Joanna Vardon

No to question 1 and my 5 horses are in the peak of health thank you very much and their ages are from 16 years to 1year and have owned and bred horses for 40 years,but yes the yearling I bought from some traveller friends and he wasn't handled and his feet could be a lot better but we are getting there.
 
No one is saying the situation is acceptable, far from it. Can we please not reduce this very sad situation into a slanging match, but rather think in what way we can help, be it fostering horses or whatever is required?
 
Echo Bravo said:
...you so called animal lovers have piled in...Shame on you and the bl***dy RSCPA.
Click to expand...

That's something of an odd line to throw in there, considering the nature of people's statements on this thread. It's precisely because we're animal lovers we are appalled at the state of horses like this. It almost sounds as if you think animal lovers should be less outraged :confused:

Echo Bravo said:
...taking a wonderful womans reputaion away...
Click to expand...

No one's reputation is more important than the unnecessary suffering of living creatures.

Echo Bravo said:
Shame on you and the bl***dy RSCPA.
Click to expand...

I have no love for the RSPCA, but I think they should be stepping in more often, not less.

Your priorities seem a little mixed up. Animals have been suffering and that is unacceptable, regardless of Miss Vardon's personal situation. Whoever has allowed these animals to get to this state should be prosecuted, whether that is the owner or the person they were allegedly entrusted to.
 
I doubt the horses starving now care too much that their owner has helped others to live.

I don't know the lady and have no axe to grind but whatever the issues she has to recognise that the time has come to sign over the horses she has left for them to stand any chance of a useful healthy life.

I totally agree that all breeders should be fully regulated and annual checks carried out. To carry on breeding in the current climate is irresponsible unless you are breeding top quality stock with homes awaiting.
 
BBH said:
I doubt the horses starving now care too much that their owner has helped others to live.

I don't know the lady and have no axe to grind but whatever the issues she has to recognise that the time has come to sign over the horses she has left for them to stand any chance of a useful healthy life.

I totally agree that all breeders should be fully regulated and annual checks carried out. To carry on breeding in the current climate is irresponsible unless you are breeding top quality stock with homes awaiting.
Click to expand...

I agree with this. Joanna has done such a brilliant job but old age is upon her now and I hope she gets the help she needs too, as well as the horses. It often happens that people who have been brilliant with their animals suddenly appear on cruelty charges, something that would never have happened in their prime. They just can't cope anymore.
 
Maesfen said:
Me neither.

Neighbours and friends have offered help but had it thrown back at them, she has been her own worst enemy and it's been going on for years. Contrary to her own advice to others, she has continued to breed without moving any on to the detriment of her stock . I could say a lot more but won't, enough to say I'm glad her card is marked now, it's gone on far too long already.
Click to expand...

Haven't read past this post but am in complete agreement. The only times we ever went past her place in summer the fields were full of ragwort and the horses poor looking. I have seen the stock at shows too and while some were looking good they weren't all. I don't devalue the work she has done in the least, but still have the memory of the manner in which she dealt with a devastated friend when she rang her as the vet was putting her mare to sleep after foaling.

I hope the RSPCA don't think their job is now over with this person, it won't be. I wonder what Blue Chip make of this since she was in their ads? This has perhaps already been covered.
 
I use to ride horses for johanna, she is very eccentric but dearly loves her horses and she is a very proud lady and possibly feels asking for help is showing that she has failed, which she has not, she is getting older and things have got possibly too much for her.
HHO is sometimes a great thing but all too often it turns into a slanging match and so very judgemental....I didnt realise the was so many perfect people around until I came onto HHO
 
RebelRebel said:
....... Joanna has done such a brilliant job but old age is upon her now and I hope she gets the help she needs too, as well as the horses. It often happens that people who have been brilliant with their animals suddenly appear on cruelty charges, something that would never have happened in their prime. They just can't cope anymore.
Click to expand...

Lots of good posts on here, Maesfen et all, but the above seems to me to accept that the subject of this thread, has reached the end of a specific road and that help in a practical form must be put in place. By "Put in place" I mean that a refusal to accept that help will instigate immediate proceedings through the Courts. If that's the only way that she will accept help and advice, then so be it.

That the wonderful and worthy reputation of this woman and her work has been tarnished, will be obvious, but with an acceptance from her that life has rather over-powered her, the situation is not lost.

When reason doesn't work, then force will.

Alec.
 
Superhot said:
Mrs Varden was so completely bowled over by the first cheque she ever received, suggesting she turn her good work into a charity. She was extremely humbled and couldn't believe that anyone regarded her work as worthy enough. The help she gave people was done out of a genuine love of horses and was freely given. I think that she ultimately wanted to build a viewing gallery, so that she could offer training to others to continue her work. I moved away from the area some 25 years ago, so do not know if she managed to achieve this?
Surely, keeping unbanked cheques for so long that they are out of date, is NOT the action of someone in their right mind?
Click to expand...

I agree. And until a recognised body WITH TEETH, is able to drop things and attend a scene of reported neglect and act spontaneously by shipping in the required emergency rations/shelter or instant removal, you are going to get people offering help and wihdrawing from the situation if challenged by the owner/mistreater. They have no backup as witnesses to neglect.

And now she sees Alec's post - it looks like sycophancy!
 
Last edited:
I don't know her personally and have not seen the article. I do know she helped a lot of people in the past. At her age I would also suspect dementia. By the sounds of it is good the horses were removed. I do think it is sad however that there was a need to publicise it to the press and have it all over H & H etc. Why could the horses not just be removed and properly taken care of and the old woman left alone? Bad enough to lose your horses but to be publicly humiliated as well when you are old and sick is a shame.
 
Superhot said:
Surely, keeping unbanked cheques for so long that they are out of date, is NOT the action of someone in their right mind?
Click to expand...

I'm sure they weren't kept deliberately as such, they just got buried under the sea of paper there which was never moved then got forgotten about in the rush to help everyone else; it's easily done, I've done it myself (only with one cheque though and I soon hunted for it! :D)
 
Echo Bravo said:
I wish I could be around when you lot hit 76 and see what you say then.This lady has over the years saved many a foal.
OK she is a strong willed person, and you need to be to successed in what you do, she has turned away help, but how was it offered and her hubby not very well and you so called animal lovers have piled in, saying we said this and that and taking a wonderful womans reputaion away.Shame on you and the bl***dy RSCPA.
Click to expand...

Totally agree,so many perfect people around are`nt there? I won`t be around to watch all these paragons continue their perfect care into their nineties though.
 
Hollycatt said:
I don't know her personally and have not seen the article. I do know she helped a lot of people in the past. At her age I would also suspect dementia. By the sounds of it is good the horses were removed. I do think it is sad however that there was a need to publicise it to the press and have it all over H & H etc. Why could the horses not just be removed and properly taken care of and the old woman left alone? Bad enough to lose your horses but to be publicly humiliated as well when you are old and sick is a shame.
Click to expand...

This, my thoughts exactly.
 
EAST KENT said:
Totally agree,so many perfect people around are`nt there? I won`t be around to watch all these paragons continue their perfect care into their nineties though.
Click to expand...

My OH had a heart attack, we are both pensioners. My horses didn't suffer at all while he was ill, not one little bit.

Which isn't saying that he was neglected either before someone says I value my horses higher than my OH.
 
chrissie1 said:
My OH had a heart attack, we are both pensioners. My horses didn't suffer at all while he was ill, not one little bit.

Which isn't saying that he was neglected either before someone says I value my horses higher than my OH.
Click to expand...

Good quote.

People always try and justify cruelty in some way .

Oh I was too ill, poor, someone's died, lost my job blah blah.

Its nothing to do with being perfect . Whilst people are busy calling others ' perfect' this womans horses are starving. Its always the animals who suffer. Its worse here because offers of help appear to have been made and she preferred to let her horses starve than take a hit on her pride and accept some help. Selfish.

Loads of people have the @hit hit the fan at some point in their lives and their animals don't starve. Its about managing / planning your animals care in all eventualities and if you don't have adequate backup then consider moving them on to someone who does.
 
Exactly BBH, and East Kent, yes it was good for me, wasn't easy for me though. I only made the point since you felt that she had extenuating circumstances, which as has been pointed out by BBH, happens to a lot of people.

But as I posted earlier, I have seen for myself the conditions in which the horses that were on plain view were kept, this was going back a long time, and not just a one off. Had this been the first intimation of neglect I'd have had a lot more sympathy for her.
 
Ok, she has let her life spiral out of control, it's now being sorted. She's a high profile case, she's helped a lot of people and horses. She's 79 and people are circling her and baying for her blood. Can't we just let it go now?
 
How many horses have died at the hands of johanna vardon???
I know of 100s she has helped.....oh have those been forgotten!!!
The are worse things going on in the world!! When will people realise we are not all perfect (unlike 90% of HHO users!) She has made mistakes, who can honestly say they have never made a mistake!!!!!!
 
I was planning to rent the annex of her house when I was at the local uni. I met her, and had a small tour around the yard at the back of the house. The house and stables and land were obviously too much for her (6 years ago now) and needed some repair works.

She is a very strong willed individual, very assertive, and it seems that the stubborness that was her virtue in her younger days is now hindering her. The youngsters I saw, and fed, in one of her barns looked to be in good health, and the horses turned out on the fields at longstow looked happy and healthy. It's just a shame she won't accept the help being offered. She would be an incredible woman to learn from- she has so much experiance!

I know someone whose mother worked on the yard when JV's mum was running it- she was a formidable woman by all accounts!
 
Sounds as if Mrs Varden has been struggling to cope for years,but she lacks the temerity to accept help and guidance from those who have been willing to support her.I do not know her personally and wonder if it is pride or arrogance that intereferes with her insight.It is such a shame as she is a well known,respected person.It may also be that she is in the earlier stages of dementia as subtle changes in a persons ability to function can be an indicator.My WB is by a stallion who stood at end house stud (Dwilliam Courage)thus without Mrs Varden we would not have our lovely boy.I would like to think the RSPCA are assisting her to begin the daunting task of sorting things out to ensure there is a solution to this desperate situation.
 
I agree with Superhot, Mrs Vardon has advised via the Foaling Bank service probably thousands not hundreds of people over the years.
At 76 she should probably stop keeping horses and retire especially if her husband is ill too.
I doubt she would accept help easily but if it were offered it would be good.
On the scale of things this lady has done far more to help horses than harm them, perhaps it's time she accepted some help back. For goodness sake she is nearer 80 than 50, and probably got overwhelmed, I know she has always put others before herself so no, I won't cast the first stone either. I just hope homes can be found for the stock she has and she can have some sort of retirement.
 
Just read Maesfen's reply so it sounds as if she really does need to rethink what she is doing. Having spoken to her by phone in the past the description of her going her own way sounds right, but has she no family who can persuade her to retire gracefully?
Such a shame it has come to this for her horses and her.
 
elderlycoupleindevon said:
Ok, she has let her life spiral out of control, it's now being sorted. She's a high profile case, she's helped a lot of people and horses. She's 79 and people are circling her and baying for her blood. Can't we just let it go now?
Click to expand...

Exactly;and by the way Chrissie you missed the sarcastic innuendo. If any of you have achieved as much good as this indomitable lady has in the horse world by her age ,I will salute you.
Someone with her depth of experience has so much knowledge to give ,listen ,learn,respect. It is far too easy to "dis" the likes of her , now she needs help ,and is getting it.
How I loath self rightuous youngsters who do not admit that someone just might not cope anymore due to age or finance. That is not a crime,it must be very hard to admit help is needed .Have sympathy,it might be you one day.
 
A few of us commenting on here can certainly not be described as youngsters! Sadly it seems quite common that well respected people struggle as they get older, I am sure you are aware of how often it happens with dog breeders East Kent. However, I don't really think that means that animals in poor condition can be ignored just because their owner is getting on a bit.
 
I've just read the article and don't really understand some of the comments on here. It clearly says that the horses were in the care of somebody else (who has also been advised by the RSPCA) and JV is clearly upset that her horses were in this condition. Does anybody know the circumstances of the arrangement made to care for them, was somebody being paid to look after them. I am not really sure how she can be blamed for this other than obviously not checking they were being cared for properly, but at 76 with a gravely ill husband and, I assume, the horses with someone she trusted, perhaps she can be forgiven that. People are so quick to jump on others when they are down! The RSPCA haven't removed the horses, they obviously believe her 'story' so, just for once, why can't it be the truth!
 
Maesfen knows the situation very well and has posted to this effect to inform people that Mrs Varden has not been on top of the stud for some time,as she has aged and struggled with her committments.Maesfen implies that the other horses were kept elsewhere but the ones at End House stud were still not adequatly attended too.It is a shame as JS has done a lot of good work over the years and helped and saved a lot of foals and mares.It sounds is if she did not know when it was time to step back and let others take over the responsibility of managing the NFB and the stud.I am sure when i am of a certain age i will find it difficult to accept i can't do what i once did.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top