Paranoid about leaving horses and pets at home whilst on holiday

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mhorses

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Even though I have a wonderful friend who checks and feeds my zoo of animals every year without anything going wrong I still get sick at the thought of leaving. I haven't slept a wink for the past two nights and now I'm getting to the stage of wondering why do I even bother holidaying and torturing myself with worry year on year. Although every year I feel fine generally once I'm away. I think it boils down to the fact that nobody knows your pets like yourself! My poor friend is being torchered with 'to do' lists but I just can't help feeling concerned! Anybody else feel the same? Or am I OCD!
 
They were running a book at the yard last year as to whether I'd actually get on the plane! First holiday in 8yrs. Like you I was fine once away but practically hyperventilating at the thought of leaving.

I left war and peace at the yard for the horses and also sent a friend to check on the lodger as she hadn't answered my email regarding the dogs in 3hrs!

I accept I have issues and that will probably be my last holiday for another 8yrs. I'd tell you that your animals will be fine but you know this already and it doesn't make it any easier....
 
I am very lucky that my friend and I share fields and see each other ponies daily, so we notice changes and unusual/abnormal behaviour quickly. Even so I still worry as it's not me checking MY ponies when I'm away. It's totally normal IMO. I still ring her at least once to check everything is ok.

Can your friend come every day when you're there so she knows them a bit better, that may ease your worries a bit?! Hope you enjoy your holiday.
 
mhorses said:
Even though I have a wonderful friend who checks and feeds my zoo of animals every year without anything going wrong I still get sick at the thought of leaving. I haven't slept a wink for the past two nights and now I'm getting to the stage of wondering why do I even bother holidaying and torturing myself with worry year on year. Although every year I feel fine generally once I'm away. I think it boils down to the fact that nobody knows your pets like yourself! My poor friend is being torchered with 'to do' lists but I just can't help feeling concerned! Anybody else feel the same? Or am I OCD!
Click to expand...

Yes I am due to previous accidents/injuries while I was away
 
Me too I left my cat and dog for 10 days, fortunately the cat is not a big eater so I just emptied a whole bag of kibble in a big bowl for him, and also gave him a very bog bowl of water. He looked after himself, coming in through an open window to feed. The dog went to a friends who lives on a farm but with no serious fence around his house, I constantly worried that he'd do a runner and go investigating. But no - the cat gave me a filthy look as only cats can on my return and the dog turned himself inside out.

They had survived perfectly well. But you cant help worrying
 
I think we all worry. I have to go to Auckland (from ChCh) for work tomorrow, back Thursday afternoon, and the whole lot was organised around my feeding the horses.

I'm not a big one for going away on long holidays, because I worry, and generally don't have so much fun. For me the perfect holiday is at home, in the summer, with horse time early in the morning and beach time for the rest of the day. I am going to Horse of the Year with friends in March, but that will only be three nights, and there will definately be someone checking. But that's about my limit.
 
My last holiday was nearly ruined when my sons old mare(now retired) got a kick on hock two days before we went... On morning of going to airport it had blown up huge and yard owner had to call vet and had to do injections of antibiotic for a week!!! She never told me all this till I was in Orlando!! And she knew I could do diddly about it... Horse survived, vet bill was huge, all from a little kick from a pony in the field.. So I do get. Bit paranoid when hols are looming, I wonder why I go, but the family need a break, and I trust my yard owner with my horses.. The dog stays with mother...
 
A few years ago we were driving to Germany for a holiday. As we emerged from the channel tunnel into France at about 8am on a Sunday morning I got a call from my YO.....one of those that starts "Don't worry....BUT.." and went on to say one of my horses was "swollen up like a balloon, head like a football, eyes closed up, struggling to breathe"...with the vet on his way! Turns out he'd had a severe reaction to an insect sting which must have got inside his mask and stung repeatedly. Cue adrenalin shots and steroids, horse soon made a full recovery. Did I relax for the rest of the holiday? Maybe, eventually....but my heart always does a lurch whenever I get a call from the yard and especially if I'm miles away.
 
my friend and I share a yard- so look after each others horses quite a lot- so she knows my 2 well. However, i still get paranoid as i think something will always go wrong as soon as i leave the country! I do enjoy a holiday (this year going away for 6 days with a friend to italy) but i get nightmares while i'm away that i will get a call saying something has happened. i am leaving my boy on his box rest for tendon injury this year (did not know that would happen when i booked it!). My OH is staying home as too busy at work- so he is in charge of the dog! i do worry about him- even though he is perfectly capable! as he wont exercise him as much and i just worry. glad it is not just me!!!
 
Me and my husband have left the animals for 4 days in 25 years of being together, it didn't bother my husband but I cried as we set off in the car, and im not a crier.
 
.. and people say to me "but don't you want to go away somewhere?" and don't get it when I say "no". I have life organised so everything that makes life feel like one long holiday, is at home. What I would really love is more time to do it all!
 
Yes I'm the same. However, when I started collecting animals my husband made me promise that we would still go on holiday,because he knows what I'm like with my animals! He didn't want to miss out on hols due to the horse, pony, dog, cats, chickens!
It is a worry but I also enjoy going away (usually have two weeks every year, although not this year as had stables instead!).
Horse has recently moved home to retire and I've found a wonderful lady to look after her and pony. We did a trial weekend which went very well. Had to call on her sooner than planned this weekend as I had an emergency hospital admission. It was actually such a relief. My non horsey husband had been doing his best but not the same as someone who actually knows what they are doing.

So now when I go away I have someone to look after the horses at home. Still a worry as something could go wrong between visits, but then same could happen when I'm at work or asleep overnight! She is also hopefully going to look after my chickens.
Dog goes in well trusted kennels and hour and a half away from home as it was reccomended and is the only place we could find that has an acre enclosed paddock for off lead excercise, essential as we have a collie.

Cats go to a lady who has five pens (small cattery) and the money she charges goes to charity.

We could taken another person away with us for the amount it costs to get all animals cared for, but I knew this so not a problem.

I actually have to take a day off work just to deliver and collect all animals to their respective holiday homes - but I must say it is worth it when I'm relaxing on the beach, cocktail in hand!
 
I once arranged to visit my sister for longer than my usual day visit and sorted out someone that knew CM to check her (she's wary of strangers). Anyhoo, I was phoned at 11pm and asked to drive over to the stables right away. CM had cut herself and no-one could get near her even with food - they'd been trying for ages to catch her. That was the moment that I gave up any thoughts of a holiday. Good job I love that mare. ;)
 
I worry about going away mainly because one of my horses wont be caught, though I suppose if there was anything seriously wrong he wouldnt be able to run away!means his feet don't get picked out while Im away though. Dog goes to a sitters house and he seems to cope all right. The cost of animal care, plus single supplement for my hol , means it works out very expensive, so tend not to go away too much
 
I hate leaving my animals. My mum looks after my cat whilst I'm away, and I know she would always be completely over cautious with any issues so no problem there, but he is very orientated around myself (I hand reared him), and doesn't really like other people, so I feel guilty when I leave him. My horse I hate leaving in the care of other people because I've had people before who really haven't kept things to the standard I like welfare wise (poorly mucked out stable, not bothering to top water up when low etc) and I just won't stand for it. Finding someone I really trust is like finding rocking horse poo. :-(
 
I've just booked two weeks away in October so the panic now begins!!!

But I just have to keep telling myself that FACT1: no one looks after my animals better than me...but.... FACT2: the people I entrust my beasties to manage to keep their own neddies safe and well and mine have probably had more problems than theirs so they may actually do a better job, lol!!

I do have odd days "off" for various reasons and although I could sort them on those days with some careful rearrangement, I think it does me good to let go from time to time and when you know they've survived the odd day or two without you, you feel better about slightly longer breaks.

My dog, however, survives perfectly fine in kennels but then always seems to mangle himself in some way when he comes home......
 
I am lucky that my OH doesn't do holidays so i go alone. He is more than capable of looking aftercats, dogs and chickens.

I did however leave my pony to his tender care, pony lived at home, so OH knew routine backwards. OH is very unhorsey. I made him a long list of symptoms of lami, colic etc. He was armed with 3 horsey friends phone no's, not to mention vet, farrier and dentist phone no's, to use if any doubts. OH was told to call friends if he noticed anything out of routine, sweating, or just different behaviour.

I also told him I didn't want to know if anything was wrong when I was away as too far to do anything constructive, only worry.

When I got back was told pony didn't miss me at all!!!

By OH's own admission pony told OH what to do and in what order!
 
I go away nearly every week between three and nine days so have had to get used to it! My husband is well trained as are my sharers. I have a week off every month, which, with my days off turns into ten days off. You can guarantee any problems or injuries occur on day ten of my part time block and I have a six day trip the next day. However you have to let go and trust the people you trust. If you have horses at home it is SO important to have a good backup network around you.
 
mhorses said:
Even though I have a wonderful friend who checks and feeds my zoo of animals every year without anything going wrong I still get sick at the thought of leaving. I haven't slept a wink for the past two nights and now I'm getting to the stage of wondering why do I even bother holidaying and torturing myself with worry year on year. Although every year I feel fine generally once I'm away. I think it boils down to the fact that nobody knows your pets like yourself! My poor friend is being torchered with 'to do' lists but I just can't help feeling concerned! Anybody else feel the same? Or am I OCD!
Click to expand...
Totally understand I am always like this and if it were up to me I would NEVER go away on holiday! I can just about cope if my daughters stay home as they know how I like things done, but nobody looks after them as well as I do IMO! But you know what, they are always fine somehow they survive without me! Funny that isn't it?!
 
The last time I went away for mare than 2 days was last summer, my parents had the dog and best friend kept the ponies, on the last day one of my boys came down with what was believed to be colic and was rushed to Newmarket, I got back at 10.30pm and went straight to Rochdale's, he was unfortunately put down the next day as it turned out to be Grass Sickness. I am this year going away again for a week but this time abroad... its the same friend keeping the ponies and I wouldn't have it any other way... she was worried that I blamed her for Lucky's death, where as I was grateful for her being so fast acting... if she hadn't noticed that he wasn't his normal self he would have suffered in the field all night, and I would have probably found him in the morning...
So yes I am very nervous and scared about leaving them, but on the other hand I know I have the best person looking after them who is knowledgeable and treats them as if they are her own....
 
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