# Conflicted, advice please!



## sandy2u1 (May 7, 2008)

the thing that immediatly springs to my mind is illness. since horses are herd animals im very concerned about the anti-social behavior. to me it sounds like this horse is really suffering. I hope everyone doesnt think im mean for what im about to say or that I dont get permantly banned from the horse community...but I think the horse is in serious need of a vet...and if thats not possible then it should be put out of its misery.  I know it sounds horrible, but in my opinion there are some fates worse than death.


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## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

I agree sandy and you are not cruel for saying that. Wild, have you spoken with the authorities about reporting incidents of animal neglect and being left anonymous? I don't really know how things work there. If all else fails, I think I would go to a payphone and call the authorities. You don't have to give them your name, just say you are a concerned citizen. Not to make it sound illegal or anything, but sometimes you have to sneak around a little bit to get things done without having too many bad reprocussions. Good luck and I am thinking about you and the horses. (hugs)


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## wild_spot (Jan 30, 2008)

I understand what both of you are saying... Sandy I do not think you are cruel at all. The problem there is that there is no way dad's boss would pay to euth him, and i'm certain would not pay for a vet. It's so frustrating, I just want to tell him how much of an insensitive prig he is, but because of dad I can't. I'm sure dad could shoot it, and he would if it had injured itself etc. but it's not really a humane way to do it... And dad's boss would probably go mental, we would have to say it just died.

smrobs, the problem with that si that we are the only people who see these horses... So even if we made an anonomous complaint ( which I have thought about MANY times) dad's boss would know that it was one of us.


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## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

Wow, that sucks. I'm sorry. I wish there was something I could do to help but I can't think of any other way to help. My thoughts and heart are with you and I hope you find some way to help.


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## wild_spot (Jan 30, 2008)

Thanks smrobs, and its ok. I'm stuck myself. 

Ah and it's so frustrating... Two broodmares just arrived yesterday, and the carrier put them into a paddock full of sheets of corrugated iron and wire and wood... We had to catch them straight away and move them. And I just know that they won't be getting fed, any broodmare supplements, and he won't check on them/worm them, or anything. He makes me so mad!


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## Angel_Leaguer (Jun 13, 2008)

You and your dad are in a really tough spot... i dont get why the boss is against everything if he already has tons of money, is there any reasoning with him? Maybe he will put up the money to help the old horse out.


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## wild_spot (Jan 30, 2008)

It's how he got rich and stays rich, by stiffing everybody. Dad has trouble getting him to pay bills etc. on time.

I'm so mad right now... He has decided he is bringing a COLT and a filly here as well, so he doesn't have to pay to keep them somewhere else, and he has decided he wants to keep them in the paddock we have had our horses in for six years. We've spent so much time digging out the weeds, strip grazing it, pulling out all the bits of twine and metal that were there, and now we lose it. Our shed were we keep our tack is in there, so that will go two, as we can't takw our geldings into the paddock with a colt to saddle them up. Ah! Now we have to find and fence a new little paddock, (as they all need to be locked up occasionally) and a new shed!


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## Kirsti Arndt (Jun 23, 2008)

that is why he has so much money-i think in the old days they would call him a TIGHT WAD and a mean one at that


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## DarkChylde (Nov 13, 2008)

You are witnesing first hand what I have been griping about all along. I am sorry for the situations you are in, that is a hard one. Must be very frustrating to have your hands tied so. 

Can't realy offer any suggestions, but thank you for caring, and I think there will come a way for you to help, you must be patient. Just a feeling.

Best of luck, and blessings and prayers for you and those poor babies.


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## Vidaloco (Sep 14, 2007)

First off let me say bless your heart for caring about the cast offs. 
Can you talk to the vet who has treated them in the past about contacting the authorities? I think if you could get her to take some sort of action it would not seem in any way obvious that a complaint came from you. I fear your dads job would be in jeopardy if there was even a hint that you had filed a complaint.


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## Kentucky (Aug 2, 2008)

Pm sent


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## wild_spot (Jan 30, 2008)

Well we went and had a look at them the other day... The other in that herd (about 6 of them) are actually looking really good at the moment, decent amount of weight on, feet not too bad, obviously can't tell about teeth/worms etc but they look a lot less lousy than they did. The only one who still looks bad is googie. 

There are now an additional 7 broodmares, a filly and a colt there, and he is expecting dad to go pick up another three mares for him soon. He also expects dad to feed them when the pasture gets eaten out, in addition to running the three properties. I have no idea what he expects to happen when the mares are ready to foal... The paddocks are nowhere near suitable for foals, and dad simply does not have the time to watch/take care of mares in foal or newborn foals. This makes about twenty horses there... The person he doesn't want to pay to keep them is his neice! She is devastated because she was counting on the money coming in to finish her extensions to her house... I really don't know how one person can be so callous to the detriment of so many others.

I like the idea of talking to the vet... it was a long time ago when she treated him though. Next time she ocmes out to preg test the cows, I will ask dad if he can get her to look at the old horse and see if there is anything simple we can do for him, if not on ways of reporting it. She has always been very friendly with us. We will see how it goes...


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## RusticWildFire (Jul 6, 2008)

Wow! That really is a bad situation.. I wish I had more advice for you...You said at one point something about a carrier? If there are other people in and out of there even occasionally could you tell a little white lie about 'it must have been someone who was in here doing something other than us'? 
Gosh, other than that I just don't know. I think the vet thing is a great idea if it will be relatively soon. 
Good Luck!


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## Reese2007 (Nov 23, 2008)

That is just crazy! It's amazing how inconsiderate people can be when it comes to animals. If they don't want to put the money or time into taking care of them, then why get them!? Why get more than they already have even?? It's very aggravating when people do things like that.
I guess I don't really have any suggestions for you...I wish I did. Is there any way that they would hire another person to help your dad? Like...Maybe a person JUST to take care of the horses and that's it. That way, they could get to know the horses a bit more because they would have time to do it, and maybe get close enough to Googie to see what's wrong and what needs to be done.
My prayers are with you and those poor horses...


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## Kentucky (Aug 2, 2008)

That person sounds he is using that spread as a tax write off. It was so bad here in the states, horse lost the tax deduction for fed and vet care etc, around the mid 80's i want to say 86 for some reason. the only expect with in a commerical breeder, a farm, or ther business, but hobbiest lost the tax write off.

He doesn't want to hire his neice (unless she has for some reason should not be around livestock) or anyone else and the work force is pushed to the limits with more increase in work coming. This sounds like the type of man I would want to hire, if i wanted to watch that business fail. 

I would try to report him second handed if possible, a vet or other exbert would be the best way to do that. And if the person put heat on your dad, he can say with a straight face, "I had nothing to do with it."


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## wild_spot (Jan 30, 2008)

His neice is an awesome horse person, she rides Grand Prix level dressage, and has raised most of the horses he now owns from foals. He is just being a tight wad, not wanting to have to pay her. When they were with her they were in post and rail fencing, fed every day and actually had ground work done, now nothing. Bah!


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## wild_spot (Jan 30, 2008)

Ok, I finally went out tonight and took some photos of the herd. Here's a photo of Googie:


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## Vidaloco (Sep 14, 2007)

Oh dear :-( he needs to be vet checked and wormed. How old is he do you know?


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## TralissaAndalusians (Sep 7, 2007)

He doesn't look too good at all, poor guy.

Even if he is old, there is no excuse as to why his weight is like this. Yes it's hard keeping weight on old horses, but it can be done.

Do you have any friends that will come out with you to have a look, and have them report it? 

It was the same with me. My next door neighbour's daughter had a mare called Tess that was emaciated, and my dad and her dad are best friends and he does alot for us (Let's us rent his land) And I really wanted to report her the the RSPCA, but I couldn't because that would cause hell between my dad and her's. Meaning we wouldn't be able to use his land anymore. So I got a friend to come have a look, and she reported them. 

They didn't suspect it was us, and the call was anonymous anyway.

You are a very good caring person, being concerned for these horses and doing all you can to feed them hay and everything. And I know you are in a very hard situation, but there has to be some way you can do this. Couldn't the vet report it? 

Some horses don't do well on on just pasture and hay, they need nutritional hard feed and supplements. And to be regulary wormed. 

This could be what the problem is, but if that's not the case, he could be very ill. 

Stomach Ulcers and everything can cause repid weight loss.

Here's a condition scoring chart.

http://www.dpi.vic.gov.au/DPI/nreninf.nsf/v/8D75C4F22ABDE666CA25741D000361DF/$file/Condition_Scoring_and_Weight_Estimation_of_Horses.pdf​


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## wild_spot (Jan 30, 2008)

I recently looked him up on the internet, he is 24. He has actually perked up a fair bit, he came right up to me when I went in to take photo's, and he was up the back of the paddock with the others, when he used to stay down the bottom by himself. I have changed my opinion a bit, I now think it is just poor condition/worms, I don't think there is any illness there as apart from his obvious emaciation he is quite alert. I'm considering sneaking him a feed or two a couple times a week... But if my dad catches me he will be mad for giving our feed to his bosses horses.. I think I will anyway. I tried to convince dad to worm them again not long ago and he got mad saying it's not our business and he won't spend money on his bosses horses when he even won't. I think though I might buy some wormer myself, though there is seven of them so will be pricey... hmm...


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