darkhorsestud
New User
Extremely long story but all should be aware!
Saturday 6.30pm found in-season mini Shetland mare standing outside my stallion field with stallion secure inside. Phoned around to let everybody know I had found a tiny pony. Next morning both horses had gone. My stallion had galloped alongside mare, slid down hill and jumped fence at bottom - thank goodness otherwise he would have been killed!
Spent Sunday searching hundreds of acres of scrublandin Dearne valley, I use refs. whistle to call horses but no sign!
Monday asked Police if any horses had been found, none, so reported mine missing, gave discription of him and Shetland.
Searched for next few days, still nothing. Phoned Police, still no horses found, operator didn't sound too bright so asked if any had been reported lost. She said "no" so I told her that mine had been reported, to which she replied "oh yes here it is!". Decided not to let it rest as nobody seemed to even be aware!
Phoned RSPCA but gave up after several attempts at their pathetic switchboard. Asked Police for number of Horsewatch as somebody said it is run by SY Police. Operator said "No, never heard of it, sounds a good idea, is it like Farmwatch?"
Went on internet and discovered SOUTH YORKSHIRE HORSEWATCH in association with SOUTH YORKSHIRE POLICE - somebody obviously didn't tell them!!
Police Superintendent is personal friend so asked him what to do. He gave me direct line to SYP Horsewatch and within minutes the info was on internet. Horsewatch asked for photos and copy of passport markings. Friend brought photos following morning and reported markings nothing special, only white heels on one hind.
RSPCA Inspector visited and asked for photo as he had seen it on website. I explained that photo was not recent and he is darker now. He took photo and said he would put it on internet for me.
Whole area flooded in Dearne valley so we spent three weeks searching for him whenever we had time.
Eventually RSPCA came back with good, bad and good news! Good - he was found unharmed, bad- he had been gelded!!!!!!!!, and good - I wouldn't have to pay for it - VERY KIND of them!
I was stunned and spent the following week crying every time I thought of what they have done to him. I still choke now when I think what RSPCA has done to the Caspian Breed.
My stallion was the only male offspring of my foundation mare, an extremely rare bloodline. As such he was vital to many peoples breeding programmes to cover not only his relations in order to double up on this rare line, but to cover unrelated mares of bloodlines which desperately need an outcross - of which there are many!
Added to this he is the only son of a stallion which died young, his brother (from a different mare) is heading off to Sweden at any time!
What I cannot stomach is the fact that my horse was found on that first Sunday afternoon in company of a load of Shetlands, one very badly injured. When RSPCA visited first time and took picture I was told Shets had been found but he wouldn't say if my horse was with them. When he saw photo he was relieved because I now know they had gelded him and he thought it was different horse. When I said his colour was different his manner changed as he must have realised that there would be trouble!
My question is why did Police not know RSPCA had picked up horses very day mine went missing?
Why did RSPCA not check with Police if any reported missing?
Why did RSPCA assume that all horses in the group belonged to the Gypsies, when my 11.2hh, 6yr old stallion, in very good condition and with tidy feet, was quite obviously a quality, fine limbed Show Pony type?
Why were the two Stallions in the group castrated shortly after being found.
Why was no attempt made to discover if Shetlands or my horse were in fact reported stolen and on any other database? There have been a lot of Miniature Horses stolen in Yorkshire recently and to my mind the mini I saw was too much quality and fine to be a Shetland and could have been a £40,000 American Miniature Horse! Hence the stallion could also be AMHA and the owners would be as devastated as I am.
I had to pay £232 to retrieve my horse - thank god he was safe, but I could have had him back three weeks ago, and in ONE PIECE!
If he had been returned when RSPCA first took photo I had a recently foaled mare in-season and could have attempted one covering from the newly gelded stallion - why did it take so much longer for his return?
Turns out lady who took them all in does not work for RSPCA merely has land available and gave them somewhere to stay. She was told that she could keep my horse, she spent three weeks naievely believing that was true and then was devastated when RSPCA told her he had to go back to his owner. I feel for her as much as anybody!
Have tried to ask RSPCA how ling they keep strays before rehoming or castrating and have had no reply to phonecalls or emails. Also asked what measures they take to trace owners of stray horses, and to check identity of actual owners, as keepers and owners are not always the same people - the horses could be stolen, or at livery.
My horses value has now plummetted from a minimum of £5000 for a quality stallion of a rare and unrepeatable bloodline, to around £1000 for a child's riding pony, which I would also have to spend time and money breaking and schooling prior to sale!
Added to this his foals would be sold, mainly for export at £2000 as weanlings, so with thirteen purebred mares to cover for me that is quite some loss financially.
The plan had been for me to use him this season, then he was going to another breeder in Hampshire for a season, on to South of France and thence to Sweden! This all adds up to one massive financial loss to me as the owner and those other breeders.
Most importantly his bloodlines are not now available to the Caspian Breed which is the most devastating aspect in all of this.
We are definately going to sue the RSPCA for their actions but does anybody out there have any thoughts on the situation. After all this could happen to any horse found straying by the RSPCA.
What is their policy on keeping strays and tracing true owners?
Thankfully my horse is safe at home now, and just as gentle and loving as before, although it must be said - with something missing from his character!
I have had so many people contact from around the world, all thoroughly behind me, but I can't help crying when I see him, think about him, or what this means to the breed. Of all the stallions in the country - why did it have to be mine. To add insult his licence papers turned up last Saturday!
His mothers colts all seemed fated as each one had met with terrible accidents no matter where I sent them for safe keeping, and now the last one is gelded!
His name?
DARKHORSE INSHALLAH
Its meaning?
"GOD WILLING"!!!!!!!!!!
Saturday 6.30pm found in-season mini Shetland mare standing outside my stallion field with stallion secure inside. Phoned around to let everybody know I had found a tiny pony. Next morning both horses had gone. My stallion had galloped alongside mare, slid down hill and jumped fence at bottom - thank goodness otherwise he would have been killed!
Spent Sunday searching hundreds of acres of scrublandin Dearne valley, I use refs. whistle to call horses but no sign!
Monday asked Police if any horses had been found, none, so reported mine missing, gave discription of him and Shetland.
Searched for next few days, still nothing. Phoned Police, still no horses found, operator didn't sound too bright so asked if any had been reported lost. She said "no" so I told her that mine had been reported, to which she replied "oh yes here it is!". Decided not to let it rest as nobody seemed to even be aware!
Phoned RSPCA but gave up after several attempts at their pathetic switchboard. Asked Police for number of Horsewatch as somebody said it is run by SY Police. Operator said "No, never heard of it, sounds a good idea, is it like Farmwatch?"
Went on internet and discovered SOUTH YORKSHIRE HORSEWATCH in association with SOUTH YORKSHIRE POLICE - somebody obviously didn't tell them!!
Police Superintendent is personal friend so asked him what to do. He gave me direct line to SYP Horsewatch and within minutes the info was on internet. Horsewatch asked for photos and copy of passport markings. Friend brought photos following morning and reported markings nothing special, only white heels on one hind.
RSPCA Inspector visited and asked for photo as he had seen it on website. I explained that photo was not recent and he is darker now. He took photo and said he would put it on internet for me.
Whole area flooded in Dearne valley so we spent three weeks searching for him whenever we had time.
Eventually RSPCA came back with good, bad and good news! Good - he was found unharmed, bad- he had been gelded!!!!!!!!, and good - I wouldn't have to pay for it - VERY KIND of them!
I was stunned and spent the following week crying every time I thought of what they have done to him. I still choke now when I think what RSPCA has done to the Caspian Breed.
My stallion was the only male offspring of my foundation mare, an extremely rare bloodline. As such he was vital to many peoples breeding programmes to cover not only his relations in order to double up on this rare line, but to cover unrelated mares of bloodlines which desperately need an outcross - of which there are many!
Added to this he is the only son of a stallion which died young, his brother (from a different mare) is heading off to Sweden at any time!
What I cannot stomach is the fact that my horse was found on that first Sunday afternoon in company of a load of Shetlands, one very badly injured. When RSPCA visited first time and took picture I was told Shets had been found but he wouldn't say if my horse was with them. When he saw photo he was relieved because I now know they had gelded him and he thought it was different horse. When I said his colour was different his manner changed as he must have realised that there would be trouble!
My question is why did Police not know RSPCA had picked up horses very day mine went missing?
Why did RSPCA not check with Police if any reported missing?
Why did RSPCA assume that all horses in the group belonged to the Gypsies, when my 11.2hh, 6yr old stallion, in very good condition and with tidy feet, was quite obviously a quality, fine limbed Show Pony type?
Why were the two Stallions in the group castrated shortly after being found.
Why was no attempt made to discover if Shetlands or my horse were in fact reported stolen and on any other database? There have been a lot of Miniature Horses stolen in Yorkshire recently and to my mind the mini I saw was too much quality and fine to be a Shetland and could have been a £40,000 American Miniature Horse! Hence the stallion could also be AMHA and the owners would be as devastated as I am.
I had to pay £232 to retrieve my horse - thank god he was safe, but I could have had him back three weeks ago, and in ONE PIECE!
If he had been returned when RSPCA first took photo I had a recently foaled mare in-season and could have attempted one covering from the newly gelded stallion - why did it take so much longer for his return?
Turns out lady who took them all in does not work for RSPCA merely has land available and gave them somewhere to stay. She was told that she could keep my horse, she spent three weeks naievely believing that was true and then was devastated when RSPCA told her he had to go back to his owner. I feel for her as much as anybody!
Have tried to ask RSPCA how ling they keep strays before rehoming or castrating and have had no reply to phonecalls or emails. Also asked what measures they take to trace owners of stray horses, and to check identity of actual owners, as keepers and owners are not always the same people - the horses could be stolen, or at livery.
My horses value has now plummetted from a minimum of £5000 for a quality stallion of a rare and unrepeatable bloodline, to around £1000 for a child's riding pony, which I would also have to spend time and money breaking and schooling prior to sale!
Added to this his foals would be sold, mainly for export at £2000 as weanlings, so with thirteen purebred mares to cover for me that is quite some loss financially.
The plan had been for me to use him this season, then he was going to another breeder in Hampshire for a season, on to South of France and thence to Sweden! This all adds up to one massive financial loss to me as the owner and those other breeders.
Most importantly his bloodlines are not now available to the Caspian Breed which is the most devastating aspect in all of this.
We are definately going to sue the RSPCA for their actions but does anybody out there have any thoughts on the situation. After all this could happen to any horse found straying by the RSPCA.
What is their policy on keeping strays and tracing true owners?
Thankfully my horse is safe at home now, and just as gentle and loving as before, although it must be said - with something missing from his character!
I have had so many people contact from around the world, all thoroughly behind me, but I can't help crying when I see him, think about him, or what this means to the breed. Of all the stallions in the country - why did it have to be mine. To add insult his licence papers turned up last Saturday!
His mothers colts all seemed fated as each one had met with terrible accidents no matter where I sent them for safe keeping, and now the last one is gelded!
His name?
DARKHORSE INSHALLAH
Its meaning?
"GOD WILLING"!!!!!!!!!!
