How would you handle this? Unqualified peeps blanketing horses at barn

[J-Lu]

The Natural Horsemanship trainer who trains out of the barn takes in a lot of problem horses. There are FAR more difficult horses on the property than mine. My horse has been blanketed his whole life. He’s very sensitive under saddle and processing new information. He’s pretty great with routine and in his pasture. He’s easy to blanket if blanked correctly and with someone who understands body language, as the BO told me.

My horse has never been difficult on the ground here because he had extensive training in groundwork with the NH guy. I can longe him in the arena without a halter, free-jump him without a halter and a chute but just with one jump in the arena, and lead him by his withers. I let him graze without a halter (this time of year, he has no green grass in his pasture) and return him to his pasture by leading him by the withers.

Can you do any of this with your horse? You really are assuming a lot in your posts.

[endlessclimb]

Well who could have predicted this response?

[vxf111]

Nothing you say is making me think it’s a good place to board. The more you describe it the more dodgy it sounds in terms of safety.

[Scribbler]

@vxf111

Nothing you say is making me think it’s a good place to board. The more you describe it the more dodgy it sounds in terms of safety.

Exactly. That whole incident with the arena and their reaction to it is a huge red flag. Also being the only boarder besides the pro trainer

[J-Lu]

Please! My horse is one of the easiest horses on their property! Where are you getting you ASSumptions? They have company picnics there and my horse is the star carrot-taker from adults and kids because he’s so gentle in taking food from peoples’ hands. He’s the only horse that uniformly grazes his pasture so his pasture doesn’t need mowing as frequently as some of the others do. He really enjoys people and is usually very happy in their presence and doesn’t challenge people. I was once literally ran over by one of their foster horses that they had with my horse. Literally. Run. Over. My horse has great ground manners and I reinforce that all the time. That he didn’t flatten the daughter when shocked on the fence is a testament to that.

[endlessclimb]

Well, it appears you were in fact looking for validation, not people’s opinions.

Which is pretty much what you are always looking for.

My apologies, I should have known better.

[FjordBCRF]

@vxf111

Nothing you say is making me think it’s a good place to board. The more you describe it the more dodgy it sounds in terms of safety.

I was going to say this same comment but @vxf111 beat me to it. “Furious” over anything doesn’t have a place with me, especially over something like the footing incident you describe and they are allegedly your friends.

[J-Lu]

Thanks

[luvmyhackney]

@J-Lu

Last year my horse pulled a tendon when the base eroded in the arena and there were many deep spots. My horse went lame on a foot when I happened to be riding with a veterinarian who immediately gave me meds and advice, and I had my own vet come out ASAP to do diagnostics. They now use her, too. I had her walk the arena and both vets concluded that the uneven footing was likely the cause. The BOs were furious that I did this and “made them think less of their business”.

I would have left the barn due to their reaction when this happened.

And yes, some horses forget all manners and decency when dinner has arrived. I can lead anywhere without a halter and free lunge but big flappy things getting put on flight animals are always a risky thing especially when they are distracted eating.

[IPEsq]

I don’t think any of this had to do with the skill level of this person. Horse was being fed with grain bucket attached to a hot fence, and feeding time was when the barn chose to blanket. It would have happened with any person because they all thought it was ok to feed him there, and your horse made a mistake and touched the fence. The whole order of work and setup is the problem, not this girl.

I mean, I watched my horse snoozing backed up near the fence the other day and when he shifted his weight his butt or tail must have caught the hot wire because he shot forward and spun around, snorting. Sometimes horses have oopsie moments. Odds are higher when you do things like put a bucket of grain where you want their face to go, and that’s near the hot wire.

[J-Lu]

Thanks.

[J-Lu]

Can you do any of that with your horse? It took me years of work on the ground to do this.

I’m assuming you can’t.

[J-Lu]

I’ll ignore you because you haven’t had anything constructive to say.

[endlessclimb]

Actually yeah, I can. It’s really not this giant thing you’re making it out to be, but hey if that’s your gold star - let that baby shine.

I can also ride my horse into the scary corner of the ring consistently, but who is keeping score?

Again. You are never looking for opinions, you are always looking for validation. So go ahead and leave this barn, you’re right, they’re wrong, yadda yadda. Happy?

[J-Lu]

We all know you aren’t good at giving opinions based on facts.

I somehow doubt your horse can do what I explained but hey! Let that baby shine! Discussion isn’t yoru forte! We all know this!

[FjordBCRF]

@J-Lu

I learned to drive a tractor here and I love grooming the arena. I took their elderly dog to the vet when they were out of town.
They gave me a discount on board because I barn-sat so much and refused payment for that. We went to music festivals together and had dinners together. I’m really sad about this.

What are they doing for you? Not to say relationships need to be 50/50, but this sounds like they are happy to take advantage of your free labor.

@J-Lu

To be fair, it’s quite happy for my horse.

I had to pull my horse out of a similar sounding barn this time last year. He really thrived at that barn, but it was a disaster waiting to happen on many levels. And many disasters DID happen while we were there, just not to us.

After heat lamps came out for the winter having chickens in the barn, I had a place set up move him to if needed, talked to the BO about alternatives to heat lamps which they didn’t take kindly to (and I expected this) and we packed everything up that night (Christmas) and hauled out the next day.

Editing to add, that BO at the barn I mention sounds like yours. THRILLED to take anyone’s free help and essentially relied upon it. Everyone was AMAZING. The BEST boarders until they were deemed enemies by BO due to something she should have been on top of to begin with.

[Scribbler]

@J-Lu

Can you do any of that with your horse? It took me years of work on the ground to do this.

I’m assuming you can’t.

I can do all this with project mare. She’s not safe to ride, but she’s great on the ground. And she will still blow up in the right circumstances.
.

What I’m hearing is that you say your horse is totally bomb proof, the barn owner says he’s a big problem, and barn owner has already gone ballistic in the past in response to your input about health and safety concerns.

It doesn’t matter what you think. If BO has decided you and/or horse are more bother than you are worth, including fence repair, and BO can easily fill your stall, then BO may very well want you to leave.

It doesn’t matter whether you can convince us strangers that your food aggressive horse in individual turnout with a hot wire is a bombproof pony or not. It only matters what the BO decides to believe.

Also every horse that hits hot wire will spook.

[IPEsq]

I also think that this talk they want to have could be the talk where they ask your horse to leave, and you need to be prepared for that.

[J-Lu]

i’ve never said my horse is bomb proof. YOU said that. He’s quite sensitive but has no problem with experienced handlers. He understands routine.

I get your point. My post is edited to reflect that.

Thanks for your post.

[J-Lu]

You’re likely right.

I’ll then have to consider how I frame my leaving to the many friends I have associated with this barn.