# Small Rant...



## Iseul (Mar 8, 2010)

So, I moved my two horses to this new barn up towards where I work and where I intend to move (once I start working again).

I was looking around for a barn I can pay weekly and work off some board (I can afford it, but money is tight at the moment since I'm laid off so I'd rather work it off). This barn has 16 stalls with stall-kept horses and my two are kept in the pasture. Now, I view trees as a shelter and there's plenty up there. But, being that it's winter, it was made out that they would be getting more hay than the stall horses since they're out. Apparently not. That I'm not happy with, each horse gets 2 flakes (about 5lbs) AM/PM. They can't stay warm with just that.

Now, I'm the weekend barn hand, I feed AM/PM and clean all the stalls. Sunday is a breeze since I clean stalls very well, Saturday takes me at least 4 hours (16 stalls) because obviously the people during the week don't do so great of a job. Now, that's normal, I guess. I get to deal with the frozen hose because no one drains it and no one takes it up to the house so the BO can bring it in and let it thaw out. I always make sure everything is perfect, to a tee.

Well, either BO doesn't realize that I make everything look the best and make sure all the horses have water throughout the day (even without the hose, I'll bring buckets down between stalls). A few weeks ago, my truck wouldn't start and I couldn't make it out to feed. I told her about 40 minutes before (it's a 45-50min drive out for me) and apologized up and down. I know I would have been irate as well, but stuff happens, it's not like I have more than one vehicle or I could walk over, what was I suppose to do? If my truck doesn't start, my truck doesn't start.

Now, last night, I was rushing to finish stalls and feed so I could get home before the roads started freezing (I was at a tack swap the whole day). I forgot to sweep the little bit of hay that was dropped while feeding, forgot to drag the hose back up to the house (a decent bit aways uphill), and forgot to take my saddle up a flight of stairs to the tack room. Now, I understand I would be a little irritated, but not so that I would fire the help (that does a better job than everyone else, that also does weekends, which weekend help around here is very difficult to find). I got to wake up to the fact that (after I spent 20 minutes trying to feed and water her chickens, which was a favour, not my job) I shouldn't even set anything on those racks in the barn so I can't forget it there (I was planning on riding), it was rude not to take the hose up to the house (which, I always have to saturday morning because no one else does), and never again will I forget to sweep the aisle again.

Now, I don't know if she's this confrontational and rude about things because she's young, but she does this to everyone. She doesn't want the barn, she just keeps it because the property is paid off and it's been in her family for three or four generations.

I just want to know if I'm crazy for thinking this is a bit over the top? This is the only time I've forgotten anything, and it wasn't like I forgot to water/feed the horses or latch gates. My biggest thing is, she doesn't even use the rack I had my saddle on.
I'm moving as soon as spots open up at the barn I looked at saturday so I'm not too worried about if someone would stay or not, just kind of ranting and wondering if I'm crazy for feeling this is over the top for such little things.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


----------



## egrogan (Jun 1, 2011)

I think I'm confused about what actually happened. Did she fire you? Or just yell at you?

If it was just yelling, I think you just sort of have to suck it up and take it as a lesson learned. As a manager, yelling is not my style, but if someone didn't do the work well, I would have no problem confronting that person even about things that seem "little." 

Do you have a checklist for all the tasks of the shift? Our BM has a checklist for AM/PM shift that the barn assistant has to complete, sign, and turn in before they leave. If for some reason something can't get done, they make a note about why and leave a big note on the common message board for barn assistants coming in on the next shift to do it. From a boarder's perspective, that system seems to work really well as our barn is always in great shape and horses well attended. 

Maybe instituting a checklist system like this would help your barn overall, since it sounds like you are stuck picking up slack at times. Maybe it's something to suggest to the BO as a productive way to show you are trying to think about how to avoid the situation you found yourself in last weekend?

Sorry you had a negative experience with this woman though, it's certainly never fun to get yelled at.


----------



## Saskia (Aug 26, 2009)

I don't think anyone ever should yell at anyone. It's rude and inappropriate and it has no place in the workplace. Although I'm not that sure if she yelled at you or just messaged you. 

It's a tricky thing because while yes, you only forgot it once, it's a business and everything should be always right. That's what they're paying you/reducing your board for.


----------



## stevenson (Sep 12, 2011)

Maybe she was having a bad day, Tired of dealing with frozen hoses herself, had to change or cancel plans,( even though your truck would not start and its no ones fault)
Does she know you do these extra things and others are not ? 
No one likes to get yelled at . IYou can have your feelings and not need to explain them .
You will be moving soon, so just be polite when you see the BO


----------



## Regula (Jan 23, 2012)

What would worry me more is that the horses get only 10lbs of hay a day. Not sure where you're located (obviously somewhere colder though) or if there is other forage, but a regular size horse needs about double that (rough ball park figure). 2% of body weight is a good place to start, and then adapt as needed.
I would watch very closely to make sure the horses don't lose condition.

As for the getting yelled at - happened to me at a place I was boarding too (I wasn't working there, just boarding). Although I don't hold grudges and can understand that everyone has bad days (or other worries), it still broke something. I was pregnant at the time too and extra sensitive. 
I'd previously enjoyed going there, but after that incident I started dreading the BO and felt awkward whenever I met him. It was just not a good climate anymore, and I ended up leaving soon after.
Stuff happens, but I wish people were more aware that even a single bad interaction can do a lot of damage - like with a horse, haha.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


----------



## Saddlebag (Jan 17, 2011)

When I did chores for lessons, the BO was fair. He'd tell me quietly, away from everyone else if I'd forgotten to do something (one sentence) and that was the end of it. I didn't apologize or make excuses, just paid mind. The few times it was something minor which didn't affect the care of the horses.


----------



## Corporal (Jul 29, 2010)

Glad you are moving. I have not ever considered letting anybody board for precisely the situation that they cannot make it out to do chores, whatever the reason, thus not fulfilling the conditions of the work-towards-board.
I have this:
http://www.amazon.com/Pirit-PWL-03-...25564628&sr=8-5&keywords=heated+rv+water+hose
When you leave send her the above link. I love mine, but I have to be careful to keep it away from my horses, who will play with it and get shocked. 'O'
I guess if somebody did board with me, I would make the work conditions be building/yardwork during Spring/Summer/Fall, paying for the winter board ahead of time, thus the weather would not be a consideration.
When I rented space from a farmer (1985-1999) the farmer would never even throw out a bale of hay for me. I had to drive out to take care of my horses. After a few years of this, I went looking for my own property, which I found in 1999. Now my horses get fed no matter what. My 5 acres, real house, 4 car garage, barn big enough for 500 bales (loft) and 3 stalls below, garage, and shelter adjacent, cost me $89,900
It's been reassessed for taxes now for less. You CAN find your own place. When things pick up again, go looking. =D


----------



## Iseul (Mar 8, 2010)

Corporal, the sad thing is, she has that hose..just no plug close enough for it. But, I've been looking for the past three months already, LOL.

I'm paying extra for two full bales instead of 16 flakes a day now. I think it should be included, but whatever, I don't like skinny horses, especially when they're mine.

The day I didn't make it out because my truck didn't start, I paid her for it. I didn't just keep my discounted board without doing the work, I couldn't do that.

It's just a huge issue for me (when normally it wouldn't be) because it seems as though every day is a bad day for her. She's always complaining about someone/something.

Her lesson students use to do stalls tuesday and they quit coming. Stalls don't get done on tuesdays because she won't do them. This week the monday/wednesday work called off because she had to go out of state for a death. The stalls weren't done since I did them sunday. That's not okay. Just because you don't have help to do them for you, it doesn't mean they can just stay dirty!!!

The hose was down at the barn frozen to the ground as well yesterday. She never even called my horses down for their AM feeding, I got up there at one and saw absolutely soaked hay because they were up in the back corner in the trees.
She never swept the aisle either, there's hay and crap everywhere. You want your ancient barn to look sooo nice, but you can't do a simple sweeping of the aisle, three days in a row? Just blows my mind.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


----------



## Corporal (Jul 29, 2010)

Wow. WHAT a shame that they don't make extension cords. My house plug is too far from the hose and I have 15' extension cord for it. When I use my reciprocating saw to trim I will put 2, 100' foot extension cords together to reach when necessary.
Good thing you are moving.


----------



## Iseul (Mar 8, 2010)

Yupp, tell me about it. To boot, money shouldn't be an issue at all. No mortgage, no truck payment, no trailer payment for either of them. Extension cords really aren't that expensive..
I just can't believe I'm this bad of a character judge, lol.
I really hope the two leaving the new barn move theirs home asap so I can move mine in!
_Posted via Mobile Device_


----------



## dressagebelle (May 13, 2009)

While I agree that the barn should look nice, and her getting upset when you didn't leave it "perfect" at the same time, obviously she won't do the work herself to keep it that way, crap happens, and if she really doesn't like doing the whole horse business thing, rent the barn out. It stays in the family, but someone else is in charge of everything, and she just takes rent from one person. 

I have a friend that is in a similar situation. The barn owner has been heard several times complaining about how much she hates horses, can't stand to touch them etc. She lets the boarders feed and clean for reduced board so she doesn't have to actually "hire" someone to do the work for her, and the barn manager is a joke. She knows nothing about horses, randomly changes the horse's feed without notifying the owner of said horse, and doesn't regulate the feeding or cleaning at all. So sometimes the horses are fed plenty, and the stalls look great, and other days the place looks like a wreck. Most of the boarders are teenage kids, who only do the bare minimum in feeding and cleaning, and I feel bad for the horses. They are in crappy stalls with mud up to their ankles, food is often just thrown on the ground, where a good chunk is wasted in winter because the rain and mud. All the school horses are skinny and lack a lot of muscle because the barn owner won't fork out the money to keep them at a decent weight. Then she goes and yells at everyone else for not immediately picking up a pile of poop in the barn aisle (often while the horse is still currently going), or in the wash rack, or not winding the hose up properly, but then she won't do it herself after helping students put their horses away after a lesson or what not. Heck this woman couldn't even pull herself out of bed (at 8am) when one of her horses was colicking, then she yelled at the person feeding because they stopped feeding to try and help the horse, and no one else was there. Colicking horse trumped feeding the rest until the vet arrived, and the barn owner didn't even care that the feed person was trying to help HER horse. 

Unfortunately you can't make people like that change, and the best thing to do is just find a new place to board. It sucks, but no amount of talking or trying to make them see your point of view is going to help. Especially if they don't like horses. That alone freaks me out. Sure you don't have to be absolutely in love with horses, but if you are taking care of them, you need to at least appreciate them, and enjoy looking out the window and seeing them. If you don't, who knows what you aren't seeing, and of course you wouldn't be willing to just walk around the barn to check on them and get to know them so you know when something's wrong. I'm glad you are moving, and hopefully nothing else happens between now and then.


----------



## Iseul (Mar 8, 2010)

Well, the oddest thing is, she loves horses. To be too lazy to clean the barn your beloved horses are in just blows my mind.

Oh, my horses are also not worth anything and she looks down on them because they're pastured. She doesn't turn out any horses in the barn, they're stalled 24/7 until I turn them out in the indoor when I do their stalls on the weekends.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


----------



## stevenson (Sep 12, 2011)

Isuel, I boarded for one lady for 30 days.. She had 4 horses, and was to clean pens 3 x a week She got mad because she spent all her time cleaning pens, her and her hubby . she paid me $50.00 A month to offset water cost. i was never so happy after she left. She did a horrid job on the pens. She broke every single rule I had in place.I had hopes she would work out .
I never yelled at her. I explained many times that this was not her property she could not do as she pleased.

I guess some people do not appreciate good help. 
I had a girl and her Mom come help clean pens, brush horses etc, and i was going to let them start riding, then it was we will only be out at certain time, and on this day. Well they got upset, as it was not convenient for me. 
I now have a young lady who is riding my draft crosses, She brought her hubby today and helped with a couple of chores . She is working my horses, so I do not expect her to clean pens, and one day a week, that works for her and my hubby she will be giving him some instruction. I am glad i found her. I appreciate good help and honest people ! and if things work out really well, then i may let her hubby ride one of the old horses.


----------

