Rat damage......

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L&M

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I keep my horse and 3.5t horsebox at a lovely yard, and is very reasonable for the facilities.

However we have been inundated with rats this winter, despite the yard having several cats.

A few weeks ago a fellow livery complained about their rugs/numnahs etc being ruined, and a crack down was had on those who hadn't got feed stored properly......but didn't think too much of it as all my stuff is stored in a chest freezer.

However over the last couple of weeks, the rats have somehow got in my horsebox, despite having no feed in it. They have chewed through both seatbelts, part of the passenger seat, some of the rubber matting, and worst of all through the wiring to my left indicator!!! Majorily piddled off as going to cost me money through no fault if mine. I use it weekly for hunting, so not like it is just left unused......

I am going to talk to the YO about it, but as it is an 'unofficial' livery yard, can't imagine there will be any insurance in place. I have nowhere else too store it so can't move it.

WWYD? (other than buy bait which I will put in once it is back from the garage!)
 
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The place must be over run. You need a good vermin man in and plenty of boxes. Does the yard keep chickens, they often attract rats.
 
No chickens, it is an ex dairy farm.....the mystery is how they have got in the horsebox in the first place and can only assume they have got in through an air vent.

They have chewed a hole from the horse compartment to the cab!!! I only noticed this a few days ago, then when I got in yesterday, found the seat belt chewed through.

Not a happy bunny....
 
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While very annoying I don't see how you can claim compensation from the yard, vehicles are nearly always parked at owners risk.

It does sound like a really bad infestation and the yard owner should really be getting in pest control to get on top of it.

Personally though, I'd never be on an 'unofficial' yard, especially if you know that's the case!
 
What an absolute pain! Rodents are a constant problem here too. I keep bait down everywhere practical and safe but we are surrounded by farmland and they tend to come in for the winter once the fields are harvested. You think you have got rid of them and then a new wave arrives. Thankfully my liveries have not had much damage unless they have left rugs in a pile for a couple of years (which did happen to one of them). But my car was nibbled at resulting in all warning lights on the dashboard being lit up, indicator not working, power steering not working, ABS etc. I haven't seen a single mouse or rat for several weeks but now keep bait in my car too just in case. I would ask your YO if she puts bait down (in safe correct boxes to avoid the cats getting at it). But other than that, I don't think you can hold her responsible. I have a clause in the contracts saying that items are left at owner's risk.
 
Sounds really annoying I would be wary of putting poison in the open. The cats are likely to eat it, this has happened to people I know. I would recommend putting down bait in boxes to small for he cats to get in. I can understand why you are piddled off though!
 
You need my jack russells!!!!! They do seem to be bad this year for some reason, they are in my straw barn and have chewed the twine splitting loads of bales😡. Do you know anyone with terriers? They are excellent and quick.
 
horselady said:
Sounds really annoying I would be wary of putting poison in the open. The cats are likely to eat it, this has happened to people I know. I would recommend putting down bait in boxes to small for he cats to get in. I can understand why you are piddled off though!
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A professional vermin control company will lay everything safely. It is also perfectly possible to do it yourself if you prefer http://www.pestcontrolsupermarket.c...es-105-p.asp?gclid=CIqvj9KP1NECFQ6NGwodrV8EVw

You need to be aware of the rat runs and ensure the bait is laid well beyond the time you cease seeing rodent evidence, use gloves and store the bait safely. Lat weeks rain would have moved a lot of rats from the ditches which have been dry for so long.
 
horselady said:
Sounds really annoying I would be wary of putting poison in the open. The cats are likely to eat it, this has happened to people I know. I would recommend putting down bait in boxes to small for he cats to get in. I can understand why you are piddled off though!
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We put poison in long bits of drainpipe. Rats can run through but our dogs/cats can't. Cheap and works well.
 
even if the yard has insurance I would imagine storage of a vehicle there would be 'at owners risk' surely
 
I saw a beautiful lorry in a garage once they were replacing the wiring loom rats had done 18k worth of damage .
TBH there's no way I would be keeping my horses on a yard over run with rats horses and people are at serious risk from deadly disease carried by rats .
 
The YOER need to pay a pro to sort out the issues on OP's yard .
YOers are legally required to take every reasonable step to run a safe environment .
And being overrun with vermin is certainly not safe .
 
We have had big problem this year, had pro ratman out and has been sorted til next wave come in but with some poisons which are designed so rats go back to nest and die and are eaten by the others which then die you have to be very watchful for corpses which are pretty lethal if eaten by dogs and cats.
 
is the YO reluctant to get the pros in due to it being an unofficial livery yard? it must be heaving with them! is the yard near other dwellings because someone could tip of environmental health.
 
I'd be bothered about rat pee in hay, feed, water buckets, feed buckets etc. if you have that many - although one can do quite a lot of damage - we had one decide to nest in our land cruiser engine !! Did lots of electrical damage - we set traps in it to catch it ! and eventually parked it somewhere else - a professional with proper boxes to get on top of it sounds like a good plan - you'll probably find a local farmer has done a purge and they've moved to the next nearest spot!
 
I'm not a gambler, but I'd put money on it that if you approach the YO about this (even more so if you're asking them to pay for the damage) it'll cause a problem and you'll end up leaving. I'd just quietly find somewhere else to livery my horses and hope the horsebox insurance covers the cost. You'll never get the YO to pay for the damage.
 
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