06/11/2025
Rant alert 🙃
I must preface this by saying I love my job. We have a very special facility where both kids and adults can ride, everything from fancy broke cutters to average Joe horses. I love all the people and horses I work with.
I'm feeling extra sensitive lately because I've been run a little ragged this year. We are short handed on farming help and I'm missing my main help I had for maintenance in the barn. We've taken some big financial tolls this year and dealt with some major tragedies. We will get through it like we always do, but I'm tired.
So when I walked on the barn tonight and saw a pile of p**p in my walkway it sent me over the edge.
Today I started at 6 am. I worked horses and gave lessons. I had a short hour lunch break, but ended up spending most of that running payroll and paying bills. I went back to the barn to oil bridles and drag the arenas then got an sos call from my husband that he needed a ride home from the field because the mower broke down. So then picked him up, rushed back to the barn to finish getting arenas ready and back to giving lessons.
Finally done at 8 pm, I still have to make dinner, and try to spend a few moments with my family. But then I walk in the barn and see this, then walk to my wash rack and see manure everywhere and it's not swept up, then I go in my indoor and see manure everywhere, halters on the ground, and obstacles left out. So instead of going to my house I spend another 30 minutes cleaning up.
I know everyone knows I work hard and I do get a lot of appreciation and kindness for that and it is much appreciated. However, the biggest thank you I could get would be walking in the barn to see that everyone had picked up their things and left it nice and neat for me.
I will never forget when I was a kid and my dad started dropping me off at trainers barns. He always would remind me that the barn needed to be cleaner when I left and it was when I got there's and that lesson has always stuck with me. Now that I own a barn myself, I understand why he always emphasized that to me so much.
For those of you that want to be in this business, I can tell you from firsthand experience that one thing that will get you farther than being able to ride or show or start a c**t, is doing the work no one else wants to do. I was always noticed when I was growing up for going the extra mile - cleaning out trailers, oiling bridles, sweeping, mucking stalls, brushing tails, whatever needed done. Some days I'm really disappointed not to see more of that attitude. I open my farm to everyone in hopes it's a safe and happy space for everyone, and most nights I end up paying the price.
So from a very loving but tired barn owner, clean up your mess! If you have time, ask what you can do to help. This business is a very rewarding one, but a huge sacrifice to most that chose it.
