retirement livery in the Devon area

[MyBoyChe]

Has anyone ever heard of a retirement livery yard in the South west that will come and collect your horse for you and look after it free of charge!! Sounds very unlikely to me but a friend of a friend knows someone who has just let their old gelding go there, it appears he did not go and visit it first!! We, of course, are very suspicious and very worried that this is too good to be true and god only knows where this poor boy is now. It is just possible that such a place exists I suppose and would love to know if anyone has ever heard of a yard like this. Although I do not know the horse concerned I just have an awful feeling about this and cant stop thinking about it today.

 

[bexwarren24]

Im in Devon and have never heard of this yard. Do you know the name or do you not want to say? Also, what area of Devon roughly? Seems a little strange to me, unsure as to why anyone would do this for someone unless they were desperate for a companion for their horse. Did ur friend even visit this yard?

 

[indiat]

Any retirement livery I have ever heard of charges! They are set up in a different way from normall liveries but you are still looking at around £250 per month. I have a horrible feeling about this. Keep us updated.

 

[missieh]

They need to be very careful as there are so many scams around and one came to light at the beginning of the year (see the link)

http://missinghorsesonloan.webs.com/horseownersduped.htm

Why are people so goodamn trusting? Not wishing to scaremonger but why on earth would anyone be so charitable as to look after a horse for free? Why are people so naiive? At least check the place out and have a proper legally binding loan agreement in place. Amazing!

 

[dingle12]

How silly letting there horse go without seeing where its going

 

[MrMeldrew]

Agree - why on earth would someone let their horse go ANYWHERE unseen

 

[teddyt]

[ QUOTE ]
Agree - why on earth would someone let their horse go ANYWHERE unseen

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Because they want an easy option. They cant really be bothered to do the right thing and PTS or look after the horse themselves. Its a cop out. They are not being naive, just that its an option that suits them. Less hassle and less money. Never mind the horses welfare.

 

[3BayGeldings]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Agree - why on earth would someone let their horse go ANYWHERE unseen

[/ QUOTE ]

Because they want an easy option. They cant really be bothered to do the right thing and PTS or look after the horse themselves. Its a cop out. They are not being naive, just that its an option that suits them. Less hassle and less money. Never mind the horses welfare.

[/ QUOTE ]



Ahem, i sent my horse to a retirement livery place .. in Devon... unseen! It's run by Henryhorn on here, whom of course i spoke to on several occasions via telephone and email. She gave me many references who i rang and heard their experiences of her yard. I also spoke to a couple of people who know Henryhorn via HHO and spoke very highly of her, and had acess to many photos of the yard.

I paid for transport to pick my boy up and drop him off at Henryhorn's, and pay monthly livery. I'm at college away from home now, and know that i plan to go to uni after, so that's 4 years at least away from home without visiting very often... so why stick to limited grass livery opportunities at home when i could send him away to live in a gorgeous part of the world, with loads of grazing and in a herd of other retired horses? My lad is only 17, but let it be known he wasn't comfortable being ridden anymore due to bone spavin. I love him very much, i've owned him for 6 years and kept him on DIY livery all this time, and i decided i was willing to pay MORE for the retirement livery than i could have got somewhere at home... So actually, i can be bothered to do the right thing, i wasn't prepared to put my field sound horse to sleep, i wasnt copping out and im paying good money for his happiness.

 

[teddyt]

I was referring to people who think they are getting livery for free, as with the situation in the OP. Obviously different to your situation. I am not against retirement livery at all!

However i have to say personally i could never let one of my horses go anywhere unseen, however much homework i did. You never know! (no reflection on your situation)

 

[MyBoyChe]

I suspect that teddyt may have hit the nail on the head with her comments, unfortunately. I dont know the person concerned myself but things I have since heard lead me to believe that they are just taking the easy way out and turning a blind eye to the possible consequences for the poor horse. I dont think anyone could be so naive as to think they are getting first class care for free, can they? Folk, they never cease to amaze me. I had a look at the link to those scams, how evil can some people be!!