Livery Issue.

[Fedupoflivery]

Need some advice from fellow equestrians. I asked yard owner to turn my boy out the other morning. She sent me back a thumbs up message. Hours later I get I message saying my horse has gone mad and we need to chat later. I asked what she meant by mad, and she said rearing and throwing himself around. Which ok that can be a bit scary I guess, he is a 17hh TB. I said well he’s probably fresh and also didn’t go out the day before. I was then told he ran through a metal gate and destroyed a massive fence post. I asked if he was ok and the YO said she didn’t know as she was at work and her 16 year old daughters had turned him out (they aren’t experienced in handling a horse like him) but he looks ok from a distance! I had to leave work to go and check as after hearing he’d run through a metal gate and post I expected him to be injured to a fair extent. When I got there there was no marks on him and he was sound. Not what I was expecting at all. I’ve now been giving a bill for the damage. Where do I stand on this? As far as I’m concerned my contract is with the YO not her children......

 

[ycbm]

Do you want to stay at the yard?
.

 

[Fedupoflivery]

No, other issues have happened so I’ve already handed my notice in.

 

[Lois Lame]

Good question, YCBM. The YO sounds nuts.

 

[mariew]

Tricky one, what is in the contract about damages? If you want to argue the bill maybe speak to bhs helpline if you are a member. I suspect it would be difficult to prove that he wouldn't have done the same with someone different. Glad your horse escaped unharmed.

 

[Melody Grey]

Have you paid a deposit? If so, I’d ask for the damages to be deducted accordingly.

 

[ycbm]

No, other issues have happened so I’ve already handed my notice in.

Then unless your contract commits you to pay, I would leave and say "horses do what horses do" and walk away. Get photos of the horse to prove there isn't a mark on him, and ask for proof he broke the fence post and check what condition it was in to break without marking your horse.
.

 

[Melody Grey]

Not sure I’d be thrilled about paying Them otherwise but probably would to keep the peace.

 

[rextherobber]

How on earth did he run through a metal gate and destroy a massive fence post and not have a mark on him? What do you rug him with - armour?! Sounds a bit odd to me...

 

[Fedupoflivery]

Unfortunately the contract says liveries pay for all damages. I do t understand how he can have done so much damage to the gate and post and not a thing to himself? Also if she’d have said she couldn’t do it but her daughters could, I’d have said no, I’ll get down there myself.

 

[rextherobber]

Does the contract say anything about who will provide the services? Allowing a school aged child to do this is not on, what if the horse had been injured, or had injured the child...very unprofessional and an accident waiting to happen.

 

[Flyermc]

Was there an independent witness?
Had you handed your notice in before this happened?
Did you notice the condition of the gate etc before hand (would it have taken much for it to have become damaged?)
Did anything else happen differently this day? (new field, new company?) eg was it 100% your horse that caused the damage?
Was the damaged caused directly by your horse or did the handler cause the issue (poor handing) which created this issue?
Has your horse had previous history of this type of damaging fencing? If not what caused the issue today?
Have you inspected the damage yourself? does it look likely that it was solely caused by a horse that was uninjured?

Id be asking the YO for a full chain of events, including why i wasnt told that a child would be handling my horse

 

[Lois Lame]

I'm not even convinced that it was your horse who was attended by the daughter.

 

[Lois Lame]

In fact, I'd go down and take plenty of photos of the horse right now, complete with dates on the photos if you can. Otherwise, note down date and time and what you are doing.

 

[Flicker]

Have you seen the gate and fence post?
If you are already leaving, what would be the worst that would happen if you said, “if I hear no more about bills, fences and gates, I will say no more about underage children handling horses instead of the yard owner and we will both go our separate ways...”

 

[Fedupoflivery]

Tricky one, what is in the contract about damages? If you want to argue the bill maybe speak to bhs helpline if you are a member. I suspect it would be difficult to prove that he wouldn't have done the same with someone different. Glad your horse escaped unharmed.

Was there an independent witness?
Had you handed your notice in before this happened?
Did you notice the condition of the gate etc before hand (would it have taken much for it to have become damaged?)
Did anything else happen differently this day? (new field, new company?) eg was it 100% your horse that caused the damage?
Was the damaged caused directly by your horse or did the handler cause the issue (poor handing) which created this issue?
Has your horse had previous history of this type of damaging fencing? If not what caused the issue today?
Have you inspected the damage yourself? does it look likely that it was solely caused by a horse that was uninjured?

Id be asking the YO for a full chain of events, including why i wasnt told that a child would be handling my horse

I have asked for this. But today is the firsff tv say she’s even been on the yard since. I handed my notice in afterwards. He’s never done anything like this before. My 19 year old nephew who isn’t that experienced can walk him in and out like myself on the end of the lead rope. When she told me he looked ok from a distance according to the daughters, I left work and went down there. He was sound and no marks on him or his rug. I took photos of the gate and gate post. The gate is bent but still perfectly useable. The gate post looks half rotten to me. I’m checking my old photos to see what the gate looked like previously. If me horse had hurt himself would she pay the vet bill? I doubt it.

 

[Bonnie Allie]

How much are the damages? Is it material? Pay it and be gone.

Or get your own contractor to quote and fix the damage.

 

[zaminda]

Do you pay for services? If so he was under their care at the time, and therefore not your problem. When I freelanced I had insurance in place so that if a horse I was dealing with damaged something I was covered. Personally I would be furious at them getting an inexperienced child to turn my horse out and risk injury to him
That said, if there is no mark kn him, I think they need to prove he did it. Be prepared to move your horse very rapidly.

 

[I'm not a robot]

For anyone who provides services that is the purpose and reason for having Care, Custody and Control Insurance

 

[Lipglosspukka]

I would just leave. Unless they have CCTV footage then they have zero proof your horse did it and considering your horse is completely unscathed, I doubt he did anyway.

Fancy allowing a child to handle the horses on livery without consent. What was she thinking!? I bet she just fancies some extra dollar off you before you're gone.

 

[Fedupoflivery]

I would just leave. Unless they have CCTV footage then they have zero proof your horse did it and considering your horse is completely unscathed, I doubt he did anyway.

Fancy allowing a child to handle the horses on livery without consent. What was she thinking!? I bet she just fancies some extra dollar off you before you're gone.

Well I started having issues when the husband decided to look at my trailer brakes without permission. He took them off and broke a drum. Also jockey door worked before and now doesn’t. He was gonna charge me £600 to fix the brakes. I got a specialist company out and they quoted £250! Since then it’s been issue after issue....

 

[Goldenstar]

Just move

 

[Flicker]

Well I started having issues when the husband decided to look at my trailer brakes without permission. He took them off and broke a drum. Also jockey door worked before and now doesn’t. He was gonna charge me £600 to fix the brakes. I got a specialist company out and they quoted £250! Since then it’s been issue after issue....

WTF!! They sound a menace.

 

[holeymoley]

Well I started having issues when the husband decided to look at my trailer brakes without permission. He took them off and broke a drum. Also jockey door worked before and now doesn’t. He was gonna charge me £600 to fix the brakes. I got a specialist company out and they quoted £250! Since then it’s been issue after issue....

No way. Not a chance. Why was he interfering with your trailer? And he was going to charge you to fix what he broke?! It sounds like a right cracker of a place.

 

[Hanno Verian]

Well I started having issues when the husband decided to look at my trailer brakes without permission. He took them off and broke a drum. Also jockey door worked before and now doesn’t. He was gonna charge me £600 to fix the brakes. I got a specialist company out and they quoted £250! Since then it’s been issue after issue....

WTF!!!!! I would be out of that yard like a shot let me get this straight - The YO's husband takes it on himself to take your trailer apart, breaks it, then proposes to charge you £600 for fixing the damage he did!!! Blo*dy Hel*!!!!!

I thought I'd met some loons in the equestrian world but that wins the Gold Award, Its a bit like Kwik Fit, slashing random tyres on the high street, then repairing the damage and leaving a bill tucked under the windscreen wiper.

 

[Pedantic]

Best out of that yard. NOFA

 

[Christmascinnamoncookie]

She’s trying to charge you for stuff that isn’t damaged? Yet her husband damaged your trailer and had no permission to touch it?! Don’t think so, pal! Charge her for damage to your trailer.

 

[Littlewills]

Well I started having issues when the husband decided to look at my trailer brakes without permission. He took them off and broke a drum. Also jockey door worked before and now doesn’t. He was gonna charge me £600 to fix the brakes. I got a specialist company out and they quoted £250! Since then it’s been issue after issue....

You've got to go some to break a drum! Its usually £100 to £150 to service brakes and replace pads etc.

I'd be inclined to try and come to some sort of arrangement whereby you walk away and dont piursue the trailer brake costs, and they dont pursue the fencing costs, and return your deposit. How much is the deposit?