


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## apachiedragon (Apr 19, 2008)

Our barn has flooded. The way I read the post, it was excessive amounts of rain, not flash flooding or something in danger of washing houses away. We have done everything from hand-digging ditches, to sandbags, to bailing water out by hand and putting fans on the stalls to dry them faster, and using sand and sawdust and even straw to build up the stalls so the horses weren't just standing in water. I'm not saying it can be eliminated altogether, but with some cooperation, the amount of flooding could at the very least be reduced. But none of that will happen without talking to the BO. If they have never dealt with it, they may not know WHAT to do, but there are things to do...


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## AppyLuva (Oct 25, 2010)

I would feel the same if Quinn was living in mud all day. Where I live we don't get that much rain so it'd be difficult for our barns to flood but I would be upset if there was that much rain and nobody was doing anything about the conditions of the stable. It could be possible that your BO can't do anything to prevent the flooding. When you have that much rain it can get difficult to prevent the flooding that comes with it. I'd say that you should try talking to the BO about this. If you can't get an agreement then you should move to a different stable.


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## Alwaysbehind (Jul 10, 2009)

Apachie, I am not sure where the OP is in California but right now there is a good chunk of the state suffering from huge mud slides and flash flooding because of the extreme rain fall they are getting.

I totally agree with the people who say if you work together with the BO things might get done. BO's are people too.


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## equiniphile (Aug 16, 2009)

Do you really think the BO is happy that the horses in his/her barn are standing in flooded stalls? If she has any emotion she's going to feel horrid about it, I bet she would love it if boarders helped her make plans to do something about it. Could you have a load of clay delivered and build up the inside of the stalls? Get together and board up windows so the rain can't get in?

If it's flash flooding and not typical of your area, chances are there are very few barns near you that are adequately prepared to deal with this. If a tidal wave ripped over Lake Erie and flooded Cleveland, we sure as heck wouldn't be prepared to cope with it.

As far as the colicing goes and knowing the horse was off his feed, you would obviously know it happened before or during his feeding time because of food left in the bucket. If the bucket was empty, it's pretty hard to point the finger of blame to the workers who fed in the morning.


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## churumbeque (Dec 20, 2009)

We had a major flood here in 08. The water came up fast and a friend who lives near the river couldn't get to her horse. It was swimming for hours and they tried to get it with a boat but it would get scared and swim away. They were contemplating shooting it to put it out of its misery when somehow they either caught it or it made it to land ( I can't remember). I was shocked that it didn't get it's legs caught in a fence swimming. Any way sometimes you just have to wait it out. You may not be able to get a truck to deliver sand or something and I would not want my horse on sand for fear of colic. I am sure the boarder could find someone to haul sawdust or straw if it were that important to her


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## Buckcherry (Nov 18, 2010)

I think that if the BO felt bad about the horses standing in mud all day in their stalls she/he would be trying to do somthing about it. Or would talk to the boarders about trying to do something.
If it was my barn I would be trying to figure something out. And if It was my horse I would try to do something for the horses myself. I wouldn't wait for the BO to do something becaue they might never. Or can't.


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## equiniphile (Aug 16, 2009)

She probably has a lot on her mind. Bringing it up by offering to help would definitely be making a step towards solving the problem.


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## starlinestables (Nov 24, 2008)

A lot of boarding facilities operate on a TIGHT budget. Horses standing in stalls all day and night means more everything which costs money! More hay, more shavings, a ton more labor to clean stalls ect... Flooding can't always be helped and if you think it's bad for you and your horse try stepping into your Barn Owners shoes for just a second. Not only is it costing her a fortune, she has to deal ****y owners AND horses. (Not saying your out of line or not because its impossible to know the whole story).

I'm sorry your horse coicked but its can be hard to notice when a horse is standing in their stall. Rolling is common, nipping at a side looks like he may had to scratch or shooing away a fly. The feed pan is mounted in the corner and is hard to see in my stalls so unless my help is turning out horses it probably doesn't get checked every day. 

If whatever your asking isn't included in board, don't expect your BO to go above and beyond. Also it doesn't matter what you pay if its not written down. Just because a previous boarder pays $375 2000 miles away doesn't mean it's relevant to you.


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## cosmomomo (Aug 10, 2010)

why is your horse in a stall just because it's raining? put a rainsheet on it and stick it outside! my guy lives out 24/7 with a good windbreak and no run in and does just fine. if the my barn was flooding, i wouldn't hesitate putting them out. it's much less cruel for them to be able to move around outside in the mud, than have them stand still in it all the time.


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## Buckcherry (Nov 18, 2010)

yeah I agree rain sheet and put him outside. Plus he's going to get stiff hanging out in a stall


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## Gidget (Jan 19, 2010)

I would ask someone to help me that I know. There is always someway to prevent such things but you can't prevent the weather. What kind of car do you drive? We had a small car once..a firebird and we could haul feed and bags of shavings....


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## dressagebelle (May 13, 2009)

I've always had my horses in outside pipe stalls or paddocks. They don't get shavings or sand bags put outside the stall, or in the corners, thats not what is included in the board. As I'm in So Cal too, I can attest to the fact that no barns are equipped to deal with the extreme weather we've been having for about a week, and you can't expect the BO to make sure emergency provisions are provided for all the horses at her expense, because if provisions are made for YOU, then everyone is entitled to the same provisions. Am I happy that my mare is stuck in a muddy paddock on a slope/hill, no not really, but I'm not paying for the stall and extra shavings, ect ect. I'm paying for minimum boarding. They feed, clean, fill water buckets and clean them when needed, and do checks several times throughout the day to make sure the horses are all fine, but thats it. Those in the box stalls do get shavings included in their board, so of course its expected for the BO to supply the shavings, and make sure that they get put in the stalls. And my horse isn't even blanketed, as she's in the baby pasture, so even if I had the money to go out on an "emergency" basis, and buy a blanket for her, it'd get ripped off quite quickly. She's doing perfectly okay right now, though I'm sure that once it dries up enough for me to actually make the trip out there, I'm gonna be battling thrush. 
As for the colicking, the symptoms can come on suddenly, and not every horse displays "clear" colic signs. My friends horse colicked, and the ONLY thing he did different was he laid down right around dinner time, which for several of the horses on the property was no big deal. They did it quite often. The BO went out on a limb, and called the owner even though she wasn't sure the horse even has a problem, it was just a bit unusual that he was laying down, so she wanted the owner to be informed. Well the owner decided to come out just to check, and they found out that he actually had a tumor wrapped around his intestines, that had killed off a good chunk of intestine. The ONLY sign that horse ever gave that he had a problem, was that he laid down in the sun. So it sucks that they didn't call you, but I agree that there is possible that maybe to you he looked off, but to someone else who doesn't know him as well, he looked perfectly normal when they did the rounds, and then by the time you got there, he had obviously worsened. I for one though can't wait for the rain to stop.


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## Oxer (Jul 9, 2010)

okay so let me explain a little bit about what i THINK i should be getting out of my board. I think that in edition to the basics (clean stall, clean water, and normal feeding) my horse should get blanketed in the evenings and have his blanket removed in the mornings. Mind you, i'm in CA so you only have to blanket about 4 months out of the year. Turnouts should be offered, at least twice a day. Arena's need to be kept nice, clean, watered, and DRUG!!! And lastly... and this is a big one... if your staff members don't speak english, and you cannot communicate with them properly, then i expect you to do rounds of EVERY horse in EVERY stall, and call EVERY client when there is a problem. Most of us work full time jobs and will go one or two days without seeing our ponies, sometimes even longer. 
Boarders were posting pictures of other people's horses standing in muddy stalls on their FACEBOOKS so that people could notify one another and get it taken care of. The barn owner didn't call any of us. Just left us all to have someone tell someone tell someone that the stalls were flooding. Which is a joke. 
I pay $400 a month. And this is what i get: Feed twice a day, and mucking twice a day. That's it folks. That's what $400 buys you. 
I am not saying that i want the barn owner to come out and dig ditches in the rain... but i do expect someone to call me IMMEDIATELY and say "oh hey, you may want to come out tonight with some sand bags and some shavings, cause your horse is in 2 feet of water." 

We were also promised that we would have lighting put in the dressage court in October. I get off work at 5pm and it's pitch black. I was PROMISED that this would happen... and guess what? I'm still riding in the dark! Ugh.


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## Oxer (Jul 9, 2010)

post script: I would love to keep my horse in a nice lush green pasture, where he could run around and be a horse. Find refuge under a tree in the rain and keep himself busy by running around and grazing. but that's not how things are around here. i don't live in Kentucky, or Maryland, or any of those nice open places. So we're stuck with a 12X24 in and out. The weather has been so bad, i can't even hand walk him. I will have a "wild stallion" on my hands when this weather subsides! 

Great opinions everyone! i love to get some non-bias third party ideas going around! haha!


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## Carleen (Jun 19, 2009)

Oxer, what does it say in your boarding contract?


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## MyBoyPuck (Mar 27, 2009)

To play devil's advocate, you are getting about 1/3 of your annual rain allotment in the span of a week, aren't you? That's a lot for anyone to deal with, and I'm sure the rich people's horses are standing in the mud too if that helps at all. 

As for the colic, yes that is unfortunate that you were not called when it first happened. All you can do is talk to your BO and let him/her know you prefer to be notified in a more timely manner. 

Your options are obvious. Find ways around your issues. Like others said, team up with other boarders to get shavings and maybe take turns checking each others horses until your rain situation is over. Blanket your horse to at least keep his body dry and maybe hand walk him on a road so he can stretch his legs. 

If that's not enough, all you can do is start looking for another place.


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## dressagebelle (May 13, 2009)

I agree with really looking over your boarding statement that you signed, and make sure that what you "think" you should be getting is what you actually "should" be getting per the boarding agreement, and then if thats not the case, I would talk with your BO, but if you are getting what the boarding agreement states that you should be getting, then you have no basis for your argument, other than it sucks that we are having so much rain, and that even the best irrigated stalls and pastures are currently under water. Hopefully the rain will stop soon, but again, this is not weather that we in Southern California are prepared for, because it happens like never. I just wanna be able to see my horse again lol.


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## Delfina (Feb 12, 2010)

Oxer said:


> okay so let me explain a little bit about what i THINK i should be getting out of my board.


What you THINK is irrelevant. What you actually get is what is written in your board contract. There is a boarding facility that is literally 1 minute from my house. Board is $475 a month and for your $475 you get feeding 2x daily, a 14x14 stall that is cleaned 1x daily and THAT IS IT. No blanketing, no turnout, no nighty night stories, no anything that isn't specified in their contract. 

If you want special services, find a barn that offers those special services and be prepared to pay a heckuva lot more. I drive 45+ minutes to where I board because they are the only place that offers the services that I need/want and they certainly aren't doing it for free.


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## Oxer (Jul 9, 2010)

so i read over the board agreement... lemme just breeze over it for you all:

Feed and Facilities:
Stable agrees to provide adequate feed and facilities for normal and reasonable care required to maintain the health and well being of an animal. Stallions are not allowed to be boarded on the property.

Exercise:
stable will not provide exercise or any other care for said horses. 


and some other totally random things on this contract:
Right of Lien
Risk of Loss-Insurance
Hold Harmless
Default 
Termination

So none of these really tell me what i'm being afforded. 
Only what i'm not allowed to do. What they're allowed to do if i don't pay. Or if i get my neck snapped on their property. 

I suppose my ending point to this whole situation is simply this:
i cannot understand why someone would own a boarding facility, and then do everything in their power to avoid their boarders and act as if everything they request is a huge pain in their butt. They are even putting up a new barn... so if they're irritated by 40 boarders... wait until that number grows to 60!


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## AlexS (Aug 9, 2010)

I pay for full care field board, and I expect and receive full care. In fact he recently had a problem with abcesses and my barn owner called the farrier before calling me. But this is what I pay her to do. 
As a boarder without the luxury of having my own place, I trust my BO to do right by my horse, this is why I pay her.


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## dressagebelle (May 13, 2009)

The one think I really like about where I am now, is that it clearly states what you are paying for per horse for a barn stall, 2 horse stall, baby pasture, and the 12x24, and then it adds a list of other things the BO will do and what they cost. Supplements bought by the owner are free for example, but blanketing either one time (basically if you can't get out so someone pulls the blanket, vs. BO blanketing and unblanketing regularly), or monthly, buying wormer and/or giving the horse wormer, ect. ect. she's got quite a few things that she'll do extra for a fee of course, as well as feeding extra feed. I would maybe sit down with your BO, and tell her that you feel like the boarding agreement is very vague, and would like to know from her EXACTLY what she is supposed to do in her mind for what you are paying. That way there are no mixed messages, no guesswork, and no hurt feelings if you are getting what you think you should, because you will know whether or not you are, and can then address it. No more guesswork.


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## WickedNag (Sep 7, 2010)

Well IMO horses do not need to have blankets except for the very rare occasion. I live in South Dakota so have long winters with lots of snow. We have already seen sub zero temps and have 10" of snow on the ground. My horses grow winter hair so really unless they are underweight going into winter really having a blanket is not a necessity. 

I really doubt your BO seen your horse colic and didn't call. I am giving her the benefit of doubt. Is the help the same help that were in place when you started boarding there? I do have issues with being in the US and not learning our language. I am not prejudice but I really don't need to learn Spanish to communicate.

It really sounds to me like you just need to move your horse. You are not happy where you are and that will not change. Soon every little thing will seem like a big thing and problems will mount. If you want $1000 a month care go find a barn that will give it too you.

Sure glad I board where I do. Private farm 1 1/2 miles from my house, two pastures to rotate between, barn for the horses to go in as they please, so they have 24/7 access to shelter. I buy my hay and the owner drops a bale in when they need it. We do our own graining, shots and de-worming. I pay $50 a horse and $16 a mini. They have their own pasture and shelter.


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## Alwaysbehind (Jul 10, 2009)

Oxer said:


> so i read over the board agreement... lemme just breeze over it for you all:
> 
> Feed and Facilities:
> Stable agrees to provide adequate feed and facilities for *normal and reasonable care* required to maintain the health and well being of an animal. Stallions are not allowed to be boarded on the property.
> ...


Bolding mine

So from the sounds of it (from what I understand about boarding in CA) you are paying for the Motor Inn and you want the Ritz and you are ****ed that the Ritz is not just given to you because you think you should get it.

The part I bolded above is pretty darn clear. Normal and reasonable care. Normal and reasonable care does not include a natural disaster. It does not include turnout 2x per day. It does not include blanket changes.
Normal and reasonable care means your horse gets fed and watered and your stall gets picked out 1x per day.

Note, the Motor Inn does not have a mini bar or room service. If you want the Mini bar and the room service you have to pay the big bucks for a nicer place.


Maybe the BO is frustrated because the boarders knew they were signing on for simpler place, they are charging a reasonable fee for a simpler place but some boarders are never happy and they are tired of hearing people complain that their is no room service number and no complimentary bath robe.

Stop stomping your feet and having a temper tantrum and put the energy into either fixing the situation in your horses stall or if you want more amenities find a barn that offers what you want and pay for what they are asking.


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## Buckcherry (Nov 18, 2010)

Thats what rubs me the wrong way. if they have extra money to be putting up a new barn then why don't they have money to fix the problems in the other barn. Im sorry but the barn owner should have seen if the horse was ill. I would look around for some where else to board. 

Obviously the BO isn't involved in her boarding facility and there for should not own one. If you don't care about the well being of the horses then why have your own boarding facility. Oh thats right because most people just want to make money.

It just sucks that for that kind of money thats all you get. You could place adds, searching for a new place to board and see if something better pops up.


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## Alwaysbehind (Jul 10, 2009)

The BO should have seen the horse was ill? What if the horse was not ill or did not act ill when the horse was given its morning feed? Is the BO supposed to stand there and carefully watch every horse all day?

Sorry, Buckcherry, but you are being unreasonable. Horses get sick. Sometimes the BO/BM sees it first. Some times another boarder sees it first. Just be happy that someone noticed and the horse was taken care of and all is well. Who cares who saw it first?

And from what I read the BO has been planning on building a new barn. You do not plan for natural disasters to hit. No one says, "oh no, we can not build another barn to make our facility better because next year we will get epic rain fall rates and the stalls will flood for a week".


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## Buckcherry (Nov 18, 2010)

I'm not being unreasonable thats my opinion. Just saying that she or the worker should have noticed something. and from the sounds of it the horse was pretty bad off. I bet the worker probably doesn't even know the signs of colic. 
If you own a barn you should have people working there that can communicate with the boarder and knows about horses its common sence. 

Not saying they should be there all day but they should definatly check on the horses regularly sounds like the BO is never there. She should have been notified her horse was standing in mudd/water not saying they can control a flood or the wheather but she should have noticed and called the boarders

Why do you guys feel the need to always attack other people opinions, Im not calling you out are I?!?!?


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## franknbeans (Jun 7, 2007)

Buckcherry said:


> I'm not being unreasonable thats my opinion. Just saying that she or the worker should have noticed something. and from the sounds of it the horse was pretty bad off. I bet the worker probably doesn't even know the signs of colic.
> If you own a barn you should have people working there that can communicate with the boarder and knows about horses its common sence.
> 
> Not saying they should be there all day but they should definatly check on the horses regularly sounds like the BO is never there. She should have been notified her horse was standing in mudd/water not saying they can control a flood or the wheather but she should have noticed and called the boarders
> ...


Someone disagreed with you. There was no "attack" at all. 

We have no idea when/if the BO, workers or anyone checked on the horses, and have no proof they didn't. As has been stated by others-horses get sick, some suddenly. For all we know, the horse WAS checked on, and was fine-AT THAT TIME!

As far as calling each and every boarder that there is mud? Not sure that is reasonable either. I have a feeling BO had more to worry about, and perhaps they had no idea that a hundred year storm would flood the existing barn prior to making plans to build a new one? I prefer to give people the benefit of the doubt.


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## mls (Nov 28, 2006)

Oxer said:


> okay so let me explain a little bit about what i THINK i should be getting out of my board. I think that in edition to the basics (clean stall, clean water, and normal feeding) my horse should get blanketed in the evenings and have his blanket removed in the mornings. Mind you, i'm in CA so you only have to blanket about 4 months out of the year. Turnouts should be offered, at least twice a day. Arena's need to be kept nice, clean, watered, and DRUG!!! And lastly... and this is a big one... if your staff members don't speak english, and you cannot communicate with them properly, then i expect you to do rounds of EVERY horse in EVERY stall, and call EVERY client when there is a problem. Most of us work full time jobs and will go one or two days without seeing our ponies, sometimes even longer.
> Boarders were posting pictures of other people's horses standing in muddy stalls on their FACEBOOKS so that people could notify one another and get it taken care of. The barn owner didn't call any of us. Just left us all to have someone tell someone tell someone that the stalls were flooding. Which is a joke.
> I pay $400 a month. And this is what i get: Feed twice a day, and mucking twice a day. That's it folks. That's what $400 buys you.
> I am not saying that i want the barn owner to come out and dig ditches in the rain... but i do expect someone to call me IMMEDIATELY and say "oh hey, you may want to come out tonight with some sand bags and some shavings, cause your horse is in 2 feet of water."
> ...


So - what you feel you should be getting out of your board - was this dicussed prior to your moving in? Or is it listed as included services?

If the lighting was promised prior to your moving in - sorry. You board based on what is already in place - not future additions. Things come up and we have to put money into those necessities before something that can wait - such as the pump on the well.

Your $400 a month also includes getting the manure hauled out, insurance, electricity, repairs, use of the facility, etc.

Again - the rain is a force of nature. Just as the snow is in our area. We deal with it as best we can.


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## Alwaysbehind (Jul 10, 2009)

franknbeans said:


> I prefer to give people the benefit of the doubt.


Yes, exactly. And you are willing to use some common sense.

No barn owner wants to be known as the place that 'lost three horses last year'. I highly doubt any BO wants a boarders horse to be neglected.


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## franknbeans (Jun 7, 2007)

ahhhh, but sadly, "common" sense is a misnomer, isn't it? :wink:


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## churumbeque (Dec 20, 2009)

Oxer said:


> okay so let me explain a little bit about what i THINK i should be getting out of my board. I think that in edition to the basics (clean stall, clean water, and normal feeding) my horse should get blanketed in the evenings and have his blanket removed in the mornings. Mind you, i'm in CA so you only have to blanket about 4 months out of the year. Turnouts should be offered, at least twice a day. Arena's need to be kept nice, clean, watered, and DRUG!!! And lastly... and this is a big one... if your staff members don't speak english, and you cannot communicate with them properly, then i expect you to do rounds of EVERY horse in EVERY stall, and call EVERY client when there is a problem. Most of us work full time jobs and will go one or two days without seeing our ponies, sometimes even longer.
> Boarders were posting pictures of other people's horses standing in muddy stalls on their FACEBOOKS so that people could notify one another and get it taken care of. The barn owner didn't call any of us. Just left us all to have someone tell someone tell someone that the stalls were flooding. Which is a joke.
> I pay $400 a month. And this is what i get: Feed twice a day, and mucking twice a day. That's it folks. That's what $400 buys you.
> I am not saying that i want the barn owner to come out and dig ditches in the rain... but i do expect someone to call me IMMEDIATELY and say "oh hey, you may want to come out tonight with some sand bags and some shavings, cause your horse is in 2 feet of water."
> ...


Once the water is there the sandbagging is pointless. On the news today they showed horses standing in 3' of water. So shaving wouldn't help with a lot of water either. 400.00 a month in CA is nothing so you are expecting more than they could feasibly get. I saw a post where hay in CA is 13.00 pr bale. So yu are easily using up half your board in hay not including insurance, grain, upkeep, proprty taxes, bedding.

With that low of board they also have to use the cheapest labor possible so they may not speak english. 
And if they had called you to bring sandbags and shavings you could not have hauled them anyway.


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## mls (Nov 28, 2006)

Buckcherry said:


> I'm not being unreasonable thats my opinion. Just saying that she or the worker should have noticed something. and from the sounds of it the horse was pretty bad off.* I bet the worker probably doesn't even know the signs of colic. *
> If you own a barn you should have people working there that can communicate with the boarder and knows about horses its common sence.
> 
> Not saying they should be there all day but they should definatly check on the horses regularly sounds like the BO is never there. She should have been notified her horse was standing in mudd/water not saying they can control a flood or the wheather *but she should have noticed and called the boarders*
> ...


You are making a lot of assumptions. Not all horses show signs of colic in the same manner. Some horses WILL try and eat through a colic episode, some horses are simply full or not interested in grain that morning/evening - doesn't mean they are starting to colic.

As far as noticing the water - FLOODS are called floods as the water rises quickly. And as I tell my boarders if they make a comment about being hot/cold, etc - we all woke up in the same state this morning. As in - all of the boarders live in California. I'm clear across the country and I have heard about the horrible rain.


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## Buckcherry (Nov 18, 2010)

To say that a BO didn't know her barn had flooded is ridiculous.
And how is calling the boarders to let them know their horses stalls are flooded unreasonable?
Then maybe the boarders could have and would have tried to help out and do something about it. 
And i do believe she said her horse was showing signs of colic and the other boarders noticed. But the BO or the worker didn't notice thats odd to me..


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## Alwaysbehind (Jul 10, 2009)

Buckcherry said:


> To say that a BO didn't know her barn had flooded is ridiculous.


Where does anyone say the BO did not know the barn was flooded?



Buckcherry said:


> And how is calling the boarders to let them know their horses stalls are flooded unreasonable?


Not when there is a natural disaster of this proportion going on. There are FAR bigger things on people's minds than calling individual boarders to tell them something any reasonable person could surmise on their own.



Buckcherry said:


> Then maybe the boarders could have and would have tried to help out and do something about it.


Now that they know are they helping out? It does not sound like it.



Buckcherry said:


> And i do believe she said her horse was showing signs of colic and the other boarders noticed. But the BO or the worker didn't notice thats odd to me..


Are you totally missing the point on purpose? 

Yes, we are all willing to concede that the horse did show signs of colic when the boarder noticed it.

That does not mean the horse was showing signs of colic 30 seconds before the boarder noticed it.


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## MaggiStar (Mar 19, 2010)

I have 2girls who board in my own yard at home and what they get versus what they think they should get are two entirely different issues.

They pay 100e a month for that they get a field of there own with a running stream secure fence and my riding facilites thats it.
They believe they get a field that should be within spitting distance of the tack room, lit up arenas, me going feeding, free round bales, stabling if there horses need it, rug changes and me to check over there horses or bring them in for appointments. Sure ill do it if they pay me but they dont want that. Seeing as were having super extreme snow here they cant get out so they would ilke all the above for free. Not a fear of it happening i have enough worries and horses of my own to care for in this weather. 

Also if i was to go on FB and see pictures of horses in my care being posted and slating ymm name you can betcha you would be asked to leave as that is essentially slander. Why did they epople taking the photos not spend there time doing something useful rather then try to incriminsate the BO. Also i have a small car i can put a bale on the roof and tie it in place, 3 bags of feed in the boot and could stack up th back seat with shavings so you could do the same.

You seem to expect your BO to be out 24-7 clearing your stable which isnt going to happen. you saud there is 40 bordersd ye....so get on to the ohone order in extra loads of shavings, hire a slurry tank and suck the water out of the stables then buy some sand bags. Your BO is not required to that for you stop wasting time moaning and do something useful if your so concerned.

Honestly the entire world is going thorugh extreme tempretures right now most peolpe are putting there heads down getting on with it and juat allowing extra time to get jobs done


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## gypsygirl (Oct 15, 2009)

also, when some horses are colicking they will look fine one second, and very ill the next. i see colicy horses all the time (i work at a vet) and some stand like they are just sleeping one second and then thrashing the next.


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## corinowalk (Apr 26, 2010)

So are you the only one with that freedom of speech? Or are Always and Speed exempt from that? Am I missing something? 

I think the situation sounds like you get what you pay for. When I boarded in CA my board was $575/month and that was 10 years ago. That got me a stall that was cleaned daily, feed, water, hay and turn out on a dry lot with a round bale. There was an outdoor ring, a round pen and a hot walker. While it was expensive and there were other places to board for cheaper, I chose that barn because it was a full service, professional stable. 

Horses colic. Its a craptasic problem. It isn't always detectable right away. If another boarder saw it and didn't alert the BO, that is on the boarder. Were all supposed to look out for eachother. 

Natural disasters happen. CA is not the kind of area that can handle heavy rains for extended periods of time. I am sure the BO was not equipped to handle a flash flood. Since the stalls flooded, what did you want the BO to do? You can't make the clouds suck the rain back up. Like someone else said, sand bagging and such only works before the flood. After the flood it only keeps the water in. If there is 3" of water on the stall floor, all the shavings/straw/mats in the world aren't going to make that 3" go away. Hopefully she turned the horses out and let the stalls dry. 

At the end of the day, even when boarding and paying high prices, you are still your horses ambassador. If you are uncomfortable with the conditions, speak up or move on. By remaining silent, you are consenting to your horses treatment.


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## kitten_Val (Apr 25, 2007)

Folks, prices and what to expect from the barn is very much depends on barn and area. And from my personal (rather sad) experience _some _BOs do not care much about horses. What I mean is they charge like in a good barn, but horses are not fed, water sometime is missing in summer or totally frozen in winter, and (of course) noone is looking after colics, if the horse is lame, etc. (blankets, stalls, eta-eta-eta is not even on agenda). I know some barns like that, and I should say they are well known in horse community around here. 

What I'm trying to say is it's impossible to judge someone's situation without knowing all details.



BTW, average full board in MD is $450 and up (at least in Howard, Carroll, Montgomery, etc. area, I'm not sure about Western MD) :wink:


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## churumbeque (Dec 20, 2009)

kitten_Val said:


> Folks, prices and what to expect from the barn is very much depends on barn and area. And from my personal (rather sad) experience _some _BOs do not care much about horses. What I mean is they charge like in a good barn, but horses are not fed, water sometime is missing in summer or totally frozen in winter, and (of course) noone is looking after colics, if the horse is lame, etc. (blankets, stalls, eta-eta-eta is not even on agenda). I know some barns like that, and I should say they are well known in horse community around here.
> 
> What I'm trying to say is it's impossible to judge someone's situation without knowing all details.
> 
> ...


Well if someone is not happy where they are and get a better deal and care elsewhere then they have the option to move instead of expecting the best care for the least amount of money


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## Buckcherry (Nov 18, 2010)

I agree she should absolutly try to find a barn that will meet her needs for what she is willing to pay.


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## Alwaysbehind (Jul 10, 2009)

churumbeque said:


> Well if someone is not happy where they are and get a better deal and care elsewhere then they have the option to move instead of expecting the best care for the least amount of money


I agree!

And the OP did post what the boarding contract states.

If the OP wanted specific things like they listed above, it is the horse owners job to make sure the barn they are going to has those things.


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## farmpony84 (Apr 21, 2008)

churumbeque said:


> Well if someone is not happy where they are and get a better deal and care elsewhere then they have the option to move instead of expecting the best care for the least amount of money


Finding a barn with availability and close proximitey isn't always that easy.


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## Dreamcatcher Arabians (Nov 14, 2010)

@Oxer

I used to board in So Cal, and have had both the pipecorral type set up and the 12x24 run out pen with a 12x12 stall and back in 1975 I was paying $300/month for board only. If I wanted blanketing services I paid extra. I used to slip the barn guy an extra $20 for feeding my horse a mash once a week in winter. Turn out 2X/day? They'd have charged for that too, in fact there was a turn out charge but I never used it since I was out every day or my sis was out. 

Most of the barn help in So Cal is illegal immigrants that may or may not even know what end really eat the hay. Frequently they are paid 50-75 cents per stall mucked out and a $$ amount for feeding twice/day. It's a luxury barn indeed if you have more than 2 workers for 100 horses. It is totally unfair to expect them to know anything about horse sickness. Once in a while you get lucky and there will be one who's pretty sharp but that's the exception rather than the rule. 

When it rains like this if you want your horse standing in a nice dry stall YOU will have to haul in some Stall Dry and extra shavings. Shut the door to the runout and sand bag it and then pay the barn help to strip your stall (it's a definite extra service you're asking for) and then have them put down Stall Dry and shavings and he'll be good as new. 

Boarding your horse somewhere means exactly that. You are paying for the privilege of leaving your horse on their property, having them feed him and clean his stall. PERIOD! To have the kind of service you want, you will either need to find a mom & pop operation that caters to a very few clients and treats the horses as their own or go to one of the bigger full service barns with hot and cold running barn help, but be prepared to pay for the privilege. 

It sounds to me like this lady is running a business in a very business like fashion and offers what she offers. She's learned (probably the hard way) that the only way to make money on horses is to provide a service to horse owners, but not too much. 

Also, if you're contract doesn't specify that the arenas will be cleaned and dragged and kept ready for your use, and grant you permission to use them, she isn't required to do a thing. Hard truth, but if it doesn't say SHE WILL do or provide something in the contract, SHE WON'T.


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## Mike_User (Oct 24, 2006)

<FADE IN>_
We interrupt this program for a special community bulletin!_

A number of posts unrelated to the topic of this thread been removed from this thread. If anyone has a problem with anyone else or their posts, please Report the post (







) or alert the team about a more general issue by starting a thread in the Talk to the Team forum. Please do _not_ add a post that merely inflames an issue or furthers a thread's derailment.

If you have something to add to this thread related to the topic of discussion, by all means, post away...

Thank you,
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_We now return you to your regularly scheduled program, "Just pay the board, and shut up".
_<FADE OUT>


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## Oxer (Jul 9, 2010)

let me be super clear about why i haven't picked up my pony and hauled him away. Simply: I am in a lease to own on him. I cannot remove him from the trainer he is with, and the property he is on until he is paid off. 

Most of what i'm saying here and how i am feeling about this is far above anything that any of you can understand. To be quite frank, my barn owner is not one to be bothered with anyone or anything. She doesn't even know who i am. I have never actually come in contact with her. Can you really imagine having your own barn and not knowing who is renting the stall???

i have been riding for 20 years and have come in contact with all types of boarding facilities, barn owners, barn managers, and horse owners. from the elite $1500 a month places, to the broken down $150 a month places. They all have their ups and downs. But i think the most successful barns i've ever seen haven't been about the lux that they offer... but about the warmth, horse loving, people loving, barn owners/managers that act as the life blood of the entire facility. 

If you don't want to deal with people, and your socially inept, and you hate dealing with money, and problems, then you shouldn't own a barn. 
Period.


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## MIEventer (Feb 15, 2009)

AlexS said:


> I pay for full care field board, and I expect and receive full care. In fact he recently had a problem with abcesses and my barn owner called the farrier before calling me. But this is what I pay her to do.
> As a boarder without the luxury of having my own place, I trust my BO to do right by my horse, this is why I pay her.


Well said, and exactly


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## churumbeque (Dec 20, 2009)

farmpony84 said:


> Finding a barn with availability and close proximitey isn't always that easy.


If there weren't any to choose from all the more reason to be thankful for what you have


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## AlexS (Aug 9, 2010)

MIEventer said:


> Well said, and exactly



Thanks, however I pay a lot for full care field board. Which involves changing blankets, calling the farrier or vet before she calls me, holding for farrier or vet if I can't be there. I pay her to treat me horse like her own, which she does. However I pay $280 a month, for field board and just an uncovered outdoor arena, and a round pen which I can use when she is not teaching. 
I paid $350 a month for a fancy indoor, but the care was nowhere near what I get now. So while, I might be overpaying, I am comfortable with it as I know my horse is treated the way I would want every single day. 


To the OP, you are not happy you have 2 choices, stay unhappy or move.


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## starlinestables (Nov 24, 2008)

Oxer.. Communication is a two way street. You say you hardly know her, so how do you know she doesn't want to be bothered with the duties of running a barn? You have 1 barn owner and she has 40 boarders.. When you run a business that large there has to be delegation, a "phone tree" if you will... She tells the BM or ranch hand.. or she tells some of her veteran boarders who pass on the message and "help" some newer ones. Every barn and barn manager is different.

The boarding agreement isn't terrific.. I advise if you come across this situation again, amend the agreement to be more specific and then both sign it.


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## Buckcherry (Nov 18, 2010)

> If you don't want to deal with people, and your socially inept, and you hate dealing with money, and problems, then you shouldn't own a barn.
> Period.


 Exactly.. Sounds like a tough situation. 
I guess get him paid off and just try dealing with it the best you can. When I wasn't happy with a boarding facility I would either talk to the BO or just fix the problem myself if possible. I've had to buy hay and feed before because the BO ran out. The electric fencing used to alway stop working so the horses would escape and my horse was always the one who got hurt. SO we would fix it. Shortly after that we moved him we went from paying 150 a month to almost 375 but the care was so much better. But sometimes you just have to do whats best for your horse.


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## VelvetsAB (Aug 11, 2010)

Oxer said:


> okay so let me explain a little bit about what i *THINK* i should be getting out of my board. I think that in edition to the basics (clean stall, clean water, and normal feeding) my horse should get blanketed in the evenings and have his blanket removed in the mornings. Mind you, i'm in CA so you only have to blanket about 4 months out of the year. Turnouts should be offered, at least twice a day. *Arena's need to be kept nice, clean, watered, and DRUG*!!! And lastly... and this is a big one... if your staff members don't speak english, and you cannot communicate with them properly, then i expect you to do rounds of EVERY horse in EVERY stall, and call EVERY client when there is a problem. Most of us work full time jobs and will go one or two days without seeing our ponies, sometimes even longer.


_What you think is completely different then to what is actually listed in your contract. Why are you guys as boarders not picking up your own pony poo? It is your horse that is creating the mess in the arena....not the Barn Owner. _

_I work for a world class facility. We have plants all over the world. The owner of the company does not make everyone speak English._



Oxer said:


> Feed and Facilities:
> Stable agrees to provide adequate feed and facilities for *normal and reasonable care* required to maintain the health and well being of an animal. Stallions are not allowed to be boarded on the property.
> 
> Exercise:
> stable will not provide exercise or any other care for said horses.





Alwaysbehind said:


> The part I bolded above is pretty darn clear. Normal and reasonable care. Normal and reasonable care does not include a natural disaster. It does not include turnout 2x per day. It does not include blanket changes.
> Normal and reasonable care means your horse gets fed and watered and your stall gets picked out 1x per day.


_I know Alwaysbehind hilighted this as well, but this is just to reiterate it._

_A flood is not normal, so it is hard to give normal and reasonable care for something that is not always there._



Buckcherry said:


> Thats what rubs me the wrong way. if they have extra money to be putting up a new barn then why don't they have money to fix the problems in the other barn. Im sorry but the barn owner should have seen if the horse was ill. I would look around for some where else to board.
> 
> _Obviously the BO isn't involved in her boarding facility and there for should not own one._ If you don't care about the well being of the horses then why have your own boarding facility. Oh thats right because most people just want to make money.


_It would take a long time to come up with the money to be putting up a new barn. It is not just an instant plan._

_My barn owner hasn't been in the barn for weeks. She is having a temper tantrum about something, so is leaving all the work to the two coaches and the students who work there. Yes, students. So other then the two coaches, all we have for barn help is a bunch of "kids" all under the age of 20._



Buckcherry said:


> If you own a barn you should have people working there that can communicate with the boarder and knows about horses its common sence.
> 
> Not saying they should be there all day but they should definatly check on the horses regularly sounds like the BO is never there. She should have been notified her horse was standing in mudd/water not saying they can control a flood or the wheather but she should have noticed and called the boarders.


_In my opinion....if there was an abnormal amount of rain falling, and more puddles about then normal....I would think to myself, hmm, I wonder how the barn is holding up because this seems like A LOT of rain. The BO is probably under a lot of stress because this will take a fair bit of money to clean up. Money that they have probably already invested in the new barn. Unless they have a money tree hidden somewhere, they are most likely stressed about what they are going to do now._



Buckcherry said:


> To say that a BO didn't know her barn had flooded is ridiculous.
> And how is calling the boarders to let them know their horses stalls are flooded unreasonable?


_My BO wouldn't know if the barn was flooding, as again, she hasn't been out to the barn in weeks. And its like 100 yards away from her house. Not all owners are active owners, but let someone else run the property for them. But again....Shouldnt the boarders be using their brain and going, hmm...this is a lot of rain. Maybe I better check on my pony to see how they are doing. _



Oxer said:


> i have been riding for 20 years and have come in contact with all types of boarding facilities, barn owners, barn managers, and horse owners. from the elite $1500 a month places, to the broken down $150 a month places. They all have their ups and downs. But i think the most successful barns i've ever seen haven't been about the lux that they offer... but about the warmth, horse loving, people loving, barn owners/managers that act as the life blood of the entire facility.


_No offence Oxer, but if you have been at so many barns and facilities, I would assume (which I shouldn't do because of what happens....) that you would know what EXACTLY down to every last detail you were being offered in your contract. You would also know that you are actually getting a pretty good deal, as you could be at a place that was much more expensive, and get the same amount of care._


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## MIEventer (Feb 15, 2009)

AlexS said:


> Thanks, however I pay a lot for full care field board. Which involves changing blankets, calling the farrier or vet before she calls me, holding for farrier or vet if I can't be there. I pay her to treat me horse like her own, which she does. However I pay $280 a month, for field board and just an uncovered outdoor arena, and a round pen which I can use when she is not teaching.
> I paid $350 a month for a fancy indoor, but the care was nowhere near what I get now. So while, I might be overpaying, I am comfortable with it as I know my horse is treated the way I would want every single day.
> 
> 
> To the OP, you are not happy you have 2 choices, stay unhappy or move.


I pay $350 for full board/care. The barn I was at before this one, was $375 for very full board/care. I ended up having to move, which I didn't want to - but the BM who was running the place left for a place of her own, and when the BM who came in and took her place, knocked the board up to $500 a month, and the care went down...so that was rediculous. No one stayed, actually the whole barn left except for the Fox Hunters.

Anyways, I pay $350, and that's cheap around here. There are far fancier places with MORE care involved, but right now I cannot afford $500 a month. 

Back on topic....my appologies, I don't mean to derail the subject at hand.


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## Buckcherry (Nov 18, 2010)

> _My BO wouldn't know if the barn was flooding, as again, she hasn't been out to the barn in weeks. And its like 100 yards away from her house. Not all owners are active owners, but let someone else run the property for them. But again....Shouldnt the boarders be using their brain and going, hmm...this is a lot of rain. Maybe I better check on my pony to see how they are doing. _[/QUOTE]
> 
> Yes I am getting that not all BO are active participants in their barns. I guess I just don't get why you would want to own a boarding facility if you didnt want to participate. The barns I have boarded at are totally different. I also realize it is just a business for some people and I get that.
> And I absolutly agree with the owners cleaning up after their horses when they go to the bathroom in the arena, or aisle ways. To expect the BO or workers to clean up the horses BM's all over the farm is ridiculous. I guess around here we're kind of spoiled the barns I've been at blanket and turn out 2x a day, feed, give hay, water, clean stalls and provide the feed, hay and sawdust and it's all included in one set price no extra fees for everything.
> ...


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## Alwaysbehind (Jul 10, 2009)

Side question that was brought up by this thread.

Turn out 2x per day? Hu? How does that work? By turn out 2x per day are we saying the horse basically lives outside and is brought in for meals? Or do they really put the horse out for a couple of hours at one point during the day, bring it in and then put it out again later in the day to be brought back in again for the night?

I really have never heard of turn out 2x per day.


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## Buckcherry (Nov 18, 2010)

I'm sorry I ment that they turn them out in the mornings after feedings and bring them back in, in the evenings for dinner. Thats what I ment at least worded it wrong again...


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## Alwaysbehind (Jul 10, 2009)

I think the OP said something about turn out 2x per day too, that is why I asked.


ETA - yepper, the OP said turn out 2x per day too.



Oxer said:


> <snip>Turnouts should be offered, at least twice a day. <snip>


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## VelvetsAB (Aug 11, 2010)

> Yes I am getting that not all BO are active participants in their barns. I guess I just don't get why you would want to own a boarding facility if you didnt want to participate. The barns I have boarded at are totally different. I also realize it is just a business for some people and I get that.
> 
> But obviously not everyone can make a profit this way...


_So you can have pretty horses on your property of course!_


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## apachiedragon (Apr 19, 2008)

Yes, some BO's use a boarding situation to care for their own horses, and will hire a manager to run things so that they don't have to be hands-on. They own the facilities, but let the manager handle the business part of things. 

And I know this has been covered, but those of you that are still insisting that they should have seen the colic, I lost my paint stallion to colic a few years ago. He was in his teens and 100% healthy, no history at all. I fed morning feed, he cleaned up every scrap, was in a hurry to go out and play. I was gone all day with family and came home to find him dead in the pasture. Autopsy said acute colic and the vet stood there and told me that even had I been there and seen him go down with it, that by the time they had gotten there, it would have been too late. If that horse had belonged to someone else and they had been boarding it with me, the result would have been the same, through no fault of my own, but would I have been blamed for it, the way you are blaming the BO? Even though there was nothing to see that morning? All I'm saying is that you cannot foresee every little thing that might go wrong. There is not always someone to blame.


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## Alwaysbehind (Jul 10, 2009)

apachiedragon said:


> There is not always someone to blame.


Apachie, I think that line right there is one of the best posts of all time.


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## dressagebelle (May 13, 2009)

Apache, thank you for hitting the nail on the head. I definitely agree that there is not always someone to blame. We can't blame the crappy weather on anyone, as nature is what controls the weather, not man. And because of the weather the BO's, and BM's out there are under a HUGE amount of stress trying to make sure that their place doesn't either slide into oblivion with mudslides, or get so waterlogged that the damage can't be fixed without costly repairs. And as someone posted earlier, unless you are in a completely enclosed barn stall, no amount of shavings is going to help keep the facility from getting drenched. At our barn we have a list in the tack room, of horse's names, owners names and numbers, as well as emergency contacts, so ANY boarder if they see a problem can go call the owner. I've been a BM, and I can tell you right now, that as a BM, we get a lot of unreasonable requests from people, as well as some reasonable good ideas to implement in our running of a facility. And we do get blamed for a lot of things that aren't our fault. Last year, I went on vacation for Christmas, and the BO and his workers were supposed to be taking care of the horses, and take care of the place just as I would have taken care of the place. Well the WORKERS didn't clean the water buckets while I was gone, I was gone for a week, and one of the horses ended up colicking the vet believed because she didn't drink the apparently rancid water. Well of course the owner got quite upset, because in the boarding agreement it states that the waters will be kept clean, and the BO ended up helping to pay for the vet bill. Well when I got back I was the one that got yelled at, and told that the waters weren't clean, and the BO wanted to blame anyone but himself and his workers. I felt really bad that I had left the BO and workers in charge expecting them to keep like place up as if I hadn't left, and that they dropped the ball and caused a horse to get sick, but I unfortunately don't control the workers or to BO, so there wasn't anything I could have done, yet BO had it in his head that it was my fault, and he kept that opinion for the rest of the time I was there. Let the BO know whats going on in your mind, because she can't read minds, and she's got a lot on her plate. And if you think that something isn't being done right, tell her. It may very well be that she had something else she had to do, and left her workers in charge thinking that they were going to do the job right, and has no idea they didn't, because the boarders keep blaming HER, assuming she knows, and not telling her.


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## Oxer (Jul 9, 2010)

VelvetsAB said:


> _No offence Oxer, but if you have been at so many barns and facilities, I would assume (which I shouldn't do because of what happens....) that you would know what EXACTLY down to every last detail you were being offered in your contract. You would also know that you are actually getting a pretty good deal, as you could be at a place that was much more expensive, and get the same amount of care._


this is my first horse. so i actually have no clue what i'm doing by means of what i should be looking for with a boarding facility. Truth be told, i assumed that every facility offered the same sort of thing. Your horse gets fed, turned out, stalls cleaned, arenas tended to, blah blah blah... but there i go... ASSUMING! haha!
And again, the facility was something i got stuck with because of my purchase agreement. I suppose if he was in some shack of a boarding place, i would stick it out... because he's my life. and worth whatever digging, mucking, and drudging i have to do. 

Let me copy/paste a chunk of email that we got from the barn owner:
****Also, I got 4 e-mails and a phone call from a boarder about her stall. The problem is the back (outside portion of her stall) was not properly maintained. It needs to be higher towards the barn and lower towards the waterer. The way her stall was done, the water just goes into the barn. Trenches would've helped. I don't know what she expected me to do? The barn is sitting 6 inches above grade (as are all the stalls). If she wants, the stable can take over total care of the stall but that will cost extra.****

My problem with this email is this, 
she didn't say anything to this boarder (whom is a teammate of mine and a very close friend) until after the rains had come and gone. my friend said this BO ignored phone calls and didn't return emails, instead she emailed this mass email to ALL OF US. As if the maintenance of the stalls is somehow our duty!? I'm not sure about the rest of you, but i have no idea how to "grade" the back of my stall... no one has ever come to me (staff members or the BO herself) and said "hey, if you dig this trench here in the back, then when the monsoon comes it will just run out the back. How are we supposed to know these things??? And why isn't this something that's being handled by the staff in the first place? Why do i need to pay extra on top of what i'm already paying, to make sure that the back of my stall doesn't flood?


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## Oxer (Jul 9, 2010)

and let me just say this once more:
i'm not blaming flooding and rain on the barn owner... 
i am blaming her for a lack of SIMPLE HUMANITY by not helping horses that were standing in two feet of water and mud. 
i drove the 40 mins from my home, to the barn to help dig out my teammates horse. Not because i expected her to pay me, or because it was in her contract, but because she's a person that deserved/needed help. 
If we don't look out for one another, then we're just running around doing all this on our own. Which is crazy!


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## equiniphile (Aug 16, 2009)

First of all, I know I would be incredibly upset. BUT there's nothing anyone can do until the rain lets up. What is the barn owner supposed to do to help a barn full of horses standing in muddy stalls? Where do you _put _that many horses when stalls are flooded?


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## MudPaint (Aug 14, 2010)

Oxer-- I would be upset as well if this was the farm I boarded at. But for a different reason. I ride at a small, privately owned PC barn. The BO does most of the work. She is in the barn from 6am to 12 and then from 4-9 and on and off in between depending on lessons/day of the week. This place is far from fancy and I have my squabbles with some things, but I know that things like colic are generally caught. Primo choked over the summer. She had a barn full of beginner riders and noticed my horse with grain coming out of his nose not being his usual pesky self. Yes Yes I know... how does the grain come out of the nose.... no clue. It did... but because of her quick action of calling me and the vet right away, we didn't even need him to come out. I do have issues with some other things that go on there, and what I have learned if I talk to her, we find a solution. 

Boarding is like any business deal, there must be communication on both sides. It does appear that she hasn't been doing her share. But if she lives 100yrds from the barn, why not go knock on her door? 

The lack of compassion concerns me, but she may be up to her ears in problems, so I can't judge. When I had my own place, we had a horrible flood here on the east coast and while my barn was on a hill and spared, it made life difficult and we did have flooded stalls for 2 weeks. I called a barn meeting after the original "oh crap" moment. Luckily my boarders were cool enough to pitch in and help out. And yes they paid for full care. You can't prepare for natural disasters (beyond having a plan), and sometimes you just have to chip in for your horses sake. I can tell you shoveling water out of stalls is NOT fun. 

Perhaps if everyone stops harping on her, and offers a hand, she might do the same. Or at least help arrange a truck of bedding or whatever is needed.


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## starlinestables (Nov 24, 2008)

MudPaint said:


> But if she lives 100yrds from the barn, why not go knock on her door?



Communication is key but don't go randomly knock on her door unless its a major emergency. I can't tell you how many times I've been in my underwear, wearing a green clay mask on my face and my son is napping and a boarder knocks on my door. AWEFUL! This is while I purchased a house away from the barn. I would blow up her phone till you reach her.. I advise my boarders to do this if urgent because I may hear my phone and not answer because I'm busy doing other things but I know if my phone rings 3 times in a row that it's probably important. I also give boarders my husbands cell number and my house number to do the same if they still haven't reached me. Sorry for the tangent.. can you tell this is a pet peeve of mine?!


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## Oxer (Jul 9, 2010)

Okay... so STARLINESTABLES... explain to me what you would do:
your boarder calls. She's a single young woman, and she's telling you that her horses stall is flooding. She cannot dig him out by herself. She needs and wants help. 
You tell her...................................................???

It's not in your contract? A helping hand is $50 a month extra?? haha!
You're a BO.... so you're opinion here is much needed.


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## OTTB in training (Mar 25, 2010)

*Move your horse!*

Your horse is not being taken care of, end of story. Move him. While the barn manager cannot stop the rain they have a responsibility to minimize the impact on the animals. Obviously your horse is already getting sick from the poor barn management. If you cannot board at the top of the line show barns, you can still try and find smaller semi-private stable. I board at a non-show professional barn, where the costs are fair and the care is top of the line. The facilities are simple but good and there is always someone taking care of the horses. Try and find a place like that, but shop around and talk to current boarders to get the low down so you do not end up worse off. Your first responsibility is to your horse and he is suffering.


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## starlinestables (Nov 24, 2008)

Oxer..

I would ask "What exactly would you like done?" If it's extra something then I quote a price... If it's something I can't do.. I just try to nicely explain why. If they don't like it, then they can find another facility. There have been a few times where a boarder purchased something for the barn and I took it off their board so that could also be an option if your barn owner has a tight budget.


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## Alwaysbehind (Jul 10, 2009)

Oxer said:


> Let me copy/paste a chunk of email that we got from the barn owner:
> ****Also, I got 4 e-mails and a phone call from a boarder about her stall. The problem is the back (outside portion of her stall) was not properly maintained. It needs to be higher towards the barn and lower towards the waterer. The way her stall was done, the water just goes into the barn. Trenches would've helped. I don't know what she expected me to do? The barn is sitting 6 inches above grade (as are all the stalls). If she wants, the stable can take over total care of the stall but that will cost extra.****
> 
> My problem with this email is this,
> she didn't say anything to this boarder (whom is a teammate of mine and a very close friend) until after the rains had come and gone. my friend said this BO ignored phone calls and didn't return emails, *instead she emailed this mass email to ALL OF US*. As if the maintenance of the stalls is somehow our duty!? I'm not sure about the rest of you, but i have no idea how to "grade" the back of my stall... no one has ever come to me (staff members or the BO herself) and said "hey, if you dig this trench here in the back, then when the monsoon comes it will just run out the back. How are we supposed to know these things??? And why isn't this something that's being handled by the staff in the first place? Why do i need to pay extra on top of what i'm already paying, to make sure that the back of my stall doesn't flood?


Bolding mine.

So now you are upset because the BO did not send out individual emails? One mass email with the information is not good enough?

Oh my you are for sure the boarder from ...... well.... you know.

The copy and paste of the email makes perfect sense to me. It does not make the barn owner look bad to me at all.

I think the problem you are having is that you have no clue how things work. You have never had to take care of a barn full of horses or deal with sudden unexpected weather issues. You live in a dream world where all is always good.

The BO is basically saying that the barn was built with the finished floor level 6" above the rest of the grade around it. In case you do not realize, this is a good thing. This keeps rain and such from flowing into the barn.
EXCEPT when there is a 100 year rain fall that is so torrential the state is in a state of emergency.
I suppose if someone had a crystal ball and had been given a heads up that a 100 year rain was going to occur they (barn owner) could have gone out and had said trenches dug, etc.

Just for the record, if there were trenches around the barn all the time they would not be there for long. It is hard to keep a drainage way clear of dirty/shavings/maure/etc around a barn.


How does one think that all boarding barns are the same? Not all of anything is the same, why would you think all boarding barns are the same?


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## mls (Nov 28, 2006)

OTTB in training said:


> Your horse is not being taken care of, end of story. Move him. While the barn manager cannot stop the rain they have a responsibility to minimize the impact on the animals. *Obviously your horse is already getting sick from the poor barn management*. If you cannot board at the top of the line show barns, you can still try and find smaller semi-private stable. I board at a non-show professional barn, where the costs are fair and the care is top of the line. The facilities are simple but good and there is always someone taking care of the horses. Try and find a place like that, but shop around and talk to current boarders to get the low down so you do not end up worse off. Your first responsibility is to your horse and he is suffering.


Care to explain that comment?

I am a BO. I was home for the past four days. Two out of 20 boarders have been out in the last six days. So - they could all say that they haven't seen me even though the house is 100 yards from the barn.

And even though I was home for 24 hours a day - it does not ensure that one of the horses would not of had a colic episode, choke, cut, escape attempt, etc. You can be standing next to the horse and something still happens.

Some of you pointing fingers at the barn owner need to buck up and realize SH!T happens. If you do not like where you are boarding - leave. Unless you have actively taken a roll in making the situation better - you are simply whining.


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## VelvetsAB (Aug 11, 2010)

Oxer said:


> this is my first horse. so i actually have no clue what i'm doing by means of what i should be looking for with a boarding facility. *Truth be told, i assumed that every facility offered the same sort of thing. Your horse gets fed, turned out, stalls cleaned, arenas tended to, blah blah blah*... but there i go... ASSUMING! haha!
> And again, the facility was something i got stuck with because of my purchase agreement. I suppose if he was in some shack of a boarding place, i would stick it out... because he's my life. and worth whatever digging, mucking, and drudging i have to do.
> 
> Let me copy/paste a chunk of email that we got from the barn owner:
> ****Also, I got 4 e-mails and a phone call from a boarder about her stall. The problem is the back (outside portion of her stall) was not properly maintained. It needs to be higher towards the barn and lower towards the waterer. The way her stall was done, the water just goes into the barn. Trenches would've helped. I don't know what she expected me to do? The barn is sitting 6 inches above grade (as are all the stalls). If she wants, the stable can take over total care of the stall but that will cost extra.****


_I bolded mine. I am just going to say this is a lack of communication and research on your side..._

_You should be glad that the BO had enough time to at least send out a mass email, and not be nit picking about her not sending individual ones. Really, the flood affects all of the barn boarders, so it makes more sense as the information is useful to all of you. If the stalls are made of dirt, then horses will dig in it creating holes, as well as the dirt just gets moved around. The stall not being kept flat is the BO's/stable hands fault for not keeping it level, but if she is saying that the barn was built to proper building codes, then there is still nothing she could have done to prevent the barn from flooding._ 



Oxer said:


> i am blaming her for a lack of SIMPLE HUMANITY by not helping horses that were standing in two feet of water and mud.


_Where was she to put the horses? Out in a wet flooded field so they could slip and hurt themselves? What is the difference between them being in a wet field or a wet stall? They would still be standing in water...._



Oxer said:


> your boarder calls. She's a *single young woman*, and she's telling you that her horses stall is flooding. She cannot dig him out by herself. She needs and wants help.


_How does being a single young woman affect anything? _



Alwaysbehind said:


> So now you are upset because the BO did not send out individual emails? One mass email with the information is not good enough?
> 
> Oh my you are for sure the boarder from ...... well.... you know.
> 
> ...


_^^This._


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## Oxer (Jul 9, 2010)

Alwaysbehind said:


> Oh my you are for sure the boarder from ...... well.... you know.


I really do appreciate everyone's opinions. it has truly been an eye opening thread into the stresses of barn ownership. It has also made me take a much closer look into my contract BEFORE i sign the board agreement!


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## Alwaysbehind (Jul 10, 2009)

Oxer said:


> anyhow, i really do appreciate everyone's opinions. it has truly been an eye opening thread into the stresses of barn ownership. It has also made me take a much closer look into my contract BEFORE i sign the board agreement!


A bad thing can become a good thing when you learn a good life lesson from it.


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## Alwaysbehind (Jul 10, 2009)

I am glad that the OP learned about boarding contracts out of this whole thing. Hopefully the OP will look around and either find a place that fits more into what they want in a boarding barn or realize that for the money the place she is at is pretty darn good.

Fingers crossed that no more acts of nature occur in the near future.


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## Rascaholic (Oct 4, 2010)

I am relatively new here. While I might not always agree with AB's opinion (mostly do) I do respect that she warns you right flat out. Please check her signature line LOL!!! 
OP if it isn't in writing then it isn't an option Hun. Your contract is not at all vague in the sense it clearly states reasonable care. And it clearly doesn't state extra care in a disaster situation. Call your BO and do it soon before more feelings are hurt, or your horses feelings get hurt.
I hope you folks out there get some relief soon!


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## cakemom (Jul 4, 2010)

Im sorry, if I were a barn owner it would be my responsibility to try and get that water out or do something about it. There should have been a barn meeting giving options of what could be done. I know all about natural disaster, I lived through Katrina in Louisiana an we all pulled together. That's te problem here that I see, instead of pulling together and working for the good of the horse blame is being placed. 
But...if I were getting that sort of treatment and no communication I'd leave....just like I don't like service at certain stores so I don't shop there, period. Money saved on boarding is going to be spent on vet bills if those horses stay standing in muck.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Alwaysbehind (Jul 10, 2009)

I do not disagree with you, Cake. They should all work together. But it sounds like, as you state, they are so quick to point fingers no one wants to work together.

When the original post was posted the rain was still coming down and I highly doubt there was really anything anyone could do. A few days of standing in muck is not going to be a real long term problem for any of them.


Rascaholic, Good point on my signature line. Giggle.


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## mls (Nov 28, 2006)

cakemom said:


> Im sorry, if I were a barn owner it would be my responsibility to try and get that water out or do something about it. There should have been a barn meeting giving options of what could be done. I know all about natural disaster, I lived through Katrina in Louisiana an we all pulled together. That's te problem here that I see, instead of pulling together and working for the good of the horse blame is being placed.
> But...if I were getting that sort of treatment and no communication I'd leave....just like I don't like service at certain stores so I don't shop there, period. Money saved on boarding is going to be spent on vet bills if those horses stay standing in muck.
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


You are slipping back to the finger pointing. 

Please remember with anyone coming to the internet to complain, we only get one side. A key word added or left out can shift the meaning of the whole situation.


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## cakemom (Jul 4, 2010)

No, I'm not finger pointing, I'm stating my opinion. 
Not my horse, not my barn, but I'm telling you if it were what I would do. Sorry if you took it that way.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Spyder (Jul 27, 2008)

cakemom said:


> No, I'm not finger pointing, I'm stating my opinion.
> Not my horse, not my barn, but I'm telling you if it were what I would do. Sorry if you took it that way.
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


I totally agree with you.

Understandably during any disaster help will not be available but it doesn't matter what is in the contract or not human decency should be what that drives us to help...unless it is something that not in the nature of the individual.

I still remember the horror of being in a barn fire. I could have just sat outside and watched, it wasn't my barn but I went in and helped get the horses out. Did I submit a bill to the owner...nope. 

UNDER THE LAW the barn owner has a responsibility to look after anything in their care in a reasonable manner...THIS IS THE LAW. Horses are considered property and as such fall under this law whereby they become chattel ( sp ?) and all reasonable care MUST be provided. To leave such property in a state or position where it is exposed to something that will cause harm or loss could result is a lawsuit by the property's owner/lessor.


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## Buckcherry (Nov 18, 2010)

You know where ever I have boarded I have always helped out wheather it be cleaning my horses stalls or helping with getting hay deliveries, sweeping the aisle ways and cleaning up poop in the arenas. Because it is my horse to and they make messes. Obviously the rain can't be helped and that sucks but instead of complaining about it and seeing that obviously the BO wasn't doing anything maybe the boarders should have. But I really don't see what could have been done until the rain stopped..

I know I sound like a hypocrite from my other posts on this thread, but I was wrong and being a brat sorry AB and the others I argued with.


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## Speed Racer (Oct 21, 2009)

Buck, you're allowed to have opinions. They don't always have to agree with someone else's, either. :wink:


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## Alwaysbehind (Jul 10, 2009)

Buckcherry said:


> You know where ever I have boarded I have always helped out wheather it be cleaning my horses stalls or helping with getting hay deliveries, sweeping the aisle ways and cleaning up poop in the arenas. Because it is my horse to and they make messes. Obviously the rain can't be helped and that sucks but instead of complaining about it and seeing that obviously the BO wasn't doing anything maybe the boarders should have. But I really don't see what could have been done until the rain stopped..


Totally with you on that one.

That is part of the reason why, even before I brought my horses home, I knew how much work was involved in keeping them.


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## cakemom (Jul 4, 2010)

Oddly enough, our horses don't board, but I do all those things, at the barn we ride from. I guess that's what biases my opinion. I pay for lessons for my daughter and while she rides I clean stalls- I'm a freak for cleaning stalls.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## mls (Nov 28, 2006)

Spyder said:


> UNDER THE LAW the barn owner has a responsibility to look after anything in their care in a reasonable manner...THIS IS THE LAW. Horses are considered property and as such fall under this law whereby they become chattel ( sp ?) and all reasonable care MUST be provided. To leave such property in a state or position where it is exposed to something that will cause harm or loss could result is a lawsuit by the property's owner/lessor.


HOWEVER - the rain and mudslides are not reasonable.

The horses may be wet and standing in mud - but are they being fed? Fence still intact so they are not running loose?

Scratches, mud fever, rain rot can be handled quickly and are a brief problem. Malnutrition or a brokenleg - not so minor.


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## wild_spot (Jan 30, 2008)

Where I live we have been in pretty severe drought for at least as long as I have been alive. We have water restrictions, we have to handle dust, rock hard ground, heat... We have never had to handle rain.

A friend of mine keeps her horse at a high end Dressage training/boarding facility. A lovely spot, in the nursery (Tree places) district, with creeks and creek flats all around. High quality care.

This year, we have had rain like I have never seen. my dad can't even remember ever getting this much rain. And it just keeps going. I was cut off from my horses for two days because the bridge flooded and was half swept away - Luckily they are on a paddock on high ground with plenty of feed.

My friend? Not so lucky. They went out at midnight to check the damage and their horses were standing belly deep in water in their stalls. Literally belly deep. They almost had to swim out. 

The place is low-lying and surrounded by creeks. No way of getting rid of the water. They frantically called around the next day and found a paddock they could throw their horses in until it all subsided. Others couldn't - Their horses had to stand in water, and once the water was gone, concrete, for days. All the boarders dug out their own stalls when the water receded, and they all halped put fences back up that had been swept away. All the new surface on the outdoor arena was washed away. 

Most certainly a natural distaster. And not one of the boarders complained - The manager/trainer is a lady with her husband - How much could they have done? Everyone just got in and did what was needed for their horses... The BO was busy trying to find dry shavings, unspoiled hay for all the stabled horses.

I'm not saying you are right or wrong, reasonable or unreasonable - I guess I am just saying that it is very difficult to handle a natural disaster - It's something you can't really plan for.


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## Spyder (Jul 27, 2008)

mls said:


> HOWEVER - the rain and mudslides are not reasonable.
> 
> .



If you read CAREFULLY I was referring to care AFTER the crisis was over...not during.


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## mls (Nov 28, 2006)

Spyder said:


> If you read CAREFULLY I was referring to care AFTER the crisis was over...not during.


I did read carefully.


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## Oxer (Jul 9, 2010)

Spyder said:


> UNDER THE LAW the barn owner has a responsibility to look after anything in their care in a reasonable manner...THIS IS THE LAW. Horses are considered property and as such fall under this law whereby they become chattel ( sp ?) and all reasonable care MUST be provided. To leave such property in a state or position where it is exposed to something that will cause harm or loss could result is a lawsuit by the property's owner/lessor.


This is what i'm talking about. a barn owner that simply grabbed a shovel and helped us dig trenches. Yep, she's going to have to do it in the rain. And no, we're probably not going to slip her a fifty for doing it. But it's for the good of the horses, clients, and property.


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## QOS (Dec 8, 2008)

I know that California is having a really hard time with the rain. I feel for them. 

Loads of issues going on there. Unusual weather, lack of communication possibly on both ends. Barn Owners aren't mind readers but neither are boarders. 

I am fortunate. My horses are at a top notch facility. They are currently pasture boarded. Three full time employees on site. Last year it was 4 - but my horse did colic unnoticed the day after Christmas. He had been fed in the morning and was fine...I arrived mid afternoon and he was down. I called the vet and took care of it. I assume someone would have noticed he was down at the evening feed had I not arrived but he was getting up and down so who knows? But blame the barn? Not hardly. 

I have boarded at a place that was not ran correctly - no one ever there except to feed, twice Red didn't have water, BM was on vacation and left a kid in charge, she didn't clean my stall for days. I moved my horse to current facility.

I have had full board at current place. Full board is $400; with a fan it is $420. Twice daily feedings, free choice hay, he had a large paddock attached to his stall so he could come and go....stall and paddock picked up daily or as needed, auto fly sprayers, auto waterers (that Red played in and DAILY flooded the stall and barn). If you paid for full board they will blanket, hold for farrier. Even in pasture board we have supplements fed if needed no charge but they don't blanket and there is a charge to go get them/hold them for farrier. We are expected to pick up after our horses in the general barn area/washrack but not in the arenas. 

Pasture board is $250 and they have about a 3 acre pasture with a round bale and a two sided shelter. 

I am good friends with the barn manager and another boarder as we trail ride together. I am also on extremely good terms with the owners and the other employees.

I strongly recommend being on the best of terms with these folks if possible. A good barn is worth the extra bucks but no one works for free or even cheap. The maintenance is considerable at our place but I rest easy at night knowing my horses are well taken care of but I certainly don't expect full board amenities for pasture board prices. Know what you are paying for and pay for the extras if you need them. Time is money - and barns have to pay for themselves!


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## poundinghoovesequest (Dec 30, 2010)

I totally understand. where i board, i pay a lot (wayyy more then the barn is worth) for feeding and cleaning. the stalls are outdoors with a roof over them. I know i am not paying anyone to watch out for my horses, yet you would think if they saw something wrong that they would call! Once the barn owner 'forgot' to put my horses blanket on (despite the shivering and running nose). I called and they said sorry but did not offer to walk 30 seconds up to the barn to put it on! we ended up driving over in the dark night to blanket my poor boy!


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## Bethy (Aug 31, 2010)

I board in SoCal as well and the rains were horrible! (Im from Florida, where we know what to do!) The grooms attempted to DG the aisles as soon as possible, but it still wasnt enough. I dont think anyone was ready for this storm. I know I wasnt, and my horse had a poolside property for a few days! 

I cannot blame the barn though, since I am liable for my stall and the bedding and ground I put in it. 

If you are in SoCal maybe check out other barns in the area, I dont know where you are that the classy barns charge 1k a month, but in Rolling hills the usual average board is 500 bucks and that is the most expensive in my area. (Trust me, I am looking for cheaper backyards at the moment)


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## Oxer (Jul 9, 2010)

Bethy said:


> If you are in SoCal maybe check out other barns in the area, I dont know where you are that the classy barns charge 1k a month, but in Rolling hills the usual average board is 500 bucks and that is the most expensive in my area. (Trust me, I am looking for cheaper backyards at the moment)


Bethy, isn't Rolling Hills where they have the big Las Amigas show? There are some high class barns out your way too! The only real "back yard" type of arrangements here are in Orange Park Acres. And most of those people don't have arenas. So you'd get amazing personal care for your horse... but the trade off would be no place to train. And since i don't have a trailer i wouldn't be able to trailer in anywhere! *sigh* we are beginning to dig one another out of the mess. Yesterday's rains were supposed to be the last... here's hoping!


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## Bethy (Aug 31, 2010)

Yep we have Las Amigas and Port.Bend every year. Our Private barns dont allow boarding without full training, but the large barns all offer pipes for 475-490 and boxes for 500ish.

I would NEVER pay 1k for board! 

I just got rid of my horse, but when I get a new one, I have a backyard boarder that I like to use for 300 a month, he DG's the outside backyard and it never floods!


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## fuadteagan (Jun 10, 2010)

That is stupid ! Move barns go to a nice barn and pay for board and what are you paying for board
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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