It is in my boarding contract that all vet, farrier, etc bills must be paid. If not I will pay them and bill to owner. I can’t have my providers mad at “my barn.” They know to contact me with any issues. At the end of the day, my relationship with my providers is much more important than any particular boarder.
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This is not the OP’s fault. If the boarder wanted to know the price before treatment it is on her to ask. Not BO’s job to spoon feed her another person’s prices. I don’t even know what my dentist charges, it depends on what he finds in the mouth as he goes.
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I would start with this conversation (I know it’s a PIA for a BO to have to do this, of course). But if a horse’s teeth aren’t properly done, then it becomes an issue for the BO, not just the horse owner and vet bills. Horses that won’t eat because their teeth aren’t in good shape can result in so much extra time and grief for a BO. So start with the assumption that maybe this person doesn’t fully understand that.
If the person still refuses, then I agree with giving her notice. I don’t think it’s out of line for a BO to say (politely) that “while you’ve always been prompt paying board, which I appreciate, ensuring your horse is in decent medical condition, including dental work, is part of the expectations of boarding here, and dental work is part of the costs of horse ownership. Imagine if your horse was hobbling around because an owner didn’t want to pay for a farrier. It’s the same thing.”
FWIW, when my chihuahua had a dental cleaning with her fewest extractions (she had multiple over the course of her lifetime, small dogs have terrible teeth, even with tooth brushing)…I think it ran me around $750.
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Wow. This is pretty out there.
Barns usually just go “hey dentist is coming 1.24 do you want on the schedule?”
Then they hand the boarder the vet info to discuss time and payment.
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The OP told the boarder she could call and ask the dentist for a ballpark figure. It doesn’t sound like the boarder did this. If the boarder had wanted, she could have reached out to the dentist and said, “I’m on a tight budget, call me before doing the work if it’s going to run you more than $150,” or something like that, and the dentist could have agreed (or not agreed, saying that it’s not his usual practice).
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Since when is the barn owner’s or manager’s responsibility to clear costs with a boarder before the work is done by the vet unless asked? As far as we know, the boarder didn’t ask for that information before the work was done. We do know that they were informed that the charge would depend on what was required.
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I agree!
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Most barn owners have too much on their plates to baby sit their boarders like that. What if 10 boarders
Do you think the OP would be obligated to check with 10 boarders to see whether each one had contacted the dentist, knew what the cost would be, and was willing to proceed? The whole idea of checking up on this kind of thing is so farfetched it’s laughable.
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Yep. That’s why I also think a conversation with the boarder is in order. Re finances for the mare. The 20 yo mare.
It is absolutely awful when someone with no means to care for a horse’s real needs ends up owning one … and a BO/M is then placed in the horrible situation / decision about kicking them out. Knowing that the horse is not going to a better place.
The BO/M cannot take on the responsibility for the mare’s needs beyond the board & care committed by the boarding contract. Can’t save them all. But it is still an agonizing position for a barn owner.
Back to my post above with an owner statement/agreement/directive about the finances available for urgent care … if something along those lines, or other suggestions in this thread, is an upfront requirement, with minimum dollar amounts required, before move-in … it might keep BO/M’s out of this situation. Or reduce the chances, at least.
^^^ This right here.
Preventative medicine, as it were.
Amen to that.
A surprise $3,000 bill has to be in the back of the owner’s mind as a reasonable possibility. Also double that. Or more. Much more.
So yes, I too am wondering how prepared is the owner of the 20 yo mare, who apparently hasn’t had her mare’s teeth floated in years. For whatever is to come for her horse. And what is her plan for if this, and if that. We all need to have a plan.
I consider myself a low-budget horse owner AND a horse-insurance subscriber at $600+ premium per year. Which is less expensive than much insurance for horses.
If the average small-animal pet owner could see my monthly board bill + ancillary service bills (farrier esp.), they would faint from fear of bankruptcy.
And a more usual-budget horse owner would be trying to figure out how I could provide for my horse that well, for that little. (I’m thrilled to be with an outstanding board situation, for a very reasonable price. One that understands that my easy-to-chill horse’s needs for occasional winter double-blanketing while outside (blankets & neck covers (2 of each) provided by me).)
Again, I’m the low-budget horse owner – but between me and my horse, guess which of us got the $300 + shipping Christmas gift from me, while the other skipped the personal Christmas gift …
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Plus something has to be done about the remains. Some of us have learned: Don’t expect the board barn to conjure up a backhoe to take care of everything. Many board barns do not even permit a pre-planned age-related euth on their premises. In most cases, they are not disposing of any remains.
So that is another potentially $$ requirement, in addition to the cost of the euth. Coming someday for this 20 yo mare.
But fortunately for some of us there is a whole COTH thread out there somewhere, discussing the options, should such an unfortunate event arise. Which is certainly in the future with a 20 yo equine.
My understanding of the dentist’s actions is that the BO set up the connection and the service. Basically, the dentist thought that any of BO’s boarders would be good for the bill. That happy assumption by the dentist is what is putting the BO on the spot.
Otherwise the dentist would have proceeded differently from the get-go. Certainly would not have performed $300 worth of work.
That said, I don’t think the BO is obligated here, in any way. But BO has to continue living in their own horse community. For that reason alone BO could help communications … unless they can’t.
On the one hand we could see this as some accountability on the dentist. But if there aren’t many alternatives for equine dentists in range of the BO, that could matter to the BO.
Hopefully the dentist does not see this as a bridge burned with BO.
Agree. But not every adult is a competent adult. The situation is what it is, and the BO has to look out for the BO, first and foremost.
The way I view such situations, I am not the boarder’s nanny or mommy to teach them how to be a better adult. I’m just managing my own business in the way that gives me the best result.
As in, ongoing good relations with the local equine dentist. Even if the dentist is also not doing what I wish they would do – again, I’m not the dentist’s mommy, either. In OP’s shoes, I’m just working my own angle in this.
There is a ‘yes but’ here. The OP did not say how many boarders she has.
But apparently the OP did take on this person as a boarder without doing the advance checks on financial and equine knowledge preparedness for these situations.
As has been pointed out in various above posts about ways BO/M’s can keep themselves out of these situations, none of this seemed to have happened here. That does not make OP responsible for any boarder’s bills. But it did put her into the middle of this situation.
So re her relationships with service providers in her area, she’s got skin in this game, too. Maybe a sadder but wiser situation, in the end.
Hoping the boarder starts paying the dentist and this all goes away for the BO / OP.
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When people tell you that they can’t afford to own a a horse and the basic costs that go with it, believe them. It’s important to protect your business in a proactive manner because once someone stops paying, the bills add up quickly. Abandoned horses are a nightmare for a boarding business.
I don’t think that giving a boarding client notice is some horrible thing to do. It’s a basic part of running a boarding business (or any business) to be able to be professional about ending relationships before things go down in flames. If a client is having money troubles, I’m happy to help them get their horses moved to a less expensive situation, or counsel them on other options like leases or selling the horse, or even euthanasia (when appropriate). I don’t have a problem helping people plan and make decisions in a practical manner without shame or judgment. Horses are freaking expensive.
As far as being the “go between” to make sure clients are informed about fluctuating costs like a extra farrier expense or dental bill, that’s not the responsibility of a BO/BM unless it is something truly out of the ordinary. It’s completely not realistic to expect a BO/BM to be standing there during a half day’s or day’s worth of dental work messaging each client to confirm if the cost is $125 or $300 and making sure that’s okay, with likely half the clients not responding because people are at work or otherwise occupied and the dentist standing there interrupting his/her work waiting to proceed.
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I don’t think that matters at all. JMO.
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General remark, not directly addressig Merlin with who I sympathize.
This is just my take, and not something everyone will agree with.
Knowingly taking in a boarder “with not a lot of knowledge” – new to horse ownership, or just not well educated about all things horse care – means that yes, there is going to be some extra hand-holding with this one.
There are board barns that are happy to do this, happy to educate and hand-hold. Although of course this is conditional on the boarder caring properly for their horse, and paying their bills.
I know barns who wouldn’t take such a boarder because it is not something that fits their program. They are already extremely busy with their lesson/show program and their load of experienced owners. They will provide the services they provide, but it ends there. They don’t have the time or energy to hand-hold.
And, they don’t want to deal with the constant consequences of not hand-holding. Boarder frequently either making a bad decision or no decision – etc.
So up-front they would say that this is not a good fit and would not take on this boarder.
Some actions/decisions/choices that we take don’t require us to go beyond the usual for someone else. But when we made a choice to onboard a certain situation, then I personally feel some obligation to see it through properly.
But – if things get to a farther point than I intended to deal with, such as an unpaid $300 bill with a service provider – at that point I would be strongly considering moving onward to a different choice on my part. Because I can’t control their choices/actions, only mine. A veteran board barn manager friend has a way of doing this. To boarder, in writing: “We are unable to meet your needs any longer. You will need to find another place for your horse by x date. I’ll help you trailer your horse to the destination of your choice by that date.” [If the boarder refused to move her horse, friend had a routine for that, too.]
It comes down to personal choices, boundaries and limits. And there are no perfect choices or situations. It’s fair to come to a point to ask for opinions ‘I didn’t expect this, what are some recommendations to go from here?’
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Sometimes people will really surprise you, too, and not in a good way. I have someone I’ve known for years in my barn now. I always thought she cared. She doesn’t.
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I am constantly astonished at the existence of people who think that horses are somewhat like old furniture. Who believe and behave as if horses don’t really need anything.
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The Boarder used to keep her horse at home. I suspect she is not unaware of the costs of keeping a horse, just hasn’t yet adjusted to reality of her relative poverty after the divorce. Women generally don’t do well in divorce.
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Honestly, that was the “vibe” I was getting from the boarder’s actions, based on the OP’s description. I understand that money is tight, but given she’s been paying board and the farrier, it sounds like she had a figure in her head how much it should be and is saying she doesn’t have the money because she was offended because she thought it was too much and didn’t understand the report. Either way, this isn’t good client behavior from the BO’s perspective. Like others have said, she could set up a payment plan or negotiated with the dentist, or even just called up the dentist for him to go over the bill so she understood it better–at least behaved in a mature fashion to someone who acted in good faith. I mean, this is a small service provider who regularly comes to the barn.
I think the type of barn the OP owns is relevant, but in a way that speaks poorly of the horse owner. I can understand someone at a show barn where you have to get the same vet, dentist, and farrier as all the other clients getting very upset at a mysterious “medical charge” that wasn’t explained on a vet’s bill of a vet they didn’t select, or a truly outrageous charge for a routine visit by a service provider they were forced to use. But the owner here was asked if she wanted the dentist, not required to use him. She said “yes,” he explained why the care was necessary in a reasonable way, and now she’s behaving childishly.
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Although – as OP apparently realized at the beginning – keeping one’s horse at home can mean that one does not do all of the horse care things. Because the owner doesn’t know. And no one is there to tell them.
Might explain the dentist finding so much work needed in the mare’s mouth. And the boarder possibly being clueless as to what an equine dentist might find that needs doing. And what that could cost.
As others have mentioned, this is likely not the last thing that the mare needs, or will need, that owner is not aware of. And owner may be unaware of what is required of an owner when a horse reaches end of life. Or even how to know that this time is coming.
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I can see both sides of this but generally speaking, I don’t let my professionals leave and not be paid. Whether the owner pays them or I do.
When I bring a barn professional out to do work and they do not know the owners involved at all they’re trusting me that my owners are good paying people.
I’m not saying that it’s necessarily feasible for you to write a check for the barn for services like that but I think your policy should be to have owners leave checks with you if they want services provided. So that there’s never a situation like this.
Now that you’re currently in this situation I would step in a little to try to maintain a good relationship with your dentist. Completely stepping aside and telling your dentist best of luck is kind of crappy
Have another conversation with your boarder and ask her if she would like to start making payments to the dentist directly or if she would like you to add them to her board bill every month. I’m not sure of her situation but $50 a month is probably feasible and won’t feel overwhelming for her. Your dentist will still be waiting quite a bit for full payment but at least boarder is making good on her bill.
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The fact that people are blaming the barn owner is the reason I no longer board.
I also can’t afford as a barn owner to be paying other people’s vet bills or else I’ll lose my vet (who I always pay promptly). Or imagine a vet firing me because someone who I had no idea was a bad person decided to not pay them. Beyond checking previous boarding barns, and an interview I’m not really sure what else a barn owner is expected to do. Give each boarder a pony club test? It sounded like this boarder paid their bills up until this vet bill.
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