Am I Off Base? RE: Thunderstorms and no shelter

[RhythmNCruise]

The last barn I was at was “full board” and that just meant that my horse had a stall, bedding, daily cleaning and feeding, etc. But when the weather was okay, he was out 24/7. He rarely came in during the winter unless there was precipitation of some sort (usually rain here, doesn’t get cold enough to snow much). Summer is when he spent the most time in because we have horrible heat and humidity and bugs and there was no shelter in his pasture. So “full board” meant whatever was best for the horse at the time. He certainly went through many a thunderstorm out in his field, tail to the driving rain, grazing away.

In terms of the OP’s situation, in hindsight it probably would have been a good idea to shoot the BO/BM a text saying, “Hey, I left Dobbin in this afternoon since it looks like it’s about to storm and you said you were planning to bring them in anyway. I hope that’s okay.” Some BO/BMs just don’t like boarders taking things into their own hands without asking/notifying them about it. The horse being in could mean more time spent cleaning stalls that evening, more hay being consumed, maybe a shift in their usual feeding/turning in routine? Once you have a routine and system in place for efficiently and effectively caring for a number of horses, sometimes even the smallest change (like a horse being inside for a couple of hours before evening feeding and turn-in) can put a kink in the works. Now they have to pick the horse’s stall again, possibly refill or top off his water, put his feed and hay in with him in there. It may not seem like much to someone who deals with ONE horse, but if you’re dealing with multiple horses, these little inconveniences add up.

So, as an owner, I understand wanting to just keep the horse in. But as someone who has worked at boarding barns, I also understand the other side.

I’ve said it before and I say it again: this is why I love self-care board.

[candyappy]

@S1969

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.

I am sorry but do you realize how stupid this is? The fact that you agree with the BO being able to go against the contract they put in place and that the OP is totally in the wrong for putting her horse in 1 hour earlier ? They do stall in the Summer( look below) for weather which was coming as per the BO’s text.

@tipzythegreat

At 5:30 I received this text: Please do not bring your horses in and leave them in without saying something. They have all been outside during the storms all week and it hasn’t even stormed yet today. They are coming in tonight with the cold rain and storms.

[S1969]

@candyappy

I am sorry but do you realize how stupid this is? The fact that you agree with the BO being able to go against the contract they put in place and that the OP is totally in the wrong for putting her horse in 1 hour earlier ? They do stall in the Summer( look below) for weather which was coming as per the BO’s text.

I don’t agree or disagree. She’s boarded there for almost a year. She knows exactly what the turnout situation is, and how they handle weather, and has already made arrangements to leave in part because of it. The BO asked not to bring horses in without letting them know, and her response was “I never want my horse out if it’s storming.”

My horse is boarded right now - the turnout policy is not specified in the contract. And I don’t blame the owners because things like that change all the time. Weather, illness, herd dynamics, fencing problems, hired help, travel plans, etc. can all change the turnout policy.

No turnout in “inclement weather” - will ALWAYS be dependent on someone’s opinion - and typically not the horse owner. What about 95F? Too hot? What about windy, what about hail, freezing rain?

The barn owner decides and plans accordingly.

[candyappy]

@S1969

The barn owner decides and plans accordingly.

@S1969

No turnout in “inclement weather” - will ALWAYS be dependent on someone’s opinion

Then it should be in the contract because the boarder is expected to follow the contract they signed. I would expect the barn to follow suit and take a few minutes to make it clear exactly what weather they bring horses in for and what conditions they leave them out in.

With what people are paying now I wouldn’t expect my horse to be left out in a Severe T Storm ( excessive wind, rain, lightning , hail) without appropriate shelter to seek if they chose – Or-- to be out in brutal heat with no shade( shelter or adequate trees).

With todays forecast abilities ( even when lacking) you know when something is coming.

Making it as clear as possible at the start would keep many situations like this from happening.

[mmeqcenter]

@candyappy

With todays forecast abilities ( even when lacking) you know when something is coming.

You mean the forecasts that change every 20 minutes? And say 90% chance of storms then it doesn’t rain? Or 10% chance between 10a-1p then it downpours from 4p-midnight?
Please share your magical abilities to know what’s coming so assuredly. I’m sure meteorologists would be quite appreciative.

[candyappy]

@mmeqcenter

You mean the forecasts that change every 20 minutes? And say 90% chance of storms then it doesn’t rain? Or 10% chance between 10a-1p then it downpours from 4p-midnight?
Please share your magical abilities to know what’s coming so assuredly. I’m sure meteorologists would be quite appreciative.

I think our forecasters are even worse than yours! I am talking about the likelihood of severe/ dangerous weather. They do give you a time line of sorts and you can get them in easily if the radar shows it definitely heading your way.

I always say anyone could be a meteorologist. It makes no difference if you are accurate or miss the mark completely. Your job is secure.

[GraceLikeRain]

@candyappy

I am sorry but do you realize how stupid this is? The fact that you agree with the BO being able to go against the contract they put in place and that the OP is totally in the wrong for putting her horse in 1 hour earlier ? They do stall in the Summer( look below) for weather which was coming as per the BO’s text.

Having signed a lot of boarding agreements the details are often quite vague and there is usually an overarching component that decisions around care are ultimately at the discretion of management.

The OP has a year of knowledge about how the barn operates. The tone used the text came across as combative and authoritative. The fact she was dismissed by text in return is either “oh my gosh crazy BO” or “OP hasn’t been the gold star boarder claimed”. Without interviewing OP,BO, and staff there is no way to really understand the dynamics at play.

My area has many full care facilities where stalling is not daily. It is actually an increasingly common model as people want more turnout and barns struggle to have the staff who can manage daily stalls and turnout. The contracts don’t typically go into the level of details around what constitutes inclement. One barn it’s all day steady rain and the it is only for heavy snow.

In the most inclement weather like a tornado some of the barns around here actually turn out. There’s no perfect answer but a barn getting hit by a tornado and collapsing is often seen as a worse outcome than flying debris. Ask 100 horse folks and get 100 different answers. Ultimately, you find the management that aligns to your values and if there’s a misalignment then move.

[endlessclimb]

@candyappy

They do give you a time line of sorts and you can get them in easily if the radar shows it definitely heading your way.

Come on down to Chicago where that forecast AND radar are often flat wrong, or off by several hours.

[K_VanOlst]

@endlessclimb

Come on down to Chicago where that forecast AND radar are often flat wrong, or off by several hours.

Literally anywhere in the Midwest really Sunday was supposed to be sunny here. Zero chance of rain. Nothing on radar. And yet - insane pop up showers. I feel bad for all the farmers with hay down!

[endlessclimb]

I ran around the barn like a madman closing the windows and doors because it was POURING and my BO wasn’t home.

Drove home, 15 minutes away… dry as a bone.

Got a cool rainbow pic on the way home though.

[S1969]

@candyappy

Then it should be in the contract because the boarder is expected to follow the contract they signed.

Have you ever boarded a horse? I can’t imagine a boarding contract listing out all the types of weather that would preclude normal turnout.

Heat index over 100
(But only if it’s for more than an hour)
(Unless it’s going to rain, in which case the horses might like to stand outside)
(But if the wind picks up maybe we’ll bring them in.)
(But only if it’s 25mph gusts or more)
(Unless it will be only an hour or less)

I mean, we could make a list for every possible example of “inclement weather” ….that icy snow that stings, but not fluffy snow. But that shitty drizzly snow…unless it’s just a little….

The OP said the sky was black, there was thunder (no lightning?) and it was starting to rain. Is this “severe storms?” Hard to say. Maybe the radar map would have shown the storm passing a good distance away. Or not - but the BOs opinion of a storm might be very different than a single boarder.

[fordtraktor]

I bring in for storms, but here full board means that your horse has a stall, and I will put them in it when I see fit according to the weather. I believe in turnout as much as possible, because that is shown to be healthiest for the horse.

I left everyone out last night because we are supposed to have storms/rain today and it was nice overnight. I don’t notify anyone, I just decide based on the weather. Everyone is to put their horses back where they got them after they ride unless they inform me otherwise. I would be annoyed to just find a horse in a stall. It probably ate all the hay I prepped earlier, for one thing. Maybe BO didn’t hear the thunder.

I do not understand wanting to have your horse in a stall 12 hours a day just because. It isn’t good for them. I also understand wanting them inside for storms, especially when their shelter is trees (which IS shelter, but not the kind I like horses under in a storm).

I think OP was justified in leaving her horse in, but should have notified BO she was doing it. And the tone of her text was very aggressive—I think BO and OP were pretty over each other and it’s the best thing to just move.

[Montanas_Girl]

@candyappy

I am talking about the likelihood of severe/ dangerous weather. They do give you a time line of sorts and you can get them in easily if the radar shows it definitely heading your way.

You must not be from the South.

Severe storms are “possible” here pretty much every day of the year. In the spring, summer, and fall months, they’re not just possible but probable more days than not. Sometimes the storm systems are well-organized and give you a few hours’ notice. Sometimes they pop up with no warning at all.

If I kept my horses in every time there was a chance of lightning, they’d only go out maybe 90 days out of the entire year. Instead, they live out more or less 24/7. I bring them in for ice storms, sustained high winds, storms with a history of producing large hail, and storms with a history of producing intense lightning. Sometimes they are out in those kinds of conditions, too, because I don’t always have time to get home from work (~85 miles from my house) before the storms hit. They do have access to the barn aisle and a couple of stalls most of the time, so there is shelter access for the ones who want to use it if a storm pops up when I’m not home.

[RhythmNCruise]

Yep. I can’t count the number of times I’ve turned horses out in the evening during the summer, thinking all is well, only to have a thunderstorm pop up and throw down all over them for a few minutes. Wind, driving rain, thunder, lightning. I’ve been standing in the barn watching, and they hardly pay attention, just keep their butts to the wind/driving rain and graze away. I’m not running back out there in lightning to fetch them. And many is the night I’ve been awakened by a raging thunderstorm and I’ve thought, “Hope the horses are okay,” and rolled over and gone back to sleep.

I always prefer they have access to (man-made) shelter in those situations, but over the decades I’ve definitely had times when they didn’t. They did fine. Not ideal, but it is what it is sometimes.

[BeeHoney]

I think it is important to consider context in this situation. According to the OP, she has been at this barn for a year and has not been happy with it since she moved in for multiple reasons. I think it is unlikely that the OP’s unhappiness with this facility was invisible to the BM, no matter how conscientious of a boarder the OP tried to be. Let me be clear–no BO or BM wants a dissatisfied customer at their facility. First of all, running a facility is very hard work and is a nonstop responsibility, and it’s a negative dynamic if you feel that the service you provide is not valued. Secondly, one boarder with a dissatisfied attitude and complaints can be a “one bad apple spoils the barrel” situation. Also, there is an element of chaos that can be frustrating when you have boarders that like to do their own thing and leave horses in/out or feed them off schedule.

In the context of an already non-ideal relationship, a situation arises where the OP directly refuses a request for communication by her BM and also indicates that she never wants her horse out in bad weather–at a barn that does not bring horses in for every storm. I do not think it is extreme for a BO to be quite uncomfortable in this situation–dealing with a client who pushes back after a direct request for better communication or managing a horse for a client who expects something the business does not or cannot provide.

[candyappy]

@S1969

Have you ever boarded a horse? I can’t imagine a boarding contract listing out all the types of weather that would preclude normal turnout.

Of course I have. I also worked at a barn where horses were stalled at night and taken to their turnout pastures and brought back in every single day of the year.

My barn didn’t do turnout due to our urban location.

The barn I worked at would never leave horses out in bad weather because the pastures had no shelter.

It isn’t that difficult. If you don’t have appropriate shelters then when the weather conditions are bad enough that the majority of horses would rather be in you bring them in?

@S1969

The OP said the sky was black, there was thunder (no lightning?) and it was starting to rain. Is this “severe storms?”

With the weather we have had this year I sure wouldn’t leave my horses out with no real shelter. My horses hear thunder and run into their barn, it starts to rain and they put themselves in ( unless it is hot out) and they hate being out in wind with stinging snow.

I never stall them. They choose what they want to endure. I would never pay for my horse to be forced to stay out in anything without shelter because someone else thought it was not “severe” enough weather.

That’s just me.

@Montanas_Girl

You must not be from the South.

No --smack dab in the middle of the US. We get it all and it comes as it chooses.

@RhythmNCruise

Yep. I can’t count the number of times I’ve turned horses out in the evening during the summer, thinking all is well, only to have a thunderstorm pop up and throw down all over them for a few minutes. Wind, driving rain, thunder, lightning. I’ve been standing in the barn watching, and they hardly pay attention, just keep their butts to the wind/driving rain and graze away.

Mine do this as well but they have a choice and that makes all the difference to me.

[quietann]

I consider every place I’ve boarded my mare to be full board. To me it means that if I’m gone for a couple of weeks, nothing changes in how she’s cared for.

All these places have done all the feeding, mucking, turnout/turn-in, blanketing and fly gear as appropriate, eyes on the horse every day, communicate with me about any changes or concerns.

These barns supplied all hay and grain as long as it was something they already offered, and I’ve provided medications and supplements for them to administer at no charge as long as they could be put in her food. Some charge for holding for the vet or farrier, some required me to be there if I wasn’t using the barns providers, etc but these are minimal variations.

At five barns total over 16 years, she’s been turned out for 5 to 9 hours a day at 3 of them and stalled otherwise, and at 2 she was/is out 24/7 with a shed. For one she did not have a stall unless there was an open one; at the current one she has a stall “if needed” which has meant exactly one night in almost 2 years, a night with windchills of -32F.

All full board IMO.

(One thing I wish we’d had was night turnout in the summer at the barns with stalls. But the BOs were really twitchy about horses being outside “unsupervised.”)

[TWH_Girl]

Shelter during a thunderstorm has become an issue for me this summer. We have had ongoing weeks of severe storms and my retired gelding used to be housed near a cow barn with his buddies he could go into. Owner is not horse savvy and now moved horses to pasture far out with no shelter. Not comfortable with this and am looking into other options for him. Also other issues going on at this barn that are much larger but I definitely find myself uneasy knowing he’s just out in the open.

[BeeHoney]

So, just FYI, being in a building like a cow barn does not provide protection from lightening. In fact, buildings of that type can specifically attract lightening. Horses and other livestock are killed by lightening when they seek shelter under or near objects that attract lightening. If you have ever been in a barn when it has been hit by lightening, it is a scary experience.

During severe storms, it’s unclear that horses are safer inside buildings. Buildings can collapse or be a source of dangerous debris. A collapsed cattle barn would be an equine disaster zone of torn metal sheeting, roofing nails, boards with nails in them, broken boards with sharp edges, etc.

I live in an area with frequent severe thunderstorms, the most dangerous situations for horses arising from storms have been due to debris from damaged buildings.

[TWH_Girl]

I’m still moving him. There are a lot of other issues that I’m uncomfortable with. I feel better when he’s got shelter, period. That’s my comfort zone. If other want to do it differently, go for it.