The Horse Forum banner
Status
Not open for further replies.

Should I change barns?

9K views 52 replies 12 participants last post by  my2geldings 
#1 ·
My boyfriend and I purchased our 2 horses from the place where we are currently boarding. I took lessons there for a bout 2 weeks before we bought them (ive been riding for 12 years, just moved and found another stable). We have had a few...er.... many problems i guess with the people currently there. The first time was when I took my horse's halter off because i didnt want it on all the time, and there was no sign nor did anyone say their halters had to be on 24/7, so i got sternly talked to in front of a lot of people that it had to stay on. The next time was when my horse had mud fever and her leg was swollen to twice the size. I asked the owner there to check it out and she said she was just stocking up and it was nothing to worry about. The next day i had someone else who worked there take a look at her still swollen leg. She said it was mud fever and not to worry about it either, that the swelling was normal. Well after doing quite a bit of research, swelling = call the vet. So i went and got a vet out there. The owner of the barn came up to my boyfriend and I and YELLED at us. Again this was in front of quite a few people, and we found it really unprofessional. After that they stopped talking to us and we felt like an outcast. Most times too, if we would go there when our horses were out, there would be other random horses in my horse's stall. I had put a likit type toy in there for my horse, and a different horse ate it! That really ticked me off. They also seem to put whatever horse they were just riding into someone else's stall. I dont get why you pay to have a stall, if other horses use it. Recently, they have filled in all the horses stalls (this past week) but it wasn't just filled in with dirt, there is a huge volume of rocks in there. Its more so like "would you like some dirt with your rocks" and we find this very dangerous because our horses like to lay down at times. We have gone through over the past couple of days to pick out the rocks and its helped a little bit, but there's still a lot in there. Should we stay there, or should we find another barn? Part of me wants to keep them there because its stressful to move a horse, but more of me wants to move them so my boyfriend and I can really and truly enjoy spending time with our horses. Sorry this is so long, but i would like some opinions. Thanks for reading it!!
 
See less See more
#2 ·
i would borrow a trailer and get them out of that barn, i wouldn't stand to be treated like that at all, have you mentioned to them about diffrent horses being in your stall ? if she can be like to you i would demand that she replace the item the other horse ate,
 
#3 ·
No we havent mentioned anything, but they do it with all the stalls, especially on the weekends when there are a lot of trails and lessons. I do make a fuss about it. Like I'll stand with my horse in the aisle way and not say anything to anyone about moving the horse in her stall. Vega gets all antsy because she wants to go into her stall and cant. Then someone will move the horse.
 
#6 ·
for that price your horses should be getting the royal treatment!!!!! i'd be down her back about every little thing's i.e another horse being in your stall...demanding that it be mucked out after a aanother horse has been in it.....(alway clame you don't know what the other horse has) for 415 i hope ypu have a indoor arena and a full service barn!!
 
#7 ·
Well today my boyfriend and I went there and there were horses in BOTH our stalls. Lucky this one owner, whom we've briefly talked to under a sad condition (we saw his nephew's dog kill a baby swan) came out and got the horses moved promptly.

I do believe that my horse got sick because of other horses being in her stall. Thank Goodness I caught it early and was able to treat it with a little time off, and some cough suppressant. I did mention that Vega was coughing and one woman said that something was going around the whole barn. I found it ironic how Vega and the horse next to her (whom both had the same thing, but my boyfriend's horse never got sick because no other horse (to our knowledge) was in his stall.

Also, the indoor ring. Its decent, but both of our horses freak out in there, and we have no idea why. My boyfriend isnt really sure if he wants to leave, but I definately do, and I'm not sure how to tell him "lets move them now"
 
#8 ·
as i see it if there some thing going around why are they letting horses stay in difrent stall other then there own?, the other alarming thing i found about one of your post was that she freaked when you called a vet to come out to look at your horse.....why did she react that way? does she have some thing to hide?, when i had my boarder i didn't care weather the vet showed up or not (we use the same vet) just along as the vet was there when needed.....yes if he was needed at 4 in the morning i would be out there to greet him.
 
#11 ·
appylover31803 said:
My boyfriend and I purchased our 2 horses from the place where we are currently boarding. I took lessons there for a bout 2 weeks before we bought them (ive been riding for 12 years, just moved and found another stable). We have had a few...er.... many problems i guess with the people currently there. The first time was when I took my horse's halter off because i didnt want it on all the time, and there was no sign nor did anyone say their halters had to be on 24/7, so i got sternly talked to in front of a lot of people that it had to stay on. The next time was when my horse had mud fever and her leg was swollen to twice the size. I asked the owner there to check it out and she said she was just stocking up and it was nothing to worry about. The next day i had someone else who worked there take a look at her still swollen leg. She said it was mud fever and not to worry about it either, that the swelling was normal. Well after doing quite a bit of research, swelling = call the vet. So i went and got a vet out there. The owner of the barn came up to my boyfriend and I and YELLED at us. Again this was in front of quite a few people, and we found it really unprofessional. After that they stopped talking to us and we felt like an outcast. Most times too, if we would go there when our horses were out, there would be other random horses in my horse's stall. I had put a likit type toy in there for my horse, and a different horse ate it! That really ticked me off. They also seem to put whatever horse they were just riding into someone else's stall. I dont get why you pay to have a stall, if other horses use it. Recently, they have filled in all the horses stalls (this past week) but it wasn't just filled in with dirt, there is a huge volume of rocks in there. Its more so like "would you like some dirt with your rocks" and we find this very dangerous because our horses like to lay down at times. We have gone through over the past couple of days to pick out the rocks and its helped a little bit, but there's still a lot in there. Should we stay there, or should we find another barn? Part of me wants to keep them there because its stressful to move a horse, but more of me wants to move them so my boyfriend and I can really and truly enjoy spending time with our horses. Sorry this is so long, but i would like some opinions. Thanks for reading it!!
oh my goodness!!! that doesnt sound good at all. i would definitely move and ASAP. these kind of people are the ones that give horse owners a bad name.

if you are paying that kind of money, you should not be subject to this kind of thing. i used to work at an equestrian centre in the southern highlands of nsw and it cost people $170 a week to keep their horses there. as such, they were treated like royalty. if they had a problem we said 'yes sir, no sir, three bags full sir'. there was NO form of talking back, challenging in front of others (at all for that matter) and even the owner of the centre would go out of her way to ensure that all her agistees were as happy as they could be. this is how it should be when you are paying such a high price for agistment.

i currently agist somewhere for $10 a week per horse. i have a huge yard, two tack sheds, 4 stables and running water to my yard. admittedly we dont have a proper arena but its still a good spot. even though we only pay $30 a week all up, we still get awesome treatment. the guy who owns the property doesnt take any crap from us or between people there. if there is a prob, we go to him and tell him whats going on and he will sort things out quietly and without hassles or embarassment for anyone.

we had an issue a few weeks ago where someone else was feeding our horses while we werent there (our horses were when we bought them, and still are to some degree, underweight when we bought them and some do-gooders decided that they had to feed them as well. there were many issues with this but the main ones were the fact that they are my horses and i dont approve of anyone else feeding them in any form and they get a complete supplement in their feed and i know fir a fact that the food they were giving them contained extra calcium as a supplement. too much calcium is bad and i hit the roof). anyhoo, i spoke to them and got no happiness from that so i went to the property owner and let him know and he quietly called them over that afternoon and informed them that they can not feed my horses and if they were caught interferring again, they would be asked to leave the property. the same people were caught letting their horse into our yard during the day when they thought we wouldnt know. apparently, they let her in because we have a large round bale of hay for constant eating and she wanted to let her horse have a munch :roll: this was sorted so quietly and quickly though as it should be in this situation.

sorry you have to have such a bad experience somewhere. i hope you get it sorted out but in the meantime i would be VERY forceful with the people that are using your stall. your stall is your stall and no one else should be using it in any capacity. if you come back and someone is in your stall, as them to leave and if they could not use your stall, that would be great. either that or (this is what i would do :lol:) put a sign on your door saying that this stall is for your horse and your horse only. even a no trespassing sign might be good. but sometimes i like to stir the pot so there may be other ways you feel more comfortable with but i would think about it.

i hope things settle down for you

p.s. always remember, you are out there for your horses, not the people :) never feel like an outcast in a place you have as much right to be in as anyone else. take care :)

p.p.s i was thinking of entering this post in a small essay competition lol j/k sorry about the length of it
 
#12 ·
Well i think my boyfriend is kind of itching to get out there. They got new horses in like a week ago. About a day or two after they came back, there was a buckskin in the stall next to my horse. I didn't think anything of it and went on with my daily routine of grooming her in her stall. Well as i was in there, the buckskin was coughing and had nose snots in both nostrils. I told my horse not to go by her, incase she's contagious. Well i guess i jinxed myself. Vega's nose gets kinda crust y with snots and she has kinda large boogers that are dark in color and sticky. But she does have an appetite and is not coughing. So today my boyfriend asked if the buckskin was a new horse "yes" was the answer, and she didnt seem too worried that that horse was sick and said that my horse would just get over her "sniffles". I then made a kinda big stink when we left that i wouldn't be able to do anything with her cause she is sick and it sucks. BUT my boyfriend is going to bring his camcorder everyday for a while and record all the $h!t that goes on in regular day. And then he said when we give them the 30 days notice that we're leaving and if they ask why, he's going to give them a dvd of the footage. So that was good to hear, but i still just dont know. Sorry its so long, just kinda had to rant a bit. Thanks for reading! :D
 
#14 ·
I don't know. If they do have someone out, its early in the morning and my boyfriend and i aren't there. I also don't know how bad she is sickness wise, but i'll explain the best i can. She has nasal discharge out of both nostrils. I believe its either a green or white color. She is coughing quite a lot and when she does, she lowers her head and coughs. She also does not seem to be eating as every time we go there her food seems untouched. I have not seen this horse turned out, so she stays inside all the time.
 
#15 ·
If you dont mind me asking, what is the stable name where you are at? I had moved my horse several times over the years when I lived in NJ because of poor conditions or rotten people like the owner of the stable you are at now sounds like.

Finally finding Sunset Stables in Newton was a blessing. Mark was wonderful and it killed me to have to move her to MD and try and find a place here too. I miss that barn in Newton.

Anyway, while you are looking, absolutely DO NOT move your horse to Echo Lake Stables in Newfoundland NJ. Its a horrible place full of barbed wire and a wicked witch owner. My sisters horse died there from being caught up in barbed wire... and thats only one tragedy of many that I saw there.
 
#16 ·
So your paying $830 a month for 2 horses? For that money they should be kissing your hinney and calling you honey. I would start looking around for another barn. Too bad you don't live closer I would let you keep your horses at my place for that much money :wink:
 
#18 ·
Oh wow, that's terrible! :(
Hopefully you'll find a better barn, & get your horses outta there.
That's a shame; it's like they're neglecting the horses, because if the horse is sick they should get a vet!! :(
& that's really weird that they did that when you got the vet, hmm doesn't sound right...
But I hope you will find another barn. ;)
It sucks you're paying so much & getting like nothing great in return! :(
 
#19 ·
I had heard about Spring Valley as "not a good place to board" but I never went there myself.

It sounds a lot like Echo Lake Stables. There, if you call the vet, you get yelled at. If you put your horse in the stall, you get yelled at.

If you tell anyone that their horse is sick or hurt, you get yelled at.

There was a new horse owner there and his horse was foundering. He didnt call the vet cause the stable owner said "He's fine dont waste your money" - I told the guy his horse was Foundering and explained what it was... man o man did I ever get lectured from the stable owner.

The guy ended up moving his horse out the next week. :shock:
 
#20 ·
So your paying $830 a month for 2 horses?
ehh not quite. It's always over $900 because there's tax and then there's all the worming and the farrier. Most times we're paying closer to $1,000 a month for the 2 of them.

Is it normal for a horse to have a fear of lunge whips? My horse flipped out today when someone cracked the whip when a horse wasn't moving. And then i tried the whole desensitizing her, and it didnt go over well.
 
#21 ·
sounds like that new horse really needs vet help. do you guys have equine influenza over there? sounds very similar to the symptoms of EI and that is something that needs attention ASAP.

i dont know how it is over there but in australia is a criminal offence to not provide veterinary attention to an animal that needs it. with the law aside, they also have a moral obligation to have it checked. could you call the RSPCA (or is it the ASPCA over there :? )
 
#22 ·
We do have ASPCA over here, but as of right now, we havent looked at other barns (i was sick and now my boyfriend's sick) so that is something we need to do ASAP. I could call the ASPCA after we move.

I have no idea if the horse has EI, but i do know that several other horses are sick and they were told not to worry about it and ride anyways. And i saw today that the horse was i believe started all of this was being lunged and then ridden. I couldn't believe it. The poor horse didn't want to move (would you be in the mood to work when you're sick? I know all i want to do is rest) and was coughing up a storm. If that was my horse and i saw that, i'd flip out.
 
#23 ·
Oh, my gosh. I just read through this whole post, and I can't believe all these stories!! I would absolutely, without a doubt, move my horses out of there. And I wouldn't worry about giving any 30 days notice either!

I would also report the place to the ASPCA. That barn manager sounds like Hitler and I can't believe everyone is putting up with it. Is it hard to find boarding places where you are? It sounds like it must be for people to put up with that kind of treatment. And to pay that kind of money??? That's a lot of money, in my opinion, for the kind of treatment you and the horses are getting.

I've never heard of a barn manager who would get involved in your horse's vet call. That's insane. And to put other horses in your horses stall is bad enough, but especially when horses are sick??? The new horse who came in sick should never have been allowed in. And it most certainly should be isolated at the very least.

Man, I'm getting myself worked up here and I'm not even the one who is dealing with this. Grrrr. :evil:
 
#24 ·
appylover31803 said:
We do have ASPCA over here, but as of right now, we havent looked at other barns (i was sick and now my boyfriend's sick) so that is something we need to do ASAP. I could call the ASPCA after we move.

I have no idea if the horse has EI, but i do know that several other horses are sick and they were told not to worry about it and ride anyways. And i saw today that the horse was i believe started all of this was being lunged and then ridden. I couldn't believe it. The poor horse didn't want to move (would you be in the mood to work when you're sick? I know all i want to do is rest) and was coughing up a storm. If that was my horse and i saw that, i'd flip out.
im sure there are other things that are contagious but it sounds like the flu to me. ive done a lot of research on it lately cause im in the middle of the EI outbreak in australia. whichever way, as said by xanadu, sick horses should always be isolated.

as xanadu also said, i wouldnt bother about your 30 days notice. if you have a contract or something you would get away with breaking it considering there are health issues involved and im sure theyre not providing the service you thought you were going to be getting.

i also think its disgusting that a horse in that condition was being worked :evil: :evil: :evil: some people only want to ride. they dont think about the fact that there are times when they just cant be ridden :x
 
#25 ·
I've been doing a lot of searching for a new barn and came across a review by someone who bought a horse at Spring Valley. Turns out they drugged the horse, so it could be ridden. After i read that, i told my boyfriend and now we're on a mad hunt to get them out of there ASAP. At first we were thinking we could tolerate it (my horse is getting better because i've been taking it easy with her) but after reading that, no way! My boyfriend said we'll pay board up to $500 'cause thats basically what we're paying now. That place is horrible. I cannot wait to get them out of there, but we're so worried about going to another place that will be similar. Monday, I'm going to call all the places i have written down and ask if they have availability and if we could come by for a tour. I'll let everyone know how things go. Also, if you know of any barn in the Newton, NJ area, please please please let me know.
 
#26 ·
appylover31803 said:
I've been doing a lot of searching for a new barn and came across a review by someone who bought a horse at Spring Valley. Turns out they drugged the horse, so it could be ridden. After i read that, i told my boyfriend and now we're on a mad hunt to get them out of there ASAP. At first we were thinking we could tolerate it (my horse is getting better because i've been taking it easy with her) but after reading that, no way! My boyfriend said we'll pay board up to $500 'cause thats basically what we're paying now. That place is horrible. I cannot wait to get them out of there, but we're so worried about going to another place that will be similar. Monday, I'm going to call all the places i have written down and ask if they have availability and if we could come by for a tour. I'll let everyone know how things go. Also, if you know of any barn in the Newton, NJ area, please please please let me know.
you poor thing! :( i hope you can get yourself out of there sooner rather than later. i know ive already said it but i would contact the ASPCA as soon as you move. there are some serious cruelty issues going on there :(

good luck girl :)
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
You have insufficient privileges to reply here.
Top