# A "can you believe this" thread re: horse housing...



## Shropshirerosie (Jan 24, 2012)

I have no knowledge on cacti so can't comment on that, but surely they would have waited for the builder to leave before they put the bedding down in the stalls?

Really, if folks have money, and choose to use it to build a palace for their horses.... What's wrong with that?

It gave your friend a good income presumably - bit mean of him to gossip in a negative way about his clients? I apologise if I've read that wrong but that is what I read in the post.


----------



## Back2Horseback (Mar 21, 2012)

Oh...the barn was present for some time...like possibly years...as I understand it...and it was only the corral that was new.

I am sure the contractor felt very happy to have the income from the job, certainly, however as a horse person, I imagine she felt torn about putting what could end up being an unsafe enclosure, per the homeowners, for the horses whom it was being built...

Her BF who told me this story mentioned the barn situation as an aside, as her company did NOT build it...I've just never heard of horses being stabled in that fashion. Was semi-wondering if that was the "norm" in anyone's experience (slick flooring/no bedding/etc...)...

Not intentionally "bashing" anyone...just found it very odd. Then I am not a contractor! Gotta run. Will read/give more info later if needed (sorry for the brevity)...
_Posted via Mobile Device_


----------



## Back2Horseback (Mar 21, 2012)

Just reread my post and IT DID sound very bashing BY me of the homeowners...had been mulling it over for a few months and it just got to bugging me. Shouldn't have presented in that manner.

To more thoroughly describe, the whole situation scared me for the horses, and I let my fear make me sound very "snooty" in my opinion...I truly do want to know if I'm overreacting re: the stabling and cacti/barn, etc...I guess I should have chosen my tone more carefully. 

Communication via post can be difficult at times! Thanks for the heads up...
_Posted via Mobile Device_


----------



## Muppetgirl (Sep 16, 2012)

Interesting

A few years ago I moved to a new place and the owners of the property were erecting a new barn. Me not really knowing the people just watched on with great delight that there was going to be a barn and horses where I was living.....

However during the process of pouring the cement I noticed that the cement was being layed down and smoothed to and extra high luster! Not being any of my business I said nothing, assuming they had a plan to coat the floor....they didn't......and a few months later the lady that owned the barn had become a really good friend and we spent lots of time together, and still remain good friends......

She had several horses slip on that barn floor, and it got to the point of being so hazardous that you couldnt walk the horses through the barn......now in hindsight I wonder if I should have said something knowing full well that I might have seemed like a busybody? She probably wouldve taken my advice on board, but not knowing the people I really did feel like it was none of my business.....

They had to pay for a real expensive durable coating for the barn floor later on...


----------



## Back2Horseback (Mar 21, 2012)

Good input...thanks...I'm very sorry your friend's horses slipped on such a floor; however it does reinforce my initial thoughts re: my girlfriend's customer's situation!! 

Another thing I didn't mention is that they are in the mountains near where I live, thus there are three factors at play further:

1) Snow/ice in the winters=slipperier, and when they turn on their heaters it no doubt causes puddles and on those slick floors there's got to be lots of slipping from thay, too--I can't IMAGINE WHY they haven't already refinished the floors...

2) How DO THEY MANAGE urine and feces? If they spray it down with water - more wet floors, I've got to ask my friend (the contractors boyfriend) if she has any idea

and

3) Them living up in the mountains, I imagine vets are not close at hand and I wonder how they'd get help quickly IF THEIR HORSES DID fall OR if they DO get entangled in all that cactus! BEING at such a high elevation I know cactus isn't as common as down in the lower lying areas, but I think with what they had (I think her bf said Jumping Cholla and maybe Prickly Pear, those transplant so well, plus those "sticker tree/bushes" he told me about...I guess I'd have worried more about my horses than a few plants that aren't even SHADE PROVIDING PLANTS.

Just think people can make what seems to me to be really weird choices/have weird priorities.

Oh well...not my life/horses/job or home! I shouldn't worry so much...I'm a spazz for sure. :0)
_Posted via Mobile Device_


----------



## mls (Nov 28, 2006)

Back2Horseback said:


> A builder friend of mine related this story to me recently about a job


Bottom line - you have not seen the facility first hand - so you don't know all of the facts.


----------



## Back2Horseback (Mar 21, 2012)

mls said:


> Bottom line - you have not seen the facility first hand - so you don't know all of the facts.


You are 100% correct...plus, I know next to nothing about building barns/etc...sort of why I was wondering if this may be the "norm" in some places...Im only familiar with barns I've seen in my general area, too...so perhaps bedding-free barns and the like are quite common in other places? 
If that is the case, I needn't feel bothered by horses being stabled in such a fashion! :0)
_Posted via Mobile Device_


----------



## Bellasmom (Jun 22, 2011)

The cactus wouldn't worry me much, having lived and kept horses in West Texas for years prior to moving to AR, I can tell you we never had a cactus related injury to a horse, and we probably had more prickly pear than grass. In the winter we would use a flame thrower to burn the spines off the cactus & the cows ate it as a supplemental feed.


----------



## Back2Horseback (Mar 21, 2012)

Bellasmom said:


> The cactus wouldn't worry me much, having lived and kept horses in West Texas for years prior to moving to AR, I can tell you we never had a cactus related injury to a horse, and we probably had more prickly pear than grass. In the winter we would use a flame thrower to burn the spines off the cactus & the cows ate it as a supplemental feed.


Wow...that makes me feel tons better for those horses! Thank you for that info...plus it's very useful as living here there is always cactus "AROUND" & I worry when riding NEAR ANY on trail rides etc....the horses always get it in their polo wraps but I'm constantly checking legs after rides for ANY REMNANTS, as well as in hooves for same! Thank you!!!
_Posted via Mobile Device_


----------



## Dreamcatcher Arabians (Nov 14, 2010)

I used to live in Tucson and the only cactus problem I had was the friggin' cholla. I had one mare who just would not leave that stuff alone, so I was always having to pull the spines out of her nose. To this day she's not happy with having someone mess with her nose. I lived up near Miraval, so we had elevation but still plenty of cactii. Never had a leg or hoof problem, just the dam* cholla in noses. 

As for the barn, I suppose they could leave the floors unbedded and the horses only go in when it's storming. The packed dirt in their runs is plenty cushy enough, they can be plenty comfortable on sandy dirt. Same thing in the corral. I would have put some shade covers on it but they'll be ok.


----------



## AlexS (Aug 9, 2010)

I don't know about the cactus, but the stalls might have been left bare without bedding because the horses were only brought in for feeding.


----------



## Back2Horseback (Mar 21, 2012)

Maybe...I'd hope so. Don't know where they would've been at other times tho, but then, I know very little about the place aside from what I was told.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


----------



## Back2Horseback (Mar 21, 2012)

Dreamcatcher Arabians said:


> I used to live in Tucson and the only cactus problem I had was the friggin' cholla. I had one mare who just would not leave that stuff alone, so I was always having to pull the spines out of her nose. To this day she's not happy with having someone mess with her nose. I lived up near Miraval, so we had elevation but still plenty of cactii. Never had a leg or hoof problem, just the dam* cholla in noses.
> 
> As for the barn, I suppose they could leave the floors unbedded and the horses only go in when it's storming. The packed dirt in their runs is plenty cushy enough, they can be plenty comfortable on sandy dirt. Same thing in the corral. I would have put some shade covers on it but they'll be ok.


Poor cholla-nose mare!! I can't stand the stuff either...it's SO DARNED pervasive...gets in/on EVERYTHING ... AND FALL IN ONE? Good luck! As an RN I've pulled my share out of people's bodies during floating shifts to the ER! Ugh...And as I understand that's what ONE if the types is which is in their corral...ugh. I HOPE these guts have left it ALONE!!
_Posted via Mobile Device_


----------



## Dreamcatcher Arabians (Nov 14, 2010)

Back2Horseback said:


> Poor cholla-nose mare!! I can't stand the stuff either...it's SO DARNED pervasive...gets in/on EVERYTHING ... AND FALL IN ONE? Good luck! As an RN I've pulled my share out of people's bodies during floating shifts to the ER! Ugh...And as I understand that's what ONE if the types is which is in their corral...ugh. I HOPE these guts have left it ALONE!!
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


My old QH used to ride real close to them out on trail, I got my share in my legs until I started riding in heavy chaps. Funny tho', HE never got any in his sides or legs. ******! I learned to absolutely hate those things. And they hurt worse coming out that going in and that's none too pleasant.


----------



## Sheepdog (Sep 25, 2011)

Prickly pear isn't so bad, we have a big bush in my stable camp and the horses often hide in it's shade. Some even use it for a butt scratcher. But Cholla, I've only seen it on TV, living in South Africa we don't see that here. But I've ween an episode of ER where a little girl fell into a cholla. They eventyually used leg wax all over the poor kids/ body cause the parents refused to let the med personnel sedate her. Poor kid was in agony. On one of these Animal cops shows they once had a cat that fell into a cholla - OMW- they were pulling needles out of that poor kitty for like forever.


----------



## nikelodeon79 (Mar 3, 2008)

I don't know much about cacti, but I had a pony who LOVED eating the flowers off of a thistle plant. Silly guy never got so much as a scratch, but we watched him strip every plant bare of its blossoms.

These are the plants he loved to eat:


----------



## Dreamcatcher Arabians (Nov 14, 2010)

I fight those dang things in my pasture all the time, worse now because of the drought. My horses never touch 'em but I run into them when I'm not paying attention and they HURT.


----------



## nikelodeon79 (Mar 3, 2008)

Dreamcatcher Arabians said:


> I fight those dang things in my pasture all the time, worse now because of the drought. My horses never touch 'em but I run into them when I'm not paying attention and they HURT.


Yeah, we have a hard time keeping them at bay. If you don't get the roots, they grow right back.

A large cluster of them grew up over my pony's grave and I couldn't bring myself to remove them. Seemed fitting somehow.


----------



## caseymyhorserocks (Apr 5, 2010)

nikelodeon79 said:


> I don't know much about cacti, but I had a pony who LOVED eating the flowers off of a thistle plant. Silly guy never got so much as a scratch, but we watched him strip every plant bare of its blossoms.
> 
> These are the plants he loved to eat:


Casey eats those whole. I have watched her eat it all, from the the flower down to the root.. 

I don't live in cactus country luckily, I wouldn't want those ******s to be anywhere around my horses!


----------

