Barn Drama, is it rare or a common occurrence?

Boarding can be tricky. I've boarded at 3 barns, one of them twice. All of them have had their fair share of drama. Sometimes it's the boarders, sometimes it's BOs. Some people just need drama. I'm not one of them, that is what t.v. Is for!

I was at one barn for 8 years and it was fairly low drama. But when there was drama, it blew up the whole place. That made it difficult. Both times I left there it was because of petty, childish drama caused by adults.

I was at another barn for 11 months. The only source of drama there was the BO and her daughter, but then again, I was her only boarder at the time...

I have been at my new barn for all of 10 months. The care is 10X better here than it was at either of the other barns. That alone makes the drama here tolerable. It is a show barn and the Trainer is the only one causing drama. I can deal with it because I don't lease from her. I show my own horses and only ride hers if she asks me to. In other words, I keep to myself and no one gets hurt. Lol

I have just left my barn for another that is closer to my home. More for personal reasons such as time/travel. However, after many years working in barns, I can recommend a few things to you:

1. If they are doing something g one way now, don't expect them to change it for you later. So essentially, what you see is what you get.
2. Lay low and fly under the radar. If anyone starts gossiping to you just stare at them like a deer in the head lights.
3. Leave the barn each day like you'd never even been there. Stelf tactics.

The barn I just left, now this is a different scenario, as I was good friends with the BO, so if I wanted my horse to have another flake of hay I could just give him one (in stelf mode though, so other boarders didn't just start helping themselves ie. Two year old receiving a bale a day!!). So I wasn't really at a disadvantage at this barn, and I was apt to speak up to the gossipers and troublemakers......so I was left alone and have many friends there also.

There is drama at barns, from gossips, to stealing, misunderstandings, naughty horses......follow my three rules and you can live drama free while at the barn;)

I wouldt take posts on this forum as an average. I assume people with drama or BO issues are far more likely to make a post here.
Think about it, how many people going to make a post. All is well at my barn nothing to report". Even though Id bet that is by far the majority.

I guess it totally depends on the barn. I have friends at show barns in my area that all complain about the drama, but I've yet to experience any drama where I board my two Arabs (other 5 are at home). It's a really laid-back barn; some of us show, but the majority are just pleasure riders/owners that want their horses out on grass as much as possible. I exercise a few of the horses for their owners when I can and they appreciate it and let me use their tack so I know if fits the horse. No one worries about stolen tack or people messing with horses without permission.

You know I think anywhere that girls are involved their is bound to be drama...

No drama at my barn! There are only three boarders and all the BO's horses. My horse is a little special needs, and the BO and the staff take great care to follow my instructions. Everything is kept in great shape. I'm going to college next year, and I'm scared to move my horse to a new barn.

The barn I worked/rode at in Michigan had zero drama. Granted I wasn't a boarder, but I knew/was good friends with all the boarders. All of them were wonderful people. There was an older couple in their 70's that I'd bring in their horse for them so they could enjoy time with him rather than taking the hike out to go get him. I warmed up some of the horses for people who were a bit nervous to get on their horse since their horse had been tearing around the field just prior to coming in. It was just generally a well run, drama free barn. Most of them were older. I was by far the youngest at 14, but I stayed working there till I left for college.

The "barn" I'm at now is really just pasture board with a run in area in the barn with my husband's good friend. We are pretty much the only boarders there since the other horses are owned by him, his brother and his brother's wife. There is zero drama out there since their horses are basically retired, and the wife is scared to ride her horse (no real reason, just is timid of horses; I'm hoping to convince her the horse is a good horse and to have her join me on the trails after my horse gets going under saddle this year)

Amount of drama seems to depend on the barn IMHO, the most drama filled barn I was at was boarding only (not resident trainer, etc) and many disciplines and like 75+ horses...so much tension! Some people you definitely didnt miss when they gave their 30days...
Im at a fairly small barn now and its not too bad drama wise.

Depends a great deal on what type of people you are dealing with, but I would say there is always going to be some sort of drama/troubles at barn.

Best thing to do is to smile, nod and do not repeat anything you are told, and make no comment about what you are told to the person telling you.

A wise saying is "The dog that will tote you a bone will tote one away."

If you get reputation of never listening to gossip and don't? You will be better off by far.

My old barn had minimal drama, and the new one Sky is at has no drama :) But I have felt more drama between horse owners at DIFFERENT barns... I got into it with a good friend about seriously nothing. But now we aren't on talking terms anymore.

:/