Boarding Expectations

[Ruth0552]

FYI- I have been at/seen/am aware of multiple barns in New England that have a “shared stall” situation. There are horses on night turnout and horses on day turnout and they swap, usually only a few horses because the barn is overfull or because Dobbin is black and gets too hot during the day, etc. But the stalls are fully mucked and cleaned in between including changing water. Honestly I think this is pretty common. Although, usually boarders are ASKED if they are ok with this, or it’s the BO, BM or trainers horses that are swapping out depending on the situation. I also know of several places that have horses on 24/7 turnout and do not have enough stalls for every horse. Horses on 24/7 turnout have a shed in their night paddocks and there are emergency plans if there is a big storm/hurricane. I know one place had their barn built so that several cross-tie areas off the aisle could easily be turned into stalls if necessary, and you can always put up panels and/or temp. stall in the indoor.

So the stall swapping in general doesn’t bother me but the way they are doing it does. They should be fully cleaning the stalls in between, full stop. I’d ask that either her stall be fully cleaned or switched so that she isn’t stall sharing because of the skin irritation she is getting from the damp bedding (you did say something about damp bedding didn’t you?).

It sounds like there are a number of care items that have changed since you moved in 3 years ago. And it sounds like the BM is not that interested in rectifying the situation. She sounds… Not that into it, anymore. It might be time to move regardless.

[DressageMare]

Just popped back on here after moving my horse (I am the OP). You probably should reserve making assumptions. I have been on the other “working” side for more years than I have been on the simply boarding side. I cleaned 13-26 stalls, did turnout, feeding, etc for many years, and then other mucking/turnout/feeding/training at other smaller barns. Things just feel different after coming back into it as an owner getting back into it after and most people were incredibly helpful in this reality check that was intended to avoid drama. Telling me to get a clue is just petty

[mmeqcenter]

Glad you moved her, hopefully her skin issues clear(ed) up quickly!

[Equkelly]

@DressageMare

Telling me to get a clue is just petty

I wasn’t talking about you… I was talking about some of the replies insisting that it would work out to demand extra cleanings. I’m happy you finally moved, that’s what I would have done as well. I’m shocked a comment that wasn’t even made about you stuck with you for 5 months though.

[Semper_Domina]

just read your comment after a hiatus of moving horse and crazy schedule. LOL.

[vxf111]

The stall sharing is not my preference and not how I would do it but I have seen it done well. I boarded at a place where there weren’t more horses than stalls but there were more horses than “inside” stalls in the barn itself (several fields also had run-in sheds with stalls but on a day-to-day basis horses were not closed into those stalls because they were not close-by for cleaning, etc.). So although some stalls in the barn had a “daytime” and a “nighttime” occupant, in the event of inclement weather there was a stall for every horse. Boarders got priority on “their” horse’s stall inside the barn and the BM’s horses/training horses/field boarded horses were locked in the run in shed stalls.

What would bother me would be my horse going into a DIRTY stall. In the barn described above, they were fastidious about giving the stalls a couple hours to air out (not only removing pee spots but sweeping that area dry of shavings and putting a fan on it to dry out) and they rotated what stalls were used a second time in a day-- so every stall both got throughly cleaned AND a chance to rest from overuse (pulling up the mats etc.) And no horse ever went into a dirty stall. PM horses were fed, then turned out, then stalls were cleaned, then AM horses came in, then AM horses were turned out, then stall were cleaned again, then PM horses came in. Stalls were always cleaned after one horse left before the next horse came in.

It was a lot of labor but it was easier than using the shed stalls on a daily basis. The shed stalls were added as an afterthought after water had been run to the fields. They were pretty far from the water so a pain to fill buckets. Some of the gates weren’t big enough for the tractor so they had to be picked by hand into the wheelbarrow and then the wheelbarrow pushed a long way to dump. Shavings had to be wheeled out to the sheds in the wheelbarrow. The sheds were just not well located. So if there was a storm, they used them so every horse could be “in.” Otherwise, they shut them and mostly didn’t use them. Not how I would have set up or run my place, but as a boarder it worked fine and my horses never suffered from having to “share” their stalls in shifts witth another horse.

[Walk_N_Gal88]

Same here. If I’m paying $1K per month for board, my horse better have his own stall full time! That’s more than my dang mortgage! It’s not high maintenance to expect a “Hey bratbaby nicked herself/tore up fly boots in the pasture, just FYI” text from anybody. I’m baffled

[Thames_Pirate]

–I don’t know what board prices are in the area, but if they are normally twice that and stall sharing is a way of cutting the cost in half, then that’s a reasonable expectation. But I would personally not be comfortable with that situation and would instead prefer my horse to be on pasture board. It’s a weird situation, but ultimately it’s your choice to put your horse in it. If you want the stall cleaned thoroughly before your horse comes in, be willing to pay for the service.

–I would expect in unsafe situations to get a call or have the situation handled (horse lame, blanket ripped and hanging dangerously), but not for minor bumps or for rips.

–I would not expect the BO to look in on my horse’s rash. Treatment is my job. The prevention strategies that are within the contract

–For routine feeding and supplements, even if it means mixing a cough syrup into feed, that can be done by anyone.

–If you are paying for the trainer to ride the horse 5 days / week, then that’s what should be happening. If you simply have the horse “in training” without specifying, then that’s what should be happening. Generally it’s reasonable for the trainer to work the horse most days and the working students to hack the horse or do some light flatwork or lunging. However, the liability issue is one that should be specified; you need to make sure you are not liable for injuries to random students caused by your horse. Your contract should tell you.

–By the BO’s standards, yes, you are high maintenance. You know the situation, you put your horse in it, and then you want to change it. If you want a stall to yourself, be willing to pay for it. If you want only the trainer riding your horse, put that in the contract. That doesn’t mean you can’t work it out, but it’s up to you and the BO to talk things through and to write a contract that works for you both.

Ultimately, you need to decide what is best for you and your horse. I agree with your gut that this is not how things should be done, but it’s not my barn and not my horse. I also don’t know the area, the prices, the financial situation, the training situation, etc. Only you can make that call.