Don't know what to do

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phoebe.and.bonnie

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Hello, this is probably gonna end up quite long so I apologise in advance.

I've owned my mare Bonnie since 2006. Spent a year of my life saving up £1000 to buy her when I was 13, and most of the time since then working 18 hour weekends to afford her. Basically, she's the love of my life. It broke my heart when I had to loan her out last September when I moved to London to start uni at the Royal Vet College. I found her a lovely loan home with a family. The mum had ridden horses all her life and wanted a safe hack to lead her kids out on hacks with - not too much work and pretty much perfect for Bonnie. It all seemed ok to begin with, had frequent contact with her loaner and was able to go visit and ride her when I was home. The only issue at this point was that the loaner was refusing to pay for her insurance (Bonnie's hocks are excluded due to arthritic changes, the loaner wouldn't listen when I said that I would not expect her to pay for care related to this anyway...) which is a bit of a dent in my meagre budget but is something I can live with.

It got to Christmas, and I was meant to be taking care of Bonnie and her loaner's other pony for a week whilst she was away visiting family. Trouble is, it was around this time that we had a lot of snow and my mum refused to allow me to drive to her field in order to do this. I was very very apologetic and also offered money to help cover for help she would have to hire instead. It was from this point really that I've not really felt like she is very happy with me visiting Bonnie or with me in general really.

In the months since then, I've had pretty much no contact from her. In addition, my phone had a spectacular software-issuey meltdown which resulted in me losing her phone number. I've been to visit as often as uni and work commitments will allow, but I've not actually seen the loaner at her house since about February. They've been having quite extensive building work done on their house (at one point, it was missing a whole side!) so I gather they've been living elsewhere most of the time.

I recently finished my first year at uni and am now home for the summer. I hadn't been able to get back to see Bonnie for a few weeks due to exams, so it was pretty much my first priority when I got back. I went there yesterday armed with carrots and apples, to find a practically obese Bonnie with mud fever and very long feet. The loaner was not at the house, but some builders were. I asked if she was around and they were not particularly helpful, simply telling me she was 'away'.

Don't get me wrong, I'm very grateful that I've been able to loan Bonnie out considering that not many people want a slightly grumpy arthritic old mare. But it's getting to the point now where I feel that she really isn't being cared for in the way she should. I mean I never expected a loaner to care for her quite as much as I do, but I had warned her that she is prone to mud fever and I had mentioned the importance of her having regular hoof trims so her existing joint problems are not exacerbated. And to be honest she could do without the massive belly as well! Kind of at a loss for what to do now really.

Sorry for the long post xxx
 
Maybe leave a note on the field gate explaining that you've lost their number and asking them to call you. If they don't respond after a week I would assume that they aren't going up to check on her regularly and start taking steps to remove her from their property.
 
If you don't have the tel no - drop a letter through the door of her house and tell her that you are collecting your horse on so and so date.

Never forget that she is YOUR horse. If she is not being cared for properly then you have every right to drive up with a trailer and get her back without notice. However, as in the past she has been a good loaner then it might be courteous to give her say 1 week notice.

Also, you say that you never expected a loaner to care for her as much as you do - well I have a loan horse, Manni, and I look after him just as if he were my own - and pay his insurance!
 
You need to speak to them.
Tell them your concerns.
Find out if they are happy with bonnie, they may not be giving het enough attention and finding someone else may be better for her.
 
Honestly, IMO i would give notice that you are taking your horse back.
If the loaner is having building work done, shes obviously got a lot on her mind, but that doesnt change the fact that she is not looking after your horse as you want.
She might be pee'd off that you didnt do her horses at xmas, but the lack of updates and making you feel bad for seeing YOUR horse isnt on.
Take her back, get her sorted feet/ mud fever wise & either find a grass livery you can afford, or try loaning her again.
 
Yeah I think I'll try to leave her a letter. She must be going up there relatively regularly even if she's not living there as the field always seems to have been recently poo-picked and they are never without water. Unless somebody else is doing that... I don't know :) Will take another trip there after work tomorrow I think!
 
Boxers said:
If you don't have the tel no - drop a letter through the door of her house and tell her that you are collecting your horse on so and so date.
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If it gets to this stage I wouldn't tell her when you are planning on collecting her, too many horses go missing on loan!

Personally I think I would have taken her home there and then.
 
Echo Bravo - That was the way it worked out to begin with, I was coming home pretty much every weekend and seeing Bonnie during the day then working at the village pub at night. But since I lost contact with her and she's never been there I haven't been able to get at her tack, she keeps it locked in the house.
 
I'm confused and going to be blunt.

You say she's not being cared to the standard that you would and I can believe that but equally you didn't seem to have the same concerns during the snow period. I wouldn't think twice about walking to my horses' yard which is miles away during the snow. Yes it was upto the loanee to sort out care during this period but you initially agreed to it.

Take her back and sort her out.
 
LaurenM -I would've happily walked there was it not 2 hours walk away and had I not had work every day, I did the same the year before when Bonnie was in my care. She did eventually have a friend check the horses twice each day free of charge, and like I said I had offered to pay for the care over Christmas.

I wish I could just take her, but as I said she has all of her tack and equipment locked in the house and if I just upped and took her I doubt I'd be getting that back.
 
well nobody does it quite like you! your concerns are that she is too fat and feet need doing! grass management (poo picking seems fine) and they have clean water. her "mud fever" at this time of year (very little mud around) is a photo sensitive reaction to the liver being overloaded from weeds/buttercups/hedge plants. doesnt sound like your owner is being negligent other than allowing her to get too fat!
 
Did you have a contract? If so what does it say about notice period? Given that she has been a good loaner in the past it would be worth talking to her if you can (if you still dont have the number do as others have suggested and leave a note or camp out at the yard with a good book until she shows up). It may be that its an issue that you can sort out between you by talking to each other. On the other hand if you are not happy about the way she is looking after your horse you are within your rights to go and take her back but you need to consider what you will do once you have her back (I assume you will be back to being busy busy when the new term starts).

PHRx
 
It is definitely mud fever, she's always been prone to it and we've had some tremendous thunder storms the last few days and there was quite a bit of mud under the trees where she and her pony friend like to hang out.

I think I am just gonna have to keep visiting until I bump into her really, it probably all could be sorted with a simple chat but in my usual way I've been stressing about it all day and making it seem a lot more terrible than it actually is :P In an ideal world I'd love to just take her back, keep her where I did before and commute to uni but seeing as I've already signed a contract for a house for the next year I can't really see that happening :/
 
i would wager you £100 that it is not mud fever in june. photo sensitive reaction to diet and sunlight. what is/does your loan contract say?
 
A loan horse should always be well looked after no excuses I am afraid on their part. As the others have said get her back, I am sure there are loads of people who would love a light hack to loan especially if she is safe.
 
i take it you have her passport??? get her moved asap.the tack issue can be sorted later.do the right thing for your horse.she is your horse and your responsibility and the loaner has been negligent.theres no excuse for overgrown feet or overweight.she could of had a grazing muzzle on for short periods.sorry but you need to sort her welfare out asap.
 
aintgotnohay said:
i take it you have her passport??? .
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By rights the passport should be with the horse. Even if you loan out a horse, the passport should go with it. I have a loan horse and I have his passport - or rather the livery yard where I keep him has the passport. If I travel him anywhere then the passport comes too - this is the legal requirement.
 
i generally thought owner kept original and loanee has photocopy.id never give a loanee a passport not after having a loan horse sold on and no comeback.soory wouldnt do it.but then again what do i know.
 
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