my horse had dentist without my permission

alexy1000

alexy1000

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Let me start from the beginning, 3 weeks previous to this happening the dentist was mentioned and I said I'd probably have him. A poster went up saying he was coming on a certain date and that if we wanted him we should ring him and book in. I did not ring. Then last Friday morning I got onto the yard and was told by a certain chap that the dentist wasn't coming anymore, I'd forgotten all about it I said. And went to work. That night I got back on the yard to betold the dentist has been and my report is in my stable, what the hell, I exclaimed, and was told, oh **** held him for the dentist and says you now owe him the money. This is the same man by the way who told me that morning that there wasn't going to be a dentist. It got worse however, I read the report and it said my horse is dangerous and needs sedating, which means I don't know what they put him though but he was obviously traumatized by the whole experience. What makes me so mad is that my mobile number is written clearly on my stable door, but nobody rang me. The census of opinion is that this person did this, held him for the dentist and got him done so his bill would be cheaper, more horses less money etc. Now he's kicking off slagging me off to everyone and demanding his money, he says I agreed to the dentist so should pay. But I didn't agree to strangers interfering and traumatizing my horse. What, if anything should I do?
 
That's a bad situation. In your shoes I would pay and make sure the person knows exactly how I felt about the whole thing.
You could point out that your horse would probably have behaved better with you holding him and reassuring him and had this person got injured it would certainly not have been your fault as you never agreed in the first place to the dentistry.
I would call the dentist explaining your upset and ask for the detail about how your horse behaved and what he found.
I would be upset by this too, particularly as your horse wasn't happy having his teeth done.
 
Not really the dentist fault, more an isue with the YO.

I would speak to the dentist, and find out what was done, and what issues, but i also would pay him.

I would ask the YO to be sure that they communicate more effectively in future. That work only to be done with express permission. In all fairness, you did initially indicate that you would be interested.

Most tradespeople will just get on and do the job rather than call the owner, unless there is a real issue. It is not unusual for a horse to be sedated for dental work, so you would not really expect him to call just re that.
 
I've only had the horse for 1 month as well. I spoke to the YO straight away and she was very upset with him, especially as shed approached him that day and asked why I wasn't there to do my horse, I'm usually always there for procedures, I have another horse on the yard. He just told her I couldn't make it, but the truth was I hadn't been told.
 
Ring the dentist. I wouldn't be happy paying someone else for the treatment. Get a confirmation of price from the dentist and an account of what happened. Then have a serious talking to the YO. I would have gone bonkers if someone did that to my horse.
 
I wouldn't pay anyone at all-you did not ring to book in, nobody rang you to confirm you were being done, I presume prices were never discussed? leave it up to man who held thehors eto hold the bill as well!
 
My dentist doesn't charge if he can't complete the procedure because the horse needs sedating.
You need to clarify what happened, he may not have been able to do any work on your horse - or - it may need more serious work doing which requires sedation.
You need to know. And I don't think I would pay up either.
 
I wouldn't pay anyone anything! You didn't ask for the work to be done, didn't want to be included in the yard visit, didn't leave any instructions, in short, the work was done/attempted totally without your permission and totally against your wishes. What would have happened if the so-called dangerous horse had hurt or injured either the dentist or the person holding your horse? The whole situation is ridiculous. Worth explaining the position to the YO and dentist but only for clarification...don't get defensive! Beyond that you owe nobody anything. If anything, you should be seeking compensation for the unauthorised assault on your horse that may mean he will now require sedation every time he needs the dentist. Let them all go take a hike and perhaps they'll behave more responsibly in the future!
 
Box of Frogs is right. Undertaking work on someone else's horse without permission is potentially a criminal offence. The horse world is a small one and obviously you have to continue to live with your YO and the dentist - so it is worth explaining to both that you did not give permission and that the individual who held your horse had acted without your authority to do so. As a result the bill is thier responsiblity not yours.

I wouldn't blame the dentist for taking this guy's word for it - but he does need to know that he has been placed in a serious position by this individual's actions. If there had been harm done to the horse - not through fault but because horses are horses - then he could be in a difficult position having treated without permisison.

Sadly had there been harm done to a human it would have been on your insurance regardless of the lack of consent.
 
Sounds like the guy who held your horse has a lot to answer for i.e. had obviously lied to the unsuspecting YO and to the dentist.

If the horse was 'dangerous' and needed sedating was any work actually carried out? I assume there was no sedation that took place without you being there?!!

I would ask the YO again to have a 'word' with the offending man who has WAY overstepped the mark, phone the dentist to explain the situation and to ask for a report on what happened, find out what was able to be achieved and definitely confirm the cost (as the guy who held the horse sounds incredibly untrustworthy) then make sure the offending man doesn't come near your horses ever again!
 
Had a similar situation about nine years ago. I was working in New York City for the summer and had my horse boarded at a stable on Staten Island. After my summer job ended, I flew home to visit my parents (who lived in a different state about 2000 miles away) for two weeks, and I had asked the YO to exercise my horse -- ride her three or four times -- while I was away. Halfway through my holiday home, I rang YO just to see how horse was getting on. Hadn't heard anything, figured no news was good news, but I just like to hear how she's doing, as you do.

YO told me she had asked the vet to come out to pull blood and test my horse for EPM. They don't have this disease in Britain -- it's mainly in the Eastern US. It's a neurological disease spread by opossums that causes the horse to lose balance and coordination. When I'd left NYC, my horse's balance and coordination had been fine. I asked the YO why she suspected EPM, and she that said when she rode the horse, she noticed that the horse was stiffer on one side than the other. I said, "Isn't that true of virtually all horses??" YO simply answered that there are more EPM cases than are diagnosed and seemed to be under the impression she had "saved" my horse.

Needless to say, my horse didn't have EPM but I was landed with a $100 vet bill for a test I thought was totally superfluous and hadn't asked for. I wasn't impressed. I told the vet this, and the vet told me it wasn't their problem and I needed to take it up with the YO. But the YO in question was by far one of the scariest, most intimidating people I have ever met and I didn't have the balls to stand up to her, so I sucked it up and paid the vet bill. However, I was also leaving. As soon as I returned to NYC, I loaded my horse into her trailer and we returned to my university for the start of the academic year. Had that place been anything more than a short term stable for the duration of a summer job, I would have moved her long before, as the YO had made it apparent that she was bat***** crazy well before that incident.
 
was he trying to be helpful? if you think not, I wouldn't pay him anything.

I would speak to the dentist and depending on what he said, would probably pay him for his work (if it was acceptable quality).

was it the dentist that you would normally use? if not, I would even more annoyed!
 
Monday night he came on the yard and decided to speak for the first time, he got in my face and demanded his money. Now, I'd already decided to be done with the whole thing so I'd given the money for him to the YO, who is also very upset and has given him a lecture. I stood for a minute, composedmyself and then wiped the bloody floor with him. The money I paid begrudgingly but its done. Apparently, according to others on the yard, I *******ed him for a solid 20 minutes which only ended when he retreated into his tack room and shut the door. His excuses were pathetic but I made myself perfectly clear. I didn't swear or lash out, no Jeremy kyle stuff just totally *******ed him. I then stood in my tack room for a half hour to calm down while people brought me cups of tea. I've spoken to the dentist who has been made aware of the incident, he's really apologetic and is reviewing his procedures as a result. Which is good.
 
Monday night he came on the yard and decided to speak for the first time, he got in my face and demanded his money. Now, I'd already decided to be done with the whole thing so I'd given the money for him to the YO, who is also very upset and has given him a lecture. I stood for a minute, composedmyself and then wiped the bloody floor with him. The money I paid begrudgingly but its done. Apparently, according to others on the yard, I *******ed him for a solid 20 minutes which only ended when he retreated into his tack room and shut the door. His excuses were pathetic but I made myself perfectly clear. I didn't swear or lash out, no Jeremy kyle stuff just totally *******ed him. I then stood in my tack room for a half hour to calm down while people brought me cups of tea. I've spoken to the dentist who has been made aware of the incident, he's really apologetic and is reviewing his procedures as a result. Which is good.
 
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