Mare accidentally covered!!

Fingers crossed all goes well- no twins or anything ( dont want to panic you!!! ) and let us see some photos when its born. Bless xxx
 
What do you do if the owner of the stallion denies that the mare was covered, I offered to sell her the mare and foal (PD day before birth).
The mare had moved from the "breeders" to a riding school on loan to a riding school which was "supposed" to be selling her for me, they immediately told me to remove the mare. It cost me £3000 less £1000 for sale of foal at 8 months, but it was a rough do all round, I had to move four times due to various difficulties.
 
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MrsD123 said:
What do you do if the owner of the stallion denies that the mare was covered, I offered to sell her the mare and foal (PD day before birth).
The mare had moved from the "breeders" to a riding school on loan to a riding school which was "supposed" to be selling her for me, they immediately told me to remove the mare. It cost me £3000 less £1000 for sale of foal at 8 months, but it was a rough do all round, I had to move four times due to various difficulties.
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Wow poor you, and mare and foal. DNA testing I guess is the solution?
 
It was suggested I DNA test, but she has two black entire horses, anyway it could have been a visiting stallion no longer on the site, or a colt foal or any other horse in the area, same difference, duty of care.
 
20questions said:
Thanks but I'm afraid we don't want the foal and neither would we risk sending the mare away again! Did your friend want a foal? Surely she would not have been liable for stud fees when the stallion was not supposed to be covering the mare in the first place? Otherwise studs would be letting loose their stallions and charging mare owners left right and centre :-)

Re time off, I really can't imagine hacking my young mare out and leaving an 8 week old foal behind. I wouldn't feel safe trying to work her in the fields with the foal either, (I assume this is what you do initially) she is only young and still green.

Thank you!
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I should imagine that you have a very good case for recovering all your costs and compensation for the loss of use of the mare and there are also the risks of foaling that they have left you with. How infuriating that this person neglected your mare by allowing this to happen, if it was an accident 1, how do they manage their stallion/s and two why not say something and pay for an injection?? Appalling behaviour.

If she is due in May I wouldn't be riding her now.

This happened to a friend of mine who loaned a mare for riding purposes to a supposed friend with a proper agreement having been signed. The person loaning (A BREEDER) turned the mare out with a 3Y/O unregistered and uncut colt. The mare was returned I think it was said to not be suitable (lovely type and great temperament???). On a visit another friend and I looked closely at the mare to find her a bit portly and bagging up! The mare gave birth shortly after in September.

The person loaning was surprised??????? Went to see the foal and expressed no remorse only commented on what a surprise and how wonderful the foal was! She did eventually cough up for the keep of the mare and foal through the winter and legal advice was sought!

I would speak to an equine solicitor for some advice, or if you can get free legal advice on insurance or from a membership like NFU then go there first. Then you can send a large bill and if you think they will give it a chance a foal when it is weaned, oh and a bill for the use of your mare to breed it from.

Oh and nearly forgot last night had to lend my foaling kit as someone has bought a mare to ride, a 4 yo and now they are suddenly on foal watch!! Isn't it sad when you feel the need to do a pregnancy exam when buying or if your horse is sent away!!!!!!!!!
 
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20questions said:
Fortunately she has been on her winter jollies but she has not been fed as an in foal mare obviously.

No idea how it happened as have not spoken with the owner yet. Accidents do happen I just hope my mare will be be ok.
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Your mare must have been either covered in hand, turned out with a stallion or a stallion got into the field she was turned out in. Very careless of the yard and dishonest as they hadn't told you of the incident when you collected your mare
 
Really interesting post...

Not much to add other than good luck, with the foaling and i hope you get all your costs back.
I too would be gutted if my young horse was found to be in foal. You look forward so much to your first full summer with them.

Really feel for you, time to look on the positive though, you might end up with a lovely foal that turns out to be a mega star, breeding isn't everything all the time. Nice mixes are around and make lovely riding horses.

If it's a filly and you decide to keep and back, don't sent it back to the same yard!!!!
 
sprite1978 said:
Is this a joke...... Stallion owner allows his stallion to cover a mare that wasnt supposed to be. And the options are.

1. He gets a free foal, and gets a free loan broodmare. With no compensation to the mare owner.
2. Dont worry you can keep the foal...But you have to pay for everything. and ill have the cheek to charge a stud fee.
3. Dont worry you can keep the foal...But you have to pay for everything including a stud fee, and ill pay the poxy amount to register it

shocking..
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Totally agree, if this happened to my mare I would be furious, if these options were offered to me, I would be absolutely furious. What a cheek!
 
20questions said:
Hi all,
We have found ourselves in rather a difficult position. Our mare was sent to be backed last year, we have just discovered that she is in foal due sometime in May. This will mean we will have to birth and care for the foal and the mare will miss out on a year of work not to mention the worry and finances involved.
Just wondered if anyone has been in this position and can offer any advice as to what kind of compensation or not you would expect given the circumstances?
Thank you!
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Accidents happen - but this wasn't an accident - it was pure negligence!

Last year I had a 2 yo colt jump his 5' fence to escape - then jumped over a 4' stable door to get in with a mare who had just been AI'd. In THAT case it wasn't a problem, as the mare was on breeding loan to me and she didn't get in foal to either the official AI - or to the unofficial 'attention'!

IF he had jumped in with a breaker, the action to be taken would be very clear. Explain situation to owner, have mare scanned in 14-16 days to see if there was a pregnancy and - if so - a jab of progestone would soon end that! I would certainly expect to pay for the scan and PG!

It seems highly unlikely that this yard didn't know the stallion had got in with your mare - if they didn't, then that of itself might suggest negligence. But if they DID know, then they did everything wrong! I would HOPE they'd carry insurance for this sort of thing because - in your place - I would expect them to:

1. agree to buy the weanling from you at a reasonable valuation or at least provide a covering certificate at no charge.
2. pay a lump sum equal to the cost of breaking towards your loss.
3. pay associated vet costs.

If they don't agree, I'd whack a Small Claims case against them - it would cost you about £120 and in what appears to be a pretty clear cut case of negligence, you WILL win!
 
JanetGeorge said:
Accidents happen - but this wasn't an accident - it was pure negligence!

Last year I had a 2 yo colt jump his 5' fence to escape - then jumped over a 4' stable door to get in with a mare who had just been AI'd. In THAT case it wasn't a problem, as the mare was on breeding loan to me and she didn't get in foal to either the official AI - or to the unofficial 'attention'!

IF he had jumped in with a breaker, the action to be taken would be very clear. Explain situation to owner, have mare scanned in 14-16 days to see if there was a pregnancy and - if so - a jab of progestone would soon end that! I would certainly expect to pay for the scan and PG!

It seems highly unlikely that this yard didn't know the stallion had got in with your mare - if they didn't, then that of itself might suggest negligence. But if they DID know, then they did everything wrong! I would HOPE they'd carry insurance for this sort of thing because - in your place - I would expect them to:

1. agree to buy the weanling from you at a reasonable valuation or at least provide a covering certificate at no charge.
2. pay a lump sum equal to the cost of breaking towards your loss.
3. pay associated vet costs.

If they don't agree, I'd whack a Small Claims case against them - it would cost you about £120 and in what appears to be a pretty clear cut case of negligence, you WILL win!
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First sensible and accurate answer ^^^.
 
Thanks for you helpful comments everyone!
Janet George - I too would have expected to be informed so we could have scanned and jabbed the mare, it is completely irresponsible to not inform me.
I just feel guilty now that there there could be a problem with the mare or foal after not feeding her correctly etc. I'm also livid because this mare was to be sold a at the end of the summer not still standing in a field with a foal at foot!
 
20questions said:
Thanks for you helpful comments everyone!
Janet George - I too would have expected to be informed so we could have scanned and jabbed the mare, it is completely irresponsible to not inform me.
I just feel guilty now that there there could be a problem with the mare or foal after not feeding her correctly etc. I'm also livid because this mare was to be sold a at the end of the summer not still standing in a field with a foal at foot!
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Yes there is a risk, but not sure if it was because it was her 2nd, but 1 of the mares I bought meant to be empty, found out 6wks before she foaled (funny enough on Grand Nat day, but it was then I think the 4th April that year). Both were healthy & there were no problems except the foal had Entropia, which was thankfully fixed the next day.
 
As you don't want the foal and the care of it, why not talk to the national foaling bank, offering the foal as a foster to one that has lost her own? Not sure if they would do this as it tends to be for orphan foals but if you don't ask you'll never know.
 
20Questions - we bought a mare, broke her in, rode her lots then found out she was 10 months pregnant.

We had a month to make up for the lack of attention.

She foaled a very large, healthy (if ever so slightly dim) colt who, despite needing a couple of days in hospital before he worked out how to suckle, grew up to be a fine and healthy young man!!
Mare produced enough milk to feed three foals at the hospital!!!!!

So really, DO NOT WORRY!! If anything, by not feeding her anything special you're avoiding complications. Obesity is a massive cause of dystocia.

Dorey didn't go on any special feed till about 10 months either. The fact the tart hung on until 365 days is irrelevant... PMSL!
 
i would personally expect to be able to keep the foal or be paid for it

i would expect compensation for loss of use because although i love my mare completely i would still want to ride which is what she is for every other day so money to cover that?

money to cover cost of vet and other stuff for the mare and foal?

if someone accidently gave you something like a infected blood tranfusion in a hospital and didnt do anything about it or even had the cheeck to charge you for the blood (private hospital) it would not be acceptable so why is it ok for you to gain a foal you didnt want and you are expected to be greatful.

even if you did want a foal i personally would be wanting to choose my own stallion and it would not just be any horse
 
Hi nothing really to say re the covering other than I would be expecting compensation.

My mare was put in foal after being started she could be rather unsure and worried when doing ridden work, when Bailey was 3months I started doing ground work/lunging with her by 6 months I was back on and she was much more settled.
I was lucky that Bailey was happy to stay in the field with his half brother and sister. I never made a fuss and just increased the time that she was in being groomed etc I eventually could hack out for an hour.

Good Luck hope all goes well
 
i agree with JanetGeorge's answer, absolutely.
in your place i would expect compensation. they were clearly negligent in not telling you what had happened to your mare. it sounds as if they were hoping for the best (that she hadn't taken), v v naughty.
i hope she foals a super foal, v best of luck.
fwiw i wouldn't panic about the fact that she hasn't been fed extra etc etc, i know a top breeder who gives her mares nothing extra at all until the last few months anyway.
also, i knew a TB stud owner years ago, v experienced, who couldn't get a v valuable broodmare in foal. after 2 yrs of trying the owner gave up and gave her the mare as a hunter. she hunted her all season, and then one Sunday morning, after hunting her hard the day before, went out to the stable to find a super foal... no signs of mare being pregnant (v experienced woman, honestly) and the foal was perfectly healthy and absolutely fine!
good luck, please keep us posted, she must be due about the same time as my girl.
 
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