I recently experienced a whole bunch of drama at the barn where I board my two horses.  What it came down to was that I broke a minor rule, thinking that certain people would be kind and generous enough to make an exception in a special circumstance.  Not so.  It was far more trouble than it was worth -- far more trouble than it would have been just to abide by the silly rule.

Unfortunately, horse boarding barns tend to have a lot of drama.  Maybe it's the fact that most boarders and horse owners are women, or maybe it's the fact that horse people are nothing if not passionate about what they do and how they do it.  Whatever the reason, if you ever find a barn that doesn't have very much drama, I suggest you dig in like a tick, because they are hard to find!

If you aren't that lucky, you can still try to minimize how much drama you, personally, have to deal with.  Here are a few ideas to help you along.

1. Keep to yourself.  Horse owners often love to socialize, so it's hard not to get involved with everyone else's business when you're out at the barn.  If you can keep to yourself, though, you will be able to (for the most part) avoid drama involving you, and hopefully also stay neutral in any drama involving other boarders.  Remember: You are primarily out at the barn to ride and spend time with your horse.  Focus on that as much as possible.
2. Think before you speak, count to ten -- any way you put it, these sayings are all about preventing yourself from saying something you'll regret.  If keeping to yourself doesn't work, and other boarders or even the barn manager or owner tries to drag you into something, you can do a lot of damage control simply by being cautious about what you say.
3. Choose your friends carefully.  Just because you and another boarder both have horses at the same barn doesn't mean you have a lot in common.  It's nice to have riding buddies, but just remember that you may not be able to talk to them the same way you would your mom or your best friend.  Keeping your barn relationships casual is a good precaution against drama!
4. Be respectful of rules and other boarders.  As I learned the hard way, sometimes what doesn't seem like a big deal to you may be to someone else.  If you are unsure, don't be afraid to ask, but be prepared to obey the rules even if you don't like them.  And always, even if there isn't a specific rule about it, be respectful to other boarders!  Doing so will go a long way toward ensuring you are liked and respected, too.

For me, the barn -- and spending time with my horses -- is my happy place.  I know that if it gets too stressful because of poor relationships with the owner or other boarders, I won't want to spend as much time with my horses, so minimizing drama -- or at least my involvement in it -- as much as possible is imperative if I am going to continue to enjoy my hobby!