Help - where do i stand???

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Kelly1982

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Sorry haven't been on in a while coz of my new job but really need some advice.

Yard owner lives in away and comes back once a month to collect livery and do odd jobs around the yard. Anyway he has been fixing fencing round the fields and also around the school which is in our horses field as well.

Got a call Friday from one of the liveries sayin i needed to get to the yard as my horse was on 3 legs and needed the vet. Turns out she has a 6 inch nail going through her frog and coming out her heel!!! Rushed her straight up the vets who took x-rays etc. Luckily the nail had missed any major tendons and ligaments by about 1mm. Vets kept her in til tuesday on intravenous (sp) antibiotics. She is back home now on box rest for the next few weeks and i have to poultice her foot for the next 4 days. She will also be out of work for about a month!!!

She is insured but i have to pay £120 excess and 50% of stabling fees not to mention the days wage i lost which at this time of year is never a good thing!!!

So what do i do now??? If yard owner hadn't been so careless this would never of happend and the nail is not the kinda nail you would lose easily so not like he dropped it then couldn't find it. He is a lovely man in his 70's so dont want to upset him but at the same time i have a poorly horse, i have lost about £400 and i dred to think what might of happened if that nail had been 1mm higher!!! Do i ask him to cough up or just accept horses get themselves into this kinda trouble?

If she had got injured any other way then i would accept that these things happen but surely this is negligence??

Also today i walked down the field and there was barbed wire from all the new fencing all over the field and by the gate where the horses stand. We tidied it up the best we could but now i am really worried about turning my horse out again!!

The yard is a nice little yard but i honestly think its getting too much for my YO and he is struggling to keep on top of things. What would you do??
 
What a horrible situation! Have you mentioned to the YO what has happened and that you've had to tidy up the barb wire too? He may offer to help with the costs or may get some one to help out at the yard to put your mind at ease. If he doesn't though I would move, whether it's nice or not you have to think of your horse and I know once I start to worry that's it I will all the time
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If you like your yard I would be inclined to leave it as it would be hard to prove he was negligent and therefore you have nothing to gain and everything to lose, could have easily been an old nail buried in the turf that the horses have kicked up. I think it would be best to count your lucky stars it wasn't any worse. While the work is being done could you not put some temporary electric tape around the danger areas?
 
Haven't spoke to him yet as the day it happened was the day he returned home, typical!!!

I am going to ring him but not sure what to say!!! Obvioulsy i am very angry and upset but at the same time he is a lovely man who does have the horses best interests at heart i just think its getting too much for him and he is making a few mistakes!!
 
Its just a coincedence that this happens whilst he has been round the fields fixing fences.

I am inclined to start renting a field up the road with one of the other liveries as she is unhappy too but its money i cant really afford at the mo this close to christmas etc.

I dont wanna cause trouble but at the same time this cant keep happening!!
 
Give yourself some time to get over the upset before moving and if what you say is right he sounds like he'll be upset at what has happened to your horse so things may get better. If you rent a field elsewhere will you have to do some of the maintenance? If so would it be possible to stay where you are and try to help him instead? Then you don't have to move and you won't have the money probs?
 
I suppose i really need to talk to him and see what he says, im just gutted this has all happened when it could of been avoided.

I wouldn't have to do the maintenance to the field up the road and its free of barbed wire!!!
 
I would speak to the yard owner and tell them you are upset about what has happened to your horse. If they are genuinely sorry for their possible mistake and say they will try to sort things out to prevent any more accidents I'd be happy with that, these things do happen. If they are all attitude and aren't prepared to listen and make a few changes I'm afraid I'd be taking my horse elsewhere. I hope your mare gets better soon.
 
I know for a fact he wouldn't give me attitude and he would be genuinly sorry as he is a lovely man i just think he is too proud to admit he needs a bit of help!! Although he has started getting someone in to do the bigger jobs so at least thats a start.

At least if i chat to him he will be aware of the situation so with any luck that alone will stop further incidents which is obviously my main concern!!
 
I presume you are DIY? If so then I am afraid IMHO it is your responsibility to check and ensure that the field and stable you rent are fit for your horse. At the end of the day you are renting space, that is not, you are not paying for any ongoing care for your horse. I can understand that you are cross, I would be too, but I am afraid I cannot hold the YO responsible at all.
 
Yes i am DIY and i can see what your saying and we do check the fields and let the YO know if anything needs fixing but when i turned my horse out in the morning he was not doing anything in the fields, he started after i had gone to work otherwise i may of had the option of keeping her in that day.

I just think he should of been a bit more careful considering horses were using that field.
 
It sounds like a genuine and regrettable mistake.

If maintaining the yard and paddocks is getting to be a bit much for the YO why not suggest that you take some of this on - you are there every day and know what needs doing. Maybe he would offset the costs of the materials and something for your time against your livery bill.
 
I have not got a clue about fixing fencing etc but it does sound like a good idea and i am a fast learner!! I may talk to one of the other liveries about that idea as well and approach the YO about it.

I did get my OH to fix my stable once though when my horse kicked a hole in it and the YO wasnt too happy although he didn't moan as such i could just tell.
 
Unfortunately if he can't keep up with the maintenance of the yard and he wants to keep his liveries he will have to either get some one in to do it or let you do it. Even if you left and he got some one else in the issue would arise again so I'd just have a word with him. He probably won't like you doing it just because he is proud
 
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It sounds like a genuine and regrettable mistake.

If maintaining the yard and paddocks is getting to be a bit much for the YO why not suggest that you take some of this on - you are there every day and know what needs doing. Maybe he would offset the costs of the materials and something for your time against your livery bill.

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Good suggestion
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I agree with SJ_Sapphire.... I would leave it, after all, can you actually prove "he" dropped the nail there? hope horsey is feeling better soon and thankfully there was no serious damage, although i can imagine this was quite distressing for all concerned!
 
It is a horrible thing to have happened to you but can I just say nails, how ever big they are, are soooooo hard to find once you've dropped them especially in grass and if he's elderly. I was fencing last week, dropped a huge nail. I saw where it landed, but could I find it? Could I heck
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I think it was just a pure accident and your horse was very lucky.
 
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I presume you are DIY? If so then I am afraid IMHO it is your responsibility to check and ensure that the field and stable you rent are fit for your horse. At the end of the day you are renting space, that is not, you are not paying for any ongoing care for your horse. I can understand that you are cross, I would be too, but I am afraid I cannot hold the YO responsible at all.

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I agree with this, it is your responsibilty, put it down to experience and move on.
 
I expect he'll be more careful when doing repairs in future
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Chloe came in with a nail in her foot last week - she'd picked it up in the wood chipping that was put down on the lane a few weeks ago. Thankfully it was still attached to a block of wood, so didn't penetrate her hoof or frog.
However, if it had been a vet job we'd have paid it all in full, and didn't blame the YO for putting down the chipping. In fact we bought her a box of chocs as she gave us a lot of antibiotics for Chloe, just in case.
Hope your horse makes a speedy recovery
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