Am I Off Base? RE: Thunderstorms and no shelter

[Dr_Doolittle]

Popping on here to comment that this seems like a pile-on. (Having been the target of one years ago, I easily recognize it.)

OP - your BM was overreacting - not sure whether there was some underlying reason for her scorched earth policy?, or whether you just caught her on a bad day?

Based on what you explained: been there a year, had a good basic working relationship with the BM, paid board on time, cleaned up after yourself, helped BM with various barn/farm tasks, never asked that your horse be held for vet/farrier, etc. - this response by her is extreme.

One thing you could have done differently (which has been covered by other posters) is to have couched your text in a question: “It’s storming heavily right now so I’m concerned for my safety and Dobbin’s - I brought him in early, hope this is okay? But wanted to give you a heads up that he’s in” Later, you could have explained that when you are there and it’s storming badly, you would prefer to bring him in; this really just saves them the labor (and you can pick his stall) - I can’t imagine that your BM would have a problem with this…

I’m happy to hear that you found a better barn so quickly, and that you are out of there. It sounds like your BM is a bit thin skinned and reactive, but maybe she was having other stressors and you just happened to be in the line of fire.

Caveat: YES!, horses are out in storms all the time without shelter, and survive! Mine are and have been since during the almost 12 years I’ve been at my boarding barn. All I can do is not think about it and hope for the best. That said, if I wanted my horse (the one on stall board, not the one on field board) to stay in on occasion (she’s out at night and in during the day 365) my BM wouldn’t have a problem with it. And she’s a blunt, straightforward type whose bad side you do NOT want to be on.

Best of luck to you, OP!

[George_T_Mule]

@vxf111

Horses are weird.

They can be. Mine will sometimes come into their stalls during a thunderstorm, sometimes not. Hail will almost always fetch 'em.
I’ve also seen them standing out in a driving blizzard with their butts to the wind, when they could turn, walk 100ft, and be in a dry, out-of-the-wind stall. For this reason, I’m pretty vigilant about getting them into their blankies ahead of an approaching storm; they are relatively invulnerable once properly clad.
As far as getting struck by lightning, it does happen. Some fencing arrangements can increase the likelihood of this, but beyond that I, personally, have better things to worry about, and for the most part allow them to make their own in/out decisions.
That said, it’s your horse, and you, only you, are ultimately responsible for its well being.
I will comment that around here, “Stall board” generally means the boarders have a stall, usually with an attached run, where they live, with occasional turnout at the discretion of the service provider. Read your contract before signing the dotted line.

[Dr_Doolittle]

Good post

[S1969]

@Dr_Doolittle

OP - your BM was overreacting - not sure whether there was some underlying reason for her scorched earth policy?

I’m guessing this:

@tipzythegreat

So here’s the background – I moved to a facility about a year ago and was, admittedly, terribly unhappy. I posted about it before (mice, bad footing, no shelter) and ended up wintering it out. I’ve been looking at barns to move to tentatively August 1 and am on a waitlist.

[sascha]

@trubandloki

Full board does not mean one simple thing, no matter how much you want it to.

And no matter how much you say it doesn’t, I could pull up a ton of ads from my area that support my definition that it includes a stall all year long. There may be additions (feet picking, grooming, etc.) and exceptions (night turnout in summer, blanketing to be handled by owner, extra feed to be provided by owner, etc.), but it always includes a stall all year long UNLESS specifically mentioned that horses are out 24/7 for the summer.

Other types of board would be outdoor (which could include nothing but hay and water and eyeballs on the horses once a day, or could include feed and blanketing, etc.), hybrid (horses get a stall for truly nasty weather only), and self care which can include anything from absolutely nothing but a dry stall to turnout/ turn in and water and sometime hay provided by proprietor.

There are many ways to care for horses. Nowhere did I say that the way I prefer to care for my horse is the only way horses should be cared for. Get your head out.

[trubandloki]

@sascha

I could pull up a ton of ads from my area that support my definition

Does the OP live in the same area as you do?

I am glad it always means the same thing where you live.

That makes it easier for you.

[endlessclimb]

“Full board” at the place I was at for 20 years was…

Picking stalls 2x a week and turnout 5 days a week for 3-5 hours. 2 flakes 2x a day. That’s it. No blanketing, no nothing.

“Full board” where I am now is…

Picking 7 days a week, unlimited hay, turnout 7 days a week for 10 hours a day. Blanketing included. BO is very caring and kind.

“Full board” up the road is…

Picking 5 days a week, turnout is not included. No blanketing. ~3 flakes 2x a day.

It most certainly means something different in different places.

[Djones]

@sascha

Things change when you know people who have lost horses due to lightning strikes. Also, please read “full board” as full board (stalled at night and for bad weather) rather than the variety of other board options available that other people may prefer.

I’ve seen Full Board mean out all night, brought in for breakfast and then left in all day out of the heat under a fan with hay a couple of times during the day, then dinner and chucked back outside. Maybe you’d prefer it be labeled Full Moon Board

[fivestrideline]

What can be gleaned from this (besides learning to convey tone over text or know when to chat in person) is that nothing in boarding means the same thing to everyone.

When looking for a place to board, it’s best to ask these types of questions and realize you’re unlikely to change the way things are done or get “special treatment” without creating problems. Barns either offer XYZ or they don’t, and sometimes you don’t know until you get there. That means it’s best to board somewhere that fits the most important Must Haves and learn to compromise on the rest, or to know how to keep your head down until you can leave.

In general, if you’re going to break typical routine or protocol for some reason once in a while, it’s best to preempt with a heads-up.

In OP’s case, their response text was worthy of being asked to leave IMO. That was a clear refusal to do things they way they were asked to - and clearly OP and the BO don’t have enough of a working relationship for the BO to think “okay there’s some miscommunication here, I should talk to them”. Instead, they asked OP to leave.

[candyappy]

@tipzythegreat

Am I off base in thinking this is an extreme reaction? Am I wrong to not want my horse out in thunderstorms without shelter?

If other boarders see you doing things they will follow suit and obviously it must not be ok with the owner of the facility to stall your horse as you please.

I don’t think you are wrong to want your horse protected from the elements and violent storms. In my thinking you are paying for that stall and you really should be able to use " off hours" it if you feel it is best for your horse.

[S1969]

@candyappy

I don’t think you are wrong to want your horse protected from the elements and violent storms. In my thinking you are paying for that stall and you really should be able to use " off hours" it if you feel it is best for your horse.

Well, she states that the barn is “hybrid” and horses are not stalled at all during summer. So, that probably means there is no regular stall cleaning person, and that is probably why the owners want to know if a horse is put inside. It may mean that the owners themselves have to clean stalls when/if horses come in, and if they aren’t aware, there may not be bedding in stalls, or water, or a plan to clean them.

The OP has been here a year so she kind of knows what is typical and expected.

[jvanrens]

@S1969

I’m guessing this:

@tipzythegreat

So here’s the background – I moved to a facility about a year ago and was, admittedly, terribly unhappy. I posted about it before (mice, bad footing, no shelter) and ended up wintering it out. I’ve been looking at barns to move to tentatively August 1 and am on a waitlist.

That doesn’t mean she was being a pain to the BM.

[candyappy]

@S1969

Well, she states that the barn is “hybrid” and horses are not stalled at all during summer.

Read again below:

@tipzythegreat

I DO want to remind y’all my contract is stall board with no mention of it being hybrid. I went there under impression my horse would be in a stall every night, as per the contract. The newest contracts say the same thing as she just sent them out.

@tipzythegreat

They do have pasture board. Those horses do have shelter. They do pay less than the stall boarded horses.

It’s just not what I signed up for contractually.

She pays for stall board but the barn also offers 24/7 pasture with shelter for others.

[SusanO]

I almost always bring my horses in if we have a storm with lightning. When I was a teen, the farm I boarded at had 4 horses killed by a lightning strike. Another farm had several struck too. I have never known of a horse around here being struck by lightning while in the stall. I am sure it happens, but the risk is a lot greater if they are out. When I was at work years ago we had a lightning strike right next to my barn and it blew the top off of a cedar tree. I came home to pieces of a cedar tree EVERYWHERE and a pony that had the bajezus scared out of him. He was fine and I don’t know if he got zapped a little but not enough to injure him. He didn’t tell me. So we can get some really violent thunderstorms here in the summer.

I do think she could have handled the situation better but I agree with her decision to not have the horse out in a storm. Rain is fine with me but lightning is not.

[4horses]

Lightning kills horses every year. One year I was riding and had a storm blow up. Started home at speed. My dad went to close the gate as I rode past to the barn. Lightning struck the tree and went down the fence and hit him. He was lucky not to be seriously injured. We lost 4 trees on one acre in about 3 years from lightning, so I would say some areas do have excessive lightning strikes.

My friend lost her mare and foal due to a lightning strike several years ago.

Then there is this recent news article:

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2024/05/28/colorado-cattle-rancher-dies-lightning-strike/73881915007/

[VodkaRedbullx2]

Neither are wrong. Find the barn that fits for you.

I wouldn’t be able to drop everything and get horses in from a storm without a huge time inconvenience. Then I have to turn out and clean all those stalls too. It’s not worth the anxiety when you have that customer that expects you to drop everything in minor bad weather. I mean, it’s a big ask! It’s a lot of extra work when horses are off routine.

But lightening strikes can kill horses. Even if they are standing on a tree root and that tree gets hit they die. So find a barn where your needs can be met.

[Fiesta01]

@vxf111

I have one that runs away from me to avoid getting brought in and out of a storm. One that will stand in a run in shed. One that likes being in the rain. I don’t know. Horses are weird.

My gelding hated being out in the rain. If it even started to sprinkle, he would be pacing the fence line near the gate asking to be let in.

Or so I thought.

Had a move across the country and discussed him with the new barn owner. I told her not to worry about him and the rain. If it was raining at turn-out time in the morning, don’t turn him out and I’ll come later to turn him out after rain stops. b. If he’s out and it starts to rain, I’ll come bring him in. She was totally fine with that idea. (I was retired by then, so could go to the barn whenever I needed to).

First time it starts raining when he’s already out, I come to pull him in. I spent an hour trying to catch that silly horse. We were both soaked through, and I only continued because it was by that point time to come in for dinner.

The difference? He was now in a mixed herd. If he had a choice of coming in from the rain or staying with “his” mares, he chose the mares every time.

The old rogue.

[S1969]

@candyappy

She pays for stall board but the barn also offers 24/7 pasture with shelter for others.

@tipzythegreat

This barn does hybrid – stalled in the winter, turnout 24/7 in the summer – which isn’t stated in the contract (it’s stall board and the same price year round in the contract). I didn’t know that until I was moved in and settled.

It doesn’t matter what the contract says if that’s not what they do. She knows that they don’t stall horses in the summer.

@jvanrens

That doesn’t mean she was being a pain to the BM.

Sure, they probably have no idea she hates it there. I think the fact that they dropped her via text is a sign.

[mmeqcenter]

@S1969

Sure, they probably have no idea she hates it there. I think the fact that they dropped her via text is a sign.

Nahhhhhhhhhhh, that was just the BO being ridiculous.

[tabula_rashah]

My field is about 10 acres with hills and plenty of wooded area (plus a shelter that they rarely use), when it storms I’d rather they be out. I’ve been in our barn (which is in the only flat open area) when it’s been struck by lightening and it’s terrifying- I personally don’t even want to be in it during a storm. If my field was completely flat and open I might feel differently