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 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 595
 
Location: North Dakota | Sorry for the long post...
I manage a small boarding barn. Most of our boarders rarely show up and normally that's fine so long as they pay their bill. I have one horse though that I am extremely concerned for. He was diagnosed with Cushings in spring of this year. I had been telling the owner of this horse that I believed he had cushings for almost 2 years before she actually took him in. He foundered this spring and that is what finally got her attention. I was relieved because then he was finally put on some meds and within a month he was looking better. His attitude changed for the better, he gained topline, lost his nasty long coat that he never shed and seemed happy finally and his feet were getting back on track.
Well in June after only 4 months on his meds she took him completely off them. She said he is looking good and doesn't need them any longer... Yes.. You can go ahead and smash your head into your desk now. I was floored but what could I do?? I expressed my concern at that time but she took the meds home so that was that. So I made the decision to keep this horse off pasture due to him having no support from his meds and kept him on grass hay and his special feed and hoped for the best.
Well we are now in October and he is in rough shape. He has long nasty hair again and is looking sickly. I mentioned to her in late August she needed to figure something out for him because at his current weight and condition he would not make it through winter. I have been supplementing cool calories at my own cost to try to put weight on this horse along with adding alfalfa into his diet. He has put on maybe alittle weight but not enough to survive our ND winters. The barn owners text and call the horse owner for me almost weekly to mention their concerns.. She just doesn't seem to see/understand he is sick still?? She has money but I really think she thinks he is fine.
What do you do? Ask them to leave your barn? Demand he be put on meds or leave? I am afraid for winter and to come out to find him dead one day. The barn owners are gone 80% of the time so I am the one who is there feeding and seeing these horses most of the time.
I also don't think at this point he can go back on his meds either because it will make him lose all his hair and he doesn't have enough time to put it back on before winter either. So I am not sure if that is even best. He shouldn't have ever been taken off his meds but that's a whole different thing..I have called and expressed my concerns to her own vet about the situation to see if he can talk some sense into her but I think she really is just this dense?!?
Advice???
Edited by MidWest1452 2017-03-14 10:29 AM
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 Owner of a ratting catting machine
Posts: 2258
 
| As I see it, since he's in full care, he's your responsibility. I would tell her that she needs to come get him, give her a date, because he's sick. Do this in writing. Tell her the situation is unacceptable, and that it needs to change NOW. Let her know that he won't be allowed back without a firmly written care plan from a vet, along with included dates.
Tell her if he's not gone by the date given, that you will be dropping him off with her vet, and he will not be allowed back on your premises permanently. |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 808
| We had an owner much the same, 34 year old horse, no teeth. She wouldn't pay for him to get a mash diet. Just his regular grain and whatever hay he could manage to consume. After a year of feeding the horse on my dime we told her either pony up the cash to properly care for him or find another barn. She owns about 20 hotels nation wide so there was no reason she couldn't afford it, and in the end she did take him to another barn and about 2 months later called and asked if we would take him back and she would pay for his special diet. Guess the other barn wasn't happy about his condition and would not do extra care. He's now crossed the rainbow bridge but he was finally fat and happy when he did. |
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Industrial Srength Barrel Racer
Posts: 7268
| Yet another reason I will not take in boarders. I almost think I would find out what the meds would cost and tell her either she puts him on meds or you're going to and add it to her board bill.
I have to wonder why people like this own horses.
Edited by Griz 2016-10-11 11:22 AM
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 A Somebody to Everybody
Posts: 41354
Location: Under The Big Sky Of Texas | Not everybody has the same passion for our horses/animals as we do, some just have a horse so that they can say they own one and then theres the ones that if they cant get their way and bullying dont work, they will run a horse threw the kill pen just for spite. Theres so many out there that dont need to own any living animal..
OP just tell her that shes a worthless owner and just needs to put this poor horse back on his meds are sell him to someone that cares. Yes you are stuck between a rock and a hard place, stuff like this tugs on our hearts  |
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 Money Eating Baggage Owner
Posts: 9586
Location: Phoenix | classicpotatochip - 2016-10-11 8:58 AM As I see it, since he's in full care, he's your responsibility. I would tell her that she needs to come get him, give her a date, because he's sick. Do this in writing. Tell her the situation is unacceptable, and that it needs to change NOW. Let her know that he won't be allowed back without a firmly written care plan from a vet, along with included dates. Tell her if he's not gone by the date given, that you will be dropping him off with her vet, and he will not be allowed back on your premises permanently.
If you are able to do this as the manager, I would do this. When you're at the point where you feel the need to use your OWN money to care for someone ELSE'S horse -- something needs to change. I'd tell her you've also received concerned communications from others in the barn so it's not just you. Tell her board is going up to cover the cost of the meds or she can find another place to keep him. One month is a generous time window. |
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 It's not my fault I'm perfect
Posts: 13739
Location: Where the long tails flow, ND | hammer_time - 2016-10-11 12:10 PM classicpotatochip - 2016-10-11 8:58 AM As I see it, since he's in full care, he's your responsibility. I would tell her that she needs to come get him, give her a date, because he's sick. Do this in writing. Tell her the situation is unacceptable, and that it needs to change NOW. Let her know that he won't be allowed back without a firmly written care plan from a vet, along with included dates. Tell her if he's not gone by the date given, that you will be dropping him off with her vet, and he will not be allowed back on your premises permanently. If you are able to do this as the manager, I would do this. When you're at the point where you feel the need to use your OWN money to care for someone ELSE'S horse -- something needs to change. I'd tell her you've also received concerned communications from others in the barn so it's not just you. Tell her board is going up to cover the cost of the meds or she can find another place to keep him. One month is a generous time window.
Agreed! ^^
I couldn't handle it at all, kudos to you! Thanks for caring about him :) |
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 Not Afraid to Work
Posts: 4717
| SmokinGirlie - 2016-10-11 12:35 PM
hammer_time - 2016-10-11 12:10 PM classicpotatochip - 2016-10-11 8:58 AM As I see it, since he's in full care, he's your responsibility. I would tell her that she needs to come get him, give her a date, because he's sick. Do this in writing. Tell her the situation is unacceptable, and that it needs to change NOW. Let her know that he won't be allowed back without a firmly written care plan from a vet, along with included dates. Tell her if he's not gone by the date given, that you will be dropping him off with her vet, and he will not be allowed back on your premises permanently. If you are able to do this as the manager, I would do this. When you're at the point where you feel the need to use your OWN money to care for someone ELSE'S horse -- something needs to change. I'd tell her you've also received concerned communications from others in the barn so it's not just you. Tell her board is going up to cover the cost of the meds or she can find another place to keep him. One month is a generous time window.
I couldn't handle it at all, kudos to you! Thanks for caring about him :)
I also agree. Unacceptable. |
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 Expert
Posts: 5293
| If it was that bad and he was suffering I would have him put down and make it look like an accident. Sounds Harsh I know BUT sounds like owner is pretty dense and horse is suffring. |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 595
Location: North Dakota | I had a sit down with the barn owners tonight after they got back into town and told them I refuse to continue pumping feed into this horse when it won't make any difference without his meds. I thought long and hard about this but I said I will step down as barn manager if they don't help me fix this right now and for good. They got the message I think tonight... How strongly I feel about it. I take pride In caring for these horses and I want them all to feel the best they can even if all they do is stand around day in and day out. It makes me feel like I can't do my job if one of them isn't thriving.
I told them I will be going to the vet next week for a recheck of bloodwork on my own personal horse and they have till then to talk to the owner and make her put the horse back on his meds or I will be picking up some meds for him and charging it to the barns account and they will be adding it to her bill. I can't stand even thinking about this horse going through winter the way he is now, it just hurts my heart every time I see him.
ETA: thank you everyone for your replies! It gave me some momentum to get something figured out in this situation and I hope it all works out for this poor horse. I really don't want her to go to a different barn because I'm afraid somewhere else will let him go without meds and no extra care and he won't make it either. Hopefully it all works out for this poor guy. He deserves to feel better.
Edited by MidWest1452 2016-10-11 9:56 PM
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 My Heart Be Happy
Posts: 9159
Location: Arkansas | You are a great person for doing this and caring like you do. What an awesome barn those lucky horses reside in. . . . I think you're getting extra stars (where it counts) for all this!!!
Edited by Chandler's Mom 2016-10-11 10:46 PM
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 595
Location: North Dakota | Chandler's Mom - 2016-10-11 10:45 PM
You are a great person for doing this and caring like you do. What an awesome barn those lucky horses reside in. . . . I think you're getting extra stars (where it counts) for all this!!!
Thank you. I care for all of these horses the same way I would want mine taken care of. Most of the other boarding horses are easy going and have minimal issues and I hope I can get this one back on track and then all will be right with the world.  |
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 Dog Resuce Agent
Posts: 3459
Location: southeast Texas | You are in a tough spot. But he very careful of giving something above and beyond what is in the boarding contract. |
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My Heart Be Happy
Posts: 9159
Location: Arkansas | Please keep us posted so we know the outcome on this poor guy. You're his guardian angel |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 595
Location: North Dakota | Update:
I finally got his owner to put him back on his cushings meds in November and I was optimistic we could get him turned around. Unfortunately too much damage was done due to how long he was without his meds and he had laminitis episodes on and off all winter. Recently he took a turn for the worse and the owner has chosen not to continue treating him.
He is being put down tomorrow and I feel pretty upset about it. With everything going on right now this is the right decision for him but I feel a mix of anger.. sadness.. and helplessness because I know I could have helped him and maybe atleast saved him from all this pain these last few months.
He is getting lots of cookies and love from me to make his last days the happiest he has had in a long time. I'm gonna miss this sweet guy. He was always the first one to greet me in the mornings.  |
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I just read the headlines
Posts: 4483
| MidWest1452 - 2017-03-14 10:28 AM
Update:
I finally got his owner to put him back on his cushings meds in November and I was optimistic we could get him turned around. Unfortunately too much damage was done due to how long he was without his meds and he had laminitis episodes on and off all winter. Recently he took a turn for the worse and the owner has chosen not to continue treating him.
He is being put down tomorrow and I feel pretty upset about it. With everything going on right now this is the right decision for him but I feel a mix of anger.. sadness.. and helplessness because I know I could have helped him and maybe atleast saved him from all this pain these last few months.
He is getting lots of cookies and love from me to make his last days the happiest he has had in a long time. I'm gonna miss this sweet guy. He was always the first one to greet me in the mornings.
You did the best you could. You loved him and cared for him as well as you could without him being your horse. Big hug for doing your best by him. I am sorry you had to go through this, though.  |
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My Heart Be Happy
Posts: 9159
Location: Arkansas | MidWest1452 - 2017-03-14 10:28 AM
Update:
I finally got his owner to put him back on his cushings meds in November and I was optimistic we could get him turned around. Unfortunately too much damage was done due to how long he was without his meds and he had laminitis episodes on and off all winter. Recently he took a turn for the worse and the owner has chosen not to continue treating him.
He is being put down tomorrow and I feel pretty upset about it. With everything going on right now this is the right decision for him but I feel a mix of anger.. sadness.. and helplessness because I know I could have helped him and maybe atleast saved him from all this pain these last few months.
He is getting lots of cookies and love from me to make his last days the happiest he has had in a long time. I'm gonna miss this sweet guy. He was always the first one to greet me in the mornings.
Bless your heart and his. Thank the good Lord he has you to make these last few days good ones. You did all you could for him, and trust me, he knows that. I bet when he's with you he's at peace and knows someone truly cares. I'm sending prayers for both of you  |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 595
Location: North Dakota | Thank you both. It's gonna be hard to not see him everyday. When you see these horses everyday and take care of them.. they take a piece of your heart just like my own personal horses. I hope he is happy atleast for these last few days. |
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Go Get Em!
Posts: 13503
Location: OH. IO | I hate how youust be feeling tonight.Im so sorry for what you are going through.Many prayers to you and that special boy.Many thanks to you also for knowing and doing what is right for him.Im so sorry . |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 595
Location: North Dakota | jake16 - 2017-03-14 8:38 PM
I hate how youust be feeling tonight.Im so sorry for what you are going through.Many prayers to you and that special boy.Many thanks to you also for knowing and doing what is right for him.Im so sorry .
He is off enjoying greener pastures now. It is a sad day here at the barn but I am trying to comfort knowing he is at peace. |
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