Just ask politely! My guy lives out 24/7 and it took a few turnout moves with different friends to finally find the right solution. My trainer and her staff are the eyeballs on the ground, not me. When she messages me to ask if I mind him going to a new turnout, my answer is always “you do whatever you need to do to make it easiest on everyone!”
Although, my gelding is a top of the pecking order kinda dude.
You literally sat and watched your horse for 2 hours each day you’ve boarded? And didn’t ask the BO about the turnout situation?
Thank you for your advice! I just don’t believe in horses being stressed or getting the crap kicked out of them trying to eat. He is the lowest horse in the pecking order right now…I’m fine with that, as long as he can get his fill of hay. He’s already got bite marks and a few welts on him. I know he’s a horse and it’s to be expected in group turnout but I just don’t want him stressed, getting hurt or losing weight out of this. For $700/ month for full care indoor board, I expect my horse to get the proper amount of hay that he needs to maintain his weight and growth, and not have to fight his way in for access to hay.
I have noticed that they clean stalls but don’t throw flakes of hay or fill buckets in the stalls after stalls are done, so thinking they must do hay and water at turn in.
When vetting barns, anyone that had more than 4 horses per turnout I crossed off my list. It’s just something I am not comfortable with, as I feel that more than 4 is an invitation for trouble to arise.
The BO was not around on Saturday and I saw her for 2 seconds on Sunday as they were going out to get a load of hay. There were a bunch of boarders there as well and I would like to speak to her privately without an audience listening in.
My horse shipped in on Thursday without me there and I can only see my horse on weekends right now, so I’m not there every day.
I have always kept my horses together. From older to weanlings, to shetland pony and never has it been customary for them to keep the young horses (or any horse) from the food. Sounds like the barn isn’t putting out enough for all and that the right horses aren’t paired correctly if it continues?
Sounds like this may be a continual issue because the bully never changes and the timid never get stronger once they are intimidated in that group.
JMO- take all emotion out of the conversation. Don’t say anything like “I was heartbroken” to see him picking hay from the mud.
It is fair to ask: Poopsie has never been out in a herd. I thought he was going out with a smaller group than the 5 I saw on Sat. Did that not work out?
If all the other horses are fat and happy, yours will probably follow suit when he adjust to the new normal.
I am not saying this is your case, but if people move from barn to barn and have constant issues- sometimes they need to look at the common denominator- and it isn’t usually the barn.
They probably throw hay at night so owners don’t leave their horse in the stall to eat all their hay during the day.
As a BO, I personally don’t care if horses eat the hay during the day while cooling out, etc. and just refill the nets at night, but I specifically don’t give said fat pony described above hay in the AM because he doesn’t need ANY more hay! Same with any horse on a “restricted diet” — I.e. a founder concern. It is a health issue if they eat too much hay.
As a barn owner i would be freaking out if new client horse wasnt getting hay. 5 can work with the right mix or be too much with a dominant horse and a too afraid submissive horse - just depends.
For ex my young horse is positively pissed at me currently bc i took her away from her fun playful herd that never let her eat hay and put her in with the old mares that she can eat any time with but they dont move and play with her. She kind of just looks at me like this is so boring…but i actually see her on the roundbale now. She would probably be happier if i gave her the 3 year old gelding to play with because she likes rear tag run. 
So personalities/ages matter.
If he has never been socalized he needs to learn heard dynamics. That is a learning curve.
Just have a convo now…my horse needs more hay.
Also, which horse does he like and want to be with?
I think it sounds like passive aggression.
You literally watched your horse in a field for 2 hours a day for several consecutive days, but didn’t ask any questions of anyone? Didn’t send a text to the BO? Were there no other staff present? Did you talk to the other boarders and ask them about the typical turnout schedule, about horses sharing hay racks?
Did you ride while you were there? Or just watch the horse standing in a field?
I believe this horse is a 2yo.
Oh god I missed that this is a 2y/o. He’s got bite marks and welts? Text the barn owner today. Ask how he’s doing and mention the bites and that he was having a hard time getting to the hay when you saw him over the weekend. Ask why he isn’t in the small group as discussed.
Consider that a 2 yo might have gotten his behind handed to him when he arrogantly approached the herd alpha, or tried to play with a horse who doesn’t like to play.
2yo are pests. He might have gotten what was coming to him, and now he’s got his proverbial tail tucked for awhile while he licks his wounds.
Of course, this thought process doesn’t work when you think your horse is a special snow flake.
When did people stop talking to one another? The are so many threads on the BB where half of the problems could be solved if people just TALKED. I move somewhere, I am unhappy with something, I start a conversation about it with the powers that be. So without talking to the BO the OP is just assuming a lot of things that may or may not be happening. This also would probably be pretty easy to iron out but instead she’s secretly planning to move? 
Remember about 20 years ago when kids texted each other instead of talking to each other, even when they were all together at the same barn?
Those kids are “adults” now. But like horses they needed to be taught herd communication as youngsters. And if they weren’t …
So now we get grownups posting online asking for help communicating.
Sigh.
And by the time it happens the BO will be happy to let her.
All I can think of for the OP is to catch her horse when he’s in the pasture and take him out to hand graze him and groom him and do some ground work with him instead of just sitting on a bench looking at him and worrying.
Then hopefully the BO would walk by – or @luv2lope you could walk by her, and just smile and say “Hi. Is he gonna be out with the 5 instead of the 2 we talked about?” Like it’s not the end of the world (or this horse’s time at this barn).
Especially since he’s got bite marks he needs a good grooming, petting, going-over session.
100% this. It’s now going on what…2 days? 3 days? If I was truly worried sick about a situation my horse was in you better believe I would be sending a text or calling the BO. Waiting for the “right moment” to address something that is so concerning to you…I have to believe it’s not that big of a concern. If there are others around, you pull the BO to the side and ask them to step away for a minute as you have a couple questions you’d like to address privately.
The longer you wait, the goofier you end up looking too…“BO…I noticed 5 days ago my horse was out with more horses than you told me he would be, why is that?” If you are going to ask something, just ask it! If you did that as soon as you noticed the issue, BO could have responded that it was A) a mistake and it would be taken care of or B) something else. If it were B), that’s your opening to say he doesn’t seem to be able to eat his share of hay and ask if this is normal for that pasture group when integrating a new horse in or if there is something else that can be arranged.
This situation may well resolve itself in the meantime.
Editing to add - You and only you are your horses advocate. If you board, that makes it even more important. If you are only able to be out on weekends, I would put a priority on a place that has a stellar care reputation and a communicative BO/BM.
My horse is a VERY easy keeper and laminitis risk. I have been very clear about his/my needs when moving barns; he gets a mash which I make as easy as possible, he has an auto feeder which I handle unless Im on vacation, and he has been reactive to vaccines in the past so I need to be able to check him around the clock after vaccination. That is the big up front stuff. When it comes to the day to day, I am very clear about when he needs to start wearing his grazing muzzle. Current barn was close to out of first cutting this week; my gelding put on weight with second cutting so I was clear he still needed to be on first cut and that I would get some if needed. BO took care of it herself. It’s important to develop working relationships with people that take care of your horse because it’s never smooth sailing for long if you board in my experience; and I don’t mean that as a reason to cut and run, its being able to functionally address those concerns along the way.
Did people text that long ago?
If OP sat for 2 hours on Sat and Sun and saw her baby ( which is basically what a 2 year old is) repeatedly run off from the hay, I really doubt this is a special snow flake moment and given the bite marks and welts it appears it is more than him being a pesty 2 year old.
Texting was still a bit primitive 20 years ago, cell phones were still mainly for talking. I think you COULD text, but everything was a charge. It was better to IM each other in the same dorm room with AOL Instant Messenger than talk. We did it to laugh about doing it
Hmmm … kids at the barn, now in their mid-20s …
more like 16 years ago (like I said, “about 20 years ago” lol).
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