Home needed for two TB geldings!

My God op leave the poor bloke alone!
He is caring for the horses, paying for the horses and managing to get to the yard twice q day. In fact I think its quite horrible that you and YO are putting pressure on him to get rid of what clearly is an important part of his life.

It sounds better for all round if he did move the horses.

I really doubt the horses are upset they are not being ridden they are horses and have never known any different.

Maybe I have missed something but I can't see how your behaviour is reasonable TBH.
 
goldenmint said:
My God op leave the poor bloke alone!
He is caring for the horses, paying for the horses and managing to get to the yard twice q day. In fact I think its quite horrible that you and YO are putting pressure on him to get rid of what clearly is an important part of his life.

It sounds better for all round if he did move the horses.

I really doubt the horses are upset they are not being ridden they are horses and have never known any different.

Maybe I have missed something but I can't see how your behaviour is reasonable TBH.
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I may have picked this up wrong but did OP not say you can not pick up their feet and they recieve no foot care and have never had a dental if that's right it's not acceptable .
 
flitz02 said:
How sad......He sounds as if he loves them very much & looks after them ok & they are probably a very big part of his life. I can understand there may be a welfare issue with the feet but other than that it sounds as if he looks after them very well.What makes you think they are bored? I wish you the best of luck in finding a new home for them but sadly if he is no longer able to cope with them then i think pts would be the best option...although i do understand he's not going to let you do that anytime soon,I can totally sympathise with the chap & im sure the highlight of his day is to do the horses like soo many of us.x
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Goldenstar said:
I may have picked this up wrong but did OP not say you can not pick up their feet and they recieve no foot care and have never had a dental if that's right it's not acceptable .
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Thank you goldenstar.

There are a lot of posts in here that are making wild presumptions about the motives of this thread and so I will make the following very clear.

The owner of the yard only took bought it last year, so the 7 years previous to that, nothing she could have done. I have been there just under a year, so previous to that, nothing I could have done.

This poor chap is just that...poor. I will not hear a bad word against him as he loves his horses and dog massively. He doesn't want them to go any more that you or I would want to rehome our horses BUT...I make this very plain...he has three horses on DIY livery and only receives a basic pension with which he has to care for them.

He is not just willing now for them to find a new home...he is desperate for it.

If you know the yard and you know the owner, you would know that she would never want to get rid of horses to free up livery spaces. It would make no difference to her if it is these geldings there or other horses. She has been more helpful to this man than probably most people would care to be.

We have both cared for his horses when he ha been unable to and we will do that for him as long as he would need us to.

The point is, these horses, whilst they get very decent day to day care are in need of a bit more and the owner cannot cope with them anymore.

He has been unwilling to rehome them in the past, but financially he is now desperate for them to go.

There was no point in me explaining all this in detail in the OP, but as some of you are so quick to judge the very honest and genuine intentions of this thread...I thought I would spell it out.

Why is it my business? Because the owner has made it my business. He has asked on many many occasions for my help and I have given it gladly. He has been struggling a lot lately, so I brought this up again and he is willing to consider any good home for these boys.

Before you start accusing other people of being judgemental...make sure you are not being judgemental yourself!!!
 
amymay said:
And after 8 years YO now wants to do something about it...?

What are we missing?
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See my post above.

There is only so long a man can support himself and three horses on a state pension.

People want to do right by a couple of sweet horses and a very nice old chap and get suspicion and judgement in return?
 
thatsmygirl said:
Isn't the owner old, unable to cope for much longer and agreed to them getting new homes? Maybe that's why the yo is now helping.
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A sensible post :-)

YO has only had the yard since last summer as well. Yes, he is old. I am posting this for him as he can only just work out how to answer a mobile phone bless him. I reiterate...HE WANTS THEM TO FIND A NEW HOME.
 
-GG- you are in a difficult situation I appauld you for trying to assist these horses I think your best chance is a TB rehoming charity.
Good luck I hope you can find a solution to this thorny problem.
 
Ibblebibble said:
i know the 2 geldings as i livery very close to the livery yard in question!
Does the poor chap want them rehomed or is he being pushed into it to free up space on the yard? if he's paying his livery on time and looking after them on a daily basis i can't see that it's anyone else's business:(
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If you know this yard and know the owner of these geldings, pop down and talk to him yourself. Nobody has pushed him into anything and he wouldn't let anyone push him even if they wanted to. He is struggling and needs help. He asked me for help, I asked if he would consider rehoming the boys. He was very happy with this idea and asked me to do what I can to facilitate that.

Making accusations about the intentions of the yard owner is foolish and extremely immature in my honest opinion. If you know her, you should know better than to think that of her. If you don't know here...maybe you should think before you jump to such absurd conclusions.

The yard owner has promised this man that his horses can stay there as long as he wants/needs and she meant it. It is him that is struggling, he has repeatedly asked us to help him and after many times of being let down by dogooders offering to work with these horses and letting him down, he has asked for me to try and find them a new home.

I mean it...if you know the yard, pop down. I will be there tomorrow from 8:30 until about 2pm and again from 5-7. I would be more than happy to introduce you to the owner of the horses and then you can judge for yourself.

Believe me, all I am doing is helping someone who has asked for help.
 
sorry if it seems judgemental but i've passed these horses daily for the last 6 years and never seen them pacing or looking stressed so you saying that they are because they are bored made me wonder how honest you were being about the gentleman wanting to rehome them, it's not always the livery yard owner who wants to free up space on a yard. the YO in question is a lovely lady and i don't doubt she has gone over and above normal YO duties to help this man and his horses.
 
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Ibblebibble said:
sorry if it seems judgemental but i've passed these horses daily for the last 6 years and never seen them pacing or looking stressed so you saying that they are because they are bored made me wonder how honest you were being about the gentleman wanting to rehome them, it's not always the livery yard owner who wants to free up space on a yard. the YO in question is a lovely lady and i don't doubt she has gone over and above normal YO duties to help this man and his horses.
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Yes she has. It is only a small yard as you know with the yard owner, the owner of these horses, myself and another girl there.

The horses are bored in that yes...they will pace from time to time. The owner has to fork out more for hay because they will regularly ruin the grass trying to let off steam. Yes, I know, all horses do this, but these boys don't do it when they get attention, unfortunately, with a full time job, four dogs and my own horse to look after, I don't have the time to always do this.

I have gone to great lengths to explain how well looked after they are, but the owner cannot cope financially.

Lets put it this way....I understand your post above and can confirm that neither myself or the other livery has any intention of getting more horse that could use that space. This thread is a genuine one.

I care a great deal about these horses and I care even more about their owner. He is a wonderful man and we are just trying to help him out.

Do pop down though if you want....it is always good to meet more local horsey people. Might even already know you, lol.

My real name is Cheryl and I have the bay TB mare that is kept in the front paddock next to the road :-)
 
good luck op with finding them a new home. I know it is alot for you to do but could you gently back them so that they will have at least been lunged/long reined and had tack on and been sat on (obv. would need to have feet trimmed and teeth done first so that may be the stumbling block) - dont know if you have an arena or if its possible but it would great improve their chances as someone may then take them on to bring on to a decent standard and sell on for a bit of profit to good homes (or keep but that may be unlikely as 2)
 
Have you tried Greatwood it is a TB /race horse charity near Marlborough. Or Try Blue Cross I think they have a register where horses can be rehomed to a new owner without the Charity involvement. A Charity would be the best bet. Good luck . I think it is great that you are trying to help.
 
Years ago WHW had a waiting list for horses that could be ridden. Have you approached them? The horses they find difficult to re-home in this climate are companions.

They are not old and if sound and sensible TB's would make nice riding horses.
 
Well, at the start of the summer I offered to get them into work for him providing he would bring them in in the mornings so that they could settle a little as in the summer, just bringing them in to the stables would get them sweaty and stressed...honestly, they can call at each other all day and pace the stables despite only being a few yards apart. So, I said that if they were brought in every day so that just being in was no longer stressful, I would start the work with them. Unfortunately, they are quite hard work for the owner when they are being boisterous and despite my attempts, the only time I could work with them was when I could bring them in myself.

I actually got to the point where I had bitted the nervous fella and could pick up the front feet of the other boy. Go near his back legs and he would strike out violently, so with young children on the yard, despite them never getting anywhere near, I will never ever risk overstressing a horse or creating a situation where there woudl be potential for a horse to pull away, snap the bailer twine and be loose on the yard. I got them to a point where I could lead them in and out of the fields on their own, rather than together without them trying to kill me (one in particular will rear up and strike out at you if he sees fit). I then got them to the point of being able to start to take them into the school, but I could not do that without their feet being done and the owner simply couldn't and still can't afford that. I have maintained regular upkeep work with them, the yard owner also does what she can, but we only do this when the owner asks us to and we know that it is ok as they are not our horses to just work with as and when we want. The owner has changed his mind a few times, so we have been going by what he has wanted.

They are now coming in every night as the weather has ruined the fields, so I am starting to work with them again. My farrier, who is the best I have known in 30 years has offered to trim them for nothing which is extremely generous as they will not be easy, but again, with no money to sedate them, it will be a long road to getting it all done.

Charities are not only full, they are on the cusp of a crisis as there is an overwhelming amount of horses needing urgent rescue. Hoping for a callback from the racehore rehab centre in Lancaster tomorrow, but all of the places I spoke to today said that they would need to be up to date with their vaccs, which again, the owner can't afford.

Ideally, I would love to find someone local that would be willing to cover some costs to help the owner out and take the horses on for them to stay at this yard. I am posting this thread though by the owners request, as...even if we do find someone that can help him and keep them at the same yard, they will still most likely outlive him and their future would still be uncertain.

He is trying to survive month to month, we are trying to help him. He would rather feed his animals and go without himself, hence me fattening him up with homemade cakes every morning, but it is actually quite a serious financial situation for him, so we have to look at all options.

No, it isn't easy and forgive me if I have been a bit defensive to the negative posts, but I am of the belief that when we all stop trying to help those in need, this world will be a very sad place to live in.

I will do what I can, the yard owner the same...but if anyone does know of any person or place that might be able to help...the owner and I would be very grateful for your consideration.

In the meantime, I will keep working with them.
 
I did read the entire post...just a thought but have you thought of advertising on project horses? Or put something up on Prime Equine as they are offering free ads ATM. I am not in a position to comment about Kelly Marks as have no knowledge but just wondered if she might help? At the very least its great PR for her? Just trying to think outside the box for you..
 
your original post says they dont kick or bite but now one kicks violently amd the other rears and strikes out-they have gone from being nice geldings that need work to ones with more serious issues
 
I take my hat off to you for trying to help,but is it really fair on the horses who obviously have or will have seperation anxiety.In my opinion they are not going to be easy to back/break and you could get seriusly hurt in the process! unless you do have any luck with charity ....the kindess thing to do is going to be pts & although it will be very hard on the old chap at least he will know where they are.In an ideal world someone would take the both as companions to live out there natural lives.Good luck & fingers crossed for them.x
 
amymay said:
Where is this man's family?

Have you contacted the rspca or WHW?
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Spoken to both and both advised PTS as they cannot take on anything but severe neglect/rescue cases at the moment. Thank you though.

As for the owner, it is just him and his wife. She does have a niece and her husband and children that live in London, but they visit twice a year and know nothing about horses. They have tried to help the owner and his wife financially, but have a young family and struggle themselves.

They do have a very good friend who I have met a few times who knows the horses, but she has said that she can't help.

To be honest, this is why I feel so compelled to help him now that he has asked. They are on a basic state pension, the owner just about manages to do milking for a local farmer on alternate weekends because we do the horses for him on those days, but his health is deteriorating and it is simple fact that he will not be able to keep it up forever. I would much rather help him while there is a chance these horses can have a new lease of life, than have to try and deal with it all in the worst of situations.

Luci07 said:
I did read the entire post...just a thought but have you thought of advertising on project horses? Or put something up on Prime Equine as they are offering free ads ATM. I am not in a position to comment about Kelly Marks as have no knowledge but just wondered if she might help? At the very least its great PR for her? Just trying to think outside the box for you..
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Great minds think alike :-)

Have responded to an ad on project horses, I just need to speak to the owner tomorrow before I post an ad on there as I gave him my word I wouldn't do anything without consulting him first and I had not heard of them. He knows I have posted here and and facebook and he knows I have contacted all of my contacts and friends.

I did contact Intelligent horsemanship and the lady there has taken my details, so I will chase that up in a few days if I don't hear anything.

Thank you again :-)
 
jools1234 said:
your original post says they dont kick or bite but now one kicks violently amd the other rears and strikes out-they have gone from being nice geldings that need work to ones with more serious issues
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Original post should say they don't kick or bite in the stable. They are great in the stable.

The issue is and why they need experienced handling, is that when they are lead into or out of the field, they can become extremely boisterous and if they want to go and you don't let them, they will both, bit one is worse, rear up and strike out. They have just learnt that when they do this with the owner, he will let go and so they think they can get away with it. It is not all the time, but it can happen, so I have to mention it.

I think it is best to paint a true and honest picture of these horses in order to find the best home.
 
flitz02 said:
I take my hat off to you for trying to help,but is it really fair on the horses who obviously have or will have seperation anxiety.In my opinion they are not going to be easy to back/break and you could get seriusly hurt in the process! unless you do have any luck with charity ....the kindess thing to do is going to be pts & although it will be very hard on the old chap at least he will know where they are.In an ideal world someone would take the both as companions to live out there natural lives.Good luck & fingers crossed for them.x
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Yep, I agree. Unfortunately the owner will absolutely not consider this and I feel it would be better to be in his favour, where he will accept help from us, than have him withdraw and struggle even more than he already is.

Yes, there are risks, but I have worked with plenty of horses worse than these, so I am happy to deal with that. The anxiety issue is my biggest problem. I know that they would find it very stressful being moved, but sometimes a little stress for a lifetime of happiness can be worth it. If it isn't, I wouldn't go there.

Fingers crossed indeed :-)
 
Sorry can't be of any useful help but would just like to say what a lovely person you sound OP and how pleasant it is to find someone who is willing to help rather than bitch moan and generally make life unpleasant for the old guy.

Kelly Marks is a regular poster on horse gossip if that helps - you could PM her on there she goes under her name

Good luck
 
cronkmooar said:
Sorry can't be of any useful help but would just like to say what a lovely person you sound OP and how pleasant it is to find someone who is willing to help rather than bitch moan and generally make life unpleasant for the old guy.

Kelly Marks is a regular poster on horse gossip if that helps - you could PM her on there she goes under her name

Good luck
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Thank you very much for that information.

I generally go by the rule that if you're judging, you're not helping. It's never actually that difficult to give a damn and lend a helping hand.

Trust me, I am no angel and I am not perfect, I need plenty of help myself sometimes (usually of the straight jacket variety) lol, but thank you...I would hate to be a person that simply watched others suffer.
 
_GG_ said:
Original post should say they don't kick or bite in the stable. They are great in the stable. One kicks when you try to pick up hind feet, not surprising after never having had it done.

The issue is and why they need experienced handling, is that when they are lead into or out of the field, they can become extremely boisterous and if they want to go and you don't let them, they will both, bit one is worse, rear up and strike out. They have just learnt that when they do this with the owner, he will let go and so they think they can get away with it. It is not all the time, but it can happen, so I have to mention it.

I think it is best to paint a true and honest picture of these horses in order to find the best home.

It's hard to post all of the details in one go without writing a book, lol.

What I should have said is that if you are just walking around them in the stable, giving them cuddles and attention, they won't kick or bite.

The bad behaviour just stems from never having had anything really done but I am getting there with them slowly.
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Thought I had better expand on that for clarity's sake.
 
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