DataLore
New User
Alright so I'm beyond fuming with a ridiculously stupid family member who's about to do something that defies all logic. Here's a quick rundown of events, and I'm sure that after a quick glance over most of the people here will see my dilemma.
1. Two days ago I get wind from my mother that her sister (my aunt), is looking at getting a foal. I admittedly laugh it off, because said aunt has zero horse knowledge or experience and I couldn't imagine this would ever go through.
2. Yesterday said aunt turns up at my stables under the guise of wanting me to let her daughter ride my horse.. something I never have a problem with for my young cousins as said horse is an angel. Only later do I find out that whilst there, my aunt cornered the yard owner and somehow managed to get him to agree to take the foal! I am frankly speechless about this as it is, seeing as the yard is absolutely not safe for youngsters, and the yard owner had just watched me showing little cousin how to hold the reins.. so obviously novice.
3. For some reason that I cannot fathom, nobody seems to realise what a train wreck is about to unfold. I have a strong feeling that the aunt is expecting me to do everything with the foal and this was her plan the whole time. I have no desire to take on a foal right now.. or probably ever if I'm honest, because even though I consider myself to be quite experienced in horse ownership right now I do still realise that the keeping of young stock is a whole different ball game. Nothing I've said to my aunt has even gotten through it seems, even when I pointed out that the fencing on my yard wouldn't hold anything smaller than 13.2 inside for more than five mins. I did also try to gently point out that novice horse owners and green horses don't mix, but I may as well have been talking to a brick wall apparently.
4. When I expressed all of these concerns to my family, their reply was that it wasn't my problem and I should just let her get on with it. Well it will be my problem when I hear the clippity clippety of tiny hooves down the lane when it's escaped, or when it's screaming the stable walls down for it's mum and the yard owner inevitably gets fed up, but most of all, and this is what I need help with.. when the poor foal inevitably finds itself at deaths door because it's ended up at a home which is less than clueless.
So this is the dilemma.. aside from the fact that the whole scenario beggars belief.. I need to know what to do to help a weanling find it's feet if it does indeed turn out that it's receiving inadequate care.. and believe me it will. Any advice anyone can offer on the proper care of weanlings will be absolutely one hundred percent appreciated. The only good part of this thing is that she is getting a vet to come and geld the thing, and also get a passport and microchip done, but I doubt she'll even be able to follow vets advice on aftercare because I strongly suspect she'll be too scared to go in a stable with it when it's running round in circles.
I especially need to know what to feed the damn thing if she gives up on it and dumps it on me, (also another probable ending here) as I haven't the first clue about feeding youngstock. Sorry that this post sounds bitter and angry by the way but this whole scenario has gotten me so wound up.. didn't sleep a wink last night for worry about what's going to happen. The yard owner is a fair man but I do wonder if he'll be so amiable when it's my family member causing him no end of grief too, and I don't want to be kicked off my little slice of heaven over this. All I want is to get on with life but trouble does seem to love finding me.
Also what little I know of the foal is that it's still on it's mum, is six months old, a colt, and from the gypsies.. which could mean anything I know, as some are very well cared for, but seeing as it's being given away for free I doubt it's coming from a reputable source.
Please help, I'm really at my wits end and don't know what to do.
1. Two days ago I get wind from my mother that her sister (my aunt), is looking at getting a foal. I admittedly laugh it off, because said aunt has zero horse knowledge or experience and I couldn't imagine this would ever go through.
2. Yesterday said aunt turns up at my stables under the guise of wanting me to let her daughter ride my horse.. something I never have a problem with for my young cousins as said horse is an angel. Only later do I find out that whilst there, my aunt cornered the yard owner and somehow managed to get him to agree to take the foal! I am frankly speechless about this as it is, seeing as the yard is absolutely not safe for youngsters, and the yard owner had just watched me showing little cousin how to hold the reins.. so obviously novice.
3. For some reason that I cannot fathom, nobody seems to realise what a train wreck is about to unfold. I have a strong feeling that the aunt is expecting me to do everything with the foal and this was her plan the whole time. I have no desire to take on a foal right now.. or probably ever if I'm honest, because even though I consider myself to be quite experienced in horse ownership right now I do still realise that the keeping of young stock is a whole different ball game. Nothing I've said to my aunt has even gotten through it seems, even when I pointed out that the fencing on my yard wouldn't hold anything smaller than 13.2 inside for more than five mins. I did also try to gently point out that novice horse owners and green horses don't mix, but I may as well have been talking to a brick wall apparently.
4. When I expressed all of these concerns to my family, their reply was that it wasn't my problem and I should just let her get on with it. Well it will be my problem when I hear the clippity clippety of tiny hooves down the lane when it's escaped, or when it's screaming the stable walls down for it's mum and the yard owner inevitably gets fed up, but most of all, and this is what I need help with.. when the poor foal inevitably finds itself at deaths door because it's ended up at a home which is less than clueless.
So this is the dilemma.. aside from the fact that the whole scenario beggars belief.. I need to know what to do to help a weanling find it's feet if it does indeed turn out that it's receiving inadequate care.. and believe me it will. Any advice anyone can offer on the proper care of weanlings will be absolutely one hundred percent appreciated. The only good part of this thing is that she is getting a vet to come and geld the thing, and also get a passport and microchip done, but I doubt she'll even be able to follow vets advice on aftercare because I strongly suspect she'll be too scared to go in a stable with it when it's running round in circles.
I especially need to know what to feed the damn thing if she gives up on it and dumps it on me, (also another probable ending here) as I haven't the first clue about feeding youngstock. Sorry that this post sounds bitter and angry by the way but this whole scenario has gotten me so wound up.. didn't sleep a wink last night for worry about what's going to happen. The yard owner is a fair man but I do wonder if he'll be so amiable when it's my family member causing him no end of grief too, and I don't want to be kicked off my little slice of heaven over this. All I want is to get on with life but trouble does seem to love finding me.
Also what little I know of the foal is that it's still on it's mum, is six months old, a colt, and from the gypsies.. which could mean anything I know, as some are very well cared for, but seeing as it's being given away for free I doubt it's coming from a reputable source.
Please help, I'm really at my wits end and don't know what to do.