Last night I was able to spend over an hour at the new barn around the time of day I would usually ride. I watched the BO give a lesson and was able to see how busy the place was on a random Wednesday night. I plan to give my notice to my current barn owner and drop off a deposit at the new place soon. If there’s one thing I’ve learned about boarding it’s that you never can really know what the future will hold, even the near future, so at least for the time being my horse will be close to home.
25 Likes
Well, she hasn’t been doing them lately because of COVID, but just a couple of times a year. Besides jump construction/painting, she has done a trash pickup/clean up around the property, and a big cleanup of the indoor arena (power washing, cleaning the mirrors, cleaning the viewing area, etc). I think before I moved there, she had one to clean out/organize one of the old outbuildings on the property, to provide more storage for boarders.
3 Likes
I once inquired about board at a barn where the BO said the boarders were responsible for installing an asphalt floor at their expense in their horse’s stall prior to moving in. I assumed mats would be on top but wasn’t sure. I declined to board there. I wonder now if we would be compensated for the expense once we move out?
I’m finding myself in this EXACT scenario. I moved to my current place about two years ago and it was a massive improvement over the last place which was too cult-ish.
Until I noticed the paddocks weren’t being maintained, which I posted about here on the forums as it’s something I felt obligated to tackle despite it being covered in the boarding contract. After trying to raise the issue 2 or 3 times, I realized the BO had no intention of dealing with this so I began putting hours of work in every week to hand-pick what I could.
Then the drain in the wash stall got plugged and it took six MONTHS to fix.
Then the light bulbs in the barn started burning out, and weren’t being replaced (we’re down about 50% at this point).
Then the garbage started piling up on the property, just heaps of old feed bags filled with trash.
Then trailers started migrating (permanently) into the indoor arena.
Then the harrowing and dust control in the arena ceased.
Then the outdoor ring was turned into a quarantine paddock (making the crowded indoor arena the only place to work). Then it was kinda, sorta turned back into an outdoor ring but not a useable one (see below).
ETA: Then the manure started overflowing (because it was deemed “too expensive” to have it hauled away) and started being dumped in the quarantine-paddock-turned-outdoor-riding-ring.
I was able to overlook some of it but it’s at a tipping point now. Everyone else has had enough and has since moved on, I believe I’m the longest-standing boarder here. A few other boarders and myself are looking for alternatives, although the pickings are slim and we’re finding it so difficult - this is what people looking for rental properties must feel like. Just no vacancies (and not even “I’ll add you to our waitlist!”, it’s just a flat “No, we’re full.”) or just too fancy.
I’m going to see a place tomorrow and want to make a good impression, do I take a coffee or hot chocolate for the BM at our visit or is that over the top?!
6 Likes
I am not sure where you are in the world, but this time of year I would go for a good cold bottle of water.
5 Likes
I think just being on time and appearing to be a sane, sensible, knowledgable, prospective boarder who can/will pay on time and in full each month is probably enough.
4 Likes
