RSPCA gelded my prize stallion in error!

If someone believes this to be faux post then I am sure that they would be willing to say so and why if it is a legitimate reason, I really don't like things when they degrade into whispering, as it causes people to jump to conclusions.
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On HHO, defamatory comments/allegations are not allowed; hence the poster cannot say anything.

I have my own thoughts about why the initial post by Darkhorse was made, but I could be wrong.
 
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On HHO, defamatory comments/allegations are not allowed; hence the poster cannot say anything.

I have my own thoughts about why the initial post by Darkhorse was made, but I could be wrong.

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I have my own thoughts too! Will be interesting to see how this story unfolds - if all is as stated in the OP, then the story will no doubt appear in HHO next Thurs - will wait without baited breath...
 
LOL!! No as Weezy says, Darkhorse isn't a troll. A very speedy Google proved that to me.
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Well the stud exsists from the search I did. So I guess they aren't completely made up. But as I only have the OP word for it. I will wait to see how things develop.
 
MH - put it this way; if this story is 100% true then it will be grabbed up by H&H because of it's sensationalism - no way would H&H miss out on the opportunity to make next weeks edition a top-seller.

So my advice to Darkhorse is - offer your story forward...and to be honest I wouldn't stop there; there might be money to be had in the tabloids too!
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There's nothing to tell, Cobland. One poster has told their story - the other highlights that we may only have had DH's version of this story and perhaps we shouldn't take it at face value.
 
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MH - put it this way; if this story is 100% true then it will be grabbed up by H&H because of it's sensationalism - no way would H&H miss out on the opportunity to make next weeks edition a top-seller.


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Great minds think alike, I already said that LOL!
 
Darkhorse if what you say is correct I think you may be better recounting the events to your solicitor rather than posting them here or taking up the advice of some to go to the press.

Double edges sword this one as your stallion managed to jump out of your grazing....you may lay yourself open to prosecution yourself.

If what you say isnt true then you have left yourself wide open to prosecution for defammation by the Rspca.
 
Two things struck me (before I read any replies here), and they were firstly, why didnt you move your stallion and / or the mare?
Secondly, why was your fencing so crap he jumped it (if he's worth so much) and he wasnt freezemarked. Sorry, but someone so irrisponsible shouldnt be left in charge of such a prize stallion.
 
Katy I could not believe the pony wasn't freezemarked or chipped either.
Both mine are sorted, one is chipped the other freezemarked. The first thing I did was to get in touch with farmkey to freezemark Mcfly virtually within days of us getting him. Obviously had to wait for an appointment to be made.
But the wait was worth it and so was the cheap cost involved.
If this pony was so precious and it was mine it would have had both to be honest.
Cazx
 
ok playing devils advocate here, freezemarking? thousands of rather valuable horses are not freezemarked so why should this one be? i know its a safety thing but some people just dont like it and for some breeds in the show ring it is frowned uppon and actively discouraged.

As for microchipping, the RSPCA dont always check anyway, nor do markets. Also microchips can travel and move so even if they did scan the horse it may not have been found.

As for the story im not sure what to believe, from my run ins with the RSPCA it realy wouldnt suprise me however alot of things dont dd up about the story. (if you want my RSPCA horror story PM me)
 
I can understand why someone might not want to freezemark their horse but microchipping seems like a sensible alternative.

It's relatively cheap to do and I have my horse's chip scanned each time I get his jabs done just to make sure it hasn't moved.

I would have assumed that the first thing any 'authority' would do when they came across a stray animal would be to scan it for a microchip so I'm disappointed to read that RSPCA wouldn't check this automatically (as per Conniegirl's post).

It's all well and good ringing around frantically with a description of your 'lost horse' but unique as they may appear to you, to the person at the end of the phone they're just a horse of one type, size, colour or another.

Perhaps if more people got their animals microchipped it might become the norm for all animals to be scanned automatically in cases such as these.
 
Ok so if freezemarking is frowned upon and some organisations don't actively scan horses then why not hoof brand instead then?
I'm sorry I know this story ( if true?) is awful how the stallion ended up being gelded but surely anyone in their right mind would have some kind of mark on their horses to verify them as their property.
Branding and the marking of horses by humans has taken place for years hell knows just look at the history of the wild west it is all there to see.
If this had been my animal I would have had it marked in one way or another either, freeze, hoof brand or chipping or a combination in the event that the animal went missing or was stolen.
Another thing learnt from this story is to have up to date photos of your horse/pony. With camera phones so common these days there is really no excuse.
I am forever taking them of mine. Not just because I like to but also so I can see them change over the year(s).
Horses change from month to month, be it body shape or coat condition and even colouring as their winter and summer coats can be so different.
It is important for all horse owners to have a record of this change so that if a horse disappears in a certain month then organisations like horsewatch and the police can be given up to date pictures of what the animal looks like at that moment in time.
Also if the horse has any clear identifiable mark on them and even if it is subtle. Then get a picture.
Some horses can look so alike that this very difference between individuals could be the decider between you getting your horse/pony found quickly or not.
Cazx
 
Many thanks for all the replies to my mail.

I was encouraged to post this because we are genuinely wanting information - how long must RSPCA keep animals and what do they do to trace owners.

I am not mercenary and any claim would only be for his loss of value as a stallion, not for loss of earnings as these are subjective and cannot be proved.

Regarding various replies. There is no ulterior motive as by posting such a claim I have laid myself open to legal action and have not hidden behind a made-up name. Legal action can only be won if claims are proved and so I state that my posting is correct and true to the best of my knowledge.

The horse isn't chipped because the person who was having him has had several problems with wandering or un-readable chips. We discussed this at our Breed AGM last year and so many people had personal experience of problems that the Breed Society agreed that they should not impose chipping on its members.

I used to have all my stock freezebranded but when placed under the saddle of a thin skinned breed it caused sores which meant one of my mares cannot be ridden because her skin is so tender (the brand was done "naked" because she is grey) - she is now in her twenties. I did think to have the brand under the mane but so many of our horses are plaited for showing in their new homes. Maybe we should freezebrand with a brand which would denote the breed and could be registered centrally, like the hotbrands of some European breeds?

We do have hoofbrands but haven't used them recently for no other reason than that we became complacent and never thought we would need such identification - how many people do just the same.

The fence is stock net and barbed wire above, and we have never had a horse jump it before. We have had a couple of escapees when walkers made the fence sag so they could get over, or removed stiles for easier access. We are presently replacing the net with tornado horse mesh and trying to encourage a hawthorn hedge beyond it. We have planted a hedge along our boundary, most recently last October, but somebody cut almost every slip at ground level. The cost to us was £240 for the plants, and another year without a hedge growing. The copse of trees planted where Inshallah jumped out have either been stolen or broken in half - latter are now growing as bushes - so maybe we will have some hedge after all!

Unfortunately mare proved to be uncatchable despite efforts, and stallion was grazing calmly when last seen. I didn't bring him home because we often get horses on that land and they are usually caught up pretty quickly - my mistake!!

You may ask why graze the field if we have so many problems? I am afraid that around here there is very little grazing available and you have to take what you can find, pay a premium rent, and do your best to get land in good order and keep horses safe. Horseowners are always looking for land, so if my horses were moved, somebody elses would be there in the same position.

Thanks again for your time in replying.
Debbie.
 
The issue with micro-chipping is that there are several different systems so the scanner of one system will not find the micro-chip of another. Freezemarking on the shoulder is the solution as anyone can read it.
Horseowners should also be aware that they are responsible for the damage that their horses cause if they escape (whatever the reason and should have public liability insurance for no less than £10,000,000).
 
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