Dangerous charity

[140947]

I rehomed a pony from a charity 11 months ago. He sounded perfect for me. He was a 7 year old, new Forest X Welsh that had been previously started then turned away and forgotten about. When I enquired about him she said that he needed an experienced home and he could be a little bit nervous but wouldn’t act upon it. Since having him, he has not come with a passport so I had to get it, restart all his jabs, microchip him to me and get his hooves sorted that were in a right state. I also found an owner that had him as a 6 year old in 2012 making him at least 11.
My problem is, is that in the 11 months I’ve had him, we’ve made almost no progress at all. He has a serious bolting issue and I cannot stop him no matter how soft/ firm/ what aids I use or who rides him. When he wants his rider off, it’s coming off!
I’ve had people out to look at him dentist, back, saddle fitter etc etc and I spent hundreds of pounds getting help from a professional trainer to help with breaking him in. But he is still dangerous and I’m terrified of getting back on him as last time I fell off I ended up in hospital!
I had another lady who works with breaking in difficult horses come and tell me that ‘he is seriously f**ked up and something terrible has happened in his past to make him so psychologically broken’ she then went on to tell me it’s all about how much I’m willing to risk, as I am going to have nasty falls, be thrown into fences etc.
To be honest, this pony isn’t worth it! All it takes is one fall and I’ve broken my back and I’d be so angry if this pony stopped me doing the thing I loved most.

My problem now is: I can’t afford to get another horse and keep this one as a companion. In our loan contract from the charity, he must go back. But the charity is so dodgy and has absolutely terrible reviews on what they do with their horses and rehoming dangerous ones to new people all the time. I really don’t want to send him back. Is there anything else I can do?

 

[AmyMay]

Sadly not. He’s legally the Charity’s.

 

[140947]

Sadly not. He’s legally the Charity’s.

I really cannot bear to have him go back! I feel like I actually rescued him from the charity and as stupid as it sounds, I promised him he’d never go back, but that’s when I thought everything would work out between us.

 

[AmyMay]

What charity did he come from?

 

[140947]

What charity did he come from?

‘Free Rein Horse Rescue’ in Burwash.
Take a look at their Facebook reviews. They’re terrible.
And their latest pony they put up for rehoming last night (a shetland called Costa) is apparently a perfect on/ off leadrein for children, yet the lady who trusted Free rein with him commented straight away on how unsuitable he is for children and must be a companion. Claire Gerrard (charity owner) just doesn’t care, she just wants the rehoming money.

 

[Lintel]

Could you try and find him a companion home yourself and be clear with the person rg to the charity situation?

 

[140947]

Could you try and find him a companion home yourself and be clear with the person rg to the charity situation?

I’m scared that if I tell her I don’t want him now then she’ll demand he comes back straight away and I know she won’t let me rehome him myself.
I just want to know if there’s someone I can report the charity to.

 

[AmyMay]

‘Free Rein Horse Rescue’ in Burwash.
Take a look at their Facebook reviews. They’re terrible.
And their latest pony they put up for rehoming last night (a shetland called Costa) is apparently a perfect on/ off leadrein for children, yet the lady who trusted Free rein with him commented straight away on how unsuitable he is for children and must be a companion. Claire Gerrard (charity owner) just doesn’t care, she just wants the rehoming money.

It wasn’t the lady who Trusted the pony to the charity who commented, but a previous owner to that.

 

[AmyMay]

You can report any concerns about the charity to the Charities Commission.

 

[be positive]

Unfortunately some of these charities are more like low level dealers, they 'buy' cheap equines that probably should have been pts by their owners but they prefer to get rid and pass on their responsibilities the so called charity steps in to 'rescue' them and gets money from the well meaning new 'owner' so the animal is now someone else's responsibility, you then have the option of keeping it and dealing with the issues, returning it to be passed on again, or it having, what is probably the best option, an accident and being pts quietly.

They are probably not a charity but a not for profit organisation which is a business by another name and not covered under the charities act..

 

[140947]

Unfortunately some of these charities are more like low level dealers, they 'buy' cheap equines that probably should have been pts by their owners but they prefer to get rid and pass on their responsibilities the so called charity steps in to 'rescue' them and gets money from the well meaning new 'owner' so the animal is now someone else's responsibility, you then have the option of keeping it and dealing with the issues, returning it to be passed on again, or it having, what is probably the best option, an accident and being pts quietly.

They are probably not a charity but a not for profit organisation which is a business by another name and not covered under the charities act..

Yes! What you have described is exactly what has happened to me and what she does all the time!
Her Facebook page for the charity does say ‘non-profit organisation’

 

[Trouper]

You can write to the Charity Commission and report your concerns but it might be a tricky one for them to deal with as many of these issues could be considered "subjective" and I doubt the Commission has many equine experts on board. But it is worth a try.
I don't know how helpful and supportive your vet might be in these circumstances but if the pony is not safe to ride/own he may be prepared to PTS with the agreement of the charity - but I realise this is a bit of a long shot as legally the pony is owned by them.

 

[140947]

It wasn’t the lady who Trusted the pony to the charity who commented, but a previous owner to that.

Ah ok. I don’t believe it makes it any better though. And if the charity done proper checks on the pony it would know itself without taking the word from a previous owner anyway.

Did you look at the reviews? There is no excuse for them.

 

[140947]

You can write to the Charity Commission and report your concerns but it might be a tricky one for them to deal with as many of these issues could be considered "subjective" and I doubt the Commission has many equine experts on board. But it is worth a try.
I don't know how helpful and supportive your vet might be in these circumstances but if the pony is not safe to ride/own he may be prepared to PTS with the agreement of the charity - but I realise this is a bit of a long shot as legally the pony is owned by them.

He is perfect on the ground and you wouldn’t know any different. It’s just the ridden side he totally freaks out with. He’d make a nice companion but he has had so many homes over the years and each time being sent back to the charity telling Claire he’s dangerous and needs to be a companion, but she hasn’t listened and rehomed him as a project to get more money/ interest. Unfortunately I noticed too late.

 

[AmyMay]

They are probably not a charity but a not for profit organisation which is a business by another name and not covered under the charities act..

They have a charity number.

 

[ycbm]

Yes, you can have him put down, and I would. You would be committing the criminal offence of 'criminal damage', because horses are seen as property. But since a bolting pony has no value, I doubt you would ever be prosecuted. And they would have to find out and report you first and I think the Police will just try to fob her off with it being a civil dispute. But I'm old and a criminal record of that kind would hold no worries for me to do the right thing by the pony.

I would, in your shoes if you have to work for a living, write to them and tell them that the pony is dangerous and you intend to have him put to sleep in one week's time. I doubt you will ever hear from them again, but if you do you could remind them that it is illegal to pass on a horse of his age without a passport, that they misled you about him, and that if they want him back they owe you for all his veterinary investigations.

.

 

[140947]

Yes, you can have him put down, and I would. You would be committing the criminal offence of 'criminal damage', because horses are seen as property. But since a bolting pony has no value, I doubt you would ever be prosecuted. And they would have to find out and report you first and I think the Police will just try to fob her off with it being a civil dispute. But I'm old and a criminal record of that kind would hold no worries for me.

I would, in your shoes if you have to work for a living, write to them and tell them that the pony is dangerous and you intend to have him put to sleep in one week's time. I doubt you will ever hear from them again, but if you do you could remind them that it is illegal to pass on a horse of his age without a passport, that they misled you about him, and that if they want him back they owe you for all his veterinary investigations.

.

Thank you. This is something to have a think on.

 

[Archangel]

What have the charity said about him - have they offered any help?

Looking at their accounts, they don't look like a money making machine like some charities.

 

[140947]

What have the charity said about him - have they offered any help?

Looking at their accounts, they don't look like a money making machine like some charities.

I haven’t spoken to them about the pony. As far as I know, she already knows his issue and still rehomed him to me.

 

[AmyMay]

I haven’t spoken to them about the pony. As far as I know, she already knows his issue and still rehomed him to me.

As far as you know....

I think you have to at least have a chat with them.

 

[indie1282]

Has anyone from the charity been out to visit you in the 11 months you have owned him?

 

[Equi]

If you want to I would ask a vet for a work up. It all sounds very familiar to a friends horse I was helping with - same situation. I told her he had something wrong with him but she would never get a vet to do a proper work up just kept changing his feed and getting a saddle fitter/trainer (who agreed he had something very wrong and she should stop riding him) she eventually sent him back to the charity who said they would pts if he needed it but lo and behold he was sent out to another novice home and he put one of the family in a wheelchair. Vet finally involved and turns out he had massive kissing spines issues that were too advanced to fix and he was finally put to sleep out of his misery.

 

[Errin Paddywack]

Personally I would document everything you have had done to this pony in your attempts to sort him out and every thing you have been told/warned about him, plus details of how he put you in hospital, then cost it all up. Inform the charity they have mislead you badly about him, that he is dangerous and that you want all your costs refunded by them. Also tell them that you will be having him put down to prevent any further injury to anyone else. Give them a set period of time to respond to you before you act to cover yourself.
I would think it unlikely they would take you to court over this as the resulting fall out would reflect very badly on them.

 

[KittenInTheTree]

I would want a full veterinary work up done on him before deciding anything, especially given how in previous posts you mention having been using a saddle that slips right round, etc. Even if you've since replaced this with one that fits, there may still be pain or injury present. Pain from an incorrectly fitted saddle can take a long time to resolve. I'd suggest checking your current saddle again to determine whether it fits, or if there is anything wrong with the tree, etc.

As an aside, you also have a previous thread that says you bought this pony, not that he is loaned to you from the charity, so I'm confused by that.

 

[TotalMadgeness]

If you want to I would ask a vet for a work up. It all sounds very familiar to a friends horse I was helping with - same situation. I told her he had something wrong with him but she would never get a vet to do a proper work up just kept changing his feed and getting a saddle fitter/trainer (who agreed he had something very wrong and she should stop riding him) she eventually sent him back to the charity who said they would pts if he needed it but lo and behold he was sent out to another novice home and he put one of the family in a wheelchair. Vet finally involved and turns out he had massive kissing spines issues that were too advanced to fix and he was finally put to sleep out of his misery.

When I read this post I immediately thought kissing spines too. I really think xrays of his back would be a good idea to rule out/confirm this. I had my pony's back xrayed and I'm pretty sure it didn't cost much - could see the results immediately too.

 

[popcorn1]

So the passport is in your name. The microchip is in your name. The 'charity' illegally sent him to you.

I would just loan him out as a companion and not mention the charity.

If the charity ever contact you then I would just say he took a kick in the field and went to the hunt.

 

[SEH]

I agree with the above. It sounds like you have bought him. Probably not a kind charity or it is a corrupt part of one.

Instead of sending him back, send him off to be a companion and if they question, argue that you bought him and everything is in your name, the worst they do is take him back but I doubt they care that much. It sounds like he probably does have a pain or pain association issue that you haven't found yet but if all else fails there are plenty of options. I never agree with putting a healthy horse down when there are plenty of other options, especially if his problems are only psychological ones that occur while being ridden...

 

[The Bouncing Bog Trotter]

Dreadful place and renowned for this. Any decent horse given to them is sold on asap. As said, dealers in all but name.

 

[SEH]

Also I read your previous posts about his bolting. If he long reins nicely in a saddle, it suggests that the weight of a rider is the issue and therefore a back or weight bearing issue

 

[140947]

Has anyone from the charity been out to visit you in the 11 months you have owned him?

No