I Think It's Time For New Gloves

Just a guess.....

I Love My Barn, But.... (WARNING: a bit medically gag-inducing)

I love my new barn a lot.  Great trainer, beautiful facility, close to where I live/work.... I mean, it's pretty much the tops.  There is one thing (sparkly pink unicorn saddle pads aside), however, that really gets my goat.  (Also, this place has goats.  Like I said, it's the tops).

The interesting thing is that I've never had this problem at any of the other barns I've been at, which makes me wonder.  Now, contrary to other barns I've belonged to, my typical riding outfit of jeans and an old t-shirt I don't mind getting sweat, horse snot and dirt on, stands out from the rest of the crowd.  What was normal at my previous places now makes me look like some kind token wrong-side-of-the-tracks kid.

So, I feel like it might have something to do with the fact that the clientele is a little different than what I'm used to, but it could be something completely different that has nothing to do with the stereotype I'm about to make. You see, there are a lot of young'uns at the barn and their moms all tend to arrive to pick them up wearing the same outfit: yoga pants and flip flops.

I've no problems with the yoga pants, I don't blame you for wanting to be comfortable, but flip flops? Flip flops for crying out loud!

Am I the only one who was taught never to wear open-toed shoes to a barn? Was that just a midwest thing because we only get three months out of the year to wear sandals and our pedicure game is just not up to par?

Every place I've ridden, you come to the barn you wear closed-toe shoes.  Every place.  Sure, if you weren't born into a horsey family you might not know that off the bat, but in my experience, parents and riders alike learned really quickly. 

Just a couple weeks ago, a gross photo of the mangled foot and toenail (I'm trying not to gag right now) of a horse person I know popped up in my facebook feed without warning (another pet peeve of mine-  I was eating lunch at the time btw) who had been caught in her wellies.  If you're a horse person, you've probably also seen the oft-shared photo of that foot that was practically all scraped  off (I can feel the bile rising in my throat) that I'm NOT going to share here (not even if you paid me in Ryan Goslings.).  NOBODY wants that to happen to them, nobody.

So, what gives? To make matters worse, these women often stand in high traffic areas talking to each other.  People who are inexperienced with unpredictable creatures + standing in a high-traffic area + flip flops just seems to = painful disaster waiting to happen.

 So far, I've never witnessed anyone say anything to these women to educate them.  I sort of feel like that's my trainer's position (and maybe she has spoken to them and they just don't care, to be fair I don't know) to educate them and I don't want to be that person, that nosy know-it-all with unasked for advice.  Still, the whole situation just makes me nervous.  

What do you think, is there a polite and non-bossy way to suggest they wear real shoes, or do I just shut up and mind my own dang business?  

P.S. I did try to avoid being too graphic, but I'm sorry if this post grossed you out.  I'll try not to do it again.