New manager

[Gaucha]

Started at this self care barn actually as the only full care board.

Since then I have been really involved, building fences, feeding for the current manager etc.

The current manager is leaving. She is pointing me as the new manager. Everything has been going well except a few things. And I think they are minor but being a self care barn others think they are major.

1. I feed all horses every morning (no one else comes out, only one has offered). It’s actually easier for me to feed all every morning on my own. So I don’t argue that. I can feed and clean stalls and be left alone.

2. one couple have 2 horses that they do not want to integrate into the herd. I get she wants to keep mares and geldings separate. To each their own. But when you ask for a personal pasture attached to your stalls I believe you should clean that large paddock like your stall.

3). Same couple want to also keep all their feed locked away. I get that but come may 5th the old manager and her horses will be gone. She’s been relying on the last manager a lot to feed her horses. If I don’t see feed in the normal feed area her horses will go without.

I’m not doing extra. This is a SELF care barn and I think I’m being more than nice to feed all in the morning. And I clean their stalls in the morning (unless they haven’t returned the favor) which is hard to do cause no horses are kept up during the day.

Btw this is a 10 horse barn, 9 stalls usable and 8 are in use. Owned by a 95+ yr old that knows what’s going on and wants it handled

I get we all work. I work more than 40hrs at my normal job a week but I come and feed every morning. Plus when I’m not working I’m bettering pastures and weeding and whatnot. Fencing and the whatnot. She’s actually off the weekends I’m working and still there is shit everywhere.

Should I just stall her horses at night and be an asshole or let this continue and When I’m finally tired or doing more than 2 barrels of shit out of the paddock have the owners family kick her out? I don’t want that cause I don’t want the barn to seem like a burden.

[clanter]

Personally I would move as things will only be going downhill from here, if I were at this self care place and some one did everything for me …well I might just enjoy the benefits and not get involved

There really is no clear way to straighten this out without just starting over and I would do that elsewhere

[trubandloki]

@Gaucha

Started at this self care barn actually as the only full care board.

Since then I have been really involved, building fences, feeding for the current manager etc.

The current manager is leaving. She is pointing me as the new manager. Everything has been going well except a few things. And I think they are minor but being a self care barn others think they are major.

1. I feed all horses every morning (no one else comes out, only one has offered). It’s actually easier for me to feed all every morning on my own. So I don’t argue that. I can feed and clean stalls and be left alone.

2. one couple have 2 horses that they do not want to integrate into the herd. I get she wants to keep mares and geldings separate. To each their own. But when you ask for a personal pasture attached to your stalls I believe you should clean that large paddock like your stall.

3). Same couple want to also keep all their feed locked away. I get that but come may 5th the old manager and her horses will be gone. She’s been relying on the last manager a lot to feed her horses. If I don’t see feed in the normal feed area her horses will go without.

I’m not doing extra. This is a SELF care barn and I think I’m being more than nice to feed all in the morning. And I clean their stalls in the morning (unless they haven’t returned the favor) which is hard to do cause no horses are kept up during the day.

Btw this is a 10 horse barn, 9 stalls usable and 8 are in use. Owned by a 95+ yr old that knows what’s going on and wants it handled

I get we all work. I work more than 40hrs at my normal job a week but I come and feed every morning. Plus when I’m not working I’m bettering pastures and weeding and whatnot. Fencing and the whatnot. She’s actually off the weekends I’m working and still there is shit everywhere.

Should I just stall her horses at night and be an asshole or let this continue and When I’m finally tired or doing more than 2 barrels of shit out of the paddock have the owners family kick her out? I don’t want that cause I don’t want the barn to seem like a burden.

Too many pronouns to know for sure who you are talking about.

What you should or should not do I should hope is in whatever the boarding contract for the facility is. I can not see how self care = someone cleaning your stall and paddock for you. How is that self care? So I am confused.

Are you somehow getting paid for all this work? (Free board for your horse?)
Yes, I think that makes a difference to the answer.

It does sound like there needs to be a clear understanding of what everyone is expected to do. If that is not written out now then it needs to be.

[Obsidian_Fire]

Everything in writing, down to the last detail. If you don’t step up, you’re gone. Period.
This couple? Needs to step up or get gone. Period.
You doing extra work? Get paid for it or don’t do it. Period.
BTDT, got the crabby attitude to show for it.

[trubandloki]

@Gaucha, if this is truly self care and the contract does not include stall and paddock cleaning I see no reason why you can not approach this owner about getting paid by them to clean their stalls and paddocks.

[LilRanger]

@Gaucha

Started at this self care barn actually as the only full care board.

I’m not sure what this means, you started at a self care barn, as the only full care board…what? There something missing, as the only full care board…client? …full care board is too expensive and this is all you can afford?

Anyway,as @clanter said, if you’re doing things for people, they’ll let you keep doing those things until you stop yourself, and then they’ll cry and scream when you stop. This includes the property owner. Who is getting more than she is paying for as well…

Tell the property owner that you’ll need more money to do more chores. Stop being a doormat. The horse owners signed up for self care and they are getting part care, they have zero reasons to change.

[Gaucha]

Yes as manager I get one stall free board.

[Gaucha]

So yes originally I did come in as a full board for both my horses and paid much more. I did that because I was coming from a full board facility to here. Went down to self care about a month after I came and noticed that I was able to be a lot more involved here. Only took over managing due to the last manager moving.

Yes the contract does state what your duties should be for this place being self care. My duties as manager should be more just on the duties of keeping fences up, care of the barn itself, and care of the pastures. My main concern was that I didn’t want to seem like a dick lol. The last manager did more than what she should have been for the other boarders.

[Einhorn]

I agree with others that you need boundaries, the other manager may have done too much, and telling that back in will be hard. You’re not a dick, it’s ok to set boundaries and say what you won’t do unless paid more. But be ready for others to fuss and carry on allot your boundaries.

If I were you and had to stay here, I’d not do the paddock for the two. They aren’t following the contract, let them have the consequences of that.

[Alpha_Mare]

At the time of transfer from old manager to you is a good time to reset expectations, with the owner as well as the other boarders

[joiedevie99]

@Obsidian_Fire

Get paid for it or don’t do it. Period.
BTDT, got the crabby attitude to show for it.

These kinds of things are prone to disaster. You have to figure out some system such that everyone is fairly compensated when they provide services for a horse other than the one they own. You also need a clear contract that says what each person is responsible for providing for their own horse on a daily/weekly/monthly basis. Leave nothing to chance. If the water trough needs scrubbing once a month and the paddock needs picking once a week, assign weeks/months in writing ahead of time.

[trubandloki]

@Gaucha

The last manager did more than what she should have been for the other boarders.

Did the last manager get paid for doing extra? Not from the barn, but from the horse owners?

BTW, I do think it works best if the horses are all fed at the same time so that being included in the self care makes sense to me. The owner should be responsible for filling hay bags and measuring out their feed and having it wherever it needs to be for you to feed it in the morning.
But with self care there is no reason for you pick all the stalls and certainly no reason for you to be picking their paddocks for them.

[Scribbler]

@Gaucha

Started at this self care barn actually as the only full care board.

Since then I have been really involved, building fences, feeding for the current manager etc.

The current manager is leaving. She is pointing me as the new manager. Everything has been going well except a few things. And I think they are minor but being a self care barn others think they are major.

1. I feed all horses every morning (no one else comes out, only one has offered). It’s actually easier for me to feed all every morning on my own. So I don’t argue that. I can feed and clean stalls and be left alone.

2. one couple have 2 horses that they do not want to integrate into the herd. I get she wants to keep mares and geldings separate. To each their own. But when you ask for a personal pasture attached to your stalls I believe you should clean that large paddock like your stall.

3). Same couple want to also keep all their feed locked away. I get that but come may 5th the old manager and her horses will be gone. She’s been relying on the last manager a lot to feed her horses. If I don’t see feed in the normal feed area her horses will go without.

I’m not doing extra. This is a SELF care barn and I think I’m being more than nice to feed all in the morning. And I clean their stalls in the morning (unless they haven’t returned the favor) which is hard to do cause no horses are kept up during the day.

Btw this is a 10 horse barn, 9 stalls usable and 8 are in use. Owned by a 95+ yr old that knows what’s going on and wants it handled

I get we all work. I work more than 40hrs at my normal job a week but I come and feed every morning. Plus when I’m not working I’m bettering pastures and weeding and whatnot. Fencing and the whatnot. She’s actually off the weekends I’m working and still there is shit everywhere.

Should I just stall her horses at night and be an asshole or let this continue and When I’m finally tired or doing more than 2 barrels of shit out of the paddock have the owners family kick her out? I don’t want that cause I don’t want the barn to seem like a burden.

I can’t quite figure out the ins and outs here

However I would start by taking the value of your stall and dividing it by 30. That is the value of your job. If your self board stall is worth $300 then that’s $10 a day. Are you getting paid more? If not, then you worl $10 a day, which is maximum one hour. If your stall is worth more or you are getting a wage in addition then do the math and figure out how many hours a day you are being paid for.

Second, go over the boarding contracts and your workload and draw up a contract between you and the owner as to how many hours you will work, what jobs you can fit into that time, and what falls on the owners.

Getting a free stall that’s worth $300 a month in exchange for feeding breakfast and doing a morning check seems like a fair deal if you would be at the barn anyhow. Anything more is ridiculous.

You say you have a 40 hour a week full time job. And your barn manager job will involve facility and pasture maintenance on weekends. When are you going to ride? How much will you work on weekends?

This could easily turn into a 20 hour a week job, between feeding 7 days a week and maintenance on weekends. Are you being compensated equivalent to what you can make in your primary occupation?

I realize it’s flattering to be appointed manager and we all love being at the barn. But this kind of situation can lead to self exploitation and burnout and failing to meet everyone’s expectations.

You are likely ahead just paying for your stall. If money is tight, even working one night a week in a restaurant with tips would help make that up.

I may have misread and perhaps there is a satisfactory wage attached. But you still need to do the math and figure out of you have time for all the work.

[trubandloki]

I am guessing part of the confusion is that the agreement probably puts the maintenance of the pastures/turn out on the owner/owner’s agent (so now the OP), and the people with the private paddocks are calling their private paddocks part of that.

I think the barn owner should modify the contract that the horse owner is responsible for cleaning stalls and any turn out attached to the stalls.

[candyappy]

@Gaucha

And I think they are minor but being a self care barn others think they are major.

1. I feed all horses every morning (no one else comes out, only one has offered). It’s actually easier for me to feed all every morning on my own. So I don’t argue that. I can feed and clean stalls and be left alone.
2. one couple have 2 horses that they do not want to integrate into the herd. I get she wants to keep mares and geldings separate. To each their own. But when you ask for a personal pasture attached to your stalls I believe you should clean that large paddock like your stall.

3). Same couple want to also keep all their feed locked away. I get that but come may 5th the old manager and her horses will be gone. She’s been relying on the last manager a lot to feed her horses. If I don’t see feed in the normal feed area her horses will go without.

Well being it is self care board–If you are feeding and cleaning daily for everyone without them paying you extra ( on top of their board) that is major.

Tell the couple you will not be cleaning their paddock and according to the rules of self care in the contract it must be cleaned routinely ( whatever the contract says) and enforce it. I am not sure if you are cleaning their stalls as well? If you are they may be waiting for you to just do it.

If you are willing to feed all the other horses just get a key to her locked feed area ?

[RedHorses]

@candyappy

If you are willing to feed all the other horses just get a key to her locked feed area ?

I’d be passing on that idea. From what’s been posted it sounds like there is pretty strong sense of self entitlement on the couple’s part. Having the only other access to the locked up feed is a big risk should they feel the feed/supplements/hay is going down too fast. Think about what would happen if they complained to the facility owner, even if it wasn’t justified.

[mfglickman]

It’s self care board. Do nothing with the other people’s horses. Don’t stall them, don’t clean their paddocks, don’t try to enforce barn rules that are not yours to enforce. Care for your horse and any others you are paid to or have a clear exchange agreement with and leave.

I’m not sure how this got so complicated.