There is an increase of mice in the tack room lately due to the cold weather and I hate it. It's bad enough that you can smell the poo when you go in the tack room. I use my tack everyday, but every day when I go in there, it's got poop droppings all over it. So although I clean it off, it's back overnight. And instead of smelling like polished leather and horse sweat, it stinks like poop and mouse urine when I go in there. I'm not a very assertive person but I pushed myself to say something to my barn owner about it today. I said something casually like, "ew, do you notice it smells like mouse poop in here lately?". And she was like "oh, not really". Which I think she is only saying to avoid the subject, you know? Because I'm really not that much of a complainer.... It really is bad, not just me being picky. So I said "well there are droppings on the tack. Maybe we could put some humane traps in here". And she said that she didn't want to because the barn kittens might get hurt on them. pets question and answers,www.5d2d.com

The door has a rubber seal at the bottom, so I know that the mice are not coming in at the door... They are coming in around the floor edges where there is a small space between the wall and the floor all the way around. I bet it'd be relatively inexpensive to seal it up with maybe some baseboards or something.

She seems to be stubborn against mouse prevention. And it's not technically my barn.... I'm just a boarder, so I can't just put traps up anyways.

so what should I do? I've considered maybe getting some saddle covers. It won't change the smell, but it should keep it off the tack. But if I got the kind that just fits over top and not the kind that zips up, do you think the mice would go up in it?
Ugh.... Even my lunge whip smells. I bet they use it like a staircase to get up and down the wall. LOL.

Any other suggestions? Maybe options I could convince her to take that wouldn't affect the barn cats? Who, obviously, aren't doing their job. lol. She's also afraid they will eat mouse poison, so that's a no no too. But I'm kind of against poison anyway. Pretty inhumane.

Saddle covers sound like a great idea. Unfortunately mice have little trouble gnawing through baseboards, but you might be able to to put steel wool (like Brillo pads without the soap) between the floor and the wall. If the mice chew through that, move! And I don't think the steel wool would harm the kittens.

Eww.. Have you brought up the idea of the baseboards to her? That sounds like your only option considering she is against the other ideas. Is your feed room also accessible to the mice? As I'm sure you know that is not only gross but a danger to the horses. I would bring that point to her attention as well. there is nothing wrong with being assertive if you're not happy with something at the barn you're boarding with. After all, you are paying to be there. You don't need to be nasty, but definitely let her know that you're not happy with the mice situation there and you'd like something to be done.

Edit: If your feed is stored in a completely sealed chest and it is always kept closed, it should be fine. & good idea on the steal wool, Anita. It is also fairly cheap.

Also, saddle covers -might- help but realize mice can and will chew right through them.

saddle covers would help alot. kind of a pain in the butt, but worth it to keep the mice off your stuff, after all, you payed good money for that saddle, you don't want mice droppings on it, and get some real barn cats lol jk!

humane traps wont hurt the kittens

there called humane for a reason.

but if she is worried then take the kittens home for a few days and set up a bunch of traps.

get a cat!

Maybe if the barn owner continues to refuse to do anything about the mice, you should just take your saddle home with you every day. If enough boarders do that, maybe she'll get the hint. Those barn kittens sure aren't doing anything, are they? pets question and answers,www.5d2d.com

That is an excellent idea to use an old freezer to keep the grain in...mice definitely can't get in there! Ha ha, maybe you could put your saddle in there too!