…’:‘magestical*’:*…
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A customer called about 50ft & 100ft extension cords the other day, “I have a pretty big yard. How far do you think they would reach?”
What do you even say to that?
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About the same… I had a client call yesterday to ask if we could possibly move his installation up from 22nd August (which, for the record is this coming Monday.) I told him I doubted it but that I would check with the office. When I texted him back that we would be there on Monday morning he was effusively thankful for my getting him moved up… I don’t have the heart to explain it to him.
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Nope, just accept it as a bonus…he was happy
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I’m going to bump this, some good stuff from last night when I was back at the original barn for various reasons.
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Mustang girl is telling everyone my friend’s horse is blind, and old. The old part is relatively true, he’s 24. But blind? Lady, no. He’s got vision issues that make him spooky, not sure the details, but he is not blind.
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Mustang girl approaches me, and I crap you not, says “I can’t believe you took all your jumps and arena stuff with you. Now we have nothing to use.” She was not saying this in jest, she was serious. My jaw dropped, I had nothing to say… I just walked away from her. Oh, the GALL of me to take the jumps that I built from scratch (thread here: I made some jumps!), and the jump blocks I bought with my own money!!
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The farm is sold. It will remain a boarding stable, and closes on 2/1. Some of the things the current boarders are saying are insane. “New Owner better not raise board.” “I want to know what I’m paying for if she raises prices.” “We’re just going to keep doing things the way we always have.” “New Owner better not change anything.” “I can’t believe she wants to use the south barn for lessons.” (it has 6 stalls and a small arena, and is currently empty).
Someone pays ~2 MILLION DOLLARS for a property and you’re ready to tell them what to do with it.
I was trying to talk people off the ledge saying things like “well, New Owner could charge $500 a month and this place would still be full” etc. What people are also forgetting is old BO was thrifty, well-connected, and super mechanical. He repaired everything on his own, got screaming good deals on stuff because of who he knew, etc. New Owner might need to pay way more for stuff to get done.
God, boarders can really be the worst. The amount of things they take for granted is insane. One of the boarders looked at me like I had three heads when I said “It’s now New Owner’s place, she can do whatever she wants with it.”
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Meanwhile, I just found the new owner on Facebook to make sure it’s ok that I keep bringing food for the cats, and if she’d rather I ship it to the farm instead of drive in.
RESPECT, people. This is not a hard concept to grasp.
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Best case scenario sounds like new owner DOES raise board, high enough that all the entitled territorial boarders leave, and then BO can fill the stalls with new boarders who understand the current cost of business.
Or they just boot everybody and use it as a private barn. 
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If a board price of 500 would be an increase, then I’d like to place my bet of two dollars that indeed the board will go up.
To your point about the old owner being connected / established and mechanically inclined; people really underestimate how far that goes imo
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The people that I give “lessons” to are all miffed too, because I said I wouldn’t be back until they discuss outside trainers/lessons with the new owner. The new owner indicates they want to do lessons, pony parties, summer camp, the works. I will not assume it’s ok for me to come in. My 20+ year relationship is tied to the previous owner, not the physical property. That relationship is gone, since I’m not a boarder anymore and now the place is under new ownership.
The new owner might say no outside lessons/instructors, and I 100% support her. Again, it’s HER place now! Not mine. Why this is so hard for people to grasp is beyond me.
Also, the arena has gotten SO BAD since I left. No one is willing to lift a finger to keep it in good shape. Before I had my arena drag, I used to pull down the walls by hand every other week, drag by hand once a week, and water as often as needed. Guess everyone took that for granted.
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Board there is 390, the lowest in the area by far.
And still, people would complain about the BO when he would bump it up $10-20 every year. Seriously, go find somewhere else then, people.
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390! I hope the new owner does raise rates! Then she will have maybe some funds to maintain that arena!
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At those low rates, people would complain that the BO didn’t do this-or-that.
That’s why the board is low, folks. This is to be considered a “partial care” barn.
Horses are fed 2x a day, turned out 5 days a week, and stalls were picked once and stripped once per week. The rest is up to the boarder.
Free trailer parking, will feed whatever grain you want so long as you provide. Will feed as much hay as you want if you pay extra for it. No blanketing available. No holding for vet or farrier available. No wound doctoring or rehab care available.
It isn’t fancy, but it works - it worked for me for 20 years. The Mustang girl and her ever-presence is what finally made me leave. It wasn’t just her, it was going from one really toxic/crappy boarder to another, to another, to another… I want the barn to be my happy place, and not think “ugh crap” when I see a particular car there.
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I will be curious to hear what changes the new ownership makes!
Totes understand not being willing to deal with crazy and weirdo boarders.
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I am guessing you will be hearing about board increases, barn upgrades and people leaving in the next month or two, max. It doesn’t sound like the current crowd is going to be happy with anything the new owner does, unless they just maintain the status quo of the previous BO.
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My favorite is the “I want to know what I’m getting if there’s a board increase” like the BO is obligated to share that. What if the BO answers “nothing, Im just entitled to try and turn a profit”. Are they going to argue with her?
Gtfo. This is why i could never be a large boarding barn owner. One time of asking why there’s a board increase in today’s economic climate and I’d be giving them 30 days.
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$390! In my area, that probably wouldn’t even get you a self-care dry stall in a remote area (away from major roads) without a fenced-in outdoor.
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SuzieQNutter - English is a language that divides nations that think they are speaking the same language.
NZ called them “covers” - and they used to be canvas and generally only for winter. (Heck, my first horse wore a canvas cow cover 
. ) We only brought in rugs when the synthetics became more available. I live in NZ and use covers and rugs interchangeably - and thinking about it, when using a canvas rug, I call it a cover and a rug when I am using a synthetic. I still use canvas rugs as I can get them customised to fit my horses and they do stand-up better when we get torrential rain.
Feet and hooves is used interchangeably in NZ- but that is a regional basis.
Our NZPC manual uses the conventional words used in NZ. It was originally drafted >40 years ago.
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LOL I did my Level I over 30 years ago.
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So, there was a set of wing standards that were next to the outdoor arena that I did not take with me when I moved barns. They weren’t mine to begin with, and I HATE wing standards because they’re heavier than sin. I told the BO I was not taking them when I left.
Add to that they were rotted.
Add also to that they were covered in a substantial poison ivy patch… which she wouldn’t have seen this time of year. LOLLLLL
Well Mustang Girl’s friend (who doesn’t board there, but is riding multiple people’s horses and has recently moved her tack box in…) drags them up to the main barn and into the aisle. Previous BO, who is still there on a consulting basis, stops her and says “no, we won’t be doing that.” Mustang Girl’s boyfriend pipes in saying “Endlessclimb jumped all the time, I don’t understand why we aren’t allowed to. I’m sick of the double standard.”
Whoa whoa whoa there buddy. I NEVER EVER EVER jumped in the indoor. I would free jump my horses, yes, with permission. I would set my jump blocks up with TEENY Xs that you could replicate with cones, yes (12" max, I wouldn’t even use the 2’ the blocks are capable of). But I NEVER jumped using standards or even painted poles in the indoor, because those were the rules the BO put in place. I would not dare disrespect the BO that way. The BO said the real jumps could be outside and that’s where they were and that’s where they stayed.
Not to mention - I knew the previous BO for 20 years. He knew I was responsible and would not overface a horse when jumping alone. I rode regularly and competently, unlike these folks.
The idiots left the giant wing standards in the aisle, for the 70 year old former BO to drag back out of there.
They’ve also taken to going into other tack rooms to “borrow” things.
My god, I hope the new BO kicks these people out. What a giant suck on the “environment” of the barn.
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