# Boarding barn rant



## ACinATX (Sep 12, 2018)

Unfortunately, it seems like you are in a "get what you pay for" situation. I'd guess your barn is $200 cheaper because the manager is cutting costs wherever she can. Aside from going out there more often and doing a lot of this stuff yourself, I don't think there's much more you can do. That's what I do at my barn: buy my own hay when I need to, bring my own feed and feed it myself, blanket them myself, hold them myself for the farrier, etc.

You've tried talking to everyone. I suppose, if the other boarders are as unhappy are you are, you could get them all together and together threaten to leave if things don't improve. That's what happened at our barn. But it didn't actually achieve anything. The boarders who were the most unhappy left, and things continued as they were before for the rest of us. The barn owner, I think, chose to deliberately misunderstand what they were complaining about. Sounds like yours would probably do the same thing.


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## horselovinguy (Oct 1, 2013)

Contract or not..._get out!!_
The barn has broken the contract with the abhorrent care given your horse.


What would be cheaper...
Paying the vet or paying a bit more in board and having a safe environment, well-cared for and properly fed horse or paying the $10,000 bill for emergent surgery?
Horses that you see,_ you personally see_ being neglected in their care of feeding and worming/medicinal items not fed as needed and directed would have me and my horse out the door yesterday.
If one horse truly has a worm-load that noticeable it is only a matter of time before it find your horse...


_These are things you see..._
*What are you not seeing and is happening??*


Find a new barn and leave...
No advance notice from me would they get.
_*When conditions deteriorate this fast you need to be gone!*_
:runninghorse2:...


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## SKB1994 (Sep 28, 2014)

Thanks guys! It’s a shame this used to be a great facility. The manager used to be communicative and receptive to us, she was out in the barn almost daily. I think she’s burnt out and realized she could just hire more staff and not come to the barn anymore. The hay was only an issue last winter when they ran out of the hay they had cut themselves. The hay they cut every summer is amazing but when they run out in the winter they just buy crap. But I expect that to happen again this winter as well. 
The staff is great, but the manager wants them cutting corners to save time I think.
The worms and bad hay are a huge issue for me. The smartpaks are an annoyance but not the end of the world. Honestly all it needs is a change in management and it would be a perfect facility again. The turnouts are amazing, never muddy, full of grass, fencing is always in good repair. Stalls are clean and well bedded. Hay is fed in abundance and my horse is very happy here. 
I’ve been looking for the past year (since the issues last winter) for a different facility with an indoor that’s still affordable. I can’t find anything that is even remotely affordable that comes close to the amenities offered. I can get good care with muddy turnouts and no riding facilities. Or I can spend $1200 a month to get similar amenities without the quality problems. 
I’m dreaming of the day I get to bring my horse home and no longer have to deal with boarding facilities.


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## ACinATX (Sep 12, 2018)

We had hay issues last winter too. That's what pushed the group of boarders to leave. Well, that and the fact that four horses (out of 30) colicked that winter, most likely because of that hay. And most of the others looked like walking skeletons. Oh, and on top of that the barn owner charged all owners a hay surcharge every winter month, for inadequate amounts of poor-quality hay. I ended up going to the feed store once a week and hauling my own hay out there (in my Civic!) for my horses. It's why I'm stockpiling hay this year. 

Sorry, enough about my barn. My point is, I make it work by investing a lot of my own time in my horse care. If your barn is otherwise OK, maybe you can make it work by taking care of a lot of the stuff yourself. But feeding bad hay in the winter... that's bad.


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## SKB1994 (Sep 28, 2014)

ACinATX said:


> We had hay issues last winter too. That's what pushed the group of boarders to leave. Well, that and the fact that four horses (out of 30) colicked that winter, most likely because of that hay. And most of the others looked like walking skeletons. Oh, and on top of that the barn owner charged all owners a hay surcharge every winter month, for inadequate amounts of poor-quality hay. I ended up going to the feed store once a week and hauling my own hay out there (in my Civic!) for my horses. It's why I'm stockpiling hay this year.
> 
> Sorry, enough about my barn. My point is, I make it work by investing a lot of my own time in my horse care. If your barn is otherwise OK, maybe you can make it work by taking care of a lot of the stuff yourself. But feeding bad hay in the winter... that's bad.


I feel like I shouldn’t have to pay for what should be provided per the contract. I understand hay is expensive, and I’d be happy to buy my own if they pro rated my board. But with the other quality issues (grain and blanketing, etc) I may as well rough board at that point. I pay full board because I’m a paramedic and my schedule is inconsistent and I can’t be there every day. I’d love to rough board at this facility because the facility itself is perfect, but they don’t offer rough board.
We all threatened to move last winter because of the hay and contract issues. The hay improved marginally to the point it at least wasn’t moldy. Contract went back to the old one but prices still went up. The barn managers new solution to issues appears to be not addressing them and keeping community issues (like worms) a secret from everyone. I only know about the worms because one of the staff members confided in me.
I’m wanting to wait out the winter as long as the hay stays decent. Giving up the individual grass turnout that is always dry is heart breaking to me, everyone around here always has so much mud.


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## Acadianartist (Apr 21, 2015)

In a case like this, I would leave. Have you thought of looking for a private barn that would take a boarder? Some private barns here have an indoor. I don't know if that's the case for you. But honestly, I'd live without the indoor just to know my horse is safe and fed adequately. I live in eastern Canada where we have a ton of snow and ice, and where it gets very, very cold, but I ride outside all winter long. Lots of people do. You just have to dress for it - the snow can actually make great footing, similar to sand. I do get my husband to clear the riding arena with a snowblower because we can have 4-5 feet of snow on the ground for months. And there are times when we can't ride because it's too icy. But my horses are healthy and happy (I have them at home) so it's a sacrifice I'm prepared to make. Is the convenience of an indoor really worth your horse's health?


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