bluehorse
Well-Known Member
Bit of a sad story. I keep my two boys on a small private very respecable yard. 5 weeks ago we got a new livery - a young girl who had recently bought an aged chestnut TB mare as a project. The mare was in very poor condition. We all thought that she was a complete novice owner who'd been ripped off badly. She arrived with only one small bale of hay which she then proceeded to try and make last a whole week - the mare was in 24/7. Anyway, as the days progressed she totally failed to provide hay and water to her fully stabled mare (we have unrestricted turnout), turned up at all hours (or not at all) leaving the mare hungry and thirsty and standing in dirt. Obviously between us two liveries we have stepped in, hayed (our own hay) and watered, and sourced the girl some hay, advised on basic care etc etc - all been ignored and now we have found out that she didn't even pay for the hay we managed to get her. Basically we have been completely caring for her mare, my friend even mucked her out on Christmas Day as she couldn't bear to leave her standing knee deep in her own s**t. We have gone from trying to advise this girl on basic principles of horsecare, through to basically ordering her to sort it out etc and threatening to report her. Then last week we found out that she has actually owned the mare for years and has been chucked out of nearly all the yards in the area for neglecting her and not paying her bills. She has been reported to the RSPCA a number of times but as people always intervene (as we have), nothing has been done.
It's all come to bit of a head over the last few days, YO has given her notice to leave as she has run out of hay again with none lined up for the weekend, and understandably YO just won't accept that standard of care on our yard. The girl is not a novice at all - she is a devious liar who has neglected the mare for years, we believe she's even changed the mare's name to cover her tracks.
What she told me today (after another one of our major text exchanges about what the hell is she doing) is that she wants to 'retire' her and is putting her on loan to someone who can 'give her more time'. Not that she's actually got anybody lined up of course. I asked if she would sign the horse over to a charity - she said she would.
So I have spent the afternoon ringing round equine welfare charities trying to find somewhere for her - no luck of course as she's not a prosecution case. WHW are hopefully coming out to assess her but as she has put on a little condition since being on our yard, I don't think they'll try to get her signed over.
It's so sad, she seems a lovely little mare and has come out of her shell since being with us. Who know's where she'll end up next - she has been dragged around and neglected for years and at aged 23 she can't take much more of that kind of treatment.
So please can anybody offer any suggestions or even a home? I am pretty certain I can make her give the mare up, and she would give her away (or sell for a pound) just to get rid of her...we have given her such a roasting that she may have realised that this has got to stop.
I've got until the end of the month to try and sort it out before she leaves the yard and I hate to think what will happen to her after that. None of us (including YO) are in a position financially to take her on but if we knew there was a good home around the corner we could keep hold of her for a while and share the responsibility. She is a lovely little mare who deserves better.
Hot choccy and cookies for reading....
It's all come to bit of a head over the last few days, YO has given her notice to leave as she has run out of hay again with none lined up for the weekend, and understandably YO just won't accept that standard of care on our yard. The girl is not a novice at all - she is a devious liar who has neglected the mare for years, we believe she's even changed the mare's name to cover her tracks.
What she told me today (after another one of our major text exchanges about what the hell is she doing) is that she wants to 'retire' her and is putting her on loan to someone who can 'give her more time'. Not that she's actually got anybody lined up of course. I asked if she would sign the horse over to a charity - she said she would.
So I have spent the afternoon ringing round equine welfare charities trying to find somewhere for her - no luck of course as she's not a prosecution case. WHW are hopefully coming out to assess her but as she has put on a little condition since being on our yard, I don't think they'll try to get her signed over.
It's so sad, she seems a lovely little mare and has come out of her shell since being with us. Who know's where she'll end up next - she has been dragged around and neglected for years and at aged 23 she can't take much more of that kind of treatment.
So please can anybody offer any suggestions or even a home? I am pretty certain I can make her give the mare up, and she would give her away (or sell for a pound) just to get rid of her...we have given her such a roasting that she may have realised that this has got to stop.
I've got until the end of the month to try and sort it out before she leaves the yard and I hate to think what will happen to her after that. None of us (including YO) are in a position financially to take her on but if we knew there was a good home around the corner we could keep hold of her for a while and share the responsibility. She is a lovely little mare who deserves better.
Hot choccy and cookies for reading....
