Barn Gossip

Nikki Salo · Grand Prix

Barn Gossip

spirithorse · Advanced

Barn rules are founded upon these:

“Integrity”
‘An uncompromising adherence to a code of moral, artistic, or other values:
utter sincerity, honesty, & candor: avoidance of deception, expediency,
artificiality, or shallowness of any kind’

“Respect”
‘To show consideration for, to avoid intruding upon, to notice with special attention,
to regard to consider, to view, treat or consider with some degree of courtesy’

“Trust”
‘Confidence; a reliance or setting of the mind on the integrity, veracity, justice, friendship,
or other sound principle of another person or thing’

If one cannot cowboy up to these then they are not welcome, pure and simple as that.

Horse-hearted · Advanced

I agree that the barn owner shoudl have stepped up in that case. I know a lady who, after starting her dream of a boarding barn, found herself crying everyday from the harsh attitudes of the boarders. People should know better, but they often don't. Authority should be exercised and people shoudl be told to hold their tongues on barn property. More likely then not, they are going to talk, but there is a time and a place.

spirithorse · Advanced

That is why a barn owner/operater should post the barn rules....do not obey them out ya go.

SoftTouchTraining · Well Schooled

Post barn rules and list reprecutions if they aren't obeyed. If there is a problem the barn owner/manager should step in and end it. The barn is a fun place to be as well as a place of business. If you want to cause trouble go else where.

Horse-hearted · Advanced

Well said, guys. I think the barn owner needs to develop thick skin for dealing with situations like these. And there is something to be said for selective boarding...

Nikki Salo · Grand Prix

I totally agree with you guys that posting barn rules and pointing to them can be helpful. But in this case, I think the barn owner was in a difficult situation. The barn was housing over a 100 horses and sometimes steady money is better than empty stalls.

Horse-hearted · Advanced

That's a very good point. You can only 'baby-sit' boarders for so long.

Barbara F · Grand Prix

I used to ride at a barn where other boarders and some of the staff would sit in the lounge and criticize every rider who went by. It was the culture of the barn and it all started at the top.

I then moved to a new barn where it was made clear that there was zero tolerance for that sort of thing, and we were all on the same team. What a breath of fresh air - everyone rooting for everyone else!

Hoti47 · Well Schooled

Gossip only exists if there are ears around to give it life. I walk away. I am there to spend time with my horses. If more people would just turn a deaf ear....

justice · Grand Prix

I walk, too, trying not to giggle too directly. If the gossip involves me, I figure someone else is safe for a while : ) I am a fairly private person to begin with and pretty well self-contained. I don't engage in other people's affairs willingly, nor do I go out of my way to inspire gossip.