Vet bills & the hunt.

[SEL]

I'm very much hoping this comes to nothing but the horses were still too wired to even contemplate trotting up this evening.

No notification that the hunt were around today (& I have the email I sent the secretary last year reminding them where I am and my number).

We popped out at lunch leaving 3 calm horses pushing treat balls around. One had a fall on Wed and I have a video of him trotting up this morning looking virtually sound. Lovely day so a calm mooch in the paddock seemed in order.

Came back 2 hours later to a quad in my gateway and a suited and booted lady on a horse. I instantly started swearing. Horses all drenched and doing laps of the field. They bust through the fencing too. Took me ages to wrangle them into stables. The hunt come down the field next to me and it was a big field.

So the Bute was handed out tonight and I have no idea if I'll be calling a vet this week. If I do end up with a bill I'll be phoning the BHS for advice but I'm assuming it will come to nothing. I'm assuming that because they had permission to be on the neighbouring land then it's just tough luck if I end up with injured horses??

 

[webble]

Did they definitely have permission?

I've no help sorry but fingers crossed for sound horses in the morning

 

[SEL]

Did they definitely have permission?

I've no help sorry but fingers crossed for sound horses in the morning

They will have had permission for the field next door - he has the manor house up the road and is a big supporter of the hunt. Minions like me and my horses don't matter one bit.

 

[maya2008]

My local hunt are similarly rude. Thankfully they only trot past us on the road, but when out hacking we have had some near misses. My email to the secretary disappeared into the great void that such emails go to. Unacknowledged because, of course, we don’t matter. Doesn’t exactly give a good impression, when another local hunt was in the news for breaking the law last year and was subsequently disbanded.

I hope everyone is ok tomorrow and no vet visit is needed.

 

[Crazy_cat_lady]

I would be absolutely apocalyptic and sending a strongly worded email, tonight, attached to it would be a copy of the email id sent them asking them to let you know when they were there

I'd be taking photos of the trashed field and the sweated up horses (know this may not have been on your mind)

Any lameness or injuries I'd be recording/photographing

I'd also want to know if they definitely had permission, because it makes me think they didn't as you weren't contacted, if it turns out they didn't, I'd also be going down the hunting illegally route, because if it was a proper laid trail, they wouldn't need to go on land they didn't have permission for if there was a proper fake trail to follow.....

I don't know how you stand legally with getting vets fees back, but I'd be wanting them to contribute if it comes to that, as at the bare minimum you'd requested that they notify you so you could take precautions, this didn't happen. At worst they were hunting actual fox, which is illegal

Do you have any chance of getting the neighbours to retract permission so this can't happen again?

 

[Wishfilly]

Keeping my fingers crossed for sound horses. I think there's not any legal recourse, but do speak to the BHS for advice. Maybe your local welfare officer could contact the hunt on your behalf?

I'd be very tempted to post something on social media. I'd hope at least some of the followers would care about the welfare of your horses and might prompt the hunt to do something.

A lot of hunts around here are very secretive about their meets- they say it's because of "antis", but there aren't major sabbing operations around here (there are monitors who film, but why would you care if you're behaving legally?). However, they won't even contact people who are former hunt supporters, so I think it's just an excuse not to make people aware.

 

[Ossy2]

I hope all your horses are ok tomorrow.
On the other side we have a lovely considerate local hunt who always come round and let us know they’re in our area. They run up the fields next to one of our field boundaries. And we were notified in the week they were by us today.
So we kept all horses in today, we still had liveries moaning at us that their horse had to stay in. Despite the fact we’re one of only a couple yards in our area that offers any winter turnout.
Just can’t win sometimes.

 

[Ceriann]

I sympathise and hope all is well with your horses after the incident. My new local hunt does the same and it infuriates me - especially as pre ious hunt used to drop cards. It’s not hard! I know horse owners who’ve kicked up a real fuss and got vet costs paid but can’t see how they are obligated to pay, unless they stray into your fields. Doesn’t stop you trying or sending a very pointed email.

 

[Barton Bounty]

I also really hope they are all ok

 

[SEL]

Keeping my fingers crossed for sound horses. I think there's not any legal recourse, but do speak to the BHS for advice. Maybe your local welfare officer could contact the hunt on your behalf?

I'd be very tempted to post something on social media. I'd hope at least some of the followers would care about the welfare of your horses and might prompt the hunt to do something.

A lot of hunts around here are very secretive about their meets- they say it's because of "antis", but there aren't major sabbing operations around here (there are monitors who film, but why would you care if you're behaving legally?). However, they won't even contact people who are former hunt supporters, so I think it's just an excuse not to make people aware.

I don't think I'll have any recourse either but if he comes up lame tomorrow - particularly because I have a video of him 90% sound this morning - then I'll make a lot of noise. I will email a formal complaint although I doubt anyone will care.

They absolutely will have been allowed to use the field next door. No idea if a trail was laid but the owner will say there was.

 

[SEL]

I hope all your horses are ok tomorrow.
On the other side we have a lovely considerate local hunt who always come round and let us know they’re in our area. They run up the fields next to one of our field boundaries. And we were notified in the week they were by us today.
So we kept all horses in today, we still had liveries moaning at us that their horse had to stay in. Despite the fact we’re one of only a couple yards in our area that offers any winter turnout.
Just can’t win sometimes.

I will ask the local livery yard if they were contacted. I hope the liveries were moaning about the hunt meaning their horses had to stay in, not you!!

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

Similar happened near me last week I posted what went on on a different thread, but the hunt went on farmland they were not supposed to friends horse was so stressed she got colic, she was meant to compete on Friday at Onley and couldn't go, she will get her entry and stabling money back of over £200 but it's not the point.

For people who own horses themselves they are incredibly selfish and obviously do not give a s*it about anyone else's animals.

 

[paddy555]

I'm sorry about what happened SEL and hope they are OK tomorrow.
I don't think there is anything you can do. They were not on your land, had permission etc. Just a shame they didn't do too well on the manners bit.

we had similar but luckily their hounds came onto our land and damaged a fence . I demanded the master came out the following morning which he did and read the riot act. He told me he had fallen off and that was why the hounds went AWOL. He did have a black eye to prove it but I merely told him he should have had back up to control them if he was incapacitated.

I am so totally fed up with these bliddy people. Time the whole performance was banned along with shooting. Only 3 more massacring days left till 1/2.

 

[SpotsandBays]

So angry for you!
Typical Kimblewick Hunt

 

[Ossy2]

I will ask the local livery yard if they were contacted. I hope the liveries were moaning about the hunt meaning their horses had to stay in, not you!!

Moaning we made the decision that horses were not to be turned out. Some liveries wanted to just turn out as normal.

 

[Clodagh]

I’d certainly enclose any ensuing bills to the hunt secretary, with a strong letter. Hopefully they want to keep people sweet.
I hope they are all fine though.

 

[dotty1]

I have a field ornament thanks to the local hunt. She was recovering from annular lig op, she was in her stable in the field as I knew they were around and they decided to take the locked gate off it’s hinges, gallop up to her stable, attempt to jump the electric fences, breaking them in the process, then exit same way as they couldn’t get out any other way. She went ballistic, kicking the stable walls and that was it. Hunt master came out mumbled apology, couldn’t explain why they went in there. I sent vets bill and letter from vet to them and they ignored it.
Today despite being told to avoid the livery yard when wet they have turned the wettest paddock on the farm into a ploughed field, left the electric fence on floor and slip rails down. They even went through the field with 2 horses still in it!
No trail was laid through the fields, or the garden.
They don’t care, they are just obsessed with catching a fox!

What other sport/pastime causes so much inconvenience to the locals….everyone has to get their horses in, pay for extra hay/bedding/extra fuel for trips to yard, locals have to keep their cats in, the whole village/local area is absolute carnage for the day and the few bridlepaths are turned to thick mud with over 100 horses galloping down them, the whole pack of hounds has been rampaging through gardens today too.

I could go on but it makes me too mad!

 

[Surbie]

I really hope yours are all ok in the morning. I am hopping mad on your behalf!

Given the issues with social licence, I'd keep any videos of the state of the horses and the fields to post on social media if there were any issues in the morning. And I would send something very pointed to the hunt, with the original email.

 

[DressageCob]

It is funny how despite reportedly following pre-laid trails they still are unable to predict where they are going or roughly what time they will pass through.

I do think there’s a chance of recourse. If you have emails where you tell them you exist, the horses are there and the fact it’s generally known horses can be wound up by the hunt you may have enough to point to negligence on their part. They failed to tell you they were coming through and if they had done you would have kept your horses in/out of the way. I’d definitely present my vet bills to them. And since small claims are cheap to do I’d go down that route to be honest, although I’m sure I’m in a minority on that.

 

[ycbm]

I am furious on all your behalves. I hope all the horses involved are OK.

It's time this antisocial nonsense was put to bed.
.

 

[Tiddlypom]

Do take it further. Hunts are their own worst enemies, and they don’t give a feck about the little people.

After yet another unexpected visit by my local hunt (not on my land but on its immediate boundary) I wrote a letter to the masters of my local pack informing them that if in future it happened again I would be making them liable for any injuries to my horses. My in foal mare had been in a right bother in the field - she hates the hunt.

On that particular day, the master hadn’t even bothered to notify the local farmers that the hunt were coming, let alone horse owners .

After a *patronising* phone call from a master who tried to tell me it wasn’t even his pack - it most definitely was - and who declared that he couldn’t be expected to let ‘everyone with an acre and a pony‘ know about the hunt in advance, we nailed it that I would be informed in advance in future.

Mostly, but not always, that has happened since. Don’t get fobbed off or appear too reasonable. Kick ass.

ETA * The master may have started by trying to patronise me, but I soon put a stop to that nonsense . I am not for the talking down to, plus I know my sh1t about hunting so I knew when to call him out when he talked bollOx.

 

[Pedantic]

How ignorant and bad manners not letting you know, especially after you requested to be told, had similar at the first yard I was at when I first got my lad, idiot neighbours decided to shoot rabbits other side if the hedge FFS, no prior warning, needless to say a lot of upset horses and worried owners who came down to their horses thinking they were colicking, I was on the yard picking my lads feet out, when BANF BANG, both of us nearly shit ourselves and me hanging on the end of his foot . NOFA

 

[SEL]

@dotty1 it's your kind of situation I'm worried about. If I'd had any idea they were in the area I wouldn't have had an injured horse in the field because another field pet is the last thing I need.

I'm furious enough to follow this up and if any of them need the vet tomorrow then it will be all guns blazing. Plus they took their bl**dy quad bikes up the bridlepath again. The ground will be trashed - that's one for the council.

 

[splashgirl45]

We are pretty lucky here, the hunt always lets quite a few people know and then we phone others to make them aware… if hunts are acting legally and following a trail they can tell more or less where the hounds will go … if they are acting illegally and not laying a trail then they need to be reported

 

[Ditchjumper2]

I can only assume it's because they don't want the sabs to know. That's a waste of time as they just sit outside kennels to follow the hunt vehicles. Many many years ago one of my jobs was sending out cards to all those in the vicinity of the meet with horses or animals. Why hunts no longer do that I have no idea and it's completely unacceptable.

 

[Fjord]

I really hope the horses are all OK SEL.

Reading this thread has made me really angry, how arrogant they all are!

 

[Lucky Snowball]

I hope your horses are ok. I am right next to a shoot. The guns are ok but the beaters run around waving their plastic flags right beside my fence. The shots fall on my stable roof and on the car and yard. They won’t tell me what day they are coming let alone an approx time. Very selfish.

 

[santas_spotty_pony]

To be fair, I usually get a phone call the day before they are going to be close by from ours. Hope your horses are ok.

 

[AmyMay]

I don't think I'll have any recourse either but if he comes up lame tomorrow - particularly because I have a video of him 90% sound this morning - then I'll make a lot of noise. I will email a formal complaint although I doubt anyone will care.

They absolutely will have been allowed to use the field next door. No idea if a trail was laid but the owner will say there was.

I’d also phone the police.

 

[Hormonal Filly]

I’d also phone the police.

I don’t think police will have any interest, sadly.

Really hope your horses are ok OP. Everything crossed