Let us know what the BO says. But even if it is the horses owners who are pad locking their horses in, the fact that the BO allows it speaks to poor judgment and I would move as well.
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I’m definitely waiting to hear the office’s justification for this…
Funny thing is that locks, of any type, work on honest people with honest intentions ONLY. A thief, someone wanting to hurt a horse, drug a horse etc won’t be deterred by a chain or a padlock. However someone trying to get your horse uncast, walk for colic, evacuate during fire etc won’t be able to help. So really very useless when you think about it…
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Also curious!
That said, I do not see any justification for this very obvious lack of safety (for padlocked horses) issue.
And I would also be wary of management that allowed this.
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Waiting to hear more about this…
How the heck do the locked stalls get cleaned? Is it full board, or owner does stall? Feed, hay, water?? Horse getting cast??
<<SMH>>
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do not know what they used but a padlock system can have an individual key issued to the primary user and have a master that can open all or even a sub master key that can a select group…
Like where? Santa Ana has a stable about that size across the freeway from the riverbed homeless encampment. I can actually imagine some drunken bum pulling a horse out for a joyride and my head movie gets pretty dark from there.
The stable that burned was almost all charros, perhaps it is a cultural thing? Were the padlocked horses baroque type?
Was there some other pattern?
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I wouldn’t worry so much about the “drunken bum” taking my horse out for a joyride but rather that my things would go for a ride and never come back.
As far as locks go, I’ll lock my THINGS up but never never ever my horse. Things can be replaced, a living being not so much. And I can’t imagine the horror of not being able to get those horses out if there was a fire or having to see the aftermath. Another vote for leave. Soon.
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Good choice.
I remember this from high school:
http://www.lockmasters.com/master-lock-model-1525-combination-padlock-key-override-1525v91
The major issue with locking, even with a key system in the hands of an on site human, is that it takes time to open each lock, open the stall door, get the horse out of the stall, and then run it out of the barn. If the place is really on fire how many here would sacrifice themselves, or want to see a spouse or a child sacrifice themselves, trying “door to door” unlocking stalls?
Horse have no natural fear of fire and every time there’s a barn fire we hear of horses released that ran back into the burning structure. So even if there are no locks a major fire is going to cause major loss of equine life.
I’ve never had to address the use of locks when we were actively boarding. If someone wanted to do so I would probably have said “no” as it just strikes me as a bad idea. I know of at least one local “riding club” that encouraged locking of stalls due to theft issues.
There are some problems for which there are just no “elegant” solutions.
G.
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I was going to mention this. It was horrifying to me.
However, some trainers at my facility were familiar with that facility and apparently that barn was having a lot of horses stolen. So you risk your horse stolen and going of to ______ (who TF knows where!?) or maybe a risk of fire.
It’s so sad that this is the case in some places.
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I saw it only at one show for one horse in Europe. Was a fairly well known horse, owned by an Olympian. The lock was on for one night then never seen again. I’m fairly certain the barn manager said take that off, dummy.
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So, all locked stalls either have a copy of the key in the office, or the BO and staff have a code.
This does nothing for when they’re closed, but in an emergency the thought is that someone would call the BO who then either comes to unlock or owner comes. Basically, even in an emergency, owner is the only one to handle/decide.
Case by case thing it seems.
Lol that’s the place! No shit, I was hand walking my horse the other day and one of the gentleman walking the train tracks complimented my horse. I lived in LES NYC and the Tenderloin in SF so I’m not phased much by “outside living neighbors”, but I did kind of wonder how often it’s a problem. Thankfully my girl is on the end corner of the outside row, literally right on the main ring and right under the BO’s window.
Wow. Did they tell you why the stalls are locked? Fear of the horse being taken?
Whatever the reason, it’s way too dangerous. In an emergency, padlocks and locks take too long to open even if you have the key etc.
I would move.
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I don’t care if the horse has a key hanging from a necklace he wears.
There’s something fundamentally broken in a barn that locks up their horses.
Run.
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I do not see where they are making the OP lock their stall door so why all the ‘move now’ posts?
I would not want my horse locked up but there are a ton of crazy people in the horse world so it does not surprise me that there are people who want their horse locked up.
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Agreed, Trubandloki. But it does speak to a level of accepted abnormal behavior.
Then again, maybe I’m the abnormal one b/c I would never dream of locking up horses. Again, everything is situational and just because I have not experienced it, does not mean it’s not ‘common’ in another environment. I’m just saying that for my tolerance level, I would not stay at a barn where this is allowed. Because if something is so opposite to what my core philosophies are, chances are there are others. Writing on the wall and all that…
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A few years back we were headed to Ft. Reno for the National Cavalry Competition and stopped in AR for an overnight. Turned out the arena we were staying at was also the venue for a MASSIVE Quincionera. There were well over 100 cars in the parking areas, including the trailer parking areas with water/electrical hookups, and we could not access the regular stalls. We were not told about this when we booked. We were stuck (you just can go to the next exit and find a different place when moving horses). They put us out at the edge of the parking area, and gave us two, shed-row type stalls, metal walls and 12 foot gait for a front. They were properly bedded and we had access to water for them and the LQ and we “jury rigged” an electrical hookup for the A/C. We took care of the horses, set up the trailer, and settled in for the night.
The party was LOUD!!! The band finally quit just after midnight, but then the boom boxes started in the parking lot. About 1 a.m. I heard somebody outside the trailer and looked out and saw two drunks looking at the horses. I went outside to say, “hi” and they quickly apologizes for waking me (they didn’t) and left. At that point I took two chains we used to lock equipment and two padlocks and chained the stalls closed. The last thing I wanted to happen was to have two drunk, wannabe vaqueros riding my horses back back in halters through a parking lot with 100 cars headed out towards the highway.
This is the one, and only, time I ever intentionally locked them up. IMO it was a very good thing I did. If I had it to do over again I’d do it the same way.
Moral of the Story: Never say “never” and always avoid the word “always.” 
G.
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Clinton Anderson’s horses are in padlocked stalls. when they are on the road. Witnessed that ar RTTH on two separate occasions. And no, there was not a groom or keeper around.
No, no, no, no! Locking horses in their stalls in Southern California is such a bad idea! I understand being afraid someone will steal your horse, but honestly, those owners should find a different place to board or talk to the BO about better security rather than locking their horses in. Barns down here have to evacuate all the time and often in a complete rush and dangerous situation to avoid fires. It can’t be left to one person to unlock all those stalls in the event of an emergency. I don’t know if it’s cause for you to leave - but that is going to be a huge task if a fire does come through and you aren’t on site to get your horse. It’ll be chaos. Sorry to hear people are taking that approach regardless of what happened at the barn that burned. There are too many things that can happen and locking stalls should never be an option.
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