Should I be paying?

[Whichusernamenow415]

Fretting and wanted a quick poll of what others might do.

I share a private yard with a friend. While I was abroad, she put her horse into one of my paddocks to have some grass (no issue with this, but obvs wasn’t aware at the time). Somehow the gate to my adjoining paddock where my horses were, got open and mine got in with hers and he got kicked. Two months on they’ve just xrayed and he has fractures. He’s having surgery and is going to be sent to a livery yard to recover. It’s going to cost thousands. He is insured but think she has to cover a % and livery fees.

I’m in bits as I don’t think I’m technically liable and horses will be horses but I feel so guilty hearing about all the costs and feeling like I should offer money. Friend hasn’t asked and my boys were never in his areas, he was in theirs. But I feel so bad. What do I do? 😕

I don’t think you can be held responsible at all. Unless the gate is faulty in some way, and you knew but never told anyone. Even then it’s tenuous.

I don’t think for a moment that you should pay

It is an awful thing to happen, but you are not responsible for paying.

The gate post was re-done (at my expense) fairly recently and I’ve never found it anything other than completely closed. No idea how they got in. Possibly our landlords or a contractor. But I’m so sad for her (and my horse who did it as he’s a dollop but was off grass for summer for his weight and insulin so a bit hangry).

You are in no way at all responsible for what happened. Be there to support your friend, but that is where your responsibility ends. Things like this happen with horses, we all know it is a risk.

Thanks for the reassurance. The fact I was worried enough to make this thread made me just bite the bullet and ask if we could talk about costs. She shut me right down and won’t hear of me paying anything saying it was an accident. Feeling relieved but also lucky to share with someone so adult and genuine. Will think of something I can treat her to as a gesture.

She sounds like a lovely friend and so do you. You're both clearly very considerate. What a nice conclusion. I hope her horse makes a swift recovery.