Why is finding a horse boarding facility that meets your needs so hard? I would say it's a two sided street, no one side is to blame. Not all barns are perfect and not all horse owners are easy to please.
With that being said here are some "issues" I have had at multiple barns. I can not stress that this isn't one barn, all these problems were split between 6 barns! I've moved around a lot.
Forgetting to feed my horse. There have been a few times I have showed up to the barn and saw my horse sulking or trying to sneak hay from his neighbor...they forgot to feed him hay!
Not feeding hay is the worse, not feeding grain is not so great either, but missing hay causes the most distress for a horse. My poor baby!
Feeding really bad hay. Worse then cow hay and it has happened. I've seen mold in my TB's hay when I boarded out in Virginia...leading him to colic a few hours later. I have also seen trash in hay and thorns. Seriously what is with people...are they even looking at the hay?
Forgetting to feed supplement. Don't advertise you feed supplements if you forget every time. Supplements need load doses and constant feeding to be effective or it's just a waste of money. Luckily, this one isn't a deal breaker. You as the horse owner can always just do the supplements on your own once a day.
Bad trainers. To be around, to train with...yuck. There have been times I purposely go to the barn late or early to avoid the trainers.
Bad people. Same thing as bad trainers, just a bad vibe, or maybe the people aren't so bad but you just don't fit in and it's uncomfortable.
Kids running a muck.
Bad arena. If it's hard to ride my horse then I question why I am paying for all the facilities.
Uncontrolled barn sickness. If a horse shows up sick, separate the horse. It might hurt that horse owner's feelings but it's better then having everyone pissed off because now their horse is sick.
Too clicky. The barn seems fine, everyone get's along, until a "click" forms. Typically, the "click" is a group of young college or mid-20 year old girls, all good riders, who get to ride whenever they want and show all the time. They come together with other similar girls and follow the trainer around like groupies. When you catch one on their own, they are friendly, when they all group up they tend to act like you don't exist or you catch them gossiping. Typically, a click forms when people are young and immature...but I have seen them form with older ladies too. Just depends.
You can't ask for anything. Some barn managers take it personal when you ask them to change your horses feed or living situation. Instead of the manager taking it as a customer needing a service (basic business-customer relationship) they read too much into it. Next thing you know you are considered the unhappy boarder and the barn manager is complaining about you to other clients. Ugh...drama.
Too many rich people. Trust fund kids, girls with daddy money, rich clients are hard to be around when you aren't rich at all. I have been 100% paying for my horse since I was 18 and I have owned a horse since then. The median income, single girl, trying to make ends meet with a horse may be misunderstood. They may think you are not as into riding as they are because you can't own 5 horses, take lessons every week, or travel to all the shows. It's just not financially feasible for me. It's just a giant misunderstanding...I don't get their lives and they don't get mine.
Too much money. When you have one of the above, plus you feel like you are stretched financially immediate stress may set it and you have the urge to jump ship.
I always found it interesting that when you board a horse they have you sign all these papers saying you understand the rules but they don't have anything that states how they will care for your horse. Things could easily change. A perfect boarding situation can go from heaven to hell over night. Maybe that's why we are forced to move so much. We all dream of having our own horse facility, keep dreaming...
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