# Your barn/boarding experiences: good or bad?



## PinkPrancer (Nov 10, 2020)

When I first started looking for a barn to take lessons, I was incredibly wary because all I'd heard was horror stories about barn drama, irresponsible owners, unkempt facilities, etc. But I found my barn incredibly fast and I absolutely love it. The owner and instructors are kind yet highly trained, the lesson horses are extremely patient and the overall ranch has a very welcoming, upbeat vibe. It is a touch more expensive than other places we looked at, but I feel like that extra cost is delivered in such a positive place to be.

But I worry...am I the exception, not the rule? 

At the end of the summer my husband and I are looking to make a cross-country move, and I'm SO afraid that this wonderful barn is a fluke and we won't find anywhere near as good in our new place. Logically, I tell myself that there are dozens of barns out there, and it's not fair to assume they'll all be awful. But then I still feel like all I read are stories about one terrible barn after another and I panic that all of the good places will be full (obviously, because no one wants to leave them!), and we'll wind up scraping at the bottom of the barrel. 

So what do you think? Do you think all of the talk about terrible barns is overinflated? Have a majority of your experiences also been positive? Or do you think there's more bad barns out there than good?


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## marymane (Feb 2, 2020)

Any place is going to be what you make of it IMO. You can't control other people and at lesson/boarding facilities there's going to be lots of other people around and not all of them may be nice. IME with any sort of drama if you just ignore it/act oblivious and don't feed into it then it has a tendency to miss you. There are lots of lovely places out there and I'm sure you'll find another great fit.


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## Gemma_ponypilot (Dec 14, 2020)

Okay, so _deep breath_ I had my mare for 15 years, and took over full ownership at 16. I had her until I was 27, and I moved from barn to barn to barn. I think for me...I was doing mostly selfcare and boarding at cheaper places because that's what I could afford, as a kid and college student, and then as a young adult working 2 jobs. What I wish I could go back and tell my younger self is to immediately have an "appointment" and sit down the owners and talk about your expectations for that price point.

For example: if I decided to make the move to a barn that charged $400/month compared to the $200 I had always boarded with, I would be setting my boundaries and expectations right out of the gate. Because I have so...so many stories about boarding as a young woman, most of them being highly inappropriate with barn owners constantly commenting on my butt in breeches, and other boarders hating me because, well, I wasn't a "yee-haw" and I worked hard for my lessons and the ribbons I brought home. I dealt with my tack getting stolen. I dealt with barn owners not keeping their end of the contract up, and then coming back at me because I left. I dealt with a guy blocking my pony in her stall with his stupid tractor after I told him that I wouldn't "do things" with him, and further treating me horribly. 

As an older adult, I saw a lot of those behaviors in other people change, because I was not going to put up with it any longer. I literally got to the point where I sat down with a barn owner, told him of my experiences, and said I am willing to pay extra if that means I don't have to be harassed while I am just trying to spend time with my beloved pony. I found a little barn that no one really new of, made some amazing older-women friends, and honestly...it was the best barn I boarded at. The barn and stalls looked old and horrid, but...it was safe, which was much more important to me than having a NICE barn with clean EVERYTHING and being harassed or bullied by middle-aged men.

I just feel like after boarding for 15 years...its a lot. I don't want to say that you pay for what you get, because my trainer boards at a high-end place and is still not happy with the service (nor am I, which is why I refuse to go out there and ride her horses with her). Her horse had thrush because stalls weren't cleaned every day, and honestly, if I am forking over that much of my paycheck, my stalls better be clean and my buckets better be scrubbed. 

I think...you just have to be careful. I think you need to look over contracts and throw any passive behavior out the window. Because when you are straight forward, you are taken much more seriously. Think about the what-ifs that cost extra, such as bandaging/cleaning if your horse gets wound. Are you going out there to do that, or are you willing to pay extra for the barn to do that? What about blanketing? What about bucket maintenance? Really sit down and write out your expectations, take them to a barn, and have open and honest conversation. 

I DO think there are good barns out there. But I also think there are a lot of people out there who have no business running a boarding facility, whether that be because of lack of professionalism, lack of knowledge, or lack of communication and immature behavior. 

In all honesty,once my pony passed...I took 3 years off that killed me, just so that my husband and I could buy our own property.


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## PoptartShop (Jul 25, 2010)

Me personally, I will never board at a boarding barn ever again. A private barn is where I'll keep my horse from now on, & do self-care. I like being in control of my horse & knowing she won't ever miss a feeding again or have lack of forage.

I boarded at a few places, some bigger, some smaller, & every time there were issues. Unfortunately. Drama (even though I stayed out of it), lack of forage for my horse, my horse also missed feedings, etc. Just not a good time. I paid a lot of money for those places & the care was horrible. I've been to some nicer barns, a lowkey barn, etc. You'd think the care would be great, but I believe no matter how 'nice' or fancy, or well-priced a boarding barn is, or how lowkey or small, it does NOT mean that the care will be exceptional. No matter where you go. 

Some people have great experiences, but I just prefer a private barn/self-care nowadays.


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## walkinthewalk (Jul 23, 2008)

Life put me in a position to where I had to board for a few years, back in the 90’s.

I lived in farm country, so the boarding barns were smaller, which suited me fine. 

There were a couple of small barns in my area that I was warned by non-horse people to keep my horses out of, if I cared anything about them.

The biggest barn had frequent team penning events, so they were down home, back yard horse folks and I boarded with them until they lost their lease. 

The best and last place I boarded was a 14-horse barn, where the owners mostly took in horses off the race track, 75 miles away for R&R. They were my age, the wife was a trail rider, we did a lot of trail riding together, and she used my little rescue Arab as a lesson horse for small children. I did all the barn work on whatever weekends the BO’s wanted to get away to see their daughter, in turn, I did not have to pay board for one of my three horses

My point is, look for at the smaller family owned barns, who care more about the horses than making a dollar at any cost.

Also, go with your gut - if something doesn’t feel right to you, don’t put your horse there.


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## bayleysours (Apr 1, 2019)

I currently board at a barn that I don't love because it's the best option in my area for my horses. It's the only barn around here that has turnouts for the horses to go in, that aren't just 10 horses standing in mud up to their knees, or just no turnout and they're in their stall all day everyday. The care is pretty terrible. Some days they will just be lazy and decide not to clean stalls or decide they don't need fed until 1 in the afternoon, but thankfully they let me do self care so I do all of it myself. I can't wait until we get our property set up for bringing the horses home!! Wherever you move to, I would definitely talk to the owners of the barn, and the boarders! I would also walk around and see how everything looks. Are the stalls clean? Are the buckets dirty? What sort of condition are the horses in?


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## karens1039 (Mar 26, 2018)

I love the barn and barn owner where I board. I have enough property to keep my horses at home but feel it is better for them to be boarded. I feel you can find a good barn you just have to look for it.


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## NavigatorsMom (Jan 9, 2012)

The majority of my experiences have been positive, BUT I have only boarded at private barns. Like, at most three boarders and at least I was the only boarder (plus BO's horses). I highly recommend private barns if you can find one. It can take a while but knowing that my horse is getting the exact same level of care as the owner's is very good for my anxiety. It's also nice that there aren't people always coming and going like you would experience at a commercial boarding barn. It's a quiet, peaceful atmosphere which is what I want when I'm at the barn. 

I know after you move you'll want your horse to be there with you as soon as possible, but take your time to find somewhere you feel good about. When we moved a couple years ago, Nav didn't join us until 4 months later, just because it took me that time to find a good place for him. Something that might be helpful to you is to see if there's a group on fb that you can get suggestions from - look for groups such as "horse boarding in and around _your city here_", and then you can read posts from barns that are looking for boarders, but also make your own post outlining what you're looking for, and then others will usually link to boarding barns or tag people who might have more info for you.


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## ACinATX (Sep 12, 2018)

NavigatorsMom said:


> I know after you move you'll want your horse to be there with you as soon as possible, but take your time to find somewhere you feel good about.


I think this is a great idea.

For me, I have boarded at three places and overall I was more unhappy than happy at each. Each had pros and cons, and I wouldn't NOT recommend any of them, if that makes sense. It's just that there were enough things I didn't like to make me not entirely happy. But I think I'm a really picky person and it would be hard to find a place that I thought was perfect. Even when we get them moved in with us in a few years, I'm probably still going to be complaining, even though all the problems will be my fault.


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## BethR (Feb 17, 2021)

I didn’t get my mare until we bought some adjoining property for sale so I’ve been fortunate enough to never have to board and never wanted to—-for all the reasons you stated. Would it be possible for you to purchase a home with enough property to keep your horse at home when you move?


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## knightrider (Jun 27, 2014)

Wow, after reading these posts, I feel extremely fortunate. I have only boarded four times in my life, but every time has been positive. When I was a child, I boarded in Quito, Ecuador, and it probably wasn't ideal for the horse, but I didn't know any better. Everyone was kind, helpful, nice, and fun. I had lots of kid friends to ride with and lots of adventures.

When I moved to Texas, I found a fairly large boarding barn. Everyone was Western and I had an unbroken colt that I was training to ride English and jump. I got a little good natured ribbing, but people were nice. Then we moved to Grand Prairie, Texas, and I kept my horse on a quarter horse race farm, where we also rented a house. I loved it there. Board was super cheap, and I got to help with the race horses and go to the races sometimes. I learned a lot and really enjoyed it there.

For a year, I boarded at a private barn in Maryland. There was only one other family boarding two horses there. The two girls in the family were great kids, and the two boys who lived there were wonderful also. I thoroughly enjoyed boarding there. For most of my life, I have kept my horses on my own place, which I prefer, but I can say I never had a bad boarding experience. Sorry that so many of you have had the opposite.


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## Jolly101 (Jul 2, 2018)

It really depends. I've found good boarding barns to be a real challenge where I am. There is a high demand for boarding barns and less barns to accommodate, so they will always be full anyways and can get away with stuff. That being said, I haven't been to all of them and tend to cap based on distance. I've heard good things about other boarding barns, but generally it becomes a ton harder if you have a horse with a health issue.

First barn I boarded at had the most barn drama I've ever encountered. I was young back then, but even in that case, I saw a plethora of issues. The ones I'm detailing are just the tip of the iceberg. The BO was overcontrolling and micro managed everything. Almost in a cult-like fashion, clients were to adhere to the BOs training that heavily focused on the Clinton Anderson method, which was an unspoken rule. It didn't matter if you were a lesson student or whether you were merely a boarder, you were forced to go along with the training program and if you dare go to watch/try another trainer on the side, it was seen as a huge offense and you were the topic of hateful gossip and shunned. Barn members would commence gossip about you and other barns/trainers, BO would fuel statements that the other trainers were under them and would ruin your horse and your riding. At the same time, BO would not allow any students to show unless they were to win, so nearly no one had that opportunity. BO also saw it as their "right" to use boarders horses as they saw fit. They had taken my then 3 year old out for their young lesson students during a camp to practice with and when I had confronted the BM on it, they made it seem like I was acting 'funny'. They also charged dime and nickels for everything and locked up grain in fear of boarders taking more for their horses. They moved facilities after I left the barn, and I heard it became even worse. The BO dictated that every boarder needed to have a certain color and brand blanket and halter, and forced fee such as clipping and blanket changes on every owner on an already inflated boarding fee. Very limited turnout and horses were stalled most of the day. Lesson students were forced to pay a $300 show fee to even go to ONE show, sharing a lesson horse and doing their own braiding and preparation etc....

Second boarding barn (also a larger one) wasn't as bad, but had a different set of issues. It had some barn drama between the am and pm crowd, but overall wasn't horrible and vindictive like the previous barn. Worst set of issues were probably to do with the actual care of the horses and I didn't know much of this stuff until the end of my stay there. The BM treated horses like cows and just ran the horses in the aisles (had some falls, owners were not told about). Used a leaf blower for dust while horses were in stalls, and used metal hay 'cow' feeders. Would throw out round bale hay that became moldy and became angry when clients tried to remove it, but it was done anyways. Had grain come out of a 'shoot' with mold because it was never cleaned... scooped mold off the top layer and feed the stuff underneath to the horses. Abrupt change of horses from dry lot to grass in the summer. It's no wonder my horse developed breathing issues here and I was lucky to get out when I did, on good terms. Actually heard that the spca was involved after a horse got horribly injured on the hay feeder and I've heard the place is somewhat better now, but not better enough to justify going back.

Third and Fifth barn were private (great). More on that later.

Fourth barn was new and appeared nice. Lots of promises from the BO who also owned their own horses. Good hay and practices, so it seemed. Even with my previous experiences, I'd have to say this was THE WORST barn I ever boarded at, as the BO was new and just took on too much too fast and did not know how to communicate efficiently with anyone. BO made so many promises to everyone that she could not keep. I had specifically asked if my horse could be on a dry lot because he was IR BEFORE moving and also was told the arena would be fixed (footing was quite deep).

Well, barn owner promised several things, in several different directions and just decided it was easiest if all horses were together in the grassy, hilly field 24/7 with no notice, but made huge acceptations for one boarder who also happened to come out and do stall work because they had time for that. 

BO had no concept of what IR entailed and thought I was 'starving' my horse because his rations were cut way back, so then decided to up his feed a lot without telling me. Also forced my hand at putting my horse on grass and routinely took off his grazing muzzle because they thought it was cruel. My horse became obese, even with constant work and started having laminitic episodes. I was working with a trustworthy, long-term trimmer, who had helped me get my horse back on track from a previous laminitis event with the vet. The trimmer was also puzzled as to why my horse was gaining so much and was suspicious of practices used at this barn, they suggested I dry lot immediately. So, we did. 

Other "special boarder" wanted their horse to have soaked hay, so BO decided to put their horse in with mine, which I was happy about, but then it became "your horse is eating too much of X's soaked hay, so your horse, whom also has breathing issues, must stay in all night and half the day so X can have soaked hay in a paddock, then your horse can go back out once we move X back up to the main field for grass with the other horses". BO was also passive aggressive. Very nice and "yes. m'am" to your face, but as soon as you nicely ask something, would text back that it was your fault the horse was foot sore because I used hoof boots instead of shoes, which I had previously explained ruined my horses hooves in the past.

Final straw was after my horse got injured and had to go on stall rest, as suggested by the vet. I come in the middle of the icy winter to drop some stuff off at night and find my horse, alone, in a paddock filled with sheer ice. It takes me 40 min to coax my obviously sore horse back inside because he kept slipping on the ice. I had to put shavings in front on him for grip as we walked back to the gate. I NICELY text why my horse was outside and I get cussed out that my horse has breathing issues and should be outside. I reply "oh, you never mentioned anything about that" and get told that they had told me several times. I look back through messages since we began boarding there and find NOT ONE mention of breathing issues. 

Despite BO trying to argue with me over text, I insist that we talk in person so that nothing gets misinterpreted and we are all on the same page. In the talk, the BO slips up that she lied about the breathing issues and that my horse was rearing in the stall, so their response was to automatically put him outside without telling me at all. No wonder inflammation seemed to be getting worse. Then said that they wanted everyone on grass next year. I Said, great, but we are leaving because I don't want my horse to founder this time around. My horse and several others who boarded all left with health issues.

So, now I am back at the private barn, which I love love love. Only reason I initially left was because BO was thinking of selling the place, but changed their minds. No drama, lovely environment and people who genuinely care about the horses they care for, like they are their own. Something I very much appreciate is if anything ever does come up, the BO is upfront and seeks a solution in person.



So, although I've had some pretty rough experiences at boarding barns, I can't say all of them are like that, but that I do MUCH prefer private barns. I think because boarding barns are so very concerned with the business side of things, they often forget that they are dealing with living beings and start to forfeit for options that are more convenient for them, but not healthy for the client or horse. I've also encountered many BO and BM that astonishingly don't have the basic communication skills to manage a healthy business environment.


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