Someone 'borrowed' my pony

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Mearas

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In the light of recent threads and also as a warning, I pass this info on. Some years ago I had a mature much loved pony with cushings disease on livery at an equine spa to help him with the stiffness and lameness caused by his condition Although still capable of light work he did not require any stress as this would make his condition worse. I began to notice that when taking him out for walks, that he still loved, he didn't seem to want to go anymore and had started diving for the grass something he had never done before. This and a few other things made me suspicious so after I visited one day I parked along the road and waited. Later that day my pony left the yard with the yard manager, three children - one riding, a pushchair, bycicle, dog and string attached to the bridle as grass reins. I could not believe my eyes and I was so angry when I spoke to the YO I was shaking, the only explanation I received was that they thought he would like the work:mad: Needless to say I moved him immediatley but I wonder who would have been liable if one of the children had been hurt? Probably me?
 
Really quite dreadful, glad you moved him....

:(

I am sure there are 'borrowers' on this forum and reading all these threads, I would hope they feel slightly guilty and embarrased by these tales of woe by innocent hard-working individuals, but I also guess they are so thick-skinned, they don't care two hoots.... :(
 
Mearas said:
In the light of recent threads and also as a warning, I pass this info on. Some years ago I had a mature much loved pony with cushings disease on livery at an equine spa to help him with the stiffness and lameness caused by his condition Although still capable of light work he did not require any stress as this would make his condition worse. I began to notice that when taking him out for walks, that he still loved, he didn't seem to want to go anymore and had started diving for the grass something he had never done before. This and a few other things made me suspicious so after I visited one day I parked along the road and waited. Later that day my pony left the yard with the yard manager, three children - one riding, a pushchair, bycicle, dog and string attached to the bridle as grass reins. I could not believe my eyes and I was so angry when I spoke to the YO I was shaking, the only explanation I received was that they thought he would like the work:mad: Needless to say I moved him immediatley but I wonder who would have been liable if one of the children had been hurt? Probably me?
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I had exactly the same happen with my first pony when he was on livery at a riding school... When he started to nap leaving the yard and rear up with me (I was 13 at the time) I started to look into it. I got my first 'clue' when I saw in the diary that 'pickles' was being used for a lesson in the outdoor school at the same time as for a lesson in the indoor school. The RS had a pickles, but they only had one, so obviously my boy was in one of the lessons... I had my mother do the same one day, we sat in the car and lo and behold out of the yard rode a hack with two sodding pickles' have you ever seen a 13 yr old giving a 50yr old yo the biggest dressing down of her life... Suffice it to say notice was given to them that day:mad: my poor boy was a mess and it took lots of work to stop him napping at the new yard although his rearing stopped the second we moved him.
 
Years ago I kept my old pony on a small yard and I was passing one day outside of my usual 'visiting' time, went to the field, no pony, checked other fields no pony, saw this guy doing some work on one of the barns and asked if he'd seen the bay pony from the field and he said ' oh yeah my girlfriends out on her' the girlfriend turned up 15 minutes later cantering my pony up the road and way to big and heavy for my pony. She then told me the yo had said she could take my pony out whilst her boyfriend was doing the work! I had had the pony from weaning, nobody but me had ever ridden her she was 4 yrs old and only being lightly hacked out at the time. Needless to say I moved pretty pronto.
 
I once took my native pony stallion to run out in a field with a man's mare a couple of miles away. I went down to check him every day then one day I went and he wasn't there, though the mare was in the field. I went to the house and there was nobody in so I didn't know what to do and I was worried he'd escaped and was off causing bother somewhere. I drove about a bit in the car and then met the mare's owner trotting him down the road in his flat cart, said he'd just fancied taking him out for a drive.
 
Gloi said:
I once took my native pony stallion to run out in a field with a man's mare a couple of miles away. I went down to check him every day then one day I went and he wasn't there, though the mare was in the field. I went to the house and there was nobody in so I didn't know what to do and I was worried he'd escaped and was off causing bother somewhere. I drove about a bit in the car and then met the mare's owner trotting him down the road in his flat cart, said he'd just fancied taking him out for a drive.
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:eek: Should have demanded his car keys and said you just fancy a drive in that... That would be before I proceeded to yell at him for a substantial period of time... Amongst other things...
 
When I moved to a different part of the country, I put my pony on livery at a BHS approved yard.
Went home to visit very soon after but came back earlier than expected. Drove into yard to see my pony being ridden in a jumping competition by yo's daughter :eek:
I was even more :mad: when I realised they'd changed his snaffle to a kimblewick :(
 
Some people have all the cheek - a few years ago my husband collapsed and died, as you can imagine I was a bit distracted - I had 2 horses on full livery - one a fantastic cob who was a perfect saint - I was struggling to cope withe exercising both horses and YO suggested o get a sharer for cob - she recommended an American lady who she knew - good rider - mature - lived locally - after meeting lady we agreed on the share, all seemed to be going fine until a chance meeting with a neighbour who said she had started to learn to ride - at the yard I kept my horses - I thought it was odd as not riding school, asked her what horse she rode and she gave me a name - didn't recognise it. Imagine my jaw dropping surprise when the following Saturday morning I arrived at yard to see neighbour wobbling around the arena on my cob with American lady shouting instruction - when I 'questioned her she said 'well how else do you expect me to get the money to pay for me to share him' transpired she was giving lessons on him the 3 days a week she had agreed to share him - END OF SHARE!!!!:mad:
 
OMG are there more thieving tea leafs in the horse world than elsewhere..its far worse to use someone's horse than nick their car for eg..cars don't have nerves & feelings & can be repaired. Some shocking stories here.
 
Nosey said:
OMG are there more thieving tea leafs in the horse world than elsewhere..its far worse to use someone's horse than nick their car for eg..cars don't have nerves & feelings & can be repaired. Some shocking stories here.
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This is true, but they also no know that if they took your car you would be straight up the police station. Very crafty people :mad:
 
I'm suddenly very appreciative of the fact we had our horses at home in the paddock next to the house. I can't imagine taking someone else's horse or pony without permission. Even when we loaned we stuck completely to the agreement of only my son riding on our allotted days and brought our own stuff so that there was never an issue over 'borrowing' of others even down to wheel barrow and shovel for poo picking!
 
Nosey said:
OMG are there more thieving tea leafs in the horse world than elsewhere..its far worse to use someone's horse than nick their car for eg..cars don't have nerves & feelings & can be repaired. Some shocking stories here.
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My OH works in an industry that has a poor reputatation and he says he has never been as badly treated as I have with my horses. I think that it is because horses are such wonderfully empathetic animals they bring out the best and the worst in us. So if you are a bully they will allow you to bully them, if you are a kind and sensitive person they will become your best friend.
 
Some of these stories are shocking! I can't believe the cheek of some people. I only found out a few months ago that someone was riding out my old loan pony! Nothing I could do about it as its a few years ago now but never the less it shocked me still!

People eh?!
 
At a different yard my mare,who was a bit of a tart.... she got a whiff of a boy and came in season.... became lame and had odd marks down her side I couldn't understand why until another livery told me the yo had been using my mare to 'tease' his stallions and one of them had managed to mount her :eek:. She was only 2 but luckily wasn't in foal, I did make the yo pay for vet bill though and moved her.
Never had much luck at yards with her, she was ridden at one, used as a teaser at another and finally stolen from the field of another. :(
 
At a very small yard I had my old boy at, he was very well mannered and well schooled, I discovered, because on of the other liveries popped up in the day unexpectedly, that the YO was using him to give her friends lessons on. I took his tack home and then moved him soon after.
 
I must admit I was feeling somewhat silly for allowing myself to be taken advantage of in such a way but now I am glad I shared as I realise I am not the only one this has happened to. I am very sorry for everyone who has posted here BUT what should be done to stop this? With every respect to good yard owners the majority of problems seem to occur in poorly unprofessionallly run yards. How can this be improved?
 
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