Addressing Concerns at New Barn

[luv2lope]

I just moved my horse to a new barn-- I LOVED my previous barn but horses were not getting turned out and would sit in stalls day after day, with the same horses getting turned out daily. Supplements would not get fed and would just sit there. As I have a young horse (2 year old), I decided that I needed a more suitable barn where he could get out all day to just grow up and be a horse.

Tour a facility that is located an hour away from me as boarding barns are scarce. New BO seems knowledgeable and friendly, tells me my horse will go out with 2 others all day and that they have hay in feeders, lots of turnout, etc. Horses look happy and fat, everyone is calmly eating hay together. Seems like a good fit for myself and my horse.

Move my horse to new barn. Come out over the weekend to find that my horse is out with 5 others and he cannot get to the hay feeder because the others chase him away. Observe him in the turnout and he is picking through dirty pieces of hay in the field, and pawing at mud trying to find something to eat. Him and 2 others just stand there staring at the hay feeder and aimlessly walk around trying to nibble on anything they can find.

Obviously there needs to be another hay feeder put in. Brought him in to his stall and he starts chowing down like he was starving. Notice his manure piles are smaller, so I definitely know he’s not getting enough hay. I am upset and heartbroken seeing this.

As I just moved to this place 4 days ago, I am not wanting to come out as “that boarder” and get myself kicked out as I have no place to go right now but on the other hand I am terrified for my horse’s wellbeing. How can I calmly navigate this situation to come to a resolution with the BO? I am going to send her a text to address my concerns, but am having a hard time searching for the right words to not piss anyone off.

I am beating myself up over this decision, and stressed to no end right now. I feel like I’ve let my horse down, I was supposed to never put him in a situation like this…and here we are. I am desperately searching for a new barn to go to, as this has just turned me off this place for boarding. The red flag moment was the BO asking which horse I owned again

[Jealoushe]

It’s a fair and normal concern. I would just ask the BO as normal and mature as possible. Just say you noticed your horse is the low end of the herd and unable to get to the hay pile, Will a separate pile be made for the future? If not why? If they say no ask if you can buy another feeder for use, and they supply the hay.

Bottom line is it’s a business and caring for your horse IS the business. Having hay available is bare minimum.

[Against_All_Odds2]

4 days is not a lot of time for herd dynamics to settle. I just did this with my guy and it settled within a week and a half. Could you ask that more hay be put out in the meantime?

[trubandloki]

@Against_All_Odds2

4 days is not a lot of time for herd dynamics to settle. I just did this with my guy and it settled within a week and a half. Could you ask that more hay be put out in the meantime?

This is my thought too. Ask this way.

If this type of question causes the barn owner to be upset with you, then just consider it you learning very quickly what they are like.

[enjoytheride]

4 days is not enough time for herd dynamics to settle. The new barn is not going to add another hay feeder for someone who has been there for 4 days and if someone came to me asking me to make immediate changes after 4 days I’d invite them to leave because it’s going downhill from there.

There’s no problem going “I see that dobbin hasn’t made any friends yet” and seeing where the conversation goes from there. It sounds like the owner brought the horse in and fed it extra hay without telling anyone or asking any questions.

The horse owner is already unhappy and moving.

[enjoytheride]

@Jealoushe

It’s a fair and normal concern. I would just ask the BO as normal and mature as possible. Just say you noticed your horse is the low end of the herd and unable to get to the hay pile, Will a separate pile be made for the future? If not why? If they say no ask if you can buy another feeder for use, and they supply the hay.

Bottom line is it’s a business and caring for your horse IS the business. Having hay available is bare minimum.

There IS hay available. The horse has been there for 4 days? He most likely has just been incorporated into the turnout group and has not had the time to integrate his place in the herd and the barn manager is probably monitoring the situation and giving it some time As a barn owner I would not add a separate feeder even if a boarder paid for it, especially if they had been boarding there for 4 days. At 4 days I barely have the horse out in his turnout group.

Adding extra hay in piles is going to shake up the dynamic and most likely the dominant horse is going to just take all the hay. The herd needs to settle.

ESPECIALLY if the horse has not been turned out before he’s going to take up to 30 days to find his place in the herd, and possibly be rotated into a more suitable group. If the horse owner is already HEARTBROKEN I’m not sure they can be made happy at all.

Regardless, the horse owner already says she’s moving again.

[Jealoushe]

I personally would throw a separate pile because even it’s just 4 days, 4 days is too long for a horse to be without hay for the day.

Aside from that I was more talking about how to address the issue. I don’t think someone having a mature conversation about things is a need to get huffed and kick someone out over lol

[enjoytheride]

Given the horse owner’s reaction to finding her horse out ONCE without eating from the hay pile I can’t imagine the conversation going well.

How long is turnout even? I would much rather a new horse go without hay for 4 to 8 hours for a week or so than risk someone getting kicked in the face when I change the entire set up. As long as he has hay before and after turnout he will survive, integrate, and make horse friends. I can tell you that there is NO WAY his horse friends will stay at their hay pile and leave him to his. It will cause drama. He’s only been there 4 days. I would imagine that he hasn’t even been turned out much yet.

[bingbingbing]

I agree it is not long enough for the herd to settle. BUT OP was told her young horse would be going out with two others, not five. That right there is a problem. I wouldn’t be happy either.

[enjoytheride]

@bingbingbing

I agree it is not long enough for the herd to settle. BUT OP was told her young horse would be going out with two others, not five. That right there is a problem. I wouldn’t be happy either.

Then I would address why the 5 and not the 2. That is a valid concern. Maybe someone made an error

[trubandloki]

In my experience (which clearly might not match others), one bale with a group that size and the low horse will not just suddenly make friends and be allowed in.

More than four or five horses requires more than one feeding station.

I also do not think it should be out of line for someone to ask a barn owner questions.

The barn owner and the horse owner do not have to agree on things, but they should be able to have a discussion about the care of the horse.

In this case the horse owner should be able to ask the barn owner why Dobbin is not in the set-up they discussed (amount of horses). And the horse owner should also be able to ask what the barn owner’s thoughts are on Dobbin not being able to get to the hay because he is new and so low in the pecking order.

[enjoytheride]

I have no issues with a boarder asking me why I wasn’t doing something I said I’d do. I got the impression it was a standing feeder ad depending on type they can hold considerably more than a bale. But given how the owner is heartbroken and sick I am not sure that is going to go well. Regardless, the op has already said she’s moving again.

It’s possible a barn worker put the 5 bay horses out and had no idea hers was new.

[fivestrideline]

@enjoytheride

It’s possible a barn worker put the 5 bay horses out and had no idea hers was new.

Off topic, but this would bother me more than a lot of “silly mistakes” that people make. Nameplates on halter and door, people! Even a piece of tape and a sharpie. Turnout chart. It’s not hard. Horses going out in the wrong turnout is a HUGE no no for me.

[fivestrideline]

On topic, a polite inquiry into the change in turnout group (“did Dobbin not get along with the smaller herd?”) shouldn’t be a problem. Freaking out and looking for a new barn after 4 days and no discussion sounds like OP could maybe take a deep breath and realize that a baby horse who hasn’t had much turnout is going to have an adjustment period. If things don’t smooth out in a week or so, then it might be worth asking BO some polite questions as to a plan going forward.

[enjoytheride]

Sure. Definitely a opportunity for barn worker education but right now we have no idea what happened and why.

[LCDR]

My own experience of 40 years as a boarder is that NO owner or manager has ever asked me in advance of making any changes in turnout, location, stall assignment, or feeding of any of my horses. And that includes the barns I considered pretty top-notch. I just thought it was the way everyone operated.

[luvmyhackney]

5 horses is a lot on one feeder. But that’s not the hill I would die on. I would ask about the smaller 2 horse group that was discussed, and if it’s going to be 5 horses if there any way to integrate him with the horses in a smaller group so he can make a friend before a large group of 5.

[trubandloki]

@enjoytheride

It sounds like the owner brought the horse in and fed it extra hay without telling anyone or asking any questions.

I feel like you are angry and it is not even your barn.
The OP does not say they fed extra hay. The OP simply says she brought him in and he was chowing down.
When I leave in the morning my stalls are set up with hay for the evening. Maybe that is why I do not find it automatically nefarious and make the leap that someone gave extra feed.

@luv2lope

Brought him in to his stall and he starts chowing down like he was starving

Now Luv2lope, as you have seen, I get why you are upset. But you are not ever going to find a boarding barn that is perfect, so you have to learn to be less dramatic when things are not like you want them.
I personally find most horses, clearly not all, but most, chow down on whatever you feed them when you bring them in. You (general) could be dragging them off hay outside and once they see the hay inside they are starving to death.

[FjordBCRF]

@trubandloki

You (general) could be dragging them off hay outside and once they see the hay inside they are starving to death.

My gelding wrote the book on this.

I also agree that no boarding facility is perfect; there is always going to be at least something that isn’t how you want it to be and you have to decide what elements are the most important to you.

[candyappy]

@Jealoushe

Aside from that I was more talking about how to address the issue. I don’t think someone having a mature conversation about things is a need to get huffed and kick someone out over lol

See, I agree.

I would be one to talk in person with the BO/ BM ( whoever is actually doing the feeding/ handling) and in an adult way voice my concerns.
To be quite honest I have never seen such a large group of horse people( women of all ages on here) so afraid and intimidated that they cannot have a conversation with the BO where they are paying huge sums of money to board their horse, when something is concerning them.

@luv2lope talk with the BO and voice your concerns of what you have seen. More than likely your horse and the the 2 others you saw who were afraid to eat will find their place in the herd and be happily chowing down in a few days. Hopefully BO/ BM is aware and watching carefully and will adjust things if they don’t improve.

I would also make sure your horse is getting extra hay in the stall to make up for what he isn’t getting right now while adjusting.

It doesn’t make you a problem boarder. It helps to ensure you actually get what you pay for and you do have a say in the care of your horse.