puppleshweeple39
New User
Sorry everybody but this is going to be a long post but I feel i have to let you know the full story so I can get proper advice.
3 weeks ago today I took possession of a pony on a month's trial before deciding to loan for a 2-3 year period. We had been to see the pony on 2 occasions before agreeing on the month's trial. I was told that she hadn't been used properly for nearly a year but was easy going and good on the road. The owners had bought it for their daughter who decided she didn't want it and as far as i am aware never rode it. It was then sent out on loan to somebody who apparently never got on it's back even though this was someone who had 2 horses of her own and according to the owner was determined to have this pony (Summer). My 14 yr old daughter rode the pony in the field where the pony was brought back to (to allow us to see her). She could only really walk her as the ground was really boggy. On the next visit I took my very knowledgeable friend to check Summer over and give me her opinion. She advised that pony would need work to bring her up to a decent fitness level but once the pony got back into the swing of things after not being ridden for a year she would be a nice pony for us to have.
After a lot of thought and working out re time and money I advised the owner that we would like to take the pony on loan. They responded that would actually like to sell her for £650. I was a bit taken aback as I had only ever mentioned loaning. I finally managed to persuade them to let us have on loan if the month's trial was a success. They agreed.
The pony was brought over to our local livery yard and I was immediately told by the stable manager that her back needed seen to as she couldn't stand square at the back end. Also her feet had been neglected: front shoes only on that had been on for months, the edge of the hoof was reaching over the shoe. In the first few days I tried to lunge her myself without much success as all she wanted to to do was come into me and on one occasion turned her back end and lashed out and also reared up in front of me. After about 3 days I decided to ask the stable manager if he would help me which he did. He managed to lunge her but mentioned that she was as green as grass and she didn't even know how to canter in a schooling environment. After he had given her a good work out my daughter was able to ride her round the arena at a walk for 20 mins. The pony kept throwing her head up and down quite badly and the manager advised that she would probably need her teeth lookd at as she didn't like bit in her mouth.
The next day I tried to ride her but she was having none of it and tried to throw me off. Tried to lunge again but was unsuccessful. I panicked at the thought of having an unruly pony and texted the owner and told him that I didn't think it was going to work out as i was looking for a pony that had done stuff and that myself and my daughter could get on without fear of being thrown off (this is our first family pony, although I have had ponies of my own years ago). I didn't think I had the experience or the time to go back to basics with Summer. He didn't reply to my text so I had to phone him and he advised that he didn't have the field to put her in as the farmer was using it for lambing but he would try and sort something out. I didn't hear from him for about 2 or 3 days. In the meantime I was spending as much time as I could at the stable trying to bond with the pony and eventually was able to get a decent lunge out of her. This happened for 2 or 3 days and I started to feel a bit more positive her so much so that to give the pony the benefit of the doubt I agreed to get her back sorted and her hoofs and teeth done.
Her pelvis was out and got realigned and her shoes taken off and feet trimmed. Unfortunately her teeth are in such a state that she will have to be sedated to get extractions and rasping done. On Friday just gone we decided to back her again to see if the work had made things easier for her. She had a loose run round the arena and then lunged with tack on for 15mins or so. My daughter was first up with my Dad at the other end of the lunge rope but the pony wouldn't move and when you tried to get her going all she would do was back up, try and rear or bolt out the side door. As my daughter has not had experience of this kind of behaviour and didn't know how to react I decided to get on and try and ease the pony into a walk. No luck! she wouldn't move anywhere apart from up the way at one point my Dad was trying to hold her down with two hands on the halter. In the end I had to get off as I couldn't even turn her in a circle as it was like pulling on a concrete block, there was no response from her. I made the decision there and then that we couldn't keep her as she was not what we were looking for and certainly not the pony that we thought we were getting.
I texted the owner and advised him that we weren't keeping her and wanted to send her back and that my Stable Manager would bring her back to him today at 10 am. Well, he phoned me and told me that I was a time waster and had b*ggered him about 1st not wanting the pony then deciding to persevere for the remainder of the month then wanting to take her back. I told him there was no point in keeping a pony that we couldn't ride and that there are other horses in line for my stable and that the manager wants the stable emptied for next week. He told me that we could take the pony back today but at his convenience, not mine and that she was to be brought over between 5 &6 pm. I told him i would have to see if the person who would be transporting the pony would be available at that time but also I had prior arrangement elswhere (daughters running competition) and wasn't 100% sure if I would be able to come with the pony. He went ballistic and told me to play the game and that i was to come over with the pony and explain exactly what was wrong with the pony and not just to dump in the field by the stable manager. I advised him that if he would take her at 10am I would certainly be there in person but couldn't guarantee when the competition would finish in the afternoon. He hung up on me!
As it turns out the transport can't do this afternoon but can do the same time any night this week. I have texted the owner to this effect but he hasn't got back to me as yet and I don't want to phone him just to get into a fight again as I have been ill all weekend over this. Up till now he hasn't replied andI don't know what to do. Where do I go from here? The stable manager says he will take the pony over and just leave her in the field regardless but I think it will just kick off even more which I don't want. Also I will have to return the tack (saddle which was too small with a girth that would have suited a shetland not a 14.2 warmblood x a bridle with a bit that was too big for her - I have had to beg borrow and steal bits of equipment to allow me to ride her at all).
What are my rights here or is he right, am I a time waster?
3 weeks ago today I took possession of a pony on a month's trial before deciding to loan for a 2-3 year period. We had been to see the pony on 2 occasions before agreeing on the month's trial. I was told that she hadn't been used properly for nearly a year but was easy going and good on the road. The owners had bought it for their daughter who decided she didn't want it and as far as i am aware never rode it. It was then sent out on loan to somebody who apparently never got on it's back even though this was someone who had 2 horses of her own and according to the owner was determined to have this pony (Summer). My 14 yr old daughter rode the pony in the field where the pony was brought back to (to allow us to see her). She could only really walk her as the ground was really boggy. On the next visit I took my very knowledgeable friend to check Summer over and give me her opinion. She advised that pony would need work to bring her up to a decent fitness level but once the pony got back into the swing of things after not being ridden for a year she would be a nice pony for us to have.
After a lot of thought and working out re time and money I advised the owner that we would like to take the pony on loan. They responded that would actually like to sell her for £650. I was a bit taken aback as I had only ever mentioned loaning. I finally managed to persuade them to let us have on loan if the month's trial was a success. They agreed.
The pony was brought over to our local livery yard and I was immediately told by the stable manager that her back needed seen to as she couldn't stand square at the back end. Also her feet had been neglected: front shoes only on that had been on for months, the edge of the hoof was reaching over the shoe. In the first few days I tried to lunge her myself without much success as all she wanted to to do was come into me and on one occasion turned her back end and lashed out and also reared up in front of me. After about 3 days I decided to ask the stable manager if he would help me which he did. He managed to lunge her but mentioned that she was as green as grass and she didn't even know how to canter in a schooling environment. After he had given her a good work out my daughter was able to ride her round the arena at a walk for 20 mins. The pony kept throwing her head up and down quite badly and the manager advised that she would probably need her teeth lookd at as she didn't like bit in her mouth.
The next day I tried to ride her but she was having none of it and tried to throw me off. Tried to lunge again but was unsuccessful. I panicked at the thought of having an unruly pony and texted the owner and told him that I didn't think it was going to work out as i was looking for a pony that had done stuff and that myself and my daughter could get on without fear of being thrown off (this is our first family pony, although I have had ponies of my own years ago). I didn't think I had the experience or the time to go back to basics with Summer. He didn't reply to my text so I had to phone him and he advised that he didn't have the field to put her in as the farmer was using it for lambing but he would try and sort something out. I didn't hear from him for about 2 or 3 days. In the meantime I was spending as much time as I could at the stable trying to bond with the pony and eventually was able to get a decent lunge out of her. This happened for 2 or 3 days and I started to feel a bit more positive her so much so that to give the pony the benefit of the doubt I agreed to get her back sorted and her hoofs and teeth done.
Her pelvis was out and got realigned and her shoes taken off and feet trimmed. Unfortunately her teeth are in such a state that she will have to be sedated to get extractions and rasping done. On Friday just gone we decided to back her again to see if the work had made things easier for her. She had a loose run round the arena and then lunged with tack on for 15mins or so. My daughter was first up with my Dad at the other end of the lunge rope but the pony wouldn't move and when you tried to get her going all she would do was back up, try and rear or bolt out the side door. As my daughter has not had experience of this kind of behaviour and didn't know how to react I decided to get on and try and ease the pony into a walk. No luck! she wouldn't move anywhere apart from up the way at one point my Dad was trying to hold her down with two hands on the halter. In the end I had to get off as I couldn't even turn her in a circle as it was like pulling on a concrete block, there was no response from her. I made the decision there and then that we couldn't keep her as she was not what we were looking for and certainly not the pony that we thought we were getting.
I texted the owner and advised him that we weren't keeping her and wanted to send her back and that my Stable Manager would bring her back to him today at 10 am. Well, he phoned me and told me that I was a time waster and had b*ggered him about 1st not wanting the pony then deciding to persevere for the remainder of the month then wanting to take her back. I told him there was no point in keeping a pony that we couldn't ride and that there are other horses in line for my stable and that the manager wants the stable emptied for next week. He told me that we could take the pony back today but at his convenience, not mine and that she was to be brought over between 5 &6 pm. I told him i would have to see if the person who would be transporting the pony would be available at that time but also I had prior arrangement elswhere (daughters running competition) and wasn't 100% sure if I would be able to come with the pony. He went ballistic and told me to play the game and that i was to come over with the pony and explain exactly what was wrong with the pony and not just to dump in the field by the stable manager. I advised him that if he would take her at 10am I would certainly be there in person but couldn't guarantee when the competition would finish in the afternoon. He hung up on me!
As it turns out the transport can't do this afternoon but can do the same time any night this week. I have texted the owner to this effect but he hasn't got back to me as yet and I don't want to phone him just to get into a fight again as I have been ill all weekend over this. Up till now he hasn't replied andI don't know what to do. Where do I go from here? The stable manager says he will take the pony over and just leave her in the field regardless but I think it will just kick off even more which I don't want. Also I will have to return the tack (saddle which was too small with a girth that would have suited a shetland not a 14.2 warmblood x a bridle with a bit that was too big for her - I have had to beg borrow and steal bits of equipment to allow me to ride her at all).
What are my rights here or is he right, am I a time waster?
