Creepy Boarder.. gives me the willies

[La_Gringa]

There is this guy at my barn that makes me cringe every time I go out there and he’s there. He never has a shirt on, is always loud mouthing about someone… the worst gossip I have heard… worse than any cackling hens by far out there.

The problem is his horse is next to mine. He’s always lurking around with his lobster sunburned body… beady eyes. He makes a point of OCD’ing over every inch of his horses enclosure… yet the mare is so overweight. He hardly rides her… and feeds her til she looks pregnant.

Such a weirdo…he’s never harmed me or my horse… but just one of those folks that makes your skin crawl… and I know I am not alone … several other boarders have said the same thing. He has a sort of a wild eyed look… makes me want to run away.

Wacko guy… . I just had to vent. I want to move my mare to another area of the ranch so I don’t have to see him, but she has one of the best pens with shade trees on the property.

Argh… I just go about my business and leave… bothers me every day.

[Simbalism]

Always carry your cell and maybe even clip a whistle on you, just in case.

[wood_snake]

Never ignore your gut. Ever. Cell phone and whistle. And pepper spray.

[La_Gringa]

good idea, I always do have my cell with me

[Simbalism]

The whistle would be a good idea to attract attention from others.

[OverandOnward]

How long has he been there? If it hasn’t been that long, people who don’t fit in have a tendency to move on - eventually.

I agree with the others, trust your inner voice.

[La_Gringa]

Fortunately my mare’s area is in a well traveled area of the farm… I’m never backed in a corner or anything with him. I don’t speak to him… he’s just not someone I want contact with at all.

[La_Gringa]

[QUOTE=OverandOnward;7748369]
How long has he been there? If it hasn’t been that long, people who don’t fit in have a tendency to move on - eventually.

I agree with the others, trust your inner voice.[/QUOTE]

He’s been there a few years from what I gather. Other boarders just say… yah that guy is a nut job… the one with the pregnant looking horse and literally vacuums the horses’s outdoor pen every day… Such a weirdo.

[Kwill]

Trust your gut. Frankly, I would ask barn owner to move to another area of the property. But still in high traffic.

[Ponytoes]

So makes me appreciate Fairhope AL

[OverandOnward]

[QUOTE=La Gringa;7748374]
He’s been there a few years from what I gather. Other boarders just say… yah that guy is a nut job… the one with the pregnant looking horse and literally vacuums the horses’s outdoor pen every day… Such a weirdo.[/QUOTE]

Ask them if they have any concerns about his behavior. If not … after a few years, if he was a true creep he would almost be certain to be known as such.

He may be annoying and not anyone’s cup of tea, but it’s not a crime to be different. Just a test of tolerance for the rest of us. IF he’s not a threat.

Nothing wrong with being hyper-clean with one’s horse’s outdoor pen! I’m kind of fanatic about what the horses have to live with, myself. In the wild they don’t stand around in their own feces.

[JanM]

I would simply ignore him the way you have been. He’s an exhibitionist, and wants to get a reaction to his ‘beautiful’ bod, and thinks everyone is impressed (nope, they aren’t). I would listen to the little voice in your head, and if you ever get there and there is no one else but him around, leave until someone can come with you. Even if he never does anything, and hasn’t done anything in the past, don’t take chances, and don’t ever leave your cell phone uncharged, or in the car. He may be harmless, but if not don’t take chances.
If you are there, and every one else leaves, then you do too. If the others around you are getting ready to leave, then ask one or two others to hang around for a few minutes, and finish anything you have to urgently, and you all leave together.

[ellebeaux]

Maybe you could ask the BO to set a dress code for the barn i.e. at least tank tops and closed-toed shoes or whatever.

[LookmaNohands]

Google is your friend.

Also, take note of his vehicle and license plate number.

Ya never know!

[ACP]

Listen to that little voice in the back of your head. Women are conditioned to be very concerned with not making trouble or causing a problem. So we ignore the ‘yuck’ feelings too often.

[Emilia]

I thought, you already moved to VA and was thinking about who would be shirtless here this particular summer at all (except last week or so).

I like OverandOnward take on the situation. He has been there without an incident for several years, it would seem (from original info). It has been surprising to me, ever since I moved to the US, how scared people seem to be of each other here.

Where I come from, we would think, he is a lost soul with a horse as his best friend to connect to, who desperately seeks contact and goes about it the worst way possible. This is not to say, we are better at treating quirky people, just do not approach everything out of ordinary as a threat.

Some lonely people think, gossip is the way to converse with others, because they overhear it in daily conversations, but, lack the nuance to tone it down.

Come back to Virginia and meet our own set of quirks. At least, they will keep their shirts on for the bigger part of year.

Seriously, I have just heard about weekly cow penning meets down in Culpeper county.

[Zuri]

There are a lot of “odd” people everywhere. This gentleman may have mental health issues and if his oddity can be embraced rather than criticized, you may find him interesting. As compassionate as we are about horses, humans deserve it too.

I would simply ask him to put a shirt on.

[sdlbredfan]

If it ever becomes cool enough that he wears a shirt, say ‘nice shirt, good color on you’ or something. Say that as you are leaving so he will not have the opportunity to turn it into a long conversation.
ETA, I agree on the always trust your spidey senses.

[Beaver_Breeze]

[QUOTE=sdlbredfan;7749464]
If it ever becomes cool enough that he wears a shirt, say ‘nice shirt, good color on you’ or something. Say that as you are leaving so he will not have the opportunity to turn it into a long conversation.
ETA, I agree on the always trust your spidey senses.[/QUOTE]

I probably wouldn’t even do that. Men don’t typically pick up on subtleties the way women do, and it very well may not be interpreted correctly. (read: he thinks it’s a sign you dig him)

He may be harmless. But if your alarms go off, listen to them. Making a mistake in that regard and giving him too much benefit of the doubt hurts only you. The reverse hurts no one.

[tbchick84]

Don’t ignore your gut, especially with something like this.