Some tips for next time. Write all the instructions on paper, and leave a copy at the barn and then email or text the same instructions. If the paper copy gets lost, she has them on her phone (you hope). And, call or text after the first feeding is planned and before the second feeding to be sure she found everything ok. I know it sounds like overkill, but I’ve heard some crazy stories from friends about pet sitters who “forgot” about the job.
If you were not able to show her in person where the feed was, then it wasn’t completely her fault. Sounds like she did the best she could under the circumstances to get the horse fed. I don’t know why she didn’t call you, but I wouldn’t write her off if you need someone to feed again.
Next time hopefully you could walk her through it in person and have detailed instructions in addition and maybe have the bagged grain and supplements in a 5 gallon bucket with a lid right outside the stall or in a place she can find.
Even something as simple as feeding for another person can go horribly wrong sometimes.
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I know you were away but a call or text to the person caring for your horse the first night would have helped. Just a quick “How is everything? Did they give you any problems?”
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Yes I always do this too.
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Another vote for this (I see @Finally Time also mentioned it).
In my long history of getting cat sitters, at least since the development of email I always check in if they don’t drop me a line after the first feeding. Until I get that I always have images in my mind of the cats starving in the house due to the sitter confusing dates (or, you know, being hit by a bus - I’m great at thinking up possible disasters) while I’m spending a week wherever. But the communication also makes it easy for either side to ask a question or add any comments/notes that were forgotten earlier, without it being a big thing.
So far I haven’t really had to worry about the horses and llamas because they were on pasture so would survive what so far have just been long weekends without me if the sitter didn’t show, but if hay and/or water were needed I’d be sure to do the same in their case.
Agree with suggestions already made. I’ve had several very good sitters and only one that was sub-par. (But dang, all those good ones have grown up, married, moved away, etc…)
My SOP is to have a new sitter over a few days before the planned sitting.
We run through the morning and evening routine together. Basically everything gets done in the AM - feed, turnout, clean stalls, fill and hang evening hay bags, fill water buckets, and put feed in tubs in stall (both horses get the same so it is pretty fool proof). PM is just bring horses back in, take off halters/muzzles, and make sure doors are properly closed.
Then I confirm with a call or text the day before and ask if any question has come to their mind.
I leave a full set of written instructions along with their check, so I know they have the instructions if they needed them. I put them on our feed bin so they are the first thing they see when they start the morning.
When a sitter is new to me, I usually call them the first morning during the time I expect them to be in the barn, just to touch base and see that all is fine or answer questions if needed.
Through all this, I make it very clear where they can contact me and that it is OK to do so at any time if they have even the smallest question.
Over all, this has worked very well.
The one gal that wasn’t top notch, didn’t come to put my horses in on the day I had arrived home. It wasn’t a big deal because I was home near normal bring in time anyhow. I waited a while for her to show, but when that didn’t happen, I called her. She acted a bit sheepish but said she thought I was putting them in. That is not what I had said and I had paid her accordingly. (I pay amount A for AM chores, amount B for PM and amount A+B for doing both ends of the day, no cut rate if they do both, so it should be pretty obvious.)
She said maybe we mis-communicated and she would give me my check back if I wasn’t happy. I told her that wasn’t necessary as she had obviously done the rest of the weekend’s work.
What I found when I went to bring horses in did bother me though. The gate had not been latched. (Fortunately the pasture is large and the boys don’t normally hang out at the gate, but they are curious opportunist that surely would go roaming if the gate were to be pushed open.) It also looked like she may have had someone, I suspect a new boyfriend, with her as the job was not done as well as she had done the time before. I had told her in our introductory meeting that I did not want her to bring people unknown to me with her without my express prior permission. This question had come up because she lived at a group home for disabled adults and works as a night caretaker there. She had asked if she could bring the van load of folks with her while she did chores. I specifically said “no” since I was concerned that her having to supervise them and work with the horses was not a safe situation. I also offered to let her bring them for a visit when I was present and it would be safer for all. So she knew my position and my reasoning.
End result; I paid her in full and just chose not to call her again. No bridges burned. I suggest you do the same if you were not satisfied with your horse sitter. Really no serious harm was done.
To those suggesting a call or text to check on farmsitter:
IME, this works if FS is a woman.
My first 3 or 4 were.
Then guy from the feedstore took over & I find that I can “hire” him by VM if I don’t get a chance to stop there in person.
Only if he is unavailable will he return the call.
No call back means he will be there.
One weekend trip I texted him pics from the event I was at (Heavy Horse Pull) thinking he’d be interested.
No reply.
But when I got back - everything at the farm was hunkydory - he thanked me for the pics when I stopped to buy feed.
Maybe it’s a Guy Thing?
Late to the party, but this is exactly why, when I do a walk-through with someone I want to see EXACTLY what’s to be fed and how they want things done. Not simply “Oh, food will be in the closet and I’ll leave you a note”. But hind site is 20/20.
Honestly, if it were me, I’d offer a discount for my goof. Yes, your horse was fed but not the supplements and although 72 hours likely isn’t going to cause any issues, it matters – TO YOU. And I want customers happy. So this girl should’ve offered to give you some money back… say/ 30%.
However, it’s not up to you to not pay her. IF she offers, by all means, take her up on it. But since she didn’t, she’s shown you the level of emotional intelligence she has. Well, that and not having the presence of mind to call or text with a simple question as to where your supplements were?
Chalk this one up to being grateful for discovering her level of attention to detail over such a minor issue. And no, don’t use her again.
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Gawd @2DogsFarm that sure takes a leap of faith! No response = he’ll be there?! I’d be an anxious mess :lol: :lol:
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Pay her exactly what you promised to pay her and plan to be clearer next time. Apologize for getting upset. Move on.
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Who cares? That’s not even the issue.
I want to know where you squirreled away the feed lol
Good advice above. Nothing to add just to pay her and chalk it up to experience. You don’t want to be “that HO” that complains and doesn’t pay. Word gets around and people will not be anxious to help out next time.
It can be very frustrating when important instructions are clearly explained but not followed. Not much can be done other than to do a “walk through” once or perhaps twice, leave printed instructions, give verbal instructions and send instructions in a text or e-mail so all the bases are covered. Sometimes the “belt and suspenders” approach helps, sometime not, but unlikely it would hurt.
Where was the grain?
Next time, take a picture of its general location, so to make it obvious (not just a picture of the grain bags, obviously.)
Some people are more visual and some aren’t good at giving directions/instructions. 
BTDT
I was tasked with feeding my parents cat on a trip. Mom said the foods in the pantry. It wasn’t. Couldn’t get them on the phone. Bought food. Trip ended, mom, where was skid’s food? Oh I stuck it in the microwave, sometimes she wiggles into the pantry…
Ummm.ok.
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Well, the OPs post about the horse having swollen legs suggest that she thinks it’s an issue.
Also late the party here but have to wonder where the bags of food were stored that made it so difficult for the regular barn worker to find them?
Agree that she should be paid. I would also rethink whether it was my mistake or hers, based on where the bagged grain was stored. Seems like it shouldn’t be that hard to figure out for someone that is familiar with feeding in that barn, unless it was an unlikely or ambiguous place for it to be?
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Oh, I like this idea. Going to add it to my belt and suspender approach in the future.
I had my horse fed double supplements once while I was away for a couple of days.
Very responsible older teen that lives near by.
Knows my critters.
Knows my place.
Has horses of her own.
We went thru everything a couple of days before I left. I explained that I would have pre-measured bags for each horse, including supplements. Each horse’s feed will be in a different bucket on the feed bin.
I wrote out clear instructions - Feed each horse their designated feed bag 1x per day. No additional supplements needed, they are already in the feed bag.
When I got home I learned that each feeding the horse that got supplements got their feed bag and another strip (Smartpak) of supplements.
My barn was clean, my horses looked fine…Just cost me a little extra in supplements.
Sometimes things just happen.
Heck, Mr. Trub messed up feeding when he took care of the horses once when I was sick. He is why I now use actual Smartpaks instead of buckets for supplements.
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Especially knowing that my sister’s neighbors went away in the dead of summer in KY, made arrangements with a reliable pet sitter to come take care of their horses (nursing mares), and after they left my sister noticed that the horses were pawing at the water tub. So she went over and the tub was dry. Seems that they had somehow gotten the dates mixed up and the sitter never came.
Granted I don’t get away much, but when I do I check in with the farm sitter regularly. I’ll send a quick text and they know to call if there are any problems or questions. I do think your person should have gotten in touch with you about the location of the grain. But when I read the title I was expecting something much worse had happened.
I leave written instructions and do a walk thru with the person taking care of the horses before I leave.
Seriously, my worst nightmare.
The cams around the house that push to my phone give sooooooo much peace of mind on this issue. You KNOW the sitter has at least shown up!
