Annalee
Active Member
sorry for the super long post. But of yard drama, I’m abit conflicted of what to do. And need some reassurance I’m doing the right thing. Sooo…
Recently I was on a yard with my cob, for just under a year. Due to many reasons mainly lack of turn out, around 4 hours a day only, stables all year, feather mites made worse from from straw, no treatment helping her, she wasn’t happy, at all, she shut down mentally and wasn’t in a good way. After trying many things my last option was to move. A opportunity came up to move close by, literally down the lane, but didn’t have much time to decide. The yard was small (paddock and stables only, no school, but lots of hacking) and needed A LOT of work, fences need repairing and previous owner used it as a junk yard. But initially we were up for it. Sounded perfect, our own little yard, 24/7 turnout. The only thing was company. My friend decided she wanted to come with but didn’t have the money at the time. Me and my partner (who’d never met her at the time) then bought her a colt at £350 (cheap!!) with the agreement that she would pay for him as if he was her own (passport, vaccinations, boosters, gelding etc) plus the price of the pony back. Then once the price of pony was paid we’d change the passport into her name.
This was the beginning of February, it’s now been over 4 months and the yard is still in the unfit state without much improvement. I’m now not physically able to do as much on the yard due to finding out I’m pregnant. The friend is very unreliable, several times let’s me down last minute when she’s supposed to be doing the horses, never had a working phone or credit, doesn’t do a lot of yard maintenance. When we first moved there was no running water, so I had to take barrels up everyday as she doesn’t drive. The water got put back on by her partner but before we managed to speak to the woman to sorts the bills/meter readings I then got confronted, squared upto and threatened about it needing sorting!
She does have a very troubled family life with her 12ye old son in a lot of trouble and a 3yr old so does have a lot on but I’m already worried what’s going to happen in winter time when I will struggle on my own doing the horses in the mud and snow as I’m due around Xmas/new year. It’s summer and She’s unreliable, my mare needs routine in winter and can’t cope with being thrown out of routine.
She’s also made no attempt to pay the money back, the pony only got a passport and vaccinated because I arranged it. But she (borrowed from family) actually paid though. Shes constantly saying she hasn’t got much money or she’s waiting to be paid or waiting for back pay…….. When it comes to buying hay or feed she’s borrowing off family.
Honestly I think I need move yards, soon as before winter and potentially put my mare on part loan for the help and exercise. Move back to a regular livery yard where I can tie up and groom my pony like normal (nowhere to tie up here) somewhere with school I can do groundwork. Look after my horse normally which everything about this yard is stopping! If I move the friend will be forced to make a decision to either keep the pony where she is (gelding then her choice) but she will have to find the pony to pay my partner back soon as or give him up in which case I will sell him. No problem.
I know there’s a lot in this post but I’m a very anxious over-thinker (as you can tell lol) and need to know I’m doing the right thing. I also hate, hate, hate confrontation. But think I need to think about what’s right for me, my pony and my baby. If she loses the pony it’s not my problem, we did our part. Do you agree with me that moving my pony and forcing her to step up?
Recently I was on a yard with my cob, for just under a year. Due to many reasons mainly lack of turn out, around 4 hours a day only, stables all year, feather mites made worse from from straw, no treatment helping her, she wasn’t happy, at all, she shut down mentally and wasn’t in a good way. After trying many things my last option was to move. A opportunity came up to move close by, literally down the lane, but didn’t have much time to decide. The yard was small (paddock and stables only, no school, but lots of hacking) and needed A LOT of work, fences need repairing and previous owner used it as a junk yard. But initially we were up for it. Sounded perfect, our own little yard, 24/7 turnout. The only thing was company. My friend decided she wanted to come with but didn’t have the money at the time. Me and my partner (who’d never met her at the time) then bought her a colt at £350 (cheap!!) with the agreement that she would pay for him as if he was her own (passport, vaccinations, boosters, gelding etc) plus the price of the pony back. Then once the price of pony was paid we’d change the passport into her name.
This was the beginning of February, it’s now been over 4 months and the yard is still in the unfit state without much improvement. I’m now not physically able to do as much on the yard due to finding out I’m pregnant. The friend is very unreliable, several times let’s me down last minute when she’s supposed to be doing the horses, never had a working phone or credit, doesn’t do a lot of yard maintenance. When we first moved there was no running water, so I had to take barrels up everyday as she doesn’t drive. The water got put back on by her partner but before we managed to speak to the woman to sorts the bills/meter readings I then got confronted, squared upto and threatened about it needing sorting!
She does have a very troubled family life with her 12ye old son in a lot of trouble and a 3yr old so does have a lot on but I’m already worried what’s going to happen in winter time when I will struggle on my own doing the horses in the mud and snow as I’m due around Xmas/new year. It’s summer and She’s unreliable, my mare needs routine in winter and can’t cope with being thrown out of routine.
She’s also made no attempt to pay the money back, the pony only got a passport and vaccinated because I arranged it. But she (borrowed from family) actually paid though. Shes constantly saying she hasn’t got much money or she’s waiting to be paid or waiting for back pay…….. When it comes to buying hay or feed she’s borrowing off family.
Honestly I think I need move yards, soon as before winter and potentially put my mare on part loan for the help and exercise. Move back to a regular livery yard where I can tie up and groom my pony like normal (nowhere to tie up here) somewhere with school I can do groundwork. Look after my horse normally which everything about this yard is stopping! If I move the friend will be forced to make a decision to either keep the pony where she is (gelding then her choice) but she will have to find the pony to pay my partner back soon as or give him up in which case I will sell him. No problem.
I know there’s a lot in this post but I’m a very anxious over-thinker (as you can tell lol) and need to know I’m doing the right thing. I also hate, hate, hate confrontation. But think I need to think about what’s right for me, my pony and my baby. If she loses the pony it’s not my problem, we did our part. Do you agree with me that moving my pony and forcing her to step up?
