# Rant.. using family builders



## Crossover (Sep 18, 2010)

The reason not to use family when building.

So my bro in law does fencing. I'm getting a stallion... need fence... call bro in law. Don't ask for special treatment, just want a fence. Fence all paid for... need finished by March 1st (this is late Jan), no problem. Get material delivered. Put posts in Feb 19th, be back the following Thurs to finish!! Yeah. Things come up... delay, delay, delay. We'll be there on the 29th. Okay. Getting concerned. 29th... oh look at that... major storm (not that they could of done anything about that but knew the last minute thing would not work). Don't worry, 1st weather is good, get it done while you pick up stallion (date set in stone, no leeway, STRESSED this to bro in law in Jan). 

Come home today after picking up my stallion. That part goes nice and smoothly. Told on phone by sis that fence wasn't "completely" done but good enough to put stallion in. This paddock is a 125' x 150' paddock, 5' high horse fence with top and bottom 2" x 6 " rail. Planning to add hot wire on top and middle. Dark when we get home, hop on gator to take a look and now I want to cry . The fence is suitable for foals or as a kennel but lousy for a stallion.

DH had, in detail, described how the fence needed to be done. We could of done this ourselves, but time and energy is in short supply at this time. We figured why not spend the extra $$ and take away the stress. 
Top rail not fully nailed on all the way around, bottom rail sitting on ground in places, wire stretched but not attached properly to the corner post, cross wire stretched and then TIED to the other WIRE. I can't even begin to think how they thought that was a good idea. Gate one... for the most part, though not the way I wanted (which is the way EVERY single gate on the farm is done and since he helped put those up you'd think that wouldn't be an issue:?).

I know I can't say anything to sis because she'll just get upset and say we're too picky, her husband was sick (which I'm sorry for but he was good last week when it should of been done but chose to do other small fence jobs that could of waited. The first delay was simply waiting on the wire to come in. Why not finish one of the other small quick jobs then that day and come the next day. Frustrated as :evil:, and now have a stallion spending the night in the trailer. It's 20' with no divider and he's loose so not terrible but I have NOWHERE else to put him tomorrow. My stalls are too simplistic. The rest of my pastures are simply hot wire. Now I'm going to have to spend tomorrow trying to find a place to keep him until I can get his fence redone or put another one up. Good luck with that... :x

Next time I stick to non family so I can cuss them out when they screw up royally. 

Okay... rant over. Just needed to vent as my usual venting sources (sister and mom) are out of the question.


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## Joe4d (Sep 1, 2011)

You were wrong before you got don with the first sentence,,, " fence all paid for"
That was your problem. You dont pay for stuff like that until after the fence is installed and inspected and completed as per the original contract.


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## Ladytrails (Jul 28, 2010)

Wow.... over a month and still couldn't get it done. I feel your pain. 

We have a rule at our house that we don't do business with family, and seldom with friends. It's nice when business associates turn into friends, however, but if they left my fence like yours, they wouldn't have a chance. 

Good luck getting it fixed and getting temporary housing for the new stallion. Maybe the bro-in-law could pay for the stable board if you have to put the horse somewhere off property?


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## CLaPorte432 (Jan 3, 2012)

How unfortunate. We have gone through a similar situations with hiring family/friends. It rarely works out.

On the bright side...Lets see this stallion! :-D


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## Crossover (Sep 18, 2010)

Joe4d said:


> You were wrong before you got don with the first sentence,,, " fence all paid for"
> That was your problem. You dont pay for stuff like that until after the fence is installed and inspected and completed as per the original contract.


This I realize now was definitely a mistake. Part of my fault in thinking that since he was great with residential/ commercial fence and done some horse fence I had no need to worry. :? 
I'm going to talk with them tomorrow... once I've gotten sleep and cooled off a bit more.


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## Crossover (Sep 18, 2010)

Ladytrails said:


> Wow.... over a month and still couldn't get it done. I feel your pain.
> 
> We have a rule at our house that we don't do business with family, and seldom with friends. It's nice when business associates turn into friends, however, but if they left my fence like yours, they wouldn't have a chance.
> 
> Good luck getting it fixed and getting temporary housing for the new stallion. Maybe the bro-in-law could pay for the stable board if you have to put the horse somewhere off property?


Yep, new rule in this house too now. Such a shame as family should be the first people you can go to. Guess they feel they have the right to take it easy or slack because your just family. It's not like they did this for free. I know they did take a bit off for family (even though I told them not too). Now if I complain I'm being b****y and never satisfied even though they gave me a great deal. *sigh*

Now that I'm calming down I have another not so ideal but possibly manageable, for the short term, place to put him. I also have another horse friend looking into a place for him for the short term.


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## Crossover (Sep 18, 2010)

CLaPorte432 said:


> How unfortunate. We have gone through a similar situations with hiring family/friends. It rarely works out.
> 
> On the bright side...Lets see this stallion! :-D


I was hoping to take tons of pics tomorrow with him in his shiny new paddock. Now it will have to wait until I find somewhere else to put him. :-(

Then, however, you'll get stallion pic overload!!


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## Crossover (Sep 18, 2010)

Just in case you think I'm over exaggerating I took some pics this morning. Looks even worse in the daylight. Remember, this is my "almost done" fence and "no problem" putting my stallion in there.


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## MisssMarie (Jan 31, 2012)

Wow! I'm sorry!
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## CLaPorte432 (Jan 3, 2012)

Ummm...WoW.

Just.............WoW!


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## Corporal (Jul 29, 2010)

Crossover said:


> Next time I stick to non family so I can cuss them out when they screw up royally.


ROFLMAO!!! Been there...done that, too.
Your expectations are too high. I have two 15yo girls who are helping me train my 5yo geldings. (I have another thread about this, so I won't bore you.) MY expectations are for about 1/2 of the work that I would expect if I hired one trainer. They are helping me a lot. I'm getting more done. But, I often feed them, and on February 20th (school day off/courts closed) they came out and spent 1/2 the time training and 1/2 the time riding our ATV. It's okay, they don't break things. They had a good time AND I got more horse training done than I could have done alone.
They are both still eager to come out to help.
DD will be home in one week from Law School for Spring Break. I have 3 projects going that I want her to help me with. I am realistically expecting 2 days worth of work from her. If I think I'll get more, I'll be angry and disappointed.
I've only seen family do 2 jobs while growing up that actually got done. The first was the laying the cement on the back of our house in PA, (1964). My dad's father and 2 brothers came out to help and they had it done in a day. (We have the home movies to prove it.)
The other was a family reunion/70th birthday party planned by my mom, her brother and cousins in 1968, which went off without a hitch.
Sorry about your fencing--I FEEL for you. **hugs**


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## Crossover (Sep 18, 2010)

Corporal said:


> ROFLMAO!!! Been there...done that, too.
> Your expectations are too high. I have two 15yo girls who are helping me train my 5yo geldings. (I have another thread about this, so I won't bore you.) MY expectations are for about 1/2 of the work that I would expect if I hired one trainer. They are helping me a lot. I'm getting more done. But, I often feed them, and on February 20th (school day off/courts closed) they came out and spent 1/2 the time training and 1/2 the time riding our ATV. It's okay, they don't break things. They had a good time AND I got more horse training done than I could have done alone.
> They are both still eager to come out to help.
> DD will be home in one week from Law School for Spring Break. I have 3 projects going that I want her to help me with. I am realistically expecting 2 days worth of work from her. If I think I'll get more, I'll be angry and disappointed.
> ...


Thanks for the hugs... not as angry, but feeling sorry for the stallion still stuck in the trailer... though it is almost as big as a stall in there. (Its the extra tall/ wide version)
I wouldn't be as upset if my bro in law wasn't a contractor... fencing is how he makes his living and supports his family. His residential fences are beautiful... I've seen quite a few and he has commercial businesses hiring him all the time. He had done a couple of horse fence, albeit, simple wood ones, so I felt safe that either he had the knowledge or would tell me he couldn't do it (like a phone call stating that he need my DH to show him in person what he wanted). I am trying to understand that he was quite sick yesterday (still is) and may not of been thinking straight but if he had stuck to the original plan, there would of been more time and we would of been around to catch it sooner. Instead, I now have to try to reasonably talk to my sister (who has excuses for everything), get them back out to fix it, and find a place to put my stallion at in the mean time. There are limited boarding stable in my area and finding one to take a stallion is near impossible. I may end up locking him up in a empty tobacco barn if I can't find someplace quick. To top it all off they are calling for a MAJOR storm to go through my area. *sigh*


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## loveduffy (Dec 22, 2011)

could you talk to there other half and ask them to put a fire under them to get it done the is not good for the trailer's shocks or the horse just tell them that


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## Ladytrails (Jul 28, 2010)

Crossover, I think that your bro-in-law built a fake fence -- was trying to fake out your horse to make him *think* there was really a fence there! 

Seriously, he is not gonna stay in there and it's an accident waiting to happen when he jumps or pushes against that. 

I don't know if your guy is broke to electric fence, but if he is, maybe you could run a line of electric fence *inside* the fence? It should keep him away from the loose stuff and hold him off long enough until the Bro-in-law could beef up the real fence?


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## Crossover (Sep 18, 2010)

Ladytrails said:


> Crossover, I think that your bro-in-law built a fake fence -- was trying to fake out your horse to make him *think* there was really a fence there!
> 
> Seriously, he is not gonna stay in there and it's an accident waiting to happen when he jumps or pushes against that.
> 
> I don't know if your guy is broke to electric fence, but if he is, maybe you could run a line of electric fence *inside* the fence? It should keep him away from the loose stuff and hold him off long enough until the Bro-in-law could beef up the real fence?


I've thrown him in there tonight and used some solid chain to hold the fence closed. I just couldn't bear to keep him in the trailer and couldn't find anywhere else to put him. 
The original plan calls for electric on top and then on the middle. Basically I was trying to make a stallion fortress :lol:. Thankfully most of the mares are far enough away and he seems to be relaxing in the field for now. Probably glad to get out of the trailer. 
Reopening negotiations with bro in law and will get fence repaired (one way or the other.) Second option is getting another fence built right away by someone else and putting him in there. We eventually plan on a second fence anyway for my upcoming junior stud colt who's just turning one tomorrow. Expensive option though and really wanted to hold off for awhile. This was suppose to be a stress free way to get the fence done so I didn't have to exhaust myself or my DH. Now my stress level is through the roof.


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## CLaPorte432 (Jan 3, 2012)

Is there a tack/supply store that you can pick up some round pen panels from to create a strong, temporary holding for him? Just a thought.


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## Ladytrails (Jul 28, 2010)

Crossover said:


> I've thrown him in there tonight and used some solid chain to hold the fence closed. I just couldn't bear to keep him in the trailer and couldn't find anywhere else to put him.
> The original plan calls for electric on top and then on the middle. Basically I was trying to make a stallion fortress :lol:. Thankfully most of the mares are far enough away and he seems to be relaxing in the field for now. Probably glad to get out of the trailer.
> Reopening negotiations with bro in law and will get fence repaired (one way or the other.) Second option is getting another fence built right away by someone else and putting him in there. We eventually plan on a second fence anyway for my upcoming junior stud colt who's just turning one tomorrow. Expensive option though and really wanted to hold off for awhile. This was suppose to be a stress free way to get the fence done so I didn't have to exhaust myself or my DH. Now my stress level is through the roof.


Sounds like you've got a good plan. Leave it to a horsewoman to figure it out! Good for you. And...don't stress too much. It's not healthy. The good news is that you don't EVER have to ask this guy to do a service for you again....once he fixes this mess. Even your sister surely would understand that now!


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## Joe4d (Sep 1, 2011)

send them a certified letter with bills for the board. Tell them you will be taking them to small claims court if they dont get finished. In the mean time put a big sign in front of your property,
"SUCKY FENCE BUILT BY (name of brother in law company)."
"OVER (X days) PAST CONTRACTED COMPLETION DATE"
"STILL NOT DONE"

also file a complaint with the local BBB,


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## Lockwood (Nov 8, 2011)

Hugs to you... I know how that feels....
Here is a picture of the one acre fence my bother did for me. (Full blood brother, mind you)
Yup...

















He does fence for a living. He told me to call the people I had lined up and cancel. He gave me a list of supplies (very expensive) to have for when they showed up to do work, which I did. I also had a very tight deadline because animals were being shipped in. 
Yeah, never showed up. Ever.
I had a h**l of a time containing the animals when they arrived. 
That was five years ago. I am still working to finish the one acre of fencing in that field all by myself.
Gotta love family.


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## Saddlebag (Jan 17, 2011)

Falls into the same category as loaning money to family and friends. It invariably backfires.


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## Crossover (Sep 18, 2010)

Saddlebag said:


> Falls into the same category as loaning money to family and friends. It invariably backfires.


Yeah... did that too... still haven't gotten it back. :hide:


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## Rascaholic (Oct 4, 2010)

Oh, I'd be so MAD! My dog fencing was bad enough to make me cry. I can't imagine horse fencing messed up like that! And for a stallion no less!! What was he thinking?


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## Crossover (Sep 18, 2010)

Rascaholic said:


> Oh, I'd be so MAD! My dog fencing was bad enough to make me cry. I can't imagine horse fencing messed up like that! And for a stallion no less!! What was he thinking?


Wish I knew.... I mean common sense would of said something was not right here... heck I looked up the brand name of the fencing and they had a nice pdf file showing you with illustrations how to do it. My husband and I could of done it ourselves, however, I wanted one less thing to do as we have a lot of other farm projects that need attention. Now I can add this to the list... plus less cash. Supposedly they will come back out and fix things. :think:


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## Rascaholic (Oct 4, 2010)

Crossover said:


> Wish I knew.... I mean common sense would of said something was not right here... heck I looked up the brand name of the fencing and they had a nice pdf file showing you with illustrations how to do it. My husband and I could of done it ourselves, however, I wanted one less thing to do as we have a lot of other farm projects that need attention. Now I can add this to the list... plus less cash. Supposedly they will come back out and fix things. :think:



I'd be scared to death of the "fixing things" idea!


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