putting a pony down due to financial constraints

baran said:
Sorry for your situation but I think the above suggestion is completely unreasonable. The yard owner is running a business and probably has their own financial problems. Why not ask Tesco to supply you with free food while you are at it?
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It is not exactly the same. If the original poster, walked away and left the horse in livery, then the YO does become liable for the care and feeding of the horse. Many yard owners, if the person is known to be trusted, and reliable, would allow a small amount of lee-way in dire circumstances. As OP is going to struggle with rent and hay etc. it is worth being upfront and discussing the problem with the YO. There might be jobs could do in short term against rent. Or YO might have some suggestions.

Another thought is, do you have any redress through unfair dismissal? Had you worked their two years (when your rights kick in)?
 
LovesCobs said:
I'm afraid I doubt very much your insurance will cover a PTS as they only pay out when you have no medical choice. They even argue if you chose PTS instead of colic surgery etc. so you would need to pay for it. How much is your insurance? At the minute you'd struggle to find the excess for any vets fees so maybe you could look at cancelling your insurance until you have a new job? The money you save can be put towards livery or PTS? Not ideal though
I do hope you find another job soon x
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do you know where i would stand with terms of my insurance policy? i worked out that i've paid over 3k into it over the last 6 years, and having never claimed- and now being unable to - i'm guessing i can't get that money back but is there nothing i can do at all? She is registered with Petplan. On the bright side I have a telephone interview this afternoon so fingers crossed. xx

Spit That Out said:
Hi, sorry to hear if your situation.

Firstly cancel any out going which isn't an essential ie mobile phone, gym membership, magazines etc etc
Speak to your bank or if you have loans, credit cards etc and see if you can take a payment holiday for a couple of months.
Update your CV and register online with as many job sites possible I.e Monster, fish for jobs, Reed etc
Take a couple if hours and phone all the agencies in your area and sign up with them...mist if them can get you in straight away in some rubbish factory job but remember it's only temp until you can find a job you enjoy
Apply for every job going, even if it's just a stepping stone until you get yourself sorted.
Go to the job centre and sign on, if you have paid tax on your last job you should be entitled to job seekers which is paid fortnightly and is approx £60 a week. They will also help you to find work and have various jobs listed on their computers which you can use free of charge.
Take your friend up on her offer of help at weekends and the £10. Even if it's just for a month.
Have you got anything you can sell in the short term horsey (rugs, tack) or anything at home (CDs, DVDs, clothes, jewellery) Ebay is good for selling online or shops like Cash Converters.

You have only just lost your job (this week) you may have another next week?!

I was made redundant on a Wednesday and after jointing a couple of agencies had work on the Monday...it's scary but it's doable.

However I don't think putting a 25 year old pony down if you feel there is no other option is a terrible thing and is a brave and responsible one.
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I owe almost £100 on my phonebill already so I'm sure my phone is going to be cut off soon, but I am going to ring up and explain my situation so hopefully I can pay it off and move to a cheaper contract perhaps (it usually costs 60-70 a month anyway!) I do have a telephone interview later so I'm going to try and stay hopeful. I'm sorting through a lot of horsey rugs that I don't need and things so if they sell that'd be great, I'll get them advertised. I've been up all morning applying for jobs so someone's got to get back to me?! Thank you for your reply xx


acorn92x said:
Where are you? I would be happy to help out with costs in exchange for a ride, even if it's just once or twice a week - I could also afford to pay you more than £10 a week! I can't bear the thought of a healthy horse being PTS, especially seeing as you've had her a long time. Definitely don't consider PTS atm, get yourself down the job centre, sign on for some benefits if you can and keep applying for jobs - something will come up. You are clearly a very responsible owner who is aware of the situation that you are in but please don't give up yet. As others have mentioned, PTS is NOT a cheap option, the cheapest will still cost you over £100 and that's £100 that may buy you another 2-3 weeks livery, or wormer and shoes/trim. If you are local to the Surrey area, please, please let me know as I am more than happy to help you.
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Hi Acorn, I'm based up in the North so there's quite a few miles between us I'm afraid :( I wish you were nearer, you sound really lovely and caring. x

DJ said:
Bless your heart what an awful position to be in ... For now you have £25 coming in from your Dad, your friend could help out with £10 too so that will help. Even if it means buying cheap bread, tins of beans, and 18p packs of noodles and living on that short term, it`s a start and will give you breathing space. Your insurance won`t cover you for PTS costs unless the vet has said it`s inhumane to keep them alive, which isn`t the case here, as you say she is ok health wise.

You know you have universal credit coming, which is good and there`s nothing to say you won`t find a job before then anyway. Ho much is your YO wanting for the wormer? They usually get them cheaper as they buy in bulk.

Whilst PTS is definitely an option, and a very responsible one too, I think it will leave you feeling totally heartbroken judging by how fondly you speak about her, and want the best for her.

I wish I could wave a magic wand for you :( ... If you have been told you can have Universal Credit, I believe you can also apply for an immediate Crisis loan (through the job centre, I seem to remember a friend doing similar) that may help you short term too.
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Thank you so much for your lovely reply, it's made me feel a bit better about things. I've worked out that you can get food cheaper near store closing time by over 75% which is brilliant. I'm frustrated about the insurance as I've paid so much into it and never claimed, and I guess there's no way to get it back either. Yard Owner hasn't said how much wormer is, but I am pretty sure it is about £14. I've just google'd crisis loans and I think they were scrapped. I could get an advance on my UC, but I would have to pay it back which I'm confused about. It's a payment to help me get back on my feet, and because I'm broke the option to give me a small advance is there - but to pay it back? Talk about being penalised for being poor. :S xx

baran said:
Sorry for your situation but I think the above suggestion is completely unreasonable. The yard owner is running a business and probably has their own financial problems. Why not ask Tesco to supply you with free food while you are at it?
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I agree, it isn't the Yard Owner's problem and I have apologised about things to her. I would never ask anyone for a free handout. I can live on toast if needs be, my pony has always come first so I won't go down without a fight trying to get myself out of this mess. x

bouncing_ball said:
It is not exactly the same. If the original poster, walked away and left the horse in livery, then the YO does become liable for the care and feeding of the horse. Many yard owners, if the person is known to be trusted, and reliable, would allow a small amount of lee-way in dire circumstances. As OP is going to struggle with rent and hay etc. it is worth being upfront and discussing the problem with the YO. There might be jobs could do in short term against rent. Or YO might have some suggestions.

Another thought is, do you have any redress through unfair dismissal? Had you worked their two years (when your rights kick in)?
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I was only there a few months unfortunately, and before that I worked on a livery yard. Before that I was at University but dropped as I'm not academic enough to pursue a degree x
 
tabbycat_ said:
I could get an advance on my UC, but I would have to pay it back which I'm confused about. It's a payment to help me get back on my feet, and because I'm broke the option to give me a small advance is there - but to pay it back? Talk about being penalised for being poor. :S xx
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This sounds like a great idea. Take the advance - use it to eat, and to feed pony. Focus on registering with agencies / applying for ten local jobs a day. Hopefully by the time the advance runs out you will have work! Paying advance back means it can be lent to the next person who needs a helping hand.
 
Just to clarify an insurance policy is just that - insurance. It is not a savings account and you are paying to have risk covered. Unfortunatley never having needed to claim won't mean anything to your insurance company. You have paid them for a service which they have provided although thankfully you have never needed to claim.

Keep your chin up. I have been made redundant twice and been back in work within 2 weeks and you sound like you really want to work.

In the meantime go and buy a big bag of cheap rice, a big bag of pasta, a few cans of cheap tinned tomatoes and baked beans and a few onions and you can feed yourself for a couple of weeks on a few quid.

Have a look through all your stuff and get any sellable items on preloved or similar - you can always replace them at a later date.

As others have said, give yourself a few weeks to sort yourself out. PTS is a sensible and practical option, but your situation could change overnight for the better.

Good luck x
 
Another idea for work is to call at all your local pubs that provide food and ask if they need a pot washer. They find it really hard to find reliable people willing to do this kind of work.
 
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Sorry pressed post before if finished! If I were closer I'd try and help you out but I too am miles away.
I do have an extra tube of Equest I bought before loosing my horse and am happy to post it to you if it would go a tiny way towards easing your immediate worries?
Pm me if it's any use to you xx
 
poiuytrewq said:
Sorry pressed post before if finished! If I were closer I'd try and help you out but I too am miles away.
I do have an extra tube of Equest I bought before loosing my horse and am happy to post it to you if it would go a tiny way towards easing your immediate worries?
Pm me if it's any use to you xx
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and if Equest isn`t the wormer your YO is using this time round, send me your paypal address and I will pay for the wormer for you. Keep slogging it out girl, though I promise you it`s hard, it`s always darkest before the dawn ... something will turn up x
 
Above all else I want you to know you`re not alone. I have been where you are now as so many others have and we`ve all come out the other side one way or another. Canvas your local area on foot, dress smart go to pubs/cafes/local business ... wear and smile and ask about for work. This shows willing and I know someone will give you a chance.

Also try your local CAB ... They will help with local courses, and CV help too ... don`t give up x
 
What an awful situation :(

As DJ has said, get dressed up smart and go anywhere local that you can get to. Any kind of work, even if you think the pay is rubbish, take it for now.

In the meantime, I work in recruitment (only since last year so not incredibly experienced) and I could help you with your CV if you wanted.
 
You WILL get another job. Just stay positive, get yourself to a job centre and get job seekers allowance, i am pretty sure you are entitled to that. Put you CV on jobs today website and reed recruitment. I get emails daily with tonnes of jobs in the catering sector for example. I don't know where you are up north but there are jobs all over and plenty on bus routes. We even have an admin job at the insurance office i work in in Knaresborough (as said, I don't know where you are up north!). If you are near though I can tell you where to send your CV to!
 
You could try advertising for a sharer on Facebook, also worth putting an add on your local FB page for cleaner, ironing service etc. Also Ebay for selling stuff, see what horsey items you have laying around that you can sell. Some great advice on here and kind offers.
 
Cancel your phone contract if you can (make sure you won't get stung for cancelling it if you are not out of contract) then get a pay as you go sim card find what you can and stick it on eBay. Cancel your horse insurance if things are that tight. Take up the £10 a week and keep going with the job hunting, you will get something.

If you can find grass livery your horse will probably be happier and less stiff if older as long as well rugged when required and your bills will be much less, no bedding and in summer no hay hopefully. Keep looking at horse ads as sometimes people advertise free livery in exchange for you looking after their horse!

If you have to pts contact your local hunt and get a price, I think you are being very sensible considering all options. If you have to pts and are worried what others will think, a little fib to say horse fell Ill may help.

Hoping you get things sorted x
 
tabbycat_ said:
Hi all,

This is hard post to write, and I'm looking for some insight and suggestions towards it. Unfortunately, I lost my job this week and cannot pay bills or my pony's upkeep.
None of my family members are able to help out financially, apart from my Dad who has agreed to, on a short term basis, give me £25 a week.

The fact of the matter is, this money either goes towards my horse's rent or it goes to buying food. Losing my job has affected my parent, who I live with, as they're having to juggle my bills on top of their own which they can't really do anyway. I'm looking for jobs none stop.

This weekend I am due to get hay, straw and also pay for a wormer next week. I have no idea how I am going to pay for this, and the fact of the matter is I cannot.

My pony is almost 25 and has been with me for a good six years, and she has never gone without so it is not fair to do this to her. She is far too precious to be passed from pillar to post. She is generally in good health, getting a little more moody with age but she has never gone without (regular dentist, physio, vet treatment etc).

I have attempted to find a loaner for her and no one has got back to me, or has simply wasted my time by not turning up. (Editing to add that I have been searching for a loaner for about a month prior to losing my job...) My friend has agreed she could help out on weekends and give me £10 but isn't enough. (She can't afford more either.) But it is an option.

This is a rambling post, which I apologise for. I just don't know what to do. I want to keep my pony as she's my best friend. I don't want to get myself into further debt, either. I think that putting her to sleep is an option, hopefully one I won't have to do. I am scared that if it comes to that, that people from where I live will judge me on it and say horrible things over social media--I live in a tight knit, horsey community where everyone has something to say.

Do I hang on as long as I can and pray that a job comes up soon, or do I make the inevitable decision? Even when I was in work, I struggled to pay for her but managed.

I have had to give up my other horse this week and he is now on full loan to a lovely family so I hope that works out as I am not in a position to have him back.

Everything's just a mess and I feel like crying but I need to keep my head up and figure out how to get out of this mess.

Please no horrible comments. I'm trying to do the right thing. :(
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First of all, you have to do what you think is best for your horse. On the basis of thinking that is the worst happens I'd better know what I'm going to do, I've thought this one out for myself in the past.

1. It's no-one else's business what you do and you don't have to listen to them if they don't agree with your decision and are nasty.

2. There is such a thing as a fate worse than death for a horse. Your horse is an old lady. If you tried to sell her how could you guarantee that she would go to a good home and not end up in the hands of the meat man or an unscrupulous dealer? You clearly love your horse as I do mine. I'm 65 and my horse is 23 (which makes us about the same age in horse/human years). I have decided that if the worse came to the worst and I became unable to look after him due to illness, etc., and I couldn't find a loan candidate, I would call the vet to quietly put my sweetheart to sleep. It would break my heart but not so much as the thought of him going to a horrible life and a frightening death at the hands of the knacker.

None of us can tell you what to do. It has to be your decision but don't rush into anything.

In the meantime have you spoken to the yard owner? Could you broker some sort of arrangement involving you doing work on the yard in lieu of payment of your bill until you've sorted out a job? That with your Dad's short-term offer might be a possible temporary solution.

What about putting up a notice in local tack shops offering your services as a horse-sitter/dog walker? Do a bit of home work and make a few 'phone calls asking others about their charges. (Don't say you're thinking about setting up in opposition to them. Let them think that you are interesting in employing them for your holidays.)

If they are still doing the offer you could get some business cards printed by Vistaprint just for the price of postage. Cut and paste this link or Google "Free business cards".

http://www.vistaprint.co.uk/lpt/bc1...&GP=1/28/2015+4:27:27+PM&GPS=3416758735&GNF=1

It's very unlikely that they can help but as a last ditch stand it might be worth contacting one of the horse charities such as World Horse Welfare or HAPPA. It's unlikely that they would be able to take her on but they may be able to give you some unbiased advice.

I do hope things work out for you. I know it's a horrible and worrying time for you.
 
tabbycat_ said:
do you know where i would stand with terms of my insurance policy? i worked out that i've paid over 3k into it over the last 6 years, and having never claimed- and now being unable to - i'm guessing i can't get that money back but is there nothing i can do at all? She is registered with Petplan. On the bright side I have a telephone interview this afternoon so fingers crossed. xx



I owe almost £100 on my phonebill already so I'm sure my phone is going to be cut off soon, but I am going to ring up and explain my situation so hopefully I can pay it off and move to a cheaper contract perhaps (it usually costs 60-70 a month anyway!) I do have a telephone interview later so I'm going to try and stay hopeful. I'm sorting through a lot of horsey rugs that I don't need and things so if they sell that'd be great, I'll get them advertised. I've been up all morning applying for jobs so someone's got to get back to me?! Thank you for your reply xx




Hi Acorn, I'm based up in the North so there's quite a few miles between us I'm afraid :( I wish you were nearer, you sound really lovely and caring. x



Thank you so much for your lovely reply, it's made me feel a bit better about things. I've worked out that you can get food cheaper near store closing time by over 75% which is brilliant. I'm frustrated about the insurance as I've paid so much into it and never claimed, and I guess there's no way to get it back either. Yard Owner hasn't said how much wormer is, but I am pretty sure it is about £14. I've just google'd crisis loans and I think they were scrapped. I could get an advance on my UC, but I would have to pay it back which I'm confused about. It's a payment to help me get back on my feet, and because I'm broke the option to give me a small advance is there - but to pay it back? Talk about being penalised for being poor. :S xx



I agree, it isn't the Yard Owner's problem and I have apologised about things to her. I would never ask anyone for a free handout. I can live on toast if needs be, my pony has always come first so I won't go down without a fight trying to get myself out of this mess. x




I was only there a few months unfortunately, and before that I worked on a livery yard. Before that I was at University but dropped as I'm not academic enough to pursue a degree x
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Well, there you are. You have on working on a livery yard. That's a start
 
Honestly, not paying your phone bill will probably wreck your credit rating, but right now you dont have the luxury of worrying about that! Stop paying any unsecured credit, get to the CAB ASAP and they will negotiate £0 payments to stop them taking you to court. Then look at crisis loans or whatever the equivalent is now. Crisis loans might have been abolished, but there is going to be a replacement scheme. If you cant afford food then the job centre will refer you to a food bank. It wont be fun, but it will buy you some time to get back on your feet and then you can look at other options like PTS or grass livery etc.
 
Ellen Durow said:
Well, there you are. You have on working on a livery yard. That's a start
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Well, there you are. You have experience on working on a livery yard. That's a start. When interviewing, make your dropping out from uni seem like a grown-up sensible decision, not a failure.

DO NOT GET INVOLVED WITH LOAN COMPANIES. It will only make matters worse

Think about small ways of saving money - every little helps, as that advert says.

Wormers - I buy mine from these people - much cheaper than buying in tack shops and very reliable -

http://www.wormers.co.uk/acatalog/Wormers_Easy_Pick.html?gclid=CI36lbrWt8MCFVMatAodOmcAZA

It might be worth asking your vet about using Equest and Equitape and not rotating. Equest is used 4 times a year and Equitape twice a year and no other worming is necessary as these two get rid of the lot. My vet advised me to do this as there is no resistance to these products in the UK. It saves me a fortune (although that isn't why I do it). If your Yard Owner objects you can say that the vet has advised it.

What does your horse eat? I saved a fortune by taking my boy off Baileys Horse and Pony Cubes and putting him on Pegasus Cubes with no loss of fitness or condition. (£6.60 a bag compared with £18.95!)

Are her feet sound? Don't economise at the expense of your horse's welfare but ask the farrier what he thinks about trying shoes on her front feet only and having visits every 7 weeks instead of 6? Don't be proud. Explain that you are on an economy drive and ask his advice.

It might be worth asking your vet if you can pay for routine things such as vaccinations and teeth rasping in advance at so much a week/month so you don't have a sudden bill.

To save money put your phone on pay-as-you-go but be careful that you don't have to pay a "fine" if you drop your contract in mid term. Or talk to your provider. It's surprising how they can often come up with a cheaper deal if you say you'll have to cancel because you can't afford it.

If you haven't already done so, go and talk to Citizens' Advice to find out if you are entitled to social security payments. They may be able to help you with form filling and job application letters. If you haven't already done so make an appointment at your local Job Seekers office to find out what you may be entitled to. If you've paid National Insurance in your previous jobs you should be able to make some sort of a claim and they can help you with any jobs that are on their books.

Whatever happens, don't give up.
 
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