# Is it time to move to a new barn?



## Kalraii (Jul 28, 2015)

Personally I would not endorse someone that has a temper towards animals FULL STOP. But it's not always that easy - I travel 2 hours one way to see mine but its the best compromise I could make for both of us. Based off what you said it would depend how many horses share that 23 acres? 

If YOU are unhappy I know for me it'd feedback into time spent with my horse and I truly cannot be asked to deal with that sort of anxiety. I wish you best of luck though <3


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## PetrosPlantation (Oct 28, 2015)

Kalraii said:


> Personally I would not endorse someone that has a temper towards animals FULL STOP. But it's not always that easy - I travel 2 hours one way to see mine but its the best compromise I could make for both of us. Based off what you said it would depend how many horses share that 23 acres?
> 
> If YOU are unhappy I know for me it'd feedback into time spent with my horse and I truly cannot be asked to deal with that sort of anxiety. I wish you best of luck though <3


I totally agree, I find myself agitated with my boy when I know the real issue is the people in the barn. There are 12-15 horses on the 23 acres. About 1/4 of the field is mud but the rest is covered in grass. I drove past it today.


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## Dreamcatcher Arabians (Nov 14, 2010)

PetrosPlantation said:


> I totally agree, I find myself agitated with my boy when I know the real issue is the people in the barn. There are 12-15 horses on the 23 acres. About 1/4 of the field is mud but the rest is covered in grass. I drove past it today.


I'd have already moved. Not necessarily to the 23 acre place, but I'd be out of the one you're in.


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## PetrosPlantation (Oct 28, 2015)

Dreamcatcher Arabians said:


> PetrosPlantation said:
> 
> 
> > I totally agree, I find myself agitated with my boy when I know the real issue is the people in the barn. There are 12-15 horses on the 23 acres. About 1/4 of the field is mud but the rest is covered in grass. I drove past it today.
> ...


They do have several smaller pastures for older horses etc. but their main field is 23 acres.


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## Dreamcatcher Arabians (Nov 14, 2010)

PetrosPlantation said:


> They do have several smaller pastures for older horses etc. but their main field is 23 acres.


Can you get a smaller, private paddock? If you can, I'd consider it. 15 horses on 23 acres is too much. Can cause fussing, kicking and other herd issues and if your horse isn't the dominant one, can get your horse injured more than once.


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## horselovinguy (Oct 1, 2013)

I would be gone, past tense.
I would not be tip-toeing around either but clearly going _when I want to,_ to spend time with my horse and do what I want....
There is no reason for you to be agitated with your horse because of someone else's rude behavior...your horse does not understand what he has done wrong to receive "vibes" of unhappiness from you...and horses read us like a book our emotions! 
We do take out our emotions and mental feelings on our horses with how we react to them based on our moods without consciously doing it.
_*Move....*_
If pasture space is a issue, sorry but your horse doesn't know the difference between 23 or 80 only if it has good grass to eat in plentiful amounts or does he need to wander far distances to find morsels...
It sounds like your horse also has a stall with the rest of the description of a barn as such or not?
I would be more concerned with not the size of the pasture but how many horses are turned out together, what do they do if they not get along, are there other fields they use when the main one is eaten down, what do they feed {round rolls/squares} and how often, how many rolls or square sare fed and how do they make sure all horses have adequate good nutrition?

More importantly if you think that nasty attitude is not taken out on the horses, then you would be mistaken most likely.
Someone angry has a short fuse and a wrong step by anything living will set the human off on whatever is closest...that could easily be your horse.

Find a new barn.
One that has amenities that are important to you.
A place that offers compassionate, good care.
A clean environment to work in, to live in for the horse and a non-combative one for you to go to to see and work your horse.
Good food, well fed horses, safe fencing, clean and neat presence...a place that your horse is valued, your property is safe {saddle/tack if you leave it} a place you feel welcome at.
You might need to look for a while to find a new home, but I surely wouldn't keep my horse someplace where I feel unwanted and my horse in a bad spot for some punishment because someone has anger issues...
GET OUT now, before the horse starts exhibiting behaviors you never want to see stemming from cruel handling....
Hopefully you find the new place straight off that is "home", but if not continue to look once out of where you are currently...
In the meantime, stop avoiding the place and your horse...don't be in the face, but do stand-up for your rights and more importantly the rights of your horse currently boarded at that facility.
:runninghorse2:.....
_jmo..._


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## jaydee (May 10, 2012)

I'd certainly be moving somewhere.
The 23 acres/12 to 15 horses isn't crowded compared to many places and it likely isn't going to be muddy in the summer months so it could work for you in the short term if nothing else. 
Can you not go and see how its run, are the horses stabled at night, is hay put out in the field, could they provide you with a small individual paddock if your horses didn't settle in the bigger herd?


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## SteadyOn (Mar 5, 2017)

I find it interesting reading what people consider to be "too small," in general. Where I live, it's rocky, hilly, swampy, and just generally not a great area for pasture, so people aren't able to carve out a lot of it. Very very few places around here have pastures bigger than an acre or two. And the horses seem fine.

We currently have four horses turned out on one acre and they're feed hay outside as well as at night in their stalls. They run around and socialize contentedly on the land they have. A 23-acre pasture space sounds absolutely ginormous to me.


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

We have about 15 horses on something like 28 acres. not crowded at all. 
how is feeding done? out in the pasture? at feeding stations? round bales? 

the feeding situation is the only thing that might cause problems. are horses shod on the hind feet? (our pasture living hroses must be unshod on backs)


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## SketchyHorse (May 14, 2012)

I also would have been gone yesterday. It's hard to truly enjoy your horse when someone makes every moment being out there unbearable. Just go!

The 23 acres with like 15/16 horses doesn't super scare me - it would honestly just depend on pasture conditions. Is there enough grazing space (aka is there any grass)? If not, does the barn supplement any hay? How is that fed? If that isn't the place for you then search around a little more. You might have to compromise on some things (like drive time), but ultimately you've gotta decide what makes you feel worse. A cruddy barn owner or driving extra.


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## SugarNSpice (Mar 26, 2012)

As someone who just went through something similar for years and ended up leaving within a couple days of the final issue, I do see where you should look for somewhere else. But do try to give yourself time if possible. My two are now at home because I couldn't find a new place on such short notice.

Would also like to add that 15 horses on 23 acres sounds like luxury to me as far as turn out space. At my old barn the owner turned out 8+ horses at a time in a roughly 150x150 foot pasture and another one which was probably 300 x150. At a barn with about 40 horses and these were the only two turnouts used on a regular basis. Hardly ever any grass past the first couple weeks of summer, and only then because she wasn't great with putting horses out often. Nightmare drainage. No hay given outside. At least half of the horses never got turned out or next to never. Quite a few only got indoor arena time. “They might get hurt” or “they were out the other day, they're tired” were common excuses, I think it boiled down to laziness. Though when it actually was unsafe and I asked for mine to be kept in for a couple days, she turned them out. Makes sense, right? So it's good to keep things in perspective. Good luck!


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## PetrosPlantation (Oct 28, 2015)

Hi everyone! Wanted update you all that we made the move to the new facility and absolutely LOVING it! My boy is thriving in every possible sense 🙂


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