Is this acceptable to you?

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showqa

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What do you think of this? Woman up the road basically just doesn't bother feeding her horses when she decides to go to her caravan for the weekend. There are horse sitters around here, but she won't pay. So Mon - Fri, the two horses get fed breakfast and dinner and then Sat, Sun and Mon they don't!! They live in a yard and are left a load of hay and water.

Personally I don't think it's fair or good management to do this to them just because you want to go away every weekend, but then I wondered if I was being too precious. For the horse's sakes I was considering offering to feed them, although her apathy does gall frankly but I wouldn't take that out on the horses.
 
there is a family whose field is close to my land, they dont visit their horses at all during the week only on a saturday/sunday. i keep my eye on them, but i dont have their number should anything happen.
 
My horse Is on nothing but hay just now, as long as they have access to grazing and water I don't find it that bad, maybe someone drives by once a day and checks all 8 legs are present.
 
No, I know for sure that noone is checking them.

I was concerned about the sudden change in feed regime - especially as they're both in their late 20's - and colic as a result. Likewise, as noone is popping in how long they would be suffering with a colic until found.

Anyway, I feel that I should just offer my services - even though I would never dream of doing this with my two horses and in a way it makes it too easy for them. But I'd never forgive myself if one of them did go down ill and were left for days like it.

Ok - thanks - just wanted to make sure that I wasn't over -reacting.
 
I know a lady who doesn't even come to see her horses nevermind feed them... I think they are in luxury in comparison.
 
If they are in good condition, and have access to grazing, water etc (I`m assuming that they are not stabled all weekend) then i dont think missing out on a bit of hard feed will do them any harm. I think we can all be a bit precious when it comes to our horses.

It would be a good idea for them to be checked on at least once a day though.
 
I don't actually think it sounds that bad. You need to clarify what you mean by "kept on a yard". I presume you don't mean a livery yard but an enclosed yard which is not a grazing field?

I am sure many horses cope well with far less attention. Yes, something might happen, but something might happen right after you have been up to check your horse on DIY livery, you might be the last person up that day and the horse might have to go all night until someone spots it or you are up the next day.

As for the hard feed, it won't hurt them to miss the odd hard feed. I feed in response to activity ie I feed less if horse not working hard or occasionally don't feed if the grass is rich and he isn't working for a few days.

If it were for a weeks on end then I'd be concerned. However it sounds like the owner is taking care to ensure they have enough feed and water. Perhaps she would like a helper - maybe you should offer to keep an eye on them when she's away?
 
I would offer but I'm a softy and couldn't bear to think of them left :(

Some people who rent a paddock in the same yard as us only come once or twice a week. We all keep an eye on their pony( they did have 2 buy lucky for him one has just been loaned out) we have been topping their water up as needed and one of the girls on the yard who has their number has been texting each time to state that they had no water. They must have got peed off with this as now they have moved their water from by the gate, where you could see if they had run out, to the other side so we would have to hop over their locked gate and look to check. Last week their buckets were bone dry and when the girl text to tell them she got a torrent of abuse for trespassing into their field to check!! YO isn't interested :(
 
The feeding wouldn't bother me, I vary all my horses' hard feed daily depending on how much work they are doing and their general condition. If their condition is good (which it generally is) on their days off they do not get any feed.

Not checking on them is quite risky as they could have all sorts of problems that require attention from broken fences to serious illnesses. I don't think there is much you can do about it though other than keep an eye on them yourself.
 
Lexie81 said:
I would offer but I'm a softy and couldn't bear to think of them left :(

Some people who rent a paddock in the same yard as us only come once or twice a week. We all keep an eye on their pony( they did have 2 buy lucky for him one has just been loaned out) we have been topping their water up as needed and one of the girls on the yard who has their number has been texting each time to state that they had no water. They must have got peed off with this as now they have moved their water from by the gate, where you could see if they had run out, to the other side so we would have to hop over their locked gate and look to check. Last week their buckets were bone dry and when the girl text to tell them she got a torrent of abuse for trespassing into their field to check!! YO isn't interested :(
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Enshrine of tools :mad: if people aren't prepared to look after their horses they shouldn't have them :mad:
 
Unless you stand and watch 24/7 you will not know if someone has been and checked on them or not. I've had my young horse at his grazing now for five weeks and not yet seen the owner of the other two horses.

He comes up to the paddocks twice a day - our paths though have not yet crossed.

If the horses have food and water it sounds like someone must be feeding them.
 
I am sure legally you need to check on livestock at least once every 24 hours and I am sure this woman is in breach of her responsibilities, whether or not they have food/water.
 
Eveleyn, she's the next door neighbour and we live in a small hamlet. I know all the people that would have been asked, including the horse sitter who does these horses on occasion (for two week holidays) and also does mine when I go away, and I know that they haven't been asked. So I can put my house on the fact that noone is going there to check.

Admittedly, the one horse is quite rotund so yes - perhaps missing a weekend of her feeds would be ok (although she is also on Cushings medication). But the other one is skin and bone frankly and it's been noted by a few different people that when he's soaking wet he visibly shivers.

I'm certainly not about to give her a lecture on looking after her horses, not least because with people like that it's in one ear and out of the other, but I do feel bad as I'm doing my horses and can see her's knowng that they've been left.

And frankly, yes of course a horse can hurt itself five minutes after you've left it. But nonetheless as we've taken it upon ourselves to domesticate them and keep them, we owe them a responsibility of care which means as far as possible providing them with what they need. In my opinion going away to your caravan every other weekend is not a necessity (unlike going to work for example) and just throwing a load of hay into a yard which overtime becomes trampled and spoiled and so not really edible, is not offering proper basic care either.
 
Personally i think you need to calm down about it - for the 48 hours they are left they have hay and water - missing hard feed won't do them any harm at all as it is more important that they have fibre to keep their gut moving - which they have. They also have access to water.

Horses are capable of surviving without us for that length of time and as they older horses they are less likely than youngsters to be jumoing out of fields etc

I would chill out about it - look at it from her point of view - she pays for their care when she goes on holiday for an extended period of time but choses when going away for 48 hours to leave them with hay etc I expect she checks them before she leaves and when she returns so they are 'left' for a whole 48 hours:rolleyes: to find that you have been asking around the entire neighbourhoood checking up on her:o they are in little of no danger and clearly not any welfare issues either - he standard of care just doesn't meet your expectations which doesn't make it wrong:o
 
Lexie81 said:
I would offer but I'm a softy and couldn't bear to think of them left :(

Some people who rent a paddock in the same yard as us only come once or twice a week. We all keep an eye on their pony( they did have 2 buy lucky for him one has just been loaned out) we have been topping their water up as needed and one of the girls on the yard who has their number has been texting each time to state that they had no water. They must have got peed off with this as now they have moved their water from by the gate, where you could see if they had run out, to the other side so we would have to hop over their locked gate and look to check. Last week their buckets were bone dry and when the girl text to tell them she got a torrent of abuse for trespassing into their field to check!! YO isn't interested :(
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Take photos of the empty trough and report to the WHW explaining the situation - one of the welfare law essentials for a horse is access to water. Leave them without water, but go in and photograph. I'm sure once the YO has had a complaint she'll do something.
 
Slinky - rather presumptious of you to accuse me of sneaking around the neighburhood. I've done no such thing, although clearly you've never lived in a small hamlet. If you had then you'd know that you don't have to ever ask anything about anything as you're very quickly told! That said, as I've already said, my property is the next one to hers and I cannot help but see what is going on as our yards overlook each others.
 
I think it depends on the volume of the feed normally given, and as for the medication I guess only a vet can say what effect missing 2 days has.

Its the not being checked for illness and injury that would bother me the most - Would she leave you with her vet's number and leave the vets permission that you can call them out (on her bill!) when she is not there if deemed necessary?
 
Changes said:
Take photos of the empty trough and report to the WHW explaining the situation - one of the welfare law essentials for a horse is access to water. Leave them without water, but go in and photograph. I'm sure once the YO has had a complaint she'll do something.
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What a horrible situation Lexie, totally agree with Changes' advice above. If you feel you can't leave them without water, then perhaps you could take your own buckets, offer them sips over the gate then take away the evidence?

It might also help to use a camera which puts the date and time on the photos too, so you can prove length of time it is empty :)
 
I know some one like this, if her horses are in the stable they get a max of 2 sections of hay in 24 hours. stand in poo and pee for that time,

she often doesnt go on check on them, one recently had half his hoof removed she never bothered to get the vet back out. and turned said horse out in a muddy field where it promptley removed dressing. said horse has been lame for near 4 months now.

honestly ... id like to deck her. sometime op your better off to just not get invloved we dont all have the same standards sickening but very true.
 
showqa said:
Slinky - rather presumptious of you to accuse me of sneaking around the neighburhood. I've done no such thing, although clearly you've never lived in a small hamlet. If you had then you'd know that you don't have to ever ask anything about anything as you're very quickly told! That said, as I've already said, my property is the next one to hers and I cannot help but see what is going on as our yards overlook each others.
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Only as presumptious as you are being over this persons care of her horses.

You know nothing about where I live or have lived so don't go assuming anything about me either.
 
disgusting horses need and like routine - poor things
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No it is not acceptable as horses are routine animals
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only if you do things rountinely over a period of time ;)

I deliberately do NOT have a routine as neither friend or I who share a yard can get up there at the same time of day due to our work requirements.

They dont come stand at the gate at any specific time of day either ;)

The do however wander slowly over if our cars approach and come in the gate :D




as to the situation described by OP

Missing a few hard feeds unlikely to much harm to any horse if they are only on a small amount anyway.

medication .... dont know , maybe she has cheked with a vet and missed does now and again not make a lot of difference ?????

depending on the situation / horses I might worry more about an overload hay then nothing left to eat for several hours / a day. I know that ours would pig out and more likely to be ill / get colic that way if we left enough to do 48 hours at one go...... other horses might be fine as long as enough hay and it not all pee'd / poo'd on.

Checking .... well no I would not leave then with no one looking in on them at all, I leave contact nos with neighbour and they are looked over at least once every 24 hours ( but would not panic if it was 48 hours in unusual circumstances)
 
OP, I am with you. I wouldn't get too worked up about it, but I would check on the horses because its a good thing to do and to be quite honest, why not?

There was a man near here who was horrible to his horses (interbreeding them by default, not feeding, only seeing them once a week, even last winter during the snow). Used to feed them and keep their water topped up and eventually ended up buying one of them as I couldn't bear it looking so miserable! So you are not the only soft one around!!
 
No. But, as Cluck says, if they have food and water there's not that much you can do. If one of the horses, heaven forbid, hurts itself or becomes unwell during a weekend, then in theory she could have the book thrown at her - but I think in reality that's unlikely to happen. A smack on the wrist and a warning, at most.

I posted on here recently about one of our livery horses, who I found in the field on my midnight check with a broken leg. Imagine if one of hers breaks its leg on the Fri to Sat night. That's a hell of a long time to wait on three legs for your dear owner to come home on the Sunday! I can see why you're upset...
 
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