Would you take this project on?

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Gwena

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I have the opportunity to take on / help look after a horse on a tiny DIY yard I visit a few times a week. Said horse is about 17 and apparantly a bit of a baggage. She's about 14.3 and suffers with sweet itch and is said to drop a shoulder very effectively when initially brought back into work. She's living off minimum care (and I mean minimum) and the few people who go there all try & look after her. The owner is young (early 20's) and has a few kids and without sounding 'inflamatory' not the brightest!. The YO has had a word with the owner about the care of this horse, but not much is changing.

I ride a lovely horse there already & don't know if I should invest time & money into the above mentioned or just concentrate on the one that my daughter & I are riding.

Even if I don't get to the point of riding the horse, do you think it would be silly investing in SI rugs & suppliments/wormers & trims (was only trimmed 2x last year :eek: Regularly groom her & maybe take her out in hand. Or would this just be letting the owner get away with murder? She has said I can do what I want with her.

In a moral dilemma!
 
hmm tough one. I would personally be willing to invest as much time as I had available and free, but I would be more reluctant to invest money in someone else's horse (unless I was actually rolling in it :p). I guess it depends whether the horse is actually suffering - in which case contacting a welfare org might be a decent idea - or whether it's just not kept in ideal conditions...
 
Yes I would, because I have a mare suffering badly from sweet-itch. If you can keep her to a rigid region of how many hours per day she is stabled and let out. The sweet-itch only gets worse over the years,but if you can manage the before it all flares up,you will be doing well,many of the creams and so on are useless if you animal is like mine and can smell Benso Bensolyte(I can never spell it right) I think my mare had it put on neat on her sores before I bought her and she can smell it a mile off and most of the products have it in there somewhere. A Boett rug+mask is expensive but well worth it,but ther many other rugs out there that are just as good for the ones not so bad.Just read up on sweet-itch and see if you want too.
 
Wouldnt put money in to it. But if you think you can sit out the spins then by all means have a go at bringing her back in to work as you might be able to hack out with your daughter if it goes well but dont be to dissapointed if it doesnt happen.
 
I'm definately not rolling in it!!!! but have enough to play with. I think she's a borderline Welfare issue. RSPCA wouldn't see it as one thats for sure.
I'm a sucker for a sob story too & is probably pretty obvious!

Not sure if I should just start slowly with her while I'm there and take the situation as it comes and gain a bit of trust. I don't know the last time she was groomed so this might be a good starting point and a test of the waters as to what I may let myself into.
 
Is the horse lacking the right care because she doesn't understand what she should be doing? Or is she just ignoring the YO's advice?
 
Wow loads of replies whilst typing the last post!

I'm not sure what I would get out of it tbh. Ultimately I would like to see her more comfortable and happier than she already is. It did cross my mind that if I put time and effort in and the owner then decided that she was 'useable' again I could be left with nothing other than a slightly lighter bank balance.....but would this be a good thing for the horses welfare.
 
I have a similar moral dilemma myself...all my friends and family have reminded me I cannot save them all.

I'm not sure what I would do....maybe you could start slowly with her and find out a bit more about the type of horse you make be taking on.

I would certainly be happy to give up time to groom her and also have the feet trimmed.

How confident are you to bring this horse back into work? it sounds like it would take a while before you could even try and it would be a long process.
 
Forgot to mention the owner has said I can do what I want with the horse.

Hacking out with my daughter would be wonderful - am currently walking out with her.

Going to have to swat up on how much the Boett rugs are etc etc.

Head is saying walk away - heart is saying help the poor girl!
 
I guess I would start by doing the things with her which won't significantly lighten your bank balance and see how it goes. It may be you don't need to throw a fortune away in supplements and if you did buy a fly rug, it would remain yours (unless she trashed it) if the owner decided (for example) to sell up. It's definitely not an easy decision :o
 
Aaagh can't keep up!

Not worried about bringing a horse back into work - time is on my side.

I think that I will start with leading her & grooming her and get a bit of a bond going. Today she came to me & put her head over my shoulder, but I've been told by others who have been there for some time she's feral???

Even if I keep her feet good & walk her out in hand then surely that will enrich her life - oh and get her sweet itch managed.
 
Sorry but the SWEET ITCH comes first, Honestly if you have never seen a horse try and rub itself raw,please take note of what we owners of said sweet itch horses have to say, because we've been through hell with our horses who suffer with sweet itch. I was considering having my mare put down last year because of it, because her sweet itch had gotten so bad. This year I'm trying the capsules that the National Sweet Itch recokoned they are expensive but if they do the trick money well spent
 
Think this through carefully with all possible outcomes. You may find you put a lot of time into the mare with limited reward, the owner may back off further and let you take on inevitable expenses like trimming, feed, worming and SI lotions.
Then when mare is doing well and the owner has more time/interest, she could want the horse back only to lose interest again.

The worst outcome for the mare would be for you to care and then leave her for reasons she will not understand. Equally, you may become deeply attached only to find the mare is taken from you to face hapazard care again.

I recently watched this happen to magnificent horse when his carer moved away leaving him to neglect once more by his owner.
It was heart breaking to watch, I moved too, otherwise I would have offered to take him on.
 
I think it depends how you will feel it owner suddenly decides to move her, or takes over again and you dont like how she is treating the horse again.

If you are going to get involved how would you feel if you have to walk away? Are you prepared to fully take her on? Its such a hard one.

I looked after a gelding for about 5 years...he had an owner but she barely groomed him, only trimmed feet and wormed when I asked her too, I supplemented his hay and feed, bought a shelter...it goes on.....Then I had to leave the field....my mare needed stabling......I cried and cried, I didn't want to leave him behind and 2 years on I am still regretting leaving him....it breaks my heart most days (ask my poor friends!)

The owner is still not looking after him properly and she now wants rid of him......I am truly heartbroken and I'm desperately trying to find a way to rehome him...she thinks the RSPCA will have him as she doesn't want him anymore! but none of the welfare places will take him as he isn't underweight, has water and feet are bad but not bad enough. I do not have the money to have him and my OH wouldn't let me when I mentioned it months ago. So please tread carefully - I know you want to help but I 'enabled' this owner to carry on and if I hadn't then she may have rehomed him earlier...when he was still young enough to be of interest :(
 
Even the dimmest of people can prick up their ears at the sound of money... my guess is that it would get sold on at the first chance of it looking and riding any good

Unless the owner is willing to sell you the horse I wouldnt put in any amount of time or money in to it

The YO should be putting her foot down too, a welfare case on the yard isnt good for her or business!
 
Gwena said:
Forgot to mention the owner has said I can do what I want with the horse.

Hacking out with my daughter would be wonderful - am currently walking out with her.

Going to have to swat up on how much the Boett rugs are etc etc.

Head is saying walk away - heart is saying help the poor girl!
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if it was me, then, yes, absolutely I would help her, forget the owner, the chances are, if she was even slightly interested in the pony, she would have been looking after it.
I.e, the sweetitch might not be that bad to need rugs etc. I have a horse who has mild sweetitch, and it can be controlled without too much bother.
I would help her, just think how grateful she would be for a bit of attention, but im a soft touch, and proud of it !!
 
i did this years ago with a so called friends horse. she couldnt be bothered with the horse at all and it was seriouly obese (he actually died last week due to a fit from being diabetic r.i.p big lad)
i spent loads of my money on this horse sorting his feet out, getting him level an then sorting his back out. he was crazy to ride due to being in pain with his back for so long an he threw me more times then i care to remember, but eventually i got him going lovely an then owner took him back off me. she rode him for about 2months and then left him in field again.
i wold walk away, people who can abandon their horses like this have no conscious
 
Some wonderful insights , thank you everyone. I'm going to sleep on it (I'm much more sensible in the morning!).
I'll try & bump into the owner tomorrow & casually bring up a conversation on the boett rugs (how do I do that?!!!!! Lol). And generally take it from there. Again thanks for your help. Gx
 
5.5 years ago II had Blaze at a big DIY yard. There was a little Arab mare in one of the fields that everyone felt sorry for. She had been there for years, never looked after, rugged in winter, fed, hayed, or feet managed. Owner was always behind with the livery and rarely came down. The mare was out 24/7/365.
After witnessing my daughter crying one night after seeing the mare, alone and shivering by the gate, during an October storm, I contacted the owner and asked if she would mind my daughter 'looking after' the pony. The owner agreed, said they would continue to pay for everything (haha!), they just had no time, what with family etc etc.
After a few months, the owners were even further behind with the livery, bought no food/bedding/rugs. They hadn't even appeared to check us out! I was providing everything for the mare and so I called them to ask if we could take her on loan. They agreed, did come down once with a half arsed contract, didn't bother walking to the field to see her because 'it was cold'. But they 'loved' her!! Yeah, right!
When I moved to my current rented yard, I phoned to ask if I could take the mare. They made a fuss - why did I have to move her? They would have to vet the place, write a new contract. Despite numerous arrangements, they never bothered to come.
Last year I contacted them to say that I was having financial difficulties. My husband was left permanently disabled and unable to work after an accident. I was struggling with 3 horses and explained that I wished to keep the mare but needed a contribution from them for her livery. I would feed her etc. Their reply? We haven't got any money, if you can't afford her then sell her! Mare is now 21 and retired! Explained the current market re selling. Well, just give her away then!!! Remember - they LOVE this horse!!
Anyway, I flipped and told them I would starve before I gave her away, they would never get her back and to shove their 'contract'.
Never heard from them since. Not once.
The mare is now living with my lovely friend, 10 mins away, as a companion to her two horses and I visit regularly.
Don't really know why I have gushed all of this story :) just to say, I suppose, that you could end up with far more than you bargained for. And when you have looked after and loved them for years, you feel totally responsible, even if they ARE still nominally owned by someone else. It is almost impossible to walk away. And people will take the piss if they feel you are a soft touch.
However if, like me, you think the horse will benefit and you are happy to take on the extra work and expense, you will reap the rewards tenfold. :)
My little mare comes galloping across to meet me when I visit. She is happy, healthy and loved by myself and my friend and will be with us to the end. I can't imagine what the outcome would have been if I had walked away. Maybe another 'softy' would have taken her on. Or maybe she would just have been shivering by that gate every winter until she passed away. Who knows?
 
debsg said:
5.5 years ago II had Blaze at a big DIY yard. There was a little Arab mare in one of the fields that everyone felt sorry for. She had been there for years, never looked after, rugged in winter, fed, hayed, or feet managed. Owner was always behind with the livery and rarely came down. The mare was out 24/7/365.
After witnessing my daughter crying one night after seeing the mare, alone and shivering by the gate, during an October storm, I contacted the owner and asked if she would mind my daughter 'looking after' the pony. The owner agreed, said they would continue to pay for everything (haha!), they just had no time, what with family etc etc.
After a few months, the owners were even further behind with the livery, bought no food/bedding/rugs. They hadn't even appeared to check us out! I was providing everything for the mare and so I called them to ask if we could take her on loan. They agreed, did come down once with a half arsed contract, didn't bother walking to the field to see her because 'it was cold'. But they 'loved' her!! Yeah, right!
When I moved to my current rented yard, I phoned to ask if I could take the mare. They made a fuss - why did I have to move her? They would have to vet the place, write a new contract. Despite numerous arrangements, they never bothered to come.
Last year I contacted them to say that I was having financial difficulties. My husband was left permanently disabled and unable to work after an accident. I was struggling with 3 horses and explained that I wished to keep the mare but needed a contribution from them for her livery. I would feed her etc. Their reply? We haven't got any money, if you can't afford her then sell her! Mare is now 21 and retired! Explained the current market re selling. Well, just give her away then!!! Remember - they LOVE this horse!!
Anyway, I flipped and told them I would starve before I gave her away, they would never get her back and to shove their 'contract'.
Never heard from them since. Not once.
The mare is now living with my lovely friend, 10 mins away, as a companion to her two horses and I visit regularly.
Don't really know why I have gushed all of this story :) just to say, I suppose, that you could end up with far more than you bargained for. And when you have looked after and loved them for years, you feel totally responsible, even if they ARE still nominally owned by someone else. It is almost impossible to walk away. And people will take the piss if they feel you are a soft touch.
However if, like me, you think the horse will benefit and you are happy to take on the extra work and expense, you will reap the rewards tenfold. :)
My little mare comes galloping across to meet me when I visit. She is happy, healthy and loved by myself and my friend and will be with us to the end. I can't imagine what the outcome would have been if I had walked away. Maybe another 'softy' would have taken her on. Or maybe she would just have been shivering by that gate every winter until she passed away. Who knows?
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Good on you, for being so loving and kind....although, your story just had me in tears...
 
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me&Harvey said:
If you do take her on I would make sure a proper contract it drawn up as owner sounds the sort to take advantage.
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I definatly advise a loan agreement .
I was a welfare officer and this truth is how most semi neglected horses get dealt with before WHW and BHS or RSPCA ever get involved the local horsey community sorts an answer for its self.
 
WelshD said:
Even the dimmest of people can prick up their ears at the sound of money... my guess is that it would get sold on at the first chance of it looking and riding any good

Unless the owner is willing to sell you the horse I wouldnt put in any amount of time or money in to it.

The YO should be putting her foot down too, a welfare case on the yard isnt good for her or business!
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^^^This - The YO has a duty of care and should be sorting this, even if it means getting welfare agencies involved.

I think that this girl needs a strict telling that her care is substandard and won't be tolerated. I would only take the horse on if I could buy it for a song, as I'm sure once it was worth something after spending your time and money it would be sold. If that doesn't happen I'd contact BHS welfare or WHW and ask them to pay a visit and advise, it might just spur her into action.
 
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