Posted 2008-02-21 11:27 AM (#77514) Subject: Need advice and help
Veteran
Posts: 219 Location: Mt. Clemens, MI 48043
Hello to everyone. My family has two horses and we have to pay rent for the stalls. The agreement is self-board - we do not mind that. We have a stall to put our hay, grain, and have a place for our tack. We all work during the day and we have made friends with some of the people at the barn. They would provide hay and water in the morning and when the weather is bad - they would help us. In the evening we then can be at the barn and feed, clean and water our horses. Also we have provided them with hay and anything else we can help them with - this is not a one way thing. This has been going on for quite a while. Well, there was an argument that came up with other boarders and now the owner who is now there (before he was in Colorado, Canada and other places showing his horses). He just told us that others can not help us with the morning feeding since it was taking money away from him and now since there are more horses coming in we have to move our hay and grain to another place. I know we signed an agreement but don't we have some rights about where we can put our hay, grain and shaving? Also, please note, we did have a barn to put our hay in and did ask if we needed to pay for the use. She said just share the hay for the winter - well we put the hay in and she shared our hay with her horses. Now we trying to buy hay where we can. Also, we still need a place to store our hay is there a barn somewhere that is close to us? Live near between Port Huron - Selfridge ANG, Michigan. I know I can depend on sound advice here.
Posted 2008-02-21 11:56 AM (#77516 - in reply to #77514) Subject: RE: Need advice and help
Veteran
Posts: 294 Location: Fort Worth, Tx
So are you saying you have paperwork with the barn owner? If so, that should give you some legal rights. If it is not specified, then you'd be out of luck I guess. As far as you and another boarder sharing chores, as long as no money changes hands, I don't think there is anything he can do about that. Last time I checked it is still legal to do a "favor" for someone. Frankly, though, you may want to start looking for another place. When an absentee owner comes back there are often a lot of changes. Let us know what kind of "agreement" you had with the barn owner-give us some details.
Posted 2008-02-21 1:12 PM (#77526 - in reply to #77514) Subject: RE: Need advice and help
Veteran
Posts: 219 Location: Mt. Clemens, MI 48043
We have not boarded other places so we can not compare with others. It does have the usual things mentioned - about children riding, about smoking, drinking, about the tack. What they are responsible for if you full board, what self-board includes and not include. But the details of where to put your inventory is not in detail. So when asked they are vague and most of the time do not even tell you. So far they have not provided a place for supplies - we just took the stall over. He did tell us since the people were feeding and watering our horses in the morning we were taking money from him. Then he said that if we paid him another $15.00 per month he would feed our horses in the morning. That went as well as the late charge of $3.00 per day after the fifth of each month - no exceptions - that is just a sign on the door. Full board is $250.00 per month.
There was no money exchanged for the extra help but there was hay and sawdust and we have a truck for bales that we get. It is not our fault if a they happen to pick up the ones we dropped and to lazy to retrieve. They just happen to be there at a good time. I guess there is probably nothing we can do, but next time we know better -have a more detailed contract -especially with self-board which includes where our supplies will be and with any change there must be an amendment of the contract with both parties re-signing it or at least reviewing it. Many Thanks for writing your thoughts.
Posted 2008-02-21 9:25 PM (#77571 - in reply to #77514) Subject: RE: Need advice and help
Expert
Posts: 1205 Location: Arkansas
Well, I think the owner is a jerk, and who you get to take care of your horses is none of his business as long as he gets paid for what he has always gotten paid for, and he is not having to take care of them. I guess I would have to make do til I moved, but I would dang sure be moving...guess that is how I really feel!
Posted 2008-02-22 7:51 AM (#77587 - in reply to #77582) Subject: RE: Need advice and help
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 316 Location: Illinois
Originally written by Longrider on 2008-02-22 6:41 AM I think happiness would be seeing that barn in my rearview mirror as I hauled my property to another location.
Ditto. You won't regret it either. The very few times I've moved because the barn owner got weird or I had enough of another boarder that another BO refused to deal with, the only thing I regretted was not moving sooner.
Good luck with your situation and finding new digs for your horses.
Posted 2008-02-28 7:51 AM (#78180 - in reply to #77680) Subject: RE: Need advice and help
Regular
Posts: 67 Location: Romulus, Michigan
Hey Frankie, there are a lot of boarding facilities in SE Michigan that would love to have you and will treat you great. You need to get out of there! You don't need a barn owner acting like they are doing you a favor -- it's the other way around. Too bad you're not closer to the airport. The MI Horse Expo is in E. Lansing next weekend. You should plan on going. There are a lot of resources available. If you need help looking for new place near you, let me know:)
Posted 2008-02-28 8:25 AM (#78184 - in reply to #77514) Subject: RE: Need advice and help
Expert
Posts: 1989 Location: South Central OK
I agree 100% that moving is your best bet to resolve these issues to your satisfaction. These are just some of the changes coming I'd bet. Other strange fees are sure to pop-up along the way with strange new rules attached. (Getting into a legal battle which you might win will only result in your moving in the end.)
As you pack-up you can tell the barn owner you are doing him a favor by allowing all those "new" clients to move-in!
Posted 2008-02-28 11:53 AM (#78209 - in reply to #77514) Subject: RE: Need advice and help
Member
Posts: 39 Location: Haslet Tx
Originally written by Frankie001% on 2008-02-21 11:27 AM
We all work during the day and we have made friends with some of the people at the barn. They would provide hay and water in the morning and when the weather is bad - they would help us. .
Who is "they" are they farm workers or other boarders?
Posted 2008-02-28 12:05 PM (#78213 - in reply to #77514) Subject: RE: Need advice and help
Veteran
Posts: 219 Location: Mt. Clemens, MI 48043
Thanks for all your support, we have to stay for the moment, since all our money is going for hay, feed, and other horsey things. Spring will bring all sorts of places to open up. shequila16 - You might have to move your horses because of the airport expanding project that everyone is fighting. Good luck on that. We will not be going to the MSU Stallion/Horse Expo. We went 2006 and my family said they did not like it. They had fun at the Novi Horse Expo (which closed this year) but we are trying the Mid-Horse Expo at Birch Run on March 28,29,and 30. Have fun at MSU - I grew up in Lansing about two miles away from MSU. MSU is a "Cool" place.
Posted 2008-02-28 1:20 PM (#78221 - in reply to #78213) Subject: RE: Need advice and help
Member
Posts: 39 Location: Haslet Tx
Check out#1. I worked there when I was going to school. It was a real nice place back then. In door arena, miles of trails. Its in Memphis not Richmond
Posted 2008-02-28 2:11 PM (#78230 - in reply to #77514) Subject: RE: Need advice and help
Veteran
Posts: 219 Location: Mt. Clemens, MI 48043
Your correct it is a nice place. Use to be called Sandlewood then the name was changed to Greenwood and owner was Chuck. Was there when Carolina was there - then she moved with to a different place and her students moved - Was there when Russle was helping her. Then Stacy - the owners daughter was helping out running the place with her boyfriend and Russle. Then Stacy went back to school - she wanted to have the back barn for a vet clinic and a farrier place. Chuck raised Clydesdales. Chuck then hired two other people to run the barn which did not work out. Then the farm was sold again to Ray Houston, Alex also runs the farm. Ray owns the feed store/barn and a trucking business and has another place where he also has horses - do not know where that is. If you go by there the place is called "Houstons Horse and Tack." You are correct the arena is very big, and you can work with your horse just about anytime you want. They run race horses in the morning, so your best bet is after work or very late in the day. When it gets nice you can ride outside also. I guess people can't leave other people alone or something goes on and they go nuts - I can't explain it since we were not there and did not see what really happened. Just heard about it from the everyone when we came in. Got the hell from it - which was not right. Please forgive me about saying it is in Richmond and not in Memphis.
Posted 2008-02-29 7:24 AM (#78295 - in reply to #77514) Subject: RE: Need advice and help
Veteran
Posts: 219 Location: Mt. Clemens, MI 48043
Also there was alot of people wanting that piece of land - but the township will not let anyone put a house anywhere else but where the trailer is. So lots of buyers pasted. We are one of longest people to stay through it all. That still does not help us but we have the luxury of knowing the whole place through and through. Last year Ray plowed the field - we think it is for hay but will know this year.They will be having cow-penning on Fridays, do not know when but you can ask. Also when Ray took over the farm, Chuck knew we were going to breed our horse and told us he would not charge us rent for the baby for at least a year. They were happy and did not want us to leave. So we asked Ray for the same consideration - so far they will honor that request. I guess I should have that on paper but it was a verbal agreement and it has not been challenged. Now you are caught up with everything, so if you want to self-board here make sure you have in writing where you can put your hay, and grain. There is lots more information about the place is you want to know.
Posted 2008-02-29 8:55 AM (#78300 - in reply to #77514) Subject: RE: Need advice and help
Veteran
Posts: 219 Location: Mt. Clemens, MI 48043
We have two horses one is a throughbred - mare and one is a paint - stud. Right not it is to hard to move anything, the weather keeps changing and our trailer is surrounded by snow or ice. We have enough work with our horses and keeping things dry. If this problem did not happen I would have everyone try to stay where our horses are at. Like you stated it can be great. Many a time we would - pop a top - of a pepsi and sit around in the evening to watch the world turn. Have a good laugh or be by yourself. Nothing like it in the world - to cold now - pop would freeze and so would my but. LOL
Need advice and help
Hey Frankie, there are a lot of boarding facilities in SE Michigan that would love to have you and will treat you great. You need to get out of there! You don't need a barn owner acting like they are doing you a favor -- it's the other way around. Too bad you're not closer to the airport. The MI Horse Expo is in E. Lansing next weekend. You should plan on going. There are a lot of resources available. If you need help looking for new place near you, let me know:)