Negligent owner driving us nuts!

MrsNorris

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What would you all do? 3 horses all on diy livery, set up is a large barn and yard with a round feeder and free access to the fields all year round. Horses are out 24/7 365 days, and we share the cost of round bale fodder as and when.
Problem is one owner just doesn't bother to come and check her horse every day. She will randomly just disappear for days at a time, sometimes weeks, sometimes she's not even in this country, and just expects us to do everything!
She knows full well that we will make sure there's enough hay, water is topped up, yard mucked out etc as we have to do it for our horses, and she totally takes advantage of the situation. We have had endless conversations about it, and she keeps promising to make arrangements for when she's not here, but nothing ever changes.
She constantly lies about where she is, and about who she has coming to check on the pony and we have just had another 5 days when no one came at all!
Myself and the other livery are sick to death of being forced to take responsibility for this pony against our will, cleaning up after her, making sure she has hay and isn't ill/injured.
The YO is a lovely elderly person who doesn't really want to get involved, we have explained the situation, and YO has spoken to the negligent livery, but this person just turns on the waterworks and makes the YO feel sorry for her, makes loads of promises that she doesn't keep, and the situation just drags on.
So what would you do? Myself and the other livery feel we're totally being taken advantage of, and it's causing a lot of bad feeling, to the point that the other livery is considering leaving altogether.
 

AShetlandBitMeOnce

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You are at risk of losing the privilege of this wonderful sounding set up for all three of you if you cause the elderly YO unnecessary aggro, I would therefore approach YO and ask whether they would be happy to sign a piece of paper that is giving notice to negligent livery for reasons outlined in the note, and then stick it to her tack box or something, or hand it to her next time you see her.
 

Exploding Chestnuts

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You could ask WHW to call, they have very supportive staff, and will explain to the YO, that its not an option for the livery to do this. They are very diplomtic, when required.
 

sarahann1

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I could have written your post almost word for word a few years back. The person in question was also very lax at paying her bills and it got to the point the horse was to be sold in lieu of payment.

The horse succumbed to colic so it was never properly resolved and as far as I know they never did settle their bill.

I honestly don't know how some folk live with themselves! Good luck getting it sorted OP.
 

SEL

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Given its summer (nearly) could you be really tough and section off part of the field for just your horses? Then you can say to the other owner that you're keeping them separately so can't / won't look after her horses.

Charities won't get involved whilst the horse's basic needs are getting met.
 

Beth206

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We are in exactly the same position at our yard. Really similar set up to you OP, there are 3 of us at our yard, one girl who works shifts doing a week on earlies and a week on lates, myself and then negligent owner who never turns up, or will occasionally turn up during the day and be kind enough to make a feed but no yard duties. Every other week I have three horses to sort on an evening, never does she turn up to help me. If we text her she never replies. Our YO lives in Scotland so just leaves the yard to run itself. So frustrating.
 

MrsNorris

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Thanks for all your thoughts, it is an amazing set up but this person is just making it a nightmare. I don't think sectioniong her pony off would work as I'm certain she would carry on in the same way, safe in the knowledge that we wouldn't be able to just watch her pony go hungry/thirsty or suffer, she is so irresponsible it's unreal.
In the depths of winter, because she couldn't be bothered to pitch up or was away, you'd never know which, she proposed shutting ours on the yard and just dumping her poor pony alone in the field, in deep thick mud, no grass whatsoever, with no shelter or rug, and no hay, so she wouldn't have to do her bit on the yard. Of course we couldn't agree to that, so we've just had to suck it up.
Her pony is a lovely little thing, she gets no time or attention, it's heartbreaking, but her basic needs are always met, by us, not her owner, so it's not a case for WHW. Feel so frustrated and angry about it, going to have another gentle word with the YO and see if we can persuade her to give notice.
 

MrsNorris

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We are in exactly the same position at our yard. Really similar set up to you OP, there are 3 of us at our yard, one girl who works shifts doing a week on earlies and a week on lates, myself and then negligent owner who never turns up, or will occasionally turn up during the day and be kind enough to make a feed but no yard duties. Every other week I have three horses to sort on an evening, never does she turn up to help me. If we text her she never replies. Our YO lives in Scotland so just leaves the yard to run itself. So frustrating.

It's shocking isn't it, this has been going on at our yard for a good few years, Ive only been there 6 months, but the other livery has been putting up with it for ages, and many other liveries have come and gone because of it. It baffles me that no matter what you say to this person, she just carries on regardless, she has absolutely no conscience.
 

Cobbytype

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Thanks for all your thoughts, it is an amazing set up but this person is just making it a nightmare. I don't think sectioniong her pony off would work as I'm certain she would carry on in the same way, safe in the knowledge that we wouldn't be able to just watch her pony go hungry/thirsty or suffer, she is so irresponsible it's unreal.
In the depths of winter, because she couldn't be bothered to pitch up or was away, you'd never know which, she proposed shutting ours on the yard and just dumping her poor pony alone in the field, in deep thick mud, no grass whatsoever, with no shelter or rug, and no hay, so she wouldn't have to do her bit on the yard. Of course we couldn't agree to that, so we've just had to suck it up.
Her pony is a lovely little thing, she gets no time or attention, it's heartbreaking, but her basic needs are always met, by us, not her owner, so it's not a case for WHW. Feel so frustrated and angry about it, going to have another gentle word with the YO and see if we can persuade her to give notice.

Would it be possible, with the Y/O's permission, to charge for your services? If you have the Y/O on your side it could be arranged that extra payment is charged for services you provide such as rug changing, poo-picking etc. You might not get the money owed, but at least it would make the negligence more 'formal' and if there's no improvement or payment an abandonment notice could be served.
 

Smitty

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You are at risk of losing the privilege of this wonderful sounding set up for all three of you if you cause the elderly YO unnecessary aggro, I would therefore approach YO and ask whether they would be happy to sign a piece of paper that is giving notice to negligent livery for reasons outlined in the note, and then stick it to her tack box or something, or hand it to her next time you see her.

This, but try suggesting to the livery that she loans pony out or gets a sharer first.

Set up sounds beyond wonderfull and I would be paranoid about rocking the boat with YO.
 

MrsNorris

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Would it be possible, with the Y/O's permission, to charge for your services? If you have the Y/O on your side it could be arranged that extra payment is charged for services you provide such as rug changing, poo-picking etc. You might not get the money owed, but at least it would make the negligence more 'formal' and if there's no improvement or payment an abandonment notice could be served.

Thing is, we actually don't want to be responsible, paid or not, we both have very busy lives, jobs, families etc, and just want to go there, chill out and enjoy our own horses without having to worry about someone else's, it's just not fair.
 

MrsNorris

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This, but try suggesting to the livery that she loans pony out or gets a sharer first.

Set up sounds beyond wonderfull and I would be paranoid about rocking the boat with YO.

We've tried all that, but she "loves the pony far too much to put her on loan" but not enough to bother about looking after her, it's bizarre.
 

Cobbytype

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Thing is, we actually don't want to be responsible, paid or not, we both have very busy lives, jobs, families etc, and just want to go there, chill out and enjoy our own horses without having to worry about someone else's, it's just not fair.

I feel your pain. I stupidly allowed someone to put a pony on my field some years ago. Little mare was dropped of in March and I next saw the owners on August bank holiday when they turned up to do some poo picking but left after doing a few as it was all a bit too much like hard work.

It's a really difficult situation to be in. I guess your only option is to voice your concerns again with Y/O and pony owner and say you're at breaking point with the workload and ask that something be done about it... leaving the ball in their court to provide a solution. Or I guess you will just have to grin and bear it and continue as you are for the sake of being in an otherwise ideal setup.
 

ester

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I honestly thing any tweaks/separation etc will be pointless, she will just revert to type.

My only other thought would be whether money is an issue for the YO if so could you perhaps offer to cover/part cover the 3rd pony's livery cost? or offer to find a replacememnt asap?
 

horselady

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Why not try to get her to sell? She obviously doesn't care about the pony. If she loves it to much to loan maybe having someone lined up who will pay hard cash will change her mind.
 

glamourpuss

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She isn't going to change. Why not find the pony a sharer, then all of you sit down & basically explain unless she accepts the sharer helping you then you will push to have her served notice from the yard.
She might grumble, moan, turn on the water works but eventually she'd see sense.
 

AmyMay

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Tbh whilst it's not ideal I'm not sure it's worth getting your knickers in a twist about. The yard, hay and water is shared by all three animals. On a yard so small -check one horse surely you automatically check the other two as a matter of course.
 

Caracarrie

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Tbh whilst it's not ideal I'm not sure it's worth getting your knickers in a twist about. The yard, hay and water is shared by all three animals. On a yard so small -check one horse surely you automatically check the other two as a matter of course.

Yes, but why would she??? The OP has also stated that the negligent owner is slow to pay their bills too so not only is the OP caring for an animal that isn't theirs, they are paying for the priviledge as well. I had people like this on both the yards I was on. They knew I would be down twice a day 7 days a week and they knew I wouldn't let the animal suffer. One livery tried to persuade me to see to her elderly and frail TB in the winter months because it was too much for her to come before and after work - she lived 4 miles away, I lived 17 miles away and she had a reputation for doing this. I refused. If you aren't prepared to put in the time and effort, you shouldn't have any animal at all. And I call BS on the "I love him so much" cr4p. People like this make me sick and I'm so glad I don't exist in the horse world any more.
 

Exploding Chestnuts

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Yes, but why would she??? The OP has also stated that the negligent owner is slow to pay their bills too so not only is the OP caring for an animal that isn't theirs, they are paying for the priviledge as well. I had people like this on both the yards I was on. They knew I would be down twice a day 7 days a week and they knew I wouldn't let the animal suffer. One livery tried to persuade me to see to her elderly and frail TB in the winter months because it was too much for her to come before and after work - she lived 4 miles away, I lived 17 miles away and she had a reputation for doing this. I refused. If you aren't prepared to put in the time and effort, you shouldn't have any animal at all. And I call BS on the "I love him so much" cr4p. People like this make me sick and I'm so glad I don't exist in the horse world any more.

I kindof agree, owner [never seen before], in floods of tears when pony broke down, it had been pretty much abandoned, and as it was cheaper to get a knackerman to put the pony down than a vet poor thing had to wait two days on three legs, and one day it had no water. No farrier for a very long time, which led to the breakdown. Needless to say owner was never seen before or after, or on the killing day.
 
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AmyMay

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Yes, but why would she??? The OP has also stated that the negligent owner is slow to pay their bills too so not only is the OP caring for an animal that isn't theirs, they are paying for the priviledge as well.

I agree - why should she? But i still don't see it as particularly onerous. They all share the same hay and water. No separate chores. And it takes but a moment to check it over.

Yes the bill paying is an issue - but only to the yo, not the op.
 

jhoward

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MrsNorris I suspect you are a wise old bird fake a letter from the yo and get rider of the freeloader...or of course you and your pals could all move yards..
 
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