I feel really rotten...

[Black Magic]

Long story.. apologize in advance...

There is a woman who has been around our neighborhood for several years. I introduced her to some of the local mini shows as well as attended some of the NHR shows... with her. We quit talking about eight mos ago... over a vet issue.. (another long story).

Anyway, after eight mos of not talking she kept calling me insisting that I attend a mini auction with her.... I agreed and we went on Sat. morning. I purchased a halter for our new foal.. (who is growing fast) but that was about it. I wasn't interested in getting more horses . It's too easy to have too many for the amount of land that is available right now. Does that make sense?

So I left after the tack was sold and she called me on her cell to tell me, I needed to come back as she has purchased a horse... a mare... a three in one package.... I said I wasn't interested in buying right now until our new foal... (who looks like a donkey... but is all "R" mini is grown and gone)... She started to break down and cry that she had widow makers heart disease, and she just wanted to sit in her front yard and watch the mini's graze while she recovered after her open heart surgery... (which she may not survive.. she explained. She told me to hook up our mini trailer and come get the babies... So the kids and I loaded up and headed to the auction.

She was going to buy an overo stallion that was "R" size and a buckskin yearling colt was put up, not on the program and my daughter started to beg me to buy the horse. She was pulling out all the stops to get me to buy the horse. Our distant friend there decided to buy the horse. My daughter was elated, and our friend started to tell us that it was a joint effort between my daughter and her and they were going to share the horse. My daughter got to name the horse, and couldn't have been happier.

SO... I had a million objections and questions... as to where was she going to put these three babies in addition to her proud cut gelding and her mare QH.. ON ONE ACRE! When I started to ask, she would change the subject and start going on about how ill she is, etc. etc... I drove the horses to our house because I have adequate fencing and gates etc. So thats when things went down hill.

I offered to go buy her coral panels at TSC so the babies wouldn't escape when she was leaving and coming on the property. She said she wanted to custom order them because they had to be galvanized 12 foot panels and the ten foot ones wouldn't do. She said that might be a month. I agreed to care for her horses until the 25th of the month. In exchange for the care.. she offered me a BALE OF COASTAL!

When it came to my attention she was coming and going from our property and going into my garage and using our grooming supplies I found it necessary to keep everything locked for the first time, since we moved there... She became angry and got the 10 foot panels.. powder coated.. and took her horses home.

So now she keeps the buckskin in a 10 x 10 pen because she can't catch him. He easily walked up to my daughter and son and we had no problems there. She has the mare and the foal in a low lying corner that has lots of trees.. (with low limbs not trimmed)... in the front half of the front half front half of her yard. She has them in a pen about 1/8th acre.

So I call her... just to ask about the horses. I wanted to nicely work in that my son would trim her tree limbs.. if she was willing, so the horses didn't get injured. She started pressing me for the name of mini breeders that would sell her a mare without seeing her property... OR would I go to the Carolina's and buy this colt I had admired and bring back a mare she wanted. It was a mare that was 38 plus...

Oh and the stud colt she got in the three and one deal.. She wants me to sell him for her for $1000 dollars. He's as large as our four year old stallion at two mos old. She said he didn't need any hooves done until she owned him for two mos, and it didn't matter... how old he was or anything else right now. Oh and she wants the name of our farrier and the names of the farms that I'm doing stud service for... My ugly little tobiano pinto is look pretty good these days..

Any advice is greatly appreciated... You might want to check out the farms you sell to before this woman puts anymore horses on one acre... Two QHs.. and three minis (one pregnant) no plans for more land.. just only lots more horses.. .. on one acre.. might be a bit much...

God Bless,

Lynn W

I want to see her watch her horses after she has her surgery... but at the same time.. I worry she's LOST her mind... KWIM??? I've tried to be kind to the woman.. but she seems to be way OT right now. Thanks again..

 

[Charley]

I feel bad that she used you to bring home the horses and involved your daughter in the purchase also. But you must realize that you cannot help someone who is in such a state of mind. I really don't have any advice for you except to not take on anything that you are uncomfortable doing or cannot do (like selling horses for her, that would be enabling her to get in even deeper).

I know it is hard to not do something. Is there a family member that you can approach?

 

[SHANA]

Hi I know a lady who has only a acre and half of land and currently has 1 arabian mare in foal, a large pony mare, and 2 minis (mare and filly) on her property. The arabian and large pony are on about 1/2 of a acre and the 2 minis have about 1/4 of a acre and then the barns(2) and house are on the rest as well as a swing set. This person feeds hay all year round, horses are fat and happy. No trees though and fence is page wire around outside and electric on inside. She also has a gate to close access to the road so occasionally lets the horses or minis on her lawn to munch the grass.

 

[disneyhorse]

Is there only pasture? Can she not feed hay?

Right now on one acre we have four shetland ponies, five full size horses and one draft horse. They are all in stalls and only have a small arena for turnout. There is still a backyard with a jacuzzi, big koi pond and waterfall, and of course the house.

I think it depends on the setup, all you can do is try to offer help.

Andrea

 

[Black Magic]

We had our herd on one acre... QH... minis.. goats, etc. But I had wonderful fence... pens... and two large areas for them to run in and I rotated areas, so everyone could run and play on daily. She has a back yard... about a half acre.. where the land was cleared and piled into a large hill with trees and debris in the back yard for the two QH's. She has an area where she could give the minis time out of their 10 x 10 pens, but because she can't catch them, she doesn't turn them out.

She tells me, she might drop dead any moment with her heart condition... so why get more horses???? Why get minis that need her time... two are barely lead line trained....

I think I've worked through this enough to be able to tell her next time she calls... Carolyn, with all due respect, I noticed that you only call me when you need something or have a problem. I have three children and simply don't need your kind of friendship and hang up on her. She knows my beloved Uncle died of a heart condition... so she lays on her heart condition situation real thick. Nope... think I can walk away. I want to do the right thing, but I don't want to see her have the ability to stick horses in 10 x 10 pens and think that's all she needs to do.

Thanks for listening..

God Bless,

Lynn W