[QUOTE=sunnyray;8232270]
Just an update. I spoke with the trainer this morning and asked him how much the vet bill is so I can reimburse him. He said it happened on his time and he’s paying. I had planned to give him some extra money at the end so will just give him more than what I had originally planned.[/QUOTE]
You and your trainer sound like ethical, mature adults! Happy to hear that things worked out and there are no hard feelings.
Accident versus negligence
I think the reality is that as an owner you are stuck, but an ethical trainer/boarder pay if there were negligence involved, even if a bad decision was made in good faith.
Examples:
My horse “got away” from me in the barn aisle of a large barn. He tore down the aisle and took some horses in cross ties with him. Thank God no horses were hurt but one horse lost a shoe (I paid the farrier bill, volunteered to!)
My sister’s horse was in its stall. Someone hung their bridle in such a way that he could chew the reins, and he did. The boarder wanted my sis to reimburse, and she refused – her horse was being a horse, and stuff happens.
A mare was mistakenly turned out in a pasture with geldings and mahem ensued. The mare got kicked. The mare’s owner paid the vet bills, but in my opinion she shouldn’t have. Negligence, poor training and supervision of barn staff.
[QUOTE=staceyk;8576416]
I think the reality is that as an owner you are stuck, but an ethical trainer/boarder pay if there were negligence involved, even if a bad decision was made in good faith.
Examples:
My horse “got away” from me in the barn aisle of a large barn. He tore down the aisle and took some horses in cross ties with him. Thank God no horses were hurt but one horse lost a shoe (I paid the farrier bill, volunteered to!)
My sister’s horse was in its stall. Someone hung their bridle in such a way that he could chew the reins, and he did. The boarder wanted my sis to reimburse, and she refused – her horse was being a horse, and stuff happens.
A mare was mistakenly turned out in a pasture with geldings and mahem ensued. The mare got kicked. The mare’s owner paid the vet bills, but in my opinion she shouldn’t have. Negligence, poor training and supervision of barn staff.[/QUOTE]
Old thread, FYI.
Topic is perennial :-). But thanks I came upon it in a search…
it all depends on the fine print of the training agreement. I know with my mom’s training set up, she is only liable for certain injuries, such as our stallion getting out, or the horses cutting themselves on a piece of the barn or something that we don’t catch right away. but if a horse is scratched by the fence, a tree, etc, it’s on the owner. with your case, we would be paying the bill, ONLY if it was negligent activity that the other horse got loose. such as bad tying or a weak rope, etc. if the horse broke free by their own accord/slipped their halter/etc, it would be on the owner. written off as the dangers of owning a horse and the fact they signed a release. if we were directly responsible, we footed the bill. if we weren’t, it was on the owner. but that’s just us. each stable is different.
My mare has injured other horses twice, by kicking them. I didn’t pay the bills, because in both cases it wasn’t me who made the mistake leading to the other horse being injured.
Trail riding with a friend, her horse was following, she knew to keep a safe distance between the two mares, wasn’t paying attention and ran her mare up my mare’s rear when she stopped… I had turned my head and warned other rider we were going to halt.
Mare kicked another mare through a fence because hay was thrown too close to the shared fenceline on both sides; barn staff all had been told to not throw hay anywhere near the fenceline between my mare and another horse, but someone forgot or was just careless.
This exact thing happened to me, almost down to the letter. My horse spent two weeks at the vet school and my bill was upwards of $3,000
You are extremely lucky that the trainer offered to pay the bills. In my situation, it was a mistake made by the barn workers who brought my horse and the other in from the field. My horse was blatantly attacked. Still, I did not expect my barn or the other owner to reimburse me for medical bills. This is what happens when you own horses, unfortunately.
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