What are your barn rules?

[Eagle]

I DO SMOKE. I DO STAND OFF THE Concrete Right out side the barn

Thank the lord for that bc I was starting to think that I am the only evil woman here. I do smoke and I do smoke in the barn but I ALWAYS put it out under the tap!

So O.K now you know that I am not perfect! but I had you fooled though

 

[LittleRibbie]

Now you know the flames ( no pun intended ) will start to fly!!

Your still perfect in my book da'lin!

 

[Eagle]

thanks girls, group hug (((((((((((()))))))))))))))

 

[SampleMM]

I really don't have too many rules but I do want a heads up before people visit. I do not like anyone in the barn or pastures unless I am around to supervise.

I am a bad girl too and wear flip flops to the barn everyday except winter, even though my good friend had her toe amputated thanks to a Quarter mare running over her foot while she was wearing sandals.

 

[Riverrose28]

OK I'm a sinner too, as I smoke, BUT! We have a bucket outside the barn door filled with sand and all butts are to be put in there, no smoking in the barn, and no butts thrown into the driveway or in the grass. I have severe arthritis, my toes are just as knarly as my hands, I have to wear toe spacers, as soon as the snow melts and the mud dries up, out come my man sandels with the velcro. Just had a stallion stomp on my foot today as a matter of fact, but so much better then having my feet in shoes. I get looks of dignataries from DC come to my place and from the VA, as they are recovering from trama, so I just ask to be called first and I do let some into the paddocks with supervision. We also have lots of kids come to visit, thats OK as long as they don't run in the barn or the indoor and no screaming is allowed. The Veterens Administration some times brings vets out to jug and visit, most have suffered head trama, but still mobile and looking to get into something horsey they can handle. I am honored to help our Vets, as hubby is a Viet Nam Vet, and we are close to DC. I just hosted a Chinese dignatary that had never seen mini's before, she was most pleased and abided by my rules. I also told her before hand by phone to wear boots. My barn, My rules, My horses, My rules, you can hug and kiss all you want just be prepared.

 

[RobinRTrueJoy]

No one goes into barn area without us.

Gates are shut and chained, even if I am only going in for just a second.

Feed room is always double locked.

No one smokes under threat of DEATH.

I never let any of the 4 H girls in with my adult stallions, even though they have always been well mannered and sweet.

No visitors without appointments.I do not want strangers wandering around and possibly opening gates.

I prefer anyone in the horse area to wear decent shoes, not flip flops.

 

[RobinRTrueJoy]

I forgot....

Hubby is not allowed to talk to potential clients about prices, or anything pertaining to my horses. He is a great guy but he can't tell one horse from another!!!

Robin

 

[LindaL]

I forgot....

Hubby is not allowed to talk to potential clients about prices, or anything pertaining to my horses. He is a great guy but he can't tell one horse from another!!!

Robin

LOL!

Deb leaves that stuff up to me as well...probably a good thing!

 

[Helicopter]

Oh my, Kay. I couldn't come to your farm...I work my horses in Flip Flops and shorts -- almost year round!

. Too hot for shoes or boots, and Flip Flops are my normal attire!

.

I'm with you there. I wear thongs (flip flops) all summer. I even trim little feet in thongs. Haven't lost a toe yet.

AND Kay, if you don't put your face in the their faces how are you going to smother them with kisses?

 

[dgrminis]

We don't have many rules but here they go:

ALWAYS schedule an appt if you want to visit - I work and my husband works and we have a small child - sometimes are just not that convient and I don't want to have to tell you I can't show you a horse if I am busy.

Dogs - we have 6 dogs so if you want to bring your dog ASK - I perfer no outside dogs be brought in just because we have dogs and sometimes dogs (like people) just don't get along but I also understand dogs are part of the family so if you would like to bring your dog make sure I know. I don't want your dog or any of mine to get hurt. Do not bother to ask if your dog doesn't like other dogs, cats, goats, kids, people, or doesn't stay on a leash or right with you. The animals here live here so in almost all cases I will take their "side" in an disagreement.

We do not allow flip flops in with any of the horses -- now that doesn't apply to me -- they are my horses and my toes so I am willing to risk my toes because I have no one but myself to blame if I get stepped on -- but guests can stay outside the pens and pet through the fence if they aren't wearing proper shoes..

Kids are not allowed to run/scream around the horses (this includes my own son) and IF in the pen with the horses must stay next to an adult at all times.

Kids are not allowed to sit on/ride the horses unless specific permission was asked/granted (doesn't happen very often as I learned early on child throws tantrum - parents agree child should ride more or sit on more horses and if I don't agree it isn't always nice)... I have a cousin who brings her daughter over and her daughter thinks she must sit on EVERY horse here and I don't agree as some of my horses don't appreciate it and frankly they live here not my cousin

I agree with the no smoking - no one in my family smokes (my mom did for years but quit several years back) so I actually perfer no smoking on the property but that doesn't always happen as we do have a couple friends that smoke - but they all make sure to stay away from barns/pastures and up on our rocks and they almost all take their butts home with them when they go (nothing against smokers but I have a dislike of fires - my dad's house burnt down when I was in HS and I hope to never have that happen again).

NEVER go in a pen/mess with a horse that you do not have permission to be in with.

Gate rules pretty much same as everyone else - if its open leave it open - if its closed leave it closed.

And I agree with my husband does no business with the horses - he gets names/ages/prices all mixed up and has been known to call a filly a colt or vice versa when talking (not that he doesn't know the difference but forgets and doesn't think to look if he thinks he is right).

Guess I had more rules than I thought.

 

[barnbum]

Oh this is a hot one right now for me.

I had many cousins in NY for their mother's burial. She had died weeks earlier in FL, but was buried up here. All the cousins stayed with or beside another cousin. The cousin who lives nearby--maybe 25 min away--has called a few times to bring people over. I always make a time and talk a long while in the pastures with whoever she brings.

Well--I went to the luncheon after the burial and at least 6 people/cousins come up to me to tell me they had stopped in at our house Friday (Mark and I were both at work!) and since no one was home they let the girls pet the horses through the fence. There were at least 10 people here!

They mentioned that Buddy--who is in a large pen with a shed during the day--was barking and wagging his tail. One said his daughter wanted to let the dog out but he said no.

I grew more livid by the minute--but kept it in check until I got home. They never called and asked to come over--asked when I'd be home so they could see the horses. I would have been thrilled to have them over. I wrote the cousin who lives here a strong letter and told her the decision to let people out of the car to interact with animals was bold and disrespectful. Bottom line--it was trespassing. I told her I'd never had to worry about it before. She left five phone messages rationalizing her actions (I knew she would, hence my strong tone)and said she felt this would affect our friendship (ummm, we aren't friends) and she felt like she'd been slapped. No one ever speaks strongly to this woman--so she's not used to someone not treating her like a queen.

I'm thinking "Good--then she won't do it again." Truly--I felt if she did it once, she'd feel free to do it again. She said she felt family was always welcome at family's homes! I haven't seen the Florida cousins for 15 years!!! They have never kept in touch with me! I followed up with another email and told her she cannot include my farm on her tour of attractions. I also mentioned that I discussed the situation with my 5th graders and they all knew never to get out of a car at a place that has animals if the owner isn't there--and they knew all the reasons why. Gee--I never heard from her after that.

We put up a small "Private Property. Keep out" sign after that.

Grrrrrr.

:arg!

Oh--I have the no flip flops in the pasture and no smoking rules too. No one has ever smoked here--except for people buying cars from my son. That's done with now.

I have a sign in the barn that reads "My barn My rules."

 

[hobbyhorse23]

With just the two horses sequestered on the back of our property with the house and yard between them and all comers I haven't had to establish any real rules I can think of. There are the obvious things I consider common courtesy like asking before tromping through private property to view horses who are not yours

and once you've gotten my permission, asking before petting them or feeding them anything, but nothing formal. Edited to add: I would be LIVID if someone let themselves into the horses' paddocks without me there. I mean, seriously?? You just don't do that unless you see my horse is caught in something and/or in imminent distress!

I'll let myself into a stall at a show if the horse has got his blanket around his legs or something but it's a personal rule to always find the owner as soon as possible and let them know I was in there and why.

It's just me and my parents taking care of them so everyone knows what areas horses are allowed to be in, where they shouldn't, what things require notification of the owner (me

) and we discuss any issues that come up like Dad wanting them to stay off the lawn for a few weeks or me needing them fed early or late on such-and-such a date.

My personal barn rules are to always wear hard shoes around the horses (lost a toenail to my Arab once and don't feel like doing it again. That hurt!!

), always carry a cell phone because every single time I leave it at the house I end up needing to call the vet or take a picture of something, and NEVER go out without a treat!

Doing so is a sure-fire recipe for someone to do the most brilliant trick I've ever seen and me without any way to reward them....

Leia

 

[Marsha Cassada]

Our town has an area where folks can keep horses. It is city property but managed by the Riding Club. Lots of horses in pens there so naturally town folks drive out to look at horses. I was out there one day when a woman and little boy drove up. They got out of the car and picked some green stuff (I think it was bindweed) to feed a friend's miniature horse through the fence panels. My friend hurried over and said "Ma'am, please don't feed my horse," very nicely. The woman started to cry and apologize. My friend said "I'd love for your little boy to pet the horse. Let me bring him out for you." But the woman hurried her child into the car, crying, and apologizing, then drove away. I don't know why, but we felt like monsters! But maybe she will think twice before feeding other folks' horses from now on.

I live rurally and have few casual visitors. I did come home one time to find a South African harvest crewman in the pasture with Dapper Dan, looking at his feet. It shocked me, having a stranger touch my horse without asking. He assumed because he was an experienced horseman he could handle whatever horse he pleased.

I, personally, do not want anyone feeding my horses anything without asking me. Not only do I not want them eating something unknown, but I worry about people being bitten.

 

[MindyLee]

I just reciently had a lady come out and see my minis and brought her 2 young sons. WTH! What a couple of non listening, snotty, disrespectful spoiled little s***s! Never again! She kept yelling at them, and appoligizing to me the whole time she was here. They never not once listened to her. They climed my fences, my gates, chased my horses, pulled their tails, tried to ride them, yelled, ran, and screemed all over, and to top it off, got lippy with me when I told them I will not tolerate their behavor and they have to leave if they cant follow the rules. I even kind of lost it and thankfully the mother was 110% on my side but I told them that if one of my horses hurts either of them Im going to laugh! And mom said she would too. Because of them, she did'nt get to enjoy herself and apoligized over and over and said next time she comes out, the brats will stay home.

so on my list I add climbing fences and all of the above what I said and others!

 

[Marty]

My barn rules are simple: Bring treats for the horses and me and you are in!

 

[Marsha Cassada]

My barn rules are simple: Bring treats for the horses and me and you are in!

I love your rules! Bet you have lots of visitors.