New to Barn Scene - Frustrated

[Horsecare101]

Hi Everyone -

I recently moved my horse into a barn (first time ever) from my private family ranch and I’m frustrated already. Looking to get some perspective and see if this is normal/abnormal for a new barn. I moved him in 3 weeks ago and it was a big deal because he had never been in a stall and left his home of 20 years. He adjusted surprisingly well and has become buddies with the horses on either side of him. He seems like he’s settling in and happy. I see him every day and all is well.

Last night the barn manager called at 7pm saying she wants to move Red into a different stall for feeding convenience. She is trying to set it up so any owner with multiple horses has them next to each other to simplify feeding. Which means she wants Red moved to the very last stall on the end. The stall is a bit wetter than his current and it will only have one horse next to him - an old mare. Plus its a lot further from the arena. She is pushing the issue as though I have no say and honestly I’m not sure if I do, but it bothers me that he hasn’t even been there 3 weeks and now she wants him moved just as he’s settling in. What are your thoughts?

I’m also having major issues with their feeding. I got a text this morning saying he is out of feed (pellets, senior, and hay). I knew he was low on senior and already planned to pick up a bag today, but he had 1/4 bale of hay left as of yesterday afternoon so I was waiting on delivery. Now they are saying they fed his last flake this morning. First of all - thanks for the heads up and second - did they feed 4 flakes in a matter of 12 hours? WTH?

Am I being the difficult barn person? Is this normal barn frustration? I’m new to this.

Thanks!

[Simkie]

Boarding is a series of compromises. Wanting to move the horse is irksome, but not necessarily unexpected or out of line. Can he be on the other end, closer to the arena?

How big are the bales? How long does four flakes usually last you? Four flakes from your standard 50# small bale seems perfectly reasonable over 12 hours to me. A whole lot of places I’ve been toss 3 flakes am and 3 flakes pm as “standard.” Obviously doesn’t track like that if you’re talking about much bigger bales.

[Edre]

The biggest issue I would have with this as a boarder is my horse being moved to a stall in worse condition than they were in previously - though this depends on what you mean when you say “a bit wetter.” Does water get blown in from precipitation outdoors? Is there a leak that drains there? Drips from roof? If it’s something like that then it’s fair to say “I’d be more than happy to move - I’m just concerned by the damp.” And then request a solution to that prior to moving. (Side note: stall wetness may sometimes change by horse. Some horses are pigs - they’ll slop their water buckets around. A few may also urinate excessively, or everywhere, which is atypical as most horses seem to have a “pee spot” in a stall.)

Moving to a stall further away from the arena is normal. It happens. Unless you have a specific condition that limits your ability to walk or carry things a greater distance, let it go. (And it can sometimes have benefits - less aisle traffic the further away you are.)

Horses typically have minimal issues moving stalls. I wouldn’t be concerned about him settling in. (Do keep an eye out to see that he and his new neighbor are civil but all in all - a nonissue.) Likewise, one neighbor instead of two shouldn’t be an issue (unless yours is herdbound and when this one is removed from his stall, yours will be in distress. You don’t mention anything like that so I assume not a problem).

4 flakes for a stalled horse in 12 hours is not a surprise to me. My barn will typically feed two for dinner (5pm) and then 1-2 again at closing (9pm) and then breakfast the next day is 2. So in 14 hours that’s 5-6 flakes of hay. It sounds like your barn is trying to keep forage in front of your horse which is fabulous. I would ask how many flakes they feed when so you can more seamlessly bring feed in before they run out. Likewise, figure out how fast pellets and senior will last you. Staff will appreciate you being the client who is on top of that and ensures that your stock of feed is never empty.

[bt1]

It really should not be that big of a deal if he moves stalls, so simply say you are willing to try it but would like to know perhaps some extra bedding will be added since it is wetter and that if he does not settle into being on the end he can move back. From what you wrote the barn manager is being reasonably respectful… she could have just done it then told you, or just texted he will change stalls tomorrow…she has every right to arrange anything and everything as she sees convenient and you have every right to give notice if that does not work for you. It is YOUR responsibility to ensure he has all his feed stocked IN TIME. I know my horse would certainly eat 4 flakes in 12 hours (unless the flakes are ginormous it sounds reasonable for any average horse) and would rather know they were over hayed than under hayed.

[theresak]

This is all totally normal for boarding barns.

For the stall, I would talk to the manager either on the phone or in person and calmly state that you would really prefer your horse not be moved since he’s settled in so well. The barn manager might be able to come up with another stall arrangement or might push the issue. You don’t get that specific stall unless it’s in your contract, so they can move your horse. You could request the old mare move to the corner stall and you get her old stall so at least there are horses on either side.

The hay running out depends on the size of your bales and if the horses have grass in turnout; plan for ~25 lbs of hay fed each day. My barn does not let us know if we run out of our own feed so it’s our responsibility to keep an eye on it - I’d be happy if they let me know I was getting low.

[Horsecare101]

Thanks for the help everyone!

The horse that is in the stall now isn’t well taken care of so I think the wetness is caused by that. Her stall isn’t cleaned as often as it should be and she’s old and pees all over (the manager is taking over cleaning stalls to remedy this also). Red poops in one location and pees in another so his stall always seems clean even between cleanings. Her stall also doesn’t drain as well so the water/pee sticks around but I can probably fix that issue myself.

As for the feed - he gets 1 flake AM/PM plus a scoop of hay cubes and a scoop of senior so if they are feeding according to his card, they shouldn’t be going through 4 flakes since yesterday afternoon. They are transitioning the person feeding so I think they doubled up last night and this morning. I’m SUPER on it with his food and check daily which is why that bugged me so much, but I can accept I’m being a brat on that issue. I’d rather have him get more food than not enough.

He is rather herd bound so I like having one horse on either side in case one is out, but I’ll talk to the manager about that possibility. This facility is undergoing some changes, so I wanted to know what seems normal and what is out of the ordinary. Thanks for the input! I need to work with the manager to see if we can find a good solution.

[halt]

Totally normal. Like said above, it’s a series of compromise. The stall would not be a big deal to me - most horses really do not care about stall switching and in my experience depending on the horse, some prefer the quieter end of the barn. The wet thing… I’d just bring that up and say “is that normal or is that from the horse?” because you have a right to be concerned if there is a leak or a hole in the roof somewhere… but if it’s just because the horse currently in the stall is a pig, it should be NBD for you.

However, as a barn worker it would really stress me out to see that a semi-rough board horse (which is what I assume you are, since you’re providing hay/feed) is out of feed. It really is not the boarding barn staff’s job to be on track of or notify you when you are getting low on feed – that should be something you keep track of.

I’m with others that 1/4 a bale is really not that much hay, if you’re talking normal sized flakes (2-5lb) and normal sized bales (~60-75lb). I would expect 1/4 a bale to be gone by the end of the day, for most horses. don’t think people actually realize how much hay a good boarding barn feeds.

For that note, I actually don’t think people are aware how much food a horse needs to eat a day to be in good working condition.

It can be a huge shock when you go from private family farm to a true boarder - BTDT, got the rude awakening and the t-shirt.

I would let the stall move go, and correspond with whoever is feeding so you get a better idea of what and how often they are feeding your hay.

Just to give you an idea, when I had my gelding (who was neither low nor high maintenance) on rough board, he ate about a bale of a hay a day – that’s ~60-75lb of hay. Most horses will eat between half to a full bale’s worth of hay in a 24hr period, in a good boarding barn. Most good boarding barns feed 2-4x a day, multiple flakes a feeding. For instance, I used to be BM at a sport horse facility, and those horses typically got 3 flakes at the following feedings AM. lunch, PM, and night-check. On average, that was about 40-50 lb of hay a day… which is almost an entire bale, since most bales tend to be 50-80lb.

EDIT: I see you replied a little before I posted. You mean to say that your horse is only supposed to get 2 flakes a day? That is an abysmally low amount of hay. Even with grass turn out, 2 flakes of hay is really not appropriate for a horse with no metabolic issues that is in work.

It sounds like they think he should be being fed more than that. How much did he eat at home? I really can’t wrap my mind around an average horse eating only 2 flakes of hay a day. Even with the scoop of cubes and senior… they need hay in front of them, ideally 24/7 if they’re not on turnout - -otherwise it’s a recipe for ulcers.

[Simkie]

@Horsecare101

Thanks for the help everyone!
As for the feed - he gets 1 flake AM/PM plus a scoop of hay cubes and a scoop of senior so if they are feeding according to his card, they shouldn’t be going through 4 flakes since yesterday afternoon. They are transitioning the person feeding so I think they doubled up last night and this morning. I’m SUPER on it with his food and check daily which is why that bugged me so much, but I can accept I’m being a brat on that issue. I’d rather have him get more food than not enough.

That seems like very little hay, particularly since he just moved, is stressed out and at a high risk of ulcers. Is there a reason he’s on so little?

If the barn is used to feeding a more normal amount of hay, it might be tough to get them to stick with just a flake AM and PM. I know I’d have a hard time just tossing one flake if I were feeding.

[betsyk]

At least they contacted you.

[trubandloki]

The hay thing might also be the difference between what you consider a flake and what the person feeding considers a flake.

Nothing you posted makes me think red flags.

[Angela_Freda]

I will be the dissenting opinion and say the stall move would be a problem for me.
My horse was moved to a stall next to a gelding no one else got along with who was food aggressive and would rake his teeth up the wall that was between the two stalls, and right where both horses on either side of that wall had their feed tubs hung.
It ended with my horse off his feed, suffering ulcers and ultimately his fetlocks falling [DSLD/ESPA]. He was retired and that was the end of that.

Horses are social animals.
Herd dynamics CAN cause them physical/medical issues.
IF he gets along with his present neighbors I would not be happy about changing that… at least for a while.
And certainly not simply cause someone would find it more convenient to feed.

[warriorhorse]

Gotta give BO credit for letting you know they were moving your horse to a different stall. The moving horse to a stall that’s wetter i wouldn’t be happy about. I sure wouldn’t be upset over horse getting 4 flakes of hay either, at least he gets more chew time.

Hopefully BO can fix stall so it’s not so wet. Not sure where you are located, but where i am it’s so wet sloppy my stalls that are normally dry have 2 inches of water standing on mats.

[Scribbler]

If you are supplying the hay, it would be useful to know the true weight of the bales, and the true weight of a day’s feed. Usually what experienced horsemen eyeball as the right amount of feed for a day ends up being about 20 lbs, but obviously some horses need more and some need less than that.

Now, I have bought bales that were said to be “about 50 or 60 lbs” and have them come in on average around 40 lbs. I have bought bales that were said to be 18 bales to the ton (110 lbs) and are reliably 99 lbs. Indeed I have never had hay meet the claimed weight. I weigh my horse’s feed to keep her from getting obese, so I can add up the daily feedings for the weight of the total bale.

If your horse is getting 25 lbs a day and the bale is really only 38 lbs you will gallop through that hay in no time.

Knowing the real weight of the hay, the fed weight of the hay, and how many bales you have, will let you roughly estimate if there is significant “borrowing” going on. You can’t control all leakage in such a situation but you can keep an eye on it by checking your hay supply regularly.

Also know the weight of the grain. That’s the best way to estimate the time a bag will last. If you buy a 50 lb bag and the feeding instructions are 5 lbs a day, that bag will last you ten days.

It’s complicated if you don’t have enough room at the barn to store a reasonable amount of hay. If you can get a ton in (2000 lbs) that should last 100 days at 20 lbs a day, but if you are only able to get in smaller amounts, it will be a constant topping up.

I do self board, always have, and the few times I’ve been in a temporary full board situation it is hard to let go of the responsibility! It would in some ways be even harder to be buying the feed but not quite trusting the barn to feed it correctly.

[ladyj79]

1 flake of hay am/pm and one scoop feed is simply not sufficient.

For an aged horse in a box this is especially true.

that’s the biggest red flag for me.

it’s giving me anxiety just thinking about it.

[merrygoround]

You are a new boarder. Your horse is perfectly happy where he is. In a stall that is obviously suited to him. No you don;t want to move.

Just because one owner has two horses, they need not be on the same feed. Also, if they felt so strongly about placing those horses together why did they not do so previous to your horse’s arrival?

I would be polite but firm. .

Re hay: If they are going to overfeed anything, let it be hay. Inconvenient but the problem with supplying your own grain in any barn.

[mmeqcenter]

Interesting, the responses about the stall.

IME - At a boarding barn, no, you really don’t have a say in what stall your horse goes in. It would be nice of the BM to inform you of a change before-hand, which she’s done. I was at a barn once that changed my horse’s stall literally 6 times in one month, and never told me. I would show up to the barn weekly and spend 5 minutes looking for my horse. THAT was ridiculous and unacceptable, and I left that barn for that and a few other reasons. It really isn’t hard to let a boarder know. If it causes problems for your horse, being in the new stall, then request another relocation.

1/4 bale in 12 hours is not much hay, but you did give specific feeding instructions. If you’re providing your hay and grain, you have the right to dictate how much is fed at feeding times. I do agree with the others that one flake AM and PM is not enough for any horse kept in a stall a fair bit , but its your horse. I also agree with the different flake sizes - I know several people who consider a “flake” to be half of what I consider one to be. I would discuss this with the BM, politely, not angrily.

[SonnysMom]

I don’t see how people can say 1 flake of hay am/pm isn’t enough. We have no idea how big these bales are. We don’t know long the horse is turned out with access to grass or outside hay. We don’t know how fat each flake is or how much the flakes weigh.

OP- I would not cut it so close on keeping back up bags of grain and bales of hay at the farm. You don’t want to run out. Emergencies happen and you do not need the headache of: I know he is running out tonight and I have the other bag of grain and bale of hay in my car but my cat needs an emergency visit to the vet, or my car broke down or some other emergency. I would want to always be in a position that if an emergency comes up my horse is not out of his grain or hay. If my horse runs out of his magnesium supplement or his Grow N Win for a meal or two no big deal. Running out of hay/grain is a much bigger deal.

From a hay perspective I prefer that they feed too much rather than too little.

As long as the stall is wet from not being cleaned regularly and having a messy horse in it I don’t think the move is a big deal.

[joiedevie99]

IMHO… this place is a win as far as boarding goes. They seem to communicate well. That is more than many are capable of. Make sure you buy food farther in advance so you don’t have just one meal left, and work with them to make sure you have the same understanding of what he eats.

Around here, the minis eat 2 flakes of hay at night, and the big horses 4-5 - so 1 would strike me as quite strange unless we’re talking bigger than my ~45/50 lb. bales.

[warriorhorse]

Well OP needs to make sure there is plenty of hay and grain. So if extra gets fed its not a big deal, because you won’t run out. You’re responsible for providing hay/grain so make darn sure horse has plenty of both.

Buy a month worth of both hay and feed. When down to 4 bag or 4 bales bring more out. Don’t wait till there’s no hay left.

I had a gal board her horse at my place she was responsible for providing hay/grain. She was always running out of both feed/hay.

I got fed up with her and running out of feed. Last time she ran out of feed I gave her 2 weeks notice to get her horse outta here. I was always having to feed out of my own feed/hay. I charged her for it so wasn’t a free deal. She was to cheap to pay for full board care.

[Horsecare101]

@warriorhorse

Well OP needs to make sure there is plenty of hay and grain. So if extra gets fed its not a big deal, because you won’t run out. You’re responsible for providing hay/grain so make darn sure horse has plenty of both.

Buy a month worth of both hay and feed. When down to 4 bag or 4 bales bring more out. Don’t wait till there’s no hay left.

I had a gal board her horse at my place she was responsible for providing hay/grain. She was always running out of both feed/hay.

I got fed up with her and running out of feed. Last time she ran out of feed I gave her 2 weeks notice to get her horse outta here. I was always having to feed out of my own feed/hay. I charged her for it so wasn’t a free deal. She was to cheap to pay for full board care.

I wish I had this option! I’m much more on the buy more than needed mindset, but my feed space is extremely limited in this location. I have one pallet to stack hay that must be covered with a tarp and one metal trash can that must have lid on for grain. Since I feed hay cubes and senior, I can barely fit one bag of each in the trash bin. This is all new to me - I took over my horse’s care for the first time last month and I’m still figuring it out, but after this week I’ll be buying 4 bales at a time and ordering every 3 weeks to stay on top of it. That way I always have at least once full bale

The extra bags of feed stay in my SUV until I find a better solution. it’s not ideal, but is what it is.

As far as the amount I feed goes - I am SO confused by everyone’s comments. It must be the flake size or maybe because I feed alfalfa? I have worked with my vet very closely to get my horse on the ideal feed regimen over the years and this is actually a jump up from what he was getting previously. He’s been putting on weight since I started him on senior and the only feed the vet said is necessary is the hay cubes and senior. The hay is just for entertainment for him, plus the last cut was stemmy so he leaves most of it in his feeder untouched. He doesn’t process the hay very well so the focus is on the cubes/senior. He’s also not in heavy work - he is a 22 year old trail horse. I ride him in the arena lightly once or twice a week and take him on short trail rides on the weekends. Is that considered in work? I’m confused.

Again I’m new to being a full time horse owner - my Dad took care of the horses until last month so I’m learning as I go, but I’ve stuck very closely to the vet’s recommendations. Red has actually put on some noticeable weight since we moved him so him being underfed seems off - I hope.