Loan Gone VERY wrong! advice please...

im pretty pleased to hear that, as his was adapted from the BHS online template! : ) maybe a small light at the end of the tunnel... and with ref to the crime number, i hadnt even considered it. it's a very valid point, will report it so at least i have some sort of fallback for that at least, a small consolation for the loss of a horse but better than nothing at all!
 
thanks stinkbomb, ill ask him to take a look at him before we make any decisions then! its just too far for my vet to travel, and i dont believe a word that come out of the current vets mouth!
 
sarahpaton said:
i've just called my vet and asked him to get in touch with the surgery treating him to insist he is at least kept comfortable with painkillers until we reach a decision. He has also said that if they are not cooperative, he will send up the necessary drugs and invoice the loanee directly- chasing legally if they do not pay : ) massive relief that at least he'll be painfree whatever happens. hate to think of him suffering through their stupidity and neglect.

He's also doing all he can to find out whether he can come home- hes suggested heavy sedation and basically packing him into a box so he cant fall- although he cant promise much once hes home. could all still end very much in tears, he's told mne not to get my hopes up...

I've put an appeal on facebook for the local riders/owners group for any unneeded rubber matting, hay, bedding and bute...every little helps i suppose!
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Can i firstly say how sorry i am to hear about your horse. What an awfull thing to have happen even if he had been covered by insurance and they hadnt sold your saddle but how absolutely heartbreaking for you to have to go through this knowing that he is uninsured and the owners have not done all they can to look after your horse with the care he deserved.

Thats brilliant news that the vet is going to issue him with painkillers and invoice them and then chase them legally if they dont pay.

Can i just say what a wonderfull idea to make a group on facebook to appeal for local riders to contribute spare rubber matting and bute etc to help get him home, 10 out of 10 for initiative there, facebook can be so good for reaching large numbers of people quickly so good on you for thinking of the idea and getting the ball rolling straight away.

Really hope you get lots of help from local people and you can get him home and back with someone who cares.

I made a similar comment in another post about loaning disasters but i really didnt realise how often horses on loan do not get sufficient care. When i was a child, everyone grew up on loan ponies etc and they were all cared for as if they were a persons own and treated with respect and in a way an animal should. I spent most of last year looking for a horse to loan and i was surprised at a) how few there were and b) of the few that were available 99% were to stay at their current yard (living where i do there is no town for miles so it was not an option).....but since i got my own horse in march this year and i joined this forum i can totally understand why there was few people willing to loan out horses, even to someone who has owned horses beofre and ridden for years.
Its absolutely disgusting that people will treat an animal badly and not give it its basic care...i.e food, water, excercise and vetinary care. It really does spoil it for those that would treat a horse with the utmost care and respect and in a way that it wanted for nothing.

Really sorry that you have been one of the unlucky ones that have had one of these monsters loan your horse.

Please keep us updated on how you get on getting your horse back home and how his vetinary treatment goes.

Massive massive hugs to you and the horse and sending good luck vibes xx
 
How terrible, I do hope you can get your horse home. As to the saddle disgusting as a loaner I took more care of the owners stuff than my own! as it wasnt mine, I cannot understand how people can be so disrespectful and thoughtless
 
thanks skychick :) its amazing the wierd & wonderful ideas yucan come up with when you have to! im hoping with people's horses having gone out for the summer now, there may be a few leftover bales people don't need and may be able to offer...i may get nothing, but it has to be worth a shot!

its amazing how things change, i was the same as a kid, everyone at pony club had loan ponies, my first 5 horses were all loaned to me, and there was never so much as a hiccup. don't get me wrong, i know there are some genuinely lovely pepole looking for horses to loan, i have a TB mare in the most wonderful home, i speak to the girl that has her all the time, she constantly sends me pics and invites me to every competition she goes to. all muy horse's loanee's are vetted, i get references from their yard owners and speak to the people on the yard to get their opinion. But it appears you never can be too safe- i was going to share my arab to ease the bills if Rohan did come home, but now i think i'll get a second job instead! the more i find out the worse it gets!

My message to anyone thinking of loaning their horse- make sure you vet the homes, keep the horse insured yourself (i've had to learn the hard way i'm afraid) and keep them close enough to home that you can keep a very close eye on them. and to anyone loaning a horse from someone- please, please PLEASE ensure they are always properly cared for. It really is devastating to an owner to be put in this position, and you really can't help feeling responsible when you've willingly put your horse in someone's care. I'll never forgive myself for letting him get into this mess. I just hope i can fix it and not let the poor boy down : (
 
OP, I have no advice to give but as someone who hopes to be a loaner one day, I am just disgusted at what has happened to you and your horse. I hope you can get sorted out.

I would never dream of treating a loan horse with any less care than one I owned outright and I'm sure that many loaners will feel the same. But you have met a nasty piece of work and I am very sorry for your bad luck:(
 
Good grief. I would be absolutely furious!!! i mean literally gunning. And as for selling your saddle ... lets just say you sound a much calmer and nicer person than I.
 
sarahpaton said:
If anyone knows the name of a good vet in the manchester/bolton artea that may be more helpful or decent equine law firm, i'd really appreciatye their names/numbers.
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I really hope you get him home, i'm sad and angry for you all at the same time.....
As for vets, I can highly recommend Peter Scholefield - a lot of vets use him for referrals, and he's very good at getting to the bottom of lameness issues. He won;t be cheap, but may look at his X-rays for your vet.

Hird and Partners Veterinary Surgeons
10 Blackwall
Halifax
West Yorkshire
HX1 2BE
Tel: 01422 354106 (Farm and Equine)
Tel: 01422 354999 (Companion Animals)
Fax: 01422 363092
 
So sorry to hear of your pony's injury and the subsequent problems you are suffering.

However, herein lies a lesson to all - if you are loaning a horse out then PLEASE insure the horse yourself! I always have done and always will do as then you, as the owner, have total control should there be an accident or injury. If the loanees were paying the insurance they could argue that any monies paid out for the value of the horse on death should be paid to them, seeing that they have funded the policy. It is a timely reminder - I am gobsmacked again and again by how many people think the loanee should pay the insurance...let's face it, the horse is yours, his welfare should be your priority and the only way to ensure that he will get the care he needs is if you fund the insurance!

Sorry OP, am really not aiming this at you, it is just a great post to use to flag this issue up!
 
Ehmm, I don't know your situation, BUT if it was my boy (this is so awful for you) I'd want to get him out of where he is PDQ.

If money is tight for them then they're not gonna do their very best for him - obviously as you've no insurance policy in force for him either, then if you do go for more vet tests, opinions etc then its gonna cost you .... and you may still not be able to save him, but if humanly possible I'd be wanting to get him away from where he is (presuming you've got somewhere you can take him of course), and see what else can be done before you make the PTS decision.

It might just be that a second opinion might give a different prognosis and/or treatment plan.
 
What a nightmare!! Poor you! Definitely speak to a solicitor, or get some legal advice, although how much help this will be in the short term I don't know!

On the (very small) plus side, my old horse suffered a sweeney after bolting into the back of another horse. She made an almost full recovery in about six months. She was left with a small patch of muscle wastage, as the nerve did not completely rejoin. But was sound and happy. She was also only on painkillers for the first few weeks, as according to the vet at the time it's an ugly condition, but hers at least was painless, as the damage to the nerve worked like a block. She had surgery to make a little groove in the bone to encourage the nerve to heal, and the treatment with a tens machine helped rebuild the muscle initially.. Please don't quote me on the detail, I'm not an expert, and it was a while ago, but definitely don't give up just yet!! Good luck to both of you! Xx
 
i can't add to all the good advice, so instead i'll just wish you all the luck in the world. i hope he's fit to travel and you can get him home. and that a second opinion is more positive.



and then i hope you kick some legal butt!

good luck and (((hugs))) xxx
 
Hi, just wanted to add my two cents. I loaned a mare who had an accident whilst being worked by her owner (who was visiting) which resulted in her bolting off and running through the fence and into a pony-sending him flying! The mare was diagnosed with sweeny shoulder.

She was recommended at LEAST 6 months box rest with the possibility of moving her to a bigger barn after 3 or 4 months if she was improving. This was with daily bute and also steroids. Unfortunately the owner sold her after only 1 month but with the right drugs she was comfortable and seemed to be improving.

I hope the best comes from his for your boy. As for selling the saddle-I would be fuming!!!!
 
A friend of mine had to get a laminitic horse back off loan quickly when it all went wrong. Horse was too poorly to travel in a normal lorry but she found a man with a horse lorry who had designed a sort of sling system to help the horse and keep some of the weight off its feet.

She said it was a rather home made job and the lorry was ancient, and it took hours driving slowly, but the contraption worked and she got the horse home and was able to nurse it properly and he recovered. No idea where/how much and if he still has the lorry but worth googling perhaps?
 
definitely worth having a look for, would help him travel without doing any further damage at least, hes not the best traveller when he's fully fit bless him! I have contacted Andrew Melling (vet up in his area) as suggested by Stinkbomb (thanks!!) and hes going t take a look at him this afternoon, so will have had 3 opinions in total.

my vets main fear is for the ongoing problems, as he fractured his elbow and has a sweeney injury in the same leg, he is concerned that the bone will not be strong enough to support the lack of muscle, and he is worried he will develop arthritis from the break making his leg very weeak and him unsafe for anyone handling him and very expensive to treat in future as that leg will be uninsurable. He's normally a very optimistic vet that likes to give horses a chance, so i'm a little worried that if he things the outlook is that bleak, there amy not be an awful lot of options for him. I know when my Arab had sweeney he was pretty positive, but i know he will do all he can for him and his end decision will be what is best for the horse. Will keep you all posted!
 
I have been following this post and have everything crossed for you both.

It really sounds like you need to transport him (subject to vet approval) by a trailer/horse box equipped with a sling. The Blue Cross have horse ambulance(s) with sling (google web), my vet travels to large shows (like Hickstead) with her horse ambulance which is also equipped with sling etc. Like someone else has mentioned google on the web for horse transport with sling (or google ‘transporting injured horse’).
Another route would be to contact your nearest racecourse / large horse show venue to see if they have a contact for a horse ambulance.
Where exactly do you need to move your horse from and to?
Good luck.
 
I have been reading this thread and would like to extend my heartfelt sympathies to you, this must be an absolute nightmare.

Having said that your latest post make its fairly clear that your vet appears to be in agreement with the loanees vet with regard to long term prospects of your pony. I think you may have to come to terms with the fact that it might be in his best interests to be PTS.

Much as the loanees have behaved very shoddily (and even criminally in selling your saddle) in not letting you know about their financial circumstances changing to the point where they couldn't afford to pay the insurance, they have called in a vet and are taking his advice.

You need to have a serious discussion with your vet and then make the decision based on that advice.

If the pony is PTS whilst with the loanees they will be directly responsible for the costs relating to this and already incurred vet bills.

You can then pursue other costs such as the saddle and the cost of the pony with the loanees (via the courts if necessary).

If the pony can be saved then you will have to pursue the costs for the saddle and the vets bills with the loanees (again via the courts if necessary). However you will probably find the courts will restrict the value of the vets bills to the value of the pony, as the courts normally look for restitution and at least one vet is recommending this pony be PTS.

Whatever the outcome it is not pleasant for you and I wish you the best of luck.
 
I just want to send my most heartfelt sympathies to you and Rohan. What a horrible situation to be in. These people have acted totally despicably and his welfare should now be the priority. It looks like you have had a lot of great advice from other HHOers, also might be worth letting us know what your facebook page is so that more support can be lent to you if you need it.

My daughter loaned a pony 4 years ago and the owners kept him insured and this was stated in the loan agreement, which was a BHS one. He had a nasty accident whilst en route to a local show in the trailer and was lame for several months. I have to be honest, we didnt even think about their insurance, I just paid up the vets bills. Thankfully, they very kindly claimed on their policy and reimbursed me my costs, which I didnt expect. We also had to sign an inventory for all his tack and rugs along with the loan agreement. Did you have such a thing? I work in the lettings profession and inventories are legal documents and admissable evidence in court. Its pretty unforgivable what those people have done and good luck with this and keep up updated on the forum.
 
hi guys, ive been offline for a few days as my laptop decided to go down! To give you an update, it was decided yesterday that the only thing to do was have him PTS. My vet took a look at his case notes and xrays, and decided that was best for him. He had broken his elbow, and my vet said it was very likely he would develop arthritis in the joint, and therefore the leg would never be safe for him or a handler with a weak muscle and weak bone. Also, as that leg would be uninsurable he thought the cost of ongoin treatmetn for arthritis would be pretty high, and didnt think that the journey home would do him any good at all just yet, and the loaners are no longer willing to care for him.

I'm absolutely devastated, but i suppose all there is to do now is make sure i never laon a horse again, and go say goodbye at the weekend.

Thank you all so much for your advice, i can at least say I've done all i can for him xx
 
I'm so sorry.

But at least you know you have done everything for him and have his best interests at heart. Good luck pursuing them for the everything else once the dust settles.
 
So very sorry to hear this. Thoughts are with you, in this horrid situation.

Please do not let the laoners get away with this scot free though. At the very least report the theft of your saddle to the police and get some legal advice about recovering the value of your horse. I know it is small comfort but it may help prevent them doing the same thing in future if they get hammered for their actions this time.

Again a real aside but check your home insurance, you maybe able to claim for the theft of your saddle on that.
 
OMG - I am so sorry! I know first hand how awful this is, I trusted my special lad with someone who I thought was reliable (do you remember the Your Horse win a horse competiton? Well, this lady was a runner up, so she had been vetted by professionals!) Anyway, her negligence resulted in a massive injury, a lengthy hospital visit, three opertions and a huge vet bill (luckily recovered most of it from her). Now, the vets she used advised having him PTS as his injuries were so bad - I nagged and got them to persevere, despite being told he would never be sound, and would always be on bute... I asked them to try everything.

Well, that was 5 years ago, and less than 6 months after his accident, I was able to ride him again - since his accident he has gone back doing BD, local ODE's, hunting and showing, and has not had a lame step since. I had lots of vets and professionals telling me he wouldn;t be field sound, let alone ridden, but I didn't give up on him - there is always hope, so my fingers are firmly crossed for your lad!

I have a couple of spare rubber mats (big thick EVA mats) but you are too far away to make use of them sadly :(

But please, do not give up - some days it breaks your heart, and some days you think things will never get better. My boy still has scars from his experience, and he still remembers the trauma, but it was all worth it in the end, and just to have him stood in the field is amazing - the fact I can ride is out of this world. If I had listened to what I had been told by the loanee/vet at the time, he would be long gone :(

Stay positive, and I hope everything works out in the end :)
 
Have been following the post, Sarah. So sorry to hear it's turned out like this. The last time I loaned out a horse it went terribly wrong and I'm another who won't do it again, despite having a successful loan out years ago.

I'll be thinking of you at the weekend. :(
 
Hi I have been following this and am so so sorry for you and poor Rohan. I cannot believe people can behave this way - but unfortunately this seems to be a recurring theme. Just wanted to send some good wishes to you and hope that the weekend passes peacefully and swiftly for Rohan x

Financially I hope you can recover your losses as there is no reason for you to suffer even more.
 
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