Barn owner Drama! please help! (lenthy)

Ok well all my barn owner cares about is money. Plain and simple that's the route to all my problems. Me and the owner never really fully got along but we just kind of agreed to disagree and we were fine.
3 years ago me, my parents, my trainer, and her sat down and talked about out boarding and how it's going to work. We came to a conclusion that my horse could stay with my trainers horses in his own pen since I bought my horse from him and she has been in a pen with them since she got to that barn. So that means I would pay him for boarding and he would be the one feeding her everyday when I wasn't there. I would also work off part of my board by doing chorse around the barn and picking up poop. This agreement has work without a problem for 3 years and everything was fine.
Well now the owner wants me to pay for other stuff like barn or arena use. Just out of the blue she is like k now you have to pay this every month. She says I don't do anything around the barn which isn't true because I have to do chorse around the barn or my trainer won't let me keep my horse there so I don't really get that.
The worst part is no matter what I can't move anywhere else because there isn't anywhere else to go! Plus my trainer is there with all his horses which I also ride and show... So I wouldn't wanna leave them either....
I guess I am just in a mess and don't know what to do anymore. I can't afford all these extra payments and I don't get why all of a suddon she is making me pay for all this random stuff!
Please I just need some advice! PLEASE!

You need to sit down with the BO and draw up a contract stating exactly how much you're paying and for what, and what work around the barn you're suppose to do in exchange for money off your board. If you can't come to a mutually beneficial agreement, you're going to have to decide if being where your trainer is is going to work for you or if you're going to have to bite the bullet and think about moving.
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If I'm reading this correctly, the amount you pay (in combination of cash and chores) was set three years ago, and you have been paying this same amount ever since.

Prices go up, business pressures change. It is normal for a barn owner to increase prices annually and you are lucky that this hasn't happened up till now.

Instead of throwing a drama, you need to repeat what happened three years ago- have a civilised meeting and agree terms. If you can't agree terms, move.

And remember; your barn owner is running a business. If she doesn't make enough money to cover all the costs and pay his/herself a wage then the barn will close.

Expenses change. Its just part of the fun of the horse world, well any world really.

Hay prices go up, grain prices go up, electricity, barn maintence such as fencing, upkeep of arena footing etc...

Chances are the price went up because the BO's expenses went up. And yes its all a money game. If they are not covering overhead and putting cash in their pocket for themselves then its not worth it to deal with the drama of having boarders.

My 2 cents: I agree with the others about the prices rising because hers are rising. So there's really not a whole lot you can do there.

I will give you that she could've went about it better (more professional) way, so I can see your frusteration there. But from what it sounds like, she's never really been that type of person to start with.

OP- "my horse could stay with my trainers horses in his own pen since I bought my horse from him and she has been in a pen with them since she got to that barn. So that means I would pay him for boarding and he would be the one feeding her everyday when I wasn't there. I would also work off part of my board by doing chorse around the barn and picking up poop."

Let me get this straight as I'm confused.
You bought the horse from your trainer & you're paying board to your trainer & not the barn owner?
Does your trainer lease the space or barn from the owner or does the BO get paid on a per horse basis?

I was confused about that too.

Whatever happens, get it in writing.

I am wondering the same thing.....

I am confused too, so will wait for an explanation.

However if you are showing locally, then it's fair to assume that the people you are competing against are boarding somewhere. So there's much be other boarding facilities available to you.

There are a few different ways to read it but i'm going to try the logical read:

You pay the barn owner for your board which should include use of facilities

You pay your trainer for lessons/training your horse/using trainer's horses at shows


You can work off some of your lessons by working trainer's horses (if he/she feels you are qualified) and work off some of rent by doing other chores (needs to be a defined number of hours = XX dollars off your rent)

Shouldn't the barn owner take a cut from the trainer on a per month or per lesson basis as the trainer's way of "renting the facilities for his/her students" so extra $$ to use facilites is a bit crazy in my opinion

Barn owner should have either raised rent accross the board or raised feed price or you supply your own feed/hay


And yes the barn owner is out to make a profit, health insurance prices are going up, general liability insurance is going up, the facilities are 3 years older so more things need to be repaired (no clue how new the place is but when new many people charge enough to cover mortgage, taxes, day-day expenses....3-5years in things break and there is more maintenance so now instead of making a profit you are losing $$ and only one way to change that up the price)

I would agree with the others, have a meeting to see what can be done and be willing to work more hours there or move your horse I think Alaska even has more than one stable so there are other places to move your horse if push comes to shove and other trainers that might even push you differently so could advance you some more