What would you do, if anything?

JadeyB

JadeyB

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There's a lady at the yard i am at who has a horse who is in a LOT of pain... from what she has said and i have overheard from the vet the horse has cushings and/or chronic laminitis. My issue is that while she looks after the horse well, in that his bed is always clean, she's there every day, etc.... she keeps turning the horse out on good grass, she wont pay for xrays or the medication she is told he needs instead she tries various herbal remedies, none of which seem to make any difference.

Part of me thinks it's none of my business and that although she's choosing to ignore vets and farriers advice she seems to take care of the horse in her own way but it breaks my heart watching this horse struggling to walk, laying down constantly in his stable and not even being able to move around to his feed when it's put him. I even see her turning him in very tight circles on the yard to the point of him almost falling over! :(

I guess i shouldn't assume she should do what i would do but from what people at the yard say this has been going on for quite a long time.
 
It's not really your business tbh you haven't been party to the vets specific advice only hearsay from others on the yard.

As you say she is caring for the horse in her own way and she is having the vet out which surely you wouldn't pay for if you were going to ignore his advice.
 
I'd talk to your YO. Poor pony. I lost one of my ponies to laminitis when I was 18. I don't understand how anyone can keep their pony suffering though that. It broke my heart to have him PTS (and broke my dad's heart, who was the one to do it), but it would have broken my heart even more to see him living as a shell, in constant pain.

I wonder if vet's advice is to PTS (that was the advice of the equine vet who saw Harry, and of my farrier) and she thinks her pony will miraculously recover.
 
Sounds like a couple on my yard! A vet has recommended one horse be pts due to age/poor condition chronic lameness (has cushings amongst other things) the owner won't.

The other one, vet has recommended further investigatios.... Suspects kissing spine and pelvic issues. Owner says vet doesn't know what they're talking about! It walks the way it does because its part trotter!

Their "professional/experienced instructor" (unqualified uninsured novice who has had no professional, or otherwise training in anything horse related, has never ever had a riding lesson) agrees that the horse is just "at it" to get put of work. Therefore should be lunged in tight circles for half an hour each side in canter without any warm up!

It's a complete DIY yard.... No yard manager or similar just land owner who collects money. The liveries have politely suggested a second opinion, but no not interested, can't see past their "instructor"

To top it off there's 2 very qualified and well respected instructors that visit the yard weekly, and one very very good, qualified and insured groom.
 
The YO is lovely but doesn't get involved really with the horses. I have been told by someone who is stabled close to myself and the person in question that she was liveried there before and left because some many people commented on how it was cruel not to medicate, or even put the horse to sleep when it's clearly in a lot of pain. I was privy to the vet's last visit because i am stabled next door and was mucking out at the time, and she was told to box rest, give bute and leave on the supports he'd put on the horses feet, but when i arrived the next evening the horse was out and she started saying that the supports had come off and her ones we much better. i said i totally disagreed with what she was doing and left it at that.

Obviously yard gossip should be taken with a pinch of salt but it sounds like she swaps and changes her vets and farriers constantly, blaming them for not doing the right thing to refuse paying them. my own farrier refuses to shoe for he because he'd once got the horse sound in the past only for her to take it on a 3 hour hack then cripple it again.

I probably do need to voice my concerns to the YO though because i personally feel this is a welfare issue and the lady in question wont discuss how much pain and distress her horse seems to be in.
 
If her horse is struggling to walk so much how does she get it to the field etc?
Surely she should notice it is on pain and needs help.

These situations are difficult because she thinks she is do the best thing.

Yard owner or vet need to get tough and tell her the horse needs help.
 
JadeyB said:
The YO is lovely but doesn't get involved really with the horses.
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She doesn't have a choice - it's called duty of care. And if the horse's welfare is being abused then she would be found as guilty as the owner.

So, a word with the YO tell of your concerns, and explain what she needs to do about it. If she won't listen. Call the RSPCA.
 
YO will do nothing, she did nothing last time.
I'm gobsmacked the many vets haven't reported her as a welfare issue, which it clearly is.
I'd suggest getting WHW or RSPCA involved is the only way forward.

It should be pointed out to YO that as well as the owner she can be held legally responsible for the horse's welfare too, particularly if she fails to do anything about it.
 
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