Barn Rules: The Nags

Q: The older ladies at my barn are bossy and overbearing. They bombard me and the younger riders with unsolicited advice and remarks on horse grooming, horsemanship, and how we tack our horses. It is impossible to get even one peaceful moment without a rule or opinion shoved in our faces. Is there a nice way to tell them to back off?

A: Women like horses often behave like prey animals with a strong fight-or-flight instinct. This means they respond to a threat either by fleeing or standing their ground. The older nags at your barn very likely feel threatened and have chosen to assert their dominance to establish the pecking order at the barn. Looks to me like the herd of women at your stable - much like a herd of horses - needs an established hierachy in order for the group to function smoothly. To survive here, you are gonna have to show you are willing to cooperate and accept their higher rank. This means you will have to let the dominant mare be the one responsible for the rules and overall safety of the barn. She will likely let up on the unwelcomed comments once her role as boss mare is clear. The alternative is to find another barn where you can be the alpha nag.