Horses & leaving them in a will

[SEL]

For some reason recently its been bugging me about what would happen to the horses if I popped off. OH is completely non horsey and neither of my 2 neddies are easy to re-home. The boy could go back to his original owner for retirement but the mare is tricky and has PSSM so she would really need to go to a very experienced home.

I can see World Horse Welfare has a scheme whereby the horses pass to them, they retain ownership and they look to rehome following their usual checks etc.

Anyone used this or signed up to it? Are there any other charities out there who would let them live out their lives as field ornaments in return for a sizeable donation?

Obviously I am hoping to outlive both of them by quite a considerable margin, but always good to plan!

 

[Sukistokes2]

my horses are listed in my will, they go to a family member to find them good homes. THE whw scheme could be good if there is no one who would be suitable.

 

[milliepops]

I've told my family to pts mine if I die before them.

One is difficult to manage with old injuries. The other is difficult to manage behaviourally. I wouldn't want to rehome either of them tbh I have a feeling that other charities might take them on for £££ but my personal experiences have been that I wouldn't want to gift a horse to a charity I'm afraid.

 

[Finlib]

all my 4 are left to WHW in my will . They ask you to fill in a detailed routine and suitablity sheet and on that you can say whether re homing is likely to work out .2 of mine are elderly and would not be rehomed by whw .Have a chat to them they are very helpful Dawn Whitney is the lady there who deals with these bequests DawnWitney@worldhorsewelfare.org

 

[galaxy]

I've never set anything formally for mine. I should. I'd like my sis in law to have or if not my friend would who has land and love her. Luckily she is easy going.

I am the person listed to have another friends horse though if anything happened to her. I used to compete him and ove the bones of him. He's the horse I always regretted not buying for myself.

 

[Antw23uk]

My horse is left to a friend in my will should anything happen to me. She actually has a great horse now (when I made the decision her previous horse was broken beyond fixing so was just a matter of time before he was pts) and couldnt afford two but we spoke and I said it was her call at the end of the day BUT if she couldnt or didnt want to keep him she could offer him to his old loaner because she was amazing with him for the year she had him.

Personally if he was too unhinged or broken that I wouldnt dare sell myself whilst alive then I would have instructions left for him to be pts to secure his future.

 

[SEL]

all my 4 are left to WHW in my will . They ask you to fill in a detailed routine and suitablity sheet and on that you can say whether re homing is likely to work out .2 of mine are elderly and would not be rehomed by whw .Have a chat to them they are very helpful Dawn Whitney is the lady there who deals with these bequests DawnWitney@worldhorsewelfare.org

Thanks - I'll drop her a line. Is there a minimal financial bequest as well?

My gelding would be an asset to any charity. If I had £1 for every time someone stopped to admire him, ask his breed, tell me how gorgeous he is, how big his feet / ears / nose are then I'd be a millionaire. I often joke about tying him up outside a pub with a collecting tin around his neck and a sign saying £1 for a snog! I could see him on an 'adopt a horse' website with a trillion followers.

The mare is work in progress though. In 10 years time I might look back on this time as a not particularly fond memory but right now she is tricky and the PSSM is not under control (or it is under control and her issues lie elsewhere).

To be brutally honest even if PTS was the right decision I would like the decision to be made by the charity and not by my OH. Both these horses are a huge part of my life and I love them to pieces. If anything happened to me then I'm assuming the loved ones I leave behind would be in mourning and asking them to PTS my 2 hairy beasts would be a step too far - it would absolutely break my OH.

I did think about leaving them to a friend (I'm a guardian for a friend's horse in her will), but I'm not convinced given their individual circumstances that would be best either.

Can't believe I'm worrying about this really, but it has been bugging me. No intention of going anywhere for years yet!!

 

[SEL]

I've told my family to pts mine if I die before them.

What worries me is that my family couldn't / wouldn't do it.

 

[Tyssandi]

For some reason recently its been bugging me about what would happen to the horses if I popped off. OH is completely non horsey and neither of my 2 neddies are easy to re-home. The boy could go back to his original owner for retirement but the mare is tricky and has PSSM so she would really need to go to a very experienced home.

I can see World Horse Welfare has a scheme whereby the horses pass to them, they retain ownership and they look to rehome following their usual checks etc.

Anyone used this or signed up to it? Are there any other charities out there who would let them live out their lives as field ornaments in return for a sizeable donation?

Obviously I am hoping to outlive both of them by quite a considerable margin, but always good to plan!

Mine are being left to WHW in my will, I have known so many people who left them with well meaning friends or family who tried to keep up the wishes of their loved one by keeping the horse , but their circumstances changes and they could not do it and were forced to sell the horse on to Mr blogs.


Trouble is you can leave to a friend but imagine how they would feed if you left the horse to them and the change of circumstances and they had to sell or give the horse away to someone you don't know They would be so upset by not keeping your wishes.

So I am giving mine to WHW and if any family want them they can adopt them through WHW and if things in life do change for them they go back to WHW with no regret or remorse.


I also have an account where money in that account goes to WHW for their future

 

[SpringArising]

My gelding would be an asset to any charity.

What do you mean by this? I don't think the charity would see it that way TBH.

 

[milliepops]

What worries me is that my family couldn't / wouldn't do it.

I'm pretty sure mine would do. My dad hates horses and OH is pretty clear thinking

Have seen so many rehomings go a bit wonky, I just couldn't do it to mine. All well meaning, of course, but things just go wrong sometimes. I couldn't do it to mine. Hopefully the WHW scheme is a success

 

[AppyLover]

If I go Ted goes to my sister as ours live together if we somehow both go they are left to our mum to find sharers/loaners (never to sell) but to not leave the yard with the help from YOs as she's not overly horsey (I have been told I am selfish for this to be my wish by people on here when this was brought up in another post in the past. So I would like to add my mother agrees to doing this and has said that she's knows how much they mean to both of us and that she would happily do as we request. She also said that if she didn't do as We had asked it would be like us having actual children and her getting rid of them instead of looking after them)

 

[TTK]

I am aware of a case where an owner died leaving her estate to her horses for their care. And the executors varied the will and the horses fell on hard times to say the least. Good legal advice is essential.

 

[william95]

Although I haven't done anything about my horse in my will I have been offered some legal advice and they did recommend that if the horse is to be left to a friend/ family member then it would be wise to also make sure sufficient funds are also left to these people to ensure the horse can be adequately looked after for the duration, especially should the friend/ family member have a change of circumstances in the future, if pts is not being considered.

 

[Orangehorse]

Blue Cross also aim to rehome horses. I think that if you gift a horse to them you also need to give them some money. When I was looking round their premises years ago they had just had in a horse that belonged to an elderly owner who couldn't physically look after him any more.

Blue Cross are pretty reliable. I know someone with one of their horses and they do check up on them and go and see them and generally keep in touch.

 

[JennBags]

I left my previous horse to WHW along with a substantial bequest as he was older and I wouldn't have wanted him rehomed. My current horse I have left to a very good friend, along with a substantial bequest so if necessarily she can afford to put him on full livery for a while.

Definitely worth making provision for them imo.

 

[Sealine]

My horse is to go back to his breeder if I go before him which is hopefully unlikely. His breeder always said she would have him back even if he is retired. If for any reason this doesn't happen I've told my husband to speak to the yard manager for other options as I trust her judgement completely. Depending on his age and health at the time she may advise PTS but I don't want my husband to have to make that decision.

 

[Smogul]

Although I haven't done anything about my horse in my will I have been offered some legal advice and they did recommend that if the horse is to be left to a friend/ family member then it would be wise to also make sure sufficient funds are also left to these people to ensure the horse can be adequately looked after for the duration, especially should the friend/ family member have a change of circumstances in the future, if pts is not being considered.

We have not left our horses to anyone in our will as we felt it was totally unfair to burden someone else with them - who knows what age/state they will be in? However, we have agreed with a friend that she will take the decision whether to sell or put down any horses we own at the time of our death. She will receive payment for this. Our executors have been informed of this and also instructed to contact the yard and ensure that all livery and vets bill are paid out of our estate.

You really should do something about this formally as too often people behave very oddly when family members die.

 

[happyhack26156]

I am glad that this subject has been raised as this has become an issue with me too, as my 'boys' are 16 and 17 years young! Even though I don't intend to 'shuffle off this mortal coil' for a long time yet, I must get my mind around the subject. After much thought and deliberating I have come to the (very hard) decision that if my husband and I are no longer able to look after them, then pts is the only option that I personally would consider. They have both had good, pampered (and hopefully) much longer lives and I would prefer to think that they would end their lives peacefully in their own field and not be passed on. Even with the best will in the World circumstances change and 'friends' may find they cannot carry on with them. I guess if you have younger animals with all their lives in front of them, then you probably have a different view. Hopefully I will outlive mine (although we did have our old girl pts at the ripe old age of 39 a few years ago!)

 

[Annagain]

Mine is set to go to his old sharer with £5k for his care. However, I really must speak to her about it again as a lot has changed since she agreed this about 8 years ago. She's not sharing him for a start! She's moved over an hour away and now has two kids so she may not want him any more although her mum has land so that wouldn't be a problem. I would be happy for his current sharer to have him but she's only been sharing him since June and this is her first experience of horse care so she has a lot to learn. She adores him and isn't afraid to ask questions so would trust her to have him - just hopefully not any time soon (for all sorts of reasons!)

 

[Magicmadge]

I have two foals due next year my intention is to keep at least one or both bringing my numbers up to 9 !!!! which means if the live in to their 30,s I will be in my 80's !!!! My others range from 5 months to 13 if anything happened to me before I'm really old some would be pts the youngsters my daughter would ensure they had good homes or went on Loan so she still has some control . Next years will be my last foals purely because of my age im 51 and I don't want to produce anymore if I can't guarantee their future .

 

[Red-1]

My OH is in charge of the horse when I go, and he has stated that he would PTS. Jay is lovely, but not necessarily the easiest. I would not dream of sending him to a charity, as I have seen them then go to homes that I would not have chosen. I feel that their intention is good, and the horses have fields etc, and are well fed, but TBH Jay is used to his emotional needs being met, as in training, and I am not convinced these are always met.

If we had another, more straightforward, one, then he says he wold sell but take care where it was sold. He would not look to keep it forever. I rarely sell, but when I have done, the home has been more important than the price, for example selling for 6K, when a different home had offered 18K. The first home was the better one, and kept him until he retired, and then got stiff, whereupon he was PTS.

I would not want to put any restrictions on my OH, after all I share my life with him and trust him, so I can only trust that he would do right by my animals.

 

[Goldenstar]

It's mean to leave someone a horse without some money to ensure its care .

 

[debbielinder]

Hopefully my auntie would take mine on, we joke about it a lot she has 2 which she said shes leaving to me, so she can have mine! Joking aside he is difficult and pretty unsaleable due to his attitude so if she didn't or couldn't take him, she is 65 after all the best option would be PTS unless she knew someone who could have him she knows him inside out so i completely trust her judgement.

 

[chased by bees]

It's a very good subject to bring up! Most of us don't want to think about it but it's extremely an important thing to consider.
Mine has behaviour problems that are perfectly manageable by the few people that help me wi her. If I pass before she does she'll be pts. It's written in the will for her to pass to my partner for this reason. I don't trust my family to follow through with it, they'd try and pass her to a charity which would be my worst knightmare (would be for the charity too, she'd be almost impossible to rehome safely). My closest friends at the yard know this what I want so I can help him though the process.
It's odd how many people don't consider it though.

 

[Goldenstar]

My brother would be my executor if both of us died .
There's a sum of money set aside to look after any horses we own at the time it's a fair bit several tens of thousands .
There's are some notes in my desk they are my thoughts about what should happen to each horse should I die .
I update it from time to time and it's better than having it all in my will because the horses situations change and you don't want to be changing your will all the time .
There's are also the numbers of various friends who I have asked if they would help him if the worse happened .
I have of course asked my friends if they will do this .
My dogs are in my mind ATM it was always assumed my mum and dad would take our dogs ,that now would not be tenable so I am thinking about that thorny problem ATM .

 

[gunnergundog]

There's are some notes in my desk they are my thoughts about what should happen to each horse should I die .
I update it from time to time and it's better than having it all in my will because the horses situations change and you don't want to be changing your will all the time .
.

Genuine question here as I spend a bl@@dy fortune ensuring that my will is up to date to accommodate my changing dogs and horse: if something is not in your will, but in your desk, surely no-one can guarantee that it is effected? Or?

I have a will detailing the animals in my ownership and dependent on their age and mental and physical health I detail what should happen to them; also, re the dogs, I list all their whistle cues, diet, medication if required and any other peculiarities.

I am single with no family (that is coherent!) so need to ensure that I cross all the t's and dot all the i's!

Any input welcome.

 

[millitiger]

Currently my mum would have them and either find riders or they would retire. Not to be sold on.
Both are very easy going and the mare in particular, would be in high demand and I trust my mum to ensure they are looked after to the right standard.

If my mum was no longer around, they would be pts. Although both very sellable, I hate the thought of them going somewhere I haven't checked and a rider I don't know- too quickly, even good horses can fall on hard times if there is no safety net.

My friend has left her horse and all of his belongings to me in her will- if the worst happens, I either keep him and have him as a hunter or pts as he is a fabulous hunter but total pain in the ass! She is leaving that judgement to me

 

[Smogul]

Genuine question here as I spend a bl@@dy fortune ensuring that my will is up to date to accommodate my changing dogs and horse: if something is not in your will, but in your desk, surely no-one can guarantee that it is effected? Or?

I have a will detailing the animals in my ownership and dependent on their age and mental and physical health I detail what should happen to them; also, re the dogs, I list all their whistle cues, diet, medication if required and any other peculiarities.

I am single with no family (that is coherent!) so need to ensure that I cross all the t's and dot all the i's!

Any input welcome.

Yes, it is possible to refer in your will to other instructions which your executor must follow. Much simpler to do this than keep changing your will every time you buy or sell a horse.

Just out of curiosity. Why have people not made wills?