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 Mature beyond Years
Posts: 10780
   
Location: North of the 49th Parallel | I am in between a rock and a hard place here. After I had my knee surgery and my parent's wanting me to sell my horse, my dad's boss told me I could keep my horse on their property for free (we do pay them a little bit for hay, etc). They just have one horse and it needed a buddy. Anyways, I wasn't a huge fan of the arrangement then and it has gotten better BUT the temperature right now is -27C with a windchill of -44C. They went to Cancun this past week and left their boys in charge of the place (17 & 18) . I had to go out there three times, including right after having knee surgery (it's a 100 mile roundtrip for me) because I really didn't trust them to take care of them and every time, I had to break ice in the water, feed the horses at 8 pm because they hadn't been fed and I had to tell them every time to feed the sheep and give them WATER (THEY HAD NONE). Anyways, dad's boss came back this past weekend but I went out today because they texted me that there was a bunch of snow balled up in my horse's feet. I couldn't really get it out but once again, the water was completely frozen over. I casually mentioned it to his wife and she said they've been breaking it a couple times a day but it took me a good couple whacks at it with a hammer and my boot to get the ice out fo the water. It was frozen over solid, really good. They also only feed hay once a day but it's -44! The grain that I bought for both horses hasn't been going down as fast as I'd like it to (like not at all). There is some grass in the bottom pasture but obviously holds no nutrious value. My horse was really fat for awhile there but I've noticed she's been losing weight quite a bit since the cold weather has set in.
How do I approach them that they really need to feed more in this weather? I'm walking a super fine line because it is my dad's boss too. I've gotten less OCD about my horse since she's been out there but it really doesn't sit right with me when everytime I go out there I have to break ice for the water. I really appreciate them keeping her out there for free but I'm really not comfortable right now. |
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 Crazy Doggy Mommy
Posts: 1419
Location: Where Governor's make the liscense plates | I would politely ask them to start feeding more hay to keep them warm ask them if they need more money for hay. It would bother me too but I get your situation |
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 Expert
Posts: 1718
Location: Southeast Louisiana | That is a tough situation. If they thought the arrangement was you just turning your horse out and nothing else on their part, except maybe access to a round bale, I would probably not say anything because it is free. Or, offer to pay them for the extra trouble of feeding for me. You mentioned their boys weren't doing what they were supposed to and either the boys lied and said they were or they just assumed they were. Either way, i wouldn't want to get into any family nastyness. Is there someone nearby, maybe a friend, who you could pay to go feed every day? |
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| BRING YOUR HORSE HOME IMMEDIATELY... if you are able to drive a 100 miles, break ice, feed etc etc ..... you can do these things at home.
DO NOT RISK ANY BAD FEELINGS FROM THIS HORSE CARE ISSUE TO INTERFERE WITH THE GOOD RELATIONSHIP WITH YOUR FATHER'S BOSS ....
and do not bad mouth the care you think your horse should have received or the boys not caring about your horse etc etc .....
Just say simply ... I missed my horse and wanted her closer to me to hug on everyday .................. and write a very nice thank you note to your Father's Boss for his generosity for keeping your horse while your knee was bunged up !!!
Be a young lady about this and understand no one cares for your horse or dawg like you would or do at home .... and keep your opinions to yourself!!
Also follow up and sell the horse ... your medical bills and horse expense may be affecting your family's budget .... there is always another horse ..
GOOD LUCK ...
Edited by BARRELHORSE USA 2014-03-02 9:15 PM
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 Owner of a ratting catting machine
Posts: 2258
| Your horse is at a terrible risk of colicing, outright dying of dehydration, and of not being fed for days on end. Just imagine yourself left outside to starve, with no water, at minus zero something temperatures. You'd want out of there yesterday.
With ownership comes responsibility. Move her or sell her, you're not being fair to her by leaving her somewhere to be neglected and abused by people that obviously don't care about her well being. |
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Mature beyond Years
Posts: 10780
Location: North of the 49th Parallel | BARRELHORSE USA - 2014-03-02 7:10 PM BRING YOUR HORSE HOME IMMEDIATELY... if you are able to drive a 100 miles, break ice, feed etc etc ..... you can do these things at home. DO NOT RISK ANY BAD FEELINGS FROM THIS HORSE CARE ISSUE TO INTERFERE WITH THE GOOD RELATIONSHIP WITH YOUR FATHER'S BOSS .... and do not bad mouth the care you think your horse should have received or the boys not caring about your horse etc etc ..... Just say simply ... I missed my horse and wanted her closer to me to hug on everyday .................. and write a very nice thank you note to your Father's Boss for his generosity for keeping your horse while your knee was bunged up !!! Be a young lady about this and understand no one cares for your horse or dawg like you would or do at home .... and keep your opinions to yourself!!
I don't have my own place. I live in the city or else I'd have her at my own place. |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 902
Location: Qld Australia | BARRELHORSE USA - 2014-03-03 1:10 PM BRING YOUR HORSE HOME IMMEDIATELY... if you are able to drive a 100 miles, break ice, feed etc etc ..... you can do these things at home. DO NOT RISK ANY BAD FEELINGS FROM THIS HORSE CARE ISSUE TO INTERFERE WITH THE GOOD RELATIONSHIP WITH YOUR FATHER'S BOSS .... and do not bad mouth the care you think your horse should have received or the boys not caring about your horse etc etc ..... Just say simply ... I missed my horse and wanted her closer to me to hug on everyday .................. and write a very nice thank you note to your Father's Boss for his generosity for keeping your horse while your knee was bunged up !!! Be a young lady about this and understand no one cares for your horse or dawg like you would or do at home .... and keep your opinions to yourself!!
100% agree. They offered, you accepted. Not working out exactly like you hoped. Use the above excuse and thank them for their generousity. |
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 I Am Always Right
Posts: 4264
Location: stray dump capital of the world | Are you in a position to board her? The cost of gas and driving 100 miles one way can go towards boarding. |
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 Not Afraid to Work
Posts: 4717
| sophiebelle - 2014-03-02 9:26 PM
Are you in a position to board her? The cost of gas and driving 100 miles one way can go towards boarding.
This.
I would sell the horse if you cannot afford to keep him and provide the care. I know thats a really hard thing to hear and I am not meaning to sound snarky but anyway you approach this, it wont end without some kind of feelings hurt or worse. So if you can budget board closer to home, go that route otherwise, either lease or sell.
Hugs... I know its a very difficult decisions/place to be in  |
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The Advice Guru
Posts: 6419
| From what I am hearing that a lot of the horses in our area are not as fat as one would like. I believe this has to do with all the wonky weather we have been having.
The things I would look at are is the horse blanketed, if not I would put a blanket on, has the horse been dewormer in the past 3 months if not I would deworm the horse, I would also look at the teeth.
My horses are on hay bales, and the odd green feed bale, no grain, no supplements, and all of mine are about 100lbs overweight except my weanling who is still in good shape. My farrier commented that in the area my horses are the fastest he has seen.
Since this is free board for you, I would suggest speaking to them about you installing a water trough and trough heater, then you can go out every week and fill the tank. As for feed, I would look at what the other horse looks like body condition score, and see how much the horses are getting each day, if you think they need more, maybe speak to them about having free choice hay, offer to purchase a slow feeder to put around the bale to prevent wastage.
If you want things to change, you are going to have to put in some money and effort |
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 A Somebody to Everybody
Posts: 41354
Location: Under The Big Sky Of Texas | If you are not happy,move your horse and pay someone to take care of it. So you dont have to worry if she is getting water and hay, feed. 
Edited by Southtxponygirl 2014-03-02 11:57 PM
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 Expert
Posts: 4121
Location: SE Louisiana | -32c=-16f... I'm not surprised you would have to use a hammer after as little as 4 or 5 hours. Very cold weather is hard on all animals that must live out in it. |
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 Expert
Posts: 1367
Location: mi | My thought is as long as your horse is not looking skinny and neglected, you have made it through the worst of the winter with just maybe another month before the grass is peaking through. I would wait it out and know that before next winter you want your horse in a different situation. Didn't we just have a post on here about a month ago with how do you water your horses in this weather? and their were multiple posts that horses on on pasture survived mainly on snow. Sounded scarey to me but I have never lived out in an area with huge pastures so maybe.....
anyways If it's just that he has dropped a little weight but is not really skinny I would keep my mouth shut try to encourage a bit more feed and wait it out. And I agree with the frigid temps the water will freeze solid in just a few hours if its just being rebroken and rebroken verses melted with a tank heater.
Good luck you are in a rough spot. |
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 The Bird Lady
Posts: 6440
Location: The end of the Earth, SE AR | First of all this is your Dad's boss and you do not want to do anything in any way to jeopardize their working relationship.
Second, they are keeping your your horse for free and just like with anything else, you get what you pay for. Just what kind of feeding watering haying arrangement did you arrange for free? At -44, its pretty hard to expect some teenage boys not into horses to keep the water free of ice. What about a tank heater with you contributing to buy it and pay some towards electricity?
What happens if your horse gets cut, injured or colics? Will someone who is caring for your horse for free, give it the attention your horse needs to identify and immediately treat these issues or call a vet? If this horse means something to you, I think you are going to have to get more involved in its daily care. If that means moving it to a barn closer and paying for board then so be it. |
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  Shipwrecked and Flat Out Zapped
Posts: 16390
Location: DUMPING CATS AND PIGS IN TEXAS :) | rollingrfarm - 2014-03-03 8:59 AM First of all this is your Dad's boss and you do not want to do anything in any way to jeopardize their working relationship.
Second, they are keeping your your horse for free and just like with anything else, you get what you pay for. Just what kind of feeding watering haying arrangement did you arrange for free? At -44, its pretty hard to expect some teenage boys not into horses to keep the water free of ice. What about a tank heater with you contributing to buy it and pay some towards electricity?
What happens if your horse gets cut, injured or colics? Will someone who is caring for your horse for free, give it the attention your horse needs to identify and immediately treat these issues or call a vet? If this horse means something to you, I think you are going to have to get more involved in its daily care. If that means moving it to a barn closer and paying for board then so be it.
I agree. |
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Hungarian Midget Woman
Location: Midwest | My horse is being bucketed water 2X daily right now due to some issues with the pipes at my boarding stable. He is not dehydrated and has not lost weight or had issues. They are good about giving them enough and the horses adapt to the schedule. In the summer they have constant access to water on pasture, yet they only drink maybe once or twice a day in the heat.
I would nicely ask them if they could feed more grain to your horse if she is underweight. If she was "really fat" before, perhaps they are just trying to get her down to a better weight.
Also mention the tank heater and chipping in for electric. Present it as helping THEM by them not having to break ice quite so often and you will pay the extra electric bill, your way of thanking them.
Do not treat them as if they aren't doing enough. They are doing YOU the favor here. |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 1066
| I think if it were me I would either look at taking her somewhere else, or haul a round bale out in the back of my pickup and have a friend help me push it out, then cut the strings, and leave it there. I would probably also bring out an electric trough heater and extention cords, and offer to pay for the electricity.
Other than that maybe look for another cheap pasture board option... I may know of something, but it would be a bit further than you're already driving... but you could rest assured that your horse would be fed and watered (Im not 100% sure of this, just know this person was looking to pasture board a few in the past). |
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 Expert
Posts: 2276
Location: ohio-in my own little world with pretty ponies :) | I wouldn't start accusing them if not taking care of her...he is your dad's boss and they are doing you a favor(not the way you want but it is a favor). I would offer to pay a little, or buy a trough with a heater in it. Or if you don't want to do that I would either find a place to board or sell her. |
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 Fact Checker
Posts: 16575
Location: Displaced Iowegian | LRQHS - 2014-03-03 9:03 AM rollingrfarm - 2014-03-03 8:59 AM First of all this is your Dad's boss and you do not want to do anything in any way to jeopardize their working relationship.
Second, they are keeping your your horse for free and just like with anything else, you get what you pay for. Just what kind of feeding watering haying arrangement did you arrange for free? At -44, its pretty hard to expect some teenage boys not into horses to keep the water free of ice. What about a tank heater with you contributing to buy it and pay some towards electricity?
What happens if your horse gets cut, injured or colics? Will someone who is caring for your horse for free, give it the attention your horse needs to identify and immediately treat these issues or call a vet? If this horse means something to you, I think you are going to have to get more involved in its daily care. If that means moving it to a barn closer and paying for board then so be it. I agree.
^^^^ THIS........you DO get what you pay for in most instances! I certainly don't think that you should go complaining to them.... |
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