Is this going to harm him?

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LankyDoodle

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My nob of a YO decided to allow my horse to eat dog food
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I was there taking off his rug, just turned round to get the stable rug and she walked up with her huge bowl full of dog meat and biscuits.

I thought she was walking straight past but as I turned round she walked upto Lou's head with this bowl of food under one arm and her other arm under his neck stroking him; and he took a small mouthful. I went to move his head and expected her to move away, but she said 'ooh you don't wana eat that, it's probably one of your mates in there'
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and put the bowl towards his head
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Now, the comment she made was to make it seem like she didn't mean to do this, but it was clearly done on purpose.

The same woman then saw the sign I have made for my cob's door saying 'please do not feed titbits' and gave him half her biscuit!!! CLEARLY done to annoy me, and maybe I have had a sense of humour bypass but if I don't want him being given titbits then I expect her to bleddy well respect that!

So is a small mouthful of dog food going to harm my boy? My feeling is it probably won't but... what an idiot. Grrr.
 
What a bitch!
No it probably won't harm him but as a YO you would expect a bit of common decency!!
Stupid cow.
 
I know!!! This is the same woman who decided not to phone me to tell me my horse had been kicked in the head and had a very deep wound. Instead she sealed it with sudocrem so that by the next day when I saw him, I could not see the full extent of the wound; contamination had also been sealed in. Too late to stitch, which would have made caring for a wound on a 17.3hh horse, a lot easier. By the time the vet came all she could do was sedate and clean the wound. All thanks to this eejit who thinks my horse belongs to her.
 
This is my face after reading your post:
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OMFG! I would hit the roof if someone gave my horse dogfood! Serious words are needed, methinks, I can't believe she would give your horse anything without permission, let alone dog meat!!!!
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Maybe you should print out the article that was linked here a couple of days ago about the horse that died from being fed crap (not wanting to scare you, but it's true). Will have a forum search for it, hang on...

ETA I'm sure your horse will be fine, it was only a bit, the one in the article had loads of tit bits given to him by various people.
 
OMG
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We're on this yard because we have moved twice in 4 months already and there doesn't seem to be anywhere else to go. So much is peeing me off about this place, but this is just so out of order.

I have contemplated another move but I just feel so down about it all at the moment,. I don't know where else to go
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I am quite a strong person but she turns me into a nervous wreck as I have said in other posts here.

We used to keep our mare there and the YO was never like this (probably because my husband is a lot more confrontational that I am), but she has had a serious head injury in the last few years, and I know this will sound cruel but I wonder if she has some kind of brain problem related to that?
 
He did literally have the tiniest amount imaginable. It looked to be (from what I saw from turning round quickly) a couple of chunks covered in gravy. But it looked worse because she then continued to force the bowl in his face and just stood there rather than move away, so it looked like she was doing it on purpose rather than him grabbing a sneaky mouthful.
 
head injuries can certainly alter someones persona, especially worth considering if she is now doing things she would not have done before the accident. Could you not consider moving yards if incidents have happened before, to avoid anything further happening, the head wound to your horse could have been very serious
 
The head wound is what has made me consider moving, quite seriously. It could have been so horrendous if I'd gone along with her way of doing things. I do not like the way it was dealt with or the way I was not told until the next day, thereby preventing the vet from being able to stitch the wound, which was necessary. I also do not like the fact that the herd has not been changed.

However, Lou has impressed me and really beefed up. I mean is it really possible for a horse that was scared of his own shadow, has now become ultra defensive of himself and actually warns other horses away with his ears back!?

But there's the way she bullies me, does stupid things like feeding dog food, ignores my wishes etc. I like the yard as a yard - good facilities, excellent hacking. I just don't know if I have the energy for this anymore.
 
The YO was always very upfront and could say very bizarre things. For eg, my husband kept his mare there before I was on the scene at all and he wanted her feet washed when she was brought in by the YO. The YO said this was taking too much water - about 4 buckets - and she would ahve to charge £1 a bucket!! My husband told her he would fill 4 buckets from the stream and leave them by said mare's stable. The YO only ever used 1 bucket of water!

She's always been quite brash and loud.

But all this stuff just seems... well weird.
 
She sounds like a complete nutter with no common sense whatsoever. You should be at a yard where you can keep and enjoy your horse without having to worry about his welfare, I would move definitely, are there any other good yards in the area? What sort of livery are you on at this yard?

I hope your horse is ok, I'm sure he will be but you can't have this happening again.
 
Oh dear
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. The words, frying pan and fire, spring to mind. What a shame that you may have to move again. What is blooming well wrong with these people!
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I think the head injury has affected her personality, and she perhaps isn't aware of how bizarrely she behaves.
I'm afraid come hell or high water I'd be moving asap, as you really have no control over what she gets up to overnight when you aren't around to protect your horse.
 
Thanks all
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I am on DIY livery but part of the reason we are there is that she will do assisted services for a nominal charge. At the moment she brings in and changes rug 5 days a week, and gives a late night feed to Lou every day. In the new year it will change to her putting them out 5 days a week.

I only have 2 other options: one is a farm abotu a mile from my house which has a 2 acre summer paddock which is flat so there is space for a grass school, and another 2 acre winter paddock which is sloped, plus 2 stables and storage. The hacking is OKish... nice if you go far enough. There is a school 2 miles away that you can hire but it belongs to a livery yard.

My other option is my in-laws. Our reservations are mainly linked to the fact the gateway leads out to a bend in a very busy main road close to the M5 junction 26. There is a wide grass verge and then you cross the road about 100 yards further up and are on lanes mainly. Riding at quiet times and plenty of hiviz is obviously a must in these circumstances, and we can build our own school, manage our own stabling and turnout. But there will be no one around to help out, no one to call on, no one to chat to over a cuppa (except MIL
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).

Current yard is nice from the social aspect, easy from the POV I only need go there once per day if I want, great from the hacking and facilities POV. But the turnout is not to my liking atm and the YO is a crackpot who thinks my horse is hers. She has said she wants a new one in the NY, though. Maybe if I have words with her about doing things like this and the necessity to call me if anything goes wrong like kicks?

There's been the suggestion of paying a little extra for individual turnout, but she won't go for it. My boy HAS beefed up a bit so I hope things will settle now he's a bit more 'angry' and stands his ground.

I feel totally deflated as this was not meant to happen. I have lost one horse this year and I feel like my horsey life is falling to pieces. I don't know whether I am coming or going and have also had a drink so am a little emotional
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I feel like my whole time at the moment is spent worrying whether one of them has been injured by or injured another horse, or the YP has fed my horse behind my back or yada yada yada. At old yard I was constantly on edge for various reasons I discuessed here, including a sadly neglected foal, and I left after 9 weeks. Yard before that we were at 6 years and left because of a legal dispute with our builder whose wife kept her horse there. This year has been so crap and I feel so down about horses. I just feel like selling up atm, but I know it wouldn't be the right thing to do and maybe this time next year I'll be really happy.
 
I have seen most of your posts re. this yard and YO and I really think you would be better off elsewhere - I know thats easier said than done but your horse is too nice to be put in these situations. I'm sure he will be absolutely fine re. tiny bit of dogfood but if my horse got kicked in the head and nobody told me till next day I would be furious
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- he is YOUR horse and if she can't respect this then you will constantly be fighting a losing battle.
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Unfortunately for you I think she sees herself as far more experienced than you, which she may be, but this does not excuse her bypassing your wishes as his owner.
You need to either get brave and speak your mind or vote with your feet and go elsewhere - what area are you in - people on here may be able to recommend somewhere suitable?
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oh my!! i have just read all of this with complete sympathy. I moved in sept as YO was feeding titbits constantly, ignoring signs & polite remarks, she was also confrontational, brash and completely novice when it comes to management of any kind, horse, stable, people, all useless but she was always right!! it was like hell going up there. my boy got tangled in electric fencing and cut/rope burnt his head and neck and i was not told!! had no decent grazing, hay and feed constantly went missing and a quiet word with YO always resulted in someone being falsely accused!! she was old - and i honestly think was going senile, stories changed daily and everything we were told was said 10 times over!! i moved another twice since. We're good where we are apart from mud, but landowner is flexible, and knowledgable i feel happy knowing my lad is safe and away from interferring people!! my advice would be move asap, i know how hard it is, but its worth it in long run.. if not only for ur sanity but for ur horses wellbeing too!! (dog food is a new one with me, the old senile YO was caught feeding my horse choc orange segments!!!!!!!!)
 
I am in Wellington in Somerset, close to Blackdown Hills. I currently keep them at a yard near Exmoor which is 9 miles from home. I wouldn't want to go further than this.

There are other yards I'd consider but they're full apart from the two options I mentioned and another one the other side of the M5 maybe if they have spaces.

I don't want to become some serial mover; but maybe I've had a pretty rough deal with horses this year and maybe I'm looking for something I had when she was alive that no longer exists.
 
Having just read your response re. the other options in the area I think maye it is your best option at the moment and you just need to get tough - can you go and speak to her (perhaps take your husband too if it boosts your confidence - or have a glass of wine first!) and make it clear what your expectations are?

I think you need to change the dynamic between you and her if this is to work - it may be better if you had lessons with somebody else because while she is teaching you etc. it is very easy for her to assume control as the 'superior party'.
 
I would look into all of ur options, including the in laws.. having your own land would get rid of all problems. As for help we have been lucky and found a young girl who loves horses but is a dog groomer so is paid terribly, she will help us with jobs in exchange for just being round the horses, would recommend findin someone like this to help when u need it, or take a friend on livery to share jobs?
Sorry to hear about ur horse, things will get better, keep thinking about all the good times they give u, dont give up (hugs) x
 
I do agree in part Lulup. Yesterday I was schooling Lou on my own, quite happily. She is having a week off for xmas and I did not expect to see her. About 30 minutes in she came down and started watching me and telling me what to do as if it was a lesson.

Today she was telling me to get out riding with other people on the yard and she said 'other people will wait for lesser riders' and I said 'I'll canter along with the best of them but I like riding out with [my husband] and can't always ride in the middle of the day during the week.' It just seems everything is a constant opportunity to put me down, tell me I am not a good rider. Yes she taught me on George about 5 or 6 times and has given me 1 lesson on Lou, but other than that has not seen me ride and has no idea how I am as an owner or how I have managed for 7 years quite well without her or anyone else. You see, I was 18/19 before I got my first horse. I made sure I was sure about the commitment, had had enough lessons and knew how to deal with certain situations. I had grown up with horses around the farm, my grandparents and father had horses and I had a little pony when I was very very small (lived on the farm). My dad was a groom until very early in my life. I read read read and I watched horsey DVDs til they were coming out of my ears. The George came along. He was nappy, bolshy, cheeky and bargy... typical Welsh D. But I dealt with him. Without her and without anyone. Without even this website. He's even still alive now which is incredible really for someone who apparently knows so little and had nothing and no one except herself to rely on.
 
I guess what I am saying is, she is like this with me not because I am a poor rider. She admits in her weaker moments that I am a decent rider. However, I think she believes no one in the world has owned a big horse apart from her and no one in the world knows how to handle and look after a big horse apart from her. She thinks my horse will die if she doesn't save the day. He's in the wrong bit and it's too small for him to hear her speak - but she thinks I put him in this bit so she says it to put me down. What she fails to acknowledge is that my friend who is also very experienced and BHSAI and her top class dressage instructor put him in this bit, this bridle, this everything, and it's never done anything but suit him down to the ground. When I tell her that, the bit is PERFECT FOR HIM! She's envious in a way. She's about 60 so is bound to be more experienced than a 25 year old, but I do question her knowledge when she bungs sudocrem on an open wound!
 
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