Am I being a mug !!

tubby1

Well-Known Member
Joined
4 August 2010
Messages
333
Visit site
I'm interested in what you would do . The horse next to mine has been left in field for a few weeks without anyone checking him as a result he has come in & looking like a toast rack. He is now on winter routine which means he is stabled 24/7 . My problem is his owner leaves him for hours on end with no hay a filthy bed & then asks me to feed him etc while he doesn't come up . This person has been known to lie about stuff. I hate to see the horse neglected but I don't feel I should help coz it's just encouraging his laziness. I don't mind helping occasionally. Would you just look after this horse coz it's not his fault or would you speak to the owner ( again) about the poor standard of care. I have spoken to the yard owner about this but nothing seems to change.
 
Tricky one. I can see why you dont want to encourage the laziness by doing it, but at the same time cant watch the horse suffer. Does he leave the horse because he has no interest or could there be another problem. Maybe worth having a chat with him and raise your concerns. I know its hard. The only other alternative is to report him...
 
Speak to yo again, & I'd also offer to look after the horse for payment. However if all else failed, I'd do the horse anyway, I couldn't stand by & see it suffer.
 
As suggested speak to YO they are best placed to deal with issues of welfare of the horses at their yard. But I would probably say no but check it and do it anyway
 
I would speak to the YO as they do have a duty of care towards the animals on their land - if that didn't have an effect then I would offer to do it for a fee , try and be supportive and give the owner a chance to do the right thing. If they weren't willing I would explain to them that IMO the level of care that they were providing wasn't appropriate.

BUT if none of those things worked I am pretty sure I would take care of it and perhaps offer to take it off their hands - get it healthy and find a new home for it.
 
Speak to the owner, but be firm that unless they can provide adequate care for the horse, in some way, you will report them. If nothing done... report them (or if you can afford/are so inclined, offer to purchase or take on the horse). If it was a child, you would not just leave it. And the horse is in a position where it is completely unable to feed itself, and the owner hardly seems reliable! :/
 
Speak to the owner, but be firm that unless they can provide adequate care for the horse, in some way, you will report them. If nothing done... report them (or if you can afford/are so inclined, offer to purchase or take on the horse). If it was a child, you would not just leave it. And the horse is in a position where it is completely unable to feed itself, and the owner hardly seems reliable! :/

Reporting it doesn't guarantee any results. Most charities (particularly RSPCA) won't touch it because its needs are still being met even if they are being met inadequately..
 
speak to YO I believe they have a legal duty of care to any animal on their land.

I would not do anything about a dirty stable except if there is bedding available top up when needed as a dirty bed will not do the horse any real harm unless it is very long term

does the owner supply the hay and bedding or are you using yours?

how long is hrs without food?

how often does owner come up?
 
Reporting it doesn't guarantee any results. Most charities (particularly RSPCA) won't touch it because its needs are still being met even if they are being met inadequately..

Then being me, I would continue to bang on their doors & scream blue murder, because at the end of the day, it's not on. Inadequate is just that at the end of the day! Although I'd probably have put the owner off owning horse's for life by then... (after, of course, checking that there was no "reasonable" reason for the horse being neglected in such a way... if there can be such a thing). But that's just me... :rolleyes:
 
So the horse is stabled 24/7, often has no hay and isn't mucked out regularly? Does he run out of water too? Does the poor sod get taken out of his cell... sorry stable every day to stretch his legs?
 
Did you mean the yard has a winter policy of in 24/7 so the horse is not only not being looked after it is shut in all the time and this will continue until spring:eek:

This needs sorting now, the YO cannot turn a blind eye, they are to some extent to blame, partly for allowing the horse to be neglected and not having rules about care of horses in the yard and partly for having a 24/7 stabling policy which will add to the horses problems. It will get worse as we go into winter, poor horse:(
 
You can ask a BHS Welfare person to come out to talk to the owner (and the YO as well by the sounds of it) on the correct care of horses. They are not like the RSPCA who will only act if there is cruelty, but will give advice on the correct care of the horse. They are knowledgeable horse owners, and are mid-way between someone like you and the RSPCA, etc.

Contact the BHS at Stoneleigh and they get in touch with the local people. All confidential.
 
Sorry stupid phone. Faracat & Be positive. We have good turn out & great winter field if we want the horses out 24/7. It just this person is too lazy to turn out. I think the horse would be better out 24/7 coz their is loads of grass in the winter field natural shelter & access to bug bales of haylage in the really cold weather at least it would be able to fend for itself . X
 
If you have the option of 24/7 turnout then I suspect there is something else other than laziness going on. After all what takes less work than putting a horse in a field & leaving it there?
 
We have good turn out & great winter field if we want the horses out 24/7. It just this person is too lazy to turn out. I think the horse would be better out 24/7 coz their is loads of grass in the winter field natural shelter & access to bug bales of haylage in the really cold weather at least it would be able to fend for itself . X

In that case I would turn the horse out (and inform the yard owner).
 
Top