Issues with old owner?

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Charlotte&&Prince

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The old owner of my pony is very much attached to him after she saved him from the meat man (he was culled off of the moors 12 months ago.)
Basically he's a 3 year old Welsh X who is unbroken. I've bought him, have possession of the passport and obviously pay for all of his bills.
So we had some pretty awful weather the past couple of days, I left him out with his 'herd' the first night but went to bring him in the second as the weather was meant to be worse (24 hours of rain.) His field is very naturally sheltered with hedges and big trees lining it the whole way around and it's also on a hill.
I made up his bed and everything but when I went to sort out haylege for him there was none left apart from half a very mouldy bale of hay. I therefore had to leave him out in his lightweight as I couldn't come up later in the day because I don't drive as of yet. His old owner keeps her other 3 horses at the same yard and at around 7pm last night I got a text from her daughter saying how they've brought all theirs in, am i going to bring mine in as it's awful weather all night. I replied explaining the situation with the hay and got a blunt reply saying how there is now but oh well.
This isn't the first time that i've had this problem of them not realizing he is my pony now, I've also had comments about how i should be lunging and long-reining him for a good 6 months before I do anything else. I personally see it as if a horse is comfortable with something then I'll move on to the next stage of the process whilst revisiting the ground training as much as possible. I don't think there should be a set time on doing certain things, if it takes me 1 week or even 1 year to back him then that's how it is.

Anyway, after that rant, I don't know what to do. Part of me wants to take myself off that yard just so I can distance myself and my pony from it. I absolutely adore his old owner, she really cares for her horses and she is just lovely. However, there comes a point where it needs to be distanced and I shouldn't have to feel like I have to ask her if I'm allowed to feed him, or change his feed, or even when to start sitting on him, etc.
The last thing I want to do is cause tension, but I feel like i've still got him on loan with view to buy.
Do I approach the situation or do I just move to another yard which is actually closer to my home?
 
I'd approach her politely and just point out your concerns gently and if no joy after that you have your answer.

Of course the old owner will care but she should understand, at the end of the day how would she feel?

No harm in pointing a few things out.

Good Luck! :)
 
Option 1. Move, have a fresh start. (I think this would be my choice, tbh)
option 2. Tell her nicely that whilst you know she is fond of him and has his best interests at heart, he is your horse and any decisions to be made regading his care are yours to make.
option 3. Tell her to butt out and MHOB.
 
It sounds as if you are being sensible with what you are doing and also I can see that the old owner does still care about the pony and probably does not realise that what they see as being well meaning advice is not letting you do things the way you want to. even if the weather was not great the temperatures are reasonable and the sound of the field with shelter would not make me worry about leaving the pony outside in fact as pony sounds like a hairy thats spent its life outside I would probably have left it out! perhaps a gentle chat to the old owner saying while you know they care a lot they had upset you with their comments and that although you don't do things the way they perhaps would you are looking after the pony and would like to feel that if in the future you need advise you could ask them but that with them keep commenting on what you do you would be less likely to do that. as for moving keep that as a seperate thing to think about and make the decision after a chat
 
He is hardly going to melt - I know it has rained a bit recently but you live in Cornwall so hardly cold for a hill pony!

I think you might need to seriously consider moving him.
 
It could have been that they would have bought the horse in regardless of who the owner was, if its nasty out some people will do that particularly if the pony would have been the last in the field otherwise

I'd give them the benefit of the doubt on that one and play the rest by ear
 
WelshD said:
It could have been that they would have bought the horse in regardless of who the owner was, if its nasty out some people will do that particularly if the pony would have been the last in the field otherwise

I'd give them the benefit of the doubt on that one and play the rest by ear
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I agree.
 
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