Carnage on our Livery Yard

Carnage on our livery yard
I am sorry I haven’t written for a while, but here is the lowdown on what has happened. Our silly yard owner insisted swapping the grazing around. It’s because he wants half the fields for his ‘prospective’ Cows, Sheep and Pigs. Yes, – another hair brain idea, of which there have been many!
All the horses were quite happy in their paddocks, and we were looking toward a summer of no cuts or kicks. Then 2 weeks ago he sends us all a “like it or lump it” letter. We were told that we could air our views, but he made himself to busy and fleeting to take them, and before we all knew it – it was set in stone. There was a meeting of all the people on the yard, but he didn’t turn up.. He just busied himself in the fields and sent his girlfriend to sort it.
We all agreed the grazing but 2 women were very worried about their dominant horses all in one field. He refused to split the fields. So...
So by last night we have 2 of those horses on box rest, one horse with a suspected chipped shoulder, and another (a third)in a sling! in Hospital with shattered splint bones on both back legs and a suspected cannon bone fracture. There was blood everywhere – the two arteries were slashed. Basically he couldn’t give a monkeys and wouldn’t come out even though the children were screaming at the house for help. The vet said it was ridiculous.
So can someone tell me if there is any legal action that can be taken?
 
I would expect the insurance companies of the injured horses would be a little interested in how this all came about and I would certainly ask them for advice regarding this.

I hope all involved get better.
 
Very sad situation but as these owners were worried about their horses I think they should have made other arrangements and found somewhere else for their horses to go.
I feel desperately sorry for everyone though, sounds terrible
 
I'm sorry but it's quite obvious the owners of the dominant horses KNEW what would happen (you said they were very worried) so WHY did they put them in together?

If they didnt like it they should have kept one in or moved yards.

At the end of it the YO owns the land and does with it as he pleases... he notified you, which TBH is more than most YO's would do....

It's not that i don't sympathise, but it IS his land and if you went down the lgal route the ladies whose horses were injured would be asked why on heavens earth they put their horses in together when they knew what would happen.
 
I'm not sure, but assuming the owners turned their own horses loose (and he didn't actually move them), then guess this will be seen in the eyes of the law that they accepted the risk........
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I appreciate that you weren't given much option i.e. either move them or leave, but guess if the owners were that worried they had the option to leave.

That said I would be absolutely furious, but if was put in a similar situation, I would have either moved my horse, kept it stabled till I could move it or have insisted on putting up a small electrified patch (even if I had to buy the fencing myself).
 
It sounds terrible and seeing as he is taking money for liveries I would have thought he did havea duty of care. I think if I was in that situation I would take the letter and the people who horses have been injured and go see a solicitor or talk to your insurance companies. But one think I would definately do if MOVE MY HORSE.
 
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Technically no he made an offer & you accepted it however for £500 you can get his knees shot away
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Bloody hell, where do you live? Chelsea??

Try Mossside, they're a bit cheaper
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I am really sorry, this could so easily have been prevented but he appears to be stupid and not care about anything other than getting his rent.
I don't think you can do a thing legally because you all agreed with his representative to try the regime, but for goodness sake all find somewhere else and quickly, if you all vote with your feet prehaps in future he will think twice.
 
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Technically no he made an offer & you accepted it however for £500 you can get his knees shot away
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Bloody hell, where do you live? Chelsea??

Try Mossside, they're a bit cheaper
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PMSL
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Sorry your post doesnt quite make sense..
Do you mean to say that previously the horses were in their own individual paddocks, and then the farmer said that you all had to put your horses in the same field, all together? So therefore the resulting injuries are because all the horses were just suddenly chucked out all together in the same field?

Im sorry but the farmer is a farmer, he would not understand the implications of doing something like this. As owners you would be responsible for your own horses, and perhaps you should not have agreed to have turned them all out together like that. I f the horses are shod behind, it only takes one kick, and then thats that.
 
I had a YO who did similar, told me that my gelding was going out with other geldings who I knew to be very very dominant, with 2 mares in the field as well.

I point blank refused to put him in that situation and left the yard. The replacement gelding for mine was badly injured I heard.
 
Entirely the fault of the owners who turned the horses out together. They could taken turns with turnout, one lot out at night, the other during the day. They could have divided the grazing with electric fencing. They could have removed their horses to more suitable acomodation.

The yard owner is not liable. The owners needed to ensure the facilities met their needs before turning the horses out. It is also their responsibility to introduce the horses sympatheticly.
 
Yes you can take legal action through the civil courts as the owner has a duty of care. You could also probably use the new animal welfare act as well. To take action you would need to instruct a specialist equine practice to hande this matter on your behalf.
 
But the YO did not turn them out, the owners did, knowing full well that they would fight..

That isnt the YO's fault, he gave them plenty of notice, and they didnt HAVE to turn their horses out together, as someone else pointed out, one lot could have gone out in the day, another at night...
 
just spoke to my friend who is into legal stuff -
he says the only possible thing is duty of care - BUT - as you were not forced into moving the horses ( he did give you the chance to leave!) you will find it very hard to get anything from the yard owner.

unfortunatly it is a hard way to learn a lesson - but as others say if they knew their horses were bad together they should never have turned them out together.
 
Thank you to everyone for the informative comments. Thankfully it’s not my horse this time – although I am 2 years dealing with a PSD injury on my horse: a result of a previous hair brain scheme, I’d rather not go into.
Anyway, I believe the lady with the horse in hospital is moving off, she’s talking to the insurance company tomorrow about a possible claim for lack of “duty of care”. The lady with the horse that did the damage (the one with the chipped shoulder), she’s going to a solicitor.
By the way – I wanted to say that even though the grazing was agreed at the yard meeting – With the dominant horse situation, I believe there was going to be some gradual introduction but this seemed to have been lost in translation: an entirely different horse arrangement, which seemed non-negotiable, was pasted on the notice board for us to follow the following day – so he obviously didn’t listen to the views given at the meeting.
We had 16 horses over several fenced paddocks, some paddocks had 5 some with 2.
The ones with two were one mare (1) and a gelding which she considers her son (1) – since he has been with her from the age of 1. And another pair – a large mare(2) (who stayed out of it) and a gelding (2). They were all put together – the Gelding (2) set about to kill Mare (1), Gelding (1) stepped in and all were injured. Mare (1) critical, Gelding (1) heavily kicked but will recover, gelding (2) – chipped shoulder.
That was just one field – we have 6 horses on box rest from injuries caused over the “introduction” period – its madness! – There is simply no where safe to put your horse!
My horse is in a paddock on his own, as he is still rehabilitating – but the YO says I have to move him in with the others soon – to make way for his sheep. I hope it all settles down – but my horse – one more thing and it’s curtains for him – I was looking at having him PTS at Christmas due to another injury on-top of the PSD, but thankfully he is recovering well (on his own).
 
jeeeezus, buy some electric fencing, club together, get the YO to buy it, whatever, and separate the paddocks. it's just not worth the injuries, especially as they're all totally preventable. madness.
the YO sounds like an uncaring s***, but if he's not horsey, he'll never understand. it's the individual owners of the horses who must take ultimate responsibility for having said "okay, we'll try it", i believe. i'd move my horse(s), no question. or keep them in and graze them in hand for an hour a day, rather than risk a fatal kick. or take all their back shoes off and then at least they are less likely to break each others' bones...
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This is the thing - he will not let us fence our own fields off! This was how all the arguements started, he has taken all the fencing down, even though it belongs to the people at the yard and not him. Some horses have to go out: Mare (1) has COPD.
 
Don't worry - I'm not risking my horse - I have told him - I have been on this yard 5 years (longer than anyone) and watched the yard empty and fill again and again as people have voted with their feet. At one point a whole year went by with only another girl and me - it was great.
 
Thanks to everyone for their comments - I have taken a lot on board and will let the people involved know where they stand.
 
I agree. As far as I am aware a duty of care only prevails when the YO or one of his employees does a task for a horse on the yard that he is paid for. ie: Turnout on behalf of the owner/bring in etc If the YO did not turn the horses out in the first place & had notified the owners of a different grazing regime. The buck stops with them. What a bloody stupid idea though, & whilst I agree a farmer would 'probably' not understand the risk. I think he is just a bit canny in the way he has played this one.
 
two days ago our new tb got conprehensively beaten up by another horse when turned out with him for the first time , we had introduced them carefully and slowly and the other horse was used to others , and had never been a problem before
our yard owner couldnt have been more helpful or dismayed , she does everything reasonable to ensure that similar types and sexes graze together , in appropriate groups , she listens to the owners concerns and does her best to accomodate them , she also stated that she feels that it is her duty of care to provide this
when we realised we had a problem mixing the two horses she rushed to feild to help catch them etc , allowed me to put him in another paddock with my old gelding and couldnt be more helpful
my duty of care to my horse means that if i had had prior knowledge that these two horses wouldnt get on i would have been totally negligent turning them out together and my yard owner would never suggest it ,
it is the owners responsibility to sort out the yard owner , if he is such a money grabbing uncaring so and so , then move them immediatly , and tell him in writing why , he has a duty to provide safe housing for each individual and just because he didnt actually lead the horses to thier fields doesnt mean he is totally innocent in this
 
As a horse owner i have a duty of care for my own horse. There is no way at all would i put my horse in that position. People knew what was going to happen and they turned out their horses for it to happen Why? This story has sent shivers down me. Of course i do realise it was a difficult situation. I have been on livery yards. If my horse was going to be at risk i protected it and moved it. My horse - my responsibility. Of course i realy do feel for you and the other horse owners, i just cannot beleive they let there horses out together when they knew there was going to be carnage.
This is not a good livery yard i would advise everyone to move - and put there horses welfare first!
I feel even more for those poor horses being put in that position by their owners. These horses did not asked to be owned by these people, these people chose to own these horses - a massive responsibility - and should act responsible in the horses care. Something that was not done. These people failed in their duty of care to their animals.
I do hope the poor horses recover. I realy do not wish to sound harsh, but this situation should have, and could have been avoided.
Good luck with your horse, and i realy do hope these people will learn from this, those poor horses.
 
Unbelieveable! As an owner of a very dominant horse I would not under any circumstances turn my horse out with others. Like the majority on this thread, I would have made alternative arrangements and not expected my horses nature to change overnight. In my personal opinion based on the info you gave, every injury could have been avoided with a bit more effort on the owners part.
Are you looking for a new yard? Again, my personal opinion would be that if I was you I'd find a more 'horsey' yard and not put up with 'old MacDonald'.
Hope all ends well. Good luck!!
 
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