What would you do? Long sorry!

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Allie5

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Ok here goes.... I keep my youngster at a very nice little livery yard (21 horses max). Been there 8 months now.The owners are farmers who branched out and they are lovely lovely people in their 60's now. They really will bend over backwards to help any of us. In the box next to my boy is a sweet palamino youngster (D) who is rising three as far as I know. In the time I have been at the yard I have seen the owner 3 times. During the summer fair enough I guess as they were all out 24/7. We all kept an eye on him as we dealt with our own horses. When the nasty snow hit everyone brought their horses in except D. YO eventually brought him in as he was seriously stressing out there alone. YO tells us that Ds owner is having relationship problems and has no car. For the next five weeks D was boxed. I put my boy in and out weather permitting. D never even got out for a walk. YO would throw hay into him once a day and we gave him water when the automatic water pipes froze. When it thawed all the horses went out again apart from D as no contact with the owner. Eventually YO got fed up and asked my hubby and I to put D out. We then mucked out his box. 6 barrows full of solid s**t with some hay and a sprinkle of shavings mixed in (concrete floor, no mats). So it starts snowing again here fri night. Sat evening Ds owner turns up and brings him in as every other horse is coming in. I had to go home at that point but I arrived this morning to find D with no hay, no water or bedding. As in no bedding at all, standing on concrete. He must have had hay last night as there was some in front of his door and fallen through the bars from a haynet. However his owner doesn't have any hay in her allocated space (hasn't for months and we have to buy from YO) so where did the hay come from? She has no bedding for him at all. YO says owner can't get up without the car. We have another livery who gets two busses and walks a mile twice a day to get here. I'm angry because every day I go up and I want to cry for him. My boy is there tucking into his huge haynets in a comfortable bed and D is licking the bars because he needs a drink! I have been giving him my hay and filling his water. Owner is still paying her livery so I'm not sure if money is a problem for her. I have said to YO that if she sorts out hay and shavings I'll look after him. But then part of me thinks why should I? He's not my responsibility and the owner really needs to either get off her a**e or sell him. So to get down to it, what would you do in this situation?
 
Responsibility really rests with the YO.

We might not always agree with how others keep thier horses, but it is really a matter for the owner and the yard owner.

If there is active cruelty or neglect then you could try calling WHW or the RSPCA - although it would be far better if the YO did. But the bare minimum is shelter and access to water. It sounds like he has that, even if it is not what we might consider sufficient.

It sounds like the YO has contact with the owner. They are not likely to thank you for interfereing.
 
I would probably call WHW if I were you. Don't feed or water him and don't let anyone else either. If the horse has no water then it is a welfare case. It's probably enough that if they speak to the owner she will get her act together. Shock tactics work pretty well usually.

If you do feed and water him however they will say they can't do anything so you'll have to just be mentally strong for a couple of days.

I don't care how bad her life is. To leave a horse with no water is enough for me to bypass polite enquiry and go straight to the authorities.
 
How annoying. It sounds more like owner is suffering from depression to be honest. D shouldn't have to suffer because she can't get there, if money is not the issue then D's owner should at least offer to pay for the additional help that she's getting. I'd say that it is the YOs responsibility to address this however.

It sounds like no one else on the yard has got involved? What are their opinions?
 
Sometimes it needs someone to intervene, not interfere, for the good of the animal. Its a tough situation but at the end of the day it is the horse that is going without. What would happen if this horse was on a yard where the YO and other liveries did not give him hay and water? Maybe you and YO could come up with a plan of action and put some points to the owner regarding ways forward with the horse with regards to managment and routine, if the owner is willing to shell out a bit more money for the horse to have it on an "assisted" livery then that would work out better all round. At the end of the day the owners personal problems are not the horses fault.
 
The other liveries are aware of what's happening and they help me with topping up his water etc then there is lots of complaining about how he's being treated but nothing actually done about it. Maybe it's because he's right next to me that it's affecting me so badly. And interfering or not I do not believe this horses basic needs are being met.
 
Highlight your issues with the YO and ask them to address it.

As you are all seeing to the horse, essentially the basic needs are being met so it is unlikely that the RSPCA/WHW will intervene.
 
i've been in several situation like this years ago, always take responsibility for any animal that comes your way that needs help, its our duty to not walk away, they can't help themselves, this horse needs water now, this horse needs hay now minimum 3 times a day, this horse needs bedding now, how can he lie down on concrete,? when was he last wormed and shod?
it won't cost a fortune and is only a short term measure until something is sorted out.
 
what a shame!!

I also know that Redwings horse sanctuary used to be very good at sending someone out and will then track down owner and 'advise' Not used them for years so don't know how well it works now

I know this is not as good as removing said horse, but we all know how bad it has to be for that to happen

http://www.redwings.org.uk/welfare/

They used to have lots of welfare advisor's around the country, I'm not sure how many they have nowadays but worth a try. They will also report to RSPCA etc if necessary
 
tristar said:
i've been in several situation like this years ago, always take responsibility for any animal that comes your way that needs help, its our duty to not walk away, they can't help themselves, this horse needs water now, this horse needs hay now minimum 3 times a day, this horse needs bedding now, how can he lie down on concrete,? when was he last wormed and shod?
it won't cost a fortune and is only a short term measure until something is sorted out.
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I agree with the above. This has happened on our yard, maybe that to that degree, and people have said leave the horse as the owner has to learn. I can't do that as it is the horse that is suffering not the owner.
 
I would never see a horse without hay or water but the problem with taking over looking after is what do yo do if the horse then needs the vet??
 
soulfull said:
what a shame!!

I also know that Redwings horse sanctuary used to be very good at sending someone out and will then track down owner and 'advise' Not used them for years so don't know how well it works now

I know this is not as good as removing said horse, but we all know how bad it has to be for that to happen

http://www.redwings.org.uk/welfare/

They used to have lots of welfare advisor's around the country, I'm not sure how many they have nowadays but worth a try. They will also report to RSPCA etc if necessary
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I don't think the horse necessarily needs removing but the owner does need telling and a welfare organisation are in the ideal situation to give advice.
 
YO has reneged their right to get fed up with doing the horse I am afraid. The responsibility lies solely with the YO unless he/she can effectively evict the horse and owner.

If the YO continues neglecting the horse then someone needs to call welfare but be very aware it is going to cause bad feeling, and probably bite you on the bum as you will have to effectively report the horse owner AND the YO.

Wouldn't like to be in your shoes tbh. Seen these things turn nasty too often.
 
jesstickle said:
I don't think the horse necessarily needs removing but the owner does need telling and a welfare organisation are in the ideal situation to give advice.
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Sorry I didn't mean that he needs removing just that in some cases they can arrange it through RSPCA/whw etc if needed
 
soulfull said:
Sorry I didn't mean that he needs removing just that in some cases they can arrange it through RSPCA/whw etc if needed
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Don't apologise. I was more clarifying what I had said, as I also said contact a rescue organisation. You phrased your description better than me and I was just trying to explain. I'm not doing very well this morning!
 
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