ILPH?-- hopefully she's telling porkies!!!

[Rosyryan]

Hi! Bit of a dilemna here! This person who has since left our yard was having probs with her gelding, basically the uncharitable other livery owners thought that the probs she was having with her ned, (who is luvverly btw), were because she couldn't ride him! So off he went to Liphook where he was pronounced fit and well, she disputed their findings and sought a 2nd opinion, who also said that he was fine, meanwhile her husband contacted Liphook Equine Clinic who declared that 1 of the nurses had ridden him and that his probs were because he wasn't being ridden properly by her! Well he was off the yard in a flash, she claimed that she had contacted the ILPH because in her words "he's unrideable", (yeh,he is by her!), and then claimed that the ILPH had said that she should shoot him as they don't approove of horses being kept as "pets"! Which certainly shocked everyone who heard that, sadly the truth is an alien concept to this woman, so dos anyone know if this is ILPH policy? I hope not as I have done a lot of fund-raising for them in the past, on enquiry the person I spoke to said each case is judged on it's merits, so not a definitive answer there, i personally think that she was having a "pot-shot" at 2 liveries on our yard who in her words "didn't do any thing with their neds",ie don't really ride them but look after them very well, hmm ILPH is looking a bit tarnished in my eyes if this is true, horse was 7 years old and well bred btw + good to do. Anyone any thoughts? Sorry for rant!!

 

[annaellie]

I do not know but I could never imagine ILPH making such a stament as I have found a horse that is very nasty and unmanigable can go to some one else and with the right hands turn right around into a loving horse. Thats just my opinion on it tho

 

[Happy Horse]

I worked at the Equine Hospital for a number of years and we saw several horses who's problems were 'cured' by a decent rider. A number of the owners refused to believe the diagnosis as they just would not believe they were not competent enough for the horse. A couple were booked in to be PTS and bought by the nurses for a nominal price (£1) and went on to have full and happy careers.

I can not believe the ILPH would justify shooting a fit and healthy horse. They would probably advise PTS over selling through a market though.

 

[ClareMc]

Sounds to me like they have completely made up the ILPH response, I don't think the ILPH would use the phrase "shoot him" for a start. Also you would need to know what they told ILPH - I suppose if they said horse was unrideable and very dangerous could'nt be handled etc the ILPH may have said that after a full assessment if this was true horse might have to PTS. I think the answer they gave you on the phone was cagey becasue they do need to know all the circumstances before making the judgement. I am sure if the horse in question is as you describe nicely bred, nice to do etc they would not even consider destroying it for one minute. Just a case of finding the right owner!

Hope this helps.

I don't for a minute believe the bit about not keeping horses as pets being their policy as I am sure they rehome ponies/horses as companions.

 

[the watcher]

Since the ILPH loan out companion animals, that statement would hardly fit, I think. I would agree that they might have commented that putting a possibly unsound animal to sleep as an alternative to selling on the open market would be preferable.

 

[Theresa_F]

I have been trying to rehome my friend's bombproof cob. He is having great financial problems and after 13 years has had to face that he cannot keep her. She comes with all tack and is 100% in all ways, her only downside is that she is 22/23

I asked them could they put her on their list so that if someone suitable came in, and they didn't have anything suitable to offer, maybe we could be put in contact. I was not asking them to take her, just assist in rehoming as she was not for sale and we wanted someone who was not going to do a scam.

I was told they couldn't help and it was probably best to have her pts as she is getting on.

Bit shocked as this is a horse that is great to hack out, albeit her days of galloping and jumping are over. A great companion horse if required.

To be fair, most of the bigger charities have not been helpful, but the smaller ones have offered to assist and Woodgreen have been fantastic.

 

[Alibear]

Arghh have written this several times and can't get it right but it needs saying.

I think ILPH are fab and have helped re-home an x boyfriends horse, they didn't take him in but suggested someone who had contacted him looking for a horse and lucky the pair fitted perfectly and we sold him on for £1.

But they deal with curelty and or horses needing new homes all day everyday and I think this means they are perhaps more "pragmatic" than us single horse owners who would do everything to keep our guys happy and alive for as long as possible.

I very much doubt they told this lady to put her horse to sleep and if they did she probably hadn't given them the full/real picture of the horse in the first place.

Finally you have to ask yourself, if you can't look after your horse any more ,is it fair to think someone else out there will do it instead? We all know of the sad cases where people have done everything possible to ensure their horse has had a good new home only for it to all go horribly sour.

Just isn't easy is it, not with any animal. But it seems more acceptable to sell/move horses on than it does other animals and I can see why but I can also see it as slightly double standards.

 

[AmyMay]

Sorry, none of this rings true to me I'm afraid. Your friend has either totally misinterpreted what Liphook said in terms of who rode the horse for assessment - or is choosing to misinterpret.

As for the ILPH - well as Alibear says - better to be practical than rely on others to look after an unwanted animal. They are not a retirement home - they take in cruelty cases. So yes if your horse (or a horse) is unwanted and unsellable - put it down.

I am looking at this scenario for my horse next year once she foals. She's a bag, permanently lame and unsellable. So she will probably be pts.

 

[sammys ma]

hey,

has your friend managed to re-home his cob?

Blc
xx

 

[sojeph]

agree with Alibabe/Amymay!
My cobbie suffers terribly with sweet itch and if I was ever unable to look after him he would be PTS.

 

[Tia]

To be perfectly honest; it is highly likely that both places said what she is claiming.....however probably not using the same words as she has.

I don't think there is anything wrong with the ILPH's stance on horses being PTS. It isn't the same when you have lots of horses versus only having one - and you do become less cotton-woolly. The ILPH have a job looking after and rehoming the horses they already have on their books, so when they take one in for rehoming, it does need to be capable of being rehomed, otherwise it is taking up space for others.

Bit like rescuing - I don't see the point in rescuing horses with 3 legs (not literally obviously) where you will have this horse for a million years and no-one will be interested in it.....the space it is taking up could offer temporary homes to many others who WILL find adoption easily.

 

[TOMPOES]

normaly they access each horse and if to ill or to old pts but others normaly retrain and put out on loan as companian or riden so said horse must be realy dangerous to be pts

 

[Theresa_F]

Not yet, but there may be someone interested in her who wants a safe cob to take their kids out. Also another person who is looking a steady field companion that is happy being left by herself when she takes her other horse out.

Got to be the right home and be willing to provide a reference and accept she is on perm loan agreement rather than being sold and the owner wants to visit once or twice a year.

The right person is out there, just got to find them.

I feel so sorry for him and wish I could afford 3.

 

[conniegirl]

Theresa,Try the VHS, she may have to become a member, but they will always rehome a veteran.

 

[Rosyryan]

Interesting, I know that 1 of the others challenged her on the advice that the ILPH had given her, general concensus of opinion is that she will not acknowledge that the horse's probs are down to her she is an arrogant, horrible woman, whi previously owned a Hanoverian gelding who also had problems!!!??? He sustained an injury which was purely cosmetic and she had him euthanazed because he would be permanently blemished perfectly fine to ride though, also found out that woman's husband wouldn't agree to horse being euthanazed and he has gone on a selling livery so no 2 didn't bite the dust, thank goodness, I think the thing that has annoyed people is that she hasn't got the guts to admit her shortcomings, if sehe wanted to save face why the hell didn't she just take him away quietly, I think she wanted people to say "oh dear of course it's not you, you are a brillinat rfider, I would get rid if I were you", nobody did so she lied, grrr God I hate people sometimes,

 

[Magicmillbrook]

I am doing a NVQ at ILPH and we have regular talks about the ins and outs of ILPH policy and cases on the yard. I know that they only take cruelty cases, if someone doesnt want a horse anymore they are expected to deal with it themselves, loan, sell or PTS.

I am sure they would not have said the horse should be shot. As others have said all cases are judged individualy and there is no way that they would recomend euthansia for a young horse with some quality of life. For an oldie it may be a consideration if it is unlikely to go to a good home or its quality of life has deteriorated.