No, it’s not ok to use other people’s things because you don’t have your own. Like saddles.
From the barn where I board:
When you trailer your new pony to the farm, please ensure that she is wearing a halter and lead rope when she departs the trailer. Do not just drop the ramp and let her leap off, gallop around the 100 acre property, tail flagging and screaming desperately. This will, in fact, cause a whole host of problems including (but in no way limited to): a frantic TB gelding to race around his paddock and crash, narrowly missing his companion mini (and no, new border, that is not hysterically funny), the lesson horse being ridden by a new rider to spook and dump her, several small barn dogs to loose their S&*!, The mare herd to gallop and slip and slide in their field and many humans to sprain, strain and otherwise injure various body parts trying to contain the pony and the havoc. So scary!!
[QUOTE=sweet2lula;7910041]
From the barn where I board:
When you trailer your new pony to the farm, please ensure that she is wearing a halter and lead rope when she departs the trailer. Do not just drop the ramp and let her leap off, gallop around the 100 acre property, tail flagging and screaming desperately. This will, in fact, cause a whole host of problems including (but in no way limited to): a frantic TB gelding to race around his paddock and crash, narrowly missing his companion mini (and no, new border, that is not hysterically funny), the lesson horse being ridden by a new rider to spook and dump her, several small barn dogs to loose their S&*!, The mare herd to gallop and slip and slide in their field and many humans to sprain, strain and otherwise injure various body parts trying to contain the pony and the havoc. So scary!![/QUOTE]
Did she break her halter coming of the trailer, or just not have one to begin with?
No, she didn’t break one- they just herded her into the trailer loose- no halter! It was a very young, first time horse owner. Poor kid didn’t know any better really, but yikes- what a mess!
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The golf cart is not a herding tool for you to chase your hard-to-catch horse with until he’s tired enough to catch.
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There is a fee to have your horse held for the farrier. Especially when he is dreadful. And yes, this fee still applies even if you are physically present on the farm while farrier is there and you ask me to “hold him for one second” while you go talk on your phone in the parking lot for the remainder of the farrier’s visit.
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Yes, the 5 month old mini donk (Jack) that you picked up DOES count as a second equine and leaving him loose in the yard because he doesn’t trust people yet and you want him to learn to come to you naturally is not ok.
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Knowing if your mare was bred prior to arriving to the property IS my business, especially when I will be the one to find the blessed animal in labor.
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The arena is NOT for turnout. Leaving your horse that cannot be caught in there with a note to “bring him in for dinner” is not ok.
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Your horse beating the snot out of every other turnout buddy is not “ok” and he’s in isolated turnout for a reason. Please do not re-introduce him to the herd because him quietly grazing is a sign to you that he’s lonely.
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Do not feed horses that do not belong to you treats. Out of your hand. Blatantly ignoring the “Do not give her treats! She chokes” sign.
[QUOTE=FindersKeepers;7910127]
- Do not feed horses that do not belong to you treats. Out of your hand. Blatantly ignoring the “Do not give her treats! She chokes” sign.[/QUOTE]
Actually I threw a very wealthy client out for this very thing…to all 20 horses in the barn, including my own younsters…3 warnings. When I caught her the 4th time I said to her, politely…“what part of no don’t you understand”? She just giggled and said “but I just can’t help it”.
I pitched her out that very day and she got her horse, who she never rode and just fed pounds of carrots daily and groomed – and spent the whole day at the farm and lounging in my office too – OUT within 3 days. And SHE was pissed!
I was the bad guy. Holy Cow.
This thread is great. Reminds me why I closed to boarding within 3 years of being conned into it on my private breeding farm. I have had 13 empty stalls, indoor, state of the art facility and it stays empty, except for my 7 remaining horses.
Once in awhile I think about boarding again. This thread is the reminder I need not do to that again…:lol::lol:.
Thank you OP for starting this thread…just what I needed to slap me back into the reality that I lived and drove me nutty for those 3 LONG years.
I once had to order a husband/wife boarder pair to leave because they would not wear proper footwear in and around the barn and horses. They lived in flip flops. My insurance is not going to have to pay for their stupidity.
Sid - I have been doing this for 34 years - 25+ horse barns, too.
I am sure I have blessedly blanked out many of my worst moments.
It is definitely time to retire - anyone want to buy a farm???
[QUOTE=GoForAGallop;7905453]
Please don’t gallop your horses through the fields full of crops.
They are not, in fact, planted there as decoration.
Thank Christ it was just a pumpkin field and not my neighbor’s $30/box organic cucumbers…[/QUOTE]
$30/box? Organic or not, they’d better vibrate for that price!
Just because the covered parking for the trailer happens to be empty at the moment do not assume you can park / store your personal truck there.
Do not tie your horse to the gate next to the wash stall instead of in the wash stall utilizing the cross ties for that purpose. Horse ripped the gate off the hinges and took off down the road with the gate banging him in the legs causing him to be laid up for 3 months at the bo expense because he was a schooly.
Saddle pads and tack in the BO’s tack room are not for use by the boarders or lesson kids and then put back dirty. Keep Out!
[QUOTE=dotneko;7910220]
Sid - I have been doing this for 34 years - 25+ horse barns, too.
I am sure I have blessedly blanked out many of my worst moments.
It is definitely time to retire - anyone want to buy a farm???[/QUOTE]
Yep, sista’ …:lol:. Seriously, I built this place from the ground up, bare land, blood, sweat and tears. It can stay empty. This is my home. I’ll sell when I can’t carry the work load. In the meantime, I love it…with the few horses I have left and a few nice people I allow to come and use the indoor. I’m sure you “get” that. Peace!
From my BO:
No, you can’t put all the boarders’ horses into the indoor arena and practice cutting with them.
No, you can’t go out in the pasture and twirl ropes in the middle of the horses because you want to play some weird “game” with your horse. It makes the other horses run around and it’s dangerous, too. You especially can’t put them all in the arena and do this.
No, you can’t put your spooky, rather crazy horse in the indoor and do that damned rope twirling thing at him while he’s loose, especially when other people are trying to ride.
Yes, this was the same person!
Kim
Tiki,
I’m guessing that this person was an acolyte of some popular DVD selling horse whisperer?
Okay, I said I was done but I’m not -
Don’t justified taking up twice the allotted space in the tack room by saying that you love it here and you’re nesting. Nope. Two bridle racks, one saddle rack, one trunk, everything else goes home or goes into the storage room in the shed.
Don’t solicit lesson students and their clueless parents to ride your wild ass, half broken pony with no regard for their level of riding and without asking me first. Of course they will say yes, they have pony mad daughters. Of course the daughters will fall off multiple times, they’ve been riding school ponies.
[QUOTE=Bigbutt;7906291]
I’m wondering about this one. Now the barn I’m at now, I’m both boarder and employee (as I work there daily Sunday - Friday) to work off some board. But I’ve always treated the barns I’ve boarded as as my second home. (Although my hubby would say its more like my first home some days) I try to stay out of the way, but I will find things to do (pick stalls, clean paddocks, watch lessons, chat with parents) I don’t believe I’m a PITA to the b.o or b.m or trainer. I try to watch a couple of lessons of fellow riders to learn from them - this is encouraged by my coach… so not sure why this would be an issue. I wrote a posting once on how important your barn family and barn support is - if I was only there to do the required pre-brushing, ride, post-brushing… it seems rather industrial and cold.[/QUOTE]
Sorry, I should have clarified. Futzing around for hours that has nothing at all to do with horses or a boarding facility. Like, bringing other hobbies or projects from home to work on at the barn every day, and having a horse there is just an excuse to be on the property. Totally different from people who hang out doing barn stuff or just chatting ‘horse’. It was really odd and a bit awkward.
[QUOTE=McGurk;7910435]
Tiki,
I’m guessing that this person was an acolyte of some popular DVD selling horse whisperer?[/QUOTE]
Yep! It all hit the fan and she was asked to leave (I forgot this part and was coming back to add), the BO found her riding her horse in the pasture among the other horses. Bareback. With just a rope around the horse’s neck. After she had been told specifically NOT to do it in the indoor!
Kim
Kodiak,
I’ve had that boarder, for whom being at the barn was a positive alternative to being at home. I always start out sympathetic, because who among us hasn’t used the barn as a refuge from the rest of their life? But invariably, this situation devolves into something unpleasant - needy boarder stops reading novel sitting on the mounting block in the sun and starts teaching or training from the sidelines, or getting a leetle too involved in other boarder’s lives.
And then you get home from your day job and find needy boarder lounging on your front porch every evening… Wake up weekend mornings to NB hand grazing in your front yard… Start to dread doing anything outside because NB is going to come hang out…
We have a small place, and I don’t miss the endless ‘company’.
[QUOTE=17handponyrider;7908971]
Do not run a hula hoop up and down your large warmblood mares back legs without the stall door shut or the chain up. [/QUOTE]
…or ever. Seriously, even with the door shut or stall guard, why would this ever be a good idea? 
…or the too late at night phone calls from a boarder who’s richer than you, has an easier life than you, and doesn’t have to get up at sparrow fart to clean her horses boxes etc.
She’s your friend now, and she has problems to talk about…
Then try not to tear your hair out when she tells you that her therapist said "maybe her friend “looks meaningfully at you” doesn’t return her calls because she doesn’t really get how important it is. No, it’s because she doesn’t want to talk about your spoiled neurotic rich girl problems, she needs some ******* SLEEP!!!
Do not insist on trotting on the trail when the two other people on the trail ask you not to.
When barn owner confronts you about this and asks you how you would feel if she insisted on cantering when you were on the trail Do not answer that you would just have to deal.
Because Karma is a bitch and you will have to ask one or both of these same people to compromise their trail rides for every trail ride after for what seems like eternity. They of course will kindly agree (do ignore the smug look on their faces).
Do horses talk? Was this said in the barn that night.
BOs horse “Your rider person upset feeder lady. YOU KNOW WHAT YOU HAVE TO DO”
Boarders horse “Oh I know. Don’t worry my rider person will learn her lesson”
