It's Too Late for one...

[Fang]

Well, everyone I'm in boarding barn hell right now.

I'm looking for real estate help but I want to tell you me and my girl's story first to maybe make you understand a little better why everything is urgent right now.

As a quick summary of what's happened we'll start here:

I have two horses, a saddlebredxAppendix cross (3 this year in July) and an Appaloosa that is 13 this year.

I've been boarding at this barn for awhile now and August last year I got fired managing the barn when the second owner of the barn came back and thought she 'could do a better job'. Everything has gone downhill from there, the eleven horses I were brinigng in abruptly about faced and left so I lost all the money I was going to make for caring for them and am flat butt broke.

Now onto the diasters, I wrote earlier asking for help to find a place to go, a home to rent where I could keep my horses there and no one really offered any help then I asked about putting up camera's to watch the horses and what the woman was doing to them so I want to rub this in good and hard:

if I HAD put up camera's and stopped it earlier I would still have my Appaloosa as a riding horse.

Yes, she's been deemed unridable via the vet as of Monday the sixth. But things escalated to this.

First of all for four month's-the woman who took over was supposed to feed in the morning-my horses were not getting fed, well...they were but it was like this. She stole the filly's food for her own horses since they eat the same thing and she couldn't afford to feed both of her's and then split the Appy's weight controlling food with ulcer med's between the two. So my Appy's Ulcer not only got worse the filly got sick from the med's and by time I caught on-i'm so ashamed to say-they were both 200+lbs underweight.

So I told her I would feed my own in the morning and that is STILL an on-going battle, one of which when I originally told her and she said I couldn't I simply insisted I was because they were losing too much weight after four gradual feed increases, she actually kicked me out of the barn until a sheriff friend of mine went to fine her on wrongful charges and eviction. Also in the arguement she told me to get out in she told me herself she's struggling to feed her own and then you know what? Two weeks later she brings another horse home, suspicious right?

Well, girls start gaining weight back and are feeling good, Last summer I did a lot of work out there, one of which was realigning the posts on the fence between what is not my two pastures and packing them three times a day for a week to make the ground even. Well somehow the holes magically re-dug themselves the the App ate it landing in one. These holes were dug back out to be a foot and a half deep-I had to measure for the vet-and she developed a lump on her back leg which put her on rest for three months. I told the owner about the holes and, I quote her in actions and all, '*sighs and rolls eyes with a shrug* Oh, guess someone should go out there and fill them then huh? *walks away casually*' So I was stunned she didn't fill them after telling me since she got there verbally, in notes stuck on my tack room, and on chalkboard notes, 'You are NOT the barn owner and you are NOT the barn manager, you are a boarder so start acting like one' So like a boarder I didn't go fill them, I depended on the owner/manager (her) to do so.

Earlier in Feb. The Appy fell in the holes again and I filled them, this put her on another Month's rest. With no hope's of competing in barrel's as we were training for.

Now, onto the barn concrete, this stuff is SLICK. The Appy has a condition with her feet called false sole-which is good and bad, good for trails bad for farrier-well over time the concrete has become worn and slick to the point I even slip on it when it's dry. I've told the owner this, suggested ways to fix it, and she ignored it. My mare slipped multiple times before and after this BEG for her to fix it.

Later in Feb, my mare was getting back into very light lunging, it was raining and she stepped on the concrete coming out of her stall and wiped out, pulling me with her and successfully breaking my foot while injuring her back leg once more-the concrete has still not been fixed and I had to fight to be able to put mat's as a walkway for the Appy whom it took my week's to get to walk in the barn without half an hour fight.

*NOTE: Between the first and second hole incident the lump on her back leg was huge but went way down in size and which each accident it get's a little bigger each time*

So, She was pretty much done as a riding horse for the next two years to do a gradual CAREFUL rehab.

Over this nine month period I also want you to note that my horses have gained an undying and dangerous terror of this woman, I can explain it if you would like me to please just ask and I won't mind.

Well, Saturday, April 4. I was taking the mare out into the roundpen to lunge, she's been turned out in the field with the round pen all day mind you and was eating in it this morning when I left.

(small overview, the roundpen was too small to begin with and with a couple panels lost to accidents and the owner not liking it so big it's less then 40ft now)

Well she followed me in and I let her walk ahead as I turned to close the gate, the owner walked around the back of the barn and before I could grab the App she saw the woman and went hauling butt around the round pen, it's too small to begin with but she's too flighty on a line wiht this woman around in general. Before I could stop her she leaned too hard and her rump slid out from under her and she went sliding to hit the panels, it took me five minutes to get her up because her back leg's were crossed over eachother and the owner-I KNOW she saw or at least heard the ruckus-never came to see what was wrong.

By time I got Rose up the lump is four time's it's original size and-three months ago it was determined it was a bone mass by the way-She was sore and limping. Vet came Monday and she's done, she'll never be ridden again unless by some rare miracle.

That's just Rosie, Shilo is...a maniac.

I've been training this filly since Feb last year and she was so good in July of last year I was ready to get on her for the first time. Since this woman's arrived she's developed a terror of people she doesn't know, biting, kicking, rearing, bucket throwing, food aggression, lack of respect, ear-pinning, ear phobia, pasture chasing, and a flight response when she see's this woman.

When I got her she was sane, had a kicking habit I conqured in a month, never bit, had an ear problem she was almost completely over, never reared, never bucked at me, would follow me in the pasture polietly, and was over-all respectful as a semi-wild filly could be.

I've stopped training her under saddle because all she does when we work is keep looking for this woman, and when she see's her look out she's a super freak and will do anything, anything at all, to get as far as possible away from her.

So, now that you know the situation I'm asking once more, fellow Horse lovers. Please PLEASE help me.

My vet has told me to 'get the hell out of there', Please...I just need a place to rent, lease, rent to own, lease to own. Somewhere near Palm Bay or Melbourne, This general area. Grant, Fellesmere, valkaria, Malabar, Palm Bay, Melbourne, West Melbourne, Lake Washington. Please, just help us until we can sell our house.

I really...really just want to help my horses. They live in terror, they get no water given to them all day and the filly drinks an average of four bucket's a day (i've been with them over my Spring Break and kept watering them) When it's in the ninties they get no fans on when the owner claims she'll turn them on when it hit's 80. I dont want to lose my girls and if they get any worse, well the filly at least, will have to be sold. Please just help me, I need something with at least three small pastures since the Appy can't go out with other horses anymore, at least two stalls on it because they are prone to skin cancer, and a small house on it. I'm begging all of you, find it in your hearts to help us; I dont want to board anymore, unless I'm owning or controlling (renting or leasing) the facility. It has to have a home on it, Just, no more boarding though; i'm so tired of things happening to my horses where ever I go.

Any questions you want public post them here, other then that PM me for questions, phone number, or e-mail.

Please just...we need help, I can't move them because I can't afford the board, the filly's stall is free because I got her from the original owner of the place so please.

God bless you all for just reading this and please spread the word that we just want help and to NOT let thing's get this bad for someone else.

[hillbillyin]

I am so, so sorry to hear about your situation! My niece is having boarding problems also, and also cannot find anywhere else to board her horse. The people where she boards are trying to tell her how much to feed her horse, and telling her she is no longer to jump her horse, or ride him bareback at all----she had already signed a paper saying she would not be able to sue them if she was injured from working her horse in any way. They are now accusing her of stealing feed, hay, and I don't know what else---this is so ridiculous---she is the only person there that cleans the stalls when she is supposed to, and takes excellant care fo her horse, and is there whenever she is not working. Anyway, I sympathize with your plight, and am hoping there is someone near you that can help. I'll be praying for you and your horses.

[mart]

I am in Texas so I don`t know a soul !! You might want to put which state you are looking in !! Many of us don`t know where anyone in the group live !!!

[cinch]

Are you looking to buy your own place? If so, contact local real estate agents.
If your looking for a new boarding facility, call area vets, farriers, feed and tack stores.
You stated you barrel raced? are you a member of any associations? If so, advertise in their newsletters.

[Fang]

I'm In Florida everyone and looking to stay here as I listed a few area's nearby to try and keep my job.
Thank you for your suggestions cinch but I cannot afford to board elsewhere, as stated in the post. The economy is pit's here so unless it's really reasonable (which .5 ac uncleared and no utilities for 250k gives you an idea what I mean pits) I would perfer to rent someplace.
We weren't done training yet but she was definately a solid 2D horse when she wanted to be, never got to take her around the barrels but turned her loose and she loved to run them herself and past owner ran her on them. So no, sorry, no association registry to turn to.

Again thank you for the suggestions though.

[mart]

When I lived in town I let a guy pasture his horses on a 1 acre lot that I had for free just to keep the grass down !! Saved me money and he kept the fence up !! I didn`t have to hire someone to mow it !! Unless you just have to have a stall you might try the same thing !! Just drive around your area and see if one looks like it needs mowing !! Or ask around !!

[Fang]

Originally Posted by mart

When I lived in town I let a guy pasture his horses on a 1 acre lot that I had for free just to keep the grass down !! Saved me money and he kept the fence up !! I didn`t have to hire someone to mow it !! Unless you just have to have a stall you might try the same thing !! Just drive around your area and see if one looks like it needs mowing !! Or ask around !!

That's a good idea but I do need two stalls as I have two horses, both prone to skin cancer and the App can't go out too long with her leg's now. Not to mention neither one can go out with other horses, the App for her leg's and the filly for herd bound issues sicne she was weaned way too early.

I'll keep it in mind though and keep my eyes open incase there's someone around with a couple acre's and a small barn.

[ReverendRider15]

Fang,

Honey, I was once in your boarding situation. Long story short, the girl I was boarding with was stealing my horses' feed and giving it to her horses, she was stealing my equipment (sports boots, etc..) and to add insult to injury, she was hitting my horses when I wasn't around. My older paint gelding kicked at her and she hit him HARD with the apple picker over his rump. She was always blaming him for kicking holes in the stall walls and for knocking down his feeder. Odd- he never once did that with me. The worst came when she started beating on my weanling paint colt when I wasn't around. He went from a sweet, friendly colt to one who was absolutely terrified of women, especially her. He'd explode as I was riding him at absolutely nothing and was terrified of her being in his general area. I couldn't touch his muzzle, or worm him with a major fight, etc... Sadly, he became so dangerous that he had to be sold to slaughter because he couldn't be handled.

Then, the woman had the nerve to try to say that my horses gave her horses strangles. Funny, my horses were vaccinated for it every year and didn't leave the farm. Whereas she took her horses hither and yon to playdays and whatnot and was not really careful about keeping her horses updated on their vaccinations. I solved that little problem by getting a notarized affidavit against her along with proof of my horses being vaccinated. The barn owner made her leave as well because she owed the lady a lot of back board money and never paid it. So out she went and my horses stayed because not once did they ever give the barn owner any grief whatsoever. I hear tell through the grapevine that this girl now has her own farm and her horses are in bad shape. I feel bad for the horses. :(

Here's an idea for you, hon: Do you have any friends or relatives that go to yard sales or garage sales? Perhaps they can ask the owners if they know of someone who may be able to let you keep your horses.

[Fang]

Originally Posted by ReverendRider15

Fang,

Honey, I was once in your boarding situation. Long story short, the girl I was boarding with was stealing my horses' feed and giving it to her horses, she was stealing my equipment (sports boots, etc..) and to add insult to injury, she was hitting my horses when I wasn't around. My older paint gelding kicked at her and she hit him HARD with the apple picker over his rump. She was always blaming him for kicking holes in the stall walls and for knocking down his feeder. Odd- he never once did that with me. The worst came when she started beating on my weanling paint colt when I wasn't around. He went from a sweet, friendly colt to one who was absolutely terrified of women, especially her. He'd explode as I was riding him at absolutely nothing and was terrified of her being in his general area. I couldn't touch his muzzle, or worm him with a major fight, etc... Sadly, he became so dangerous that he had to be sold to slaughter because he couldn't be handled.

Then, the woman had the nerve to try to say that my horses gave her horses strangles. Funny, my horses were vaccinated for it every year and didn't leave the farm. Whereas she took her horses hither and yon to playdays and whatnot and was not really careful about keeping her horses updated on their vaccinations. I solved that little problem by getting a notarized affidavit against her along with proof of my horses being vaccinated. The barn owner made her leave as well because she owed the lady a lot of back board money and never paid it. So out she went and my horses stayed because not once did they ever give the barn owner any grief whatsoever. I hear tell through the grapevine that this girl now has her own farm and her horses are in bad shape. I feel bad for the horses. :(

Here's an idea for you, hon: Do you have any friends or relatives that go to yard sales or garage sales? Perhaps they can ask the owners if they know of someone who may be able to let you keep your horses.

Thank you so Reverend,
I appreciate you sharing your own experience with me and it will make me stride forward harder to keep things more managable, I really dont have any friends because over half of the people in my school are druggies and the other's just dont want to accept I spend more time with my horses then at home *shrugs* What can I say?

I will start asking around my family though because I know my Mema and one of my aunt's like's to yard sale, not many of the horse area's though yard sale, hm...It's a really good idea and one I plan to use.

Thank you again,
Fang

[allvira]

Okey, that's fantastic story!

I liked the idea behind all the scenes that you've shown.

"Do you have any friends or relatives that go to yard sales or garage sales? Perhaps they can ask the owners if they know of someone who may be able to let you keep your horses."

That's great...

keep up..

Thanks,