What is it With People and Other Peoples Horses?

MrsMozart

MrsMozart

Just passing through...
Joined
27 June 2008
Messages
41,706
Location
Not where I should be...
Visit site
As in, there's been a number of threads lately regarding 'other people' using ones horses without getting permission, wanting to do things with horses that don't belong to them and which the owner has stated should not be done.

Is it just me, or is the world going mad?
 
I think the world is indeed going mad...

I for one would never dream of doing anything with someone elses horse unless they had asked me to do so, unless the horse was in immediate threat of danger or serious injury i.e removing it from a field or something like that but to take someone elses horse, ride it, trot it up and down or anything else like that is just wrong and out of order...
 
I would be furious if someone touched/ did something with my horse without my permission unless it was really necessary.
 
100% agree. Unless it's something obvious, like a tipped over water bucket in the stable with the prospect of a long and thirsty night ahead - I'd never interfere. If I was bothered about another livery's horse bad enough, I'd knock on the YO door and say. Or I'd text or phone the person myself if I knew them well enough.
 
I did nip over to my neighbour's field the other day to "rescue" her yearling which had escaped and was only separated from the road by a strand of electric fence knee high. Not only was it loose but it was winding itself and all the others up and I could see a situation developing where there were ponies tangled in electric fence and others running loose. So I caught the pony, rebuilt the electric fence and left it at that, having shut her main gates to the road as well.

I would never just go round and start playing with them, and she wouldn't come to mine either, unless it was to resolve a problem.
 
I will always check in through stable doors etc to make sure nothing is amiss (colic, water knocked over etc) but would only interfere if it was an emergency - and even then I would call the owner in any situation other than one whre maybe ther horse was trapped somewhere and I needed to act fast (then would call afterwards)

I'd be livid if anyone interfered with mine, but am always grateful for extra watching eyes checking in on them.
 
I rode sharers horse without asking yesterday but clue is in the name. Sharer. I took horse on for her after she outgrew mine. It belongs to my sister and I have theoretical permission to ride it but never the time unless sharer is there and then she wants to ride it. Only reason I didn't ask is she's left her phone at yard so I couldn't. I look after it all week and cover a chunk of the costs. And I still feel rude.
 
Unless i suddenly start neglecting my horse, i'd be furious if anyone interfered with my boy. The only thing that happens at my yard is there's a 'no horse left out alone' policy, so if there's only him and one other horse they will bring him in to. And that i'm fine with!
 
Would you just nip next door, take your neighbours car keys and drive their car away, no, so no you shouldn't help yourself to someone else's horse.
 
We don't have this problem on the yard but I am amazed at the amount of non horsey mums at my daughters school who, when they find out we have ponies, say "Oooh we must come up this weekend and have a ride, me/my children love riding". To which I normally reply, "Really? When did you start paying their livery bills then?." Cheeky so and so's! And THEY have the cheek to be offended!
 
I would never interfere with another livery and expect them to show me the same respect, the only time I would get involved us if it was an emergency ie horse caught up etc. We have a policy that no horse is left on the field on it's own so whoever brings in last also does the lone horse although mine is happy enough when turned out at 6 in the morning when I am working although he can see other horses
 
indiat said:
We don't have this problem on the yard but I am amazed at the amount of non horsey mums at my daughters school who, when they find out we have ponies, say "Oooh we must come up this weekend and have a ride, me/my children love riding". To which I normally reply, "Really? When did you start paying their livery bills then?." Cheeky so and so's! And THEY have the cheek to be offended!
Click to expand...

I get them to poo pick, clean out the stable, sweep the yard, clean tack and thoroughly groom the ponies if they want to ride. My daughter has some lovely willing friends:D
 
I'd never interfere unless horse was injured or in danger/a danger to themself. I brought a pony in on Christmas day night as everyone appeared to have arrived earlier than normal and as we brought ours in we noticed only one pony left out on its own. Checked stable was ready and it was so brought it in (it had started to run about as ours came in). Didn't known owner's mobile so text someone I knew who did so they could pass a message on, and later owner thanked me. Wouldn't do anything usually without owner's say so, maybe top water up and let them know I had if it was empty.
I too have noticed an increase on here of people doing things with others horses. On my yard it just appears to be an increase in comments about other people's horses although there is one person who will feed other horses without owners' knowledge - hard feed and haylage. I have warned her but she takes no notice!
 
I've occasionally had to do something for another person's horse, ie, spotted a haynet fallen on floor, rug badly slipped, knocked over all their night's water, etc but I always ring them first and say going in or have sorted and is that OK etc - just so they know I've been in their stable and they're OK about it. We had an old horse being chased mercilessly one summer by a hornet and he was at risk of injuring himself in the field so contacted the owner immediately and offered to try and catch him and get him back across to the yard but understandably as he was already distressed and the fact that we have a very busy road to cross and she was only 20 mins away she wanted to do it herself so I just stayed over in the field with him til she arrived. I'm the same, would hope anyone would contact me first before doing anything with my horse unless they are paid staff tasked to do so and I'm aware. I was not impressed when a couple of liveries on our yard got all the other horses out of the field earlier than normal one day as they couldn't catch one of theirs....never asked just did.

But we also have a rule on our yard that horses are not to be left out by themselves so the last horse if owner is not there is brought in by someone else.
 
So would you be annoyed to go up to your yard to find someone coming out of your stable, then discover they have been in there, tied up your horse inside, moved his haynet then plugged in the extension lead to the switch in there to use clippers? Not forgetting that if he had bitten the flex he would have died (and he could reach it!) ??
 
We actually have a clause in our livery contract that you do not ever interfere with a horse that does not belong to you, if you have any concerns you speak to the YO who comes and sorts it out.

The clause even has a sentance about feeding so we do not have the problem of people randomly feeding treats to anyones horses but their own.

Maybe we are just all polite people as I have even been asked if Vardi can have the other half of an apple that is going begging when I have been grooming him.
 
xxMozlarxx said:
So would you be annoyed to go up to your yard to find someone coming out of your stable, then discover they have been in there, tied up your horse inside, moved his haynet then plugged in the extension lead to the switch in there to use clippers? Not forgetting that if he had bitten the flex he would have died (and he could reach it!) ??
Click to expand...


Yes. Though I think 'annoyed' might be an understatement :mad:
 
Interestingly enough, I politely asked the culprit if she could use the switch when my horse was turned out ( there are other switches on the yard) she didnt like this and kicked off... guess who was spoken to by YO??? ME!!! If your face fits!!:(
 
If anyone ever handled my horse when not necessary (ie I'd be grateful if someone rescued her if she escaped or had her rug round her knees) I'd be utterly fuming - not only because she is mine (actually, she's my mum's, but for the sake of argument..!) but because she has an old tendon injury that isn;t particularly well-healed and if she's turned too sharply to the left, or ridden in a less-than-overly-cautious way, she goes very, very lame. To the point where we wonder if she'll ever be sound again. All it would take is one tweak, and we've worked so hard for years to keep her sound...
... so if anyone ever led her about or, god forbid, rode her, they'd have me to answer to and would regret it for a very long time. :mad:

And no, I'm not possessive at all :p
 
I often do bits for YO's horses when I am up doing mine in the evening - top up water, skip out, change rugs if they are hot/cold.

However, we have an arrangement that if I see something needs doing for them when YO isn't there, I will do it, and vice versa if my horse needs something doing in the day when she is at the yard and I'm not. I would never dream of riding without specific permission though.
 
I really hate people feeding my horses by hand! I always know when my boys have been hand fed treats because they keep grabbing my hands and pockets. Something i never do. I wouldn't go next door and feed their dogs grrrrr!!!
 
I get the feeding problem too.
Trouble is, I have a cute ickle fluffy black section a, with an adorable sweet face, and because of this, people go "aww" and give him food, especially when he nickers for it.
What they dont realize, is that he gets very nippy and grabby with treats, which is why I never give him any by hand. I dont appreciate being mugged by him, and greeted with flat ears when he realises I dont have anything.
Luckily, I put a sign up which seems to have stopped it, but just because my pony is small and cute, doesnt mean you should feed him.
I value my fingers!
 
These people aren't mad, they're narcissists and selfish.

They want to ride your horse, they believe they're entitled to ride anything they desire since they're wonderful riders...just ask them, they'll tell you how amazing they are.

We have one brat who has told everyone she just knows she can make several of our horses go better since she's such a good rider. Spoiled Brat!!!

They want it, they want it now...and they don't care if you don't want them to ride your horse, borrow your tack, use anything else of yours...they want it NOW!
 
i wouldn't do anything with another persons horse unless asked, luckily on our yard everyone gets on really well, if something annoys us we speak about it and the air is cleared, never any problems. so when it comes to the horses we all know who can do what with which horse if the need ever arises. but the YO is normally always around.

i had a sharer a couple of years ago for my step daughters TB, i had my own 2 which my own kids help me with. the sharer knew that when my step daughter was here she didn't have to come over as the help wasn't needed. she ended up coming over and taking over my big lad, if i was taking my time to brush him (which i enjoyed) she would grab a brush and hurry doing the other side. i'd throw his rug over and before i had a chance to get round to his chest she would have done it up.

she got so bad at taking over and not listening to me that when the TB went back to owners i had to move my big lad away and take all her things to her house and pointed out that i no longer have a horse. it was the only way!

on the same note as taking other peoples horses, my step daughter would ride (not tack up or take care of) my big lad and she would tell all her friends that he was hers, when i put status updates of him being mine and i did this or that with him her friends contacted me and said i was mean for taking her horse from her and that i had no business saying he was mine. needless to say i hit the roof about that.
 
We are all really chilled on our yard and never have any problems.
No one rides anyone elses horses (obviously unless it was agreed by the owners)
We all check up and down the stables when we are there and if a rug has slipped/drinker is leaking/horse needs more hay we get on and do it. We are all happy with that arrangement.
I ride my mare, my YO or my mares owner (she is on permanant loan) ride her sometimes if she is being a madam before i get on (confidence crisis in the school at the mo!) or if they are working with newly backed youngsters and need something reliable to hack out with them they are more than welcome to borrow my mare to accompany them whenever they like. But no one else rides her due to an old injury so she is not to be hammered about on rough ground. That arrangement also works well.

As we have limited turn out in winter (and my mare is a pain in the neck in the field in winter) she has to be turned out next to something sensible so there is a girl at the yard whos horse is fantastic at nannying others in the field and she is more than happy for us to turn him out with mine and some of the youngsters who need a calming influence.

So all in all, im not worried about people chucking some hay in for my horse, checking her water or rugs. Or even if someone needed a stable urgently if someones horse needed say vet treatment, i wouldnt worry if they moved her to another stable or tied her up temproarily. But i wouldnt want her ridden by anyone other than her owner or my YO because we have worked hard at bringing her into work again carefully.

My yard is one in a million though, we have all known each other for a long time and my YO only has people she knows and likes and trusts livery with her so there is never the worry that things go on that shouldnt.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top