Have I lost the plot or is the unacceptable?!?!

[Sussexbythesea]

I think it is a shame people take the attitude to keep out of others business when it involves the welfare of the horse. Perhaps collectively if more people actually said what they thought (nicely) instead of whispering amongst themselves people would think twice about neglecting their horses. I think it is plainly obvious when people can't be bothered as opposed to the horse has just made a mess, mine has certainly pooed overnight in his automatic waterer on more than one occasion. It makes me really sad to see a horse trapped in a stable anxiously waiting for their lazy owner to turn up while others are attended, fed and turned out or ridden. They are helpless and we owe them the time and care.

 

[Burmilla]

It seems to me that you did exactly the right thing for the horse, and thank you for that. Maybe in hindsight, the note was a little sharp . . . I am on a small mixed full livery/assisted DIY yard. My pony is on full livery and she is looked after very well by the high standards/reliable YO and YM. No problems there! However, several of the assisted DIYers, having had horses fed, rugged if necessary and turned out at 8am and then brought back in at 4.30pm, don't come up until 6pm. Then they tie horse outside stable, no hay net, and go and have a cup of tea, fag and lengthy chat with their mates, who do the same thing! Makes me seethe! But at least they have had a feed and been turned out correctly, and brought back in. Not as bad as the situation you rightly acted on.

 

[Archangel]

Unfortunately YO has a very hands off approach. I actually told them today and the response was 'oh dear'.

The YO needs to wake up and smell the coffee, they are not there just to make up the numbers they are in charge of the yard. They should have spotted this themselves and been on the phone to the owner.

 

[Princess Rosie]

Well done for what you did, this is totally unacceptable to treat horses like this. The YO needs to pull their act together, I hate seeing things like this but I'm afraid it happens far too often, how the hell do people think this is the right way to treat a horse or any animal!!! I'm afraid I would be making a wee call to WHW about his particular horse.

 

[Stormynight]

Depends how often this happens. I mean, at the end of a bale of shavings my stables can look pretty grotty, and my old TB who would have a neglect case stable in one night would also **** in his water as soon as you put it down, but knock half of it out so looks like its old water. If it was just that one time you saw this, i would think you went a little ott. If however it is every single day it is unacceptable.

I agree with this. My 4yo can trash a clean stable in a matter of hours, and will dive on any hay / water that anybody brings purely for the fact that a person(!) is giving it to him. I've known him drink a full bucket over the door when he still has fresh in his stable... but I digress.

If it's a regular occurrence and the horse had genuinely been left that long, then of course you were right to do what you did. Having seen the state of my guy's stable just a few hours after mucking him out... there are other possibilities.

 

[Red-1]

Thanks guys.

I'm just so not in to 'yard politics' being a professional person who just likes to enjoy their horse, I never get involved so I'm sort of doubting myself.

But I think I was right to say something, albeit the note was rather reactive.

If I see the mum, I will apologise for the reactive tone of the message but I will explain why.

I like that you are a knight in shining armour for the horse. HOWEVER I would not have left a note like this on a noticeboard.

I also think it would be right to apologise for being rude to the lady in such a public way, but I am not sure the "apology" will carry much weight if you also "explain why" you felt so strongly. It may just feel to her as if you are merely having another "go" at her.

As the rudeness was left on a note in public, maybe a short apology in the form of a note on the same notice board....something along the lines of

"To Mrs XXXXX I have reflected on our conversation last night and I wish to apologise for being rude to you on a note left on this notice board. I am sorry for this, and hope we can move on.........thebear123"

 

[asmp]

While I agree it would make me cross to see a horse like this, over the years I have been at quite a few DIY yards (used to move a lot as husband in the forces) and there has always been someone who's treatment of their horses I haven't liked. I have learnt over the years to just let it go as it just winds me up.

Saying all that, one yard I was at (a German part livery yard), one of the owners was on long term ill. The yard would deep litter and I noticed that the ill owners horse was on a rather filthy bed. I nearly put down some fresh straw but luckily didn't as I found out later that the horse was colicky and the yard was worried that it would eat it's bed. It taught me a lesson not to always interfere!

 

[chocolategirl]

On my yard ( though this wouldn't happen anyway!) I would expect the yard owner to be the one to see to the horse not one of the other liveries. Only in an emergency, should other liveries act. From a YO point of view, I wouldn't want any of my clients interfering with others horses due to the litigious nature of our society. I'm sorry but your YO should not be allowing this sort of 'care' on their yard in the first place. It's outrageous.

 

[twiggy2]

It seems to me that you did exactly the right thing for the horse, and thank you for that. Maybe in hindsight, the note was a little sharp . . . I am on a small mixed full livery/assisted DIY yard. My pony is on full livery and she is looked after very well by the high standards/reliable YO and YM. No problems there! However, several of the assisted DIYers, having had horses fed, rugged if necessary and turned out at 8am and then brought back in at 4.30pm, don't come up until 6pm. Then they tie horse outside stable, no hay net, and go and have a cup of tea, fag and lengthy chat with their mates, who do the same thing! Makes me seethe! But at least they have had a feed and been turned out correctly, and brought back in. Not as bad as the situation you rightly acted on.

why does that worry you?

 

[3OldPonies]

I'm with you on this one.

^^^^^ This

How on earth can anyone think leaving the poor thing in all day with pooey water and no hay is acceptable. Good for you for stepping in and sorting the poor horse out.

 

[FairyLights]

Starting to think I'm going mental here, going over and over something in my mind, but no, I'm still sure it's unacceptable...

I'm not someone who ever gets involved in anyone else's horse. Ever. Most people don't even know who I am on our rather large and quite high turnover yard. Today however, I had to speak out.

11:30 am, horse still in stable, hadn't been mucked out, hay all trodden and pissed on, not eating it (obviously) and water very low with poo in it.

I cleaned out the bucket, gave more water and hay and it drank immediately and started munching. I was so enraged with the treatment of this horse that I wrote a rather snotty note on the board. I wasn't sure who the owner was (I am now!!) but I just wanted to let them know that it was unacceptable and that I had given it more hay and almost more importantly water.

So, up this evening, cue angry mum, daughter and friend. Basically the mum comes up in the morning, apparently does its water and hay (no way had it been done this morning) leaves it standing in its own excrement all day until daughter comes up after school.

We have turnout, so no idea why its not out.

Is this acceptable???? Am I over reacting?!?!

They obviously had a go calling me nasty and blah blah blah. But no, I'm sorry, the horse doesn't have a voice. I do!!!

You are not over reacting in fact I think you are under reacting. If it was me on the yard I'd inform the WHW and the RSPCA. The horses basic needs are not being met and that is an act of cruelty. The horse needs turnout and it is a welfare requirement.

 

[dogatemysalad]

Good for you, OP. Most people will give a horse hay and water if it is standing in, unless the owner has mentioned that there's a reason for fasting. Being on a yard where that doesn't happen and horses are neglected is depressing.
Don't worry about your note on the board, it may just shock them into realising how unacceptable their management is. Of course it's better to be polite but some people genuinely have no idea what neglect is.

I suspect you're astute enough to know the difference between fresh poo in a water bucket and hay, from the stale, stench of contaminated water that has been left for hours.

 

[Follysmum]

I would of voiced my concerns to YO, if it happened again I would of then spoken to the owners.

Unfortunately its not an uncommon occurrence on some yards.

 

[Midlifecrisis]

Don't beat yourself up what is done is done and cant be changed. You acted in best interest of horse which is good - but your heart wrote the note - it happens.

A newcomer to our yard had a similar attitude to their horse - standing with no hay etc and several of us mentioned to YO who kept ringing parents of 20 year old until they now hang three nets and have two huge buckets of water available so no one can comment. Writing a note would ve been cathartic but the note writer takes the flack and I like a conflict free zone round my horses.

 

[Annagain]

I agree that something had to be said, but maybe not in the way you said it. Like you've already said you would, I would apologise and maybe ask if they'd like a bit of advice/help if they're new to horses and mum is non horsey. Maybe she doesn't put him out as she's scared to lead the pony and would appreciate some help in learning how to do it? I always prefer the gently gently approach -to begin with at least - you stand more chance of bringing them round if they like you!

 

[Boxers]

As others have said, you did thw right thing by gicing hay and clean water, but it was wrong to leave a snotty note, hoever most of us probably would have felt the same!

I beleive I am right in saying that legally the YO holds responsibility for the welfare of the the horses on their yard.

A livery yard near me has a rule that DIY liveries have to come up and see to their horse by 10am latest. If they do not, then staff see to the horse and the cost is charged to the livery.

 

[eggs]

I have been in a similar situation but it was a friend of mine who would go out on the lash at night and then turn up at our DIY yard sometime in the afternoon. I would often give her horse some hay and fresh water when I was up in the morning doing mine so would have done the same as you but without the note on a public notice board.

Your YO does need to step up and take some responsibility for the welfare of their liveries.

 

[MrsNorris]

Poor pony on our yard was left with no hay, in filthy stable, box walking and distressed for more than 17 hours. To make matters worse, said pony used to be my daughters and was calling pitifully to me whilst I was doing my own horse. Had sold her to a friend of mine who then put her on loan with some numpties.
Ashamed to say I lost the plot with the loaners over the phone, but ended up having to leave the yard eventually as I couldn't bare to watch them screwing up the pony and not being able to do anything about it. 'Friend' was out of the country at the time and not interested.
Lots of bad feeling which still rankles to this day, but I think, with hindsight, I could have handled it better by keeping cool and trying to gently educate them, would probably have made life better for the pony as well.
I can see why you wrote the note, but from experience, I think that its probably best to keep calm, take a few deep breaths, and try to say nothing inflammatory, especially if you really like the yard.

 

[sportsmansB]

In many DIY yards the YO/YM will feed in the morning and I would expect them to cast a cursory eye over the drinkers/water, but often people then don't come up to ride their horse until the evening after work. If this caused horses enormous distress then half the livery horses in Ireland would be cracking up.
I don't think that this case can be construed as 'cruelty', happening (apparently) once, given the actual cruelty cases seen- you only need to look at the front page of H&H online to see the horrendous cases.
Maybe what the YM needs to do is offer an additional service of a morning feed/water/skip out to these people but make it clear that it will be done ANYWAY if they don't show, and charged accordingly? Mum could have all sorts of reasons for not making it and perhaps has pressure on from elsewhere
I don't think its right (I have my horse in part livery because I KNOW I can't get there before work to turn out) but unless its happening on an ongoing basis, its not worth ringing the welfare organisations as one poster suggested!
Maybe the manner of publicly shaming them was a bit much but equally might be the best in the long run as they will know everyone is watching now!

 

[Nudibranch]

Well maybe this is over simplifying things then, but why don't these people just turn their horses out?
It never ceases to amaze me how many people insist on keeping horses when appropriate facilities clearly are not available.