Do I be honest about why I'm moving my horse?

[G3entlemanjack]

Current situation - smallish yard, wonderful location, very quiet, good facilities. Turnout is good but grazing non-existent. I'm on assisted DIY and my problem is that the lady who runs the yard largely works on her own and she cuts corners where she can. So for example - leaves him in his outdoor rug overnight for ease instead of changing to his stable one, I have to ask for every specific thing rather than a common sense approach by her. This is things like rug changes, check his water bucket if she keeps them in for the day. She claims to skip out the stables if they're in and clearly doesn't bother.

She charges £15/day for ad hoc care and literally does nothing other than usual turnout/bring in, put his haynet up and do his water. No mucking out/grooming whatsoever, though she claims to.

Her communication is shocking, I regularly cannot actually find my horse because she switches fields randomly and it's a fairly big site, they aren't all near each other. I don't know day to day whether he's out or not (makes a difference to when I go up to sort his stable out).

The final straw was yesterday. I noticed that he has actual sores on his face because she's been using a leather headcollar which is far too small for him and she's put it on tightly. Despite the fact that he has another perfectly good headcollar hanging up outside his stable. I put it all together and realised that I don't actually trust her with my horse. So I'm moving him. My dilemma is do I say the above? Or do I not give a reason at all?

I'm moving him this week to a much better yard which will suit him and me more. I'm not actually under contract so there's no notice period, but I will do the right thing and pay her a month's livery in lieu of notice.

The rug thing wouldn't bother me tho. Modern technology means outdoor rugs better left on overnight. They trap a layer of warm air which you lose when you remove, they are waterproof so if horses lies in poo or urine it won't soak through and they dry much better on a warm body than over a stable door.

I do agree with this, I don't know anyone who changes rugs these days and I know through the scale of casual owners, amateur and pro showers through to racehorse trainers . I had been going to mention that at first but that was the least of the worries as you went on

Sores? Do you mean skin rubbed which can happen very quickly, or an open wound?

By sores I meant where patches of skin have been rubbed raw from repeated friction.

I actually don't know how she treats the other horses because there are two separate yard areas some distance apart which is where hers are and it's the main livery yard.

I have to say - I've never seen anything to make me worry in her handling of the horses. I think it's more that she's lazy and just cuts corners wherever possible. Which obviously isn't good, but at another yard a few years ago I witnessed a staff member hitting a horse around the head with a chain and she was reported to the police and RSPCA. I was the only witness so she denied it and that was that.

Ok, so I handed my notice in and basically said that I thought he would be better suited at the new yard. YM was disappointed but fine about it.

Relevant - when I first joined YM had a 6/7 month old collie pup which she basically shut on a small yard with only 4 stables, or in the horse walker by itself all the time. He was very sweet and friendly but clearly being a bit of a lunatic because he got no exercise or interaction. I didn't really have the whole picture of what was going on because I was brand new, but eventually decided that I would walk the poor boy myself. But the very next day she announced that she'd rehomed him, which was a massive relief tbh. Thought no more about it.

Then last night I got a phone call from the yard owner (not lazy manager) who is lovely, and she said they had become aware of a nasty rumour that day and had I heard it and was that why I'm leaving? I haven't heard a thing and had no idea what she's talking about so I tell her this. Today she came down to see me when I was clearing out my stable, etc, and I found out that YM had been doing stuff that I hadn't known. Like never bothering to pick out his feet or give him a general once over after a day in the field (my livery included this). She's also been leaving him in his head collar overnight, not a massive thing but the owner asked me if this was deliberate because she thought it odd. Again, just lazy YM.

In conversation she then told me what the rumour was - and it's true. Apparently yard manager had treated her dog really, really badly. Constantly shutting it away on its own and 'beating' it when it had an accident, rather than house training! YO then said that the dog had wee-d on the boyfriends bed so they took a horsewhip to it and - well - you can imagine. This all happened 3 months ago.

So today the owner tells me this - and then said the manager has a new puppy!!!!! One of YM friends has imported a litter of 9 puppies from Romania and shared them out between her friends. Honestly, I was so shocked and disgusted, as was the yard owner. But she then goes on to say that YM has handed in her notice and goes at the end of the month!! I could have kicked myself for leaving! But I've thought about it since and we're still better off leaving that yard.

So.....drama over. YO said she doesn't know what YM is going on to do so it will be interesting if she pops up somewhere. The horsey fraternity is very close-knit where I live and everyone pretty much knows who everyone is so she probably will make an appearance somewhere.

I'm moving my horse this evening so wish me luck with getting him loaded and over there ok!!!

Wow gosh, I hadn't realised there was a separate owner. I'd have reported her neglect of my horse when it started

Btw for future reference head collars unsupervised in stables are a massive deal. I've seen horse rip a door clean off when they get a ring caught on a bolt and the horse comes off worse than the door sadly.

Report her to the police. The dog's body could be buried there.
And rspca about the puppy and what you know.

I would be honest. But polite

MIL breeds and shows dogs so I know what this type of world is like.

For all of you saying don't say anything you are just as bad. You are enabling people like her to get away with neglect. You might as well leave your own horses dirty, thirsty and use equipment that is too small so it gets sores. Should be ashamed of yourselves.

Who is the op supposed to report the YM to?
The police wouldn't be interested, nor would the RSPCA.
Just leave the yard and don't look back. The YO is just as bad, she obviously knew what was going on with the YM and didn't bother to sack her.

Exactly, I know headcollars left on are dangerous and I would never have sanctioned it. But presumably YM does as well and still left it on 😡

All I can do is to tell people exactly why I left when they ask. There are a few people who have come from my old yard at my new one and not one of them had a nice thing to say about YM.

Well, YM rents the stables from YO so YO isn't in a position to sack her, I don't think?

After hearing that about the dog I’d definitely be saying something to her face about what a cunt she was. And how she should never be near an animal ever again. And how I’d be telling everyone I knew exactly what a cunt she was.

Honey - I think that's exactly what the 'rumour' was. I won't be going around badmouthing her but if anyone asks (and they will!) I shall be telling the whole truth. You can't trust a person who does that to their dog with ANY animal, not just horses. I knew she was a bit negligent but nothing about the abuse until yesterday.

YM has a reputation of using people for her benefit and then ignoring them the rest of the time. A mutual friend owns a horse box and YM is very friendly when she needs a lift somewhere, but when the mutual friend BROKE HER BACK after a nasty fall she didn't even message!

When you say you know the rumour is true - you don't. What you have is hearsay. I'm not saying it isn't true, what I'm saying is that you do not have definitive proof, or anything other than somebody else vouching for it's truthfulness, that it is true. So you could potentially be defamatory if you tell other people about this rumour as fact.

So if talking to other people about why you left the yard, if I were you, I'd be sticking to what I have personally seen and can attest to - such as the headcollar being left on, not changing the rugs, etc.

And another good way of saying something without saying too much, is 'well, personally I would never send an animal YM's way again, or recommend that others do'.

Oh I wouldn't use the rumour as fact. I've stuck to my own, personal experiences.

Interestingly, YM has tried to call me today and then followed up with a message asking me to call. I'm in two minds, I don't mind speaking to her but I think all future communication should be written down.