petra_styles
Member
Morning All,
Before I begin to explain my predicament, I thank you in advance for reading what is about to follow, it is somewhat of an epic...! I feel that you should be in full possession of the facts before I prevail upon you for advice.
My sister-in-law (who I will call "Jill") has a 4yo Welsh Sec A. X and a 6yo Clydesdale X, which she has owned for about three years, and bought for her. They are kept in a paddock on her Dad's land, but she has just moved out of her parental home to live with a Uni chum (she is in her final year of study) in a town 10 miles away. They have access also, to a stable.
Jill does not come from horsey parents, though her father spent his early years living on a farm. Her parents are somewhat indulgent and until very recently were easily swayed by anything she said. This meant that she can convince them quite easily of things, namely when it comes to the care of her horses. This means that they horses in question have gone about four months with no farrier, are never wormed and have their vaccinations out of date because Jill has informed them that worming is a waste of time and money, they don't need to be vaccinated and the farrier.... well, you get the picture.
They are not visited upon daily, so if they were to fall ill or suffer an injury, she would not notice. I don't think that they have even seen a grooming kit for the best part of a year and their stables will go for a week without being mucked out (or even skipped out), resulting in the horse and the pony standing fetlock-deep in their own you-know-what.
They are not handled and have not been in all the time she has had them. When she attempts to do anything with them (in a rather heavy-handed fashion) they are fearful of her or are naughty. Neither are backed.
However, During the recent spell of unfortunate weather we have been forced to endure, my husband and his father have been taking the horses in at night and turning them out in the morning this past week, before they start their work for the day. They and Jill's mother hay and water the horses, but have not the time to muck them out (Jill was duly told she would have to do this upon her return from work each night - she has not).
Jill claims she has not the time to attend them. When she is on placement, she starts work at 9 each morning and finishes at 5. When she is not on placement, her lectures are few and far between and she has not the need to work, as her rent etc. is paid by her parents. I understand that University study can be stressful and take up alot of time, but I feel that this is a poor excuse for her neglect of these horses. I have worked in hotels, night shifts, 6am early starts at Tesco all last winter and only passed my driving test last April (I am 22yo). I have rarely had fewer than 2 jobs at any one time, but have always found time for my horses to be visited on and managed properly twice a day; and for my mother's at the weekends, too.
I find myself having an inner battle. I will not see the horses suffer, so whenever I am at their house, will muck out, feed, groom etc. But at the same time, it is not my responsibility, nor anyone else's to do so. If I hadn't the time or resources to keep my horses, I (like many others) would be forced to sell them. She does not appreciate them, nor does she know how to care for them. And yet she still has them.
I take no issue with people of a non-horsey background keeping horses.
I have kept horses almost my whole life. I come from a horse / military background and have sat BHS examinations and went to college to sit Equine Studies. I have also had several jobs on busy riding schools over the years. Thus, I believe I have a fairly firm grip on the care and schooling of horses.
What should I do? Should I stress my belief that she should not have them? Or steer clear? I think that they should be sold, to someone who would appreciate them, before it is too late and they are ruined.
Before I begin to explain my predicament, I thank you in advance for reading what is about to follow, it is somewhat of an epic...! I feel that you should be in full possession of the facts before I prevail upon you for advice.
My sister-in-law (who I will call "Jill") has a 4yo Welsh Sec A. X and a 6yo Clydesdale X, which she has owned for about three years, and bought for her. They are kept in a paddock on her Dad's land, but she has just moved out of her parental home to live with a Uni chum (she is in her final year of study) in a town 10 miles away. They have access also, to a stable.
Jill does not come from horsey parents, though her father spent his early years living on a farm. Her parents are somewhat indulgent and until very recently were easily swayed by anything she said. This meant that she can convince them quite easily of things, namely when it comes to the care of her horses. This means that they horses in question have gone about four months with no farrier, are never wormed and have their vaccinations out of date because Jill has informed them that worming is a waste of time and money, they don't need to be vaccinated and the farrier.... well, you get the picture.
They are not visited upon daily, so if they were to fall ill or suffer an injury, she would not notice. I don't think that they have even seen a grooming kit for the best part of a year and their stables will go for a week without being mucked out (or even skipped out), resulting in the horse and the pony standing fetlock-deep in their own you-know-what.
They are not handled and have not been in all the time she has had them. When she attempts to do anything with them (in a rather heavy-handed fashion) they are fearful of her or are naughty. Neither are backed.
However, During the recent spell of unfortunate weather we have been forced to endure, my husband and his father have been taking the horses in at night and turning them out in the morning this past week, before they start their work for the day. They and Jill's mother hay and water the horses, but have not the time to muck them out (Jill was duly told she would have to do this upon her return from work each night - she has not).
Jill claims she has not the time to attend them. When she is on placement, she starts work at 9 each morning and finishes at 5. When she is not on placement, her lectures are few and far between and she has not the need to work, as her rent etc. is paid by her parents. I understand that University study can be stressful and take up alot of time, but I feel that this is a poor excuse for her neglect of these horses. I have worked in hotels, night shifts, 6am early starts at Tesco all last winter and only passed my driving test last April (I am 22yo). I have rarely had fewer than 2 jobs at any one time, but have always found time for my horses to be visited on and managed properly twice a day; and for my mother's at the weekends, too.
I find myself having an inner battle. I will not see the horses suffer, so whenever I am at their house, will muck out, feed, groom etc. But at the same time, it is not my responsibility, nor anyone else's to do so. If I hadn't the time or resources to keep my horses, I (like many others) would be forced to sell them. She does not appreciate them, nor does she know how to care for them. And yet she still has them.
I take no issue with people of a non-horsey background keeping horses.
I have kept horses almost my whole life. I come from a horse / military background and have sat BHS examinations and went to college to sit Equine Studies. I have also had several jobs on busy riding schools over the years. Thus, I believe I have a fairly firm grip on the care and schooling of horses.
What should I do? Should I stress my belief that she should not have them? Or steer clear? I think that they should be sold, to someone who would appreciate them, before it is too late and they are ruined.
hope u can sort it all out.x