Update on New Horse Damaging My Horse/Belongings

[kbsaff]

Following on from my post earlier this week regarding a new horse attacking my pony, I arranged for my boy to be brought in at the same time as the older horses in the field to elimanate the issue of him being left on his own and consequently being attacked

However, I got to the yard today to find he had been attacked AGAIN. That's the third rug in three days. I'm at an absolute loss as to what to do. I approached the YO for advice to be told "what do you expect me to do".

How would you handle this? Would you speak to the owner of the aggressive horse and if so, what would you say? OR would you cut your losses and pack up and go?

I feel like such a wimp, I'm devastated that my horse is getting hurt and is stressed. It takes a lot to upset me but i'm teary just thinking that I put him in the field where he is being bullied.

He's staying in tomorrow to recover and give hima break from it but obviously he can't stay in forever.

Think link to my previous post is here incase you're interested

http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=354062

 

[Echo Bravo]

If you asked for your pony to be brought in with the others are you expected to pay more for the service or is it in your contract. Sounds like YO falling down on their responsabitlies to you as a client. Could your pony be put in another paddock if not start looking else where and the owner of the aggro horse should by rights pay for the damaged rugs.

 

[m3gan]

Poor pony! And you, it sounds like a really difficult time for you and your ned.
From reading your previous post your pony is being very badly bullied and definitely needs to be separated from the others, either by means of electric fencing or failing that if it was my horse I would have to move him for his own safety.

Best wishes to you x

 

[JoJo_]

What has your YO got to say about it? It should be between you, the other horse's owner and your YO to come to some arrangement. Does the other how bully the other horses? I dont think its fair to force you to move. This other horse should be put somewhere else and your YO should be the one to decide imo.

 

[Gingerwitch]

Speak to yard owner first thing in the morning - dont get angry, dont get upset but just say it as it is. After all your horse was there first. Let her/him make her/his decision or suggestions and then take it from there.

No point worrying - it will either be resolved and you stay, resolved and you move, or you say nothing and worry yourself to death ! Or an alternatvie is found ie electric tape in the field, alternate turn out days, etc

good luck

 

[Dubsie]

I would go back to YO and ask who is the customer here?!

 

[WeeBrown]

I totally know how you are feeling as this happened to me - a bully horse was hounding my gelding, chasing him round the field, pinning him in the corner and biting him and ripping his rugs. Not quite as bad as yours as only two rugs ripped in a week but people were coming to me to say they'd heard him squealing and seen him trying to escape. Then whilst I was riding him one day this bully horse, due to no gelding to bully, chased my mare round until she got a cut leg. That was the final straw and I asked to split the field. Originally the YO agreed but the other owner kicked up a fuss and it was suggested I moved to a field round the back. I am now in a much smaller field, it is sloped, has nothing but mud and I am having to put out hay everyday and bring horses in at night (other owner hasn't had to put hay out at all as her field is flat, not full off mud and she is now leaving out all the time as her field is dry!). I hope you get your situation resolved...all I keep thinking is that the field has to dry sometime and at least they are safe.

 

[willhegofirst]

Given your connection to the family who own the yard wouldn't it be rather awkward to move him? Maybe you can push to get the electric fencing reinstated and seperate the two herds.

 

[AmyMay]

I approached the YO for advice to be told "what do you expect me to do".

YO needs to remove new horse, and try it in another field - that's what you expect him to do about it. God some people are just impossible aren't they????

 

[kbsaff]

Thanks for all of your thoughts and support on my problem. I've kept him in today with adlib hay and his Boredom Breaker Football just to give him a break. He was VERY subdued yesterday evening and he's normally an absolute whirlwind.
I'll turn him out for an hour when I finish work si he can stretch his legs.(he's still lame from the kick so no strenuous exercise unfortunately)

I think I need to elaborate a bit further with regards to the format of the yard.
Basically, the yard is out the back of my fiance's mothers house and also backs on to his Gran's house.
His Gran is the Yard Owner and therefore makes the bulk of the decisions, but in reality this is by no means a "working livery yard". It's a small private yard with 2 other liveries so Gran like things to tick along quietly with minimal ructions.
It would definitely be awkward to move and, for obvious reasons more costly, but I think that in order to keep him safe, I would have to put a few noses out of joint.

My Fiance is going to have a chat with the owner of the other horse this afternoon as our paths rarely cross due to different working hours. I've asked him to find out whether there has ever been an issue before, and what has she done about it then. I suspect that this has been a problem before.
She has horses on another yard too so he's going to find out if there's a chance of moving the problem horse there. He's also going to approach replacing my rugs, but I fear that with 7 horses she's short of cash and i'm not going to get a decent replacement.

I'm going to have a look at other livery yards in the area but as I've been out of "mainstrem" livery for a few years now, how much woud you exoect to pay for DIY livery?

 

[Shazzababs]

As the owner of a horse who likes to be top tog in the field, I can say that I used to live in dred when I was at livery that someone new would arrive and we would have to go through the whole pecking order thing again.

My boy is not a bully, but if someone wants to challenge him for 'lead gelding' he will not back down without winning the fight, infact he tends to leave anything which runs at the first look alone. He is also an angel when turned out with only mares (although he does tend to bring them into season).

I used to be upfront about this when I changed yards, which I tried not to do too often for obvious reasons, and could normally arrange for him to either be out with the mares, or work out which of the geldings he was going to end up arguing with and either not turn them out together or introduce them slowly, with boots all round, no rugs and no shoes. He never ripped a rug, that I know of, and only ever caused a kick injury once, the first time I put him out at the very first yard (he was always with my elderly TB at a private yard before), and I paid half the vets bill for the owner of the other horse which fortunately recovered completely in a short period of time.

Today I have my own place, and its just him and his girlfriend, so much easier for everyone!

Anyway what all this waffle is getting to is that the owner may know her horse if of this disposition, but may not know what he is getting up to if she hasn't seen him up to it or been told. Have a chat, if she is anything like me she will be keen as you to sort things out without more bloodshed\damage.

 

[ihatework]

There seems like one very obvious answer here.

You have a field with 7 horses in that naturally split into 2 friendship groups.

Buy some electric fencing, split the field in 2.

Then when your horse is left alone at least the riggy one can't get to him.