Poorly pony - What would you do?

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zoeshiloh

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I am looking for some advice/opinions on what other people would do in this situation...

There is a pony at a local livery yard that is getting neglected. The owners have three horses/ponies in total, and do check them everyday, but this little pony is not ridden, and so they never brush him, rug him or do anything with him - he is just led out to the field in the morning, and put back in the stable in the evening.

He is pretty skinny - he has had laminitis in the past, so they are worried about feeding him too much, but he does not look well. His hair is falling out too, and to just stand back and look at him, he really looks a state.

But that is not the main problem - the thing is he has seriously bad sweet itch. He has already knocked two fences down rubbing on them - his withers and tail are red raw, and the poor pony spends all day scratching. The owners do not put any rugs, lotions or creams on him. They have another pony with sweet itch that they are treating, but they fail to acknowledge that this poor chap has a problem (depite the yard owner telling them several times).

It has got so bad the pony was standing with his bum on the eletric fence this morning, enjoying getting his tail zapped just to stop the itching!

Last night the owners brought all three horses in about 5pm, and left them in without any hay until about 10.30am this morning. The other two that belong to them are not in bad condition though, and the other one with sweet itch is being treated. It just seems that they cannot be bothered to do the same with this poor pony.

Yard owner has told them several times, and they have just shrugged it off.

If you knew this pony, what would you do? Would you alert the ILPH, or would you just mind your own business and leave them to it?
 
ILPH.

The YO also has a duty of care - so a visit from the ILPH may well be the kick up the backside that everyone needs.
 
So often on this Forum I see this sort of thing, and a frequent response is for the owners to be told to leave the yard and find somewhere else for their horses. This isn't the answer... it's simply turning the problem away and not being involved, and leaves the poor horse in the same unfortunate position. I don't know what the answer is (except to licence horse-owners) but you can't just turn away. Perhaps the YO should take a stronger line, or you can have a quiet friendly chat with the owner, is that possible? Perhaps if that doesn't work then you should mention to the owner that you would consider calling in the authorities. Good Luck, it's so sad when this becomes necessary.
 
I really don't want to get the YO into trouble, she is so lovely and wouldn't say boo to a goose - I think she doesn't want to upset anyone by alerting ILPH.

She has tried to tell owners several times, and they either a) claim to be treating it, or b) say they will do something, and then don't.

Owners aren't the sort of people can talk to really - if you bring it up with them, they just say "yes we are dealing with it" and walk away. If you threatened them with ILPH, I am not sure what the reaction would be, but I don't think it would be pleasant.
 
If you do inform the ILPH, they will not tell to YO/pony owners who called them, so as long as you're not the only other person who stables there, you might not get rumbled.
Similar thing happened on a yard I was at and we never did find out who called the ILPH in but they did sort it out.
 
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If you threatened them with ILPH, I am not sure what the reaction would be, but I don't think it would be pleasant.

[/ QUOTE ]
You don't threaten them with the ILPH - you simply report them and let the organisation deal with it.
 
I may have a chat with YO tonight - I am not the only person on the yard, and I am sure that I would not be the first suspect (YO hubby would probably take the flack, he really doesn't like them). I think YO wants to kick them out, but as I said before, she wont say boo to a goose, and so keeps delaying it.

I just really don't want YO upset, as she is such a nice person, and has had a lot of stress recently.

Amymay - when I refered to threatening them with ILPH, it was in response to the post by Daffodil.

I think I will have a chat with YO this evening - something needs to be done, this poor pony is in agony at the moment. (Perhaps someone on here wants to make an anonomous call, lol).
 
I would put itching powder and nettles inside their riding hat, boots, jodhs etc, then tie them to a chair amd bind their hands behind their backs. Then i would ask them "Does it REALLY itch??? Like REALLY REALLY ITCH? , and does it sting?" whilst waving a bottle of calamine lotion in front of them





smirk.gif
 
i would speak to the owners of the horse and the yard owner and tell thm you have 24hrs to sort the suituation or your are not being horrible you are just thinking of the horses welfare!
 
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