Need some advice ASAP, please...

powerfilly · 11-01-2009, 08:25 AM

The stable that we board at was pretty decent when we moved there and had alot to offer at a decent price. Unfortuately, there are alot of thing we were promised that are not happening and are causing alot of issues.
We are doing a self care option so the fee we pay covers the stall we use, and the ability to turn out our horse and ride in the arena. We provide our own bedding, feed, hay, buckets, etc. There is nobody there to do feedings or turn horses out. I am fine with all of this but I am having some issues with some specifics around the barn.
I was told that each boarder could use a room for storing their hay, grain and bedding. Another girl at the barn and I decided that to save on space we would both use one room and this has worked well. That is, until we both started noticing we were missing bales of hay and large amounts of grain. To remedy the situation we placed a lock on the door. After about a week, the barn manager demanded the combination to the lock. He informed us that if we didnt give it to him, he would cut it off. There is no reason for him to need the combination(the only things in the room are our hay, grain and a chart I purchased to record wormings and shots). I have no problem with him looking in there, we are at the barn everyday, but I dont know why he needs access to it at any other time(except if there was an emergency, of course). There are other rooms in the barn that have locks on them to protect other people's feed. I did ask everyone else and they have all said that they have never been asked for their combination.
The barn manager is a nice enough guy but he is very uneducated about horses and business. My fiance has had to go to the barn to fix a number of complaints for other boarders. Nothing major, but things like the fact that there were no working lights anywhere in the stall area of the barn for over a month. He was asked repeatedly to replace them and more than 30 days later they were all still out. Other issues, like broken portions of the pasture fence or stalls that flood with heavy rain are some other issues that have not been addressed since we moved there a few months ago. We are also only able to use only one pasture(there are two) because the second pasture is only partially fenced in and is full of hazards.
My question is, what should I do about this place? Is there some sort of department I can contact that will come out and require these things to be fixed? Should I put another lock on there and stand my ground about giving him access? I really like the facility's location(its only minutes from my house) and I understand that there are trade off's when doing self care, but I think this is quite a distance from the norm and acceptable. Any suggestions are greatly appreciated! Thanks!

Horselady44 · 11-03-2009, 11:11 PM

I would switch barns...I believe when you are the paying customer...you should be treated with respect and you should get what you have agreed to. IMO you are not getting that and for him to invade your privacy(by DEMANDING the combo to the lock thats invading IMO) Its not like you were doing anything illegal...and that room you are pretty much renting and you should be able to put a lock on there if you choose to do so. Feed is expensive as it is...let alone to have someone stealing from you(which I have a feeling it was the BO by your description) I wouldnt put up with the crap. JMO

Theres other barns that would be happy to meet your expectations

Jen&Jack · 11-04-2009, 06:58 AM

Do you have any kind of boarding contract?

jesterjigger · 11-04-2009, 09:35 AM

I too would switch barns. You can't make the barn owner maintain the property to your standards, but you can choose to keep your horse elsewhere.

I also understand why he needs the combo to the lock...it is his property after all and I would want to be able to check the room whenever I want to ensure it's beeing kept clean and rodent free. Plus if there was a problem behind the door I'd hate to have to bust down my own door to get into my own room. If your feed/hay starts disappearing again after you give him the lock I would definitely move barns.

You could always try to organize a barn clean up day to remove the hazards from the other pasture and see if that would encourage him to fence it...but I doubt that'd have any effect. I really think the best course of action in this situation would be to move your horse to a stable that knows how to care for horses. It sounds like this facility is just an accident waiting to happen.

pippy · 11-04-2009, 10:14 AM

I'm not sure- you could ask your county or Community Health who cover licenses for establishments if there are requirements in your area he must follow, as far as lights or restrooms go there may be something that he is not up to par on for the humans there but as far as fencing and footings etc I doubt there is anything anyone can do as I don't think there is much regulations on that.
Sounds to me either he does not have money to fix the stuff up or just does not want to fix it up.
As for locking the place, if others are doing it and not having issues, I would ask why it's ok for them to lock up but not you. Did you let him know the reason you guys put a lock on it was because someone was using your hay?
If he does not make the rules consistent for everyone and the place is not up to par, I'd move.

dunamovin · 11-04-2009, 10:23 AM

IMO if there is smoke coming from any area I want to be able to get in there immediately. Sometimes fire insurance policies prohibit locked storage rooms. I solved this by putting metal grate doors on each locker. They can be locked and I can see any problems. He could have been nicer when he asked for the combination

Not too long ago I read about someone using a locked storage room in a public stable to store drugs. So that is another reason to have open storage.

powerfilly · 11-11-2009, 12:57 PM

Thanks guys for all the feedback. To answer the outstanding questions:

We have a board agreement that is pretty much worth the paper its written on. It literally says I will pay my board each month and take care of my horse, and that I will give 30 days notice when leaving. Not even exaggerating, that is exactly what it says with that many specific details.

As for the lock combination, I totally understand some of the reasons he could want into the room. As for wanting to see in there, it is basically a horse stall with a concrete floor - so you can see right into the room and see all of its contents from the outside. Also, we are there at least twice a day and I have no problem with allowing him in there if for some reason he thinks something needs attention or doesnt belong. I have nothing to hide but there is litterally hundreds of dollars of food and bedding in there. The girl that I share the room with did tell him the reason the lock was on there was because we were missing a few bales of hay and some grain and he seemed to be more annoyed about the lock than concerned about a thief. I honestly wouldnt care if someone needed the hay or grain and asked about it, but stealing it is something unacceptable.

The idea about making the other pasture safer with everyone working together is a good one. I will have to see when anyone would be available. I would have to agree, though, even if we clean up the pasture the manager will definately not put up the fence. My horse has already walked right out of the pasture twice and had a nasty fall(which I paid the vert bill for) before we stopped using it entirely.

Are the liabilies of boarding facilities posted online somewhere for the state of Ohio so that I could print them out and present the barn manager with them?

Thanks again for the advice, and anything else is always appreciated. I dont mean to come off as a pain in the butt boarder but I have not talked with anyone else, ever, that has had problems like this. As I said, the guy does not have alot of business sense and I simply dont think he realized there are obligations that come with running a barn. It doesnt work as easily as having a barn and collecting the money from people.

I have since put a different lock on there. He did ask the other girl for the combination(like he did before as well) and this time she told him that it was my lock and to talk to me about it. When he approached me about the lock I immediately let him in there and asked what he was looking for. He stuck his head in there for a few minutes, mumbled about looking for some tool and walked out. I am hoping that is the end of it since the issue hasnt been talked about since but we will see.

visionquest · 11-15-2009, 10:16 AM

IMO, I'd move my horses to another facility. I have first hand experience with a boarder the bought hay for her horses and because it was not enough hay for the entire winter, we suspect she was using the farm owners hay also, easy to do since she was also feeding for the FO in exchange for board.

I run a boarding and training facility and don't allow self care for just this reason. there are many really good honost people that would take of their horses the correct way but it takes just a few bads eggs to ruin everything for everyone at a farm.

Slim Pikkens · 11-16-2009, 05:17 PM

This situation of feed disappearing is all to common. Is there any way your can store your feed at home and transport what you need on a daily basis? Sometimes it's good to mix up your schedule so there's no pattern as to when you and the other gal come out. Also, when you leave, give it about 10 min. then return. Whoever is doing the stealing may get nervous about getting caught and quit.

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11-01-2009, 08:25 AM
powerfilly Newborn Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Ohio Posts: 4	Need some advice ASAP, please... The stable that we board at was pretty decent when we moved there and had alot to offer at a decent price. Unfortuately, there are alot of thing we were promised that are not happening and are causing alot of issues. We are doing a self care option so the fee we pay covers the stall we use, and the ability to turn out our horse and ride in the arena. We provide our own bedding, feed, hay, buckets, etc. There is nobody there to do feedings or turn horses out. I am fine with all of this but I am having some issues with some specifics around the barn. I was told that each boarder could use a room for storing their hay, grain and bedding. Another girl at the barn and I decided that to save on space we would both use one room and this has worked well. That is, until we both started noticing we were missing bales of hay and large amounts of grain. To remedy the situation we placed a lock on the door. After about a week, the barn manager demanded the combination to the lock. He informed us that if we didnt give it to him, he would cut it off. There is no reason for him to need the combination(the only things in the room are our hay, grain and a chart I purchased to record wormings and shots). I have no problem with him looking in there, we are at the barn everyday, but I dont know why he needs access to it at any other time(except if there was an emergency, of course). There are other rooms in the barn that have locks on them to protect other people's feed. I did ask everyone else and they have all said that they have never been asked for their combination. The barn manager is a nice enough guy but he is very uneducated about horses and business. My fiance has had to go to the barn to fix a number of complaints for other boarders. Nothing major, but things like the fact that there were no working lights anywhere in the stall area of the barn for over a month. He was asked repeatedly to replace them and more than 30 days later they were all still out. Other issues, like broken portions of the pasture fence or stalls that flood with heavy rain are some other issues that have not been addressed since we moved there a few months ago. We are also only able to use only one pasture(there are two) because the second pasture is only partially fenced in and is full of hazards. My question is, what should I do about this place? Is there some sort of department I can contact that will come out and require these things to be fixed? Should I put another lock on there and stand my ground about giving him access? I really like the facility's location(its only minutes from my house) and I understand that there are trade off's when doing self care, but I think this is quite a distance from the norm and acceptable. Any suggestions are greatly appreciated! Thanks!

11-03-2009, 11:11 PM
Horselady44 Started Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Montana Posts: 2,401	I would switch barns...I believe when you are the paying customer...you should be treated with respect and you should get what you have agreed to. IMO you are not getting that and for him to invade your privacy(by DEMANDING the combo to the lock thats invading IMO) Its not like you were doing anything illegal...and that room you are pretty much renting and you should be able to put a lock on there if you choose to do so. Feed is expensive as it is...let alone to have someone stealing from you(which I have a feeling it was the BO by your description) I wouldnt put up with the crap. JMO Theres other barns that would be happy to meet your expectations __________________ A happy horse equals a happy rider!

11-04-2009, 06:58 AM
Jen&Jack Halter broke Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Indianapolis Posts: 151	Do you have any kind of boarding contract?

11-04-2009, 09:35 AM
jesterjigger Halter broke Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: OH now, FL in April Posts: 156	I too would switch barns. You can't make the barn owner maintain the property to your standards, but you can choose to keep your horse elsewhere. I also understand why he needs the combo to the lock...it is his property after all and I would want to be able to check the room whenever I want to ensure it's beeing kept clean and rodent free. Plus if there was a problem behind the door I'd hate to have to bust down my own door to get into my own room. If your feed/hay starts disappearing again after you give him the lock I would definitely move barns. You could always try to organize a barn clean up day to remove the hazards from the other pasture and see if that would encourage him to fence it...but I doubt that'd have any effect. I really think the best course of action in this situation would be to move your horse to a stable that knows how to care for horses. It sounds like this facility is just an accident waiting to happen.

11-04-2009, 10:14 AM
pippy Started Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: minnesota Posts: 2,298	I'm not sure- you could ask your county or Community Health who cover licenses for establishments if there are requirements in your area he must follow, as far as lights or restrooms go there may be something that he is not up to par on for the humans there but as far as fencing and footings etc I doubt there is anything anyone can do as I don't think there is much regulations on that. Sounds to me either he does not have money to fix the stuff up or just does not want to fix it up. As for locking the place, if others are doing it and not having issues, I would ask why it's ok for them to lock up but not you. Did you let him know the reason you guys put a lock on it was because someone was using your hay? If he does not make the rules consistent for everyone and the place is not up to par, I'd move. __________________ "It's never to late to live happily ever after."

11-04-2009, 10:23 AM
dunamovin Halter broke Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: where the blacktop ends Posts: 182	IMO if there is smoke coming from any area I want to be able to get in there immediately. Sometimes fire insurance policies prohibit locked storage rooms. I solved this by putting metal grate doors on each locker. They can be locked and I can see any problems. He could have been nicer when he asked for the combination Not too long ago I read about someone using a locked storage room in a public stable to store drugs. So that is another reason to have open storage.

11-11-2009, 12:57 PM
powerfilly Newborn Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Ohio Posts: 4	Thanks! Thanks guys for all the feedback. To answer the outstanding questions: We have a board agreement that is pretty much worth the paper its written on. It literally says I will pay my board each month and take care of my horse, and that I will give 30 days notice when leaving. Not even exaggerating, that is exactly what it says with that many specific details. As for the lock combination, I totally understand some of the reasons he could want into the room. As for wanting to see in there, it is basically a horse stall with a concrete floor - so you can see right into the room and see all of its contents from the outside. Also, we are there at least twice a day and I have no problem with allowing him in there if for some reason he thinks something needs attention or doesnt belong. I have nothing to hide but there is litterally hundreds of dollars of food and bedding in there. The girl that I share the room with did tell him the reason the lock was on there was because we were missing a few bales of hay and some grain and he seemed to be more annoyed about the lock than concerned about a thief. I honestly wouldnt care if someone needed the hay or grain and asked about it, but stealing it is something unacceptable. The idea about making the other pasture safer with everyone working together is a good one. I will have to see when anyone would be available. I would have to agree, though, even if we clean up the pasture the manager will definately not put up the fence. My horse has already walked right out of the pasture twice and had a nasty fall(which I paid the vert bill for) before we stopped using it entirely. Are the liabilies of boarding facilities posted online somewhere for the state of Ohio so that I could print them out and present the barn manager with them? Thanks again for the advice, and anything else is always appreciated. I dont mean to come off as a pain in the butt boarder but I have not talked with anyone else, ever, that has had problems like this. As I said, the guy does not have alot of business sense and I simply dont think he realized there are obligations that come with running a barn. It doesnt work as easily as having a barn and collecting the money from people. I have since put a different lock on there. He did ask the other girl for the combination(like he did before as well) and this time she told him that it was my lock and to talk to me about it. When he approached me about the lock I immediately let him in there and asked what he was looking for. He stuck his head in there for a few minutes, mumbled about looking for some tool and walked out. I am hoping that is the end of it since the issue hasnt been talked about since but we will see.

11-15-2009, 10:16 AM
visionquest Weanling Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Harrodsburg, KY Posts: 463	IMO, I'd move my horses to another facility. I have first hand experience with a boarder the bought hay for her horses and because it was not enough hay for the entire winter, we suspect she was using the farm owners hay also, easy to do since she was also feeding for the FO in exchange for board. I run a boarding and training facility and don't allow self care for just this reason. there are many really good honost people that would take of their horses the correct way but it takes just a few bads eggs to ruin everything for everyone at a farm.

11-16-2009, 05:17 PM
Slim Pikkens Seasoned Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Ontario, Canada Posts: 4,047	This situation of feed disappearing is all to common. Is there any way your can store your feed at home and transport what you need on a daily basis? Sometimes it's good to mix up your schedule so there's no pattern as to when you and the other gal come out. Also, when you leave, give it about 10 min. then return. Whoever is doing the stealing may get nervous about getting caught and quit.