WWYD *very long*

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darkbay19

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I'm not getting myself involved in this sitsurion but I feel compelled to write something the girls mum had asked me what to do but I honestly don't know what advice to give her so I look for your help it will make sense as you read on.

I work at a riding school, the pay is rubbish I am talked to like rubbish and the work load is rubbish. But I stay anyway as I love the horses and can't bring myself to leave them. The yard is mostly ran my me and a bunch of teenage volunteers. One girl in particular is our biggest helper and we can barely make do with out her. This girl is amazing she is given all the difficult ponies and has sorted pretty much all of them. One pony in particular she feel in love with because he was exceptionally dificult. This particular pony was on loan to te didn't school for the last 4 years, on due to the fact that his owner had to become self suffiecent. His owner never intended to keep him he was only a project to be sold but didn't sell him. The ponys time in the riding school wasn't a good time I've became almost unrideabke and his owner never once came to see him. Fast forward a year this particular girl puts a stop to how the ponies being treated at the riding school she got fed up of just bitting the poor lad up and plonking it in bad saddles. The girl then loans the pony of the riding school because she can't take it anymore with him. The girl planned to loan him off his owner which took another year as the riding school wouldn't give the girl the owners information because we didn't want to loose her. If j knew the owner I would have given her the details. Fast forward another year pony moves to a yard near the girls house, the yard is the one the pony used to be on before being at the riding school. The loan contract says the pony can only be turned out with geldings but yard wanted to put him out with marrs the girl told the owner this and she was fine with that. But this didn't work out as the pony went into a pen into the mares field and kept jumping out his pen, and pulled the fencing up the field. This also upset the mares as the pony got very close to one mare and the other mare got very jealous. The girl has now been asked to buy her own fencing which was not written into her livery contract nor was it expcected of her. The only other option for the pony was to turn it out with the yard owners horses but there is still a mare I that field, and the yard owner brings her horses in before she even gets to the yard and he isn't allowed to be left out by himself. It costs £2 to bring in and the girl simply cannot afford that, no one else would be charged the way the girl would be and the girls mum feels like she is being used for money by the YO. Now the owner is getting angry because she can't afford the chiro this month now because of the fencing and the rug that was given with the pony wasn't even waterproof so she also has that to buy as well. She knows unexpected costs are a regular occurrence with horses and she of all people will knwo that!!! The pony has needed to see a chiro for years but the girl has held off as she didn't know if she could loan off the owner. Now all of the i uses that a chiro would sort seem to have vanished now he's comfortable and happy where he is but she is till going to get him to see one when she gets her money next week, the girl has rang the chiro and left a voicemail anyway and hasn't add and answer anyway. Another reason the owner is angry is because she didn't use the right farrier, the girl rang the farrier at least 6 times and left two voicemails and has never had a response of him so used her own which the owner also didn't like but the girl didn't really have a choice. Fast forward to today I get a call from the girls mum saying her daughter (15) is in tears for abiding to the loan contract and trying to sort things out. The owner has threatened to have him back and the pony is looked after like a king and is very very spoilt, and she cycles every morning at 6 bride school to do him and she doesn't get a lift form anyone when the owner is saying he's clearly a hassle when the girl adores the pony. The girls mum is very angry as his owners has dumped the pony in a rising school for 4 years and now she's coming back and saying oh my darling pony you must do this and that which I understand. I honestly don't know what to say to this so I'm asking u lot. Sorry for using her, she and the girl I'm trying to not mention names as people that know her read this. So sorry for being very long and thank you for reading, not once have I come across a situation like this. Cookies for all!!!
 
If I've understood correctly I can understand why the owner may be a little peeved. As you said, unexpected costs are just a fact of life with horses and as an owner I would be unimpressed if my horse's welfare (such as chiro and shoeing) were sacrificed due to lack of funds. I also don't think it's unreasonable for the YO to charge to bring in if the girl can't get to the yard when the other horses come in and £2 seems a fairly standard charge for bring in.

As for the owner putting the horse on working livery previously. I really don't know what that has to do with anything and would be pretty angry if a loaner suggested I cared less about my horse because of it.
 
If the owner did not care they would not have put it on working livery or be contacting the girl saying they are not happy...they would have got rid or sold it. This is the issue with loaning a horse or pony...you can't make all the rules despite having full control so to speak of its daily life. The girl would be better learning the lesson that loaning is not a free horse. She sounds like shes a competent and compassionate girl, but at the end of the day the owner has the say. If she doesn't like it, she needs to move on. Most likely the owner is just making a fuss over nothing, and if faced with having to look after the pony themseleves, will say do what you want with it but if not the girl needs to think about giving it up and getting either her own or loaning from someone who is a little more on her wavelength. This is a very one sided story here.
 
Your post is very difficult to read/follow I am afraid.

Personally, I think the loanee needs to pay for the ongoing costs like chiro etc.... and that should be part of the loan agreement.

There are several issues going on here but the key thing is that but if the mum feels like this already early in to the loan and the owner threatening to take the pony back then the whole thing is not going to end well.

I would strongly suggest that they have a face to face conversation with the horses owner and come to some agreement on a loan agreement but if they are not happy with the terms of the loan or feel they cannot deal with the owner then they can either decide to offer to buy the pony or return the pony to the owner.
 
A 15 yr old girl can't possibly have enough of her money to pay all (or any) of the pony's costs. The financial side is her parents' responsibility and they should not have allowed the girl to take on the pony, if they were not prepared to pay all associated costs. This is one reason why many owners refuse to loan to under-eighteens. I would imagine that the parents signed the loan contract, as the girl isn't old enough to take legal responsibility for the contract. They need to abide by its terms or send the pony back to its owner.
 
If they cant afford £2 a day for bring ins then they probably cant afford him. My pony is very cheap to keep as a rule, then he came down with lammi. Hes now on box rest. My £40 a week livery which includes haylage and straw is now about £80 a week as I have to buy shavings and laminitic haylage. Hes insured but I've had to pay out over a £1500 in vets bills while I wait for the insurance to pay out.

Its annoying but I can afford it, if I couldnt then it wouldnt be worth thinking about! You can keep horses very cheaply if you are careful, but you always need to be aware that they can get VERY expensive very, very quickly!

I've also loaned multiple horses over the years and one of the things I am insistent upon is specific farriers being used. I am always happy to talk to a loaner about it. One of mine was a barefoot rehab and his loaner had him shod in the end. We had a chat, discussed a plan and having done that I let her get on with it as I was comfortable that we were on the same page. I'd have been incadesent if she had just got him shod or changed farrier/trimmer without any discussion! Ironically every single loan has gone horribly wrong aprry from the one I just mentioned which has worked so well I gifted him to her as she is a much better match for him that I ever was!
 
I've learned a bit more overnight about the whole thing, of course the parents signed the loan contract the girl has a rather large emergency bank account for vet bills as do her parents should something like that occur. The girls also very lucky as gets gets rather a lot of pocket money so pays for her straw and hay. Her parents pay the livery and the girl splits the chiro cost. I've also learned that it's £3 and the pony would have to be turned out and brought in what she was originally told, things like this keep changing hence why they feel like a cash cow. As for not using the correct farrier, it appears he's known for not responding to clients so what can you do you can't force farrier to show your horse but you can try! I chated to her mum and it's more that she was pretty peeved about fencing not being written in to there contract when she wasn't told about it it was her daughter that was told, they should have gone to the adult and this wouldn't have happened If she was listened to in the first place about who the pony needs to be out with. The owner probably wouldn't let the girl buy the pony anyway however they would like to. It is written into the loan contract that he needs a chiro and she has said that but This is where she gets annoyed. His owner visited once in the four years to see him this happened on my day off, at this point the girl wasn't riding him as she had something else to sort out, and the owner said he needs a chiro teeth jabs etc sorted and she promised to get that sorted but it never happened and a year later it's only happening now because the pony is with the girl which, now this is the bit that catches me out as she's now being "told off" as it were. The girl fought with the riding school owner to get this sorted when the ponys owner didn't. Also, the girl made sure he saw a saddle fitter which when he did was the first time in his life, he did come with a saddle but the saddler said there is no way that ever would have fit him due to his shape which makes me think the owner just purchased a cheap saddle for the rs but didn't check the fit but the girl would never ever suggest this to the owner as she doesn't want to loose the pony. The owner lives a good 2-3 hours away so it's difficult to have a face to face conversation and I imagine it would get very shouty over the phone.
 
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You clearly sing this girls praises. If the girl and parents can't tolerate the owner, and have so much money as you claim, why don't they just buy their own pony and none of this would matter? You can love a loan pony to death but at the end of the day its never yours and never will be.
 
I think I might be a little one sided in this but that's not surprising as you say I do sing the girls praises you wouldn't know she was fifteen if you had a conversation which her and think I may have painted all parties in the wrong light, she loves the pony too much to let go now. Thanks to everyone who responded
 
She may love the pony a lot, i dont doubt that, and from what you have said shes put a lot of work in. Doesn't change the facts...she will never "totally" have it and will always have to compete with the owner for who has the last say. I'm not against loaning, i loan, but i think you need to have an owner who trusts you and this one either does not trust her or wants to have someone look after and pay for their animal while they still tell everyone they own it.

The kid needs to decide if she wants a pony to enjoy, or a stressful ride.
 
WWID? Buy the pony and move to another yard. But that's me.

If they want to buy it they should at least make an attractive offer. It would be worth paying a bit over market value to secure the pony and have a quiet life. Even if they think the owner "probably" wouldn't sell. You don't know for sure until you ask, preferably with some cash in your fists.

From what I can make out, the issues with the owner are:

* P'd off because the pony missed his chiro appointment
* P'd off because the girl used a different farrier without consultation

It's not off to a good start, is it?

If they have so much money in emergency accounts for pony expenses, I don't understand why he missed his chiro appointment. You say it was due to lack of funds because she had to buy a rug, then they have emergency money? If it's in the contract, pony should have seen chiro, end of. If the appointment had to be postponed by a week, and the owner knows it was put off because she's splitting this expense, an explanation would have been appropriate.

A discussion should have been had about the farrier. A simple "your guy has retired, do you know someone else or are you ok if I use my guy, he's really good" probably would have done it.

I'm sorry if it sounds a bit harsh. I don't mean it to, but as others have pointed out, this is the reality of loaning. Even with a history of caring and competent care, even if that care was better than the owner could give. You don't get to make the decisions and you're answerable to someone else.

Loaner and owner need to be able to communicate well and calmly, but it doesn't sound like this is happening from either side. From what I can tell, anyway. I could be way off with that.
 
As I understand it the contract was that:-

1. The pony must not be turned out with mares.
2. The pony must use a specific farrier.
3. The pony must have regular chiro treatment.

TBH if I were the owner or YO in this situation I would not be happy.

The pony was moved straight to a yard where he would have to be out with mares. It seems the YO has tried to accommodate as they have made a small pen in the field so he can still go out, the pony does not like being out alone, so trashed the fence. It was then that the YO said the girl has to pay for fencing, as she is asking for something that is not is normal service offered by the yard, and their attempt to sort the matter has ended in extra cost. The YO has again tried to accommodate by offering turnout with their own horses. This seems more than fair, as does a fee to fetch the horse in so he is not left alone.

The farrier could be more tricky, it would probably have been best if the pony could have come well shod from the RS, so you would have plenty of time to arrange the farrier of choice. If I loaned mine out and the normal farrier (as stated in the contract) could not be contacted I would expect to be told, not to find out afterwards. If I knew I would agree for a different farrier for the first shoeing, with more time to arrange the chosen one.

The chiro I would be very cross at. I would expect to be told if the loaner decided not to pay for the treatment that was specified in the contract. As regards rugs and saddle, a full loan at your own place, I would expect to buy new equipment. If she has a sum of money set aside for treatment I don't understand why the pony was denied the treatment.

All in all, if I were the owner I would probably take the pony back, as the whole situation as regards caring for the pony does not seem to have been thought through, as well as the costs (for example the bringing in fee) not being aboe to be met (or if able, simply not being met).

As an aside, if I were the owner, and I read this thread, I would recognise it was me you are talking about and would be absolutely incandescent that I was being spoken of as if I did not care for the pony. TBH, the pony would be coming home merely for this!
 
I've owned horses nearly 30 years and never use chiros. I used one for myself once and my horse once which were enough to confirm that my money is better spent elsewhere.

I would mind my own business, and I avoid lending or borrowing horses as it can get very complicated.
 
yeah but if you loaned a horse that specified you had to have chiro treatment then you'd have to abide by the terms of the contract regardless of your views. I can see the owners point of view. I had a pony on working livery for three years and i wasn't up ever week visiting a I trusted the riding school and when i went up to check he was happy.

If he had gone out on loan I definitely would have gotten more involved at the start to check out that the level of care was ok. And i would have been annoyed if things i'd specified had been ignored. It would set alarms bells ringing in that
-i specified a health treatment and they ignored it - does this mean they don't care about the pony?
- if they mentioned missing treatment using buying rugs as an excuse then i'd be worried they didn't have cash for emergencies etc and the ponies welfare would suffer?
- i specifically listed a farrier i knew and who knows the horse years and that i trust. they just change without telling me. would be worried as its a young girl so she might have picked a bad farrier through ignorance? farrier doesn't know horses history and might miss changes in its hoof.

all this would have been avoided with communication with the owner just saying 'can't get that farrier is it ok to use x' ' is it ok to delay chiro for a week or two, just bought a rug' etc.

The owners don't know you and they are trying to figure out who you are and what kind of treatment the horse can expect.
 
Red-1 said:
As I understand it the contract was that:-

1. The pony must not be turned out with mares.
2. The pony must use a specific farrier.
3. The pony must have regular chiro treatment.

TBH if I were the owner or YO in this situation I would not be happy.

The pony was moved straight to a yard where he would have to be out with mares. It seems the YO has tried to accommodate as they have made a small pen in the field so he can still go out, the pony does not like being out alone, so trashed the fence. It was then that the YO said the girl has to pay for fencing, as she is asking for something that is not is normal service offered by the yard, and their attempt to sort the matter has ended in extra cost. The YO has again tried to accommodate by offering turnout with their own horses. This seems more than fair, as does a fee to fetch the horse in so he is not left alone.

The farrier could be more tricky, it would probably have been best if the pony could have come well shod from the RS, so you would have plenty of time to arrange the farrier of choice. If I loaned mine out and the normal farrier (as stated in the contract) could not be contacted I would expect to be told, not to find out afterwards. If I knew I would agree for a different farrier for the first shoeing, with more time to arrange the chosen one.

The chiro I would be very cross at. I would expect to be told if the loaner decided not to pay for the treatment that was specified in the contract. As regards rugs and saddle, a full loan at your own place, I would expect to buy new equipment. If she has a sum of money set aside for treatment I don't understand why the pony was denied the treatment.

All in all, if I were the owner I would probably take the pony back, as the whole situation as regards caring for the pony does not seem to have been thought through, as well as the costs (for example the bringing in fee) not being aboe to be met (or if able, simply not being met).

As an aside, if I were the owner, and I read this thread, I would recognise it was me you are talking about and would be absolutely incandescent that I was being spoken of as if I did not care for the pony. TBH, the pony would be coming home merely for this!
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I agree with all of this I'm afraid.

It doesn't matter whether the loaner thinks that the demands of the owner are reasonable or not. She signed a contract agreeing to abide by those rules and then instantly ditched them all. Not a good start at all.

I think it's perfectly reasonable for the YO to request that the loaner pay for fencing. It's unreasonable to expect a YO to be out of pocket trying to accommodate one pony and the YO does sound like she has been as accommodating as possible. Charging for bringing in and turning out is also pretty standard practice.

I think if the girl and her Mum want this loan to continue they need to speak to the owner, apologise for not sticking to the terms of the contract and give an undertaking to abide by the terms of the contract from here on in.

If the yard cannot accommodate the pony then I'm afraid she'll need to consider moving.

I also agree that both the pony's owner and the YO are likely to work out who this thread is about pretty quickly if they read it.
 
The pony's owner probably didn't know about the standard of care at the riding school, especially since the girl who now loans him sorted him out before he left the riding school. So as far as the owner is concerned, the pony was fine at the riding school and now this girl has him on loan and there are problems.

The other thing that springs to mind is that maybe the pony's owner doesn't care much about the pony, hence it being on working livery for 4yrs and not removed from that situation even though the care was bad. Even if they didn't know the care was bad, that also tells me they didn't care enough about the pony to check up on what was happening at the riding school. Then they find someone is loaning it from the riding school and has done a good job with the pony, so they decide to loan to her privately. Maybe the whole time thinking of selling the pony. Then problems crop up that might get expensive further down the line eg injuries from fencing, lack of chiro, different farrier etc so the owner decides that now would be a good time to sell and threatens to take the pony back off the girl in the hope she offers to buy it.

The situation with the YO at the girl's current yard is nothing unusual. The majority of YO's seem to lie about what facilities/care they can offer. That's livery yard life and the girl/her mother would do well to get used to it. Most yards seem to only cater for bog-standard animals, so on a yard with mixed herds and a potential livery needing single sex turnout, the YO would promise to accommodate it but it would never materialise. Though to be fair the YO has tried, albeit half-heartedly to accommodate the single sex turnout. The charge for bring in is fair, that the girl can't afford it isn't the YO's problem. I think most people end up doing a bit of moving around before they find a yard that suits them/their pony.

As for what the girl should do. I hate loans for this very reason, all the responsibility but not having the final say about anything. The trade off of not having to purchase the animal isn't worth it IMO. So if she wants to keep it and is prepared for all the hassle of livery yard life, then she should offer to buy it. But unfortunately the owner isn't going to sell the pony for peanuts now the girl has put all the hard work into it, they're going to want a fair price and the girl/her parents are just going to have to suck it up, and learn that lesson for next time. The alternative is to give the pony back, either so they can loan or purchase something else themselves, or to return to sharing as it's less responsibility.
 
As an owner, I too would be unimpressed with this girl - it doesn't matter if she "adores" him if she's skipping medical necessities due to lack of funds.

Re. turnout - many yards now offer single sex turnout and she needs to find a yard that can do this. With the chiropractor, it doesn't matter if the horse also needs a new rug, we all go without so our horses don't suffer. If she can't afford one chiropractor visit + 1 new rug, she can't afford a horse. Those two expenses are pretty minor on the grand list of expensive things a horse may need!

I do sympathise with the farrier issue, but if that was the only problem, I'm pretty sure the owner would be more understanding!

I feel for the girl, but this is all part of the responsibility of having a horse. It's hard work, expensive and you quickly learn that all that matters is the horse and its well-being, how how much you love him or her.
 
The issues that the pony was having eg stiff and wouldn't bend now have all disappeared as he's comfortable where he is and is happy. The chiro is not a medical need as such now. It's not she can't afford the chiro besucase of the new rug it's all the new charges her yard has added on and they are going to pay chiro which was always the intention. Also it's sates in the loan contract the pony must see the chiro twice a year so actually she hasn't done anything wrong it's just because she hasn't sorted it now and jumped on what needs to happen. This isn't her first horse she's not stupid and honestly, knows and understands a horse a lot more than most adults on her yard do but that's another story. Having the pony now isn't hard work when you compare it to what she used to do at the rs.
 
FrankieCob said:
I think you should probably just admit that its you who has the pony on loan because I doubt theres a single person reading this thread who believes otherwise
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Particularly given some of the OP's other posts seem to pertain to said loan horse. Either way let's hope the owner/YO don't catch wind of this thread.
 
OP this is so simple to sort.

1. Find a yard with single sex turnout, after paying the YO for the damaged fencing.

2. Make even more effort to get hold of the original farrier, and just apologise to the owner for using another!

3. Get the chiropractor out - the owner has asked so it has to happen.
 
darkbay19 said:
The issues that the pony was having eg stiff and wouldn't bend now have all disappeared as he's comfortable where he is and is happy. The chiro is not a medical need as such now. It's not she can't afford the chiro besucase of the new rug it's all the new charges her yard has added on and they are going to pay chiro which was always the intention. Also it's sates in the loan contract the pony must see the chiro twice a year so actually she hasn't done anything wrong it's just because she hasn't sorted it now and jumped on what needs to happen. This isn't her first horse she's not stupid and honestly, knows and understands a horse a lot more than most adults on her yard do but that's another story. Having the pony now isn't hard work when you compare it to what she used to do at the rs.
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But regardless of whether you think the pony needs the chiro or not, the owner has stipulated that it has to have this appointment and it's written in to the contract. I'm afraid this is the nature of a loan, the horse still belongs to the owner and they ultimately have final say on welfare and care decisions.

I've loaned twice and if I've wanted to divert from what was agreed in the contract then I've spoken to the owner first. I'm sorry, the girl sounds lovely and competent but she needs to learn to keep to the terms of the contract or maybe she should consider buying her own pony.
 
FrankieCob said:
I think you should probably just admit that its you who has the pony on loan because I doubt theres a single person reading this thread who believes otherwise
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I can certainly say that I am not the girl with the pony on loan 😂. I also have my own who I had on loan for all of 3 days until I brought him he's called frankiez For those of you that think it is the teenage girl, do you really think that a teenager would be spending her Friday and Saturday night on a forum full of highly opinionated horsey people when's she's already been looked over by a number of adults. For those that think otherwise it's nice to know that I am respected as an adult on here whilst trying to help a hardworking teenage girl because I simply do not know what to do.
 
I'm afraid I am too old to read your whole post. Next time paragraphs would make it easier for me! Sorry. I am old and cannot read blocks of text.
 
darkbay19 said:
For those of you that think it is the teenage girl, do you really think that a teenager would be spending her Friday and Saturday night on a forum full of highly opinionated horsey people when's she's already been looked over by a number of adults. For those that think otherwise it's nice to know that I am respected as an adult on here whilst trying to help a hardworking teenage girl because I simply do not know what to do.
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Yes. Go back and read your previously started posts. Then read this as an impartial observer and its immediately apparent.

However if I have somehow got this completely wrong, which I highly doubt, then you need to take a big step away and stay out of it. This is for the girl and her parents to sort. Your posts dont make sense and you keep changing what you say. The pony is on loan, it has to be kept how the owners say, end of. And I'm going to say it again as I dont think you have taken it on board. If you, sorry, they, cant afford to pay for services at a yard when the pony is being a bit tricky, then they are screwed if something happens medically etc.
 
darkbay19 said:
So if anyone's read my previous posts I've been a bit undecided on the horse situation. Well I'm not now and I've gone for heart over head!! So I've potentially got a naughty little pony in my hands now. (I'm excited even though it's still undecided). Anyway, I've been given the ponys owners phone number by the farm owners and im just wondering the best way to approach the situation. I know she will be reluctant to loan to me as I'm from the yard and the pony is not the same pony as the one she dropped off and I just want to explain without making her angry. I can't talk to her at the yard as we don't know when she's going to come up and she's only been up on Thursdays, this is the day I have off to study. I know she teaches all day on a Saturday as well. So how best to contact the owner, do I ring text or get someone at the yard to talk to her for me. A lot of you seem to be very good words whereas I'm not. I guess I'm just being cautious about this and I'm like an excited child again getting there first pony!
Thanks for any help
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darkbay19 said:
WARNING THIS IS LONG
This is more of a head vs heart type thing. I have always said that If the opportunity arises I will have one of the ponies on our yard. A few weeks ago I wasn't in the position to have a horse and sadly couldn't save one from going to sales. But the week after that pony left I had a major part of my life change and now I am in a position to have a horse. So the pony in question is 13.2hh tb x nf. I was originally under the impression he was 13 but he's actually 17 even though sometimes he acts like an unbroken 4 year old!! However he is on loan to the yard and is simply not the pony he was when he first came and his owner is not happy. I therefore feel she would be reluctant to loan to me as I am from the yard and was the one riding him. However he became more dangerous and the yard deemed him too dangerous. So there was a solution was to plonk someone a lot taller and heavier on him. They also stuck him in a grackle and a Dutch gag when this pony had never been in anything other than a snaffle. The only reason he apparently became too dangerous for me is because I was told to take him out with the hunters, he hadn't been ridden in 2 weeks, he went a bit mad and stuck his head between his legs and had a proper good gallop (he overtook the hunters) and came to an emergency stop when I thought he would jump the gate. He also has very sharp teeth and opens his mouth but the yard put him in a grackle anyway.
But my other issue is I really wanted something a lot bigger around 15.2hh that I could event and compete seriously to hopefully progress my riding into something more serious. But I have an emotional attachment to the first pony, whilst he was my project (for around 6 months) I made him rideable other than a lead rein, I was going through a very tough time in my life with mental health issues and this pony as stupid as this may sound was really the only thing to pull me together. So what do I do. Do I try for the first pony and then not event the way I want as tbh I don't think I will be the same without seeing him he is amazing and I have a very very special bond with him. Or do I forget about the little pony and do what I need to do. I am very very small and really don't weigh much so it was easy for the pony to tank off with me hes stronger than a lot of racehorses I have ridden!! So heart or head I think I just need some advice.
Sorry i have written another essay thanks for any help!
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darkbay19 said:
This isn't my first horse!! I think some of you may be under the impression that I'm quite young- I'm just small. I did feel quite undermined when the pony was given as someone else's project. A few years ago I had a big tb like this....he is now a well known eventer. I am also an employee at the yard. I can't explain my frustration, I feel so so small and really want to curl up or go and shout at people. I'm by far the most expierenced person on the yard and it probably didn't help that at the time I took the pony out I was recovering from the flu and felt like my head was a brick.
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I am sorry, but it does seem like the pony is loaned to you. I agree, if not, to leave it to the teenager to sort out, with her parents. They seem to have breached their loan agreement, and need to sort it out with the owners, I am not sure putting it on a forum will help.
 
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Blimes.

Number one - the riding school situation sounds illegal and dangerous - are you even legally employed? Suggest you find alternative employment.

Number two - the teenage girl(s) sound like they are in a dangerous and illegal situation - suggest to parents that they find more legal and safe riding school for them to learn at.

Number three - Loaner's parents (aka the actual loaners) need to talk to owner. Face to face (invite them to come and see the horse and how he has progressed), or if that's really truly not possible, over the phone. There will be no shouting because *they are all adults* and such things are perfectly possible. Go through problems and solutions, iron things out until everybody is happy. If everybody is not happy, return the horse to the owner, or purchase the horse. Pass go and collect £200.

Number four - doesn't matter what is in the contract, if your horse causes more damage or chaos than the average livery, it is fair and reasonable to pay for what he damages, to ensure that he is not left out alone, and to jolly well make sure said horse will stay in field of choice, however that is achieved. It's the horse who is being awkward, not the yard owner. If loanee isn't very careful, YO could well give her notice to get the thug life pony off the yard.

Number 5 - re-negotiating terms of contract (e.g. to live with mares or not, or to use a different farrier because no.1 choice isn't available) is possible, fine and no problem. Nobody can hold it against anybody if they agreed to a change in the contract. Best to always confirm these things in writing.

Number 6 - Seriously concerned that loanee and family cannot afford said horse. £3 turn out/in charges, a new rug and one precious chiropractic visit are not huge unexpected amounts of money. Recommend sit down with parents and go through all likely costs of horse guardianship and check that they really can afford it. If no/return the horse. If yes, get the flipping chiro out.

Number 7 - not unreasonable that owner expects what is asked in contract to be done. IS unreasonable to come up with excuses for not doing it. Again, negotiate changes to contract yes, dishonour contract without contact, no.

It all sounds very complicated and drama-esque. Child needs to talk to parents who need to talk to somebody independent and experienced, parents need to talk to owner and parents need to talk to YO.


TLDR: People should communicate. The End.
 
darkbay19 said:
I can certainly say that I am not the girl with the pony on loan ��. I also have my own who I had on loan for all of 3 days until I brought him he's called frankiez For those of you that think it is the teenage girl, do you really think that a teenager would be spending her Friday and Saturday night on a forum full of highly opinionated horsey people when's she's already been looked over by a number of adults. For those that think otherwise it's nice to know that I am respected as an adult on here whilst trying to help a hardworking teenage girl because I simply do not know what to do.
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Just because we seem to disagree with you doesn't make us "highly opinionated" - we just see it in far simpler terms than you. See my previous post for a simple breakdown of what needs to happen. An outsider can nearly always see things more clearly than someone who is involved - in the situation you have described, it has been fairly obvious to the people on this thread that although the girl means well, she does need to step up and improve the horse's management. Don't ask for advice and then complain that you aren't getting the answer you want.
 
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