Owners that disappear when the horses go out for summer?

[fatpiggy]

Just because you don’t see someone does not mean they are not coming. Unless you are watching the fields 24/7. Our yard is very big and fields well spread out. I have been accused of not going down to see mine on more than one occasion. The days and nights are drawing out and sometimes due to family commitments I am on the yard at 05.00am and as late as 20.00hrs and will at times go for a few weeks without seeing a sole. I am sure that YO would be in touch if anything should happen to the herd between visits. She knows my lifestyle and is more than happy. It is just one or two yard b”s that have to stir the pot. Have been known to catch and put back the odd loose horse for others letting YO know at a civilised hour what I have done. Sometimes not necessarily in the right field as I was not sure where it had come from so put in YO’s field.

I could always tell who hadn't seen their horses all that often in the summer - mine was the one which wasn't getting plagued by flies because I sprayed her twice a day.

 

[Chloeap]

I have seen people at a previous yard (where I had a horse on loan) who don't ever come up to see their horses. There was one person who I didn't see all summer who had 2 ponies - 1 very very fat and the other young with no manners who made it very difficult for others to get their horses out of the field. I was there for around a year and she only rode once in the whole time I was there! She went on a hack with my friend and a couple of others and apparently spent the whole time screaming!
I don't get why these people have horses when they are obviously not interested.
My horse is turned out for me in the morning by YO/staff and I just go up in the evening, as it is a bit of a way and I work full time. All day I look forward to seeing my boy and would really miss it if I didn't go up!

 

[Roasted Chestnuts]

I have to say I only go up to my horse once a day in winter and once a day in summer regardless.

He is turned out and brought in during winter as part of my livery agreement and fed in the am before going out. I go up and do his stable then bring in and ride if the weather is good or just bring in if not. When I am late shift he is brought in and given a haynet I prepared to munch on until I appear. So no need for me to go up twice.

I don't think it's fair to say if people aren't willing to go up several times daily to their horse that they shouldn't have one, we all do have lives other than horses, well I do and it doesn't mean I love my horse any less, I have had him 15yrs

 

[saalsk]

Agree that horses need checking at least once per day ( a requirement...not a suggestion ) and that just because they technically have food ( grass ) and water ( trough ) and don't need mucking out, that not doing so is ok. They need checking for injuries and illness, that the water is ok ( and clean ) and that the fencing has not been damaged. On a previous ( lovely ) yard, once they were out 24/7, I would do checks at times that suited me, not the yard. In winter, I had to be there at 0600 for mucking out etc, and again at 1600 for the same. If they were in at night, the same times applied. Once on 24/7 turnout, then the times that suited me were used. I work from 9pm to 5am, so doing morning checks on the way home from work was fine for me. We arranged it that the field I used was accessible from the road, so I didn't have to go onto the yard - the YO lived there, and the permanently stabled at night horses, not to mention the various yard dogs, all got upset if someone appeared on the yard, and didn't immediately feed them/let them out. I would redo fly spray at about 2pm, ride/groom/foot treatment etc and going onto the yard this time. I rarely saw anyone at that time. I got accused many times of *not taking care of my horses* because they didn't see me - they failed to take into account that when they got there at 6pm after their 9-5 day jobs, I had already done my riding !

 

[my bfg]

My last yard (originally grass livery) had decided to stop taking liveries on as the last two they had would only show up on weekends to ride, not checking the horses at all in the week leaving it to the YOs to check for injuries, water etc.
Luckily they took me on as it turned out I patched a friend of theirs horse up after it was attacked by another horse on my then current yard.
They were amazed when I appeared two sometimes three times a day all year round.
I loved spending time with my girl and couldn't settle if I hadn't checked on her each end of the day

 

[JoannaC]

Depends on what the yard does. Where I am lots of owners never come and check their horses who are out 24/7 (lots are retired or semi retired) but the yard are very good at spotting problems even so far as bringing a horse in as a preventative if it looks like it might get lami and this is what they have always done so they don't expect owners to come up all the time. I'm there every day as one of mine is in but I know if I go on holiday my boy who is out will be fine as they keep a close eye on them all.

 

[chocolategirl]

I'm a YO and it never ceases to astonish me how some owners don't bother to come down daily to see to/check their horse, I've even got clients who go away on holiday and just leave their horses out the whole time they are gone! I'm afraid it really is a case of 'out of sight, out of mind' with some folk. Unbelievable!!

 

[WandaMare]

If they are on livery and people know that someone is keeping an eye on them or sees them at other times of the day then I don't think checking them only once a day is a problem. Its more of a problem if there is a situation, as there is near me, where someone has bought a field and put horses there, and then don't come down to check on them for a few days at a time. They rely on neighbours to contact them if something goes wrong and then when you do they barely say thank you...grrrr.

 

[JFTDWS]

I don't do anything with mine, but then very few people could

Fine on the ground to an extent (Can stress), huge muscle tear in her hind quaters (Will never heal, vets are involved), stage 1 heart murmur, colitis prone and incredibly sharp to ride and bolts. If you so much as look over your shoulder too fast she bolts. Trot is not a nudge, its *thinking* about it and you are launched into it. I'm currently too fat to ride her, and I am not happy to let anyone else.

I don't see her everyday in summer, I pay for her to be checked. We are both happy and she loves being a lawnmower, so much more chilled out. Ridden work just seems to stress her hugely.

She's 15 btw, you don't have to "do something" with them to enjoy their company

No, but you do actually have to be in their presence to enjoy their company - it's kind of implied by the phrase

I did rather mean the holy trinity of "why do you bother" issues together: barely visit them, don't meet basic welfare standards or do anything with them. There are plenty of rational reasons to have field ornaments, but one is obligated to meet basic welfare standards by ensuring they're visited / checked by someone...

 

[Pedantic]

I go twice a day every day, occasionally three times, today I will be going 3 times as I have left him in after we both got wet riding, he is drying off in his stable and I will go later to turn him out when he is dry, I still look forward to seeing my pony every day even after 12 years of partnership together, when I go on holiday I have a friend check him and txt me as I worry about him.

I also don't know why some people have a horse.

 

[Luci07]

I'm a once a day person but I am on assisted DIY so yard does/checks other end of the day. Routine is shot to pieces currently though while I work out how my horse will fare living out as he does get Uvetitis.

 

[Orca]

There are about three days in over thirty years that I've seen my horse (at the time) only once a day. Every other day it's been at least twice, quite often spending the day or quite a large chunk of it with them. My horses are my best friends there is literally no-where I'd rather be or anyone I'd rather be with!

From a horse management point of view, being there regularly matters. I've had a work horse injured in the field (by another horse) who would have been in horrific pain and died a slow death, had he not been checked on regularly (enabling a swift, albeit very sad PTS). Aside from injuries and water/ food check, there is just the daily stocktake of my horses wellbeing which I wouldn't be able to sleep at night without, from weight, to insects, to hooves, to digestion, to general level of happiness - I need to know (because I'm responsible for knowing) that everything's as it should be. It only takes seconds for me to see these things. The other hours are pure enjoyment!