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.

bumblelymummly

Apart from the fact it is illegal to drive a car without insurance- and I assume the OPs mother didn't insure her to drive the car, so if she did, she would be breaking the law.

Apart from the fact it is illegal to drive a car without insurance- and I assume the OPs mother didn't insure her to drive the car, so if she did, she would be breaking the law.

Except she could be insured to drive any car with her own insurance. The illegal part would be taking the car without consent. If she could drive :)

I want to house sit for beetroot1 and peachpudding's houses. They're obviously happy to give me £600 to invite my friends and their children round to wear their clothes and use their belongings including driving their cars.

Could you pm me her details as well please- definitely want to make sure I don't use her.

Please can you PM me too? My MIL is that area and has horses that she is looking for a carer now for - I don't want her to use this woman!

Quite honestly just mentioning on your local FB page that she neglected your cat would be enough to finish her business off. People tend to care about cats far more than horses on FB (possibly because horses are considered the preserve of the better off). Not saying it's right just that is how it seems to work.

Wow with all these folks just about to book house sitters it must be a thriving business to be in!

First world or developing world, horses are valuable livestock. They're also capable of killing or injuring a human. As for the cat, it's rude to assume that only people in the first world care about animal welfare.

Yes, but if she was supposed to be staying there then the lack of driving is a somewhat moot point as she was supposed to be staying there.

No, my point was that if she can't drive, then she was possibly more likely not to have returned to the house overnight, as too much to-ing and fro-ing meant relying on others for lifts.

And I think bumbleymummy was tongue-in-cheek referring to the previous comments about house-sitters doing what they like in a house (e.g. drive the car) as long as it hasn't been expressly forbidden.

Completely understand you being furious, think you've every right to be. She is irresponsible, unprofessional and downright thick.

When I was 11 one of my friends took someone's horse out without asking. We all had horses and our parents were horsey but obviously we were only young and so we had limited experience. She didn't know the horse, it wouldn't go out well on its own, it ending up throwing her off. The horse stood on her neck and killed her instantly, but her foot was caught in the stirrup so it dragged her with it. The horse ended up with a broken leg after trying to jump a fence to get home with my friend still attached and it had to be shot. Pretty much the worst thing that can happen, but it did. I was too scared to ride after that.

In my eyes It's simple, you need to know what you're doing and you need to know a bit about the animal you're doing it with!

I really don't think you can say "no harm done" and leave it at that. It's like saying the same thing to riding a motorbike with no helmet. Maybe no harm done this time. But there shouldn't be a next time!

Re driving/ not driving, are people aware that humans can travel without motor cars?

With regards to what we are hoping to achieve from contacting a solicitor, my mum said the same thing to me earlier, we need to have an outcome in mind. I said that she was contracted to care for the animals with their best interests at heart, with full insurance. She failed on having their best interests at heart, on many counts, and there is no way her insurance (if she has it) would cover riding horses without permission, and allowing her novice partner and his children to do so. So the outcome I would expect, as she did not provide the service that was paid for, would be to refund all monies paid. I would also expect an apology too.

The clock is ticking for her...she still hasn't contacted my mum, and mum has written a shit hot email detailing everything to NARPS, who she is registered with, and has enclosed all the pictures and emails from the house sitter which back up what we are saying.

And that's awful claira! Your poor friend.

Gabilan - we live in a very rural area, her house would be about a 20 minute DRIVE away from my mum's, it would take her hours on a bike.

As a previous house sitter and current horse owner I would be furious about the horse riding...get the facts from her and your neighbour and she needs a good telling off, firstly for lying and secondly for doing something so dangerous and stupid!

Also £600 for 10 days house sitting?? Unless she expected to be there every waking second of the day I would say you have been royally ripped off!

Would only expect to pay£15/'£20 per day with just the dogs and cat to mind!

Perhaps she was planning on riding the horse back and forth each day!

House sitter or Horse sitter? :) Sympathies OP, you have really been through the mill.

I guess my mum was happy to pay top dollar to ensure all the animals were going to be looked after, and look what happened!

FuzzyOwl - she probably bloody did!

What really takes the piss is that she has clearly spent a lot of time online, blocking me, rustling up reviews from her friends and responding to them, and she still hasn't contacted my mum like she said she would. You would have thought that resolving that would be a smarter business move for her, and if she had any kind of integrity (which I guess we know she doesn't), would be at the top of her list of priorities.

So sorry to hear about your cat Just horrible.

Please could you message me too, I'm in the SW and run a business advertising page and want to make sure she's not on there.

Wow I can't believe that, I horse sit and I'd never ride unless told to do so. I'd rather lunge or school a horse if I didn't know it anyway plus I'm too heavy for most of the ponies I've looked after. I really can't believe she'd do that no matter how horsey you are you just don't!!!!

Ok People I am now in the house sitting business, I am insured and have a DBS check, PM me if you are in SW London and surrounding areas, £600 for 10 days I have been in the wrong job for many a year