In a bit of a mess- don't know what to do :(

[Pearlsasinger]

It is always far too easy to misinterpret a text anyway but texting the owner wasn't the best thing to do in these circumstances. It is YO's job to report incidents to owners, especially if staff are injured (it's a miracle you weren't,OP). But one thing that you should learn from this is never tell someone what to do with their own horse particularly with regard to its behaviour/manners. I'm not sure that you can say that you 'politely' told her it needs to learn some manners - even if it does.
If the owner of this horse is paying to have her 4 yr old put out then surely she is expecting the yard staff to teach it how to behave in those circumstances. Having said that it all sounds like an unfortunate accident really.

 

[chocolategirl]

Getting a bit overwhelmed with people having a go at me down my yard and wondering if I did the right thing.

Having got involved in turning people's horses out for them in the mornings, I turned one horse out the other day. He is a generally rude and bolshy hose who knows his strength and how to use it - all of which I presume comes down to his basic lack of ground work and manners (he is only 4).

Anyway, got to the field and had to open the electric fence, horse touched fence with his nose despite me pulling him back, and then proceeded to barge into me, knocked me through the fence and breaking it then knocking me over and kicking me in the head. After all this I politely text his owner to tell her what had happened saying that in the grand scheme of things he could generally do with some more general manners, not that this incident was generally down to lack of manners (though I think had he respected my space, it would not have happened but oh well). In response I get a very childish reply and one about how her horse is no different to the others and is in no way dangerous. Now I should point out here that I am not the only one on our yard to handle him and have similar problems in his manners, and although currently he is not dangerous, if not nipped in he bud it could escalate. I would be able to handle this as I can understand she would be feeling a mix of emotion, but her friend (another livery) is also giving me s**t about it and saying that I was lying about what happened and should stop causing trouble.

I honestly didn't say anything no one else would as I hate conflict, but just wondering did I do the right thing???

Thanks for reading if you got this far

And this is why I wouldn't recommend anyone handles other peoples horses but their own. On our yard, we have assisted DIY and turnout is only £1 and built into this price is the YO's ' care, custody and control' insurance! What would happen if you had been seriously injured or even worse killed?

 

[FestiveFuzz]

And this is why I wouldn't recommend anyone handles other peoples horses but their own. On our yard, we have assisted DIY and turnout is only £1 and built into this price is the YO's ' care, custody and control' insurance! What would happen if you had been seriously injured or even worse killed?

I'm assuming OP would have been covered as she works for the YO in return for free/reduced (can't remember which!) livery.

 

[twiggy2]

I'm assuming OP would have been covered as she works for the YO in return for free/reduced (can't remember which!) livery.

insurance would only cover if the work/exchange of favours is declared

 

[BethanT]

I have my own accident insurance as well as being covered by yard. Which has definitely proved worthwhile in the past.

 

[Mithras]

DIY yards always seem to attract at least one person who barely turns up to see their horse and coerces other people into looking after their (usually badly behaved) horses for them...