Stalls changed without being told

[JudyandPunch]

Ok, I am new to this horse world, so that I would appreciate advice on this.

My daughter (just turned 11 yo) has a full loan on her lovely pony. We have been fortunate to find a great place that works so well in many aspects.

But here is the kick: yesterday, the barn owner moved DD’s pony from an inside-facing stall to an outside-facing one. This was done to accommodate another horse who was having some issues with the horse next to him. Nobody told us about this move, despite us being at the barn every day during summer so therefore easily available for a quick chat.

I feel now the environment has changed for my daughter. She no longer has adults around her when she is at the stall with her pony. Granted, there are adults around the tack area, and I guess she should be when grooming and getting Pony ready for her ride. I also feel they should have explained to us what they were planning on doing. We're we taken for granted? I mean we spend an enormous amount of money on the loan and barn costs? Should we have a say or at least be told in advance? The barn owner told me she reserves the right to move the horses as she sees fit. 🤨 To complicate things, the pony’s owner works at the barn and was present when the move occurred. I feel she was told about the move and was ok with it. The barn owner insists it was solely her decision and that she will do what she sees fit for the wellbeing of the animals.

Is it wrong to feel that this has been clumsily handled? Should we have been told about the plans beforehand? I can’t shake off the feeling that they would do this to an adult (i.e., move your horse without telling you first)? Am I wrong to be upset that DD no longer has adults' supervision at most times? She is very responsible, but still only 11 yo.

Am I wrong to be upset? What is the done thing regarding moving horses’ stall?

Historyrocks, yes, I now realise we are fortunate to have this set up. DD loves being there, and they are like her because she is keen to do hard work. We try to model a great work ethic; she gets it and hasn't complained once. It's not all work, though, but there is plenty of unglamorous jobs that need to be done. I am grateful for the time she spends there, so I fill the fridge and the freezer with cold drinks and ice lollies for everyone. And I bake homemade treats for the horses, so they have a healthier option treat-wise.

So, for those assuming I am doing this for free childcare, I am entitled, American, etc, etc... Haha, you're so mistaken and incredibly quick to judge. It's funny to read through all the opinions, assumptions and outrage. We had a good chuckle reading through your replies!

To be fair though I learned a lot about different set ups, and I am glad I asked.

@JudyandPunch you were the one that bought up the supervision of your daughter in your original post , if you had simply asked were they unreasonable to move the stable without asking me then you would have had very different responses and perhaps wouldn’t have resorted to just being rude . On what I imagine is a mainly British site you’ve really done Americans no favours at all with your attitude . XelaM’s example of her daughter being at the stables all day is a completely different scenario to an 11 yo with her own pony being left at a livery yard all day , at a riding school / yard that allows children to help out the manager will have planned a level of supervision . Most normal livery yards here do not expect unaccompanied children to be around all day at DIY yards people do their own thing and at full /part livery yards people are paying for staff to deal with their horses and I would be pretty cross if I was paying upwards of £120 per week ( which is what I pay for livery) and a random 11 yo was dealing with my horse unless I had expressly given permission . ( which I wouldn’t )

Let it go. You are a bit too invested in this.

Not at all , just pointing out the facts

I must also be over invested because I’m still thinking how fortunate she must be to find somewhere that works for her on so many aspects, but also happens to have the pony’s owner working at. That is fortunate.

Sounds like a troll.

To be fair to the OP I think she has been caught here by the massive difference between the UK and the USA for most horses.
In the UK many of us have our horses at home, many of the rest will be at livery yards and most of those would not welcome an unsupervised just turned 11 yo.
The American system is mostly of barns, which often come complete with resident trainer, it appears to be less usual to go up every day, and it appears that OP is actually leasing rather than loaning the pony ( almost exclusively found in USA for ponies) and I “think” the set up where the OP is may be more like a riding school in the UK that has a lot of liveries as well so they are happy for unaccompanied kids to be around.
I think they should have mentioned it to you beforehand, maybe you would get no say in it anyway but basic manners would suggest it would be sensible to let you know first.

@JaffavsCookie, yes, they told me to move horses around to ensure they are compatible with their stall neighbours. And yes, we are leasing her pony ( I thought leasing and a loan were the same thing). Here, you typically lease up to a certain level plus height. Before leasing this pony, DD took lessons at a riding school where she rode a different horse every time she was there. It was impossible to develop a relationship with a horse and to make much progress. DD is into Jumpers. I understand nearly impossible to do jumping on a riding school horse.

I am not a troll! Not sure why it is so weird to have the pony’s owner working at the barn. The pony’s owner has another horse she keeps at the barn, plus the pony we lease from her. She is very attached to the pony ( her daughter also learned to ride on the same animal). I would have thought this arrangement is perfect for her and our family's benefiting also. She is a lovely person too, very kind and happy DD is so into her pony.

I think there is a MASSIVE cultural difference here between US barns and the UK liveries. I gather that clearly now. As I mentioned before, I learned tons about the different approaches. Plus, English is not my first language, so some posters clearly don't appreciate my style. 🤣

I forgot to add that the barn owner is the head trainer. She is keen to have DD help around and learn all aspects of horse riding. She told me that she dislikes the attitude around here, which is kids turn up for lessons on horses that have been tacked up and are all ready for them. DD lunges and tacks the horse before the training starts so she is typically there 45 min to 1 hour beforehand.