# Irritated with Barn owner....advice? Long, sorry



## free_sprtd (Oct 18, 2007)

So, I originally moved Thunder out of a situation in December and needed a place to board him asap. I searched around like 10-15 different places and found a place that was the best for the price and met most of my requirements. I never thought that maybe I should look more thoroughly into the owners of the place. It felt like a family environment, kind of rough around the edges, but definately very fucntional. The owner originally told me that if I were to board there, he didn't want someone coming in and taking the best stall, then moving out in a few months. They wanted someone long term. Well how am I supposed to know how long I'm going to be there, I am new to horses, and things change. Well, I have been working with a trainer for about a month now, and have only had Thunder for 4 months. He's still very young mentally and can have small quirks like every young horse. Well lately, when Thunder acts out, like invades space (which we've been working on in training), nips (not really alot if you watch him), ect, the owner of the barn will KICK him with the top of his boot in the gut. I dont necessarily approve, but he said "no horse will get away with that behavior around me". Thunder is by no means an awful brat. If you love him and make nice, he is everyone's best buddy. 

Well, I showed up with 3 friends to visit Thunder. The barn was empty, however when the owner walked out, he was extremely rude and said "you need to figure something out with your horse! You need to get a chain to leave here all the time, this is not working out, someones going to get hurt!!" and I was like okaaayyy, and what had happened was that when walking back to the stall after turn out, Thunder was by the open gate and took off for whatever reason outside. The guy hung on to the lead til it got to the end and pulled Thunder down onto his back. I asked if he was hurt and the guy got p-oed and said "IS HE HURT??!?!" So I said I will talk to the trainer to figure something out. It's not like he's been in training for a long time. Plus im sure he senses the guy doesnt like him. Then we were grooming Thunder and my cousing was standing next to the back end and the owner came back out and yelled at her and said "don't stand so close to that other horse, he's reaching for you, and he might jerk back". Mind you, these are people who have been around horses all their lives, I think they know to watch out for the other horses. Where else were they supposed to stand??? Ugh so I am just venting , and I don't know at this point If I should be looking for a different barn. I have a feeling he is going to make me use a chain on him. I DO NOT feel comfortable leaving a chain in that guys hands when im not around. THunder has never given me that much of a problem. Sorry for the book......advice plz?


----------



## JustDressageIt (Oct 4, 2007)

Leave! I wouldn't put up with that c**p. Can you find a similar barn for a similar price?


----------



## free_sprtd (Oct 18, 2007)

im going to start looking tomorrow.....but i dont know if i can find somewhere with similar with decent price that's as close as this one is....i just need to figure out whats really important to me i guess. i got so spoiled with this place. i really felt safe! it has a gaited entrance where everyone has a pin number and the owners are practically always out there. its clean and organized, just TERRIBLE service!! great food though, price is right, property, set up, everything but the ppl!!! grrrrrrrrrr

thanks for your input.


----------



## kim_angel (Oct 16, 2007)

Honestly, you need to look for a place that is safe for your horse... and the amenities for you come second.

While I dont condone a horse nipping, I also dont condone kicking in the gut.

Good luck with your search.


----------



## HorsieGal (Feb 26, 2008)

find another stable. I wouldn't put up with that from the owners. They should be friendly and shouldn't do anything that might drive away boarders. I think they are rude personally and I also think that your horse deserves better. If it is still learning and being trained (it sounds like it is) then I don't think it should be exposed to all of that. I hope that helps.


----------



## free_sprtd (Oct 18, 2007)

yes everyone's advice helps a lot! thank you! im going to be looking around and hopefully i can find something. thanks again!


----------



## Got2Gallop (Oct 22, 2007)

I'm in a somewhat similar situation in that I love where I board for the facility (indoor arena, lots of turnout, stalls with big runs) but the BO is very difficult to deal with.........I don't like the way she treats her animals alot of the time (she put a shock collar on a 5 mo puppy) and she's a super control freak. Come to find out none of the other horse people in the area have anything good to say about her and in checking out other boarding places I keep coming across former boarders of hers that tell me I need to get out ASAP. Moving sucks, but we've got to..... going to the barn and being with my horse is what I do to relieve my stress, not cause more! If you can find a place u like for a similar price go!


----------



## Vidaloco (Sep 14, 2007)

Granted a young horse needs a firmer hand but you don't want the BO to undermine any training you are doing. I think the kicking in the gut would have floored me. Its one thing if I do it but a stranger, I would have had a fit. I elbowed Shiloh in the gut yesterday when she was getting to close and I felt awful for doing it  I can't imagine kicking her there. The BO sounds like a bit of a control freak. You need to have a talk with him, there may be some issues with Thunder that you don't know about. Ask your trainer what he/she thinks about the chain. If you feel your horse is being abused then definitly start looking for another place. If you find it is a training issue with Thunder, assure the BO that you are working to resolve them.


----------



## free_sprtd (Oct 18, 2007)

so the BO came back from his week vacation and acted as if nothing happened. he was super chipper and asked how thunder was doing lol.

sooooooooooooooo now i dont know what to do.....

my decision is carried on in the which one is better post. thanks guys


----------



## my2geldings (Feb 18, 2008)

While it sounds like our horse needs a few manners taught to him and more handling, the barn owners sound a bit crazy to me to. I would encourage you to look for a different place. A facility that will have a more professional set of managers. You should consider spending more time with your horse so he quits his little habits and causes more problems for you or others.

Cheers


----------



## free_sprtd (Oct 18, 2007)

oh but i have! lol im out there literally everyday! he has come so far already. theres nothing more i can do at this point. im out there working with him 5-6 days out of the week, 1 of those days im with the trainer for an hour and a half. he's just a baby who was never taught anything besides what he's being taught now. literally no more that 2 months.....so ya, i have the other place im considering in another post.

thanks though!


----------



## my2geldings (Feb 18, 2008)

now, now  patience my friend. The continue doing what you are doing and with time there is no reason why he'll get better.

When did you buy him?


----------



## free_sprtd (Oct 18, 2007)

oh i know lol, i just wish the barn owner would stop expecting him to be perfect lol. im so frustrated and confused with this decision. i really like where im at, besides a few things, but i have to figure out if they are things i can work with. i bought him in november, and all he had done was haltering. now he is learning voice commands, lounges, trailers, learning his feet, ect. thanks for your advice 

i didnt mean to come across hasty, im just severely overwhelmed by my surroundings...


----------



## my2geldings (Feb 18, 2008)

I can understand the frustration of the BO -BUT- they have handled your situation VERY unprofessionally thats more than enough to consider leaving. There is nothing worst than going to go spend time with your horse but having to dread running into management.

I would leave.


----------



## free_sprtd (Oct 18, 2007)

thank you. that's kinda what i needed to hear. i HATE having to run into them...its very uncomfortable. thanks again!


----------



## strikey's mom (Mar 2, 2008)

free_sprtd your BO experience caught my eye & prompted me to sign on to this forum. I put up with similar circumstances with my first horse a # of years ago. I still feel guilty, sad, angry, whatever about it. No horse deserves kicks like that. It's abusive. What do they do when you are not around? I have learned over time, you pay to have you horse taken care of as you would. Problems may come up but discussion can resolve them. Move on.....


----------



## free_sprtd (Oct 18, 2007)

thanks so much for your advice!! and welcome to the hf


----------



## Phantomcolt18 (Sep 25, 2007)

i would most definately try to move asap because like this may never happen but she felt uneasy about the place where she boarded becase she saw the BO and her son beat a few of the other boarders horses but had to go away for a week and had no time to find another place. being 15 she really couldn't stay home so she called every day and the BO said the horse was fine and happy. then when she got back she found out that the horse was stolen one day after she left. they started to try and track the horse down and then when they were about a day behind getting the horse the people paniked and sent her horse to the slaughter house.and being a healthy horse she was sent to the front and the worst thing was they said she ,a 15 yr old, could come and identify the hide and they would pay her the meat price. that article killed me when i read it.


----------



## free_sprtd (Oct 18, 2007)

omg! i wanna cry


----------



## my2geldings (Feb 18, 2008)

Phantomcolt18 said:


> i would most definately try to move asap because like this may never happen but she felt uneasy about the place where she boarded becase she saw the BO and her son beat a few of the other boarders horses but had to go away for a week and had no time to find another place. being 15 she really couldn't stay home so she called every day and the BO said the horse was fine and happy. then when she got back she found out that the horse was stolen one day after she left. they started to try and track the horse down and then when they were about a day behind getting the horse the people paniked and sent her horse to the slaughter house.and being a healthy horse she was sent to the front and the worst thing was they said she ,a 15 yr old, could come and identify the hide and they would pay her the meat price. that article killed me when i read it.


I can't even imagine going thru this with any of my horses. Poor kid.


----------



## Phantomcolt18 (Sep 25, 2007)

i know its so sad. if it happened to my boy id be devistated.


----------



## drafthorse01 (Apr 1, 2008)

I have boarded my Horses with a stable one time where the owner was a loooong time Horse guy.
But he had old style thought of how to treat Horses my Horse at the time didn't like men at all I told the owner that because I was going to do the feeding and cleaning of the stall.
But I came in there twice while he was in with my Horse I asked him why he said he was going to turn my Horse around for me he didn't like a horse that got to make the choice of who was in the stall with him.
I took him out that day because I was fortunate enough to have had found another place for him.
But my Horse did take something away from that stable a bigger hate for men.
And since my Horse was a Percheron Clydesdale cross when he got upset you had to watch out.


----------



## Dave (Nov 4, 2007)

*BARN OWNER*

IF you want to continue training your youngster get him the heck out of that barn there is never a reason for a barn owner or anyone puting there hands on your horse is a mean way it takes away from all you are doing to train thunder. I have been a B.O. AND Manager of a barn and we would never stand for that to happen. a person who can not handle your horse with out abuseing it should not be running a boarding stable any time any where . you said you didnt like running in to the BO think what thunder is thinking when he is stuck there all the time with this waste of a person . MOVE THUNDER ASAP


----------

