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BO has rules about who can ride?

Hmmmm… I’ve leased many horses and at no time have I had a contract with the barn owner. I have a contract with the horse owner, and sign a waiver for the BO. I’d be pretty annoyed by a BO that wants a contract with every single person who leases at their barn. Not saying that’s what happened here, but that’s pretty sketchy.

A lot of barns leave a stack of waivers in a folder somewhere, so it’s totally possible a conversation wasn’t necessary for this to happen. The BO also could have called the HO about it instead of sending a text, which would have avoided the situation of the HO now trying to get in touch with her. Since the BO also didn’t inform the HO before she came to the barn, I’d be pretty suspicious about what kind of insurance she’s carrying, if any. The text makes me think the BO is avoiding a discussion about it since she messed up.

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Presumably the owner had permission to lease their horse, and it is likely that the barn owner had a copy of the lease agreement.

I would want to hold a copy if I had a boarder lease their horse to someone else.

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! If a BO saw some rando riding a boarders horse without a release and with no discussion it makes perfect sense they would be concerned.

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Boarding is such a high risk low return often thankless endeavor. And people just don’t understand the costs and risks until they invest the $$$$$ and time into having a place.

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This is well and succintly said. It’s what I was trying to get at in my post and didn’t say quite as well.

Unless the OP comes back and corrects me, I’m going to assume that this rider did not sign a liability waiver first, which is a big, fat, furry deal.

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Yep! I’m guessing no waiver in place.

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Have a face to face conversation.
Much is lost in text conversation, as SMS and on bulletin boards.

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Considering the many people I know who will not pick up the phone when it rings, but reply to a text within moments…
Not calling isn’t a red flag to me.
Also, many people work and a text can wait to be answered,A call can’t

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I think @Kyrabee and @outerbanks77 are the friends in that post, not Kyrabee and the OP. Maybe I’m wrong, but that’s how I interpreted it.

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You are correct. I was riding Kyrabee’s horse. No connection to the OP.

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I’m inclined to agree, it seems clear that the BO was not asked prior to the ride and it seems likely that a waiver wasn’t signed either.

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My bad!

Ah…

I was confused. :slight_smile:

Its a fair rule, and in my experience, fairly common. In smaller, private barns I would always ask before bringing out friends/family to see my horse (none were going to ride) purely as a courtesy. I want them to know what is going on at their own property, and its just smart to run it by them in case there is a schedule conflict. “oh, we are spraying for weeds and pulling a tree out at 10am on Saturday, maybe your guests can come Sunday?” stuff like that. It helps everyone have a more pleasant experience.

As far as leasing goes, there are have been many threads here discussing how everyone has their own definition of what leasing is. It might mean one thing to you, but another to the BO. This is why everyone is encouraging you to talk to the BO about the situation and just get on the same page.

Should most of this been discussed before moving your horse in? Absolutely. That is on BOTH you and the BO. Its something you should have asked when touring the barn “Hey I can’t get out the barn tues/thurs due to school/work, so I have my friend jane come ride Dobbin so he can get some exercise. She’s really experienced and this arrangement has been working for us for X amount of time. Is this OK? What forms will she have to sign?” or whatever the situation is.

Anecdotally, I have seen this work out well and also be disastrous. One the good side, its nice to have someone who can hop on your horse to get him out if you can’t make it to that barn that day, or a more experienced friend who might be able to help with a tune-up or two.

On the other, there was one boarder who would “lease” her horses out to ANYONE. I’m talking unsupervised rank beginners who would run around the arena tacked up wrong, then put horse away wet. It was dangerous for everyone. Eventually that boarder got kicked-out since she refused to screen or teach the people she would sub-lease her poor horses to. It can get messy real quick.

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I would never bring anyone to the barn - let alone someone to ride my horse - without clearing it with our BO first. It is her private property and also her home.

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Pretty much my thoughts. BOs can make up any rules they want, but they need to be clearly stated. Especially if the reason is liability related, I would expect them to be written as part of the contract and probably posted in the barn as well. I have boarded in about as many barns as you and never heard of such a rule either.

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If it’s a smaller place and someone’s home that’s definitely different than when it’s a larger barn with multiple staff. Particularly if the BO doesn’t take an active role in managing the barn.

The last place I boarded the BO was also the BM and she moved out without telling any of the boarders. She was an absentee manager, if that’s a thing. It would never occur to me to ask her about a visitor, because she was never there herself. And it bordered a conservation area, and there were always randos walking through that thought it was nice to see the horses. It got a lot worse after she moved out, which is part of why I left. The place I board now has like 15 horses and the BO isn’t often there when I am, but she does live there. If I had a friend come with me, it would still never occur to me to ask. I would certainly ask about riding, but visiting? I mean you need access to your horse, and if you can’t bring a friend or family member with you, that’s bizarre. What if you stopped by to check on Dobbin on your way home from somewhere with a friend? Are you really going to tell them to sit in the car or drop them off at the gate so they don’t step foot on the property? If you’re that restrictive about your property, you probably shouldn’t be offering boarding.

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/
This.
Leasing is one thing.
And would probably require a contract similar to your boarding one.
Having a non-client ride on the odd occasion is another & does open the barn to liability issues.
Ask any attorney - waivers are not worth the paper they’re printed on if someone feels litiginous.

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That’s exactly what I do if I haven’t cleared it with the BO - wait in the car.

And since Covid started last year even our family members aren’t allowed in the barn. My 16yo daughter has her learners permit and loves to make the hour-long drive to the barn. She brings homework or a book and stays in the car until I’m done.

The rule itself is not unreasonable at all. But I agree that it’s unreasonable for the BO to expect the boarder to know about the rule of it was never mentioned.

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I think that’s a little silly. Presumably a boarding barn carrying normal insurance doesn’t need to be that restrictive. I would think people often have others watch them ride, for example.

But to ride or otherwise handle horses, yes.

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