Urgent advice needed - can someone give this horse a home???

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keeperscottage

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I have posted on here before about Benji. In a nutshell (albeit a large nutshell!), I lent my next door neighbour, S, £1,500 to buy this horse from a friend of a friend, M. M had had enough of buying horses from a certain dealer in Pimlico, Hemel Hempstead, (each time she returned an unsuitable horse, the next horse she chose was more expensive) and so she decided to buy an "ordinary" horse from him (£3,500) and sell it immediately, even at a loss, and start afresh out of the clutches of this particular dealer. The horse she bought was Benji. The mutual friend of M and I rang me to see whether I knew anyone who wanted to buy Benji, 12 years old, 15.3hh, well schooled, but cribbed. Novice ride, I was told. I thought he might interest my neighbour, S, a VERY novice rider who wanted something to just plod around on. I told her about Benji and she was interested, subject to selling her existing pony. As we thought Benji would sell quickly, I offered to lend her £1,500 (all M wanted for Benji) to secure him, until she sold existing pony. S went to see Benji, loved him, and he was subsequently delivered to my yard where I handed over S's LOAN to M.

S really liked Benji. However, after several weeks (during which time she bought him a saddle, bridle, head collar, rope, humane anti-crib collar etc) she was unable to sell existing pony so said to me "I can't sell Stan (exisiting pony), so I'll have to give you Benji". Like an idiot, I took him but found him impossible to sell. Autumn came and he was still living out and dropped off despite me rugging him with three rugs and stuffing feed into him, he dropped off; he needed to be stabled and I only had enought stables for my own horses. In November, a good friend took him on whilst she had a free stable, rode him regularly for about 6 -8 weeks until she bought a new horse to fill her previously vacant stable, and therefore handed Benji back to me. Through the horsey "grapevine" I heard of someone local who wanted horses on loan to start a small riding school and I suggested to S (Benji's "owner") this might be suitable for unwanted pony, Stan. She contacted riding school proprietor who took Stan as loan as a riding school person. Also said she'd take Benji.

I told new riding school proprietor that Benji cribbed and had bucked with friend who'd taken him off my hands short term but added she had been stuffing him full of haylege. I told her the truth about Benji.

However, last week, following a series of texts, it appears S (to whom I kindly lent the money for Benji) has been slagging both me and Benji off to the riding school proprietor stating I knew he wasn't safe to be a riding school horse(what???), he cribbed (yes, I told her about this!), and he hadn't been ridden for MONTHS!! In truth, he'd been ridden regularly for about the l;ast 6-8 weeks) and he had a bad back (I was unaware of this). Livid, I contacted S telling her Benji was still her horse and what was she going to do about him. I was met with nothing but abuse and untrurths. Determined not to be drawn into a text slanging match, I aborted my texting at this point. I now have Benji back, I can't sell him, he doesn't have a passport (this is cuirrently a Trading Standard matter involving the dealer and a new passport is being obtained at MY expense....) but I need him gone NOW!! Is there anyone out ther prepared to give this sad, honest horse a home for FREE? I intend pursuing S for what she owes me but I need this horse GONE! I neither want nor can afford another horse (I have five, all of which I adore) but S has told the riding school proprietor that I bought Benji, she tried him, didn't want him and had no intention of buying him....WHAT!!!!.....so why did she buy a saddle, bridle etc?????

Everyone thinks I should have him put down, but I can't do this so if there is anyone out there who wants this horse, please PM me. He's a SAD horse, not a BAD horse! Honest jump, well schooled, he's just fallen onto hard times...PLEASE can someone help him???? Anyone interested, please PM my to discuss - pics available, PLEASE HELP!!
 
Oh what a sad story, poor Benji
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I hope you find a nice home for him, he sounds really sweet.

Don't know what is up with 'his owner' what a lying cow
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hope you get the money off her too.
 
Poor Benji - I'd love to take him, but my OH would go mental! (plus, I wouldn't be able to afford to eat!)

I hope you find a lovely home for him - i remember your original post about this
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umm, why not try the ILPH or something? please don't have him shot, it's not his fault that he's fallen on hard times.
you sound as if you acted generously and straight, and have been kicked in the teeth for it. we've all been there, unfortunately.
very very best of luck finding somewhere for him.
why not advertise him on loan, that would give you time to sort things out hopefully. there are always people looking for a nice loan horse.
good luck to both you and Benji.
 
I would gladly give him to a rescue centre. I have lost my money and I only want horse to be okay. Neighbour, S, has a wealthy "lover" - I'd LOVE to hint to her current partner about this but I dare not stoop that low! It was "lover" who paid for both her current pony and her new car!!!! She told partner her parents had lent money for new car!
 
I do hope you have something in writing from your so called friend saying you lent her the money..if not it will be difficult to get it back. On the bright side you have a horse she paid £3500 for that if sound and reasonable to ride should in the right hands be saleable for more than £1500.
How did he settle at the riding school? did he prove unrideable or was there some other reason you ended up having him back? he should in theory be able to winter out provided he has ad lib hayalage and you are sure his teeth/worms etc aren't causing any weight loss, so can't you find somewhere to shove him out for now?
I wouldn't offer him free to anyone especially if he is involved as part of a legal case, you may end up coming unstuck..
Plus if he has got a bad back you can't expect anyone to want him if he can't be ridden.
I'm sorry this sounds so negative and after you have done your best to help a friend you seem to have got the worst of the deal. Spring isn't far off, find somewhere to send him until then and then have a re-think what to do..
 
Not much help, but I know the dealer - that's where Cat (horse in my avatar) came from. He was my dream horse, & when I lost him I went straight back there for another one. Saw 6 horses, 5 of which bucked, reared & napped, all v overpriced & I only fancied getting on one of them. The dealer Adrian came from said that the guy's got an ad in H&H offering to buy problem horses... which does explain a lot. Think I was extraordinarily lucky with Cat.

I remember reading your earlier posts about poor Benji & hope you find someone to love him.
 
Poor Benji, poor you. I wish we had a spare stable as he'd be a wonderful companion to my boy.
I really hope it ends well.
 
Wouldn't Benji's previous owner take him back knowing what's happened?

Poor Benji and poor you with I presume ex-friends like your neighbour who needs enermies.

If all else fails maybe one of the rescue centres will take him.
 
Confusing me now because there's loads of different posts about the same thing.

Personally I wouldn't burden a horse rescue with this if it were me. Someone has to take responsibility for this animal, and I think it needs to be OP. If the horse is unwanted and unusable the repsonsible thing to do is to get the huntsman in to despatch the horse.

If more people would bite the bullet and take responsibility, then there wouldn't be horses and ponies available for low lives like Jamie Gray to buy.

Would probably have a more positive effect for horse welfare than a million convoys.........................................
 
There are more issues here than I care to type about (or confuse you with)! Benji really isn't a bad horse at all. OK, he cribs, but he's well schooled, good, honest jumper, and has a lovely temperament. He's kind, easy to "do", great in traffic and with the farrier. Apart from all this, the dealer he originated from last year claims to have "lost" his passport (have two versions of this yet we KNOW from another source that he definitely had a passport|). I have involved Trading Standards who are basically useless!!! They've told me to go and get another passport...but when I told them he'd gone to a riding school last week,. they told me I'd committed an offence.....now, PLEASE!!!!! Passport is being sorted next Wednesday...... someone coming out to "identify" him"....more expense for ME (who else!!)

I would just love to transcripe the semi-literate texts I have received from my neighbour......no-one but NO-ONE would believe the content.....
 
I would get a passport and then talk to an agricultural college (Hartpury, Royal agricultural college etc) about maybe having him on loan as I know that they are always looking for good horses for the students to learn on (I would definately look at Hartpury and maybe Merrist Wood). Good luck.
 
awww, so sorry to hear you are still having problems! i rememeber your other post.
if i was in your shoes, i would loan him out, with Trading standards etc being involved, i would be hesitant to give him away or even to PTS (something i wouldnt chose as an option anyway) or a college would be a good place. I'm sure if you maybe advertise him for loan etc someone will come along, even not if in you local area, he may just have to go a little further afield. I wish we were closer as you could have thrown him out with mine that are wintering out as i have an extra place since i lost my mare.
can her 'lover' not take on the payment for him??? (maybe to stop you telling her hubby - i know its playing dirty but she sounds the kind of person who only understands that kind of way!)
Good luck and hope it all gets resolved soon!
 
I definately wouldn't suggest selling him off to a dealer, who knows the hands he'll fall into. Surely once you have his passport it will be easier to sell him? I mean from what you have described he doesn't sound like a bad horse, just one that needs someone with the time and patience to bring out his full potential. I don't think it would be fair to have him PTS just because he happened to fall into the hands of an extremely irresponsible owner (luckily he had you to take him in otherwise who knows what may have happened!). For what it's worth I think the best thing you could do for now is to loan him out, that way you will know he's safe whilst also not having to worry about his upkeep.
 
I can almost certainly help you place this horse, but would need to be assured that the issues around his ownership and passport are resolved - because none of my contacts would be thrilled at a visit form the Police investigating a stolen horse. Please pm me if you haven't managed to find anything
 
Put an ad on Project horses! its very good and there are lots and lots of homes looking for horses like him, if his only vice is cribbing, he'll be snapped up! (you may get your money back too!)

Please don't have him PTS....he doesn't deserve that!

please PM me pictures of him.... i may have an idea.
 
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