Boarding barn deal-breakers--what are yours?

[endlessclimb]

This is where my skin crawls hearing owners say “oh no, you can’t use a chain on Punkin” when the owner is doing eff-all to teach the horse to be respectful on the line.

Yeah yeah, someone’s going to say “but I don’t trust the barn staff to use a shank correctly!”

Well really the only way to use it incorrectly on a jagoff horse is to make him bleed with it. Anything else is fair game until the turd learns how to walk nicely without trying to kill someone. I just love that the owner is more concerned about a sore nose on their horse than they are about the barn worker getting their brains kicked in.

I’ve always been clear with the barn workers - you use what you need to use to get my horse’s attention, and to make them respect you. In the meantime, I ask them CONSTANTLY (at least once a week!) if they’re having any issues with my animals and I address it immediately.

[FjordBCRF]

I can totally understand that! When I was working at that barn, the only reason why I was ok with it was it that the horses were all pretty well mannered. When I left, there was a baby that came in that started causing issues with handlers so it was good timing for me on that!

[moonlitoaksranch]

I wonder where she went after graduation? Was she just a rich girl that had to check a box for graduation?

[Obsidian_Fire]

Yep. Had this sort of thing happen more than once. In one case, the BM and myself kept telling the BO this one horse was a problem. It wasn’t until he ran her down one day that she finally addressed it.
Another time nobody thought to tell me one horse couldn’t have her halter removed at turnout - she bolted off, so staff would simply unsnap the lead rope and leave her halter on. I almost lost my fingers over that one.

[OverandOnward]

I have also had the situation where the barn staff are handling the horses carelessly, and even do not know how to properly lead a horse. That they don’t respect that even a well-behaved horse can become less well-behaved.

In my mind part of the BO/BM’s job is training their staff to handle horses correctly AND to make sure they do it. For their own safety.

It is weird to me that so many people don’t seem to understand that a horse barn is a far more dangerous place to simply exist in than is their home or office. Partly because of the equipment and stuff that can hurt someone. But mostly because of the horses.

[OverandOnward]

Got a phone call from a new board barn - “Can we put a chain on to lead to pasture? He’s pushy and inattentive.” I’ve owned and boarded this horse for 5 years and was never before asked that question. And didn’t have that experience myself, or see it when I was there while staff at other barns handled him, he’s usually a barn favorite.

But I know the horse is one who will push limits. I said “Always handle this horse with textbook correct horsemanship. Don’t be sloppy or careless. Do that tomorrow and tell me how it goes. We will address any behavior and keep your staff safe.”

They called back delighted to say ‘it works! he’s perfect’. IF they handle him by the book, he does his part by the book.

[beowulf]

Yes!! Sometimes the horses surprise you too. I have a horse I think is very well behaved. But it totally depends on his handler. Last week I asked the non-horsey SO to grab him for the farrier while I was putting the other horse away. I had to laugh at seeing the 28 y/o geriatric drag my SO right over to the grass patch like he wasn’t even there. That horse would never try that with me — but once a lesson pony, always a lesson pony. He’s always been the type of horse that knows the competence of his handlers and acts accordingly.

[ProfAmEq]

Yep. My horse is a saint but I don’t understand why people would assume that she isn’t capable of hurting them if they put themselves in a bad position. If you follow the book with her she is an absolute rock. But, if you start getting careless, she might get careless too.

I think most horses rely on what they’ve been trained to do to stay calm and safe with new people, and are just generally uncomfortable with letting people roam randomly into their space. There’s a method to horse handling for a reason. Any horse can have a bad day—I like to make things crystal clear about what is expected from them so there’s no misunderstanding.

So basically, in addition to inadequate hay and crowded or dangerous turnout, my third dealbreaker is careless staff. If my horse starts doing new things like rushing out of her stall, barging through the gate, it’s because someone let her do it and it’s not me.

Some owners obviously do let their horses do this crap and it puts everyone at risk. I definitely understand why people are reluctant to work at some barns. Luckily my BO is very “by the book”—something I would look for if I were looking for a job at a barn.

[athelas]

I have one of those! 99% of the time, he’s very well behaved and generally would crawl inside your pocket if he’d fit.

He’s a right turd to people who don’t enforce boundaries or are generally nervous/easy startlers. On the flip side, he’s also exceptionally playful and will nip for attention and to try and get a rise out of you. He’s a worrier and looks to his person for guidance and bravery when he just can’t keep a lid on it. At my old barn, he was occassionally handled by someone who was loud & wouldn’t hold him to account if he got pushy because he had her number. And she does NOT like him and isn’t afraid to make that known.

He doesn’t do any of that with me, I only ever experience the “HEY MOM” arm/back of glove nip. One of the barn girls at my new barn the other day told me he did the attention nip at her and she’d didn’t even notice it until he did the immediate llama face because he was waiting for her to react.

[ProfAmEq]

Llama face. Can you describe?

Is it the “oh crap” face my mare gets when I turn to look at her if she steps over the line? Head up eyes wide? I swear to god people must think I beat her, but she just knows when she’s been bad and disciplines herself. I never raise a hand with her, but her reactions to vocal reprimands and body language are over the top. Very sensitive and smart! Loves to be told she’s a good girl too.

[athelas]

YEP! He’s one that will grow 18h when he spooks/is on alert so I call it llama face because even though I am not a short person, it always makes his neck look ultra long.

I use my teacher voice with him and that’s usually the look I get in return.

[OverandOnward]

@ProfAmEq

So basically, in addition to inadequate hay and crowded or dangerous turnout, my third dealbreaker is careless staff. If my horse starts doing new things like rushing out of her stall, barging through the gate, it’s because someone let her do it and it’s not me.

Amen to that.

If my horse ever suddenly develops a new habit, such as galloping away before I can get the halter off during turning out, the BM and I will have a very serious talk. Behavior that is potentially dangerous behavior to both horse & handler is a hard ‘no’. None of mine have ever done that. But they can learn it quickly if someone is encouraging it.

I will admit that my horse and I are mostly around other serious horse people who do handle horses properly (even if not 110% by the book every second), and I can forget how quickly even a well-mannered horse can backslide into untaught horsey behavior. That is their natural behavior when they first come out of the package, after all.

[Obsidian_Fire]

The first time I ever worked at a boarding barn I got a fast lesson in just how unmannered some horses can be! Boarding barn does NOT equal training barn… my assumption (yeah I know) was that all the horses would be as mannerly as mine! HAH! I opened the stall door to this one gelding, to get halter on, and down the aisle he bolted. All the way down the very long driveway. Where he finally stopped at the knee high green grass. About this time the BO came up the drive. He (lucky for me) was very kind about it, helped me catch the horse, we had a laugh about it, and I never let that happen again!

[Angela_Freda]

@endlessclimb

Yeah yeah, someone’s going to say “but I don’t trust the barn staff to use a shank correctly!”

As you said… But also, if you don’t trust them, why did you hire them?

[endlessclimb]

And honestly, as long as they’re not reefing the horse non stop for no reason, any baloney the horse gets into with the shank is his own doing. If he walks nice, it’s like it’s not even there…

[RhythmNCruise]

@athelas

I use my teacher voice with him and that’s usually the look I get in return.

I use my “stop being a naughty horse” voice/noise with my high school students. If they start to misbehave I make that sound…you know the one. Half growl, half shout of “At!”, kind of nasal, LOL! It stops my horse in his tracks. Teenagers? Not as effective.

[SinMiedo]

I had a very agitated patient with altered mental status grab and attempt to bite my co-worker as we were trying to keep him from falling out of his chair. My hands were full so my brain decided to default to naughty horse mode and out came The Noise. Shockingly it kind of worked, lol

[CindyCRNA]

Barns are desperate for ANY help, even poor help os better than no help.

[CindyCRNA]

I have to walk my 17 hand guy to the pasture with a chain as he can get a bit too rambunctious when we get close to the pasture.

[danhelm441]

This isn’t a “deal breaker” but it IS a grievance I would like to air, because I don’t understand why this is a thing and I’m kind of salty about it.

Ok, so it’s not unusual around here to see barns with “lower barns” and “upper barns” that charge different rates and have different amenities. So for example, if you board at the “upper barn,” you get access to a climate controlled tack room, stalls with auto waterers and rubber matted floors, a rider’s lounge, laundry, and a bathroom. If you board at the “lower barn,” you pay reduced board for dirt-floor stalls, no tack room, no lounge, and a port-a-potty.

I’ll be honest, my main grievance is the bathroom situation. I mean, I’ve boarded at barns that didn’t even have a bathroom, and that’s fine, I can manage. But I guess just knowing there’s a “real” bathroom 20 yards away that you’re barred from using because you board at the “lower barn” is galling in a way that knowing everyone has to pee en plein air isn’t.

What bugs me even more is that casual lesson program riders—who don’t pay board, don’t lease, literally just show up once a week to lesson on a school horse—are exempt from these bathroom rules. And it’s especially frustrating to me because I pay the exact same lesson rate, despite also paying for the horse. Like…how does this make sense??

Fwiw, I don’t actually board at this barn yet. I’m still on the wait list, and in the meantime have worked out a pay-per-ride agreement with a girl who boards in the “lower barn.” She neglected to inform me about the bathroom rule, so I suppose some of my frustration is fueled in part by the embarrassment of being confronted right after a pre-ride pee and being told off for using the wrong bathroom. Part of me wants to just keep hacking this horse I pay-per-ride on, then insist on getting a school horse for lessons so I can help myself to the “upper barn” privileges once a week. I mean, this is weird, right? It seems so petty. But at the same time, this is one of the most affordable show barns in our area—hence the wait list—so, as mad as I am about it, I still can’t say it’s a deal breaker.