Lisa2526
Member
Hi all. I recently hired a 3.5t to take my daughters 15.3, 860kg monster cob out for a pleasure ride. Not 1 mile from the livery yard, this (usually excellent traveller) beastie of a boy reared up and got his legs over the breast bar. Sadly, he was completely stuck there and inflicing injuries on himself and me as he struggled. I was shocked to find that there was no quick release pin as expected, and that the bar was actually one of the 'collapsible' bars and was fiited incorrectly. The collapsible ones are fitted with a bracketd and bolts tighten it, but it is able to drop out of the bracket if enough weight is applied. Due to the incorrect fitting, I would need to left the bar to get it off, even if they had supplied the tools to do this with (which they didn't) I could never lift it off with his weight on it. He was stuck there for around 10 to 15 minutes, freaking out and blood coming from behind his legs and from a cut above his eye. He was in severe pain and exhausted from trying to escape and he gave up completely. I will never get the image of his head dangling over the bar with his legs, I thought he was dying. He was dribbling uncontrollably and I now believe he was suffocating with his head in that position. Incredibly, due to help from members of the public, I was able to free him but sustained a kick to my tummy in the process which made me pass out. We both survived the ordeal.
On returning the box that evening, I explained the situation and the owner explained that they were all collapsible bars so could'nt understand how that had happened and said she would get in touch with the fitter/manufacturer. The next day they sent me an email saying, "sorry your horse didn't travel well, as a gesture of good will we will waive the cost of repairs, however the box has been bummped on the left bumper and we will charge the repair to your card". I was livid. The box had absolutely definitely not been bumped, and they sent a pic that I would never be able to detirmine if it was of the box I loaned or not! I know that I didn;t damage it. Our yard is flat with no curbs and it was driven about 4 miles to a gravel parking area, no curbs, no boulders etc. I was also followed in convoy by another person who vouched for me that I had not had any bumps or scrapes. I very much think they are pinning the blame on me for something I didn't do, in order to recoup the cost of the damaged breast bar. They have now charged an additional 140 to my card and I cannot afford this. Do any of you know how I can challenge this, if thee BHS helps with legal advice etc (I'm a gold member). Any advice on what to do next and how to challenge this much appreciated.
On returning the box that evening, I explained the situation and the owner explained that they were all collapsible bars so could'nt understand how that had happened and said she would get in touch with the fitter/manufacturer. The next day they sent me an email saying, "sorry your horse didn't travel well, as a gesture of good will we will waive the cost of repairs, however the box has been bummped on the left bumper and we will charge the repair to your card". I was livid. The box had absolutely definitely not been bumped, and they sent a pic that I would never be able to detirmine if it was of the box I loaned or not! I know that I didn;t damage it. Our yard is flat with no curbs and it was driven about 4 miles to a gravel parking area, no curbs, no boulders etc. I was also followed in convoy by another person who vouched for me that I had not had any bumps or scrapes. I very much think they are pinning the blame on me for something I didn't do, in order to recoup the cost of the damaged breast bar. They have now charged an additional 140 to my card and I cannot afford this. Do any of you know how I can challenge this, if thee BHS helps with legal advice etc (I'm a gold member). Any advice on what to do next and how to challenge this much appreciated.
