What Barn Owners Want Boarders to know and What Boarders want Barn Owners to know?

[Piper522]

I thought it would be helpful to share some thougths and ideas for both parties. In a very constructive and positive way. For instance, I am a boarder and probably always will be unless I win the lottery and buy land....etc. etc. BUT...as a boarder, some things that are important for my BO to know are:

1. I think about the well being of my horse all day, every day.
2. It is important for me to know when my horse is going outside and coming in...like if it is nice out, I want to make sure he is out playing with his friends instead of in his stall. Communication is key...
3. I may be new to horses but I do a lot of research...communicating about my concerns is super important.

ETC ETC...

As a boarder I would love to hear about what BO's say would make a more "harmonious" barn and boarders...what would be the perfect barn.

Collecting ideas and sharing may help some of us know what it is like to walk in each other's shoes.

So....WHAT DO YOU WANT US TO KNOW! :cowboy:

[jeezitsjacki]

as a boarder I would want to see that barn owners need to upkeep their barns!! it is very frustrating to see the barn not looking at nice and the owners not caring.. upkeep is definately important

good thread idea!

[oursarge]

My barn owner is also my best friend. Our place isn't a big and fancy place, we have alot of things but it's not like some barns I see. It's kept up, it's clean, the owners are the funniest people I ever met, I love it because I have so much fun when I am there. Our roads have been so bad I haven't been there often. I can't wait until things change so I can go back to my every day schedule.

As a boarder I just want my horse to be safe. My horse is out all the time, I don't want her in, I'm terrified of fire. They have run ins and lots of trees and she's happiest outside. The horses are fed well and checked on and that's all I expect but some boarders expect alot more but don't want to pay for it. As a barn owner all's she hopes is that the boarders aren't a pain in the A** which unfortunately most of them are, she would also like her board paid on time which in most cases it isn't. There aren't alot of us there, we all get along OK but some of them can drive a saint to drink and are very demanding. That is what barn owners don't like.

[Horserider]

Perfect barn let's see....my own! just kidding, seriously now....

I like a barn to be kind of small because they're more personable. Larger barns just seem to be very impersonal because they have SO much to worry about. I also like to know that someone will be there most of the time at least in case of emergency. If my horse was to get sick and require medication and I couldn't get out there to give it, I'd also like to know that it's going to be taken care of. My perfect barn would also be a place that I could leave my horse if I was to go on vacation or get sick and KNOW she was going to be taken care of.

[Palogal]

As a former barn manager I would want a boarder to know.....

1. I cannot see every scrape on your horse and I don't know how he got it. If I saw it, I would have treated it and shot you a text that I did.
2. The cost of running a boarding facility is very high. I cannot change things to suit you that are expensive unless I raise board.
3. Read all you like but do not expect me to change things based on an article. Experience teaches more than any magazine.
4. The property your horse lives on is my home, please respect that and clean up after yourself.
5. I will not get involved in personal arguments with other boarders unless a horse's life is in danger, and I will decide if that is the case.
6. In case of colic, I will call the vet first, and then call you.
7. Leave phone numbers on your stall, running to the house to find my phone book is sometimes a few minutes your horse does not have. Also, answer your phone, if I'm calling you at work, it's not a social call.
8. If you feel your horse needs more hay or feed talk to me and I will address it. Do not take hay or feed without talking to me first. Also, it is my job to feed your horse, please don't do it. Overfeeding is dangerous.

[oursarge]

As a former barn manager I would want a boarder to know.....

1. I cannot see every scrape on your horse and I don't know how he got it. If I saw it, I would have treated it and shot you a text that I did.
2. The cost of running a boarding facility is very high. I cannot change things to suit you that are expensive unless I raise board.
3. Read all you like but do not expect me to change things based on an article. Experience teaches more than any magazine.
4. The property your horse lives on is my home, please respect that and clean up after yourself.
5. I will not get involved in personal arguments with other boarders unless a horse's life is in danger, and I will decide if that is the case.
6. In case of colic, I will call the vet first, and then call you.
7. Leave phone numbers on your stall, running to the house to find my phone book is sometimes a few minutes your horse does not have. Also, answer your phone, if I'm calling you at work, it's not a social call.
8. If you feel your horse needs more hay or feed talk to me and I will address it. Do not take hay or feed without talking to me first. Also, it is my job to feed your horse, please don't do it. Overfeeding is dangerous.

Very Good, this is what my friend tries to get across to some boarders but they just don't get it! Gets the 3rd degree if a horse gets a scrape, that kind of thing. Some people think she's getting rich boarding a few horses and because they pay they "own" the place. They don't realize how much money goes out of there so we can have what we have. They just put a big heater in the arena because people were complaining how cold it is. They try to do everything to make people happy and then there are still complainers.

[Palogal]

That reminds me...

9. I will rotate pastures as needed, your horse will get over it.
10. My equipment, horses, fly spray, whips etc are not for public use.
11. I do not make policies to ruin your life, I have policies so I can keep my insurance. Put a helmet on your kid, don't jump unless you're with a trainer and do not let every kid in town ride your horse unless every kid in town has had a parent sign a liability release.

[Horserider]

7. Leave phone numbers on your stall, running to the house to find my phone book is sometimes a few minutes your horse does not have. Also, answer your phone, if I'm calling you at work, it's not a social call.

All of those make sense pal. One question about this one though. What would you do if the horse is full-time pasture boarded and doesn't have a stall?

[Palogal]

I'd be running to the house to get the phone book!
If it were my horse, I'd put a metal tag on his halter with my phone number on it to be left on the gate of the pasture.

[Palogal]

as a boarder I would want to see that barn owners need to upkeep their barns!! it is very frustrating to see the barn not looking at nice and the owners not caring.. upkeep is definately important

good thread idea!


Ok but, it's a barn, it's going to get dusty and especially with boarders that don't clean up after themselves (which is usually the case) it's not a question of not caring, it's not being able to keep up. There are also more important things that sweeping the aisle at times. Broken fences, sick horses, paperwork, buying feed...there's a lot going on then what you see or don't see.

[Palogal]

1. I think about the well being of my horse all day, every day.
2. It is important for me to know when my horse is going outside and coming in...like if it is nice out, I want to make sure he is out playing with his friends instead of in his stall. Communication is key...
3. I may be new to horses but I do a lot of research...communicating about my concerns is super important.


All of that is wonderful but remember you're paying the BO for their experience as well as their space. Trust your BO to decide if it's too cold/rainy etc for the horse to go out or if it would tear up the pasture and cost the BO money in the end. Especially in a big barn, there are most more of "you" and the BO can't call every time they decide to keep the horses in. Unless of course you'd rather have your phone call that have the horses fed. The time of a BO is very limited.

[oursarge]

My friend has all of our phone #'s written down on a desk in the arena and there are phones in the barn and the arena so if she needs to call one of us the phones and #'s are right there. I should mention the #'s are written right on the desk with a perm. marker because if they were just on a sheet of paper they might get lost. She also has us programmed into her phone.

As far as keeping things clean goes it's almost impossible. Our saddles etc. are in cages in the arena and the arena dust gets on them. We keep them covered but still dirt is everywhere, we just wipe them off, no big deal. My real good saddle is in one of those saddle bags so it stays clean. The barn is a converted dairy barn so there are no fancy stalls just regular stalls. I have taken care of the place and it's about impossible to keep it clean, I get it swept up and the horses will fling the hay into the aisle, I sweep it again hay gets flung. Dirt comes with horses. Garbage doesn't and everyone is expected to throw their garbage in one of many garbage containers in both the arena and barn [Everyone is good about that] and we all are expected to clean up after our own horses in the arena. It stays as clean as it can be and we all work to keep it nice.

[Horserider]

My friend has all of our phone #'s written down on a desk in the arena and there are phones in the barn and the arena so if she needs to call one of us the phones and #'s are right there. I should mention the #'s are written right on the desk with a perm. marker because if they were just on a sheet of paper they might get lost. She also has us programmed into her phone.

Wow so they literally are written down ON the desk? Seems like that would be kind of inconvenient if a number was changed or if a boarder left, but it would be worse if the number was on a piece of paper and got lost when you really need it.

[oursarge]

Wow so they literally are written down ON the desk? Seems like that would be kind of inconvenient if a number was changed or if a boarder left, but it would be worse if the number was on a piece of paper and got lost when you really need it.

Yep on the desk [It's a huge desk like a podium thing], if a # changes she just crosses the old one out. It's not a fancy place and it's convenient, if I need to call someone for her I know right where to look for the #.

[jeezitsjacki]

Ok but, it's a barn, it's going to get dusty and especially with boarders that don't clean up after themselves (which is usually the case) it's not a question of not caring, it's not being able to keep up. There are also more important things that sweeping the aisle at times. Broken fences, sick horses, paperwork, buying feed...there's a lot going on then what you see or don't see.


yes I know, but my barn is really not the greatest looking.. the fences are run down
(so bad its getting dangerous) and it is also a lesson barn, so I think if they just repainted they would get a lot more customers which they need, and it would just give it a more welcoming feel. I know my barn owners very well and they keep saying they will do it, sometimes they just get lazy and put it off. They have had the barn 18 years... and I think a paintjob would do it some good

[offgridgirl]

I have a whiteboard for messages in the tack/grain room. If I do something to the boarder's horse,ie pick feet and coat with Koppercare, or I see something(that isn't life threatening) I write a message. Same back from her.
I have had given out cheap horse care and gotten crap back so now I have a cost for everything. All horses are well cared for on my property. I get regular visits from the farrier and scheduled wormings. If you don't want to buy your own wormers, I will use mine and charge YOU!! The once-a-year vet visit is manditory, no if ands or buts!!

As for barn upkeep,it is expensive to build and lumber isn't cheap. If your horse chews then replace the boards and put on a crib collar. The fencing will be maintained by me unless I see your horse doing damange.

Communications is key!!:)

[Horserider]

I have a whiteboard for messages in the tack/grain room. If I do something to the boarder's horse,ie pick feet and coat with Koppercare, or I see something(that isn't life threatening) I write a message. Same back from her.
I have had given out cheap horse care and gotten crap back so now I have a cost for everything. All horses are well cared for on my property. I get regular visits from the farrier and scheduled wormings. If you don't want to buy your own wormers, I will use mine and charge YOU!! The once-a-year vet visit is manditory, no if ands or buts!!


White boards are great. Both of my old lesson stables have them. It was especially useful for my first lesson stable because they would put a list of the riders in the lessons and the horse they were going to ride on it. (we had to groom and tack up our own horses even though most of us were novices that didn't even know how to do it properly).

[Palogal]

yes I know, but my barn is really not the greatest looking.. the fences are run down
(so bad its getting dangerous) and it is also a lesson barn, so I think if they just repainted they would get a lot more customers which they need, and it would just give it a more welcoming feel. I know my barn owners very well and they keep saying they will do it, sometimes they just get lazy and put it off. They have had the barn 18 years... and I think a paintjob would do it some good

If it's that bad, why don't you leave? Sure a paint job probably would make a lot of places look better but do you have the money for the paint, time and equipment to do it to your house right this minute? The reality is the economy is bad right now and people are selling their horses, behind on their board, trying to cut cost anywhere they can. Remember that your BO also needs to make a profit on the business or there's no point in having it. The BO has bills to pay,kids to feed, vet bills and mortgages to pay.

[Palogal]

I have a whiteboard for messages in the tack/grain room. If I do something to the boarder's horse,ie pick feet and coat with Koppercare, or I see something(that isn't life threatening) I write a message. Same back from her.
I have had given out cheap horse care and gotten crap back so now I have a cost for everything. All horses are well cared for on my property. I get regular visits from the farrier and scheduled wormings. If you don't want to buy your own wormers, I will use mine and charge YOU!! The once-a-year vet visit is manditory, no if ands or buts!!

As for barn upkeep,it is expensive to build and lumber isn't cheap. If your horse chews then replace the boards and put on a crib collar. The fencing will be maintained by me unless I see your horse doing damange.

Communications is key!!:)

What a novel idea, pay for the care and/or damages of your own horse!

[jeezitsjacki]

If it's that bad, why don't you leave? Sure a paint job probably would make a lot of places look better but do you have the money for the paint, time and equipment to do it to your house right this minute? The reality is the economy is bad right now and people are selling their horses, behind on their board, trying to cut cost anywhere they can. Remember that your BO also needs to make a profit on the business or there's no point in having it. The BO has bills to pay,kids to feed, vet bills and mortgages to pay.

honestly no its not that bad. Yes they do have the money and im sure they can make time, I have even offered to help. I know its not priority, I understand that. They do a great job, just little things get passed by which can get bothersome. They also do not mix their personal money with the barn money, which most of the time I do understand, but it just gets to me sometimes.. its more of just a rant.

[offgridgirl]

What a novel idea, pay for the care and/or damages of your own horse!
Yes it is amazing what some boarders think and what they try to get away with. When I have visitors to my place they always want to know what I do to make my horses look so "good" I look them in the eye and say
"Well, I actually care for my horses!! Not just throw food at them."

As for painting a barn. Good for you for offering to help,Jackie! I have cedar on the outside of mine, so there is no painting required!!:) It is the little things that do add up! You could get a small can of paint and do a small area. Once they see how good it looks, they be inspired to do the rest.

Fixing fences is hard work and as I've just spent two days do that, I can say it harsh on the body. I do have my own supply of posts so I "just" have to dig the holes! HA HA!! and re-string the electric fence line. Again, go out and buy one board and replace one and re-paint. Keep your receipts! Once one is done the rest may follow! They may offer to pay for what you bought and it will get them going on the rest.:)

[HeavensEast]

I board my horse at a small boarding barn for the winter. I really like the other boarders, mostly because they never come out. ;) JK. There is only one that really bugs me, but even she is alright. Nobody really complains and the horses receive excellent care. (I board at Natisha's barn).

Here are the rules:
1. Please leave keys in car while riding in case we have to move it
2. Minors must wear helmet when around horses, riding, grooming, in aisle etc.
3. If you have any questions, comments, concerns or suggestions bring to BO (barn owner)


OTHER NOTE WORTHY RULES
1. All screaming or crying children must be given a ride on golf cart , ATV or dragged behind piece of equipment until quiet
2. All children must be cute ( to be decided by BO)
3. Dogs allowed- (must also be cute)
4. Cribbers must have strap hanging somewhere collecting dust
5. No boarder may ride another boarder's horse without permission unless it is ROO
6. Treats must be periodically brought to BO unless home made by Amy
7. All holes dug by children in aisle or arena must be filled in before leaving
8. No riding through villages made by children in arena while said children are present
9. Horses see well in poorly lit areas, arena lights are not to be used unless you want to see also
10. If BO suggests you try something while riding you must do so without question, this is for your enrichment & great entertainment for BO
11. If ANYONE talks to ANYONE about ANYTHING horse related while riding this will be considered a lesson & a fee must be paid to BO. Boarders must keep track of these 'lessons'
12. Boarders may use only their own equipment/brushes unless they see something else they want to use
13. If you fall off you will be laughed at
14. If you fall off & are hurt you will still be laughed at but will get an apology
15. If you fall off & are killed, well, you won't know either way
16. No crying while mounted
17. Crying while being mounted is allowed

haha :P

[mare]

HeavensEast -- Those are really funny. I think I would like your BO. I could never hang with humorless horse owners. As serious about health, safety, and getting a job done with horses as I am, my friends and I joke a lot.

[HeavensEast]

Yeah, my BO is pretty awesome. There is never a dull moment. She also cares about the horse's well-being rather than the money, like a typical boarding facility (from what I've experienced). If I could afford it and she had the space, I'd bring my other horse over too.

My family has our own farm but we don't have an indoor arena, so if I don't board it's basically no riding all winter. :(

[WashingtonBay]

Heaven's East... those are terrific rules :hysterical: I love it.

[natisha]

Yeah, my BO is pretty awesome. There is never a dull moment. She also cares about the horse's well-being rather than the money, like a typical boarding facility (from what I've experienced). If I could afford it and she had the space, I'd bring my other horse over too.

My family has our own farm but we don't have an indoor arena, so if I don't board it's basically no riding all winter. :( Awww, thanks HeavensEast for the compliments. Now, which horse is yours? ;)

[HeavensEast]

The gigantic Thoroughbred is mine. :)

[WashingtonBay]

Ah (2+2) - Natisha - are you the BO in this case?

[mandascrazycowboy]

Me and CrazyManda board her cousins horse we would like it more if she were more active with her horse and brought thoughts to us on things she would like to see done or have done. We like interaction between horses and courtesy to all the horses not just one and fairness. Sometimes the money isn't worth the hassle and supplying their own medicines and bandages and wraps or helping with more cost of them.

[Lovemyhorses]

I'm actually giving all my boarders notice at the end of the month that they have 60 days to find a new place. I'm sick to death of hearing "I want, I want, I want" and "when are you gonna do this?" I do not make any money boarding, by the time I pay for hay and utilities, I just about break even. Of course that doesn't cover the damage done by horses eating my wood posts, chewing on my barn and eating my trees. Yes, they have mineral and salt blocks, but I guess that's not good enough :mad: For a while I thought, oh well, it pays for my horses hay. Not anymore, I'm sick of people wanting discounts and acting like they own my barn. All my boarders are pasture board yet somehow I end up graining everyone and bringing them in and blanketing them during bad weather. I'm tired of horses being brought in and stuck in stalls not paid for to eat and then turned back out and them leaving without cleaning the poop up. I say something and they're like, oh yeah, I was gonna get to it, but it was so cold, I'll do it next time I'm out. Yep, pretty sick of boarders and I can't wait for them to all be gone!

[natisha]

Ah (2+2) - Natisha - are you the BO in this case? Yep, I'm busted! Good catch!!!
The rules HeavensEast posted were made in response to some of the stories my boarders have shared about other places. I want my boarders to feel comfortable & welcomed here & I hope they do. Plus, I do get treats :)

[WashingtonBay]

They're great rules, and set a great tone around your barn I'm sure :)

[WashingtonBay]

My own barn owner/trainer where I boarded in high school was a small operator, she only had two boarders, and no posted rules really, she let us know as we went along. For instance, I learned that if I didn't hang my stuff back up when I was done, she'd hang me from the nail where it belonged, lol. ;)

[natisha]

I'm actually giving all my boarders notice at the end of the month that they have 60 days to find a new place. I'm sick to death of hearing "I want, I want, I want" and "when are you gonna do this?" I do not make any money boarding, by the time I pay for hay and utilities, I just about break even. Of course that doesn't cover the damage done by horses eating my wood posts, chewing on my barn and eating my trees. Yes, they have mineral and salt blocks, but I guess that's not good enough :mad: For a while I thought, oh well, it pays for my horses hay. Not anymore, I'm sick of people wanting discounts and acting like they own my barn. All my boarders are pasture board yet somehow I end up graining everyone and bringing them in and blanketing them during bad weather. I'm tired of horses being brought in and stuck in stalls not paid for to eat and then turned back out and them leaving without cleaning the poop up. I say something and they're like, oh yeah, I was gonna get to it, but it was so cold, I'll do it next time I'm out. Yep, pretty sick of boarders and I can't wait for them to all be gone! Sorry for your frustration. Have you considered doing away with pasture board only & changing to stall board rates?
You bring them in & do all the extras anyway, maybe if you were getting paid to do it you would feel better about it. You could still leave horses out at night weather permitting. Possibly if you changed your policy the boarders you don't like would leave on their own & be replaced by someone better.

[natisha]

My own barn owner/trainer where I boarded in high school was a small operator, she only had two boarders, and no posted rules really, she let us know as we went along. For instance, I learned that if I didn't hang my stuff back up when I was done, she'd hang me from the nail where it belonged, lol. ;) That's one way to remember! I just leave the stuff if it's not in my way, then I hear 'Where's my ----?' I point out it is where they left it, then say something stupid like "I thought that's where you decided to keep it now'. They get the picture pretty quick that I do not pick up after them. Really, there is only one lady here who leaves things around & drives me crazy but I couldn't ask her to leave because she has a special needs horse I would worry about living somewhere else.

[Lovemyhorses]

Nope, I've had my fill. Gonna go back to just my horses, maybe I'll actually get to ride more than 4 times this year ;)

[Suzi]

Sorry to hear Love, abt your difficulties. I'm sure its made your passion a dreaded task now. I guess its the personalities of folks that can make or break a barn. I guess as a BO, one must be clear abt how to handle stuff, and as a boarded, never assume and treat the place like you would your Momma's HAHA.
As a boarder, even when you trust the BO and their routine, in your mind it would be alittle bit better if they were at home.

[lisakaye]

Crying while being mounted is allowed

I will just leave this one alone.. :innocent:

[42many]

Currently I've only got one boarder - every once in awhile I considered getting 1-2 more, but then I think about all the things that could go wrong and all the whining and carrying on people can do and I end up deciding just to leave it be. I REALLY like my current boarder - the mom and daughter are both very nice and easy going, they care for their pony but aren't anal about things, etc. I couldn't have found a better match, and she just came with the place I bought :)

We don't have any real "rules" - I basically treat their pony as if she's one of my gang and that's that. Most days I turn her and my big gelding out of their stalls and in with the others, but if I get busy and it's every other day... shrug. Not a big deal. Same with poop cleaning - I generally do it every day, but I just started a new job 2 days a week and I leave early and get home late. Those 2 days, I skip any poop in the runs and just throw the stall stuff into a pile in the corner.

If the boarders were real obnoxious about that sort of thing and insisted that I do XXXX or YYYYY all day long, I'd ask them to leave. It's nice to have some extra money, but it's not like there's enough money to quit my day job - and it certainly isn't enough money to make it worth dealing with some people.

It's one thing to want a barn kept in decent and safe repair - but just to make things "nice" gets expensive fast. If you think it's cheap to own and run a barn, you should go do it yourself and not complain about someone else not dishing out the money. If you want extras done with your horse beyond the basic care, make sure you are very upfront about it, be willing to pay for it, and GET IT IN WRITING! That way there can be no later complaint of misunderstanding - communication is key! I don't mind doing extras for my boarder for no charge (since there is only 1 and she doesn't ask for much) - if she wanted me to do certain things all the time, though, I'd want to make sure to get it written down and charged out. Just because I live at the barn doesn't mean I have plenty of spare time and I'm just dying to run out and do your chores (unless you are paying me to do them!).

[lisakaye]

My opinion as a boarder is this.. if one of the boarders wants something done and is a PIA about it then raise the board price and do it if you can or they need to find another place to go. My barn has really nice boarders and we all help out when we can. My BO keeps everything clean and well kept. I don't have anything to complain about.

[dustys_girlly]

when i was boarding some of my big things was that my horse got fed the proper amount each feeding! keep the poop dump piles managed, make sure my horse has water and the fences are safe. one other thing is deal with your boarders! the last stable i was at was great, but the BO would not deal with problems with the boarders. they would get complaints from different people about one person and would tell us to deal with it ourselves. we try and the other person told us to f*** off. i was happy when i moved and my horses came home.

[elevenelevenxo]

I think the amount of complaining that is acceptable correlates with the price of board. For example, if you're paying $600/mo and the barn is falling apart, the arena is never dragged, and stalls aren't getting cleaned.....then there's a problem and the boarders have every right to "whine." However, if you're paying for $150/mo pasture board and the fences are in need of painting, boo hoo....don't cry about something silly like that. If you want a fancy looking barn, then board at a fancy looking barn.

My musts for boarding:

Barn owner has to be friendly! I cannot explain how much fun is sucked out of horses when you're around negative people....or people who are so insanely nitpicky (as in, I'm tacking my horse up and you have a "better" way of doing it that actually doesn't work for me....yet you still insist I do it your way...umm, hello?). You don't have to be a ray of sunshine always, but please don't use your clients as your therapists and/or emotional punching bags. :)

Please keep riding areas safe to use. Drag arenas, do occasional trail maintence, etc..

Please don't use riding arenas as your storage unit! When I had a horse, I boarded at a little family-run property and for 2 or 3 weeks straight they had put their kid's trampoline inside the round pen, which was the only available enclosed space to work with, and my mare and I were doing a lot of ground work that required a closed in ring. My other option was trails and she was spooky and obnoxious on trails, so I needed that workspace, but they wouldn't move the dang trampoline! I think they put it there when they mowed....but it was really annoying.

When I suggest something for my horse, please do not tell me my horse would or wouldn't like that. For example, if I'm pasture boarding and I tell you I've been thinking about doing stall board, don't tell me my horse won't like being stalled for 8 or 12 hours or so. Story on this one....my mare was a max. white sabino and was extremely sensitive to UV rays - I had to use a flymask that extended over her nose or else she'd get horribly sunburnt. The flymask would occasional come off in the pasture though, so I wanted to start stalling her during the day and turning her out at night, but the barn owner swore up and down she hated stalls. The horse could have cared less....they had open stalls, and I was willing to pay the amount being asked for stall board. I don't think it was out of line at all.

The biggest one - please do not advertise something you do not offer, be it lessons, amenities, etc.... That's just poor business.

[EnglishGuy]

I want our barn manager to know that we appreciate her and are so glad that she has taken the reins. I ride at a public stable and the last barn manager was fired about five months ago. The current barn manager was the riding school manager at the time, and she immediatley stepped in to take over since we could not find a suitable replacement at all (like 200 applications and three were decent but they didn't work out). And man, the difference has been huge. Things have been fixed, improved, and re-built and our barn is really looking great and running smoothly. She is hands on, approachable, and very determined to have an amazing facility. Problems are fixed as soon as they are reported.

She really is great and we do appreciate her so much.