I am thinking about changing barns because some things are going on in mine that I do not believe are particularly safe. Other people tell me that I am just being overprotective and overreacting..which I do tend to do. So here is a list of things that I think are unsafe. Please let me know if you also consider these unsafe.
1. My horse is in a fairly large pasture/stall combo. In the pasture there are trees and close to the trunk of the tree, there are some gopher holes. I think "Holes!!! My horse is going to trip and break his leg!" but other people say the holes are too close to the trees for him to step in them.
2. Near one of the pasture gates there are about ten old tires just sitting on the ground. I have no idea what these are for, but the barn must want them there because every time I move them they get put right back. This is another leg danger in my opinion.
3. In the pastures and around the arena (It is all grass around the arena so I walk my horse there) there are chunks of cement. Some are small, like peaches, and some are big, like a dinner plate. Some are flat and some are more rounded and they are not usually in the arena...But what if a horse is running in the pasture and kicks it?
4. Chain link fencing. It is at least 15 years old and rusty and has some sharp sticky-outy parts. Also, there is this sad, dying tree on the inside edge of one of the pastures that the barn encircled with thin chain link about two feet from the trunk. During the night I can barely see the "fence" and so wouldn't that mean that a horse could run into it, get tangled up, or have the fence attach to the horse since it doesn't seem to be tightly secured (there are loose edges)
5. The arena has holes in it. Not really on the part you ride on, but on the outer edge. These holes were made from the sprinkler water so they do grow
6. The arena is hard and un grated. They occasionally grate it (maybe once every two months?) but it hard and packed down still. I never really noticed this, having never ridden on nice footing until recently, but now I notice the dips and unevenness and the hardness. I jump my horse, so having a hard, bumpy arena just sounds like an injury waiting to happen.
7. There is c**p in the arena. There is hay, sometimes sticks, a small plant (???), small piles of mysterious dirt, horse p**p EVERYWHERE, and once a trail of almonds in a zig zag pattern (no one ever figured that one out) There is also a p**p mountain right in the middle because that is where the barn dumps it all after they clean the stalls. This is then grated down and used as footing. Which only happens once every two months. And there are about fifteen horses there. Yeah, it is a pretty big p**p mountain.
8. Horses are turned out in the arena. I have to wait to use the arena because the hormonal pregnant mare they turn out there absolutely hates me (who knows why..I give her carrots) I am not sure why they do this when they have three open and differently nice pastures available. There are usually two or three horses in there. They are the reason for most of the poops and the hay in the arena.
9. There is a horse there who is not being ridden anymore. Why not? Who knows! He is a perfectly nice thoroughbred, super calm, a great jumper, and only six...And he has been out of work for almost six months...I don't know when the last time his hooves were trimmed, but it has been a while. They are long and FLAT. He didn't have the greatest feet to begin with, but now they are soft looking, chipped, and spread out. And he still has his shoes on. They have been on there for quite a while so the nails probably aren't too embedded in his soft hoof anymore.
10. Two of the new horses are mysterious. No one knows who their owner is or what the horses do or if they are even broke to ride. The mares just sit in their stall all day, never getting exercise or grooming. Isn't that something that can cause colic? And they both seem to be fairly young, probably less than ten.
11. A two year old wears a halter 24/7. It isn't a safety halter, but in the words of fellow boarders, there is nothing for her to get caught on
12. Polo wraps on a pasture horse. My horse is being eaten alive by flies, especially on his face and legs. Would it be dangerous to put polo wraps on him if he is in the pasture? Could they catch on something? I do have fly spray but it doesn't do the job.
13. Putting a horse in a stall with a saddle on. This is something that a "trainer" does to the horses frequently. Once, she used my horse WITHOUT MY PERMISSION to give lessons to autistic children (By the way, I have a flighty, very green Arab who needs at least an intermediate rider, if not advanced) and when I arrived my horse was tied in his stall with a western saddle on and bridle (with the reins hanging). Other horses that she used were not tied and were walking around their stalls freely with saddle and bridles still on.
This is pretty long, but I am sure I still have more that I have temporarily forgotten about. Thanks if you read it all
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