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Post by poor thing :-( on Sept 13, 2014 16:02:48 GMT
ok so please bear with me. This lady has moved onto our yard with her 33 year old pony that has cushings. Now the pony is extremely poor, and I mean rag and bone poor, no flesh just like a walking skelenton. It still has last years coat and sweats to high heaven, she wont take the offers for us to clip him. He stands in the field and wont eat grass, just stands with his head down, she feeds him ceral feed, ,apples and molasses but the poor old love finds it difficult and we are all aware this is certainly not the best diet for him, but she will take no advice. She refuses to have its teeth seen to as " the vet did them last year even thought any lay man can see they are bulging out of the side of his mouth. If it were my faithful friend I could not stand to watch his slow decline. The owner says he is not in pain or discomfort as he would not eat his bread if were. The vet is a regular visitor and continues to take blood tests whilst seeing this poor desperate old soul, the state of her feet are appauling, the vet witnesses all this and just says to feed her her £1.50p tablet per day. YO has spoken to the vet and pointed out the obviouse but vet still says to continue with treatment as he is not suffering. He was reported to the RSPCA who duley came and spoke to owner who gave vets number, nothing else heard on the subject. I dont know what to do but can stand by and watch this, a few have stated that they will leave the yard as they cannot watch this animal whilst coming into winter and I have stated that the last thing this poor old man needs is to be moved and put under more stress so here he will stay and hoepfully pass away soon. I dont know what else we can all do as the vet appears to support the owner and feed into her belief that this pony is absolutly fine. Advice would be appreciated and please tell us if this is normal for cushings as the vet seems to feel?
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Post by ponymum on Sept 13, 2014 16:17:09 GMT
I looked after an old horse who was a similar age , and the year his coat didnt shed , and he still had sores where he had no flesh fromwinter rugs , we said enough was enough as he was a wonderful kind old soul, so we advised the owner to have him pts. I certainly didnt want to find him gone down in winter in the field in a state , so Thankfully they agreed. It still is a really difficult decision to make , but my boy was still eating but had no muscle tone , skin like paper and It would of been mad to expect him to live out and survive another winter...Perhaps get the most diplomatic person on the yard to raise all your concerns to the owner?
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Post by chalky284 on Sept 13, 2014 16:25:56 GMT
Despite this being awful to watch ( I would feel the same as you!) this pony is very elderly so won't hold weight well but that is good for his cushings. If the vet is in regular attendance perhaps the YO could ask about the pony's teeth, the vet can't do anything to the pony without the owners permission and as it is fed and watered I suppose there is very little that bystanders can do. Sometimes people are in denial about their animals and seem to not see what others do, also horsey people can be very pushy and the owner may have had their fill of advice which will probably have been conflicting! I remember being told to put hibiscrub in the water bucket for my pony who had EMS during an attack of laminitis!! Perhaps you could have another conversation with the owner and discuss the disease explaining why you think the pony should be clipped, even offer a rug to use? It may well be that your best bet is to hope the pony passes on soon, I don't envy your position, good luck!
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Post by GrimReaper on Sept 13, 2014 20:14:42 GMT
I used to own a yard where there was a pony just like the one you describe. He had only one tooth left and was fed ad lib on a high-fibre mash. He was a complete mess of sores under his long coat and also had terrible arthritis, frequent abcesses, often got choke, and you could sort of smell him rotting from the inside out. I arranged for the vet and the owner to meet me to talk about the pony's health as we entered another winter. The vet was completely useless, said the pony was as good as could be expected given his age and ailments, took another wad of cash from the owner, and things went on. 6 weeks later on a Saturday night that pony died the most horrible, traumatic and painful of deaths due to complete break-down of his digestive system, and muggins here dealt with it all while the emergency vet was stuck in traffic caused by a nearby music festival. The poor creature could have died pain-free and with dignity. Digestive breakdown and associated colic gets all of them in the end. Good luck with getting the owner to do the right thin.
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Post by Louise Dixon on Sept 13, 2014 21:06:25 GMT
I would try speaking to your local BHS welfare representative.
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Post by gillwales on Sept 14, 2014 5:50:34 GMT
Personally I would take photos and send them with a list of dates that the Vet has visited with a letter of complaint to the RCVS. This Vet should be reported for not putting the welfare of the horse first. Disgraceful!! More proof that the RSPCA are a waste of time.
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Post by Poor thing :-( on Sept 14, 2014 6:43:17 GMT
Thank you all for the replies. We have spoken to owner last night and she was beside herself that we could think the pony was possibly suffering!!! we tried to point out the obvious that the poor thing can only eat bread soaked with molasses and is now not even eating the cereal based food. His poop is like black water gushing down his legs and he is so lathagic. I took your advice and will buy the little man a rug as she has agreed to us clipping him and having his teeth seen, but said she can afford it due to the vet bills!!!!! So we have put money together and will have him seen to this week. Its incredible that the vet has not given her advice re feeding the poor little chap just comes and takes the money. However it makes me angry that owner cannot offord the basic care of him and still lets him suffer!! Gill I will take photos today and report the vet in question and I contacted the RSPCA yesterday and they say there hands are tied as he has vet treatment. Im guessing we have to wait for the enevitable and as cruel as this sounds we have all decided that should the worse come to the worse the owner will deal with the "end" situation as we just can bear it! Is there anything else we can do to make him more comfortable? much appreciated constructive replies, thank you x
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Post by stormyskies on Sept 14, 2014 7:38:26 GMT
Could you not assist her with feeding some form of liquidised food to him? Very sloppy beet mixed with some chaff? So show her there are other options than bread and molasses
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Post by Louise Dixon on Sept 14, 2014 7:38:41 GMT
Gosh, this is an awful situation, you are doing the best you can. Given that you don't have the option to do the kindest thing, I would be seeing that he has ad lib food that he can drink - very sloppy sugar beet, lucie nuts soaked with loads of water so they are like soup, something like that. Ideally he'd be having vits and inerals and a probiotic, but it is more money that isn't there, and maybe just prolonging things for him, I'm not sure. Also clean his back legs up and cover them with vaseline or similar so the poo can be wiped away without it sticking.
I'm not sure how much he is moving about, but it would be nice for him to have a choice of being indoors or outdoors if that is possible, and again a companion if there is a very very quiet one, maybe even something he can touch over the fence.
Good luck.
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Post by Louise Dixon on Sept 14, 2014 7:39:32 GMT
Crossposted with stormyskies.
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sarahp
Happy to help
Posts: 9,510
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Post by sarahp on Sept 14, 2014 7:47:36 GMT
Anything alfalfa might be contraindicated, please do check. Great if the organs are working OK but I think the high protein could put more strain on digestive system. My 25yo lived on soaked fibrebeet through one winter, but apart from her loose teeth her health was good and all systems working OK, this one sounds different though.
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Post by Poor Thing on Sept 14, 2014 9:40:43 GMT
Thanks everyone we are feeding him fibre beet, due to low sugar content, when she isnt there and he can just about take some but his mouth is ulcerated by the hooked teeth. I stop short at cleaning him up as he has an owner who should be doing this! and we are now feeding him, rugging him, paying for farrier and teeth man. The owner is arogant in her belief and by no way easy to help and she is alienating some of the girls. One has told her this morning in no uncertain term that she is cruel and making this pony suffer, owner broke down and asked another her opionon who said the same ( but in a better manner). No she hasent been following vets advice as she has not advised owner re feeding. Whilst it is hard to stand by and watch most of us are busy oweners with jobs husbands and children and just can afford the time to care for this old fella, this is why it is so heart breaking. He is in with a nice chap so has company but this does not concern him as his head is on the floor and he is not aware of anything around him :-( Yes owner does care but about her loss when he goes over and her pain to lose him not the pony's welfare, I do hope that makes sense!
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Post by Louise Dixon on Sept 14, 2014 9:49:34 GMT
I really feel for you, this is just the most awful situation.
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Post by chalky284 on Sept 14, 2014 10:21:05 GMT
Good on you and your fellow liveries, it's the hardest thing sometimes to admit you're going to lose your beloved equine. Sometimes people will just keep their animals going to prevent their own pain in grief. At least the pony will be getting its teeth done and be able to eat better, fibre beet and soak high fibre cubes are a good mix, also you can help with temperature regulation with rugging once he is clipped. The vet sounds appalling and I'm with the others saying report them. Years ago I was on a yard and an elderly pony owned by a woman who suffered mental health issues and alcohol abuse, was often neglected and locked away in a dark stable with rancid bedding and often not fed. We made a rota to care for him, and to feed him (out of our own supply), so maybe a rota may help you out? Perhaps you could give his owner specific instructions of cleaning him up twice a day, and clean him where he sweats. She may well feel helpless and a bit of instruction will help her to help her pony and the ultimate decision may come easier to her? Just had one last thought, I wonder if a phone all to the senior vet in the practice explaining the pony's condition and poor advice from the attending vet, may instigate a 'second opinion' visit??
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Post by Poor thing on Sept 14, 2014 10:27:19 GMT
Thank Chalky, Im going to clip him now as we have a rug, so will talk to YO about a rota ( great idea! ), problem is we have to do it behind her back as she is insistant he will only have bread! But thanks for some good tips! Yes we shall ring the senior vet and discuss with her also! thank you all for the support x
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Post by CarolineNelson on Sept 14, 2014 11:28:41 GMT
Years ago we had a TB who succumbed to Cushings and found that the best material for rugging him (he was always clipped) was a Thermatex as sweat could 'wick' through it. He had a couple so one was always ready to pop on whilst the other was airing & drying. An Equafleece would work similarly.
Please don't shoot me down for this - but, although what you guys are about to do is utterly caring, highly commendable and very thoughtful, if you are, between you, going to keep this pony going "behind her [the owner's] back" - whilst you will most definately improve the quality of life for this sad pony, won't it just perpetuate the problem? Surely she'll simply assume that he's improving all on his own with this awful bread and £1.50 tablet a day diet . . . ?
On a practical note, if you can get it, try slightly soaked (not sloppy) Bailey's No 1, by the way. Steamed with a small amount of boiled/very hot water and allowed to rest (cover, in the manner of making an old fashioned Bran Mash), it swells slightly prior to feeding. From experience, this helps as the ailing digestive system doesn't have to work as hard.
Agree absolutely with someone (YO?)tactfully discussing this situation with the Practice Manager/ Senior Partner of the Practice.
Very sadly, as has been said above, some people can be in complete denial - somehow just unable or unwilling to see the hard facts.
Good luck though. Whatever the outcome, as a 'team' you will always be able to rest in the knowledge that, with your intervention, this pony will sense the compassion which you obviously all share for him.
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Post by Poor thing on Sept 14, 2014 13:59:53 GMT
Hes clipped and has a rug now but still miserable, scales on his skin and torn tissue, we have creamed him up but know feel we are not doing the right thing for this poor old chap. Yes caroline I totaly agreed with you hence I struggle with the situation. Owner came for the intial part of the clipping and she was asked to stay so she could hold him ( as we suspected what state he would look once the fur was off) she stated that she had to go as she has a family sunday tea to cook, not one word of thanks, we are speechless!!!!!!!!!!!!!! So we are really struggling with this owner. Do we leave him alone now with her as sole carer or shall we try are hardest to relieve his starvation and suffering. I am now at a loss for words at her attitude and am wondering if the pi.. is being taken from us all!!!! I think we may well be perpetuating his suffering, but at least he isnt sweaty now and his wounds have been dressed :-(
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Post by Cresta on Sept 14, 2014 14:55:10 GMT
The time has come for someone to ask her "Who are you keeping him alive for?" The ponies sake or her own selfish attitude. Sounds like YO should take matters into her own hands, after all she has a "Duty of Care" to any animal resident on her yard. Furthermore she could be construed as being compliant if she does not put the ponies welfare first.
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Post by CarolineNelson on Sept 14, 2014 14:57:01 GMT
Hes clipped and has a rug now but still miserable, scales on his skin and torn tissue, we have creamed him up but know feel we are not doing the right thing for this poor old chap. Yes caroline I totaly agreed with you hence I struggle with the situation. Owner came for the intial part of the clipping and she was asked to stay so she could hold him ( as we suspected what state he would look once the fur was off) she stated that she had to go as she has a family sunday tea to cook, not one word of thanks, we are speechless!!!!!!!!!!!!!! So we are really struggling with this owner. Do we leave him alone now with her as sole carer or shall we try are hardest to relieve his starvation and suffering. I am now at a loss for words at her attitude and am wondering if the pi.. is being taken from us all!!!! I think we may well be perpetuating his suffering, but at least he isnt sweaty now and his wounds have been dressed :-( You poor souls. Been there. I can't say too much, but I used to coach on a premises where the mother was in total denial about the health status of a few of her 'favourite' elderly farm animals. It took draconian means in the end to do the right thing by these pitiful creatures. Indeed, it most definately is a form of neglect - although as you are witnessing first hand - the 'perpetrator' is in SUCH denial that they are (quite possibly, genuinely) unaware of the scale of the problem. It's not so much that the pi$$ is being taken but that they have 'conditioned' themselves to be blind to the situation. Give it a few days and senior Veterinary intervention. Trouble is, you guys are now involved to the hilt. Morally, you can't stand back as you have made major inroads today to help this poor, ailing geriatric. It's not an easy place to be. One can't even waste emotion on the owner. In a word, people like this are simply to be pitied for their ignorance and 'blindness'.
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Post by GrimReaper on Sept 14, 2014 16:19:36 GMT
I think you have to get the YO to lead on this. Legally speaking the YO has has responsibility for the welfare of the equines on the premises even if they are on DIY livery. The YO does have the authority and the responsibility under the Animal Welfare Act to call in an alternative vet and a welfare officer to attend together if it is felt that the animal's essential needs are not being met. I would urge the YO to do this, and make sure that the vet who is called out is someone you have faith in, and that the YO has a good working relationship with. Ultimately, if a member of the public reported the state of the pony the YO could, technically, be held accountable for not taking more action. If the YO has a rent deposit then the cost of the second opinion from the vet could be deducted from the deposit. If the YO is not horsey it may be harder to persuade him/her to get more involved, but that doesn't diminish the responsibility.
Actually, the more I think about it, the stronger I feel that the YO should be doing more here. No YO should allow this or allow a situation where their other clients are put in this position and the whole reputation of the yard is put at risk. You don't want to get a reputation as a trouble-causer, so perhaps a few of you could see the YO together, or perhaps you could put something in writing to the YO demanding, very nicely, that something be done to end this pony's suffering and the daily misery for everyone on the yard.
In my experience as a YO, it's likely that not only is the owner in complete denial, they also don't have the financial means to have the pony PTS by the vet and the body disposed of. It's easier to go on feeding it on bread, pay the weekly yard costs, than find the several hundred pounds that it costs for euthanasia and disposal. I've been in this situation where an owner has said they know it's the right thing to do but just can't afford it.
If all else fails then you may have to play a bit dirty in order to do the right thing. Pose as a concerned member of the public who has seen the pony in a field at the yard, or an anonymous 'friend' of someone on the yard, and call every welfare organisation that operates in the area, and keep calling, until you get one of them to visit the yard. A mere visit from a welfare officer is usually enough to galvanise a yard owner in to taking action. What you don't want, however, is for the pony's owner to have a hissy fit and decide to move the poor pony to somewhere else, so it would be even better if there were already a debt to be paid, i.e. for a veterinary call-out, that prevented the owner from moving...
While all this is going on I think you should console yourselves with the fact that you are alieviating some of the pony's suffering on a day to day basis. Yes, you could argue that you are perpetuating his life with an irresponsible owner, but from what you have said, I doubt very much that the owner would act any differently or be any swifter about making a decision to PTS if you weren't doing this; and treating his sores, clipping him and so on isn't going to impact hugely on the longevity of his life either way but it does make his life more comfortable. Potentially, helping him get better nutrition is prolonging his life, but you can't let him die of malnutrition just so that the end comes a bit faster. Don't punish yourselves by agonising over this. You are doing the right thing, the best thing in the circumstances. Keep doing what you are doing for the pony, and do everything you can to get some proper intervention with the owner.
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Post by Grim Reaper on Sept 14, 2014 16:42:24 GMT
Sorry, Poor Thing, just re-read your original post and realise that the RSPCA have already attended.
I think you absolutely must challenge the YO to do more under the provisions of the Animal Welfare Act. The YO could also ask the vets about the latest research in to Cushings that shows that although medication helps to regulate SOME of the hormonal imbalances of Cushings, the underlying tumour in the pituitary gland continues to grow, becomig larger over time and causing immense pressure in the skull and the top of the neck, which contributes to the symptoms of lethargy, head-hanging and sometimes pressing the head against a stable wall or fence. By the age of 33 the tumour could potentially be very large indeed, and seeing as the pony can't tell the vet that it has a huge headache all the time, I would ask the YO to challenge the vet to explain how s/he comes to the conclusion that the pony is NOT suffering. Normally you'd take perkiness, interest in surroundings, activity, shining eyes, good colour in the gums and so on as signs of good health, i.e. not suffering, so what specifically is it about this pony that can be taken as an indicator of non-suffering??? Cushings cases may not display signs of thrashing around like you get with colic, but is that sort of panicked action the only sign of suffering in a horse?
I wish we could do more to help you, Poor Thing.
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Post by CarolineNelson on Sept 14, 2014 17:13:14 GMT
Sorry, Poor Thing, just re-read your original post and realise that the RSPCA have already attended. I think you absolutely must challenge the YO to do more under the provisions of the Animal Welfare Act. The YO could also ask the vets about the latest research in to Cushings that shows that although medication helps to regulate SOME of the hormonal imbalances of Cushings, the underlying tumour in the pituitary gland continues to grow, becomig larger over time and causing immense pressure in the skull and the top of the neck, which contributes to the symptoms of lethargy, head-hanging and sometimes pressing the head against a stable wall or fence. By the age of 33 the tumour could potentially be very large indeed, and seeing as the pony can't tell the vet that it has a huge headache all the time, I would ask the YO to challenge the vet to explain how s/he comes to the conclusion that the pony is NOT suffering. Normally you'd take perkiness, interest in surroundings, activity, shining eyes, good colour in the gums and so on as signs of good health, i.e. not suffering, so what specifically is it about this pony that can be taken as an indicator of non-suffering??? Cushings cases may not display signs of thrashing around like you get with colic, but is that sort of panicked action the only sign of suffering in a horse? I wish we could do more to help you, Poor Thing. "Grim Reaper" . . . By writing under a pseudonym, you have said all that I had attempted to say using my legal name. I totally agree with you though. Wise words. To be brutally honest, (this may offend some) one hopes that the effect of intervention, the clipping and the change of feedstuffs may be enough to tip the metabolic balance of this pitiful equid. It would be a merciful release; one in which the YO's kindly liveries must not feel that they have failed. It would be to the contrary.
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Post by ponymum on Sept 14, 2014 17:38:17 GMT
Poor thing we are here to look after them and in their hour of need put them first before our feelings............This is clearly not happening! Perhaps an even sterner word is required with the owner? Def sounds like she is burying her head in the sand.
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Post by gillwales on Sept 14, 2014 18:30:33 GMT
I agree with Caroline and the Grim Reaper, however to cover yourselves get permission for anything you do from the Owner in writing, however hard it is do not leave yourselves open to any civil action. Keep a diary, it is legal evidence in a court of law, take lots of photos and record dates etc. I think it is disgusting that this poor pony is being allowed to suffer in this manor. Fair play to you all for caring XX
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Post by poor thing on Sept 15, 2014 12:16:39 GMT
YO has checked government legislation and as pony is on DIY she has no recourse "If you own a horse, it is your responsibility to keep a record of all medicinal treatment given to the animal. An owner must carry out, under the control and advice of a veterinarian, a yard parasite control programme and vaccination programme. You must register all animals with a veterinary practice and with a registered farrier" But thanks for all your usefull advice he is declining fast and it may well be a blessing for him so we are now minimal in our interventions apart from the Vet!!
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Post by GrimReaper on Sept 15, 2014 13:56:42 GMT
YO has checked government legislation and as pony is on DIY she has no recourse "If you own a horse, it is your responsibility to keep a record of all medicinal treatment given to the animal. An owner must carry out, under the control and advice of a veterinarian, a yard parasite control programme and vaccination programme. You must register all animals with a veterinary practice and with a registered farrier" That's true, but it does NOT mean that the YO has no recourse and no responsibility to act to prevent suffering. The legislation is extensive and elsewhere in the legislation it is clear that any land owner has a duty of care to the horses on his/her land, even if s/he is not the owner of the animals, or the primary carer, and regardless of whether s/he has even given permission for the horse to be there. There are clauses about prevention of suffering and addressing issues of neglect. The YO is dodging the issue here. Legally, if someone puts a neglected horse (or any horse) in my field, and whether they pay me or not, I have a legal responsibility to act to prevent its sufering if it is being allowed to suffer and to ensure that its essential needs are met, whether or not it is on livery, DIY, or trespassing, and the reponsibilities go way beyond worming and vaccination. The YO is fobbing you off, or else is not conversant with the legal responsibilities of having horses on the premises. I know this because I have been a yard owner in this exact situation. Let's hope the end comes swiftly, and if I were you , and if I could, I would look for a yard where the owner is more aware of their responsibilities and takes those responsibilities more seriously.
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Post by honeypot on Sept 15, 2014 15:09:03 GMT
YO has checked government legislation and as pony is on DIY she has no recourse "If you own a horse, it is your responsibility to keep a record of all medicinal treatment given to the animal. An owner must carry out, under the control and advice of a veterinarian, a yard parasite control programme and vaccination programme. You must register all animals with a veterinary practice and with a registered farrier" That's true, but it does NOT mean that the YO has no recourse and no responsibility to act to prevent suffering. The legislation is extensive and elsewhere in the legislation it is clear that any land owner has a duty of care to the horses on his/her land, even if s/he is not the owner of the animals, or the primary carer, and regardless of whether s/he has even given permission for the horse to be there. There are clauses about prevention of suffering and addressing issues of neglect. The YO is dodging the issue here. Legally, if someone puts a neglected horse (or any horse) in my field, and whether they pay me or not, I have a legal responsibility to act to prevent its sufering if it is being allowed to suffer and to ensure that its essential needs are met, whether or not it is on livery, DIY, or trespassing, and the reponsibilities go way beyond worming and vaccination. The YO is fobbing you off, or else is not conversant with the legal responsibilities of having horses on the premises. I know this because I have been a yard owner in this exact situation. Let's hope the end comes swiftly, and if I were you , and if I could, I would look for a yard where the owner is more aware of their responsibilities and takes those responsibilities more seriously. Agree with this. A good yard should also have a contract so this situation can be avoided. I have looked after people who's relatives are in complete denial about their imminent death to the point where you have to be blunt. She must be thick skinned or have some problem so bluntness I think is the only option.
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Post by GrimReaper on Sept 15, 2014 15:11:37 GMT
Poor Thing, I have just looked on the Defra website and the statement that the YO has quoted to you is taken from the voluntary Code of Practice for Livery Yards and is not a legally enforceable provision from the Animal Welfare Act. The Animal Welfare Act is different, and applies to all animals, in all circumstances. Being 'responsible' for an animal is not necessarily the same as being the 'owner' under the terms of the Act. The owner IS responsible, but so too is a yard owner. Here are some relevant bits:
Responsibility for animals (1)In this Act, references to a person responsible for an animal are to a person responsible for an animal whether on a permanent or temporary basis. (2)In this Act, references to being responsible for an animal include being in charge of it.
Unnecessary suffering (1)A person commits an offence if— (a)an act of his, or a failure of his to act, causes an animal to suffer, (b)he knew, or ought reasonably to have known, that the act, or failure to act, would have that effect or be likely to do so, (c)the animal is a protected animal, and (d)the suffering is unnecessary. (2)A person commits an offence if— (a)he is responsible for an animal, (b)an act, or failure to act, of another person causes the animal to suffer, (c)he permitted that to happen or failed to take such steps (whether by way of supervising the other person or otherwise) as were reasonable in all the circumstances to prevent that happening, and (d)the suffering is unnecessary.
Duty of person responsible for animal to ensure welfare (1)A person commits an offence if he does not take such steps as are reasonable in all the circumstances to ensure that the needs of an animal for which he is responsible are met to the extent required by good practice. (2)For the purposes of this Act, an animal's needs shall be taken to include— (a)its need for a suitable environment, (b)its need for a suitable diet, (c)its need to be able to exhibit normal behaviour patterns, (d)any need it has to be housed with, or apart from, other animals, and (e)its need to be protected from pain, suffering, injury and disease.
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Post by CarolineNelson on Sept 16, 2014 10:09:49 GMT
Grim Reaper must be congratulated for taking the trouble to qote the relevant bits of the Welfare Act. Should be a mantra for all Yard Owners / Managers.
Morally, were I in this position, I would not sleep at night in the knowledge that I was taking money to rent four walls and a roof to a declining animal, without taking positive, practical action and dealing with the situation.
And Honeypot - you and I both. Sadly I am currently in that very position - coping with an extremely ill person some of who's immediate relatives (a parent and a sibling) are in complete denial.
The expression - 'between a rock and a hard place' comes to mind.
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Post by Notsosure on Sept 16, 2014 11:50:10 GMT
To be honest I think it is arguable whether the owner of a DIY yard would be said to be 'in charge of' or 'responsible for' a horse. I would see it more as the Yard owner providing a building/field in return for payment in a similar way that a landlord provides a house for a paying tenant. The landlord is not then responsible for the wellbeing of that tenant other than to keep the said home in a reasonable state of repair so as not to pose a danger. I think if a horse is on full livery i.e. the yard owner/manager has to agreed to provide a service and level of care that would fall under the umbrella of this act. I work in the legal profession and this looks far from cut and dried to me. I also keep 2 horses on DIY livery and do not view the yard owner as being either 'responsible for' or 'in charge of' my horses. Good luck to the poor old pony and well done for getting involved.
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