Please Help! She WON'T take care of her horse!

tie it to her front door handle so she can't get into the house without at least sorting the horse out first.
(hahah! just a silly one)
i really do hope your situation is resolved soon, it must be awful for you!
 
QR.As others have suggested ringing the rspca/whw.If it were me i wouldent want the horse to go back to her or any member of that family at all.She hasent got a clue.I would rather it go to one of the welfare places where it would be looked after properly and maybe rehomed to someone who has the time and care to let the horse live out it's years.
If you was to give the horse the choice..go back with owner or get the bullet it would probaly choose the latter.
Hats off to you for caring for this mare while she is with you.I'm sure you will do the best by the mare.
 
Perhaps this useless owner is hoping you will do what she hasn't the guts to do. Perhaps she has already realised that she can't look after this poor horse and wants someone else to have the 'guilt' of having it PTS

A sad sad tale of a useless owner and those who try to help getting dumped on.
 
I am sure all the legal advice given is correct, but you have to think through the outcomes.

If the horse ownership passes to yourself what then, it sounds like this horse has no economic value, if it goes to auction it goes to meat, or you have it euthanased or you try and find a welfare organisation to take it which in the current climate is difficult.

If you get a small claim judgment against the owner for unpaid livery, the chances of recieving the money is low, and you will not have the option to offset it against the value of the horse.

If you abondon the animal back into the owners care you unfortunately have to live with the possible consequences, and sleep at night.

I would suggest a non confrontational approach to the mother (or possibly the owner) may be your best option.

Unfortunately, an awful lot of animal lovers have pets that have arrived in similar circumstances (we have!). Sounds like in a year time it will still be in your field eating your grass, but you will sleep at night.
 
The law states that any horse on your property must be cared for by you. That means have food (grass) water and be kept safe. You have 14 days to make contact with the owner by any and every means available, after which you may sell the horse to recoup any losses you have suffered.

Send her a letter by Recorded delivery, gving 14 days from the date of the letter, to remove her horse and advising that you will sell it and retain enough money to cover costs (livery costs) should she fail to collect.

been there, done that, a letter like this usually works
 
OK, here's a quick update.

I went to my vet this afternoon, the vet is coming out tomorrow and will check the are over. The've advised me to call the RSPCA and report the horse as abandoned.

I then went to her foster parents house this evening, to see if there was any way of resolving this issue with them. As I arrived, there were two beautifully cared for ponies, the picture of health, but my heart sank as I looked at the size of the paddock, no way it could support a third horse.

Her foster parents were lovely people, but she's fed them a tissue of lies just as she's done to me. What a surprise :(

Before she moved out, she'd discussed the possibility of having a horse and had been told in no uncertain terms that there was no possible way to keep another animal on the paddock. The tale the girl told me about on of the ponies leaving was a total fabrication. The first her foster parents knew about her owning a horse was a few weeks ago, when she asked if they wanted to see her new horse. It was already living at mine before they even knew of it's existence.

Ths girl didn't 'buy' this horse, the owners were giving it away, (Oh, I wonder why???) although her foster parents have no idea who the original owners are.

She's told her parents that she's been up at my house every day, caring for the horses. :eek:. She's even told them how she has to, because I can't care for them as I have a broken leg!!! :mad:

Anyway, lovely as her parents are (and they're most definately soft hearted animal lovers, they have nearly a many waifs and strays as I have!!) they are no more in a position to take on this horse than myself. They were obviously as horrified as I am about the reality of the situation, and they are fully supportive of my view that the best possible outcome for this mares welfare will be if it's reported as abandoned to the RSPCA etc.

Although I'm disappointed that my last hope of finding a solution to this without involving the authorities has been dashed, I'm relieved that I went to see her parents. I wouldn't have felt right involving the RSPCA until I was absolutely sure there was no other solution.

So tomorrow morning, I will be contacting all the relevant authorities to explain the situation to them and to see what they can do to help.

I will keep you posted.
 
Anyway, lovely as her parents are (and they're most definately soft hearted animal lovers, they have nearly a many waifs and strays as I have!!) they are no more in a position to take on this horse than myself.
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But clearly in a position to clear up her mess........
 
Something similar happened to me although the horse in question had lamimitis and was still on box rest. The owner was having an affair and lost interest in the horse esp. when it needed extra care. So I ended up feeding and watering and skipping out because she was giving it only two tiny haynets a day. I found out to my horror that I was effectively stuck with the horse unless I could prove that she wasn't coming, and that as long as it had some food, water, and space to turn around then there were no grounds for complaint and I could not have it removed. In the end I tackled the husband and the horse was uplifted while I was away along with a large quantity of my hay.....! Liveries are a potential nightmare, I ended up caring for this horse from the start and had to hassle the owner to get the vet when it got the laminitis. She could have asked me to help out but she didn't, she knew that I would step in so she could carry on with her little double life!
 
I agree with Amymay, they might not have a huge paddock, but they could put another horse on and feed supplementary hay and feed, which is what they are expecting you, with your broken leg to do! They certainly should have more responsibility to the horse than yourself, I would be horrified if any daughter of mine was putting on somebody like this and would take the horse and involve the authorities anyway, why should you be left with all the hassle?

Anyway, that has happened and at least it leaves you with an action plan of sorts, good luck in getting it resolved, and try not to let it spoil your hols!
 
Agree with the above! She may have lied to them, but if they are decent people and animal lovers to boot they should be apologising profusley for their foster daughter's behaviour and making sure the problem is no longer yours to solve. Sadly, this girl sounds like she is away with the fairies and I think it won't be long before another vulnerable animal comes into her 'care'. :(
 
I hope for your sake the RSPCA are pro-active but I really dont think they will be for some reason. Half the time they cant drag themselves to a real welfare case (where a horse isnt being fed and water). As someone else has said you have to prove that the animal is abandond. Who's to know you dont just have a grudge against the girl in question and want her animal taken away (I know this isnt the case but you have to look at it through their eyes). Good luck with today, i'm sure the RSPCA can guide you even if they cant help.
 
How old is the girl, if she is under 18 her foster parents or the "system" is still legally responsible for her. You could try dealing with them.
 
I'm sorry, but nice as her foster parents may be, they should have immediately taken it off your hands and found a suitable place for it. The girl is their daughter not yours and if they were actually decent people they would have taken the horse on as their responsibility instead of just letting you carry on with your broken leg. I have no sympathy for them whatsoever.
 
I think if this girl is over 18 then why should her foster parents clean up this girls mess, at the end of the day fostering is a job. Social services do not pay you extra when foster children screw up and fostering is sometimes as much as a thankless job and it is rewarding.
Also did I not read she had moved into a house with her boyfriend so will no longer be under her foster parents care, that might sound heartless but at some point there as to be a time when you let them go out into the world and make their own mistakes.
At some point this girl should clean up her own mess but I have a feeling she wont, I really feel for the OP for having this poor horse dumped on her and hope she get it all sorted.
 
Ehmm, just wondering which "equestrian college" this girl went to? Have got my suspicions!!! PM me if you like.

I wonder - just a thought here - if her instructors at college know what's she doing with her horse? Might there be some mileage in getting in touch with them and saying basically, look, she's "graduated" from your college and look at how she's behaving, kind of thing, as they might be in a position to have a word with her and, as it were, disgrace her into looking after her horse?

Anyway, just a thought. But I'd be mega interested to know which equestrian college she went to!!!!!
 
This is a real lesson in how you should always have something in writing when you accept a livery, even if it is short term or as a favour.

Right now the OP has no evidence of what she agreed with this girl, and if it is reported to WHW or RSPCA the girl could well say that the OP agreed to provide full care...... (wouldn't stop me reporting it though).

If I were the OP I would write a letter to the girl confirming what was agreed verbally and everything that she has done to breach that agreement. Then state that she has 48 hours to remove the horse, before you take further legal steps. State that if she fails to comply the ultimate result is likely to be the humane destruction of the horse. State that you will notify WHW and the police that the horse has been abandonned if it is not removed within 48 hours. Keep a copy of the letter.

Then if she does nothing report it to the police and WHW as an abandoned horse on your property.

Do not make anymore phonecalls to her or send any text messages. Write letters and keep copies. Make the letters as stern as possible.

I don't blame her foster parents for not stepping in, if they were biological parents or adoptive parents fair enough but as fosterers they no longer have any responsibility for her.
 
Haven't read all the replies (those I've seen I aggree anyway)but....only 4mls away!!! I used to regularly walk the 5mls there and back to my last job as long as the weather wasn't tipping it down and I used to have my young mule in hand when I did it too.If she's too idle to walk to you she's going to be too idle to look after her horse.
 
MiJodsR2BlinkinTite said:
Ehmm, just wondering which "equestrian college" this girl went to? Have got my suspicions!!! PM me if you like.

I wonder - just a thought here - if her instructors at college know what's she doing with her horse? Might there be some mileage in getting in touch with them and saying basically, look, she's "graduated" from your college and look at how she's behaving, kind of thing, as they might be in a position to have a word with her and, as it were, disgrace her into looking after her horse?

Anyway, just a thought. But I'd be mega interested to know which equestrian college she went to!!!!!
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I was wondering why nobody had thought of this myself, it is the first thing I would have done because they have obviously not instilled the 'nurture of animals' into her at all and I would want their guts for garters as well as hers for being such lousy teachers. I would also name and shame the college, they're not doing their job properly at all.
Can't help with the other, I do feel for you although I echo the others who say her foster parents have some responsibility too whether she is older or not; what kind of ethic did they instil in her after all?
 
Why should the College be named and Shamed:confused: They can try to educate, but they cannot educate the uneducatable.:(
 
Ok, here's an update, a degree of resolution to the problem, and a HUGE cautionary tale to anybody who puts themselves in the same situation as I did....

On Wednesday morning, I began telephoning various animal welfare agencies and explaining the situation.

Unbelievably, the answers were all the same. Unless the animal is being neglected, or shows sign of being mistreated, the RSPCA and other welfare organisation WILL NOT get involved. :(

Unfortunately, since the animal is on my land, (regardless of whether I allowed it to be OR NOT) I am legally bound to ensure the animal is not neglected, it is my responsibility to ensure it is fed, watered and given any veterinary care it requires, AT MY OWN EXPENSE. I can't move the animal or ask another party to assume responsibility for the animal, as I am not the owner, and if the animal does suffer any kind of neglect, I AM LIABLE FOR PROSECUTION.

I can claim back any money I spend on keeping the animal healthy by taking the legal owner to small claims court. I can't sell the animal, rehome it, move it off my property, or have it humanely destroyed (other than in a medical emergency) since I AM NOT THE LEGAL OWNER. I can demand that the owner removes the animal immediately, with no need to give any notice. However, if they don't do it, I have no legal recourse to make them do so, other than a civil suit, which can be an extremely lengthy, expensive process, during which time I must continue to care for the animal at my own expense. I also can't stop the legal owner from taking repossesion of the animal at any time they choose, regardless of how much money I may have expended on it's care.:eek:

Small claims court is certainly a pointless exercise in this case as the girl has just started claiming income support. :(

And then, someone at Redwings said 'go to your council animal welfare officer, if this horse doesn't have a passport, she's broken bylaws moving it to your land, maybe they can chase her for that, and then they can in turn involve the RSPCA on abandonment issues.............. here's the number for the chap in your area. Give him as much information as you have on the owner and on the condition of the horse etc and see if he can do anything.'

So, on wednesday afternoon, the vet came out to examine the mare, she is lame in both forelegs, there is a pulse to both her feet, although the cause is, at this stage, undetermined. It could possibly be laminitis, although this is unlikely, given the grazing she has been on. So, she has been started on a course of bute until we can determine exctly why she's lame. Obviously, she's also showing signs of her age, certainly her working days are over, but nothing that's causing her discomfort if the lameness can be sorted out. I also asked the vet to check whether she was microchipped (the first step in trying to trace the legal owner) Unfortunately, she isn't.

This morning, I spoke to the animal welfare office, I explained the problem, and gave them this girls details and they said they would look into it, establish who was the legal owner and make sure that the law wasn't being broken, although there wasn't really anything much else they could do if the horse wasn't neglected. (Catch 22, again)
They suggested I try contacting her again demanding that she remove the horse immediately. They also suggested that if she wished to sign the horse over to me, I could then obtain a passport for it and it could then at least be rehomed, cared for, euthanised, whatever is best for it's welfare.

So, I duly rang and rang. My calls were ignored. I then sent a text message asking if she could please get in touch about the horse and explaining the vet had been out and the horse needed treatment. That was also ignored.
I then tried ringing again. I really didn't expect an answer, but the phone was finally answered with a very sullen 'What?'

I explained to her that the vet had been to see the horse and that it was lame, that it could not be ridden and that it needed treatment. And that it also had to be on restricted grazing and needed hay, and chaff feeds until we could establish why it was lame and whether it was treatable. I then asked what she was prepared to do about it.

The answer was 'Well, I've been looking for land................

At which point I lost my patience and said 'Right, as far as I'm concerned, you have three options, you can move it off my land today because I'm not prepared to let you continue to ignore your resposibilities for this animals care for even one more day. You can find some land right now, what about the field you were offered a fortnight ago, it's still available? You can get someone with a trailer to come and pick the horse up and deliver it there, because it's too lame to be walked, and you can take care of this horse properly, yourself. Your other option is to contact horse welfare organisations and ask them to help, perhaps you could explain that you can't afford to take care of this horse, possibly the RSPCA would let you sign the animal over to them. Or you can sign the horse over to me and I'll see to its welfare, whatever is in the animals best interest. Whatever you decide, it's got to be sorted today, so I expect you to ring me back in half an hour and let me know what you've decided.'

I was stunned when the phone rang an hour or so later. I really thought I would just be ignored again. It was her foster mum. She told me the girl was at her house when I called (She didn't have the bus fare to come and take care of her horse,and her boyfriend was too busy at work to bring her, but she managed to get to her mothers when it suited her :mad:) and that she and her boyfriend were going to go home to collect the horses' passport and then she'd be coming over to mine to sign the horse over to me. I truly was not expecting that.

When she did finally get to my house, all I got was a sullen look, she signed the horse over without a word, not one whisper of an apology for her behaviour, it was honestly like being in the room with a sulky child. And then she left, without a word.

So that's it. Done. Pretty much the end of the story. It all feels a bit surreal. Not really a very satisfactory outcome for this situation, but better than it could have been. This spoilt child has simply walked away from her responsibilities, scott free and I've learned some very costly lessons. I now have the financial and emmotional responsibility for another horse, that I didn't want, just because I was foolish enough to allow someone to bring it onto my land. At least now I can have some choice in deciding what's best for the wellbeing of the animal I was being forced to care for, I suppose.

As far as the mare goes, having discussed the situation with the vet, we'll see over the next couple of weeks if she responds to treatment, and if she does we can start looking at her options for retirement and some TLC. For the time being, she's comfortable and that's what really matters.

Thanks again to everybody who replied, and I'll let you know how the mare gets on.

Lisa
 
Well, not the perfect outcome, but at least you can stop worrying about this girl not doing her bit. A shame that you have been stuck with a lame horse that sounds as if is going to need a fair bit of care but her being cared for is the main thing and at least your conscience is clear. Good luck for the future with her,I hope it is as stress free as possible for you after all this. :)
 
Well I think you have the patience of a saint, and a lot of bottle for sorting out the excuse of a human being of a girl, well done.

Just goes to show what a pile of **** the law is.
 
Pedantic said:
Well I think you have the patience of a saint, and a lot of bottle for sorting out the excuse of a human being of a girl, well done.

just goes to show what a pile of **** the law is.
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yes and I bet she does the
same thing again. its a variation on the imature stupid teenager gets pregnant and is
indulged at the tax payers expense with a house and benifits to produce more useless
brats in there own image...
 
I would love to say that the animal welfare organisations responses suprise me but they dont. They can enter land and confiscate animals when they see fit.

I do feel for you, you are now burden with another costly animal which you owe nothing too. Whatever happens you are now going to lose out financially big style. I hope you can sort something out sharpish.
 
Just goes to show what a pile of **** the law is.
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Actually it's not, and the OP did have recourse under the law, and could very easily have followed it if she wished. However, it would have taken some time to reach it's conclussion and would have cost a couple of hundred quid.

Regardless, the outcome is certainly the best one for the mare.
 
amymay said:
Actually it's not, and the OP did have recourse under the law, and could very easily have followed it if she wished. However, it would have taken some time to reach it's conclussion and would have cost a couple of hundred quid.

Regardless, the outcome is certainly the best one for the mare.
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Errr actually it is, why should it cost her anything at all when she is the victim, and while the "law" slowly grinds along it would have cost her a hell of a lot more and more, while the perpetraitor just doesnt respond or even turn up at court ect ect, oh yea she can claim it all back from some unemployed skint useless individual, yea right.
 
amymay said:
Actually it's not, and the OP did have recourse under the law, and could very easily have followed it if she wished. However, it would have taken some time to reach it's conclussion and would have cost a couple of hundred quid.

Regardless, the outcome is certainly the best one for the mare.
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yes i can just imagine getting lawyers involved and who would win ..... yes the bol ddy solicitors ...
 
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