legislation will kill my horses, please help!

OWLIE185 said:
Just check out this link:
http://www.yourhorse.co.uk/Communit...Categories/Topic/?topic-id=46804&start-page=0
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I think that post was just someone with a grudge to bear. If you read all the replies most are in support of the centre and the OP was rubbished. I do not know these people, but reading between the lines it looks as though someone is out to cause trouble for the centre and no doubt were responsible for reporting them to the authorities as a riding establishment. I could be wrong of course, but these things often happen.
 
OP initial comments are very strange. Normal procedure for obtaining a licence under the Riding Establishment Act is formal application to the local authority with the appropriate fee, which in Stratford is £215 for up to 30 horses, rising to £320 for over 40 horses, (this info is on their website). The Council would not instruct the vet until the form, fee and insurance documents are received. On inspection any horses not involved in the hire and reward/riding school situation would not be inspected. The vet can only look at those horses used by the public and for which the public pay to ride. The vet will ask how many horses are on the premises and list the in work and unused horses on his report.

The inspection consists of heart, eyes and trot up of the horses, together with an inspection of tack for safety, and a general walk round to check fire procedures, first aid kit human and equine etc. An average size school of say 60 horses will take around 3 hours to inspect

The vet then prepares his report detailing the names ages, height and sex of each horse together with a comment if necessary. The report is then sent to the Licensing Officer at the local authority and subject to all being order the licence will be issued. If there are any concerns the Licensing Officer will put conditions on the licence and monitor the school to ensure the improvements are made.

The OP has put some wild figures together and possibly does not understand the Riding Establishment Act. It should be remembered any member of the public riding a horse for which they pay a fee to do so is effectively hiring that horse unless a loan or share agreement is signed by both parties. A hired horse falls into the Riding Establishment Act, regardless of whether the horse is teaching you to piaffe or hack..

There are many riding schools pushed to the very brink of existence in the current recession so why should the OP rake in money for the hire of her horses and not expect to obey the rules. The Act protects both the public and the horses, works perfectly well and I would advise the public always to ask if the school/yard they pay to ride at is licensed and carrying public liability insurance.

No I am not a bitter riding school owner struggling to survive and bitching at the Op. I grant the licenses, not at Stratford DC, and I have seen at first hand the grief and injuries caused by unlicensed schools using not fit for purpose horses and premises.
 
As others have said, if they are not being ridden, then a Riding School Licence would not be required. Hereby lies the answer. Stop them being ridden. Simplified maybe...but...
 
You need to get some quality legal advice. There are numerous laws on the statute books & they are primarily designed to 'police' certain activities. Sometimes they can be used for situations they were not designed for & this may be one of them. Don't give up, just because you appear to fall foul of a particular law, it does not mean that that law has to be enforced in your particular situation. Hopefully good legal advice may curtail this action being taken. Good Luck
 
Well that's v responsible... amass 100 horses that are 'not saleable or rehomeable' then breed some more!! If that is the case of course...
 
rhino said:
If they are not being ridden there would be NO NEED to have a Riding Establishment Licence anyway ;)
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Not necessarily, it all comes down to hire and reward - I know in my area there are companies who provide ponies for kids parties even for just grooming and petting need a council licence.

Also - re the shelter, it might be down to interpretation by the inspecting officer but again in this area a good hedge bank or tree line available on all 4 sides for shelter is acceptable.


ETA I haven't read all the replies and think this is probably now not entirely relevant to the way the thread is going!! Glad to see I'm not just the only naturally suspicious HHOer!
 
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Am I the only one thinking that this is just funding someone's lifestyle?

To "loan" horses, have liveries and a stallion at stud - it's a business in my view. They are not a registered charity and are behaving like a business

Also the £50,000 to shoot the horses is codswallop - just book them in at the abattoir and get more money... harsh but technically correct

Whilst I am pleased there are people that will take ponies in, you need to do this properly and with governance.

I can see the councils point and you should be paying business rates.
 
Jen_Cots said:
Am I the only one thinking that this is just funding someone's lifestyle?

To "loan" horses, have liveries and a stallion at stud - it's a business in my view. They are not a registered charity and are behaving like a business

Also the £50,000 to shoot the horses is codswallop - just book them in at the abattoir and get more money... harsh but technically correct

Whilst I am pleased there are people that will take ponies in, you need to do this properly and with governance.

I can see the councils point and you should be paying business rates.
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100% agree with you.
 
Good legal advice to any member of the public who is paying money to ride a horse belonging to somebody else is to ensure the premises and horses therein are fully licensed under The Riding Establishment Act and that Public Liability Insurance is in place and current.

The exception to this advice are horses that are in a share or loan agreement with the agreement signed by all parties concerned. In this situation an equine insurance policy should be in place to cover injury and accidents to those people and equines involved.

I have no doubt there are way's round the OP continuing to 'trade', but should any of her 'mums' break their back in a fall from one of the OP's horses for which the OP is receiving monetary gain from for providing that horse, I sincerely hope the injured person has good legal advice because they will certainly need it.

Smart stallion, there is a lot more than meets the eye here and it's little wonder the premises is being looked at.
 
AdorableAlice said:
Smart stallion, there is a lot more than meets the eye here and it's little wonder the premises is being looked at.
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Do you know the stallion or are you judging on the basis on the one photo and his stud advert? All I see is yet another unregistered, ungraded chunky coloured with no registered breeding and questionable conformation (only going from the one poor photo which may not be a true representation... and generally I like to know the stallion has legs). No competition record or much information given at all. He is worth standing at stud how?! :confused: :rolleyes:
 
charlie76 said:
http://www.fraudwatchers.org/forums/showthread.php?t=49808

http://exposeliars.com/intforum/?p=22710

http://www.horsegroomingsupplies.co...mps-horse-rescue-scam-halifax-west-b9679.html

hmmmmm
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If you look at the link that was posted several places above this then you will see that Spooky has a bit of a grudge against the farm. I am not sure this information is helping Spooky achieve his aim- lots of people seemed to jump to defend the 'charity'.

Personally I am still sitting on the bench with this- it seems like a woman whose idea of helping these horses is to hoard them and keep them with her, and she doesn't seem to see the council's point of view about licencing and registration. She also seems a little over emotional about the whole 'charity' thing!! Having worked for one- you have to be ruthless, and you have to work towards the mission statement- not keep animals and use rough, unregistered (possibly) untested stallions to boost revenue!!
 
rhino said:
Do you know the stallion or are you judging on the basis on the one photo and his stud advert? All I see is yet another unregistered, ungraded chunky coloured with no registered breeding and questionable conformation (only going from the one poor photo which may not be a true representation... and generally I like to know the stallion has legs). No competition record or much information given at all. He is worth standing at stud how?! :confused: :rolleyes:
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I don't know the horse and I hate coloureds. The poor picture shows a short backed cob with substance and a decent neck set and gullet with not too course a head, limbs difficult to see I agree and perhaps smart is not the right word to have used, but if you were after trying to breed a cob he might be worth a look at. Cob breeding is all guess work and luck unless they are Welsh of course. There is a big difference between breeding competition horses and happy hacking cobs.

As far as registration is concerned other than CHAPS or Irish Cob Society where else is there to register a coloured horse. They are mongrels but a large number of them are much loved, safe family friends whose highest achievement will be winning the local handy pony class, and from what I can see in the current market it is these cobs that are fetching more money than a potential competition horse.

As I mentioned in previous posts it is not surprising the authorites are looking at the premises in Stratford, although it now seems the stallion is not based there.
 
It's very frustrating that OP doesn't come back and explain themselves further! Especially as they've since strated a new thread. She could perhaps clear up some of the speculation at least...:confused:
 
She's replying on the other thread saying she doesn't have a stallion :confused: I'd be a bit worried if someone has a stud advert with my name and my number on it...
 
rhino said:
She's replying on the other thread saying she doesn't have a stallion :confused: I'd be a bit worried if someone has a stud advert with my name and my number on it...
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I'm on tenterhooks over the Stable yard post! One clever cookie has slam-dunked the OP with actual evidence about the website, stallion ad and contact details...!!

Now i'm on the edge of my seat waiting for the next response from Champion... I need popcorn!! :D
 
Just saved the stallion advert page - especially the bit "Every mare covered since Oct (10) has taken on first try, can`t comment on anything prior. We have been told he always throws a coloured foal but no foals of my own yet so again, can`t comment! We will post photo`s as and when!"

Mares covered since October? Who covers mares for winter foals?
 
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