Livery not looking after their horses

C

Csmith080611

New User
Joined
3 January 2015
Messages
2
Visit site
Just wondered if anyone had some advice. We have recently moved our 3 horses to a new yard and their is another family we share it with who have 2 ponies. We are both tenants at this yard. It has become apparent they are extremely inexperienced in keeping horses and refuse to take any help/advice on what they should be doing. One pony hasn't had its feet trimmed for 4 months, it's had diarrhoea for at least 2 weeks. They are stabled from 3pm to 11am with nothing to eat except the straw in their tiny beds. They haven't paid any rent to the owners, we pay more than our far share, and the owners seen to be just turning a blind eye to it because it makes them 'too upset' to deal with it. Can anyone give me any Help as to what we should do? We don't want to see the ponies suffer but equally can't afford to give them what they need ourselves (they have worms as well). Thanks!!
 
I think most people here would say move again, but I appreciate that won't be easy with 3. First thing might be to have a calm but assertive word with the land owner, requesting they speak to this family about caring properly for the animals, reminding them they too have a duty of care to animals on their land, and pointing out you will be forced to move (loss of rent x3) if things don't improve quickly (give a time limit). The worm problem and diarrhoea of unknown cause means your horses are at risk of health problems themselves. I hope the family will wake up to the fact that they need some help and advice and things change for the better.
 
Fortunately we don't share a field with them, they are completely seperately to us, but the diarrhoea thing, if not caused by worms, is a worry to me. The land owner is elderly and quite ill, she says she is just hoping they leave and doesn't really want to deal with it. The owners of the ponies bought the horses over the phone, unseen, for their 2 teenage daughters who had had, between them, 12 riding lessons over 2 years. The mother has cancer and said she was advised to buy the horses for her daughters so they had something to focus on when she dies. I just didn't know if there was someone I could report them to other than the land owner.
 
Csmith080611 said:
Just wondered if anyone had some advice. We have recently moved our 3 horses to a new yard and their is another family we share it with who have 2 ponies. We are both tenants at this yard. It has become apparent they are extremely inexperienced in keeping horses and refuse to take any help/advice on what they should be doing. One pony hasn't had its feet trimmed for 4 months, it's had diarrhoea for at least 2 weeks. They are stabled from 3pm to 11am with nothing to eat except the straw in their tiny beds. They haven't paid any rent to the owners, we pay more than our far share, and the owners seen to be just turning a blind eye to it because it makes them 'too upset' to deal with it. Can anyone give me any Help as to what we should do? We don't want to see the ponies suffer but equally can't afford to give them what they need ourselves (they have worms as well). Thanks!!
Click to expand...

The yard owners do have a duty of care, but if they prefer to turn a blind eye, I can't see there is much you can do regarding the ponies management. If you have real concerns regarding the welfare of these ponies perhaps a call to WHW or the BHS may help?
 
Telephone the BHS at Stoneleigh and ask to contact the local BHS Welfare officer. They are experienced horse owners who can give advice. They won't say who contacted them (i.e. you!) but it might be obvious! They will visit the yard and look at the ponies and how they are kept and give advice to the owners about what needs to change. In cases of cruelty they would involve the RSPCA.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top