is anyone else really struggling this year?

[Nightmare before Christmas]

So sorry to read this, what a terrible time for you, it puts everything else into perspective. Sending hugs and hope that you can sort out everything, it is so dreadful when you have such a hard decision to make and are doing the right thing that insurance will not co-operate.

I know! I want to do whats best for my horse. Waiting now to see whats going to be sorted insurance wise.

 

[Polos Mum]

I know! I want to do whats best for my horse. Waiting now to see whats going to be sorted insurance wise.

It's madness really as logically the cost of the OP plus ongoing care then still a 70% chance they have to pay out anyway you'd think they would do the sensible thing - even from a purely financial perspective.

Sadly it's their job to get out of paying so they propose a painful and drawn out solution that they know caring owners won't agree to and will result in caring owner getting nothing even though you've paid thousands in premiums over the years (at a guess!)

A common trick for them sadly

 

[Nightmare before Christmas]

It's madness really as logically the cost of the OP plus ongoing care then still a 70% chance they have to pay out anyway you'd think they would do the sensible thing - even from a purely financial perspective.

Sadly it's their job to get out of paying so they propose a painful and drawn out solution that they know caring owners won't agree to and will result in caring owner getting nothing even though you've paid thousands in premiums over the years (at a guess!)

A common trick for them sadly

Their vet and my vet have now been talking and trying to authorize it now. Hopefully petplan will see sense now. Last I heard they were filling out a form so just waiting for a call now

 

[Delicious_D]

Oh god youre with petplan :S

Horrid company...i wouldnt hold your breath sadly

 

[tbred1]

Agreed

 

[Nightmare before Christmas]

Oh god youre with petplan :S

Horrid company...i wouldnt hold your breath sadly

To be fair they have been amazing in the past! Ive only claimed vets fees but they have always paid out no questions! This is a problem thats been ongoing this year so they know fully whats going on. They have taken it higher board so fingers crossed!

 

[Wundahorse]

Never known it so bad,cold,fed up,horses had enough and spiraling prices.Sometimes its just too cold to even take the rugs off,let alone ride.Poor people and farmers in the worst his areas and no end in sight.Just pray for a positive change in the weather.

 

[4x4]

I was glad to find this post I thought I was the only person struggling, our house is freezing, we can't afford heating oil, we are burning anything we can find and living in 1 room, I am so tired with all the work outside with the horses, no grass, spending a fortune on feed, feeding 2 horses which I rarely ride because it's soo cold and quite frankly dangerous when they've been left a while. What's moe today I can't even get the fire to light and have run out of firelighters. My hands are red raw, the only time I get warm is when I go out in the car, it was 2 degs this morning and I thought things were picking up but they have just said on the news that it's going to snow later and will be very cold at the weekend! Rant over!

 

[Marydoll]

I woke up to more snow falling today, thankfully not lying though.
Im lucky ive got access to really nice hay, but its costing me a bomb and although theyre all getting out, theyre not out as long as they would normally be at this time of year. Its been never ending hard work since the non summer of last year, hopefully summer this year will be way better and longer, cause we deserve it

 

[honetpot]

I think reading this thread gives you some perpective. If you are not on a livery you are on your own in the rut and theOH or family probabely do not want to know. Spring is coming honest, the crows have been rearranging the furniture for weeks.

 

[Spottyappy]

Me too. Own yard, major surgery 9 weeks ago, not meant to be lifting etc but can not afford paid help any longer( stopped at 7 weeks post op) and my daughter who normally helps,is away on work experience. OH helps where possible but has severely bad back so also can't lift. Also, self employed so not always around.not busy, so can't turn work down, and that takes priority.
I have never had mine still stabled at this point, always been turned out after winter.
Is costing a fortune in money with hay and extra bedding. Financially crippling me.
Been longest winter I can remember. Mostly cos of the mud and wet.
Hard bloody work.

 

[Adopter]

To be fair they have been amazing in the past! Ive only claimed vets fees but they have always paid out no questions! This is a problem thats been ongoing this year so they know fully whats going on. They have taken it higher board so fingers crossed!

Let us know the outcome. Thinking of you.

 

[*hic*]

Just to buck the trend, this is the first year my nags have been able to go out on grass nearly every day. Normally I have six or seven in on a plot of less than an acre, including car parking yard. So we have to do a rota of out on the woodchip, out on the hardstanding, out on the gravel two at a time. Everyone gets a mooch about but that's it. This year we have moved and I have been able to choose not to put them out under certain conditions but mostly they have been able to get out on the grass. Now everyone hates being turned out in the school, which they used to love I used to be desperate to get them back out on the summer fields.

Water arrangements are a bit poor, especially water collection from the roof which is non-existent so we have had a few lakes to walk through, and the hose is VERY slow but although I'm lacking motivation to ride, keeping them is easier

The house on the other hand! Our other house was sorted to be very comfortable and liveable in. This one is NOT. We lack heating some days and hot water. We can't light a fire as the chimneys have been blocked and then when we looked at opening them up they were condemned and have to be rebuilt. The plumbing is bad, the electricity just goes off for no reason, we have running water down the insides of the some of the walls, cooking arrangements are difficult but we love it

We see flashes of spring and it will get here properly eventually

 

[Nightmare before Christmas]

Let us know the outcome. Thinking of you.

I will do, still waiting around

 

[Antw23uk]

I got a loan mare the week before Xmas and its been a big learning curve and this weather has been testing to say the least!

Her owner advised she wanted her back at the end of the 6 months but I said I was happy for her to go back straight away so she went Saturday.

I cannot tell you the relief to not have to get up in the morning and face that bitter cold wind and frozen tap. Everyone is misserable at the yard, the horses are fed up and there is just no grass left and no plans to turn out into the spring grazing yet.

I've potentially found another horse but now I'm REALLY not sure about going further with it because I am just that fed up with this weather and to be honest I feel like chucking it all in!

 

[Joyous70]

I got a loan mare the week before Xmas and its been a big learning curve and this weather has been testing to say the least!

Her owner advised she wanted her back at the end of the 6 months but I said I was happy for her to go back straight away so she went Saturday.

I cannot tell you the relief to not have to get up in the morning and face that bitter cold wind and frozen tap. Everyone is misserable at the yard, the horses are fed up and there is just no grass left and no plans to turn out into the spring grazing yet.

I've potentially found another horse but now I'm REALLY not sure about going further with it because I am just that fed up with this weather and to be honest I feel like chucking it all in!

It will get better though, this horrid horrid winter cannot continue for much longer, just think of all those lovely rides you will be missing out on if you change your mind and chuck it all in, what would you do with your spare time & money??? I know probably be a lot richer & saner

I took on a rising 3 year old, probably the worst time of year to take on a youngster (my first ever) and probably the worst winter ever! im on the verge of tears some days, I can't always bring her in and do things as i would have liked by now - but i know spring is lurking somewhere

 

[Antw23uk]

It will get better though, this horrid horrid winter cannot continue for much longer, just think of all those lovely rides you will be missing out on if you change your mind and chuck it all in, what would you do with your spare time & money??? I know probably be a lot richer & saner

I took on a rising 3 year old, probably the worst time of year to take on a youngster (my first ever) and probably the worst winter ever! im on the verge of tears some days, I can't always bring her in and do things as i would have liked by now - but i know spring is lurking somewhere

Thanks Joyous70 it just seems never ending. HHmmmm let me think .. spare time AND money .. It's even more tempting to jack it in now, lol

 

[Joyous70]

Thanks Joyous70 it just seems never ending. HHmmmm let me think .. spare time AND money .. It's even more tempting to jack it in now, lol

but you wouldn't know what to do with spare time & money not both at the same time

 

[PucciNPoni]

Yes hopelessly fed up. I'm exhausted and can't face riding.

 

[cob&onion]

My field was already really bad before the snow now i can feel it slushing up with even more mud underneath my colt had his rig op a few weeks back and dropped weight, thought he would be okay as spring on the way but nope. Using 2 bales of hay per day at a cost of £3.75 a bale.....thats £7.50 a day, £52.50 per week!! on hay alone.......
I put shoes on my cob last week and ridden about 3 times since....however the snow has melted on the roads and am determined to ride her tonight.......even if its 10 mins up the road!!
Horses cost so much to keep and yet i seem to be getting hardly any plaeaure out of them lately.......:/
I wanted to start my 3yr old this month, no chance now

 

[cblover]

This is the hardest and most expensive winter I've ever endured. There is no way I could do it again, next winter I will have a hard standing area to us andi must look after my fields better. It's thoroughly depressing and I'm literally exhausted every day. It would put you off horse owning for life.

 

[MrsMozart]

To make it worse I am having issues with the insurance! They would rather put him through major surgery which only has a 30% chance of him coming right! Right nightmare this morning for everyone involved and my heart strings

Get your vet to write a letter to the insurance company. Plus, tell the insurance company that it's happening anyway as it's the right thing for the horse.

That's what I had to do when I lost my horse a few years ago. It was pants, but the help did sort of ease it the process.

Sorry. Not wording it very well

 

[Nightmare before Christmas]

Get your vet to write a letter to the insurance company. Plus, tell the insurance company that it's happening anyway as it's the right thing for the horse.

That's what I had to do when I lost my horse a few years ago. It was pants, but the help did sort of ease it the process.

Sorry. Not wording it very well

Its okay we have been trying to sort it all day and there is no payout as he could live in a field lame! Its stupid! Im doing whats best for my horse now

 

[touchstone]

I'm so sorry to hear your news Nightmare Before Christmas, fighting with insurance companies should be the last thing you have to do at a time like this.

 

[Nightmare before Christmas]

I'm so sorry to hear your news Nightmare Before Christmas, fighting with insurance companies should be the last thing you have to do at a time like this.

The answer is no from them. Going to say goodbye to my amazing horse tomorrow morning.

 

[4x4]

And to add to my previous post on this thread - here is my 'horror'scope for tomorrow:
An odious daily routine is weighing on your heart. It's starting to feel like you're carrying out a prison sentence, instead of leading the life of a free and happy person. You simply can't go on this way. Get help from your relatives, neighbours and friends. Apply to government, religious and educational agencies for funding. Do whatever it takes to lighten your load. If you keep working at this rate, you'll drop from exhaustion. Make some room in your schedule for a hobby that gives you pleasure.

 

[Echo Bravo]

Well I have brought out my longjohns which I haven't needed for a few years and as warm as toast, also many years ago we use to have 2 hotwater bottles tied across our stomachs and across our lower back, to do the mucking out and if our hands got really cold use to pop them inside our jackets.

 

[MoonRiver]

I am beside myself I have never been so sick I can't be bothered to ride I have to force myself, the bills for forage are awful and bedding they stay in the field an hour and a half and then mill about trying to get back in getting cross with each other so Ihave to have them brought the girls who work for me are sick too.
It's freezing the house is freezing the car is freezing at least that's how it seems ,everyone is coming here for Easter and expecting me to give the a great fun Easter break , I am more likely to knife someone.
Pass the gin.
Oh and I have a mountain of ironing to do not sure where it's come from .

Lol, just couldn't help laughing at your hospitality skills, sorry

My pony is becoming feral again whilst I try and build up enthisiasm for riding

 

[showaddy1]

I'm glad Ive read this... Its good to know I'm not alone in my misery. fields ruined, hay prices doubled, feathers burnt off in the bog... I'm currently keeping three overgrown, very expensive pets as neither of us want to brave the cold to ride.
Roll on spring, I'm in desperate need of vitamin d!!