advice regarding green eyed monsters

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wildcard

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so just wanting bit of advice really, had an absolutely awful week, having just got back aboard my 4 year old due to yet another kick :( id planned on going showing yesterday with her and know a few people from my yard were also going..

so arrived at my yard Thursday nught to do a little schooling before the weekend to find someone had slashed my brand new only 3 months old bates saddle right down the knee rolls. I actually was in shock that someone could have done such a nasty spitful thing. and ofcourse everyone has pleaded innocence, although im pretty sure who it was i cant prove it..

so im stuck now with what to do.. ive been at this yard almost 10 years now and never had any problems issues etc but this is making me want to leave, i cant put my things in the tackroom for fear it may happen again in the future so everything is currently locked in my wagon :( and you could cut the atmosphere with a knife..

I dont want to let this person win by leaving but dont know how to progress forward been on the same yard as them and knowing their having a real good laugh at my expense... Please help this is really getting me down now and making me not want to spend time with my horses. :(
 
their is no cctv on the tack room but as we have a secure lock it has to be someone from the yard and between me leaving wednesday evening and arriving back Thursday night only 4 people had been down to the yard. :(

police have been informed but because is a communial tack room would be almost impossible to finger print anything. I feel so down about the whole situation. I have a very good gut feeling i know who it was but cant prove a darn thing.. :(
 
Can you get the YO involved? I would report to police as criminal damage and tell YO very loudly in front of everyone that you will get them in to finger print the saddle unless they hold a meeting to discuss what happened
 
Has the person behaved in a threatening manner before? I would write down what and when things have occurred, in case you need to refer it to the police at a later date. Is there anyone else on the yard experiencing the bullying/vandalising too, who you could talk to and approach the YO together?
 
I'm completely shocked ! What kind of mental state does the person who did this, have ?
Have you spoken to your YO ? Its quite a serious piece of malicious damage.
 
presuming you have discussed this with the yo - what did they have to say
- this is terrible & appalling behaviour !!!!
 
ive spoken with the YO about this and she has been visited by the police but as nothing can be proved cant really do much she has said whoever it is will without doubt be thrown off the yard but how can we ever find out. the police have been very good and have said they will revisit the yard to speak with people.

i just feel at my wits end, i had to get a loan to pay for the saddle originally, due to the amount of damage theyve done its going to be around £400 - 500 to fix and my insurance wont cover due to its been criminal damange.

i dont know if to say or go now.
 
i honestly thought these people were friends and im in total shock that someone would do this and to such a degree thats its going to cost so much to fix. everything is locked away now so nothing else can be damaged. im finding it really hard to not blow my lid with the people i think it is.
 
Check your house insurance - it may well be covered under that. Mine covers sports equipment away from home. I don't really understand why it's not covered under your normal insurance just because it's criminal damage - after all if it was stolen that would be a criminal offence too....??
 
I'd be very tempted to ask people to make themselves available for finger prints to be taken at a certain time (when you know everyone is usually available & they don't need to know that the police have said they won't take prints from the tack room) and basically I believe the culprit won't turn up and so there's your proof!

It's disgusting behaviour :mad:

I'd make sure everyone knows that you're not going to let it go & you WILL find out who did it so that you can take the matter further with regards to criminal charges...
 
I really feel for you on this and to be honest im amazed at how youve dealt with it - I for one would be going absolutely mental.

Its very disturbing (verging on psycho!) that someone would do this and to be honest is pretty scary. Have you made it known on the yard that the police are involved? If it were me I would be making sure EVERYONE knew and that they were going to be taking fingerprints (even if they are not!) as I am sure you would be able to gauge peoples reactions to that....

As for 'letting them win by moving' in all honesty the only winner will be you not having to be with such nasty spiteful people. Disgusting.
 
I am insured so that if any damage is done to any of my liveries tack whilst it is in my tack room, I am covered to pay for it. Ask if your YO is too, and if not, suggest that it would be a very good idea to be covered.

What a horrible horrible thing to happen, sending you hugs.
 
I would be raising merry hell and leaving asap!
Life is far too short to be entertaining that level of madness.

I would also be a bit annoyed with your YO. Its not as if someone has broken in and stolen everything, this is actually someone currently on the yard, why haven't they got to the bottom of it? Something doesnt add up to me...
 
The yo needs to have a meeting with the lot of them, someone on your yard has commited a nasty vandalous act, if i was yo id be asking the police to do more, if i found the person they'd have48 hours max to get out
 
It's not about the other person winning if you leave. It's about you losing if you stay.

You can't currently enjoy horse owning on this yard. Livery yards are not like going to work, where you have to do it if you like it or not. Horse owning is your hobby, its supposed to be your time to relax.

You have your yard owners support so I'm sure she'd understand why you're leaving, not take it personally and be fine if at any time you wanted to bring your horse back to this yard.

If you can keep things locked up that's good. If not, I'd only ever buy cheap things, so it doesn't hurt too much if they are damaged or stolen.
 
I'm with Sarah1 on this. You say there were only 4 people on the yard at the time of the damage. Those 4 need to be interviewed. I notice you say people when you say you think you kinow who it is - have you had problems on the yard in other ways?

I'm sorry but your YO needs to get to the bottom of this, fancy having someone on the yard capable of a thing like that. I would be having them all in a room and getting the thumbscrews and rack out and all four would be off the yard. Hard on the innocent ones but this goes beyond green eyed stuff.

They've damaged the saddle - what next? Awful.
 
I used to be at a yard where people got very jealous if you went out & competed. You were meant to be like them, fill the horse up with supplements, be scared to ride & sit about drinking coffee saying what a good rider you were. If you didn't join the clique they were like a pack of wolves. Never bothered me but I had to step in a few times when they started to gang up (these are women in their 20's) on kids who werent even teenagers.

We all had metal feed bins. Several of us noticed our food was being pinched, so asked YO if we could padlock our bins. We accused no-one (though did know who it was), just locked them. Said person walked in that evening & exploded. Not sure whay she should have done that if it wasn't her. Her stable was next to mine, & her & her partner would stand in there mucking out threatening to beat me up (interesting as I won a verteran world judo championship). They were soon shown to be the thieves they were & chucked out by YO. Anyone else would have been scared of that pair, & I never kept anything outside the bin (tack went home), as a friend had her showing saddle damaged.

Trust no-one until they've earned it in a large yard. Keep everything locked up or take it home. Leave yard, explain to YO you don't want to be a prt of that kind of yard, you just want to enjoy your horse. Find somewhere with genuine people who will support you, not be petty & childish. How do you know they wont do something to your horse next?
 
A couple of issues.
Your yard owner will have insurance cover for the tack room and contents so in the absense of any other way of recouping your loss claim from them.
Your yard owner should arrange a meeting of the entire yard
 
pip6 said:
How do you know they wont do something to your horse next?
Click to expand...

This would be my main worry and i would explain to the YO that you don't feel safe and unless the culprit can be found and removed then you will have no option but to leave the yard. they won't be winning if you leave, you will be because you will be moving away from someone who is obviously unhinged!
 
Agree about claiming on the YO Insurance

If they don't want to claim or don't have the insurance cover that should push them to get to the bottom of it
 
I'm going to go slightly against the grain here. I don't see why you should move.
Can you say for definite that there were only those 4 people on the yard when it happened?
If so, if I was your YO then I would be saying that as *somehow* your saddle got damaged whilst they were around then they will have to split the cost of repairing it between them.
I bet you find the real culprit then....the innocent parties will squeal like pigs :D
This will then give you the option of pressing charges against them.

If they don't squeal (unlikely) but pay up, you are still into a winner as you can get the saddle repaired at no cost.
Bullies can only win if you don't stand up to them. Good luck x
 
Oh & I would discuss claiming on your YO insurance. I suspect of you do this she will make much more of an effort to catch the criminal.
 
I would love for the YO to pull everyone togeather and single out the culprit but in all honesty shes a bit weak and tends to just brush issues under the carpet rather than actually deal with them, ive made it well known the police are involved and that fingerprints will be taken but as yet no one seems to be budging.. Havent had any issues with anyone on the yard except i had explained to a new lady on the yard who had been asked by the person i think it is whos done it to take her to a show yesterday and id explained her horse wasnt a very good traveller and when i took it last year did damange to my trailer. This is the only thing i can think off.. that may have annoyed anyone. I thought i actually got on very well with everyone. but it appears not..

I know im the one loosing out by staying but i guess im hopeing the YO will step up and do something maybe my trust in people is flawed. :(
 
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