# unfed Thoroughbred tells on barn manager



## xraydana (Jan 5, 2009)

really need to vent. is this is an all too common boarding experience? i pray for the day we can keep our horse at home. if we listen our horse will always tell us the truth. we recently moved from a really nice amenities facility due to lack of food. 17h OTTB, not a hard keeper, it's really simple math. 2-2.5% of body weight fed daily. if he doesn't get what his body requires he will rib up very fast. our guy started losing weight in december. we started buying and feeding all his hay, everyday. as not to offend barn manager who wouldn't give him enough hay even though we bought and delivered it. given adequate hay by us he caught right back up. then in april he ribbed up again. 3rd he was fine 14th-ribby. what in the heck? very next day found morning supplements and medication in "night" bucket with 1/2 of his normal amount. so basically to make more money off our horse this jerk manager cut his feed from 6lbs 2x day to 3lbs 1x day. no wonder horse ribbed up again. when confronted manager blew his lid and told me not to go in feed room. i went straight back in and got supplements and med.s. we pulled our horse in under 48 hours. i was told later about the feed cuts by others who had left that barn(didn't tell our story). they had seen morning buckets unfed and horses just being turned out without morning grain. we were there every evening, but given any chance obviously this jerk made horses go hungry. i feel bad for the horses left there. their owners believe whatever lies they are told. they have plenty to eat, old age, lack of muscle, hard heats for mares are some i heard. ribs and croups need to be covered people! find somewhere else where horses are well fleshed. our horse told us and we listened. we believe him over any person because he cannot lie. we board because we have to for now. our horse is family, we spend as much time with him as possible. to make sure he is well cared for, board is paid ahead, we are good stewards to the barn, practice sportsmanship and mind our business (no drama). so i put it here,really needed to get it out. it is so painful that someone would knowingly choose to make an innocent vulnerable being go hungry. it is crazy these things happen. so thankful we listened and he is back in full weight.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## KigerQueen (Jun 16, 2013)

yeah its common at least in my area sadly. thats why we feed extra.


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## xraydana (Jan 5, 2009)

i saw your response in another post KigerQueen. it's so hard to believe a BM cannot do simple math! to cut a horses necessary intake will give results seen in your photos. i would worry more about colic without food in the gut. horses are suppose to be grazers not event eaters.


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## Corporal (Jul 29, 2010)

Sorry. It sounds like you are almost full care, but still *paying* for full care. Maybe your should move to a full care facility?
Find a new place, but take plenty of pictures and post them later...if you feel like it, on FB and humiliate the BO. There is no great money in operating a boarding barn, so people want to cut corners.
But, I don't get it...you are bringing in hay. Sounds like he is stealing what you supply. Are you sure that he isn't doing this?


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## xraydana (Jan 5, 2009)

we have moved, sadly self care is not an option in our area. we fed our own hay at the old place and i do think we drove the BM crazy. our hay was stacked and tied together and top bales were in locked bale bags. we also tied top of hay net in stall so none could be taken. thought of exactly what you did. he couldn't get at the hay so then cut feed as it was the only thing he could do. don't even get me started on the stall cleaning and purchasing shavings. it's ridiculous to have to stay ahead of bad people, just to get adequate care for a beloved family member. thank God we got our boy out. we are at a true full care barn that believes in feeding and clean stalls now. he is safe.


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## mred (Jan 7, 2015)

A good BO will know what it is costing per horse (feed and hay). If he doesn't, he is not much of a horse person. I know it is very hard to break even. But if he can't, he needs out of the business. No one should cut the feed/hay to keep a horse up. BO/BM should also check horses health on a daily basic. If they can't do it right, they need to be closed. Most good owners will pay a little more. At the same time, BO's should not take bad boarder. It sounds like you are a good one. To check your horse often and notice his needs.


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## jenkat86 (May 20, 2014)

That type of care is pretty typical in my area too, unfortunately. And I think the BO's I've dealt with honestly thought they understood horse nutrition. And I will be the first to admit...it wasn't until I started a rough board agreement that I really started understanding horse nutrition as well. EVERY barn I ever boarded at (3 over an 8 year period) gave every horse the same amount of grain and hay. And...any time I ever questioned anything, which at the time was out of pure curiosity because I didn't know what went into feeding a horse, I got accused of being difficult. I shake my head now because I can't even believe what I didn't know. Lessons learned though. I hope I never have to go back to boarding.


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## 4hoofbeat (Jun 27, 2013)

The first boarding situation my old gelding was in, was similar. It was horrible. They fed really cheap hay too. I think my guy was there at most 2 months. 
When I went to visit to see it before I moved him, all the horses had beautiful hay in front of them. I didn't really think anything of it. The barn owner, when I noticed the two ribby horses, she piped up "oh They're new rescues we took in". Later I learned they weren't. 


Thankfully the next horse I get will be coming home instead of going to a boarding situation.


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## Horseychick87 (Feb 5, 2014)

I have two barns known for underfeeding in my area, out of numerous good and decent barns.

The first one is a very large facility about 10 minutes from me on about 30 acres of land and 32 stalls, but more like 40 horses. I actually interviewed with the owner for a job. I left when I saw and heard the drama going on about her not feeding the horses but maybe 4 pounds of hay each per day and then they were on 'pasture' Most of the property is a lake and another good portion is arenas. So the horses have very limited grass. Way overstocked in my opinion.

The second one is about 15 minutes away and houses anywhere between 20 to 40 horses on 9.5 acres. There is no grass, or there wasn't the last time I was out there. The owners and staff were rude beyond measure. I turned heel and fled.

However we have a lot more good barns in my area thankfully and plenty of places are willing to work with hard keeping horses and owners.


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## sunset878 (Nov 26, 2012)

I am so lucky that we have the acreage to keep our horses at home. It is a great feeling to look out of a window and see your horses around you. I hope that one day you will be as lucky as we are, and be able to keep your babies at home.


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## stevenson (Sep 12, 2011)

I have been on both sides of the fence, and no one wants a bad boarder and when you get one, they are a royal pain you know where to get rid of. 
If you board read the contract very carefully , make sure it specifies feed type and approx amt of feed, not just 2 flakes, if it says two flakes make them put how many inches wide a flake is considered ( for the average type of bale that is 100 lbs ) a flake is about 4 inch wide .


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