Who the fuck dumps there horse in MY field

[MagicLlama]

So ive gone down to let my horses in tonight, and there is an extra fucking horse in my field. I know its not mine. I know it wasnt there at 7:30 this morning. I know its been put in because the lock is cut off. CUT off. Theve cut my padlock off to put an additional horse IN!! IN!!

It went crazy when I took mine in to the stables, so I had no choice. Hes now in a stable with a haynet.

Ive rang round locally and noone appears willing to claim him. Ive rang the police, and theve advised me to put un an abandonement notice telling whoever owns him they have 14 days to shift him, before he becomes mine, and apparently hes my legal responsibility in the meantime because hes on my land.

WTF do I do now?

Well update time again.

The abandoment notice is up, but no response from that. Ive had to put my phone number on it, because the stupid horse has an aversion to the rain, and if its even gently spitting when I try and turn him out, hes goes all eyes rolly and head tossy and then when turned out stands by the gate neighing. Due the heavy rain and gale force winds and my inability to concentrate on work when a stupid horse is neighing almost constantly hes been staying in and ive been leaving the stable door open so he can wander around the stable yard instead of being cooped in!

There has been on response from the last known owners, and I believe that a letter is being sent to the address now as phone calls have got no response.

The yard he came from will have him back but obviously only to sell on again as he was injured so unfit to race, although could make a good hack or so they say

Im toying with keeping him, but on one hand I keep thinking ill have to buy him rugs and tack which is going to be a relatively heafty expense. Then lord only knows what hes going to be like to ride. Noone appears to have untrained him to be a racehorse, so am I going to be galloping around the countryside like a mad thing? which could be fun if I didnt have to take the kids out riding with me but then on the other hand, I have the time to spend with him, it would be lovely to have a horse I could ride myself, and ive fallen in love with him.

Heart or head, heart or head?

Heart:)

Heart

Ah stop it - you know you are going to keep him. How big is he? I have loads of old manky rugs that might do for him with a bit of a spruce up.

Heart. Poor Lostboy

I wouldn't just take him on because you feel sorry for him, however lovely he is. TB's are not always easy as you know, and on top of that there will be loads more expense (notorious for bad feet), before you start he'll need vaccinations, worming, teeth and possibly a back inspection. And, as you say tack and kit....... It will also require a lot of time, probably more than you think as you are likely to be starting from scratch. Have a word with Moorcroft, Greatwood and RoR before you commit yourself. Can you find out some of his history, including his injury before you fall completely in love with him.

It's easy to say heart, but you are possibly looking at 10+ years of it - and that's a lot of upkeep, never mind anything else!

Can you become a fosterer if you were to give him up to a charity I have no idea about horses but his thread has me gripped and I want you to be able to keep him

HEART!!!

ah! have just read all of this thread. how lovely, i would love a field and horses.

I hope that he gets a good home, either yours or someone else.

bless him! and you for having him!

i am sure that everyone horsey will give what they can to help keeping him become a little bit cheaper! :)

Lol, you lot are useless! Im trying to be logical and practical about it but i keep thinking hed make a lovely winter project.

Bear Hes 16h! My mates got a 16h TB so ive stolen her lightweight turnout rug for now, but if hes going to go out in the proper bad weather hes going to have to had something more substantial I suppose, as hes not very hardy.

Frosty that is my only reservation to be honest. Do I really have the time and energy to do him justice. In my younger, pre kids days I had a 15.2 derranged saddlebred mare that tried to kill me everytime I went in the field, and I managed to get her sorted eventually, and I keep telling myself hes not that bad, but equally I now also have 2 primary school aged kids, and their ponies, which I didnt have before!. However again I work from home, so with some juggling of my workload I would have the time to put in with him.

Ive spoken to a racehorse rehabilitation place and theyve advised how to go about retraining him, and it sounds feasible, but then it always does when you want something to happen IYSWIM? Theyve advised lunging him for a while and working on his transitions before even getting on him so theres alot of work there, and before I can take him out with the kids ponies following us, I need to be relatively sure that either he wont bolt off, or if he does I have workable breaks

Injury wise, he had a sand crack fracture. My vet says that he appears sound now, theres no noticable problems with it, and the yard have said we can contact their vet for more information on it. They have said that they were told that he would be suitable to be brought back into work, but obviously not as a racehorse, eventer, or anything of that nature. As id only be wanting a hack about he should be OK, but equally I need more information before I know that for sure. Or i decide ill keep him as a very expensive, very pathetic in the rain companion for the old mare weve got.

TB's generally do not make good field ornaments - they are used to being busy, especially if they have raced. My ex pt to pt goes nuts if he's left unamused - he tears around the field for no apparent reason and is lethal to ride if just pulled out every now and then. Kept busy he's a dream and a sweetie.....

I don't know what your best course of action is really, like you I'd be tempted. Why don't you write a list of pros and cons, be hard hearted and do a sensible assessment of cost and time etc and see where it leaves you.

They can be kept out - mine spent a happy winter last year in the field 24/7, clipped out, with access to a field shelter. Food wise he was on a basic non heating mix and hay, with sugar beet to bulk him up and get him to eat as he's a tad fussy.

I really admire you. Go with your heart.

Free horse!

Kind of.

Awww! You know you're going to end up keeping him.....it was meant to be!

I would go with your head.

TBs are generally more expensive and far more high maintenance. He may become a lovely hack but then again he may not. He will take up lots of time and I would expect ultimately cost you a lot of money. It would probably be far cheaper to buy a nice horse to suit your needs as so many people cannot afford horses anymore rather than keeping him. He may seem 'free' but in practice he will probably cost you a lot in vets, farrier, saddle etc, feed, generally being higher maintenance than your average horse.

but what will you do with him if no owner is found and you decide to get rid?

i am so desperate for my own but he would be more than i could handle yet. Has the vet identified any real problems? if not he could be a worthy little project (or big project at 16hh!)

If you can afford to then go with your heart.

We'd take him if you weren't on the other side of the country!

Well, here's how I'd approach the situation, if I was going to keep him:
Don't rug him overly, TB's can grow decent winter coats. If you need rugs, check out equine boot sales, gumtree and ebay. A couple of half decent turnouts will do. You don't need seperate stable rugs.
Don't over feed him. Hard feed will make him nuttier. Give hay, chaff and a little non heating mix. We use Biocare from Falcon. Excellent feed. Get his feet trimmed, but don't go down the shoe route unless you need to. Plenty of TBs go barefoot. Ours are only Tetanus jabbed. If he isn't skinny or losing ground, he probably doesn't need a dentist, thre's a good chance you can tell if he needs his back checked. You don't have to spend a fortune without good reason. Keep it simple and see how you go.

There is plenty of second hand tack out there. Ebay is your friend!

Anyone got any secondhand rugs?

there are some decent cheap rugs on ebay at min....

just looked at tack too - if you know what size you need ebay looks pretty good....

dont look a (gift)horse in the mouth OP! (grin) i realise TB are more high maintenance but im sure you could get the basics and make it work if you really want to?

What size rugs, 6'3? 6'9?

My dd owned a 16h tb ex racehorse for a few years and he was the gentlest and best horse we ever had. Loved his nose being rubbed and neighed hello and would gallop across field to greet her. Suffered a few injuries but healed well. We loved him.

I don't own a pony to buy for. Not so secret Santa?!

Hmmmm, it could work out, but as his main job would be going out hacking with small children on ponies you need him pretty bombproof and sensible in a crisis. I'm guessing that for that criteria you probably wouldn't immediately think of an ex-racer but he could work out, you never know!

Have you got adults you could ride out with while you see what he's like? I think if you do keep him you'd need to have a plan B if you can't get him totally trustworthy to go out with your children.