Who doesn't clean stalls so manure piles up then feeds on the manure to prevent colic

This is an ethical issues I just lived through; I could use some support.

Who doesn't clean stalls so manure piles up then feeds on the manure to prevent colic?

I recently removed my horses from an ranch who didn't ever clean stalls so the manure piled up to prevent the horses from eating sand and
To reduce colic. Hmm?

I'm thinking gross; Lazy people!

However, one of their horses died of impact colic. Their excuse was weather.
I'm thinks to lazy to check on a horse they know was at risk.

I witnessed them not feeding on the manure piles.

Do other people feed on manure piles? I would never!
I was paying for full board.

Does the signing of a boarding contract
Mean they can commet false businss bractices?

...I found my horses without water weekly.
...I may horse was hurt almost every two weeks.
...I had to clean my own stalls.
...I have photos; what else can I do?

That is so unhealthy... Very lazy IMO. If they're that worried about horses getting sand colic, just use straw bedding over the rubber mats.

It's only false business practices if in the signed contract it states that they are to clean the stalls daily or every two days etc.
As for the water, again, they're only liable if it's in the contract that they refill and clean water troughs daily.

Glad you were able to get your horse out of there! I would be putting the word out to people I know to stay clear of that place.
Also, good on you for taking photos of this. Never know if you may need some evidence.

The photos are not my stalls or my horses. The photos are of other boarders stalls and horses but the water was both my horses water. I'm grossed out!

Thanks for your support!

What you were saying did not make sense to me until I saw the photos. I could not figure out how anyone would say that leaving manure would help prevent colic. Now I at least get what they are saying. The stalls (not what I would call a stall, since there are not roofs but each to their own) have loose sand flooring so they are saying a layer of manure will make a base that is not sand.
As gross as it sounds it does make sense. Manure is just organic matter.

Lack of water shown would only get my panties bunched if I knew more about it. How long had it been empty, etc?

When I go out to feed and clean in the AM my pony has 1/4 bucket of water left. 10 minutes later, by the time she is done with her grain and I turn her out her bucket is empty.


Good job removing your horse from a situation where the practices were not what you agreed were appropriate for your horse.

Wow and just when I thought I'd heard almost everything, this crops up.

For starters, that is NOT a horse corral - it's barely big enough for a big dog --- sorry to the BO's and anyone that thinks that tiny space is an acceptable place to keep a horse

Too bad they can't get shut down but that probably won't happen. At least you got your horse out of there -----------------why I hate boarding situations.

All they're interesed in is the almighty dollar and could care less about the horses folks have entrusted their care to

Sorry maybe it's just me but the only thing I don't agree with the injuries.

As for the manure I didn't see a whole lot. It didn't look that bad to me.
And for water my horse liked to dump the buckets over then she just puts them back upright. I've watched her do that a couple times until I tied the bucket to the fence. Those buckets are also still wet so she couldn't have been without water for to long.

What kinds of injuries did she get?

That was what I thought too.
One horse, closed in a 12x12 space for 24 hours can make that much of a manure pile easily.

Now, I have been told that you can feed a horse fresh manure to restore a healthy bacteria balance in the intestines after a bad colic, etc....but letting it build up so it's blocking the sandy floor is crap, quite literally. Was it in the contract for them to clean the stalls? If I were paying for full board I would expect a picking at least every other day, every day if my horse were stalled the majority of the time, but that is something you have to discuss with the BO. I actually moved my horse when they stopped taking Jacks blanket off in the mornings(it had been agreed upon), they weren't turning him out at all, and I found him without water twice.

It's a good thing you left if you didn't agree with it.

How many hours are the horses in these "stalls" daily?

The bigger issue to me is that the "stall" has no roof, and walls that provide no protection. I don't understand the point of that. It's not a shelter, so there's no reason to bring the horse into it, unless it's just to feed and turn right back out.