Tricky situation- What would you do???

Blaise

Blaise

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I was talking to my friend today when she told me 2 of our friends horses escaped this morning and went cantering through the yard and up the lane towards their field. I thought fair enough, sometimes horses get loose on a yard, it's happened to me before. Then she told me both of them had been loose in the barn eating their breakfasts. It's only a small barn leading right onto the yard and has plenty of space to tie up outside stables. I've told my firend several times before to tie them up when they're outside their stables as somethings bound to happen one day but she says they don't need to be tied up as they're so well behaved! It's quite a big yard so there are always other people and horses around, and quite a few small children too. I really want to tell the YO about this but dont want to be seen to be stirring or get her into trouble, especially as i wasn't there when it happened today. I'm just concerned that if she keeps not tying them up someone is going to get hurt one day. They are both decent sized horses and if one knocks one of the kids over they could really hurt them. I've got my horse on there too and i dont want someting happening to her when i'm riding or going in/out from the fields. What would you all do
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Have a word with the YO possibly?

Otherwise, just tell her that regardless of her opinion on the subject of their temperaments, the horses must be secured whenever they are left outside their stable for the safety of everyone. Explain they are her legal responsibility in the event of anything untoward happening because she's chosen not to tie them up. Surely she can see this is a possibility and irresponsible to ignore??! Be diplomatic of course! but DO be insistant.

For the safety of the horses and everybody else, she needs to stop doing what she's been doing. She's been lucky to have gotten away with it for as long as she has, it seems.

I still the the YO should address the problem though. Maybe some yard rules need to be drawn up and pinned up somewhere prominent!

Good luck!
 
Hmm, I can see why you don't want to be seen as stirring, but if it was me, I would speak to the YO. Sounds like the girl was lucky to get away with it this time. I hate having horses loose on the yard - it's just asking for trouble IMO - even the quietest horses can freak out over nothing.

You don't have to mention anything about this incident - you could just ask whether there were any rules about having horses tied up/on headcollars etc when they were on the yard, and see where it goes from there.

I would feel very uneasy just ignoring it - especially if there was an accident in the future, as I would always feel like I should have mentioned it when I had the chance. Good luck.
 
If something does happen in the future your friend might easily find herself uninsured because of contributory negligence! Tell her she could lose everything and be bankrupted if a compensation claim - not covered by insurance - ever came her way! That's unless she could afford say £3m!
 
Hi Blaise,
Simple solution is that all horses are fed within their own stables. (I'm a bit amazed that other things happen!) Thanks for sharing it with us, + i hope we help.

As Chestnuttymare has suggested, YO is probably already well aware! We already have 2 ambulance-chasers on this thread...........
I'd say to YO tomorrow what has happened, + also mention ambulance-chasers already on H+H forum, so at least she/he is prepared.

And makes sure all horses are fed within their own stables. It's not rocket science, but if it's DIY yard, sometimes some guidance is needed.

And i'm just so glad i'm not running a livery yard these H+S obsessive days, so please send my bestest wishes to your YO, wherever you may be, Blaise. I'd look after her before she too sees her backside on doing liveries, as i did about 7 years ago. BS x
 
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you probably don't need to say anything, i am sure yo will get to hear about it anyway and sort it out.

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Agreed. It'll cause bad feeling if you go wading in. YO's responsibility who prob won't take kindly to you reminding them of that, I'm afraid
 
Problem solved now. Friend who actually went after the horses told YO this morining when we went up to pay bills. She couldnt let it lie either in case it happened again. I dont think our YO would have heard about it otherwise though, they are very hands off with the yard and as it was a weekend there were no staff working to tell them either. Hopefully will be sorted. Thanks all
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