my bold
Per the OP, see quote, vet came and treated, hence the bill.
@Angela_Freda, I think the point is that the owner of this horse also did not think ‘bad wound, must call the vet, OMG’. They looked at it and called the OP to ask what they thought. In other words, the wound did end up being bad, but it clearly does not scream bad if the owner also did not think immediately that the vet needed to be called.
Yes, the vet was called after the OP told the horse owner to call the vet.
4 Likes
That’s one interpretation.
1 Like
Though it does sound like the obvious one.
7 Likes
It was quite obvious a vet was needed, so not really sure why she asked me, but I don’t judge, I just help. I think she was just confused as to why the farrier/industry expert hadn’t thought a vet was needed, and was a little in shock at the sight of it - she was expecting a scrape, not a flayed leg. I also think people like having a “friend” when they are faced with a stressful situation.
3 Likes
You are a great friend! You for sure made the best call for the horse. Its too bad PO, HO, mom and farrier did not. I hope everyone made that clear to you 
5 Likes
I’m betting that injury got a lot worse-looking in the course of the 3 days in the field than it did when first inflicted. I’m sure I’m not alone in having had a horse injury present as being no big deal to start with that has turned into a Very Big Deal even with care and attention, so I’d not be throwing the farrier entirely under the bus.
If it were my farrier, I’d most certainly be asking him for his version of what happened and telling him about the consequences. He probably should have called, but he knew she was out of town and probably thought one of the other responsible people would call. I’d like to think mine would have sent me a text, but my barn manager would have seen the whole thing go down anyway.
4 Likes
According to the OP the farrier did tell mom to speak to HO when he left and rewrap/ doctor it.
He also did mentioned to both people (mom & PO) something along the lines of “a vet”. I am just really not seeing how he owes compensation.
Horses work hard to spend ones money
4 Likes
I’m torn about responsibility How farrier may be held responsible is when “he got after her” what does that mean exactly. Did his “getting after her” cause the injury. Perhaps. PO and mom said there was a lot of bleeding. Farrier said then said “vet would probably suggest to wrap it” So he does. Rather than saying I think we should wrap this and you should call the owner to see about calling the vet, farrier wrapped it and said to check it in a day or 2. IMO farrier’s actions led the PO and Mom to believe the farrier had taken care of the horse. However, neither the PO or mom checked the horse as farrier told them to- so now are they liable for subsequent vet care?
While there may be some discussion as to who’s responsible, ultimately in a situation like this, we horse owners are responsible. HO should’ve given PO instructions about what to do if horse gets sick or injured- call the vet immediately or don’t worry about anything I’ll deal with it when I get home.
I’ve given my BM instructions that pretty much are if she has any question if the vet should be called - call the vet- and that’s whether I’m 20 minutes away at work or a day’s flight home.
Anytime we horse owners go away we need to leave clear instructions to the caregivers - whether it’s the BM or a barn sitter, what to do in case of an emergency. Some things look horrible but end up not being serious and other things look like they;re nothing but end up with a trip to an equine hospital. (ask me how I know)
Since HO didn’t appear to give clear instructions she’s pretty much on the hook for the vet bills.
2 Likes
Oh man, I had also missed that the first time through. Good eye!
1 Like
I think its worth noting that the OP is saying that there were 3 people there - the “Property Owner” who happens to be the neighbor, the mother of the young-non horsey absentee owner, and the farrier.
The fact that the property owner is not called a barn owner or barn manager makes me think that this is a very casual ‘boarding’ situation. I believe I read that horse is in mid-teens, and the early 20s owner trying to start her career (good for her!) which requires frequent travel. So to save money, perhaps she is keeping her horses at her parent’s elderly neighbors house for a cheap rate. Said elderly neighbor has a horse, so I guess it is assumed that this property owner is knowledgeable enough to look after these 2 horses in a field. That the error right there.
I’m sorry but a situation like this was waiting to happen. HO is leaving 2 horses in the care of an elderly neighbor (no mention of that person’s competence) and her admitted non-horsey parents. Do these people know how to recognize signs of colic? dehydration? limping or an abscess?
I’ve done rough-boarding or DiY in the past and it can work out
- If you go EVERY DAY
- Live/work close enough to run out to the barn for emergencies
- Have good network of other boarders who can keep an eye on your horse and notify you immediately if something looks off. Its helpful if these people are not afraid of your horse and you have already spoken with them about what your plan of action is (call me 1st vs. call vet first etc)
- have good vet and farrier that are aware of your situation are are OK if you are not out there to hold your horse for regular, routine things.
Even with these things in place, I had a close call because the my elderly barn owner waited a long time to call me and alert me that my horse was frantically pawing and sweating (which is his colic tell) because he thought he was just being ornery and hungry - so he threw him more hay!
Fortunately I worked close enough that I was able to leave and call my vet en route and everything ended out OK. But never assume that just because someone owns horse property and has had horses for decades that they are experts in horse care. Some are just lucky that they have skated by with low maintenance horses or live in a state of blissful ignorance.
It sucks, I do think that the farrier perhaps overstepped his bounds, but ultimately the HO should have made mom send pics of the wound as soon as they heard of it. Mom might have been there to just hand off the check, but in an instance like this with an absentee owner, she is the de facto owner representative. If neither she nor the elderly neighbor are comfortable getting close enough to the horse to get a good cell phone pic of the wound, then these horses have no caretakers - and that is squarely the fault of the HO.
7 Likes
The young 20’s owner wasn’t there, it was her mother!
This right here. I’m in a similar situation to the HO (young, just starting my career) and my horse is/was kept in a rough board situation in someone’s field. I live 3 hours from there and it would be a royal pain in case of emergency. I’m thankful the PO are knowledgeable horse people, but I still went over my emergency plan for my mare and to contact me if something goes wrong (which they do). My mare is also a brat for the farrier, so I make sure to go down and hold her, which is always fun to try and do last minute.
1 Like
yes I understood that it was the 1. neighbor / property owner 2. farrier 3. mother of the younger 20s owner. - I’ll edit post for clarity
Apparently this isn’t the first time a situation such as this has happened with this person (farrier) - but when he was training. Sad as I am sure HO wouldn’t have used him had she known. (I think its more of an old school way of looking at horses/horse care vs intentional negligence, but I am not sure).
1 Like
Suddenly, post 134 says that farrier has a history of being a jerk…
Has the horse owner called the farrier yet to ask what happened?
More importantly -
Has the horse owner talked to their mother to discuss the importance of timely vet care?
Has the horse owner talked to the barn owner so they know how this horse owner feels about vet care and how the vet should be called if there is ever a question if the vet is needed and they are not able to get in touch with the horse owner?
And the upmost important -
Has the horse owner made sure they are using professionals that they trust to take care of their horse when they are not there, since clearly they are not going to be there all the time?
4 Likes
I didn’t say he was a jerk. I just found out he has had past issues of a similar nature when he had a training business. He apparently has a very old school outlook on injuries/treatment/training/care. This leads me to think he truly felt he did the right thing/enough rather than trying to hide the injury/gaslight.
Please carry on inferring things not said though.
1 Like
There’s a great deal of Rashomon-like debate could go on, but circling back to your original question, even though all of us have different reads of the farrier, I think the COTH consensus is:
-
Getting money back via a court case is unlikely, but your friend would have to talk to an attorney to confirm this. Ideally, a friend first, since there is so much ambiguity about the situation, and legal fees are expensive. Perhaps ask the vet for a suggestion for an equine attorney if she wants to go that route. But don’t count on it.
-
If not going via legal channels, talk to the farrier for peace of mind and more info.
-
Take a hard look at the boarding situation, see if one with more competent on-site management is affordable.
-
Get a new farrier.
6 Likes
You forgot number 5 @Impractical_Horsewoman.
- Be responsible for your own horse and the care of your horse.
I am not saying be the one who tosses feed 2x per day. I am saying realize that you are the one who is in charge so make sure you are setting everyone up for success by making your vet care desires known, having someone responsible be there if you can not, and accepting that horses are expensive and sometimes work hard to spend all of our money.
9 Likes
With board, you get what you pay for. Not faulting the horse owner at all, sometimes cheap board is all you can do, or is right for your situation. But understand that means you are giving something up – whether it is that there isn’t always someone available, or there aren’t always knowledgeable eyes on the horse. There’s a reason expensive board is expensive!
10 Likes
Absolutely. And put away a little $ in an emergency fund, if at all possible, for such instances.
1 Like
