The worst-natured owner you've ever worked with or met?

HeatherAnn

HeatherAnn

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A follow on thread from "What's the worst-natured horse you've ever worked with or owned?"
Just for fun, not to name names.

The worst owner I've ever met was a livery at the yard were I used to work, she used to constantly nag and hit her horses. The yard had converted a large box into a shower and they were newish to the yard, her horse was a bit nervous about going in and just wanted to investigate and she started yanking his head and smacking him on the neck with her hand and his side with the lead rope. This made the situation 1000 x worse.
 
Watching a poor horse thrash out of the back of one of those rear facing 3.5t boxes after it attempted to jump into the grooms area and out the jockey door.

It succeeded after some time, which was horrible to watch as it was stuck for ages. It really hurt its stifles and was waving its hind legs about in an 'ouch, ouch' fashion.

The owner/person with the horse rang someone to tell them what had happened, and presumably was asked if the horse was OK, and she answered 'YES, unfortunately IT survived'

:o(
 
my son saw someone force a horse onto a trailer, it thrashed around until it knocked itself out, then came too, and started all over again.


This is one reason why I believe that there is no excuse to use force, ever, to get a horse to load, and something that NH addresses really well, overcoming problem trailer loading issues.
 
I know someone who used to and still does take a shovel to her horses when she deems appropriate. Disgraceful IMO but I actually quite like her aside from that - if she didnt have horses on her own private yard she would be fab and she has toned down a lot since I first met her
 
There's a right piece of work on my yard:( They have been witnessed, screaming, swearing, kicking, and whipping, the horses they deal with as well as socking them in the teeth when the mood takes them. Personally I think their behaviour comes from fear.
 
Alfiem said:
There's a right piece of work on my yard:( They have been witnessed, screaming, swearing, kicking, and whipping, the horses they deal with as well as socking them in the teeth when the mood takes them. Personally I think their behaviour comes from fear.
Click to expand...

Had one of those on previous yard - she upset quite a few of the other horses around her too - we repeatedly had to tell her to STOP. Also think she was/is frightened of her horses. Shame as she has had some lovely animals.

P
 
We had a right b***h for a short time on our yard. She was the sickest person I have ever heard of, from first visit when she told me of her depression, gave my OH and anyone who wouuld listen a blow by blow account of her thrush infection (thereafter she was known as nothing other than Tweetie). She came in the July and was gone by the March much to everyones relief as they would check whether she was on the yard before they came to do their horses. She had an ex racehorse who was ridden I reckon a total of six times in all the months she was with us. She would decide for any old reason that the poor nag wouldnt be getting fed because of various reasons
Wouldnt walk down the field to her
Wouldnt be caught
Had got rid of its rugs in the field (it was probably much too hot it wore a minimum of three rugs at a time)
Wouldnt pick its feet up
Had cast a shoe.
She was a right piece of work!
 
I've spent a lot of time grooming for people over the years so I actually can't decide. I've worked for one dealer who kept the horses immaculate but purposely set out to reduce her working pupils (who were from South Africa and couldn't go home) to tears as often as possible. She even pretended one of their parents had died in n accident once :( :mad:

One owner bought himself a horse that failed the vetting as the vet said it wasnt fit for showjumping anympre, basically the previous owner jumped it into the ground. Still a v sweet horse tho just couldnt jump. Owner decided to take up show jumping and everytime the horse refused or had a jump down he was taken into the box and punched around the face :mad: :mad: I only groomed for him at one show and I reported him to the steward who publicly humiliated the owner over the tannoy. Horse was sold by the end of the week.

Another lady I used to livery with when I first got my mare had been banned from keeping horses by the RSPCA but she had loads hidden round the area plus ones 'owned' by friends and family. They had lice, worms, were skinny and underfed but she just didnt care. As far as she was concerned if they looked bad people would buy them to rescue them :mad:
I could go on... :(
 
First job I had the YO put baling string 'side reins' onto a horse they had just bought - it reared over backwards and broke it's neck. They left it bleeding to death as they would get more money from the knacker man if it was alive when he arrived. Will never forget having to clean up the blood that had flowed all over the yard.

Another place I worked - a Harness Racing yard - the owner took chains to a horse that had not run on as he wanted on the track - he drove the horse into the washbay, picked up a chain and thrashed the horse with it. Poor horse had welts on it that I treated.

With both jobs I left at the end of the week.

People on livery yard - one person would slag off everyone else, steal your gear and arranged the theft of her gear and some of the school gear to get the insurance money.
 
i used to help out on a racing yard with my mum and there was this one bloke who owned some of the horses who none of the girls could be around as he would tell them to close their eyes and hold out their hands as he had a surprise for them.. what was put in your hand was not a nice surprise - he was a complete pervert hence the girls used to dart off when ever they knew he was coming... he also used to own and fly a helicopter and he used to fly about 10 feet above the horses heads while on the gallops (not caring whos horses or how much they were worth) to spook them at full gallop so they would chuck the jockeys off

horrible man >:( another reason i left!
 
There was a young girl and mother who owned 3 Horses between them, at my old livery where my share was. They reguarly beat their Horses for the slightest things, example not picking up hooves on the first attempt. The horses were never warmed up or cooled down properly. I was amazed they all stayed sound! The young girl broke in a youngster and poor thing is ruined, It is already very strong as his mouth is ruined. She will whip them round the face too. She once rode my old share Horse and to spark him up a bit, leant forward and rustled a crisp packet in his ears. He was terrified. She has also kicked her Horse so hard with spurs on, that he came back bleeding. RSPCA has been up a few times before, the Horses are in perfect health though, they have good fitting tack, rugs, always mucked out, fresh water, always have feed, ideal weights so RSPCA didn't do anything. I am now of that yard and so happy I do not have to be around them anymore.
 
We used to have a couple on our yard who had not had horses long but thought they did and would shout very loud about it. Once he tied the clippers to the horses head with them turned on because the animal did not like being clipped and that would get him used to it, on another occasion they took their young ex race horse to a show it took them 3 hours to get the poor thing back in the box, and he was heard very proudly telling people that he had beat the S..t out of him and and then went on to show off the burns that he had on his hands and the horses backside. The last thing I can think of was he cobbled a horse because it pawed the ground, and deep breath I fell out with them not long after they came to our very small yard but the yo did nothing about this just said different people have different ways of dealing with things ARRRRRRRRRRRRR.

They were with us for about a year and when they had upset everyone and at last no one would have anything to do with then they left, they have moved seven times in the seven years they have had horses. My hate and anger still is very strong even though they have been gone for nearly two years, they are a pair of useless bullies and I really wish one of their animals would kick the S..t out of them !!!
 
I cringe when I see people loading horses. My old boss had one of her friends on livery and they were trying to load the friend's mare. They tried bribing her, she'd step on, grab the food and leap back out, they tried scaring her into it by shouting behind her, they eventually got her in by dragging her by her head collar, while someone whipped her from behind.
I just wonder why some people don't put the time in to get their horses used to a trailer...
 
I'm the worst owner I know- my horses are beautifully cared for, I don't lose my temper with them and I wouldn't dare intimidate them with strength- I have worked on eventing yards in the past and used to school for my instructor and took on some of her clients (with her full support and permission).

But I'm a bitch- I ride to win and if anyone tries to tell me what to do without me asking they get an ear-full!
 
These stories make me feel so sad...horses, well, all domesticated animals actually allow us to do the most remarkable things to them, and on the whole, do it willingly. We're all very good at saying 'oh he's being naughty' or 'he's full of himself' etc, but on the whole if they don't want to do something it's with good reason...and actually, they don't have to do any of it, just because we want them to. Makes me sick.

I know that in reality horses (and dogs) have actually found a way of surviving wonderfully by abusing our ability to provide for them, and I suppose the reason the allow us to do what we do is the trade off they make for the security of not being hunted, having guaranteed shelter and food...but it doesn't give us a right to force them. I found myself on youtube last night watching rodeos...which led to other videos, which was just harrowing...humans can be nasty, nasty, nasty beasts!
 
a previous YO was as nuts as they came, all fields had to be poo picked (fair enough) by the horses owners, we would be out poo picking and she would come along and get on her hands and knees and scrape the last few bits up with her bare hands then go and eat her dinner without washing them. she would also talk to her muck heap. it was very strange and we only lasted a couple of months there.

i've seen lots of bad owners (cruel etc) but a more recent episode is from someone who claims to worship her pony, gets all these professionals in and they advise her to rest her pony for x weeks/months and the next day she's riding him again saying they didn't know what they were talking about! her pony is border line broken but she won't admit that even though everyone else can see it.
 
I worked for a lady who went thro Grooms like they were going out of fashion. (I needed a job at the time so it was a stop gap for me) And I could see why. According to the lady it was that her grooms weren't good enough and thats why they left. After a few months I could see why they left. She never led her own horses to field or back (to scared) lunge or general handling but was happy to tell you how to do it or you were doing it wrong.I can safely say more money then sense.

The final straw for me was having to go round the whole fields and pick up every and I mean every stone (small as well as large). :eek:Then when I was lunging I got told I was doing it wrong so I asked her to show me. I was dismissed on the spot for back chatting:D
 
wow shocking some of these i thankfully have never seen a horse being beaten and i know if it happen on the yard im at my god you would be run out with the pitch fork.
 
Some of these stories are outrageous!

When I was 14 I used to work on a livery yard at the weekend.
There was a crazy lady that kept her horse there. He was a beautiful big hunter type and had the kindest nature.
She kept him stabled 24/7, mucked out before 6am and left his bed up so he was standing on concrete all day, emptied his water bucket in the morning and filled it up again at night, he wasn't allowed hay or hard feed during the day either, only at night. Plenty of times I got an earful for giving him some water. He was always either drastically overrugged in the heat or completly naked when it was cold. She used to loose school him in a pessoa really loose (he could have easily got his lega wrapped up) and run after him making crazy noises and cracking a whip! - was actually quite funny to watch her!
The yard owner spoke to her several times addressing the way she was treating her horse with regards to the no food/water and no turnout/limited exercise issues but she didn't listen so she was asked to leave.
She tacked her horse up and got on him and dissapeared down the lane and never came back!

We later found out that she had been arrested for poisoning her dog!!
 
That's the thing that sucks. I love all animals and do my best to treat them with respect, but the thing is, is that I've never owned my own horse, so all the horses I've been in contact with have belonged to someone else. Also, being a groom on a yard, a lot of the time can mean that you are looked down on and your word doesn't mean much.
 
I was on a yard where a livery was constantly battering her horses. They couldn't breathe without being punished for it. They weren't allowed to move without her permission or they'd get screamed at, punched, slapped, etc etc. I couldn't help laughing one day when she'd already kicked her gorgeous mare in the stomach for daring to move while she put her boots on, then standing chatting to her friend her mare swished her tail violently at a horse fly and whipped the owner right in the eye! Priceless. She had to go to hospital as it hurt so much and turned out she's scratched her cornea. Hahaha! The sad part was the mare probably got a battering for it later. She was asked to leave that yard after only a few months thank god!
 
I just remembered a lady who used to keep her horse at a yard I used to ride at.

He was a big gentleman, probably about 16.2hh and on the wrong side of 25- he was a lovely big lad, really friendly and happy, a real eager to please sort. He'd obviously done well in his youth and was still enjoying work in his old age. Unfortunately for him he was owned by this tiny demon woman who would absolutely rake him around, even though he couldn't take that kind of riding any more.

One particular memory was when she was doing a round of jumps at a yard competition- the poor old boy stopped at a fence, probably out of tiredness as he had definitely already done a round. Instead of turning and trying again, or even deciding to call it a day, she dismounted and booted him in the chest. It was absolutely awful.

She left the yard soon after that. I can't help but wonder what become of poor Bob.
 
Good god, I’ve never come across anyone like the terrible folk mentioned in these replies, not sure how some of you held it together with some of these people, I’d off been done for GBH several times over I think if I’d come into contact with some of these people.:mad:

I’ve obviously lived a rather sheltered life me thinks.
 
my next door neighbours. let their shire and cob that can pretty much live off air get so thin i could see all ribs and hip bones, are often left without water, not attended to every day and poo picked every few (field is not big enough and grass is sparse enough as they ruined the land within weeks of being on) they did have field shelters but are now moved so they can store hay instead of offering the horses any form of shelter. i believe someone rang WHW about them in the summer and their response was to stick a board up stating 'nice try, better luck next time pmsl'. all in all not very nice, chavvy, clueless people who do not deserve their lovely horses.
 
When I was young (1970s) there seemed to be a lot more emaciated, poor horses about and no-one seemed to care too much.

The riding school I learnt at, and later worked at for a short while, started well and was quite decently run. But after a few years I think the owner not only ran out of money but (with the benefit of hindsight) I now wonder if he became quite mentally ill. He started to starve the horses. He would shout at staff to scramble around on the muck heap trying to salvage straw to re-use. Eventually he stopped staff mucking out and called it deep litter. It was actually just filth.

He sold the school and a lot of the horses (the lucky ones) but took a few with him. These few were quite simply starved. He rented a row of stables elsewhere and the horses became so poor that eventually a kind wealthy local man bought them all as a job lot to save them from starving to death. He had most of them pts on day one, the remaining few he nursed back to health.

The riding school owner retired, but kept one horse from the riding school, an ex-racehorse mare. She faded away in a field behind his house. I went to see her once, and her teeth were so long she couldn't graze but he refused to see that. Or maybe he couldn't see it, or her ribs sticking out and her dull, staring coat. Maybe he was quite mad.

I called the RSPCA but they wouldn't listen (I was a minor). None of the adults around would back me up, saying things about not getting involved etc etc.

The old mare collapsed and died soon after.

God I'm depressed now.
 
Never abusive as such - I met a women once who had more money than sense and who completely over horsed herself.

She bought a grade B, very highly strung, chesnut mare who loved her job as a showjumper but said new owner was a complete novice in terms of riding and the mare became her 'baby' with the occasional dressage lesson...
The mare regulary bolted with owner and got to the point where she would only turn up to watch some one else ride her mare.
TBH I could never understand why the previous owner allowed her to buy the mare in the first place.

Have never witnessed anyone physically harm their horse/pony, but I would not be able to stay silent if I did...
 
Sadly I have worked with many who abused their horses one way or the other, but on a personal basis the worst I worked with was one particular YM. We had no phone line in the cottage where we lived and this was long before the days of mobiles so all calls went to the farmhouse where he lived. He neglected to tell me that my brother was dying in hospital as he wanted the day off and didn't want me rushing off!! Luckily (for the YM) bro survived after a series of major ops but surely this has to be as low as you can sink on a personal basis? Or is it....
 
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