Strangers riding my horse without permission

Well I would approach the YO calmly and say that I need their help. I would then explain the situation clearly, making it expressly clear that no permission had been given and how deceitful the lady had been, plus any legal implications. Then I would just ask the YO outright what they are going to do about it.

Their reaction would be very telling as to the best way to proceed. I would hope that they would be shocked/angry that this had gone on and that they would tear a strip off the livery at the very, very least. If they implied or said that I was making a fuss over nothing, then I would look for another yard. I couldn't give my hard earned cash to someone who felt they had no duty of care over the horses they have on their yard.
 
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OP is it a big yard or just you and this lady who has been using your horse. One thing you might mention to your YO is that as you clearly can't stay on the same yard as this lady if you leave you'll obviously have to explain to the other liveries why you are leaving and I assume there is no reason she has picked on your horse and hence nothing to stop her using all the horses on the yard if she so feels like it!!!

In the short term, as she'll have to be given notice (although I'd have thought breach of a verbal contract so if I was YO she'd be out on her ear (or at lease being charged for me to supervise her visits at£8 an hour!)
- do you have individual turnout? could you padlock him in the field so she can't get to him,
- can you take your tack home? it won't stop the determined but will make it more anoying
- should you/ can you warn other liveries?
- can you put up a sign on your horses stable to state that he should not be handled by anyone other than his owner (put your name) and any emergancy you should be called
- I'd even consider spreading the rumor that he had ringworm / lice or something else nasty to put anyone off handling him
 
I'm a bit of a wimp when it comes to confrontation as I get so angry I cry!

I would find the other livery, and cheerily say "I didn't realise the yard policy was that all horses could be used by anyone. I have a couple of people who would love to ride yours, they are beginners, and perhaps a bit overweight, bit I'll keep an eye on them. Might bring them up this week, they will be so excited!"

I would pay good money to see her response to that!

Do update us on what happens op, and good luck.
 
OP, so sorry to hear of your dilemma, this woman is a piece of work.

I would speak to YO first and see what the initial reaction is. You can always reflect and re-discuss if needs be as I'm sure you are feeling very emotional right now.

As livid as you may be might be best to remain dignified. There is no need to lower you're standards for the benefit of that snake. If she is prepared to do what she did, not convinced she'd be too bothered about you having a go at her.

What she did is unacceptable and she should be asked to leave. Afterall, I'm sure YO wouldn't be too happy if this woman went in her house and made herself lunch and had a bath behind her back! A violation of trust is unacceptable, particularly when it involves your pride and joy.

Keep us posted.
 
I'm just amazed that no one else finds this totally bizarre.

Is it that common that someone unconnected with your horse would lend it to their friends ? I just can't imagine this happening on any yard I've ever been on, though judging by the replies, it must do.
 
I had my pony on part livery, which in our area was no exercise just turned out all day and in at night and all mucking out, feeding etc., when I moved to a new area and needed to research all the DIY options. Arrived one day to arrive to find my well schooled pony being used for a working pupil lesson. The rider was novicey and I was livid!! They had obviously picked her because she wasn't at all quirky but was well schooled. So it does happen, this was well regarded livery stables.
 
dogatemysalad said:
I'm just amazed that no one else finds this totally bizarre.

Is it that common that someone unconnected with your horse would lend it to their friends ? I just can't imagine this happening on any yard I've ever been on, though judging by the replies, it must do.
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It is utterly bizarre, but I have heard of it happening. It is something that I worry about. Yes, sadly there are people who will think nothing of borrowing and lending other people's horses without permission.

Sometimes it is because the yard is big enough for no one to realise what is going on - perhaps a horse that is already on working livery at a riding centre. Sometimes, a small yard ends up with people seeing riding each other's horses as so normal, they no longer bother asking permission.

Mostly, it is because some people think they can do whatever they want. The same reason randomers climb into fields to ride horses they have seen grazing. It all comes down to a lack of respect for others. And in some cases a lack of basic common sense.
 
wren123 said:
I had my pony on part livery, which in our area was no exercise just turned out all day and in at night and all mucking out, feeding etc., when I moved to a new area and needed to research all the DIY options. Arrived one day to arrive to find my well schooled pony being used for a working pupil lesson. The rider was novicey and I was livid!! They had obviously picked her because she wasn't at all quirky but was well schooled. So it does happen, this was well regarded livery stables.
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I can see this happening, as the staff were involved in the pony's day to day care and it was an RS. It's a slightly different scenario. I would be livid too.
 
Pretty much standard tack room response... I would go nuts/kill them/punch them/move off tomorrow.

Its obviously not on, and should not happen again. However going screeching at anyone (especially YO) will not help you, just makes you look like a loony. Best off to remain calm and firm.
 
Arizahn said:
It is utterly bizarre, but I have heard of it happening. It is something that I worry about. Yes, sadly there are people who will think nothing of borrowing and lending other people's horses without permission.

Sometimes it is because the yard is big enough for no one to realise what is going on - perhaps a horse that is already on working livery at a riding centre. Sometimes, a small yard ends up with people seeing riding each other's horses as so normal, they no longer bother asking permission.

Mostly, it is because some people think they can do whatever they want. The same reason randomers climb into fields to ride horses they have seen grazing. It all comes down to a lack of respect for others. And in some cases a lack of basic common sense.
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I can't imagine being on a yard where this could happen. I'm fairly sure that if there were people like this on a yard where I kept my horses, I'd move ASP.

Big yards seem to offer better security than very small, informal yards although, I guess that depends on the area.
 
dogatemysalad said:
I can't imagine being on a yard where this could happen. I'm fairly sure that if there were people like this on a yard where I kept my horses, I'd move ASP.

Big yards seem to offer better security than very small, informal yards although, I guess that depends on the area.
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The problem is, you don't know it will happen until it happens. And then you could find yourself on a yard that ticks all the boxes except for this, and have to find another to suit your needs. We all know how hard moving yards is. Why should the injured party have to move? But when something like this happens, the trust would be gone I think. I wouldn't feel comfortable staying.
 
Someone took my mare off the yard and to this day i havent found out who, i went up to check her and she had sweat marks on her back and the corners of her mouth was cut so god knows what happened to her. I told our YM (who is very good) now doesnt let horses leave yard if she doesnt know the rider or you havent told her that another person will be riding your horse. Myself and husband ride my mare and i will let another person ride her if only i'm with them BUT i would never allow anyone to take my horse. If i did find someone on my horse i'd kill them!!!!!
 
Unfortunately it does happen. My friend's horse was ridden without her permission by the yard owner's friend while she was at work. She only found out from another livery who overheard the said rider say she had ridden him bareback and he had "played up" so she had kicked him around the field. My friend confronted the yard owner who apologised and said it wouldn't happen again. She, and the other livery, took their horses to another yard within a week. This happened on a small DIY yard in Clacton, Essex.
 
Not on the scale of this but a friend was slightly miffed to see her horse being led across the field by a strange child in a picture the YO posted on Facebook. We have both subsequently left the yard.
 
This happened to me.

I got down the yard earlier than normal to find a young girl putting my horse away. When he saw me, he barged passed her and made a beeline for me - I said don't worry, he's mine! She replied she thought he was so kind and lovely - so I said "have you ridden him?" - "Oh yes, we went on a lovely hack round Hog Oak" Now to get to Hog Oak you have to go on one of the busiest roads in the area. He's 16.1 build like the proverbial brick house and at the time was extremely fit. Angry doesn't even cover it! I marched up to the woman who took the hack and asked her what she was playing at - she just said that Sarah (YM) said it was OK.

Well, Sarah hadn't asked me if it was oK -if she had it would have been a flat no. How I didn't put that woman in hospital, I don't know. I was literally screaming at her with the rest of the yard watching - every other word was the F word (and I don't swear) - i could not believe that she would let a 12 year old girl out on my horse without my permission. What if something went wrong, or if she got injured, who's fault would that be. Anyway, manged to calm down, until she tried to justify her actions by saying that she hadn't had time to ride him (he was on 3 days a week ridden livery) so thought it would be OK - I just said very calmly, and I remember it clearly "if you don't walk away from me now, you are going through that wall head first" She scarpered.

We left a week later - no way was I staying on a yard where I didn't trust someone to look after my boy. I also made the woman that took the hack hand over the money she earned as compensation for the theft of my horse.

Sorry, that turned into a bit of an essay - but it still makes me so so angry to think about it.
 
dogatemysalad said:
Yes, that's true Arizahn.

I just can't envisage it happening on a DIY yard.
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I wish I couldn't, but I have witnessed it. No deliberate malice was involved, it was just that the boundaries were not there. Still not acceptable, imo. And most yards would not stand for it, and most horse owners wouldn't either, which is completely understandable!
 
I just cant get my head round people thinking its ok to use someones also with out petmission. ctumbs i wouldnt even of dream of goimg into someone elses stable or intetfering with a horse unless emergency(and i have in thoses cases but always contacting owner/YO as well) and i struggle to get my head round how people actually think its ok. But I also experienced people fetching mare in(and feeding wrong feed) eithout my knowing :(
 
Hope you get it sorted OP.

I would be beyond angry in that situation, the livery concerned would be getting the toe of my boot somewhere unmentionable.

Who would have taken responsibility had the child been injured whilst riding your horse without permission? Who would have covered vets bills (god forbid) that could have arisen whilst he was being ridden without your knowledge or permission?

Absolutely horrendous and one of the reasons, in the days when I was on a livery yard, that I used to take my tack home.
 
Not had people ride without my permission but I have had people really push the envelope of permission!

All last year I was plagued by a young woman who was friends with another livery but wasn't good enough to ride their horses so I'd regularly be asked if she could borrow my horse to take to fun rides etc. The over arching annoyance for me was that the requests were positioned as if it was doing me some kind of favour or like it should be important to me that some freeloading bint has a good time. Most of the time I managed to wiggle out of it, but it was very uncomfortable at times, and when I did let her borrow my horse she always did more with her than she said she would, and once when she threw a shoe she didn't even bother to replace it (I was on holiday) and my mare was uncomfortable, which annoyed me even more!

Don't get me wrong, I will happily offer my lovely girl to my friends to take OHs/non horsey family members/ returning riders/visiting riders, I enjoy seeing people I like and who respect my horse for the lovely equine she is, having a good time, but joyriding chancers, no thanks!
 
I had an agreement with someone I really trusted that they would care for my two youngsters for me whilst I was moving house. I moved the horses from Scotland to England a month before I moved back myself. I had a mare who had been backed the year before and turned away over the winter and had only ever hacked, and a very newly backed sec D stallion (as in only 2 sits then turned away).

The deal was that if she did the horses twice a day - feeds, check water, rug changes she could ride my mare. In addition to this I had also said that if she schooled her for me (as I she was aproject to sell at that point) she could have half of the sale value. I had also said she was not under any circumstances to ride sec D

On the day that I left it was clear blue skies so the horses were left rugless for a hooley. The owner of the field sent me a message later on in the day when I was about 300 miles away that it was snowing and the horses were naked. I sent the girl a message saying I had a message that the horses were looking miserable at the gate and would she mind rugging them. I assumed all was good? Nope I got a message the next evening to say that they were still naked. At this point I phoned the girl to see what was going on. She claimed she hadn't been able to make it the evening before due to traffic and the same in the morning and the reason she was so late that evening was because she was still in the gym (at 8pm). I pointed out that she had a duty of care to the horses and to leave them unrugged, in thick snow and to not check that waters weren't frozen and to not put hay down was unacceptable. This was the Tuesday.

The saturday I get a call from field owner saying that she had seen two girls at the field riding both the horses! But "dont worry as the black one threw her off". I was livid! Turns out she had put her totally novice friend on my mare (who was 4 at the time) and was planning on riding my welshie (Ididnt leave his saddle) bareback. He was a dream to back and did nothing. She vaulted on his back in the field and totally freaked him out resulting in bucking fit and her coming off. When I came to reback him I had the same experience and ended up having to turn him away for a year to forget the ordeal (came back lovely). My mare was ridden by the novice who wasn't confident at all and in one session turned my lovely willing mare into a napping monster :(

One time set me back so much with my pair - 'a bit of fun' can actually be quite harmful :(

I told her she wasn't to go near the horses again and had lost her chance of making a quick £££. I paid instead for some to do them.

I hope you get it sorted x hugs x
 
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