Help- weird horsey problem- what do you think......

charlie76

charlie76

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5 and half years ago I had a horse on loan for 6 months. He came with his tack and rugs(tatty rugs). Anyway, some one bought him from the owner whilst he was still loaned to us( that was fine) but the original owner has just emailed me saying that she had bought a new horse and wanted her rugs back! And if I didn't give them back to her then she would send her husband up to 'have words with me!'. This was 5 and half years ago, the horse in question wore out his rugs, I bought him new ones and I have sinced moved off the yard he was at.

She has sent me threatening emails. What should I do?
 
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5 and half years ago I had a horse on loan for 6 months. He came with his tack and rugs(tatty rugs). Anyway, some one bought him from the owner whilst he was still loaned to us( that was fine) but the original owner has just emailed me saying that she had bought a new horse and wanted her rugs back! And if I didn't give them back to her then she would send her husband up to 'have words with me!'. This was 5 and half years ago, the horse in question wore out his rugs, I bought him new ones and I have sinced moved off the yard he was at.

She has sent me threatening emails. What should I do?

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Did the owner sell the horse with/without his rugs?
What was the arrangement?
If you were supposed to be keeping them for her, you could always say fine, but charge her hefty 'storage' fees worth more than the rugs.
Are you a member of the BHS?
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Can you just email her back telling her what you told us? I.e his old rugs were worn out and you bought new ones - so you don't have anything to return to her?

If she persists then tell her that her husband is welcome to come and see you and tell her what day and time you will be free - and where. Arrange to meet in a public place, and have a friend or parent or OH with you. And then wait to see what happens. They won't turn up.
 
The rugs would have needed to have been written into the loan contract as part of the loan terms, stating care, repair procedure and return...once the horse was sold, if she didn't collect them then, it's her problem. If they weren't in the contract, she definitely doesn't have a leg to stand on.

If you still have the loan contract, speak to a solicitor and get them to write to her.

If she's threatening you, contact the police for further help.
 
**Just re-read original post** I thought that the horse had been sold but you still had it! Duh!!
That is a tough one, not sure who is in the right here?
 
The rugs were not in the loan contract. I have emailed her stating that he wrecked the rugs and I replaced them. I did not however, let them go with him when he was sold as they were paid for by me and I did not get any profit from the sale.
I seem to attract nutcases at the moment!
I haven't heard from this person until last week, the last time was when I had the horse all that time ago. She has now bought a new horse and wants the rugs for it!
 
In an ideal world, if the lady had not given you the rugs when the horse was sold, they should have been returned to her. Seeing as you still have them i would just return them to her as technically they are her rugs.

Did she send an itinery with the horse initially so you and her know what rugs she is wanting returning?

Also whilst the horse was on loan to you it would have been your responsibility to replace any broken/damaged rugs.

This is a sad situation for you to be in and the lady should be a bit more understanding, given the length of time that has passed but i think you just need to give them back and move on.

Good luck with this.
 
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Can you just email her back telling her what you told us? I.e his old rugs were worn out and you bought new ones - so you don't have anything to return to her?

If she persists then tell her that her husband is welcome to come and see you and tell her what day and time you will be free - and where. Arrange to meet in a public place, and have a friend or parent or OH with you. And then wait to see what happens. They won't turn up.

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I would be very careful about mentioning that they were replaced!! If the old ones were thrown away rather than sent back to the owner, she could be more determind to get new rugs, rather than old!!

It's a bit like saying "I didn't like your saddle, so threw it away and bought a new one"...you'd expect the replacement to be given to you, as they took it upon themselves to discard the original!!
 
I don't have the rugs- the horse shredded them in the field. The rugs that I bought to replace them have long since gone as well- it was over 5 yrs ago!
 
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The rugs were not in the loan contract. I have emailed her stating that he wrecked the rugs and I replaced them. I did not however, let them go with him when he was sold as they were paid for by me and I did not get any profit from the sale.
I seem to attract nutcases at the moment!
I haven't heard from this person until last week, the last time was when I had the horse all that time ago. She has now bought a new horse and wants the rugs for it!

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If it wasn't in the contract, she'd need to find a way to prove she gave you the specific rugs she's demanding.
 
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I don't have the rugs- the horse shredded them in the field. The rugs that I bought to replace them have long since gone as well- it was over 5 yrs ago!

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Did you not tell the owner at the time that rugs were ruined?
 
tbh if she gave you rugs with the horse I would expect the rugs or ones of their equivalent value to go with the horse, why would anyone else not?
Agreed her tone is not appropriate but as it was a loan an presumeably you didn't buy his rugs in the first place...
 
Ok, chat to the people on your yard and see if any of them have old/worn out rugs ready to throw out. Say the original rugs had worn out and you replaced them, provide old/tatty worn out rugs!
 
She sold the horse with all his tack and equipment to somebody else whilst I still had him on loan. Any thing I had went with him other than the wrecked rugs however the rest of his stuff and his tack was picked up by the new owner with the horse. He did go with a new stable rug that I purchased for him- how on earth am I supposed to prove this 5 yrs on?
 
JJ2 and Judziah are right but I think that it is slightly different as it has been 5 and a half years. Personally I would leave it and see what happens, don't approach her, if she is still contacting you about it get legal help from BHS if you are a menber. Also I know this is probably a bit wrong to say but if she didn't send an inventory with the horse of the tack that was with it, who can say what rugs you have to replace?
 
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tbh if she gave you rugs with the horse I would expect the rugs or ones of their equivalent value to go with the horse, why would anyone else not?
Agreed her tone is not appropriate but as it was a loan an presumeably you didn't buy his rugs in the first place...

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If she sold the horse from the loanee (rather than cancelling the loan, having the horse returned THEN selling it) it would be her responsibility to collect her property, unless a previous agreement was made. As the rugs were not listed in the contract, no agreement was made.
 
I would go with the collection of weird old tatty rugs found in the corner of the tack room as being the replacements for her worn out ones.

Other than that, shes got no proof of what came with the horse and shes clearly being unreasonable to ask for anything back after 5+ years anyway!

If she persists send her the weird rug collection by recorded delivery.
 
I wouldn't even send a response to the email, and as for the husband being sent to 'have words'... I know what mine would say!! (along the lines of do your own dirty work!!)
 
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She sold it whilst it was still on loan to me. The people picked it up from my yard.

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Exactly.

I would contact her back saying that you do not have her rugs, any items that were part of the sale of the horse went with the horse on the day. Any other items should have been collected by her at the time the horse left your responsibilty (ie. changed ownership), if they were left with you, without a previously agreed contract, it was at her own risk. Ask her to refer to her copy of the loan agreement (which she would still have if she'd agreed to lend you the rugs) as to what items you did or did not have before the sale took place.
Then point out that further contact from her will be dealt with by a Solicitor and, if necessary, the Police.
 
TBH i would email back saying that the rugs that were in good condition went with him and the others had been shredded in the field etc so you no longer have any of her property.

then just ignore her
 
No court on the earth would give any consideration to a claim for some old horse rugs over 5 years ago.

Just tell her you don't have the rugs and not to bother you again.
 
I think you are missing my point though-he came with rugs, yes? Did he leave with rugs to the value of those rugs at least? If not then she is in the right. If yes then tell her to get lost.
 
TBH Charlie she sounds like a bit of a nutter!!

You loaned the horse from her which she then sold and by the sounds of it you passed any useful stuff onto the new owners, although obviously not all the new rugs you bought the horse. Assuming the rugs were not new when you got the loan horse and taken it is now 5 1/2 later they would be useless/discarded by now anyway! Just tell her you don't have any and forget about it. Ignore her emails, she sounds like she's just trying it on.
 
You don't have the rugs so you can't give them to her - and after 5 years it seems very odd that she is asking.
Whatever the rights and wrongs they should've been dealt with at the time, not 5 years later!

I would explain that the rugs were trashed so can't be returned and ask her not to contact me again. Tell her that any further threats will be passed on to the police.
 
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I think you are missing my point though-he came with rugs, yes? Did he leave with rugs to the value of those rugs at least? If not then she is in the right. If yes then tell her to get lost.

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So if I got a horse with rugs that would only be worth say £40 they were that tatty, and he wrecked them, and I got new ones that when it went back were worth more than £40 (by miles) I would be perfectly entitled to buy tatty old ones off ebay to replace them?

Hypothetically speaking?

Years ago my friend had a hors eon loan, whatever she bought she owned - even if it was to replace items that expired through normal wear and tear.
Bit like when u rent a flat, they landlord has to expect some general wear and tear of the property - he cant charge for it. So if a horse damaged rugs, or outgrew them, or they were so ratty they were beyond repair, surely new ones bought shouldn't return to the owner.

Well thats how it was with my boy. The only thing I did stipulate was returned was a leather headcollar as he lost his despite explicit instructions NOT to turn him out in it as he will loose it.
 
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