horse been left, help and advice please

[ColandMe]

Hi, will try to keep this brief. About 2.5 years ago I sold my horse to the girl who'd been sharing her for some time, horse was still kept in my rented field with my others. Everything fine until some point last year,girl got herself into self inflicted financial difficulties ( could still afford holidays though ) and for about about the last 8 months horse has not had the care it needed. I've subsidised, paying for feed and hay through winter etc, never got a thank you. Horse has arthritis now and needs regular gentle exercise and a danilon a day to her comfy and as she loves to hack all was well. Girl stopped exercising her so she became stiff, and girl just generally couldn't be bothered. We exchanged words last week as I told her she wasn't being fair to the horse and now girl has seemingly dissappeared. Not been up to do her horse in a week, no feed, no danilon, nothing, phone's been disconnected, and I'm blocked from her fb. So, what the hell can I do? Field rent was due on 1st, I can't afford to pay it as I've had my 2 to pay for, I've been feeding the poor girl of course but I'm worried sick for her ongoing care and future. Any ideas? Oh, girl is ok as she's been in contact with a mutual friend, but now won't reply to her emails

 

[Funkyfilly024]

Contact her somehow and tell her you will contact your solicitor if she continues to not pay rent and prehaps offer to help find the horse a new home/loan ?
Worst comes to worst tell her you will call RSPCA, because (allthough you are) tell her technically if she isnt feeding it who does she think is?!

Feel for you it sounds like a really difficult situation, you say 'girl' so I guess young, is it worth contacting parents?

 

[lachlanandmarcus]

question is, what are you prepared to do. I mean to say, if she has abandoned, are you prepared after all the necessary steps of giving her the chance to reclaim the horse, to either sell or PTS?

If not, then you are kind of stuck with the horse.

Either way, I would be using all known channels/contact details to formally contact her in writing and verbally and give her say 7 days to rectify the situation failing which she will be reported to RSPCA. I know they wont do much as you are caring for the horse but they will know she has abandoned and the fact they have power to prosecute in conjunction with the police might concentrate her mind on the reality of the situation.

I would also be sending her a formal bill for the field rent (something you can later use in a small claims writ if needed).

 

[ColandMe]

Have no way of contacting her. Phone is disconnected, no response to emails I sent now they just bounce back, friend has contacted her on fb but now it seems she's gone off there too in the last hour so she definately doesn't want to be found! She's not an easy horse to loan out, 17hh, and although fab and safe wont hack alone, plus needs danilon a day so could be costly. It's so sad, she was mine for 8 or so years, but I didn't ride her much as I was crap and she was too much horse for me. Thought I'd found a good sharer in this girl which is why I sold her. I say girl as she's a lot younger than me, she's 26 so old enough to know what's what. Parents live in Middlesborough and wouldn't have a clue how to find them. In an ideal world I'd just keep her with mine, but I really can't afford to.

 

[ColandMe]

Thanks for the replies. I have considered the pts option as I'd rather that than her end up in the wrong home. She's a 17hh, big warmblood, 21, arthritic although with correct care it's been easily managed and she's continued to enjoy hacking, however it's a big ask for someone to take on. Bit too big to be a lightly ridden companion so in all honesty if she doesn't return for her then maybe I know what the answer is.

 

[jhoward]

set up a new account on facebook and message her that way, she doesnt need to be a friend.

inform her that she has 24 hours to make contact or the horse will no longer be on the premisis. keep it formal and brief.

 

[foraday]

There is an abandonment info sheet on the Redwings site.

Tells you what to do in these cases. Usually 7 days is the correct and legal amount of time for you to take legal ownership of the horse.

 

[ColandMe]

Well she has no intention of returning for her, she's sent a message to our friend via her bf facebook to say she's moved away. I've sent a message to say i'lll be reporting her to RSPCA but doesn't help me with the dilemma of what to do with this poor horse. Have barely slept, got to go to work now, then have a hospital appointment so won't be able to do anything till this eve. What a mess.

 

[blood_magik]

hope you get it sorted - don't know how anyone could abandon any animal

 

[DuckToller]

There are very few homes around as it is, and fewer people still who would take on a large, aged, arthritic mare who is not that easy to ride.

I think 21 is a great age, and she will only become increasingly arthritic, given her size, so I would strongly advise that rather than try to find another home, where she could end up being neglected, that you consider pts as a fair and viable option.

You have been extremely considerate looking after her, and I think this is the kindest thing you could do. However you can't just have someone else's horse pts, so you need to get her signed over to you. If a lovely home materialises then fab, but I doubt it will and charities are full to bursting, so if you get her signed over then the decision is yours to make, and I know lots of people on here will agree with me (and just as many won't, but nor will they be offering her a home either).

Hope that helps and know what it is like to lie awake all night worrying about someone else's horse that they have abandoned.

 

[Funkyfilly024]

What area of the midlands are you Colandme?

 

[gugglebum]

Contact her asking for her written permission to have the horse euthanized - this should bring it home to her what she's done. I don't care how low she may be feeling, even if I was suicidal if an animal was depending on me I couldn't turn my back on it.
I really hope it doesn't come to that though OP.

 

[unbalanced]

There are very few homes around as it is, and fewer people still who would take on a large, aged, arthritic mare who is not that easy to ride.

I think 21 is a great age, and she will only become increasingly arthritic, given her size, so I would strongly advise that rather than try to find another home, where she could end up being neglected, that you consider pts as a fair and viable option.

You have been extremely considerate looking after her, and I think this is the kindest thing you could do. However you can't just have someone else's horse pts, so you need to get her signed over to you. If a lovely home materialises then fab, but I doubt it will and charities are full to bursting, so if you get her signed over then the decision is yours to make, and I know lots of people on here will agree with me (and just as many won't, but nor will they be offering her a home either).

Hope that helps and know what it is like to lie awake all night worrying about someone else's horse that they have abandoned.

^^^^^^^
This makes a lot of sense. If neither you nor the girl is in a position to offer the mare a retirement home (and frankly this girl does not sound like she should be owning a horse) then PTS is a kind, dignified option for an old friend.
This must be horribly stressful for you and I hope it gets sorted quickly with the best possible solution for you and the horse.

 

[ColandMe]

She's beyond evil in my opinion. The landlord's just been 'round after the horses rent, Sarah rang him and told him the horse was mine so i'd be paying for her from now on. Obviously been planning doing one for a while and sod the consequences. I just keep crying and I'm a very strong person usually but this is too much.

 

[ColandMe]

What area of the midlands are you Colandme?

Hi, I live near Nuneaton.

 

[ColandMe]

There are very few homes around as it is, and fewer people still who would take on a large, aged, arthritic mare who is not that easy to ride.

I think 21 is a great age, and she will only become increasingly arthritic, given her size, so I would strongly advise that rather than try to find another home, where she could end up being neglected, that you consider pts as a fair and viable option.

You have been extremely considerate looking after her, and I think this is the kindest thing you could do. However you can't just have someone else's horse pts, so you need to get her signed over to you. If a lovely home materialises then fab, but I doubt it will and charities are full to bursting, so if you get her signed over then the decision is yours to make, and I know lots of people on here will agree with me (and just as many won't, but nor will they be offering her a home either).

Hope that helps and know what it is like to lie awake all night worrying about someone else's horse that they have abandoned.

Thank you, all very true. I'm sick of hearing well meaning fools telling me today to just send her to a sanctuary! Not that easy, and not that fair on the horse or the sanctuary. I honestly don't think a fab home will materialise, and it'd be cruel to offload her to someone else.

 

[Flummoxed]

The landlord's just been 'round after the horses rent, Sarah rang him and told him the horse was mine so i'd be paying for her from now on. Obviously been planning doing one for a while and sod the consequences.

I sincerely hope you told the landlord that the horse is not your reponsibility and has abandoned. I don't see why you should pay its rent as well..........

 

[puppystitch]

I'd find out exactly what your rights are with regard to taking back legal ownership of the horse - I'm sure any equine charity would know the answer.

Once you know, and if you are able to reclaim the horse could you plaster adverts all over the internet/tack shops etc for a sharer to help towards costs? I understand that she's not the easiest horse, but you found a sharer once so you might again?

I hope this gets resolved soon

 

[fatpiggy]

You obviously know the sharer quite well - do you know where she works? I think it is HIGHLY UNLIKELY she has moved away. She's just saying that to try to hide from anyone who could tell you where she is. If you know where she works take the letter and hand deliver it there, best of all in front of her work colleagues so they all know what sort of person she is.

 

[ColandMe]

You obviously know the sharer quite well - do you know where she works? I think it is HIGHLY UNLIKELY she has moved away. She's just saying that to try to hide from anyone who could tell you where she is. If you know where she works take the letter and hand deliver it there, best of all in front of her work colleagues so they all know what sort of person she is.

Good plan, tried it, she left her job yesterday

 

[indiat]

You obviously know the sharer quite well - do you know where she works? I think it is HIGHLY UNLIKELY she has moved away. She's just saying that to try to hide from anyone who could tell you where she is. If you know where she works take the letter and hand deliver it there, best of all in front of her work colleagues so they all know what sort of person she is.

This. She sounds like a nasty piece of work. She's dumped the animal on you in every way but the way it counts, with legal ownership, so you cannot make any decisions about the mare's future. If she was haivng problems she could surely have told you and you could have decided the mare's future together? I really don't know how someone just walks away from an animal not knowing how it will survive without them.

 

[BonneMaman]

Has she moved house since you loaned the pony to her? If not, just go round and confront her.

 

[ruby1512]

I really feel for you thats an awful situation to be in, what a disgusting thing to do to not only the horse but you as well, what a peice of work she is ..... vile individual!

 

[ColandMe]

Has she moved house since you loaned the pony to her? If not, just go round and confront her.

Hi, yes she very recently moved house, and by all accounts has moved again, today apparently. Straight in with her boyfriend I believe.

 

[Tickles]

As a sharer/former sharer of difficult/occasionally unsound horses I would agree that is an option. But make sure you get the horse signed over to you first. Good luck.