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paddock management

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HorseHippie
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Post by Cyndi Tue Aug 25, 2009 12:38 pm

Just going to throw this out to all of you and see what kind of answers I get.

Hypothetically speaking... Very Happy ...if you had a horse that became VERY attached to another horse, so much so that said horse can only be ridden by the owner in the field with the other horse, would you keep them together, or separate them? Can a horse bond "too much" with another horse? This same horse, hypothetically speaking, has severe separation anxiety when the other horse leaves the paddock to be ridden by it's owner. This other horse has no problem leaving the paddock, while the "attached" horse will gallop up and down along the fence and whinny when the other horse leaves.

There are other horses at this hypothetical barn. In fact, there are enough to switch around and place in other fields.

Is it better to change up the herds (as long as they get along), or is it better to not break up these "friendships"?
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Post by Jo Wed Aug 26, 2009 2:07 am

Hi Cyndi, I had this problem with Trelawny in his last home - the mare he was with was impossible to leave - she would neigh and neigh and anything I tried to do with him whilst he was in earshot was extremely difficult. Once he was out of earshot he was fine - he was very young then - only 2.
Where T is now - I have a very old gelding - Archer - who becomes incredibly anxious if he can not see all of his herd all of the time and so T can be a little hesitant to go out - but he gets over it very quickly now. The answer before the ponies came was to shut the other horse in his stable with a big bucket of food - not ideal I know - but he is very old and keeping weight on has always been a problem so this doesnt do him any harm.
Now, with the ponies, I leave them all out - but both Archer- and the little dartmoor mare kick off if I take T out - frustrating at times. Fortunately T has matured and knows he is out for some fun and will be going home again.
Certainly Trelawny doesnt appear to have the same intense bonding with his herd (as they do with him!) - and at night when the ponies are in their paddock he often wanders off on his own into the big field.
I think, if this attachment is causing other problems then changing the herd around is probably a good idea - but also trying to address this anxiety disorder the other horse has could be useful too. This intense bonding can be incredibly frustrating to the owner of the other horse - I sympathize with this hypothetical problem!
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Post by HorseHippie Wed Aug 26, 2009 12:25 pm

Well, Cyndi, I have no idea how to help in this hypothetical situation, but one thing for sure....THAT'S A PRETTY NICE AVATAR!
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Post by lightertouch Wed Aug 26, 2009 3:31 pm

Hypothetically speaking I would change the horses around, if possible getting attachee out of sight of attacher (?!). That type of attachment is of course doing neither the attached horse nor its owner any good!

If I were the owner of the attached horse, I might consider doing some bonding work (join up, other leadership exercises) with my horse. The more confidence the attached horse has in its handler/owner, the less attached it should get. I worked with a horse with seperation anxiety a few years ago, and though I wasn't with her long enough to completely deal with the issue, she did seem to be improving as our relationship improved.

Its possible the attached horse may even bond better with its owner as a result of being permanently seperated from its friend, the owner being the one constant throughout the upheaval of moving.

Hypothetical good luck to the hypothetical individuals involved! Wink

PS Ditto Horsehippie re the avatar, what a great looking combo Very Happy
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Post by Cyndi Thu Aug 27, 2009 7:09 am

Thanks for your replies ladies (and the compliments on the avatar - making me blush).

I'm sure you've figured out that I'm having issues with a horse at my barn Neutral .

Topper, a big paint gelding, arrived at our barn a week or two before Fanny left for training. He was scared of his own shadow, and very scared of Fanny and the other horses. My friend, who transports Fanny for me, knows Topper and his owner, and 'warned' me about them - one thing being that Topper has issues.

While Fanny was gone, Topper was placed with Fanny's paddock mate, an old mare who prefers to be alone. Being with this docile old mare really boosted Topper's confidence and dominance, and when Fanny returned from training, she was put in a field with these two horses. Topper immediately took a liking to Fanny, and with her being in estrus, she wasn't about to give him the cold shoulder.

The barn owner owns the old mare, and he decided that the mare had had enough of being dominated, so when two new horses arrived at the barn, he put his mare with them, leaving Topper and Fanny alone in the paddock (in my mind, all he did was reinforce Topper's attachment to Fanny by doing this). Once in a while, Fanny and Topper are placed in a field with two other horses that are bonded like super glue - a mare and gelding. When Fanny is out of the field and then put back, she heads straight to the mare...but Topper follows her like a shadow.

The barn door is probably about 20 feet from the gate to Fanny's field. When I take her into the barn to groom her, Topper is at the gate, neighing and kicking at the run-in that is attached to the barn right beside the gate. Fanny doesn't usually answer back to him.

The other day I was riding Fanny up and down the driveway, which, unfortunately, is right next to Fanny and Topper's field. When he realized she was out there, he came galloping from behind the buildings, neighing and carrying on. One time when he did that, it startled her and she did a little dance. There isn't anyplace at the barn where I can work with Fanny without Topper neighing for her. If I try leading her down the road, then EVERY horse at the barn starts neighing, and she starts to get nervous. She's better than she had been before she went for training, but if those other horses would just be quiet she'd be fine.

The first time Topper came ripping up along the fence, Fanny did give a little neigh, but that's it. She had been listening to me before then, but when he starts trotting or galloping along the fence, she wants to pick up her pace too, so I have to settle her down.

Topper's owner used to come over and ride him wherever she wanted to go, but then he seemed scared to go in certain areas, and now she said she can't ride him unless he's in the field with "his friend" Fanny. She's never complained about it, but I've asked the barn owners more than a couple of times that I'd like them separated. But alas, they are not only still together, but they are in a field alone, instead of being with those other two horses.

One time, when I mentioned that I'd like them separated, and that Topper would "get over it" eventually, the barn owner's wife's concern was that until he 'got over it', he'd cut a path along the fence from pacing back and forth!! I couldn't believe that she'd be more concerned about the ground than the psychological well-being of a horse!

I was REALLY ticked off the other day when Topper spooked Fanny when I was riding her, and the barn owner knew I was mad (maybe it was my comments that Topper was an idiot?!), so I hope that he takes my request for separation more seriously. There is a new paddock he's been working on, and I've expressed my desire for Fanny to be in it, and he said that Topper will not go in that paddock, which made me even happier! I'd like to see the mares in a field together, with the geldings in another field. The gelding that Fanny and Topper are put in a field with sometimes (with the gelding's "friend", the mare that Fanny likes) is VERY studly, so I think that separating the mares from the geldings might help curb that studliness, right? Am I wrong to think that if the mares are removed from the geldings, that the geldings won't have a mare to lord over, thus taking away some of that studliness?

Lightertouch, I didn't think of how Topper's owner should do more groundwork with him and build a stronger bond. It makes sense. And I know that despite my comment to the barn owner that Topper is an idiot, I know that he's not. He just has issues that his owner needs to address.

Topper's owner told me that she and her boyfriend are hoping to buy a house and move to a city that is almost an hour away, and she'll be taking Topper with her. I am praying that day comes soon, because it doesn't look like anyone at the barn will listen to me if I make any more suggestions No . I just saw an ad in the paper for horse boarding at a facility that has an indoor arena, and I know someone who boards her horse there...but it is over $100 a month more than I am paying now, so it's out of the question.

I have no problem with horses buddying up, but this is extreme and I am willing to move Fanny to another barn if the right opportunity presented itself. I have been told that Fanny goes crazy when Topper leaves the field, yet one time when I went there, Topper was being led past the barn while Fanny was in a far paddock and she didn't make a peep (she hadn't seen me yet, so she didn't know I was there). She was standing by the gate with the other two horses, with her nose to the ground, relaxing. Maybe it was the fact that she was still with the other two horses. There have been times when the four horses are together and I take Fanny out and Topper eventually settled down and grazed with the other two horses. When they are in their field alone, the other two horses are in the next field, but perhaps the fact that they are alone in the field is enough to make them nervous and unsettled when the other horse leaves.

Sorry to vent for so long! I feel a bit better having shared all this with you.
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Post by lightertouch Thu Aug 27, 2009 2:55 pm

Please vent away! Its what we're here for! Very Happy

Seperating mares from geldings usually does curb 'riggy' behaviour, in my understanding, and its pretty common practice over here to have a mares field and a geldings field at livery yards.

I'd imagine Fanny may get stressed if Topper's taken out of the field they share, if its just them in there. A lot of horses find it pretty stressful, especially if they're used to living in a herd. I know my girl paces, gallops and screams! Your yard owners wife was a little bit insensitive to your legitimate concerns on this subject Rolling Eyes

How long til the new paddock is ready? Can you wait that long? Is there a field and group you think Fanny would do well in, that you could ask your YO to move her to? (Presenting a possible solution can be helpful). After all, you're paying, and the customer is of course, ALWAYS right (if the YO wants to keep your business!).

You might also point out that the situation is potentially dangerous (which it is).

I should think poor Toppers owner has her own issues that are getting worse, not just her horse. She must also rapidly be losing confidence if she now no longer attempts to ride him away from Fanny. Such a tough situation...

Most importantly, you and Fanny must stay SAFE. Remember you can always get off if shes getting agitated, and keep up leadership exercises so they begin to trigger an automatic correct response from Fanny. This may help her to control her anxiety, and you to retain control over her at these times. Good luck and I hope you get it sorted soon.
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Post by Jo Fri Aug 28, 2009 2:33 am

Hi Cyndi,
my instincts would be to move Fanny - the barn owners dont appear to be taking your concerns seriously - and as Lightertouch has said - it is a dangerous situation to be in. You have worked so hard with Fanny, it would be a great shame for all that to be undone because of an unsafe paddock companion - and that's what Topper is - unsafe - and awfully unhappy by the sounds of it.
Out of choice I would paddock geldings and mares seperately. I think they are much happier, and less stressed in this situation.
Dont forget too -that you are the customer - and the barn owner should be bending over backwards to ensure that you, as the customer, is happy with the arrangements - they should not be discounting your concerns.
Good luck cyndi
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Post by Cyndi Fri Aug 28, 2009 9:21 am

Thanks so much for your support, ladies!! I really don't want to get into a confrontational situation with the barn owner, but I really am concerned about Topper.

Fanny had her hooves trimmed today, and Topper just about went mad without her in the paddock!!! He neighed like crazy. Inside the barn, Fanny calmly (and I mean calmly!!! I was so proud of her!) stood in the cross-ties (I usually hold onto her rope, but today I just put her in the cross-ties). She didn't make a peep. The farrier said she looked totally relaxed.

When the farrier was done, we chatted a bit while I groomed Fanny, and she was still picture-perfect. I mentioned the situation of Topper and Fanny to the farrier (who is also Topper's farrier) and his assistant, and they agreed that the horses should be in a larger herd, not just the two of them in a field. It makes perfect sense that they'd suffer from separation anxiety when one of them leaves...because they are, in their minds, totally alone!!! There may be horses in the next paddock, but if they're at the far end of it, the single horse feels totally exposed.

I took Fanny out to graze a bit, and Topper was nowhere around. I think he heard the farrier's truck start, so he went to the other side of the buildings, along the driveway, to see if Fanny was there. As I was bringing Fanny towards her paddock, to put her back in, Topper came FLYING from around the buildings, looking for her!! My goodness, he was at a full gallop and when he stopped he was breathing really heavy and his whole body was tense. This is NOT a good situation for him!! Thankfully, when I put Fanny back in the field, she stood there quietly beside me, more or less ignoring Topper. When I let her loose, she walked over to him and they touched noses, like horses do when they meet for the first time. I think that Topper is terribly "unconfident", and I think that Fanny "mothers" him and makes him feel secure.

I don't want to threaten the barn owner with leaving, but I am having a hard time coming up with the right way to make my requests be taken more seriously. Because this is my first horse, and because the barn owners have been boarding horses for six years (with no previous horse knowledge before that), they think they know better than I do.

I am starting to think about checking out other barns. I don't want to be a barn-hopper, and I don't want to become known as being one, but I would really like to see Fanny in a healthier herd environment. I was thinking of leaving a note on the chalk-board in the barn that says, "PLEASE put Fanny in a field with more than one horse!!". But I'm sure they'll take that the wrong way. The barn owner's wife will have no problem giving me reasons why the horses have to stay the way they are...whether they're the right reasons or not.

On another note, you should have seen my poor farrier today!! He's a handsome man, but his face is really swollen. A couple of weeks ago he was at someone's barn, helping the owner catch a two-month-old filly. They were touching the filly all over, getting her used to the contact, but after a while Rik noticed that the filly was on the verge of acting up (kind of like a child has enough of something and wants to do something else). He suggested to the barn owner that they let the filly go, and either try to catch her again or else leave it for another day. The owner agreed, and they let the filly go. The two men were just standing there talking, and all of a sudden Rik heard this "thump" in his face. He's a tall man, over 6 feet tall, but the filly had kicked up her heels as she walked away from the men and hit him squarely in the face!!! The horse owner had to call an ambulance to come get Rik, and he spent five days in the hospital, and seven hours in surgery!! He said he almost died. Considering that was two weeks ago, his face looks great. As I said, there is still a lot of swelling under his eyes and around his nose, as well as a couple of cuts on his nose, but other than that there is no bruising or anything like that. The surgeons cut Rik's scalp from ear to ear and peeled his skin back over his face to do the surgery. Amazingly, they didn't shave his head, and you can't tell at all that he'd had such intense surgery. He said he has titanium all over his face. They had to reconstruct his nose, so now it's smaller and straighter. He told the doctors that he wanted to look like Brad Pitt, and they asked him how much money he had Very Happy . Anyway, it is great to see him back at work already, slowly but surely. He said he will never ever go out in a field to catch a horse again.
Cyndi
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Post by Jo Fri Aug 28, 2009 1:22 pm

Hi Cyndi - just goes to show how vulnerable we really are with these big animals!
Fanny needs to come first - that is your priority. And it is very difficult to find a barn that you fit into - but you will. These people do not know everything - and 6 years is no time - they are novices. Having a bigger herd is much more beneficial to both you and the horse - and Topper is becoming dangerous - you need to protect both you and Fanny. You are both doing so well!
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Post by FlorayG Fri Aug 28, 2009 2:16 pm

OK I haven't read the other replies I'm just going to answer this straight. First of all I love that new pic is that you and Fanny? looks nice I mean NIIIIICE.

I think if a horse is seriously bonded to another one it would be cruel to just separate them. You wouldn't do that to a child.The owner of the horse with the problem needs to find out WHY his/her horse is so bonded. Maybe the other horse reminds the one of its mother or previous companion? or maybe everywhere else this horse has boarded there has been nohorse who has understood it and been its friend? Perhaps the problem horse has insecurity problems? this is a horse that needs a very understanding owner (there aren't many of those about, you know that Cyndi!) who can work through the problem and help the horse be more confident in itself. If I were the owner I would ask the owner of the other horse if I could ride out with them and help give my horse confidence. maybe by letting it lead and make decisions for its friend. once it has more confidence it will eventually be more able to do without the other horse for a crutch. but obviously you need to treat each case on its merits and significances. OK I'm going to read the other replies now!
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Post by FlorayG Fri Aug 28, 2009 2:27 pm

me again now I have read the other replies! (and your explanation!)
yes you do need to put you and Fanny first. Yes horses should not be only in couples, they live in bands of 6 or 8 in nature and are never alone. Poor Topper. He needs to be in a regular herd which always stays the same - no chance on a livery yard. I keep my horses in a field i rent on a farm for that reason - horses in livery are regularly separated, the yard right next to my field (my field has 6 horses in, belonging to only 2 people) has 12 horses on it and they live in 9 different paddocks. the owner says this is what the horse owners want. When I was a kid I kept my pony on a livery yard where 20-30 horses lived all together on a massive 25 acre field and they had another 2 fields the same size they moved round to. Where have those places gone?
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Post by lightertouch Fri Aug 28, 2009 3:41 pm

I think FlorayG that livery yards are doing their utmost to ensure they don't get sued and their already massive insurance premiums take another upwards hike Evil or Very Mad Even to the detriment of the horses they care for *sigh* I think the theory is the geldings won't fight over the mares, and the mares won't kick the geldings when they're in season if they are in seperate fields.

Also as the YO near you says, a lot of owners want it, again I think to prevent their horses suffering injuries, and that they then have to get their insurers to pay out for, making their premiums bigger. Ah, the compensation culture!

Cyndi, I know its tough but it might be worth trying to work this out with the YO if you've no other complaints, or only minor ones with the place. A slightly different situation, but my friend ran a remedial training yard from someone else's property. The YO charged a reasonable rent, lived onsite and it was in a great location. There was one snag - he would move the horses around the fields without asking He was horsey supposedly - had a hunter once upon a time - but seemed to think her horses and her clients horses were mobile mowers, and moved them around to keep his paddocks looking pretty! Obviously undesirable what with the risk of lami etc. She spoke to him a couple of times but he still didn't get the message so she gave notice. 2 years and several psychopaths later she's had to move her horses hundreds of miles to Scotland, and I'm still not sure she's happy. Something to bear in mind perhaps?

Anyhoo, good luck and remember, any decision you make will be the best for you and Fanny at the time Very Happy
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Post by Cyndi Fri Aug 28, 2009 7:19 pm

Hi again ladies.

I would be content at the barn if the BO would just keep all the horses together in the same field. There are a couple of fields that can be used. If they graze one short, they can be moved to the other...but preferably together.

I'd like to see Fanny in a barn where the horses get ridden regularly, or at least taken out to do groundwork, etc., regularly. Where she is now, she and Topper are the only two horses that get ridden or have anything done with them! The other horses are just pasture ornaments. Sometimes I wonder if that's why the BO keeps them separated from the other horses. Would horses adjust easier to others leaving the field if they were routinely taken out? That doesn't seem have worked for Topper, so I guess not. I only mentioned it because Fanny and I seemed to bond so well when she was in training and the horses in her paddock were always being taken out to be worked with. Perhaps, after working every day, she was just bonding to me so well because she knew I wouldn't work her as hard as Jason and Kathy would!

I agree, that Topper's owner needs to address his issues, but once again, she's been around horses all her life, while I have a huge gap in years between my horse experiences as a kid, to when I started reading and researching horse training/horse keeping, etc., over the past few years. There's no way she'd listen to me. The difference between us is that I am open to hear and learn new things (I listen and think about it before I judge whether it makes sense to me or not), while she appears to "know it all" and isn't open to suggestions.

The scary thing is that Topper is looking better now than he ever has, according to his owner!! She told me about when she bought him, how wild and crazy he was (you couldn't get near his stall because he'd lunge at you). He must've had a rough start to life. Every place she's kept him, he's had trouble keeping weight on. Until now. He is apparently the happiest he's ever been since she's had him.

I am mentally exhausted right now, thinking about things. I'll just keep my ears and eyes open for any opportunities that present themselves. Thanks again for all your valuable wisdom!!!

Yes, Jackie, that's me and Fanny Very Happy You all are too kind!!
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Post by FlorayG Sat Aug 29, 2009 11:51 am

The other 4 horses that share with mine are 'pasture ornaments' I don't see anything wrong with that at all if someone wants to keep 4 big horses just to look at, that's nice for her and her horses. One of hers goes mad and neighs and gallops about when I take either of mine out and yet it rarely associates with them. Some horses I think get very attached to the whole herd and need it to be complete. Why, if all the other horses are in together, can't Topper and Fanny go in with them?
And the reason horses get kicked when in groups is, of course, because the fields aren't big enough. A 25 acre field is lovely for the horses but the number of times I would trek over to catch my grey pony way over the other end of the field and discover 100 yards from the pony that that wasn't my pony you wouldn't believe... Mad At least he wasn't bay - there were only 4 greys!
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Post by Cyndi Sat Aug 29, 2009 4:44 pm

Yeh, I guess there's nothing wrong with pasture ornaments. In the BO's defense, his two horses are ornaments because one is quite old (late 20s) and the other has lameness issues on and off. His two horses are usually in a field with a gelding that's been there for years. Sometimes the old mare is in the field with the two new horses which arrived in August. The old mare used to be in the field with Topper and Fanny, because she doesn't like the gelding that's been boarding there for years, yet the BO has now put her back with that other gelding. I have no idea why he does what he does.

I actually feel better, hearing that there is a horse at your barn that does the same thing that Topper does. I suppose I just have this perfect boarding situation in my mind, but this is reality. Maybe someday we will find the perfect place.

Thanks for the laugh about searching for your pony! Hey, don't you have them trained so that they come running when they see you? LOL
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Post by FlorayG Sun Aug 30, 2009 3:23 am

Come on, with a choice of 30 mates and 25 acres of nice grass would Fanny come running?
Sometimes they would ALL come running, that got exciting!!!

affraid
3 of my friends 4 horses are perfectly sound and one is only 6 and probably worth about £6k. She doesn't care to ride him but won't sell him because she doesn't want him shut in a stable and dragged around shows for the rest of his life. You can see why she and I get on so well!

nowhere is perfect. Where I am now there is too much good grass and the owners will INSIST on looking after the grass to keep it nice! Although they don't make us put the horses on the fresh grass, they do keep fertilising etc. they are good in that if there is too much they borrow heifers to eat it. Actually thinking about it I'm pretty lucky.
The last place I was at was perfect for the horses. 4 of them had 7 acres of rubbish grass on a nice slope with hedges and sunspots and a stream, the farmer hadn't touched this land for over 20 years and it was full of weeds and herbage and the horses did well on it and never got too fat. Why did I leave? The yard we used to tack up etc. was an absolute tip and got worse every year and was infested with rats, and the yard owner hunts ( I got no problem with that) and treats his own horses like commodities - keeps them in or out to suit him, stables are way too small for them and never cleaned or bedded properly and he is really rough with them. When he put an old mare in foal I couldn't bear to see the way the poor foal was going to be treated so I had to leave before it was born.
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Post by Cyndi Sun Aug 30, 2009 12:31 pm

lol! Touche! No, she certainly wouldn't come running if she was in those surroundings. In fact, she's ignored or run away from me with less than that! I can only imagine what it would be like to have all the horses running at me!! That reminds me of when I was growing up - my family lived near a community pasture (many acres of Crown land where local area farmers left their cattle and horses to graze for the summer), and I can remember being out there and hearing the thunder of hooves. Over a small hill came a herd of at least 50 horses, coming to investigate us. It was breathtaking.

I can certainly see why you left your previous place!! It sounds like you and I both have the same preference for where we'd like to keep our horses. Around here, most places pride themselves on the lush pastures that they keep. For a horse like Fanny, that's not exactly what she needs.
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Post by Cyndi Mon Aug 31, 2009 10:07 am

Oh my...I got kicked out of the barn this morning!!! I asked the barn owner about adding another horse to the field and he exploded, calling me an idiot. Then he went on a LONG rant, listing off all my "faults". He said I don't know which end of a horse the poop comes from, that I don't understand how horses behave "naturally" (when Topper raced up and down the fence in a frenzied state). He said I should spend less time reading books and more time actually watching horses and how they behave. He said he doesn't know who my mentor is, but they don't know anything...or else he said I should get a new one...I can't remember. He brought up every little question I'd ever asked him and so on. He blasted me with both barrels. Then he gave me a time limit. He said that we have to be out of the barn in two weeks. I was UNBELIEVABLY calm the whole time he ranted at me, but now I am crying like a baby.
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Post by HorseHippie Mon Aug 31, 2009 11:20 am

OH MY GAWD! Where is he....let me at him! Cyndi, move to Saskatchewan and board Fanny with me!

I have been reading this thread with interest, and it sounds like these owners are not very considerate. Heaven forbid that you want Fanny to be as healthy and happy as possible! Oooh, I am just fuming at this! Mad

Quit reading books my rear end! I would have told him - well, at least I know how to read! Evil or Very Mad As for watching how horses behave "naturally" did you ask him if he was blind? Did he not see Topper running up and down and getting stressed when Fanny leaves?

Oh, I am sorry, but I just can't handle people who act like this. RRRR I need a cigarette! My shoulder is here if you need it Cyndi! Hugs to you and scratches behind the ears for Fanny. Give Topper a scratch for me too, because what is going to happen to him once Fanny leaves? Will he be left on his own in that field or will they find him a new friend? If he is stressed now, what will happen to him when Fanny leaves - poor guy! I wonder if this wonderful barn owner has thought about that?!
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Post by Cyndi Mon Aug 31, 2009 8:11 pm

Thanks HorseHippie.

I called a lady I know this afternoon, to cry on her shoulder, and when I told her what happened, and how I have to find a new place for Fanny to stay, she said, "Bring her to my place!". I had no idea this lady even had a horse at all!! To top it off, she said she won't charge me a thing to keep Fanny there!!! I will offer to pay board, but I don't know if she'll take it. She said I can keep Fanny there for a short time, until I figure out something more permanent, or I can keep Fanny there as long as I want, even through the winter. What an awesome lady.

We're moving Fanny tomorrow!! Hubby is going into work late so he can come to the barn with me. I am too afraid to go to the barn without him.
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Post by Sydney Mon Aug 31, 2009 11:16 pm

Oh my gosh. I guess I am coming into this thread late but I am soooooo sorry Cyndi. I wish you were a few hours closer to me so I could help you.
What an asshole!! People who attack people like this are the ones that make boarding barns a pain in the ass! God forbid people ask questions and learn something. This is what makes me not want to open a boarding barn some day. The horrible people like this that have to attack other boarders (or even worse their "customers")
Like I learned in business: The customer is always right. A satisfied customer is going to tell one person. An unsatisfied customer is going to tell ten. If an owner of a horse has issues it's up to the barn owner to sort them out so their "customers" are happy.
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Post by lightertouch Tue Sep 01, 2009 3:20 am

OMG Cyndi! Well, it looks like the BO did you a massive favour, WOOHOO! What a twat! Hope the move went well, and don't you DARE listen to a word that guy says, you really know what you're talking about when it comes to horses, and when you don't know you ask! Fanny's so lucky to have you as an owner Very Happy

I wish you both the very best at your new place, and do let us know how you get on sunny

People are unfathomable. I just lost a client today, because a couple of weeks ago I enquired if they'd mind me working for them at the weekend (I'm a cleaner by trade atm), as I'm looking for work to boost my hours and income, and its possible a fulltime job might come along. They hummed and haaed and said no that wouldn't suit them, and I thought that was the end of it. It was only a possibility and I'm more interested in part-time hours to make up what I've got atm to fulltime.

Today I went in and they sat me down and told me they'd been having sleepless nights worrying that I might come in one day and say I had to leave their employ immediately (their previous cleaner did that) due to getting a fulltime job. They are in their 80s and this so upset them that they told me even though they had noone else lined up to replace me, that not only were they going to sack me effective immediately (they gave me 2 weeks pay), but that they wouldn't even want me to keep working for them til they found someone else!

THEY'VE EFFECTIVELY CHOSEN TO MAKE THEIR NIGHTMARE COME TRUE IMMEDIATELY. THE NIGHTMARE THAT WAS IN FACT, ONLY A REMOTE POSSIBILITY. WHERES THE LOGIC????!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I DON'T UNDERSTAND!!!!
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Post by HorseHippie Tue Sep 01, 2009 7:15 am

Good to hear that you found a place to take Fanny! Hope the move goes well for you today!

Lightertouch - sorry to hear about your job loss. I am sure that something better will come up soon!

People drive me crazy!
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Post by Cyndi Tue Sep 01, 2009 10:35 am

Hello all!!

Well, I am emotionally and physically drained. Totally!! And I have to go to work in an hour. lol

I am happy to say that the move went very well. The BO didn't say a word to me, but watched me like a hawk, even partially closing a gate on Fanny in his eagerness to get me out of there. This guy has major underlying problems. I don't think it was just me that set him off. I've walked through the barn when he and his wife have been fighting, so I think that the "pressure" I added with my requests was just too much for him.

Thankfully, it was a busy morning at the barn. Topper's owner was there, getting him ready for the farrier (same guy that does Fanny's feet), then the farrier arrived, then we left, so there was no opportunity for the BO to try to continue with his ranting. He was still indignant this morning. My husband arrived at the barn just before me, and got all my things out (he drove himself so that he could go straight to work from the barn), so I didn't have to do much inside. Then shortly after that my friend arrived with her trailer, so we were gone quickly.

I felt kind of bad because I didn't get to at least tell Topper's owner that we were leaving. She was all chatty and friendly, but I kept my answers pleasant but short because the BO was hovering. All I wanted was a private moment just to let her know we were leaving, but I guess I'll pass on any messages to her through our farrier. I just wanted to say goodbye, not badmouth the BO.

My friend had to park her truck and trailer along the road, so we weren't sure how well Fanny would load. In the past, when things were "good", we were allowed to drive into the yard, but in order to do that the laundry line had to be taken down beside the house, and I knew that BO would not be accommodating to do that for us. BO leaned against his car by the house, watching to see how much trouble we'd have loading Fanny (he commented on that to me too yesterday)...no doubt with a smirk on his face. Bad news for him, though, because Fanny loaded like a champ!! She traveled really well too.

At the new place, she met the other horse over the fence with absolutely no screaming or any fuss. We put her inside the pen and nothing happened. I hung around for quite a while, with the guy who takes care of the other horse, and all went well. There is a little donkey in the pen too, and Fanny was fascinated by her. She followed the donkey around, trying to sniff her. Miss Donkey wanted nothing to do with her, so she kicked out at Fanny a couple of times, but that's it. I don't know how long Fanny will be where she is right now, but so far, so good. I don't want to give her an ulcer by causing stress from moving her all the time, so I really need to find the right place for her.

Lightertouch, sorry to hear that those people decided not to use your services anymore. Isn't it true, though, how people think the worst and then their own behaviour causes it to happen? I've cleaned for elderly people too, but stopped when I got my part time job. One man I worked for would like me to come back. Maybe someday I will. Right now I am helping out an elderly friend by driving her home from the hospital, where her husband has been for almost two weeks. I just like being there for these elderly people, because they don't have a lot of people to call on for help.

Sydney, I wish you were closer too Smile .

Thanks for thinking of me, all! I do appreciate you. I'm really not as scary and incompetent as this BO makes me out to be.

Hope you all have a great day!!
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Post by HorseHippie Wed Sep 02, 2009 11:17 am

Oh, good show! Happy to hear that the move went well! And you get to hang out with a donkey - they are too cool! Is it a mini donkey!?
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