TheChestnutThing
Well-Known Member
Long story....here goes...
18 months ago I was offered another horse from the owner of a horse I already had. I declined based on finances. Someone I know had approached me on numerous occasions asking if I could help her find a share for her daughter. I knew this horse would be great, so I asked how the daughter's riding had come along and how they would cope. Great they told me. I let them come and sit on my horse and they seemed competent enough and fully invested in taking their time and learning alongside this horse (mother had ridden and owned horses most of her life). I explained that the horse would not belong to them and that I would go halves on transport and help with schooling and feed etc. No they didn't want my money for transport but could I organise. So I did.
Fast forward to the horse arriving and I immediately saw the incompetency. DIY yard and I was doing all the jobs on their days and mine. They couldn't muck out. They couldn't catch in. They couldn't lunge. Obviously I helped. It became blindly obvious that this was a toy to them. Mother would drop off kid unsupervised at yard. Kid would bring friend. They would go into herd and try and catch horse who wouldn't let them near him and they would send the whole herd on a stampede and then call me at work. They would then lead the poor horse in and out and in and out and in and out of his stable so much he refused to go in anymore. He started rearing with them. 2 weeks in I was asked by the YO to ask them to leave or put serious rules in place. Other liveies came to me complaining about them. I hadn't done a contract yet, so I did this. They refused to sign it. They wanted less days than originally agreed. They wanted friends to be lead around on highly strung sports horse. They wanted one parent to ride on occasion and the other to ride when ever they wanted. They accused me of making the child have epileptic fits because I was putting her under stress (I had not been aware that the child had epilepsy and had I known I would never have agreed to the share). They wanted to be at the yard on my days (I had 2 she had 5) and watch me every time I rode. Then they refused to sign the contract and gave me no notice whatsoever and demanded their money for the days they had been involved (don't worry that I had paid for hay/feet/feed/supplements/mucked out etc for them). Then they sent me a disgusting email which was defamatory and threatening and called my career (horses are not my career) into question.
Then I got a letter from the court demanding I pay them £300. For what? They wanted to buy their daughter a new horse. And the letter came from the ex husband who did not even pay the money for the transport and bedding. he knew nothing about it.
And now, this week, I have to go to court. 18 months later. For £300 I do not owe.
I have proof etc. I have emailed and whatsapps and the contract they refused to sign (BHS standard with a few added extras for protection of their child). And the proof that they ended the agreement with zero notice. I was left high and dry with 2 horses which I could not afford at the time, and immediately have to look for someone to share and take over the new horse. Again I have proof of adverts from the day they gave "notice".
Has anyone else been through something like this?
I have never in my life been through something like this and although I know that they court will rule in my favor (legal advice has been taken), I am stressed beyond belief and worried AF (I have since had to be put on anti-anxiety and depression pills).
18 months ago I was offered another horse from the owner of a horse I already had. I declined based on finances. Someone I know had approached me on numerous occasions asking if I could help her find a share for her daughter. I knew this horse would be great, so I asked how the daughter's riding had come along and how they would cope. Great they told me. I let them come and sit on my horse and they seemed competent enough and fully invested in taking their time and learning alongside this horse (mother had ridden and owned horses most of her life). I explained that the horse would not belong to them and that I would go halves on transport and help with schooling and feed etc. No they didn't want my money for transport but could I organise. So I did.
Fast forward to the horse arriving and I immediately saw the incompetency. DIY yard and I was doing all the jobs on their days and mine. They couldn't muck out. They couldn't catch in. They couldn't lunge. Obviously I helped. It became blindly obvious that this was a toy to them. Mother would drop off kid unsupervised at yard. Kid would bring friend. They would go into herd and try and catch horse who wouldn't let them near him and they would send the whole herd on a stampede and then call me at work. They would then lead the poor horse in and out and in and out and in and out of his stable so much he refused to go in anymore. He started rearing with them. 2 weeks in I was asked by the YO to ask them to leave or put serious rules in place. Other liveies came to me complaining about them. I hadn't done a contract yet, so I did this. They refused to sign it. They wanted less days than originally agreed. They wanted friends to be lead around on highly strung sports horse. They wanted one parent to ride on occasion and the other to ride when ever they wanted. They accused me of making the child have epileptic fits because I was putting her under stress (I had not been aware that the child had epilepsy and had I known I would never have agreed to the share). They wanted to be at the yard on my days (I had 2 she had 5) and watch me every time I rode. Then they refused to sign the contract and gave me no notice whatsoever and demanded their money for the days they had been involved (don't worry that I had paid for hay/feet/feed/supplements/mucked out etc for them). Then they sent me a disgusting email which was defamatory and threatening and called my career (horses are not my career) into question.
Then I got a letter from the court demanding I pay them £300. For what? They wanted to buy their daughter a new horse. And the letter came from the ex husband who did not even pay the money for the transport and bedding. he knew nothing about it.
And now, this week, I have to go to court. 18 months later. For £300 I do not owe.
I have proof etc. I have emailed and whatsapps and the contract they refused to sign (BHS standard with a few added extras for protection of their child). And the proof that they ended the agreement with zero notice. I was left high and dry with 2 horses which I could not afford at the time, and immediately have to look for someone to share and take over the new horse. Again I have proof of adverts from the day they gave "notice".
Has anyone else been through something like this?
I have never in my life been through something like this and although I know that they court will rule in my favor (legal advice has been taken), I am stressed beyond belief and worried AF (I have since had to be put on anti-anxiety and depression pills).
