Problems with boarder.

I guess you would call this whining...so read if you dare.

We usually don't take in boarders...just mares for breeding, but about 2 months ago Jane (what I'll call her), the daughter of a good friend of ours, was given a horse from her Uncle who lives 4 hours away. The family didn't have a place to hold the horse, so they opted to board the mare until the fence was done....which is where we came in.

They had asked if we had room for one more, we said yes, and agreed to board the horse here until the fence was up. I knew from the start, this thing was going to get sour....and I was right.

We made up an agreement stating that we weren't responsible for any injury to her or her horse, she was responsible for feeding/watering (she could use our feed/hay for free) properly, the stall should be cleaned daily...and rebedded when needed, when she was riding she was to ride responsibly, and if we were using or needed to use the roundpen or arena...she was to stay clear of it if she was riding, if she wanted to ride on the trails, one of us needed to be with her, if we needed to move the horse to a different area on the property then we could do so, are supplies/tack were not to be used unless given permission, and that she was to pay $20 a week. Everyone signed.

It was going great for the first 3 weeks and then things started going downhill. It started when I noticed that she wasn't useing the manuer spreader attached to the 4wheeler to clean her stall...she was throwing it out of the window. I had asked her nicely not to do this and I could tell she got irritated...but oh well. She started using it again, until a couple days later when I noticed fresh shavings/manuer outside of the window again. The mare has her own turnout that she can come and go out of, so the area right in front of the door is nothing but muck now.

On top of that, when she rides...I feel for her horse. She's using a walking horse bit with a 6in shank, you can clearly tell the horse doesn't like it, she PULLS on her mouth, and she'll toss her head and has thrown a buck. She races up and down the drive way at a 100mph, and does circles around the arena while I'm working a green horse in it.

I've noticed the water in her horses troph was BROWN and hadn't been changed...which I had to do. Plus, I saw my brand new spankin saddle was not covered like I usually have it and the girth had black hair on it...my horse is not black.

We've sat her down numerous times, but she's very bullheaded and thinks she owns the place. I've had it though. Then fence is still not up completely and I hate to ruin a friendship, but I can't have the girl here anymore.

I guess what really bothers me is that we bascially gave her the perfect place to board...and she's taken advantage of it...to the extreeme.

Do I have the right to ask her to leave? Should I? What should I do?

Any advice would be appreciated.

Since she isn't following the rules or agreement, that she signed to, I'd definitely ask her to leave. It's your right. ;) She also had no right to use your saddle. I couldn't put up with someone like that either, that's unacceptable.

I don't know about her, but I would kill to find a place to board my horse for $20 per week!

The saddle thing is really what did it for me. I haven't had it but maybe a month...and it's my baby lol. I'm very weird when it comes to someone using my tack..or horse for that matter. I guess it would have been different if she had at least asked, but she didn't.

I guess I do have the right...I just need to know how to go about it. I don't know what they would do with the horse. They're not "well off" and couldn't pay to board the horse anywhere else. They have the supplies to get the fence done...I've seen it. I just don't understand why it has taken this long...? I could understand maybe a month...considering they both work long hours....but two? That's kind of pushing it....especially when the girl isn't doing what we all agreed on.

Lol.

Well, the parents weren't really happy about the fact that she had got a horse. Plus, they couldn't afford to board anywhere else....which is why we decided on the cheap payment, which is basically just to help out a bit with using our hay/feed.

Well you can do a few things...

1) get on her about all the things that she is doing wrong

Or

2) tell her nicely that its not working out and she has X amount of time to move her horse

Or

3) tell her you just found out that having a boarder will cause your insurance on the property to go sky high for liability and she has to move. :P I am not above lying about it if it will save hurt feelings.

I'm liking the second one. I'd rather just be blunt. They're pushy, and would probably see right through the 3rd...as I'm a horrible liar...though great idea..I might keep that in mind.

I think tomorrow I'm going to call her parents and have a meeting with all of them and lay down some new terms..or even write up a new agreement saying that...she would have x amount of days to move her horse if she didn't comply with the previous agreement signed.

If I were you, i'd give the girl a certain amount of time to move the horse, and if she didn't move in that amount of time, I'd either sieze the horse or call and have the horse removed from the property. I know at some stables, if you don't pay board within a certain amount of time, the stables takes ownership of your horse... but I'm pretty sure you could do that to work it out for you, if you had to.

Ugh - I would probably KILL her.


By the way, I would love to be able to board at (what sounds like) an amazing facility for $20/week!!! It makes me so mad to hear that someone would abuse such a privilege.


Tell her she has X amount of time to move the horse or you'll call authorities. I would not stand for it at all.

I had a meeting with her and her parents. I explained my issues, and let the girl explain hers. I also wrote up another agreement like I had mentioned.

It didn't go too well with the girl, but her parents understood. I could clearly tell she was MAD, she kept saying things like .."well there are too many rules here....." or " I don't know how to work the 4wheeler and sometimes it won't start" (which is clearly a lie, when I went to show her how to use it, she got right on and started it without me saying a word, plus the 4wheeler is almost brand new)

In all I guess it went okay. Her Dad has started back working on the fence...with a vengance...my fiance is helping him, plus they're going to build a little open one stall barn. They said it should be done by next weekend. They signed the agreement, and I've moved the mare to the mares pasture so the girl won't have to worry about cleaning a stall unless she absolutely wants to keep her horse up.

Thanks for listening to me whine! Lol I really appreciate the replies.

Raie