To think this house sitter was bloody cheeky?

[Littlefluffyclouds81]

My DM recently got a house sitter for 10 days whilst we all went on holiday. She had used her once before and all seemed fine. She seemed very professional - took detailed information about all the animals, signed contracts, she is fully insured etc.

She was supposed to sleep at my DM's house each night, although my DM was aware that she would need to pop back here and there to exercise her own dogs (she lives with her parents).

She was paid over £600, and for that she had to look after 2 dogs and feed a cat. There are also 2 horses at my mum's, my mum's horse who is a big cob, and my daughter's pony. She wasn't expected to do anything with the horses.

While we were away the house sitter emailed to ask if it would be ok if her partner's kids came to meet the horses. My DM said that was fine. When we got back, my mum had a good chat with her and the house sitter said that the kids had come over and groomed my mum's horse, but not my daughter's pony because she was grumpy (she is grumpy).

I was the first to go into the tack room, and noticed that the bridles weren't in the right place. I didn't really think anything of it. But today my DM said that there is grease on the bottom of her saddle, from where the saddle pad hasn't been put on properly and it has rubbed the horse, which she wouldn't do. Also her bridle had been done up all wrong. The stirrups on both saddles were at different lengths to how they'd been left by Us. She suspected that the house sitter had taken the kids riding on our horses. This was confirmed when she went for a ride around the village today and a neighbour (who has booked the same house sitter) said that the house sitter had emailed a picture with the kid sat on her horse!

Not only is riding someone's horses without their permission incredibly rude, it is also a really stupid thing to do. She knew nothing about our horses, they could have had any kind of quirks, and putting 2 kids on them (when she doesn't appear to know much about horses herself) was just bloody dangerous.

Not only that, but my DM said there's no way that the bed was slept in for 10 nights, so she suspects that the house sitter had left the dogs overnight which she wasn't supposed to do.

WWYD? I absolutely think that something should be said to the house sitter, but my DM is veering towards leaving it, and just locking the tack room if she uses her again! She was paid a lot of money, and in my opinion, took the piss.

Yes I've never met a complete beginner who could bridle a horse. I've got loads of experience and even I struggle with a not for novice pony.

Cheeky bitch though.

The owner wouldn't be liable for any injury sustained during a 'joyride'. The test would be is it reasonably foreseeable that injury could occur for getting on a horse that a) you've never ridden before and b) without the owners permission. Also any horse rider getting on a horse for the first time doesn't just grab it out the field without the owners permission and jump straight on. A reasonable person would watch the owner ride first or ride it for the first time with the owner present.

To those saying 'it should have been made legal/clear - To be fair, it's only one person

Regarding liability, peach. If I am in your house and the conservatory collapses, cutting me to ribbons with broken glass - you are potentially liable. If I dive through the conservatory windows, cutting myself to ribbons with broken glass, you are definitely not liable even though you hadn't specifically warned me not to dive through panes of glass.

Are you a serial claimer of damages, by any chance??

Oops meant beetroot.......goes off to hide in a cupboard for a bit!

I'm late to this but dear God OP!! I'm absolutely horrified. Just speechless. I cannot believe she rode the horses! The poor things....That is such a breach of trust. I wouldn't like to think what would happen if someone inexperienced got on either of my two! They would probably be bucked off.

FYI - re slander - a statement which is truthful or you believe to be truthful is a complete defence.

She sounds like an utter nightmare. Poor you.

Peachy is a sober beetroot?

Well I never...

Hang on, do we know this for a bonified fact?

Kidnapped

Just post the photo of them on the horse on the review.

We don't for a fidobono fact, Kidnapped, but we are musing on the possibility.

Until we have bodofino confirmation we will remain ignorant.

Good to see the update OP. What exactly is she claiming about your review that is slander? That she was riding them without permission? I think you said your mother received a message from her asking for permission for the kids to stop by an say hi... if she had permission to ride them, why would she have asked that and why wouldn't she have asked about riding them?

What exactly do you and your mother have to gain from claiming she was riding without permission if she actually had permission? If she DID have permission to ride the horses she would have proof of that and the "well you didn't say I couldn't" excuse doesn't work because you also didn't say she couldn't have a house party, or read her mail, or drive her car plus any manner of other things reasonable people would realise is not okay.

She told your mother she "used her judgment" but she had no RIGHT to make such judgment about someone else's property. She is a horrible sitter and I hope no-one uses her again because "her judgment" is severely lacking and I'd be worried about what else she gets up to that no-one has proof of!

I'm sorry but if she was in any way an experienced horse woman she would not have put tack on and gone for a ride without permission! It shows that even if she knew how to tack up (in some form) she really has not got a) any bloody respect b) any knowledge of the horse world etiquette

You would have to hold me back if someone helped themselves to my horses. Anyone with any involvement with horses knows that you absolutely do not ride someone else's horse. Jesus, if anyone even took my horse for an in-hand graze without permission, I'd go crazy.

Trucking - so with you. The whole thing beggars belief. How was she so clueless???!

I can't believe she's saying its slander! Daft woman.

What a ridiculous women the housesitter is,slander she should be so lucky,all you've said is bloody true the daft twat.

I'm glad your Mum has had a go at her and I'm glad your warning others about her and what her service was like.

Amazing cheek

I don't blame you in the slightest for wanting the world to know how utterly presumptuous and unprofessional this woman has been.

I think there was a case recently where someone fell off their friend's horse while riding and tried to sue the friend. She didn't succeed. So I very much doubt that the owner would have been held responsible for this woman taking her horses for a joyride!

She crossed the line the moment a headcollar was put on.

Truly unbelievable. I hope your mum gets all her money back at the very least. How can someone do that with horses and expect to get away with it?
Did she actually think she was in the right?

*Seems posters have no interest in what I am actually saying. I am not saying the house sitter was correct in what she did. I am making a point about the legal responsibility of the house owner.

The house sitter was essentially a paid employee with a contract. She was looking after the animals as well as the house and had permission to show her the family the horses. Had anything bad happened the employer would have been legally liable. The employee had been told not to feed the horses but she was not told she could not use the horses in the manner in which they are normally used and she had not been warned of any dangers they posed.

Even if the employee was guilty of doing something they shouldn't, the employer would still be responsible for the neglect.*

Are you on glue? Certainly no idea of the law!

peachpudding

The legal argument is that having an item around is not an invitation for you to help yourself. Its called an 'invitation to treat.'

If I leave my car keys on the table or in the front door, it is not an invitation to treat.
You cannot legally use my wifi without permission either.

There is an astonishingly long list if things you cannot do. If you dont know what they are, then it is up to you to check you have permission.

doublegin I agree about a complete beginner struggling to bridle a horse but also think that anyone who was experienced would be able to bridle and saddle a horse (and remove) in such a manner that the owner might not notice. The fact this woman clearly couldn't do that is just another demonstration of how inexperienced she clearly is.

OP, tell her to sue you for libel because she'll very quickly find that she can't!

Libel/slander has to be untrue for the cause of to succeed. So no joy for housesitter there.
An employee? WTF? It's a contract for services not a contract of service. Otherwise I'd have to pay my cleaner, gardener and babysitters NI, holiday and sick pay.

In response to the question about what was she claiming was slander - this is what she put:

Whilst we appreciate the feedback, we do not appreciate slander.
The customer herself was spoken to and will be again, regarding the situation.
With all due respect, there were four people present for the discussion that took place prior to the sit, therefore, we wish to deal with those people directly to settle this matter.
In relation to the urination of animals, this was also discussed both in person and over the phone, before, during and after the sit. No neglect of duties was present.
We wish to discuss this matter with the customer and the customer only. We will not discuss this further on a social platform. Thank you.