Do you have a plan for if you die?

[elliejhb]

Sadly a fellow livery on my yard died suddenly (and far too young) this week. And it made me realise that although my husband helps with my mare he doesn't know what feeds she has or what my wishes would be for her if I were to die.

Do any of you have a plan and what do you have documented?

 

[MiJodsR2BlinkinTite]

Yes I have made a will and in that will is detail about who will look after my horses dogs & cats plus poultry.

Plus on my phone I have an "ICE" (In Case of Emergency) under "Contacts" which gives details of my solicitor and who should be contacted along with their phone no's in the immediate future so the horses/animals etc can be seen to as a matter of priority.

Vitally important, and not just when you get to a "certain age".

 

[Ample Prosecco]

Yep. I have a will and I also have some written instructions for the care of the animals.

 

[oldjumper]

Yep. I have a will and I also have some written instructions for the care of the animals.

Yes. Having a will is good but instructions/wishes about animals should also be written separately and lodged with partner/next of kin. Wills and probate take far too long to be of use for animal care.

 

[Chianti]

Yes. I have a will and my pony will be PTS as he has health issues that would make me worry that he'd be difficult to care for. Yard owner knows what will happen.

 

[rabatsa]

All my family know that there are phone numbers in the front of my pocket and desk diaries of the person who is to take the animals should the worst happen. However my spouse is involved with the day to day stuff and able to stand in at short notice.

 

[[153312]]

I have written instructions for my animals in various locations so it's accessible- one on my computer, one on my phone notes, one in my emails and a paper version - and have discussed what would happen with my mum. (And similarly she's talked to me about what would happen with her animals and her stuff).
Both plans include care instructions and contingencies if it's not possible for them to be continued to be looked after (where I want them to go or what I want to happen to them).

 

[Parksmum3]

I don’t have a will but my partner and close friends, family all no what I want for my boys should anything happen to me. 2 PTS due to health issues, wouldn’t want them being passed about especially my golden oldie, my welsh cob gifted to a certain Named person, agreed by her also. Maybe getting something in writing would be best though, you never no what’s around the corner

 

[Prancerpoos]

My will says PTS.

I have seen examples of horses that have been taken on by people with the best of intentions but with very bad outcomes for the horse.

Edited to add: and everyone should have a will. I have also, sadly, seen what happens when someone dies without leaving a will. No one ever thinks it will happen to them, but it might.

 

[Crazy_cat_lady]

Yep H is in my will to be pts, he's 22 with Cushings, has been at the yard nearly all his life and doesn't like change so it wouldn't be fair to sell him on, nor fair to my mum, who helps me with him, to incur the costs as she will be retired soon. I then know where he will end up rather than facing an uncertain future. I've also got a written and signed letter saying if he gets colic that requires anything more than medication eg needs surgery, and I'm uncontactable that he's to be pts via lethal injection, as he wouldn't cope with the journey as he won't travel, nor everything that goes with surgery. YO and my mum have copies

Do I need to get the cats added as I didn't have them when it was written?

 

[Floofball]

I have a will with an amount of money set aside to cover any potential costs with my animals. Then I have written instructions separately that both executors have a copy of with my wishes and contact numbers etc. It comes in handy if alterations need making in the future as animals are lost - or acquired!

 

[Peglo]

That’s actually a good point. I think I should have a discussion with OH. I assume he would be ok with cats and chickens but horses are another question. 2 oldies would likely need PTS but new one would be worth a bit of money (seems a decent amount me anyway) but would be happy to gift her to my cousin if she wanted her. Think I need to have a chat.

 

[Chianti]

Yep H is in my will to be pts, he's 22 with Cushings, has been at the yard nearly all his life and doesn't like change so it wouldn't be fair to sell him on, nor fair to my mum, who helps me with him, to incur the costs as she will be retired soon. I then know where he will end up rather than facing an uncertain future. I've also got a written and signed letter saying if he gets colic that requires anything more than medication eg needs surgery, and I'm uncontactable that he's to be pts via lethal injection, as he wouldn't cope with the journey as he won't travel, nor everything that goes with surgery. YO and my mum have copies

Do I need to get the cats added as I didn't have them when it was written?

My cat is also in my will. He's to go to Cats Protection to be rehomed as I don't know anyone who would want him. I'd really rather he was PTS as well as the pony as he's getting on and can be a bit anxious but small animal vets aren't as keen to do this as equine vets are.

 

[[153312]]

I'd really rather he was PTS as well as the pony as he's getting on and can be a bit anxious but small animal vets aren't as keen to do this as equine vets are.

If you write it into a will though it becomes legally binding doesn't it?

 

[HashRouge]

I don't, but my Mum and sister would take the horses (they actually own one of them anyway) and I trust they would do the right thing by them. I suspect my sister would just move them up to her and take over their care, but Mum would pay.

 

[HorseMaid]

While my mare is young and valuable I've told my best friend that if anything happens to me she is to sell her to the best home she can find and give the money to my children, who will certainly be grateful for it. When she gets to be an old crock I suppose I'd say PTS.

 

[The Xmas Furry]

My friends know I keep a yard notebook in the feed shed and every time I change anything (feed, hay, paddock etc) I note it down.
At the front is basic feed list, hay amounts, rugging info, plus vet, farmer and farrier numbers.
Calendar has up to date appointments in it.

I have details in a letter of wishes attached to a copy of my will, DH knows where it is and who to contact if i pass away suddenly.

 

[Andie02]

The safest way to ensure that your wishes, in respect of any pet / animal, are carried out is to have a Discretionary Trust set up within the will, with a letter of wishes outlining the wishes in respect of the care of the animal.
It is not advised to 'gift' a cash amount to a specified individual and then state that you want them to use these funds for the upkeep of the specified pet, as it cannot be specified within a will how the recipient uses 'their inheritance' and also this has many potential flaws - the individual can keep the gift if the animal has already predeceased the testator, or can keep the money and decline to look after the animal, if the beneficiary to the cash gift is going through a divorce the sum of money may form part of their divorce, if the beneficiary is on any benefits, they could potentially lose those benefits. Also their own circumstances could have drastically changed for example, illness or debt.
So by putting a discretionary trust within your will and specifying a % or a cash amount, although cash amounts do need consideration as this can cause other issues with the residue of the estate. To set up the trust you appoint 2 trustees and if you have another suitable person a reserve (these can be separate people to your executors) to look after these funds for the upkeep of the animal or animals, with specific instructions who is to care for them, it can be one of the trustees, you also specify what you wish to happen to the funds after the animals have died. This will ensure full protection for your pets upkeep and care. I have known of solicitors who have not even advised this sort of protection for a disabled child / beneficiary, who could lose their benefits if they inherit, let alone for animals or pets.
This is why it is important to have a formal consultation and receive the correct advise based on your individual circumstances and wishes.

If you require any further advice you can pm me Andie's husband, Estate Planning Consultant.

 

[exracehorse]

Yes. One will be given to a good friend. One grass retirement livery. The other two to be sold via another friend. As they are only young. My husband would have enough to deal with. With losing a wife and mother of his children to having to sort out four and not having a clue to their value or ideal home.

 

[ILuvCowparsely]

Sadly a fellow livery on my yard died suddenly (and far too young) this week. And it made me realise that although my husband helps with my mare he doesn't know what feeds she has or what my wishes would be for her if I were to die.

Do any of you have a plan and what do you have documented?

Yes Mine are going to WHW. Heard too many stories of friends leaving horses to a friend, that friend circumstances changed and she had to sell on - old famous Black beauty story. Another left her horse to a friend - who a year or two later met a b/f who was a bit of a druggy and forced her to sell the horse for his drug habit, she was gutted she could not keep to the dying request of her friend.

I don't want to burden my friends and land them with my horses and financial long term commitment which they may not be able to keep too.

MY horses will go to WHW where they will see to their needs and adopt them out, and do what they feel is right.


https://www.worldhorsewelfare.org/support-us/leave-a-legacy/horse-gifting-in-a-will




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[Apizz2019]

Sadly a fellow livery on my yard died suddenly (and far too young) this week. And it made me realise that although my husband helps with my mare he doesn't know what feeds she has or what my wishes would be for her if I were to die.

Do any of you have a plan and what do you have documented?

I'm so sorry to read this, how very sad.

After being a deaths door with Covid last year, I wrote a list of everything my partner needed, should the worst happen. We've kept that list in a safe place, just in case.

Our pony is wonderful but he has EMS and needs to be managed very carefully. He's a one person pony, very sensitive and I don't think would settle well if moved on to a new home. He can be grumpy with people in general albeit he is fabulous with my daughter, although it took a good 6 months or so for them to bond. He's just a very lovely but complicated little man.

My partner isn't horsey, he has no clue, the yard doesn't offer what I do for him (for example v early turnout), my daughter wouldn't be able to ride or spend time at the yard as it would be a juggle with my younger son, partners work, she's too young to be there alone etc, so I have written in my will that he is to be pts.

Charities are full to bursting and I'd not want him to be sold on. The plan is, even when outgrown, he will remain with us until the end of his days, so if the end of days comes for me first, I'm afraid he will be following shortly after.

It's not an easy course of action and not a decision made lightly but the one I feel is in his best interests, although I'm sure many won't agree with it.

 

[tiga71]

I have just updated my will and have organised a trust for my horses and asked someone I trust to be the one who sorts them out. I have done a Letter of Wishes setting out that i want them retired together on retirement livery. The person I have asked to be the one making decisions can be trusted not to keep them going one quality of life deteriorates.

 

[spotty_pony]

I haven’t yet but probably should. The people who need to know know what will happen to my boy if anything happened and I regularly write things down about what he is fed, etc, etc. My mare who I lost in the summer I would have said pts as she was very quirky but my boy would stay here at home with my friend.

 

[NinjaPony]

Pony would go to my old livery yard on full livery (paid out of my savings) with instructions to PTS if his Cushings/EMS becomes unmanageable. Yard are very experienced and would take excellent care of him, with my mum visiting and able to make the final call when needed. Cat would go to live with my mum who would happily have her, or my sister if my mum couldn’t for any reason. I’m not worried about either, I trust my mum to make the right decisions for them both.

 

[Frano]

A will and horses and a sum of money left to WHW.

 

[Widgeon]

No I haven't, it's a good point. My OH would keep (and care for) the dogs, rabbits and chickens (at least he'd better care for the rabbits....perhaps I should get that expectation in writing!) but I couldn't expect him to care for my horse. In the short term he'd stay on livery and OH would pay for the YO to care for him, but long term (and I have thought about this) I'm not sure what would be best. Probably WHW. He's very straightforward and will hopefully remain a lovely hack for many years yet.

I don't actually have a will....probably ought to sort that out. I'd just leave everything to my OH, which I think is the default anyway, but presumably having a will would make things easier and quicker to deal with.

 

[lynz88]

I haven't either though writing a will is on my agenda now that I own a house. I honestly don't know what I would/will do tbh. I have no family in this country and my horse has loads of problems (sweetest horse you will ever come across but I'm not so blind to know that he needs some special care and understanding). I am also young but it is possible to get hit by a bus literally at any point in time.....

I have however made some arrangements with family back home in terms of joint bank accounts and beneficiaries as probate can't touch if you have listed beneficiaries or joint bank accounts back home but not sure what the situation is here (but besides, with not having family in this country may make that point redundant).

 

[pistolpete]

I worked at the vets for a long time and euthanising healthy animals was the worst thing we ever had to do because someone had left it in their will! I hated it and once or twice convinced relatives to reconsider as the chance of rehoming was so much more favourable. They are at our mercy. It’s so sad. I get it no one wants an uncertain future for their animals but pts is not always right even if they are older.

 

[Polos Mum]

With animals keeping a will up to date is tricky. As some says above a well drafted will will have funds set aside for 'pets' and reference to a wishes letter which is much easier to update regularly than your will.

In the formal and witnessed letter you can list out what happens to each one individually and you can change that as dogs / cats come and go or horses get injured or you fall out with best friends etc.

Most charities won't take them without prior arrangement (and healthy donation to cover all costs for remaining life) so all parties need to be talked to and involved.

 

[wren123]

I had a really bad experience when my mum died with regard to her cats.

She had a much younger friend who like my mum, was a cat lover. They looked after each others cats for each other when they went away.

My mum's friends had agreed happily to have my mum's cats when she died, when my mum considered getting a new kitten when one died the friend encouraged her saying she be happy to take them all on when my mum died. My mum asked me to give the woman some money when she died, which I would have done.

Well my mum died unexpectedly, albeit she was 87 so not completely surprising. Anyway the friend only wanted one cat, the one which was the friendliest, nicest one. She said she agreed to have them all as she thought my mum would live longer! She didn't want four cats while her existing cat was still alive! Yet she encouraged my mum to get a kitten!

I can't tell you how stressful it was for me, my mum really loved her cats and I couldn't just send them to a charity for rehoming, it made a horrible time even worse. Worst case I'd have had them all but my dog isn't a cat fan, neither am I or my husband. In the end through friends we've found wonderful homes for them all and I am in contact with all the owners and would take them back if there were problems. I did give each new owner money towards their future care as per my mum's wishes.

So make sure people are serious when they say they'll take on your animals and put in a provision for of they change their minds.