Dear OnTheBit…

* So I was going to write all about my adventure to try, yes TRY, to ride Texas yesterday…I think I am going to save that post for tomorrow since not many people come to ready my blog on the weekends and my tale is terribly embarrassing. So this is what you get instead!

In real life I get calls all the time about what to do in horse situations. I give out advice ranging from how to “break up” with a trainer to how much to tip at Christmas time. I thought it would be fun to sometimes give out some advice on the blog. If any of you know Dear Abby that is what I am going for. So for this first time I am just going to use questions that people have googled to find my blog over the past year. I just thought this might be a fun idea, so if you want me to continue just submit a comment at the bottom of the post and clear off your information and put a fun nickname in instead. And don’t use a real e-mail either, just make one up so I have no clue who you are. That way I can answer the questions honestly.

Dear OnTheBit –

I just moved to a new barn and they keep messing up my horses’ blankets. Some days I come and he is covered in sweat and others he is so cold he is even shaking. I am paying full board, which included blanket changes, and to find them not providing the service that they say they will makes me so mad I could scream. This is my horses’ health we are talking about…HELP! – Frustrated in Ann Arbor

Not having your horse dressed appropriately is without out a doubt a serious problem. I can see why you would be upset about this. Your horse could even get sick because of this problem so it needs to be addressed right away. The first thing you need to do if figure out where the problem is coming from. Are you blankets all of a similar color? Maybe they can’t tell which one is the medium and which one is the heavy weight. Or maybe they have no clue what the weather is going to be like and so they just guess when changing blankets. Have you heard other boarders mention this was a problem also or does it seem to be isolated to you because you are new?

There are a few ways you can handle this. The first, and what is most likely to be the easiest, is to talk to the people working at the barn in a nice way and ask what is going on. It would be a good idea to show them the problem so if your horse is freezing cold bring the horse in and have the barn worker feel the horse. Show them that they are cold to the touch and also show them how to check the skin temperature again in the future. They honestly just might not know your horse is cold or hot so you doing this very simple thing can help out a lot not only for your horse, but for the rest of the barn.

If that still does not help I would go to the barn owner or manager and let them know in a calm and rational way what is going on. If they don’t know you that well you don’t want to get labeled as a psycho just yet. I would explain that you are upset at the fact that you are paying for a service and it is not happening and you talked to the barn worker, but the issue has not been corrected. I would also say that you are very worried about your horses’ health and that is the reason you are so worried about it.

Then what you should do is make the blanketing as idiot proof as possible. A simple blanketing chart this is color coded can do the trick. Put temperatures on one side and the weather conditions (windy, sunny, etc) on the top and then fill in the blanks of each block with which blanket you want on that day. You should make it for the highs of the day and the lows of the night. AND BE CLEAR about it. I think writing down which blanket you want in the same color font that the blanket is cannot do anything but help.

The most important thing is to try and be understanding. You want them to take care of your horses, and they should WANT to take care of your horse. Keep an open dialog and remember that shouting and being mean is not going to get your horses blankets changed.

Dear OnTheBit –

My friend has asked if she can ride my horse some times. I have seen her ride and there is no way she can handle him. I don’t like how she rides and she is pully with the mouth which would make my horse go crazy. How do I tell her without hurting her feelings? – Not handsy in Seattle

Now this can turn into a bad situation quickly. It sounds like you want to maintain your friendship with this person so you need to tread lightly. No good can come from you telling your friend you don’t like the way that they ride. I would dance delicately around this issue if at all possible. You can say that you are getting ready for a competition or a clinic and that now is just not a good time to get someone else on your horses back. You can also blame it on your trainer and say that they don’t want anyone else on your horse right now because you are very close to having a break through. I normally live my life by honesty is the best policy, but sometimes to save a friendship avoiding the issue can really do the least amount of damage. If they don’t take the hint after a few times of you pushing the issue aside then well…that is a whole different issue to address. Hopefully the easy way will work.

Dear OnTheBit –

I have to work so I can’t always be there when the vet or farrier comes to do my horse. I have been asking the guy who works at the barn to hold her as a favor to me the past few times. Last time I asked he said yes, but then told the other boarders about it so I know he is mad. The vet is coming out this week and I can’t be there to hold my horse. What do I do? – Stuck in New Hampshire

Dear Stuck –

This sort of situation happens to a lot of people. It is hard to know where the line is between asking a favor and becoming an extra burden. You appear to have inadvertently crossed the line. Don’t worry though because there are several ways that you can get back on the good side of the guy who works there. The very first thing you should do though is apologize for asking him to always hold your horse. Don’t say that you know he has been talking to the other boarders or get mad that he is acting less than gracious after saying yes. He understands that you are busy which is why he is doing it, he just is tired of always getting asked for that one extra favor because they do add up over time.

You can handle this several different ways after the apology depending on the situation. The first way is to help him out with some of the barn chores. Show up one day that week and grab a pitch fork and start doing some stalls. Or grab a scrub brush and do the waters. Show up and start working or else walk in the barn and ask what needs be done because you want to help out and do something. Doing a favor for a favor should make any resentment end.

If you are not the manual labor type of person then you can do other favors. If you know he loves coffee you can bring coffee just they way he likes it for the week. Or if you know that he lives alone a nice home cooked meal can go a long way. And if you know that he is really hurting for money you should give him a tip. Nothing crazy, just $10-$20 depending on how long they have to hold the horse and how far away the field is. You can do other things but just make sure there is thought involved. SHOW him how grateful you are for doing you this favor for you.

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