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  Discussion on Hindsight on Boarding Agreements?
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Posted on Thursday, Oct 26, 2000 - 12:47 pm:

I'm looking to move my gelding to a new barn. He is my first horse, and this is his first barn. He was raised from yearling and trained here. I never signed a boarding agreement so I don't know what to consider. I've researched through this website and plan to continue in new places but I also wondered if anyone out there had any helpful "hindsight" hints that you wouldn't necessarily read about.

Thanks,
Joni

Posted on Thursday, Oct 26, 2000 - 3:08 pm:

Amount of feed--is it tailored to the individual horse's requirements?
Water--Available at all times?
Turn out--how much, how often, does it cost extra?
Blanketing--Who does it? How much if they do it?
Meds--see above
Holding for farrier--see above
Worming--A little more complicated: if all horses are put out together, they should also be wormed on schedule.
Vaccinations--Do they allow non-vaccinated horses space?
Space for parking trailers?
Unsupervised children?
Dogs?
Use of arena?
Outside trainers?

To name a few. Unfortunately, a lot of people who do take in boarders haven't thought things through, and tend to make up the rules as they go along. The more agreements you can get up front, the better off you'll be.

Before you commit to any place, visit it first. (Just don't show up with your horse.) Look at things like cleanliness and orderliness, fire hazards, food storage, condition of fences, accomodations for tack storage. Try to show up when there are some other boarders around, just to get a feel whether you'll fit in and be happy or whether you'll be looking for another place within a month.

Why are you leaving your current barn, by the way?

Good luck.

Posted on Friday, Oct 27, 2000 - 1:46 pm:

Hi Eva -

Thanks for your response and helpful hints. I'm leaving my barn pretty much because the manager is a psycho and is emotionally abusing me. It is a bad situation for me, and my horse is not getting the care I think he should have. He was recently very sick and almost died so I need to find a place without mud, without barbed wire, a place that quarrantines new horses appropriately (the manager is getting his hand into horse trading), a place where the manager will respect my request for quarrantining and supplements without making me feel like I am neurotic in making these requests. Also, I want a place who will blanket my horse and put lots and lots of fluffy shavings down for his bedding instead of week-old straw. Also,I don't want to water him from a trough anymore; I want a hot wash stall in the barn. As you can see, I am right now at a pretty low-level place.

I've been taking riding lessons at the barn I am looking to go to for the last 6 months and their management is so much saner. They're stalls are ballrooms compared to what he has now and the barns are immaculate - no flies in the summer! The manager is a dear to me and she realizes that it is just as important for me to be happy as Reno.

So, I know I need to make a move and I think I know where to go but I just want to make sure I ask all the right questions. Sorry for the relentless dissertation above, but you kind of hit a nerve.

Thanks for your help,
Joni

Posted on Saturday, Oct 28, 2000 - 12:07 am:

Oh my, Joni, what a nightmare. Sounds as if the new place would be far, far better. I've boarded my horses in the past, and I've also taken in one boarder. I will never do either again if I can possibly avoid it.

Good luck to you and your horse. Get away from the barbed wire and lack of sanitation asap.

Posted on Monday, Oct 30, 2000 - 8:20 am:

Thank you for your support. Like I said, this is my first time around, so all of you who have been there before provide immeasurable benefit to me. I can only hope one day to return the favor to you by being able to help someone else.

Kind Regards,
Joni

Posted on Tuesday, Oct 31, 2000 - 12:20 pm:

eva... why not take on any more boarders..?? you sound like you have all the i's dotted and t's crossed..

just curious as i am a new land owner...

dres

Posted on Tuesday, Oct 31, 2000 - 8:46 pm:

Hi Joni,

in one of the previous tips & tricks sections I posted an outline of what to look for in a boarding establishment. It came from lots of hard experience.


Teresa

Posted on Wednesday, Nov 1, 2000 - 12:09 am:

Ann--It certainly wasn't the poor horse. Fortunately, it now has a good home. Besides her bad habits of "borrowing" my tack, grooming equipment, meds, etc., she was really sloppy about paying me. The most aggravating thing was her child (who is probably now a serial killer).

If you're thinking of taking in boarders, I think it is imperative to make very strict rules about children having to be supervised when they're on your property. And for those parents who appear to be totally clueless, you also will probably have to spell out what constitutes acceptable behavior.

Posted on Sunday, Nov 5, 2000 - 8:37 pm:

Hi Joni

shucks,ma'am., with that many entries I don't know if I'm a resource or if I just talk too much! :)
Of course I'm not the only Teresa on this board.

TeresaA
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