Truthful Tuesday: The One Where Boarding Frustrates Me

I've had my horses at home for a little more than ten years now. So obviously, I'm used to having complete and final say over all the decisions for them. I really like it that way. But my parents have Eros boarded. It's better that way because I don't want my stepmom riding alone, and she likes to ride during the day while I'm at work. Also, she needs to be taking lessons, and that's easy to do at the boarding barn. Not to mention having access to an indoor, that's a huge bonus! But there are down sides. And I'm about to rant and whine here, so feel free to skip this one if you find that annoying.

This face sums up my opinions in today's post

Let's back up to last month, shall we? I'm a big rule follower. I love rules. Reasonable ones anyway. So before I went to Florida earlier this month, I asked the barn owner what the rules were if I go away. Can I ask one of my friends that also rides there to ride Eros while I'm away? And I was told yes, that was ok as long as it was someone capable of riding him. Also, I couldn't ask anyone on staff to ride him, unless I want to pay for a training ride. Ok, fair enough. That worked out fine.
So now, for the upcoming week when I'm going back down south, I had arranged for one of the other amateurs to ride my horse. But then, barn owner asked her to work that week and she agreed to. So that was step one in my foiled plan. If she were to ride my horse, I'd be charged training rides. Which is problematic for several reasons: 1. that's stupid expensive. 2. She's an AMATEUR. 3. I have 2.5 days (1 of which is Christmas) to figure out who's riding my horse. Awesome.
And then there's step two in foiling my plan:
Well, apparently, I wasn't the only one who had a friend ride their horse in their absence around Thanksgiving and barn owner decided she lost money because all the horses were getting ridden for free. Now, if you ask me, she didn't lose money if she wasn't going to get it in the first place. My horse doesn't get training rides (he's a genius, he doesn't require them). So she's not losing that money from me. You can't lose what's not yours. Also, there's an automatic service charge tacked on to all board bills that can be applied to lessons, training rides, that sort of thing. If we're already being charged that fee, we shouldn't be expected to add on services to that. The required service fee should cover what profits she needs to make from each boarder per month. Anything above that would be a bonus for her.

But they did let us ride on Christmas which was pretty awesome.

So now, it's the evening of the 23rd (I leave on the 26th at noon) and I have no plan for my horse while I'm away. My options are this: 1. He can have two training rides while I'm gone, and if I pay for those, then another amateur can ride him the other days. 2. He can hang out and just have his regular turnouts and not get ridden while I'm away. 3. some combo there of.
I really didn't have time to figure out who would be there when, who was working and wasn't allowed, etc etc. So my plan is to let him have the week off, and then get one training ride the day before I get back.
But I also will put requirements on that training ride. I only want the head trainer on him. The assistant trainer does a great job teaching the little kids, but honestly, I'm a better rider than she. I really can't fathom spending $50 for her to "train" my machine of a horse. The other girls who work there are amateurs. Charging money for an amateur to ride a horse is a violation of the amateur rules, and I can't support that. I have always been very mindful of following those rules, and it really irks me when other people have no regard. And lastly, I don't want him to jump. Not after a week off. So they can have our extra $50 for a flat ride, and it needs to be the head trainer.
Am I being spiteful? Probably. But I was hugely inconvenienced at the last minute by a sudden rule change which honestly is NOT in the best interest of my horse.
Ok, I'll stop my whining now. In all honesty, it won't hurt Eros to have a little break. He'll get turned out every day. And I probably would have been fine with the required training ride rule if it was presented to me when I asked. But the situation really frustrated me.
Any thoughts? Does your barn have rules like this? Do you think I'm being a child about the whole thing?