Leaving a barn

[QUOTE=Arelle;6726434]
So - wait.

How did you give notice that you’re leaving on the 1st – but you’re already somewhere else?

Sorry – you did wrong here. 30 days notice is what you should have done. The fact that you’re A) having to ask and B) now talking badly about her practices just reeks of guilt-that-you-don’t-want-to-admit.[/QUOTE]

I wasn’t asking anything. And I was not bad mouthing her.

[QUOTE=Koniucha;6726442]
I wasn’t asking anything. And I was not bad mouthing her.[/QUOTE]

You certainly didn’t seem to be posting to PRAISE her for being annoyed at your “professional” practices. In case you were wondering innocently why she might be annoyed, some posters have offered you some ideas.

Seriously?

If the OP started a thread that said “should I move or stay?” You can’t tell me that people would suggest she stayed. Contract or no the BO did not give her what she had promised. The OP gave SOME notice, which she was not obligated by contract to do at all. 30 days might be nice and it might be traditional but she was not required to do so.

Now people on this thread are trying to make her feel like she’s at fault when they should really be saying “I’m glad you’re finally moving so your horse actually gets turned out.”

OP, I think you did just fine giving 2-weeks notice on no contract, AND I read your post as “ugh, I hate giving notice, especially when it obviously hurts feelings” versus trashing the BO. Hang in there, you’ll get through it!

[QUOTE=Koniucha;6726424]
Thank you. I was starting to wonder if I had commited a crime here! I don’t feel like I did anything wrong either.[/QUOTE]

Under the circumstances described, I don’t think you did anything wrong, either. It’s always nice to give 30 days notice. It’s also always nice if people who promise services, such as turnout, deliver on those promises.

Professionalism cuts both ways.

[QUOTE=Koniucha;6726384]
I did not have a place on Dec 1st. The place was available on the 15th.[/QUOTE]

So you took advantage of your lack of a contract requiring 30 days’ notice. That’s fine, but why, then, bring up the fact that you play by that rule and that part of your “problem” is that your BO didn’t use a contract?

It seems to me that you are benefitting from not having to play by your own rules here. So Man Up and put up with whatever you have to for another 10 days or so.

Maybe lady assumed that you would give 30 days regardless, since its a well known courtesy. Just as you assumed that she really meant what she said-that you could give your notice anytime.

To smooth things over because the horse world is SO SMALL I would definitely still offer to pay for 30 days. Even though she did not live up to her end of the bargain either, I do not like burning bridges. Especially since from your website you appear to a pro?

I agree that 30 days is common courtesy. AND it is the holidays, after all. I would absolutely be throwing the BO something to make up for the remaining days. To be fair, the prorated fee for the remaining days less hay and shavings. It’s tough to give such short notice the week before Christmas.

I can see why you have to move, given the turnout situation. However, if you don’t wish to burn bridges or you think she has tried to do the right thing by you and your horse, I wouldn’t leave her potentially cash-strapped. Handle it how you want, even consider it a Christmas present, with an apology for the short notice.

I think in many cases the horse community knows if a BO is crazy or if they got shafted by a crappy boarder.

Oh, I don’t think you owe them a 30 days notice. I am very hesitant to sign a contract that requires me to give 30 days notice. You’re putting your horse at risk by having them at a place that knows you are leaving (and are often pissed about it). People like to think that their trainers and barn owners are good people but I’m sure each and every one of us could come up with some names of ‘good people’ that have done terrible things to horses.

[QUOTE=Koniucha;6726382]
I wanted to add to that when I first got there, she told me that the horse will be rotated into the pasture. She has a beautiful pasture, which anyone that knows AZ, that is hard to find here! I have been there 3 months and my mare did not go out there once. For about the last month, she started telling me that she did not want to turn my horse out because she ran alot?? and she was afraid she would get hurt. Uh okay. Other horses on the property were turned out everyday. I am just glad I am now somewhere else.[/QUOTE]

So now that everyone is not agreeing with you it is time to state how horrible the BO really is?

I have no issues with the OP moving. I am all for boarders finding a barn that works for them and their horse. But common courtesy should also be used. 30 days notice is pretty much the standard, even with out a contract. I just can not see why anyone would think giving two weeks noticed at the holiday season is OK.

[QUOTE=trubandloki;6727597]
So now that everyone is not agreeing with you it is time to state how horrible the BO really is?

I have no issues with the OP moving. I am all for boarders finding a barn that works for them and their horse. But common courtesy should also be used. 30 days notice is pretty much the standard, even with out a contract. I just can not see why anyone would think giving two weeks noticed at the holiday season is OK.[/QUOTE]

^^^^ Agreed. Common courtesy is 30 days, with or without a contract. If the BO had told her to get out and had 15 days to find a new barn, holy crow the $hi! would hit the fan. She would then “expect” 30 days notice, with no contract. How we spin situations to fit our needs.

30 days notice is common courtesy. It sounds like there were issues that you weren’t happy with, and I understand moving, but the correct procedure is talk to the owner about issues–>quietly barn shop if issues do not appear to be resolved–>find new barn–>give notice–>move horse. It doesn’t sound like your horse received the care that you expected, but she wasn’t being beaten or starved, so it’s polite and reasonable to give your barn owner 30 days to fill the stall or to prepare herself for the loss of income.

I am at my third boarding barn and when I moved my horse before, both times, the barn owners literally teared up, hugged me, and told me I would always have a stall there if I wanted to come back. It’s not a good idea to burn bridges unless there are seriously crazy people with pitchforks on the other side.

I can understand the situation. I still think 30 days is common courtesy, and I don’t know all the details, but if I was staying somewhere without a contract and the barn owner had not kept up her side of the verbal board agreement, I would be looking for a place to go.
Seriously, the OP’s horse doesn’t get turned out in 3 months? I would feel 2 weeks notice is not “backstabbing” in this instance. I put my horse’s needs first before hurting someone’s feelings, and not getting turn out that was promised to me is not ok. That is part of the care I am PAYING for so why stay? The OP gave 2 weeks notice and I think that in this case it is not being underhanded, I know I would want to get my horse to a place with turn out ASAP.
I don’t know all the details to this story, none of us do, but if it comes down to my horse’s well being, that comes first.

30 days is a common courtesy. However if your horse doesn’t get the care that was promisedby the BO then all courtesy goes out the window. I would move my horse(s) the next day. My horses well being and safety come first, no matter what

Agreed with everyone who says 30 days is standard. I’ve been on every side of this fence: I grew up on a private boarding farm, and yes, it is tough to leave the BO on 2 weeks notice - especially if it is a small barn, your board is a high percentage of their income! I have also boarded many places - I gave 30 days notice at a place where I was having similar turn-out issues and wished I could have afforded to move my horse the next day - that time was awkward and AWFUL. I gave a day’s notice once: I realized the turn-out was “closed” for the winter and moved my horse the next day (I was in college and headed home the next day for winter break - couldn’t leave him locked in a stall for 3 weeks!). Even though that instance was extreme (!), it was a big farm, the barn owner understood, and I was only 1/40th of their boarding income.

There is definitely a right way and a wrong way to do it, and the barn owner is only half of the equation. I am still friendly with the BO I gave 30 days notice to. It’s a small world.

Of course 30 days is common courtesy, but our contract does not mandate it.
If a boarder wants to go, and they are in good standing, and have a place picked out, I would perfer they go as soon as their new stall is ready.

It is often uncompfortable, not only with the staff, but with other boaders, should that person decide to tell everyone and their dog about the switch.

I did’t read your other post, so have no comment on what wasn’t provided to you, or promised. You didn’t have a contract.

[QUOTE=Koniucha;6726382]
. She has a beautiful pasture, which anyone that knows AZ, that is hard to find here! I have been there 3 months and my mare did not go out there once. QUOTE]

3 posts into the discussion it is “out there” followed by a vague turned out at all. Most BOs don’t want horses standing in their stalls. The excuse that the horse was not turned out AT ALL does not fly with me. I am certain the horse was not turned out in the green pasture (which is hard to find in AZ as the OP stated. Plus, the BO TOLD her the horse was being difficult and she was afraid she would get hurt.
How many posts do we see about horses not settling down? What was done to help alleviate the mare’s angst (and not by BO, by the owner). Were other options explored? Ulcers? A tranq? New pasture buddies? Rotation in schedule?

I’m sure this will flip around with some excuse but re read Post 13. It took OP 3 posts into it to come up with the reason to leave. Not “OMG, I had to leave without 30 days notice b/c my poor mare was stuck inside without turnout”. Sorry, I call BS.

“I wanted to add to that when I first got there, she told me that the horse will be rotated into the pasture. She has a beautiful pasture, which anyone that knows AZ, that is hard to find here! I have been there 3 months and my mare did not go out there once. For about the last month, she started telling me that she did not want to turn my horse out because she ran alot?? and she was afraid she would get hurt. Uh okay. Other horses on the property were turned out everyday. I am just glad I am now somewhere else.”

So you gave ONE day’s notice…and you think it is bad that the OP gave 2 weeks notice? Not very nice.
And it doesn’t matter what size barn it is. Both the big and the small barns are professionals and I am PAYING them for SERVICES that I expect to receive- regardless of how big or small they are. They are a place of BUSINESS, and if I was not happy with the services rendered at Walmart, or my local Mom and Pop store, you think I should hesitate returning something I’m not happy with to the M&P because it will be a bigger deal to them?

ETA:
I can only respond to what I read, and it read like horse is getting no turn out. That doesn’t fly with me. That WOULD make my horse act high strung or likely to “run around”. If the horse is getting turn out, it’s a different story, I agree, but If her horse is stuck without turn out, I don’t blame her for only giving 2 weeks notice.

[QUOTE=Forthright Farm;6727395]
Oh, I don’t think you owe them a 30 days notice. I am very hesitant to sign a contract that requires me to give 30 days notice. You’re putting your horse at risk by having them at a place that knows you are leaving (and are often pissed about it). People like to think that their trainers and barn owners are good people but I’m sure each and every one of us could come up with some names of ‘good people’ that have done terrible things to horses.[/QUOTE]

If you think your horse will be at risk at a place if they know you are leaving, unless the barn’s conduct was EGREGIOUS, you leave but still pay for 30 days.