Where do I stand or what can I do?

Question

My pony is currently stabled at a private yard. The only other person with horses there is the yard owner.

My yard owner has said she called out the vet who prescribed bute. I've been up daily and he's been fine so I really think she's just trying to get more money. She also didn't call me when she said she called out the vet just told me days after.

Obviously if she called the vet I'm more than happy to pay her back, he is my pony and his welfare has to come first but I don't want to pay for a vet's bill she never had in the first place!

Also I'm worried she will lock him in when I try to move him to a new yard, she's also threatening to take him to market to sell.

This is all because she does not think I have been up for a week or so (he is kept on grass livery and she works full time so when I go up during the day she's at work.)

Where do I stand? What can I do?

Answer 1

if she iss doingg thiscall the police immediately it is not her place to even say she will lock him in or sell him also call the vet and check that your pony is fine and had never been prescribed bute. im pretty sure this is illegal yu have a contract with her so she should be going by the rules

have you ever taken any documents to your stables and dropped them is there anyway she could have picked them up and could easily photocopy them and easily be able to sell the pony immediately. phone the police and get your horse out of there anything could happen and if she owns that land uh ohhhhh

pluss you could always lock your pony in !simple keep him there while she calls the police and let us know what happens!

Answer 2

Arrange to move him at your earliest chance.  She cannot sell him without the passport and it will take more than a week for a new passport to come through if she applied for one herself.  She cannot sell him at market without a passport so don't worry.  

In the meantime, call up the vet.  Explain to them that the yard owner says he has been out to see your pony and would like to discuss the diagnosis and haven't had a bill.  The vet will then be able to confirm whether they have been out to your pony.  Don't worry about being a pain to the vet, my vet is always happy to discuss treatment over the phone or if the owner isn't available and the yard owner is there will let me know what he thinks over the phone.  

On the day of the move, take the pony's passport with you and if she doesn't let him out call the police.  She will soon be made to give him back as you have proof of ownership in the passport.  

Good luck

Answer 3

Move him ASAP and make sure she doesn't have access to his passport. It's illegal to sell a horse without the passport in the UK

Answer 4

hello ,

when your at the yard , act normally and happy , but when you get home get plans to take the pony and everything that day away from the yard  move to another one!

she seems to be nuts to me , threatening to sell your pony!

or just pretend your going to a show & take all your stuff and say you need it , then break the news that your leaving that yard for a new one , then you can just get away from her and her yard , what was the yard called?

x

Answer 5

Find another place to board your horse.  She is trying to take advantage of you.  Tell her that unless she provides you with a bill from the vet that you are not paying the bill.  Call the vet yourself to verify he/she was there.  If she tries to harm your horse, or hold him hostage it sounds like, you have every right to call the authorities.  It is your horse, she has no right to sell him or keep him from you.You should NEVER have an oral agreement about the care of what can be a very expensive animal.

Answer 6

Look for another stable would be my suggestion.

Answer 7

You should ask her for the vets number, you don't have to say it's because you don't believe her, just say its because you want to find out that everything is actually alright now, or say you want to ask the vet some more questions about your pony.

If she refuses, or makes excuses, its probably because she never called a vet out in the first place.

And, as for her threatening you by telling you she's going to sell your pony, or lock him in, if she does/attempts to do any of those, call the police! After all, she doesn't exactly have a right to do that.. Even if she tells them that your not looking after the pony properly (which I doubt is the case), i'm sure somebody could back you up...

Good luck with it all!

Answer 8

Well if he is your horse, then you have the right to take him to new stables. She is not allowed to sell your horse if you have his papers that say you are the owner. Now about her calling the vet, she should have called you first to make sure you knew about what was going on and you could come talk to the vet and take care of your horse. I think the best move would be to take your horse out of her stables and move to a better stables where both you and the owner are on the same page and understand each other. That is just rude of her to try and sell you horse!!

Answer 9

Don't tell her when you are coming to take him, just do it and don't tell her you are until after you have him loaded and ready to go. If you are worried she will try anything, bring a couple friends with you too. Best of luck!

Answer 10

What she has done is totally illegal.

Try and find out what vet it was that came out and prescribed the drug.  If she will not tell you you should try ringing around several vets until you find whether or not one did attend your horse.

Ask to see the bill.  Chances are she is trying to get you to pay for her vet bills.  Have her horses been injured or lame in the last few weeks.

I would then go to Citizens Advice Bureau (number in phone book), take with you all relevant papers and ask them what to do and find out where you stand.

She should never administer drugs without your consent, and I think it sounds a bit suss that she only told you a few days after the said visit.

As for selling your horse, she does not have a leg to stand on.  I would go to the police on that one.

Good luck.  Gland you have found a new yard.  Please let us know how it goes.  Will be thinking of you.

Answer 11

Tell her that you need a receipt from the vet for treatment and you will then pay the bill.  OR get the name of the vet and call their offices and request a copy of the bill for your horse's treatment and then settle.

There's a boarder where I'm currently at who's a bit miffed at me because without my permission, she decided to take out my 3 yr old AQHA filly and "graze" her.  I do not allow my stalled horses out grazing because they aren't used to getting a lot of fresh grass and secondly you never know what's been on lawns.  

Anyway, this woman was "into her cups" and shouldn't have been around any horse in her condition.  When she went to lead my filly out of the arena where the rest of my horses were turned out (The ranch owner turns them out for me on a daily basis.), it was dusk.  The boarder got the gate open, the wind (Which gets pretty fierce around here), kicked up, the horses fired up and as the boarder got the gate open, the filly bolted, got away from her and off she went running around the ranch and into a 3 strand barbed wire fence.

It was dark when they finally got the filly captured and I'm night blind which means I can't drive at night, so I got there at daybreak the next morning and made the call to call the vet.

I gave the boarder a copy of the vet bill and with it a statement of additional costs, grain to get the pills down the filly and my cost in gas to have to come down and doctor on my filly.  She was NOT a happy camper, but I did give her a copy of the vet bill and feed.  She paid.

So, if your barn owner expects payment, then she should have a copy of the vet bill she says she paid for.  If NOT go to the vet and get a copy and see if it's for your pony or one of her horses.

Answer 12

Ask her for a copy of the vet bill.  It should state the medicine given and the horse it is given to.  I would move the horse, immediately if possible, but if the bill is legit, pay it.

If she can not produce a vet bill then you can legally assume the bill is not legit in the US.  In Great Britain I am not so certain.

Answer 13

hiya

i had a very similar problem..the lady actually moved my sec d to a different stable trying to hide him from me when i said i was leaving (it was a massive yard) and she wouldnt let me near the stable ...i had to call the ploice,they arrived and stayed whilst i loaded  MY HORSE into the horsebox...he is not hers to do anything with  so if she does try anything call the ploice as it would be theft ! i would also ask for  proof of the vets bill,if u dont feel comfortable doing that then phone  any local vets that u think she may of used and ask if the have done a call on on whatever day to wherever you keep  ur fella surely u could find out that way

id definatly say moving him is a good idea asap

best of luck

some people are just cracked in the head and they do these things for some unknown reason  thinking they have the authority to do so

Answer 14

She should show you the vet bill or give you the name of the vet so you can call & speak directly w/them about YOUR pony. You should also plan to move the pony during the day when you know the owner isn't going to be there and I wouldn't even tell her your moving if you think she's going to lock him up or take him someplace-just leave a note saying you've moved him after the fact. If you've been paying the board then she has no right to the pony and it's none of her business whether or nbot you've been up to see him as long as your paying the board that's your only obligation to her as the yard owner.

Answer 15

Look for another place to board your horse.  You should have a full written contract that states your responsibilities and the yard's responsibilities and consequences should someone breach the contract.  I don't think she can just sell him out from under you, that would be stealing in my book.

I wouldn't want someone just calling the vet for my horse without my knowledge unless, of course, it is an emergency.  I define emergency by blood flowing, the horse is down, the horse is in obvious distress due to colic or other severe illness.  I do NOT consider limping or simple lameness an emergency.

Find out which vet came out and then visit with him and get his report and a copy of the bill.  If it is your animal that should not be a problem.  If the vet won't talk to you then tell her to give you a copy of the vet's report.  He certainly would have given her one.  I wouldn't pay her anything without a copy of the vet bill in my hand.

Answer 16

dont let on to her you want to leave you must be overly kind to her, dont worry too much about the bill for the vet tell her you have a problem with the bank and wont be able to pay her until the 3rd or 4th. Leave with the pony when she is at work and leave her a note to say you have left, with a contact detail for you, (nothing of where the horse is) and ask her to send you a reciept for the vet bill, if she is lying she wont send one if not then pay it, but whether she is lying or not dont stay at that yard

good luck

Answer 17

Find out what vet she called out. Then call the vet she said and ask if they really did come.

She can't sell him if she doesnt have his passport

Just try to move him to a new yard ASAP

If she doesnt think you're going every day, then leave a note, or do something to prove you are going

She can't really stop you from moving your horse... he's yours and your the one who decides where he stays.

If she won't let you move him you could start taking his tack and everything away one thing at a time - if she notices say you are cleaning it or something. Then some day just get on your pony, say you're going for a hack, and get someone with a horsebox to meet you somewhere a good distance away form the yard and take him to the new yard!

A bit mad, I know!

Answer 18

If she locks him in there break the lock she can't do that if it is horse call the cops!

Answer 19

This person is not treating you properly. If you know which vet she used you could ask them to confirm that they visited your pony, however I suspect she will either refuse to tell you which vet or tell you lies. If there is no contract she can't hold you to anything.

People on my yard sign a contract before bringing their horse here, and I sign a copy for them to keep. They are supposed to give me notice of leaving which is the same as the period of livery they pay (i.e. if they pay weekly they give me a week's notice). This has not stopped people disappearing overnight.  I suspect that if you do that you will never hear any more from her, it can be surprisingly difficult to sue people, even when they really owe you money. It's technically possible for her to legally sell a horse to recover a debt but even trickier than suing, and you would have to have signed an agreement allowing her to do this.  Don't let her scare you, just move. If she locks him in, call the police. You say she's at work all day, just take him away when she's out, and don't tell her you're planning to leave. I have to say that I don't know where you are and the law is different in different parts of the U.K., but don't let this person intimidate you.

Answer 20

Ask for the vets name and proof of the vets Bill,and what the vet diagnosed wrong with your pony.that will catch her out if shes lying.

Don't tell her when your moving him and if she does lock him in and wont let you move Hun call the police,she does not own your pony,you do.

my advice Hun is to move him fast before he comes to any real harm.the women sounds like a nutter.

if the uk yes you can get anothor passport but you need proof of owner ship in the first place which i pressume this women does not have.

in the uk its illegal to sell a horse with out a passport and this women would have to have all your details.

Answer 21

Maybe call up ur vet to check if ur ponys ok.,

If he does or did need teh bute then pay her,

If he doesnt well.. get her to talk 2 the vet.

Answer 22

see a solicitor and have him send her a letter telling her to stop her threatening behaviour. She will soon shut up., as she called out the vet it would be in her name so therefore let her pay the bill.(well if it were for my horse I would probably pay but ) She sounds like a liberty taker and what do you have to prove to her if your horse has fresh water and food and nothing wrong with him tell her to back off . If she did sell your horse which she cant she can be done for theft of your property, what a head case, but I hear this so many times about yard owners. If she tries to lock him when you want to move him you could just knock her out! joke

just hurry and get away from her and her yard.

Answer 23

Hi

You could ask the yard owner for a copy of the vet bill from when they came out to treat your pony.  That way you will know that she definitely had them out.  Other than that, do you know the name of the vet she would have used?  You could ring them and ask if they went to treat your pony and ask for details on what treatment they gave and why?  This is a valid question to ask and a reasonable request, after all, you are the owner.

It's good that you have found a new yard as the one you are using now doesn't sound to be the best.  Why on earth is she threatening to sell him at market?  On what grounds does she think she has a right to do this?  It all seems very bizarre and the quicker you get moved the better for both you and the pony.

It's difficult for you to prove that you are going in the daytime if she is always at work, unless there is someone who can vouch for you - though I don't see why you should have to.  Do you go alone or does someone go with you or give you a lift up there?

The only other thing I can think of, which does sound rather silly, but would certainly prove when you went...... each day you go take a photograph and take a daily newspaper, make sure the date can clearly be seen when you take the picture!  If you've got a digital camera then you don't even need to print them out, or maybe you have one on your mobile phone.

Hope all goes well and you can keep things on an even keel until you get your pony moved to a better yard.

Take care and good luck.

Answer 24

I think that if this person is asking you to pay a bill....you need to see the bill!  So kindly ask to see the receipt...or the write up of the vet's visit...  If the yard owner doesn't have it, ask her for the name of the vet and then call the vet yourself and ask if she/he treated your horse on that day and how much the visit/prescription cost...  this way you can check to make sure that the yard owner is not cheating you.  It's not too much to ask the yard owner for a bill from the vet....who is going to just hand over money to someone blindly?!?

Good luck!

=)

Answer 25

Ask her for the name and number of the vet so you can speak to them in person. It's your horse so if there's anything wrong I think you should know the details rather than taking someone elses word for it.

Do you also have him microchipped? If so and she tries to sell him you will have the proof that he's yours and it would then be theft.

Get out of the yard as soon as possible.

Good luck

Answer 26

Do you have a boarding contract? What does it say about seeking medical care? My contract states that I may seek emergency care only when I cannot contact the owner. If your contract does not state that she has the right to seek non-emergency care for your horse, you owe her nothing.

I would suggest you call the vet and ask them if they've seen your horse & if you owe them any money.  Very few vets will treat a horse without permission from the owner!

As far as her locking up or selling your horse, if you're paid up on board, I'm pretty sure that would be illegal. You can always take the police with you (and hopefully a copy of your boarding contract) but if she works all day, why not just leave a note & walk out with your pony? If you don't owe her any money, theres nothing she can do.

  good luck!

Answer 27

You don't need the vet bill - anything treated with bute was not an "emergency" and therefore violates the agreement.  To be safe, you can refuse to pay the bill until she provides the NAME of the vet -- then look up the vet's contact information on your own to make sure he is who she says he is.  

Move your pony ASAP.  Pay your bill in full and leave no loose ends behind.  Since you do not have an agreement that requires it, give no notice and bring lots of witnesses.  

One last bit of advice: be more careful of where you board so you don't move from the "frying pan and into the fire".  Ask lots of questions and use this past experience to work out a written agreement about the care of your pony.

Good luck!