Yes, this or a Facebook page. One post to say “The weather is ____, horses are are not out today” takes seconds to post, so all boarders know what’s up.
When I was working my tail off driving across three states to pay my board, that info could be very helpful to have.
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So what?
Why does it matter to you what someone else and their BO/BM do if everyone in that situation is happy? What’s wrong with sharing the differences?
Flash to everyone: Everyone doesn’t do everything the same way as you. That’s not wrong. Or something that needs to be corrected. 
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Right. I don’t board at a regular facility anymore but I do know a couple of barn owners that have Facebook/Twitter pages set up so that they can let everyone easily know whether it’s a rain event or what have you. Sometimes people drive 45 minutes and their weather is not the same as the weather at the barn.
I don’t think it’s too much to ask at all, in fact I think it should be part of the service that you pay for. As far as having to worry about horses that are difficult to catch, I suppose I would hope they would make an effort to get the blind horse but the others will come when they get hungry.
Sometimes I really feel like boarders are at the mercy of the barn owner/barn manager and they don’t have a voice. Sometimes I think it’s the only service provided that doesn’t really understand customer service.
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I think that was the point of the post.
Most of the posts in this thread.
Some people need a barn owner that will give them a play by play of their horse’s day to feel like they are being properly communicated with, other people only need to hear from the BO when there is an emergency situation with Dobbin, and all levels in between.
It is important for the horse owner to pick a barn that meets their needs, not expect a barn owner to change their style because they think their way is the only right way.
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I think everyone has different needs. Some barns are more geared towards the twitter/facebook/text updates, although I have never boarded at one. However, I usually did self care so if the barn did call or text, I always held my breath because it was out of the ordinary and something had probably happened.
Other barns, aren’t as communicative. Nothing wrong with being on different ends of the spectrum or desiring one type over another. Heck, when Irma came through Florida I couldn’t get the BO to answer her phone or text back, so I had to drive in the middle of it to get to the farm. I remember texting each owner or calling each owner: So and so is standing and grazing, seems fine, A OK. I guess I was the only one crazy enough to go out in it :lol:
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And just like those that think it’s a reasonable expectation are allowed to post about it, I’m allowed to post saying that I think it’s absurd. Thanks.
That’s like…the point of discussion boards. To discuss.
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I’m not a bigtime rider or anything like that, but I do know when my mare was alive, I wanted her turned out daily no matter the weather unless it was icy pouring skin drenching freezing rain or snow. She had arthritis and being in a stall was sooo much worse than being out for her. My barn owners were small time, 20 horses max, but they respected my wishes and if they thought it was turning bad out they would either call or text me to ask if I wanted Katie in. Sometimes they would leave her out in the am until it got nasty and then bring her in or vice versa. They also always made great judgement calls and if she had to stay up, they let me know so I could come hand walk her in the aisle, sometimes they would let her wander the 200ft long aisle while they were there, just so she could move around some.
Obviously not all barn owners have that kind of time, BUT if theyre staying in when most owners, at least in my case, would rather their horses get some form of turnout daily, I do think a group text or fb post wouldn’t make or break a time frame for anyone.
As far as the blind gelding goes, they couldn’t be sympathetic at least to him at walk out there?? Yes I understand other horses to take care of and honestly I wouldn’t chase down heathen mares for an hour either…but a blind older gelding that I know needs to eat, especially with the changing weather, keeping up weight and all that… I’m sorry that part more than anything rubs me the wrong way, they should have made the time at least for him in my humble opinion.
We are all into horses because we love them, and if I ever owned a facility I would expect the same level of care and dedication from my staff. Stepping off my soapbox and going back to my dungeon of an office now.
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THIS!!! Unfortunately from what I can tell, it doesn’t exist anymore!
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So here’s the thing.
I’m a reasonable and cooperative lifetime boarder that BM’s appreciate having in the barn. I choose board barns carefully and end up with long tenures in each one, about 4+ years each. In fact the one time I left after a year was due to relocating across the state.
My horse is not the one who doesn’t know its owner because the owner is rarely there, because I’m out frequently and do a lot to keep my horse as healthy and comfortable as he can be. I listen to observations and suggestion by the BM. I also come out to provide extra care if my horse has an extra need. I maintain good relationships with the other boarders. I don’t gossip, and I have the BM’s back if others do. I don’t borrow other people’s stuff. I keep my stuff organized in the space provided, however small it is. I clean up after myself, and will clean up after another boarder if they forget, and I don’t say anything about it that could be an embarrassment to the other boarder. I’ll lend a hand with the barn help if they need it.
I pay several hundred dollars every month for quality hose care. Promptly and without being asked. You may be letting me know that my horse is out instead of in, or in instead of out, but paying the board is one call you’ll never have to make with me.
So if that isn’t enough to merit a semi-occasional communication that we (the barn staff) are doing something other than the usual with my horse, then you aren’t the board barn for me.
But I haven’t run into that kind of attitude with the BM’s I’ve boarded with over the years. They have all been cooperative and conscientious, and I appreciated that and did all I could to make that a fair and equitable relationship. Both myself and my BM’s have been ready to occasionally go the extra mile for each other.
But everyone makes their own choices of how to treat their customers.
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You’ll note that expecting a daily or regular text/tweet to say if the horses are in or out is what I said is unreasonable. I did not, in fact, say the occasional notification for something out of the norm is unreasonable.
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… So anyway, my horse has been diagnosed with DSLD. Any real solutions out there? We just did low level eventing, not worth real money to anyone, but I do love her and loved getting to bring her along over the last 5 years.
thoughts? I know this is the wrong forum, but I figured a change of subject couldn’t hurt.
Isn’t that what your contract states you have to do? And you want a pat on the back?
I would expect a professional boarding facility would be capable of assessing the weather or whatever and making the decision to turn out or leave in, and not need to notify each individual owner. Does the school call each individual parent when the weather is bad and the little kiddies don’t go outside at recess time? No, they don’t.
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Ummm…yes some of them do something close to that. I took over the phone number at work after somebody left the company. She never changed her contact number with her child’s school. I would get all kinds of automated calls about delayed starts and cancelled school days due to weather. There were a few school lock downs due to active shooter in the area or other threats. Child was at an age where there was no recess so no calls about that. Also in my area recess is wasn’t cancelled it was just moved to the gym and was only a max of 1/2 an hour. So different than turn-out versus no turn-out. I was glad when kiddo graduated and I stopped getting those calls.
My trainer is very generous about turn-out. She shares a barn with another trainer. They routinely make different calls about if the horses are going out. Sometimes current weather is not the deciding factor on turn-out. If it rained really hard just before turn-out time even if the weather is gorgeous a BO may decide to not turn-out to preserve the fields. In my area weather has been really spotty for the last couple of years. It may be light rain at my house but torrential down-pours at the barn. So we are left guessing if the horses went out or not.
For those of us that aren’t in full training we may decide to make an additional effort to get to the barn to ride, lunge or free lunge Dobbin if he has not been out that day even if that was not the original plan. My horse has some stifle issues. He does best with either consistent turn-out or riding. If he doesn’t get that he gets a bit short on his left hind.
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That is normal, and pretty much all schools have automated systems in place for that. It is the parent’s responsibility to stay informed, though. But a live person calling or texting each parent? Nope. Not happening.
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And that is why people are suggesting a group text, FB post or Tweet.
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The point is, parents need to know when school is opening late or closing early and possibly change their work schedule, transportation schedule, etc. so young kids are properly supervised and transported. But owners are not required to stay home with their horses when the weather is bad, so there is not a need for the BO or BM to let the owners know that the horses are in or out.
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Seriously, the two are not even comparable.
Also, none of those automated messages were to inform one that the kiddos didn’t go outside for recess that day, which was actually Palm Beach’s original correlation.
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If I am reading this correctly, you are boarding 4 horses at a small, family ran operation?
First of all, I would go crazy over a horse being left to wander the property. That is a life and death situation and not acceptable.
If I were boarding 4, my choices would be limited due to cost. I guess I feel like one of the easier things might be to just go in the morning and bring your own horses in.
I have an old gelding and there’s no way I could train him to go stand at a gate at feeding time, especially if there were other horses in the field. He just isn’t that hungry. I do understand.
As a boarder I do prefer to have communication on if horses are left in for inclement weather. Otherwise a lot of days I’m left wondering and I’ve often guessed wrong - even at the place I was at for many years. If I know my horse has been in I might be inclined to go lunge or hand walk or ride when I otherwise might not - just to keep the gut moving and legs from sticking up. I never had that notice but I’d prefer it as a customer.
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I do get it, though, because I feel like if my horse is in I should go hand walk or lunge to keep the legs from stocking up and to prevent colic by keeping the blood moving a little. For that reason I think a “horses are in” would be nice.
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Now that makes zero sense. OF COURSE the owner needs to know !!! I’m coming to ride that horse that hasn’t been out in 3 days due to rain. And I don’t know that for sure, because the weather is spotty and what I’ve been experiencing may not be the same as what was happening at the barn.
Some sort of group notification is all that is needed. It isn’t an every-day expectation, it’s only when the routine is changed.
Any BM who thinks that the owner is an afterthought is not the right place for a serious rider. Or even an owner who is serious about their horse. Because my horse is not an afterthought for me - he’s right up there with family. :winkgrin: If a BM finds that annoying, then we aren’t the right match. But to date my BM’s have appreciated boarders who were involved and active with their horses.
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