Long one! Warning!
Right, from the beginning.....
In Feb a girl turned up at my yard (not big just me, the owners and one other) - she had bought a cob colt of her friend (colt was already here). She is 18. She arrived and talked a good talk, we all thought she was legit.
Roll on a few weeks and we all suss that she does indeed talk a good talk but thats as far as it goes - she locked this poor colt in the stable , top door shut as well and left him to it. He climbed the walls until the owners decided enough was enough and let him back out. I will add here that this colt has been abused, has a fear of men, and was pretty much un-handled.
After this main incident said colt was left to his own devices in the field...I think he scared her and she had no idea what to do with him.
In April she turns up with a ex-racehorse. 
Beautiful boy, 5yo, out of racing for a month or two.
She has sold her colt to her 'friend' sugardaddy and paid £300 upfront for him with a agreement to pay £100 every month until he's paid up (£850 in total) .
And then the drama starts...
Her first issue was getting on - she couldn't.
Her non horsey bf was trying to give her a leg up but rather than jump on she seemed to just hang off the side for a few seconds before she dropped down. She did this a number of times. She said that he ran off or bucked when she got on.
The occasion that I witnessed was her trying this in a small yard - she hung about 5 times - horse walked forwards and got very confused. I told her to stop messing about and if she was going to get on then get on. I legged her up - something happened and she ended up standing on the floor whilst the horse ended up side down on the floor. I swear she kicked him forwards into the wall to prove a point and got off before he fell!
Second issue - she slaps him. We have nicknamed her 'slapper'. Its been heard the other side of the yard. I am going to stress - he is not a fizzy horse on the ground - he is incredibly gentle and loves a cuddle. He turned his nose to her once and she slapped him away. He moves his leg and slap.
Third issue - this is what started the current events.
A week ago Friday she bought him into his stable - her reasons were that the buttercups were irritating him. The owner topped the buttercups in his paddock that day and raked them up for her. He spent from Friday until sunday eve in his stable without any hay from her and without any water. Between us all we kept him going with hay and water as best we could. She didn't show her face at all during this time.
He was weaving at the back of his stable - legs were going aswell. He was biting his tongue. His weight (which was not the best anyway) dropped dramatically. I have never in my life seen a horse so stressed in a stable - especially one who is used to being in. He went out into a bigger paddock with lots of buttercups in the end
In the last week I have completely fallen in love with him - I should have stayed detached the bloody thing crept up on me and I am hooked!! Also in the last week I have been taking a proper look at him. His feet are in a awful state - he is underweight (which is impressive considering the time of year, the fact he is out mostly 24/7, and has hardly any exercise) . She had the farrier out 4 weeks ago and all he did was take off his back shoes ... when I looked last week it was blatantly obvious to me he was very sore on these feet and his front feet needed some attention - one front shoe was very loose. She put his rug on in the middle of the week - a turnout rug in the heat!!! He was drenched in sweat. She hasn't been down all weekend again.... I would dread to think how he will be in winter if he is like this now.
I could go on but I am hoping you get the jist....
On Friday I contacted the woman who had sold him to her and informed her of what was going on - she wasn't best pleased and met with me down the on Monday without this girl knowing. I told her I was very interested in taking him on, let her see him for herself. Her words were 'thats not the horse I sold a few months ago' . By the time she left I am confident she would be happy for me to buy him providing she could sort the issue out with money.
Turns out the girl has paid up £500 - owner has said she came down for a spot check and said his condition was poor and his feet were a mess. Girl said that she wasn't struggling and the farrier is due.
She came to the yard this morning and despite the fact that he has no back shoes and a loose front shoe - proceeded to lunge him. I left not long after she started - didn't trust my tongue. I get a call 20mins later from the yard owners oh saying that he twisted his loose shoe off and managed to puncture his hoof with a nail, she was sure there was a hole and it was bleeding.
Girl had a hissy fit, cried, said the owner was going to take him off her, and then left without treating his foot.
I called the owner and informed her of what had happened and have since sent her photo's. She asked me to pop a poultice on which I couldn't manage in the end as sods law - I get a phone call from the school saying my son had fallen over and needed to be seen. I will do it first thing if its still not been done.
So, here's my dilemma: (Big 'ol applaud if you have got this far!)
What do I do now?
Yard owner isn't best pleased because if all the drama but he did seem to be on my side, but I repeat not best pleased - either way I don't think this girl will be allowed to stay for much longer.
Girl is a twat.
Horse is a love but very un-happy and not being treated well. I could make him well and then start with some decent schooling and training as oppose to her 'lets canter round and round the fields for no reason' approach
Do I step back? I did wonder today if I was pushing it a bit too much..I haven't spoken to the girl but I have stated a serious interest to the owner. I am guessing the girl may have realized i want him by now. Do I leave it now and wait it out? Owner has said that she will let me know by the end of the week- did I do the right thing calling her today when he punctured his foot?
I may want him but ultimately I want him to be well looked after and happy - if the girl gave him this there wouldn't be a issue, likewise if the owner took him back - i'd be a bit gutted but its life...as long as he is safe and well. He deserves a ton more than he is getting now!
I have wondered about speaking to the girl and seeing if I can be logical to her (she isn't logical - complete drama queen but I can but try??) . I would happily offer her and shortfall that the owner offered on a buy back (owner mentioned that she would offer £300 back taking £200 for getting him up together). I can keep a level temper and hopefully make her realize that she is out of her depth - or is that just rude?
I would have to contact her somehow to make sure she was there at the same time as I was...
Can I do anything else?
Any advice good or bad taken on board - I am getting confused in my own head wondering if I am doing the right thing .
Discuss horse riding and ownership on our Horse forum.
The tack room
Trying to nab a horse....a few complications! Long!
Bonkey · 17/06/2014 21:52
Deborah51 She has the ex-racer now not the colt but yes! She shouldn't have him. Owner of the yard is a small time farmer - things have been said but she is ignoring.
I think I am doing everything I can bar a horse nap but ultimately its the owner who can put a stop to it all now and I can only keep her informed if anything else horrendous happens.
The owner came across to me like she knew what she was talking about and was not by any means stupid but I am worried that because this girl is a incredibly good talker/actress then she may be able to wing her way out of it. I am hoping in any case no more money will change hands for him until the owner is completely sure he is being well kept which he won't be. Best solution is to let me buy him - sore foot and all! 
.
Drama today - poor horse has a 'poultice' on . Girl bought everything she needed and proceeded to pad his foot with dry cotton wool and the vetwrap it . No tape over to make it waterproof, no painkillers, no wash.
I didn't see this but would have happily offered to do it for her but I haven't seen her either.
We think she is trying to make it look like she is doing the right thing (buy buying all the correct stuff) and keeping it in the tack room to show said owner if she shows up...but then half arsedly doing what she thinks will look good not the right thing in the first place.
Said horse (a full up 16hh thoroughbred) has also had a fly fringe put on his headcollar - pony size and is also horribly sore on his front foot - I would be bunging him some painkillers if I had some but again...sods law - i don't!
I have decided to be civil to the girl but tell her straight should anything come up and wait and see what happens with the owner. There's no point in me rowing with her as much as I would like to shove her face in the muck heap .
Just can't bear a beautiful horse like him being treated in such a shitty way! 
Flexibility Yes, I have but I honestly think she would throw a hissy fit/cry/say she loves him blah blah blah and I would have less chance because she is a stubborn spoilt little bitch. (Can you guess how much I like her?)
When I witnessed the 'not being able to get on' issue I said to her she should contact the owner and ask for some advice or possibly a swap for something that has done a bit more. I got 'but I love him and want to give him a chance' - he is a status thing for her. And she never did ask for any advice.....
It may be the final option though - if it look like its not going anywhere then I will simply ask, wave some money under her nose and prepare for a performance/grab and run.
Or maybe I should just wave the £500 under her nose....not bad really for a underweight horse with 3 shitty feet 
Urgh - my head is all over the shop!
Flexibility Thankyou!
So the bloody hell do I 
.
All else fails I might be able to horse nap and squeeze him in my shed.....
GothMummy I am sorry for what happened with yours :(
I am aware I a taking on a risk - I am hoping that minimal damage has been done in 2 months.
However as I say that...today he can hardly walk - he can barely put any weight on his sore one. His last shoe is loose and his hoof has worn through the 'poultice' (pah! if you can call it that!) .
As we were there he started chewing the fence finally grabbing it and just clamping down his teeth for minutes at a time, obviously to deal with the pain. I walked away from him practically in tears.
Have videoed and taken pics and messaged the owner - also offered to meet a vet there tomorrow if twatface the girl hasn't got one by then. I would bung him some painkillers but the one sachet I have left isn't going to touch the sides .
Jesus - if anyone wants to know how to fuck up a horse in two months then I know which direction to point them in!
RSPCA will do jack shit - bad experience but I think they would have left a certain horse to die
Will try somewhere else if this carries on and doesnt end soon one way or another - he cant go on like it
Tbh - I am going to be looking into moving yards I think. YO can be a tad temperamental (although always been ok with me) but you know when you just know its may be time to move on?
Anyway - owner came down to meet me today and had a gander at him again. We pulled off a shit loads of duct tape with some sort of wadding underneath which was meant to pass as a poultice . She has re-poulticed and taped up after having a good look she seems to think there is no hole but I am still sceptical - won't know until a farrier has a good poke in it I suspect now. I think if there is one its already been filled by the dirt and dust.
Anyway - I am 100% certain she is happy for me to have him and is going to check where she stands legally. In the meantime she will be letting the owner know that I let her know about his foot and tell her that he needs a farrier asap. She said that if he hasn't seen one in the next 7-10days then she may just come and get him, wait until the girl calms down and fucks off leaves the yard (she won't be allowed back) and then bring him back in a few weeks for me.
She was also happy for me to try with the girl to give him up - I am going to get the cash and wave it under her nose and hope she takes it without any fuss .
He was last wormed in March - Jabs aren't due until Feb - owner has known him since he is was a yearling so I can get most of his history. He has been with the girl since April and while he dropped very quickly I think its a combination of shitty feet, anxiety and stress.
I deal with them completely differently from the girl - I am calm and quite laid back by nature which I think is why he homed in on me tbh. Once his feet are up-together and I have had the vet give him a once over hopefully its just a case of lots of ground work and bonding.
Now if anyone has any ideas on hope to approach the girl with a offer then shoot!
I was going to offer to meet her at the yard saying that I wanted to talk to her and take it from there???
Either that or be a chicken and msg her on FB......
I can get the passport, no problem with that.
Owner has agreed to knock some off the outstanding balance the girl has to pay for some of the costs....she offered, I still would pay the full amount - complete plank that I am .
Silently thanks tax man for a rather excellently timed rebate
Fingers crossed she takes the offer without any drama....
As the girl has paid more than 50% she can now withhold any further payment and walk away with the horse. Legally all the owner can do is take her to small claims and without a water tight solicitor witnessed contract she is unlikely to win.
I'm telling you this because it would be wise to tread carefully given the above. The last thing you want is the girl to decide you are all ganging up and dissappear with the horse.
Hopefully you have wangled things round by now and have a lovely new addition though 
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Argh!
Sorry didn't mean to leave you all hanging just been horribly busy!
Well, I offered her the money and she gave me all the 'but I love him, he won't let any one else ride him, he is helping me through a lot ' garbage - I told her not to right it off and think about it and the offer will be on the table for a short while.
She has had front shoes put on which has helped his front feet loads but he is still a tad sore on the back where she left them bare...I would also not be surprised if a abscess appears in the next few weeks either, but we will see.
She made a show after the owner had been down and was 'perfect' in front of everyone. She even managed to do a twice daily visit for two days but has seemed to gone back to the every other day routine very quickly - problems with the rain maybe .
Plus points is that now his foot feels better he is grazing and not cribbing and gate hogging.
I am gutted to say the least but its not over yet should never bond with horses that are not yours! - I am going to hold out for a while and see what happens.
She hasn't attempted to ride him yet. He has had at least a month off and the last time she rode (10mins down the lane in total) he scared her by spooking at a dog - she hasn't been on him since
I have a feeling the novelty will wear off soon enough and hopefully (because I was nice and civil) she will think selling him to me will be a quick no hassle option!
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