How can people afford horses without a job?

pocket

pocket

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Is it just in the South East or does this happen all over the country? People owning/keeping horses that have no job and spounge of the system like leaches? Pardon me if this sound harsh, but its driving me mad and I need to get if off my chest before I explode........

I am surrounded by people who swan around the yard in designer jods, flash cars and still owe money to vets/YO/feed merchants and dont do a days work, yet their horses are left in the field for others to fetch in because they're too lazy to get them in as they disappear once they've mucked out, thats if they can even be bothered to do that.

WHY does it happen, it makes me mad
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It drives me crazy. I work in a part-time job that I loathe, just so I can pay for my own horses. I could so easily have sat back and made the Government paid out, like a certain person I know.

We both got injured at a similar time...in 2004. I broke my spine, couldn't continue the job I was doing, so got a different job within 14 months. This other person, 4 years on, doesn't work. Apparently they can't do the work they used to...so can't work at all. Yet can tow trailers with horses with their 4x4, put up a new shed, do all the gardening and DIY around the home, afford two holidays a year....

I'm still paying off my only 'holiday' in 4 years!!

There is no reward for being an honest person these days.
 
I am with you 100%.

However, where I live it is slightly different, with horses left for weeks / months seemingly abandoned in fields by people who either don't have the money or interest to care properly for their animals. I know landowners who are owed rent they will never see and farmers who will never be paid for feed supplied and delivered.

During the summer I found an escapee in the lane to our field, the poor soul had open bleeding sores from sweet itch, so I let her munch the grass in the lane until I was finished and then put her back where she had come from (the gate had been left open). The horse belongs to a girl at college, who's mum is living on benefit. I did report the incident to the RSPCA (no reaction, no surprises).

There is too much of this kind of behaviour in our area and I just don't understand why people own an animal that they can't afford or clearly don't actually want.

I also know a person who inadvertently sold a good horse to one of these people and has been kicking himself ever since. Fortunately the horse did pass into better hands, but the original owner was still distressed by the situation.
 
im surround by ppl like this on my yard, it makes me soo cross!!

The owners do have jobs tho!! They only have the farrier when they can afford it! and buy feed etc, not when the horses need it!! the horse arent wormed, vaccinated or insured!!

There nothing wrong with keeping horses as pets but WHY if u cant afford it!

I personally go without if it means my horses are fit and healthy
 
I couldn't agree more - i knew someone once who's Mother was on benefits and they must have had at least 15 ponies in a field - all of which were never wormed, feet trimmed etc etc.

I now find the opposite though - we are in quite an affluent area of Kent and the yard farrier was telling me how most of the people on our yard dont ever pay him on time, some owing as far back as 6 months - and these are people who have more than enough money - kept women lets just say!!
 
I also know people that hold down three jobs to keep their horses. My friend and I was in an RTA in July last year, I've just managed to get back to work, but awaiting another op which will put me on half pay, so, I'll use my savings to pay for Ralph. My poor friend is still off and will be off for another 6 months or more and is on half pay now and goes up and mucks her horses out with the aid of a crutch, watched on by the leaches.......never any offer of help! Makes me so angry.

I think people should be IQ tested (well actually we'd all fail! Must be mad the lot of us
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) Means tested and have to sit some sort of test, bit like a driving test for horse ownership, that might help?
 
I knew someone who had two horses her mum was on benefits and they never came to see the horses (they didn't come for over 6 months) they didn't pay the rent, the horses were in desperate need of attention from the farrier. I called the ILPH and nothing was done, so I paid to have their feet done. They came back several months later and yelled at me for sorting their horses out!
They were deliberatly avoiding contact with the land owner, he couldn't get into contact with them so asked me to help.....they then took the horses away - dread to think what state they are in now!
 
I've come across quite a few - and it annoys me too!
the worst i've prob seen was someone who was claiming disability, OH was claiming carers allowance etc - yet said disabled person worked cash in hand at a big riding school/livery yard pretty much 7 days a week (and i mean - did all of the hard work!), had 101 kids (or near enough!), drove a new 4x4, and i think had 5/6 horses at one point - not just in a field, but stabled where they had to pay for bedding etc etc.
i actually found it quite bad on that yard - sooo many of the kids with ponies - their parents couldnt afford them, so they used to steal food daily etc - yet pretend to be your friend!

I've also met them on the other scale - are not poor at all, yet dont pay feed, farrier bills etc! there was one who actually used two names at the feed store to run up two bills!

i'm pretty much a pay as you go kinda girl - when i buy feed, i pay for it there and then, i dont run up bills, i know how much my horses are going to cost me and make sure i have that amount of money plus extra for incidentals, new rug if one gets ripped, extra feed if on box rest etc etc plus quite a bit in a savings account as you never know what could happen, its not hard to budget at all - i dont get why people dont always do it.
 
Because my darling husband pays me to stay at home and look after the children (I didn't have kids at 34 to palm them off into childcare ... though if I had, I'd be a damn sight better off than I am now).

This money then goes on livery ... it doesn't stretch as far as designer jods and jackets, maybe I should have a word with him!!!!

Does that put me in the same bracket as those who make you mad? I do my own horse at night whilst hubby puts them to bed, it is very rarely that I will ask somebody to do my jobs for me.
 
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Because my darling husband pays me to stay at home and look after the children (I didn't have kids at 34 to palm them off into childcare ... though if I had, I'd be a damn sight better off than I am now).

This money then goes on livery ... it doesn't stretch as far as designer jods and jackets, maybe I should have a word with him!!!!

Does that put me in the same bracket as those who make you mad? I do my own horse at night whilst hubby puts them to bed, it is very rarely that I will ask somebody to do my jobs for me.

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ditto, i am very lucky that i can be a stay home mum & afford to keep my horses.
 
Grrr, that gets my goat to!! We have a pair like that on our yard! So not fair that part of my £280odd a month goes on THEIR horses (I know not directly!) and not on mine!

I have no problem with house wives/husbands or people who are genuinely unable to work through illness (in fact i believe horses to be a great therapy!) its the proper scroungers that get me!
 
Quirky, you do not fit the description at all!

It is about people who have horses but can't actually afford to keep them properly. Plus the ones that DO have sufficient money but bad payers.

In a way horses are too cheap to buy. A puppy can cost the same as a pony, but a dog usually doesn't cost so much to feed. So the pony suffers from lack of care through lack of money.
 
It annoys me when people can't afford to have horses have them.

I was 'laid off' a couple of weeks ago from my part time job that i did so i can have my boys.
(I am looking for a job at the mo.)

I wouldn't have 2 if it wasn't for my wonderful gran, who pays for my horses livery, and my OH, who pays for Red.

Although I am jobless now, I wont be going on the dole- I'd rather scrape by and use some of my savings.
 
im another stay at home mum with horses so dont work -just spend my time cleaning [****] up behind toddler husband and horse!

i am in a wealthy bit of herts and i see the women who dont have kids, have their horses on full livery, hunter and barbour clothes(always clean), 700 a month livery bills for pampered warmblood dressage horse and dont even ride them, thats just odd!!!
 
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It annoys me when people can't afford to have horses have them.

I was 'laid off' a couple of weeks ago from my part time job that i did so i can have my boys.
(I am looking for a job at the mo.)

I wouldn't have 2 if it wasn't for my wonderful gran, who pays for my horses livery, and my OH, who pays for Red.

Although I am jobless now, I wont be going on the dole- I'd rather scrape by and use some of my savings.

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Why on earth not take the dole money while you are looking for another job? It is not a handout if you have been working you have been paying your taxes and are therefore entitled to some help when its needed.
 
There is a couple down our yard who have 2 horses and neither work. Both sponge off benefits, wife is too scared to ride one of the horses and it only kept as a pet but not fed nearly as well as the other
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OK they may be able to afford one, but they are definately not able to afford the second one.

They are also "known" on the yard to steal stuff for their horses coz they cant afford what they need but no-one can catch them in the act
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Its not about mums who dont work and have horses, its about people who cant be arsed (pretend they cant work) to get a job and look after their horses themselves when quite clearly they are able to work. Lets hope the new laws about proving you are unfit to work comes in quickly
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Rant over
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This does my head in!! I cant understand it!!

I work full time and would give anything to have my own horse but cant afford it.

I dont understand how it is possible that someone cannot work and still have a horse on full livery
 
It annoys me too! There are a few on our yard, one in particular who has two horses and does not work at all. Yet can only manage to come the yard once a day for about 30mins (sometimes not at all) even though the horse is in 24/7. So hay must last 24hrs along with water etc. YO has to nag the person to pay livery bill.

Yet I work full time, most of the time have £1 ready meals for my tea, or beans on toast so I can keep my horse and give him the best, which is what he deserves.
 
I am in agreement, it drives me mad! I am disabled I have two part time jobs, one of which is at a livery yard where I muck out and ride. It kills me but I do it because I love horses and it helps to pay for my boys livery. There is a lady where I keep my pony she has three one obese grumpy fell and two colts rising two, they get fed a concoxion of god only knows what in massive amounts, she can't handle any off them as they are so high on whatever she has choses to buy this week. The best of it is she thinks that she can get someone to break the two year olds in the spring!!
1, is she mad?
2, how can someone who is on benefit afford to feed three horses, pay livery and even contemplate paying someone to break them in? even if it is far too soon.

It boils me beyond belief! Half of these people are just too lazy, fair enough if they have health problems, but if I can work with ramdomly dislocating joints and a very bad back why can't they??!! I have been told for a few years now to slow down and I won't as I do not want to be labelled and I am not prepared to give up my pony.
 
I wish I could work but am unable. I have had people get at me because they can't see why. However I do have a husband who pays for most of my horse. I pay everything on time and my horse gets everything she needs.
 
It happens in the midlands too! I had to give up my job due to something called dyspraxia, I also had to give up riding too as part of the illness is a lack of balance and judgement of distance. I am now a stay at home mum-which dont get me wrong, I love but sometimes feel like a nonentity. My hubby works damn hard for every penny we get. He is on the road from 6am-6pm and then continues to work from home. I cannot get disabilty allowance and many employers see me stumble into the interview and think I am drunk-I'm teetotal lol
I do not own any jods at the moment, I drive a clapped out banger and a luxury for me and hubby is a night in with a dvd while parents have my daughter.
However-both horse and daughter do not go without although not always having the best.
I get worked up watching these people brag about how much they are getting, how much their new jods and saddle and trailer were and when they will take delivery of their new range rover sport-not tuesday though as thats sighning on day!!!
 
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