Warning!

[Littlepowderkeg]

Please let this be a warning to everybody about sharing yards with others. I recently allowed my horse to go out on loan to a friend; I trust my friend implicitly (still do) and inspected the yard where my horse was going to be kept. My horse went to the yard and several weeks later I checked on her and all was well. Last Tuesday I received a call from my friend to tell me we had to move the horses and quickly (within days). It transpires that the other person, who was sharing the yard with my friend, was in fact pocketing my friends rent money and not paying the yard owners and much worse, was refusing to feed any of the horses! Sixteen horses were forced to share a field with no grass, and no access to any hay or haylage despite hay and haylage being at the yard! This person owns a lot of native ponies several of whom are heavily in foal. None of them are being fed, or have any grass and all are stood knee deep in mud. The fencing consisted of barbed wire, and wooden pallets tied together with baler twine. This person also left a foal for weeks with an eye infection only for my friend to call her vets and pay for the treatment herself – to our knowledge despite having the eye drops this person never actually administered the treatment. The other person has bullied and threatened my friend who has suffered terribly as result, as has my horse and hers. Thankfully the two horses are now in a fabulous yard with as much fibre as they can eat. However, this “other person’s” ponies are still at the original yard and are without any food at all, there are young colts who have been left in stables which are not mucked out and are without water and hay.. The rescue charities and welfare officers have been contacted. If anyone has been in a similar position in the South Gloucestershire/Bath area can you please PM me with details. I do not want to start a discussion on the matter and do not want any names named on the forum. I do however want to hear from anyone who’s horse this person was supposed to look after and didn’t and who may have had given them money in good faith for rent or livery just for it to be pocketed by them. This is potentially a Police matter hence why we MUST NOT name and shame on this forum, I am keen to make sure that firstly this person is stopped from defrauding not only other horse owners but yard owners as well, and secondly that no more horses or ponies have to suffer because of their actions. Please be very VERY careful if you intend to share a yard with someone who you have only known for a short period of time.

 

[Luci07]

Just to point out that someone else might well be fooled with this person - you inspected the yard as did your friend and didn't see this side of it until much later. Are you able to perhaps make any suggestions so that other people do not get caught? i.e direct links with actual YO or similiar?

 

[Littlepowderkeg]

This person is currently and has always been (as far as I know) based in the South Glouc/Bath area, and has a number of horses and ponies. The only thing I can suggest to anyone who is thinking of renting a yard with someone is, do your homework, try and obtain references wherever possible, that goes for livery yards too. Always pay the YO yourself wherever possible and if paying cash get a receipt. Prehaps other YO's on here can suggest ways in which they try to prevent this type of thing from happening. Despite a lot of sometimes silly gossip taking place within the equine community, I believe that people who seriously mistreat/abuse their horses should be more freely exposed. It's a sad world when trust is abused.

 

[LizzyLou]

Hi Littlepowderkeg

I think your friend is a mutual friend of us both. I think very highly of her and am very angry that this has happened, both for her sake and for the sake of the ponies left in terrible conditions.

To the best of my knowledge, two of the mares there are in foal and there are also two babies. As you say, one of them has an eye infection that is not being treated in spite of our friend obtaining medication. As you say also, there are two colts which are left in constantly without being tended to. Also, one little mare appears to be ill and is very unsteady on her feet. Needless to say, she is not being treated.

This is a scandalous situation, of the type you usually hear about only on television. I'm very glad the appropriate organizations have been contacted.

Please be assured you have my full support.

For the benefit of other readers on this forum, the yard in question is on private land in South Gloucestershire, north of Bristol, rather than in the Bath area. If anyone wants to PM me I will give a few more details.

 

[MiJodsR2BlinkinTite]

Gosh how awful.

As a YO (DIY), I'd personally expect EVERYONE with their horses on the yard to have signed up to an agreement; if there was a situation where the horse was "on loan" then (not having had to deal with this situation), I think I'd ask for a copy of the passport just to make sure all was kosher and above board.

I would expect everyone to be signed up to a loan agreement for their individual horses; and to PAY ME DIRECT THEMSELVES. I think this is maybe where things have gone wrong? The loan agreement would detail what rent is payable and when, and which horse/owner it is applicable to and on what livery basis. I only do DIY but the last livery I had was a bad-un - basically just left her poor pony in its stable (which I then had to see to), so know how difficult things can get.

Personally I'd be an interfering bitch (and had to do so in the case mentioned) if I noticed one of the horses not being seen to properly and start kicking arse PDQ, and/or kicking people off the yard.

How to prevent in future? mmmm, well YO's are often criticised and maligned on this forum, BUT the only way in cases like this is to get stuck in and interfere, and be a helluva Dragon. Each livery pays their way for a start; and takes responsibility for their own horses and not someone elses; or get kicked out basically.