Disgusting Horse Conditions (Vent)

lauracatlover

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Sorry this is a bit long.


As some of you may know I have a college placement at a kennels, cattery and stables.

Well yesterday me and my friend were down the yard with the horsesfor the first time, and the boss was telling us to totally strip down a stable for their most prized possession, a 16.3hh stallion called Cheeky, which cost them £70,000!!


OMG you should have seen his stable. Now horsey peeps on here would know that you muck out at least once a day, especially if the horse has to sleep in there at night. The people who had cleaned out Cheeky's stable last didn't bother picking up the droppings, and just covered it in a layer of shavings!!


And I'm not kidding you, this stable was 3 foot high in rotten shavings and horse muck.
, and me and my friend were expected to clean it all out by ourselves. It stank like rotten egg, and the boss was having a right go at us!


She was saying "come on, you muck out quicker than that" and "You're not doing it quick enough it will never be finished" and suchlike.

And the best of it was, we'd never done it before, it was our first day doing this, and she was shouting at us almost like it was our fault!

And the poor horse had sores all on his legs, which was obviously caused by this.


Me and my friend never got it finished in the end. We were aching all over, absolutely dying for a drink, I mean we worked from 12pm till just after 5pm with no breaks and no drinks!

And this morning I wake up in agony because of my shoulders and back.

Sorry this is so long! I just reeeaally needed to rant at how appalled we are.
 

yosemite

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I would report those people, especially if the horse has sores all over it's legs. Someone needs to speak up for these animals.
 

sharky

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Originally Posted by Yosemite

I would report those people, especially if the horse has sores all over it's legs. Someone needs to speak up for these animals.
and if you have a camera phone ( or one of those tiny digital cameras ) take pictures of the sores
 

babywukong

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Totally agree that you and your friend should report the conditions of this poor horse! To think he's their prized possession... Imagine what the "lesser" horses' conditions would be like!

I'm so sorry you got treated like rubbish on your first day on the job. Looks like this woman who spent the day yelling at you needs to chill out.. Or try doing the job herself to experience how difficult it really is!
 
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lauracatlover

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Originally Posted by BabyWukong

Or try doing the job herself to experience how difficult it really is!
The stupid part was that occasionally she checked up on us. She then stopped us, grabbed the fork herself and basically said that b-cuz we are kids (yeah aged 17
) we weren't doing it properly and were wasting time without no effort. Then she even got her stupid hubby in - the bloke who is RUNNING the yard - to do it, and she said "Look, we can muck out faster than you can take out the wheelbarrow of muck, so get on with it" Sort of thing.


She said "We'll show you how to do it. I know how to do this sort of thing, I've been doing it for 30 years." I mean I had never mucked out before like that in my life! She expected me to know everything and I was like "Yeah, mrs, I just ride, OK?" And I bet I must have answered No to the question "do you have a horse" at least 60 times.


But if she loves her animals as much as she does, surely she knows that no animal can be kept in that conditon?

I mean, horse peeps on here, YOU wouldn't keep your horse living in 3ft of poo?!!!

Later on, whilst her hubby was still mucking out, some visitors came. The husband then told us to pop the horse back in the stable! And it was nowhere near ready or suitable for the poor thing.


Huh...




Originally Posted by sharky

and if you have a camera phone ( or one of those tiny digital cameras ) take pictures of the sores
I would have taken a picture of the sore on his leg, but the boss was standing there herself, making us feel his leg -
- so she would have been like "don't you dare take a picture of my £70K horse!!"

I'm only there for another week now anyway, because 1) my friend is quitting her course at college and at work and I am sick of it too and 2) I really hate working there



P.S: Sorry my posts are so long!!
 

yosemite

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Please do not let them get away with treating this horse in that manner. Please, please, report them and get a photo of the sore(s).
 

howtoholdacat

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Report them first.

Second, you need to get another job. I've worked around horses for 20 years. They can be dangerous animals if you don't know what you're doing around them, particularly stallions. You'd be better off learning about horses from responsible owners who can teach you how to be safe. These people obviously are neither responsible nor safe and they're full of horse manure about the value of their stallion. No one who can spend $70,000 on a horse allows him to live in such conditions.

I very strongly agree with the others that you need to report them but never take your own safety for granted.
 
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lauracatlover

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Originally Posted by howtoholdacat

never take your own safety for granted.
I know


She was telling us he was the softest stallion alive, blah blah blah, and was practically SAT under his belly. But when she wanted us to do the same I stood as far from those legs as possible!


These people have what, 8 horses? And at least 12 stables. I was thinking to myself that surely they wouldn't have to put him back in the same one? I mean why couldn't they have got a tractor and dug it out properly, and left him in a cleaner stable till it was done? Fair enough, he did have 2 stables, a day stable and a night stable, but the poor baby had to go in this one every night from like 5pm, and his day stable wasn't much better.



Stupid !!*&%%
 

nekkiddoglady

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I dont own a horse, or know much about them.. but even I know that's just terrible conditions!

I agree with others, this needs to be reported.. those animals deserve better care than that.


It probably wouldnt take as long to muck the stable if there wasnt 3 ft of filth in there!
 

jaffacake

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I can`t imagine why someone would spend that amount on a horse and let it get in that state
Sounds like my old boss actually. Do as she said not as she did. She blamed me once for her prize showjumper having a heamatoma on his belly. Turns out he had a heart condition and it was fluid from that. He had to be PTS
Some horsey people are real b**ches but don`t let the few nasty ones put you off.

Are you sure the bed wasn`t a deep litter one? Where I worked they had the shavings deep littered so you only took out the poop and left the wet? That was in the winter and after a few weeks you dig the whole lot out and start again
 
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lauracatlover

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Originally Posted by Jaffacake

Are you sure the bed wasn`t a deep litter one? Where I worked they had the shavings deep littered so you only took out the poop and left the wet? That was in the winter and after a few weeks you dig the whole lot out and start again
I don't think it was a deep litter one. She said herself that the employees just put fresh bedding over the top of the old poop and stuff.
And she was saying about how he shouldn't have wet in his bed blah blah blah... So I presume she would have mentioned it if it was supposed to be that deep?
 

spotty

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I agree maybe report them when you leave? My horse is in a paddock (break fed) and I pick up his poo twice a day or at least once a day.
 

mizzy moo moo's

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I would report it, i have a pony and would never let a stable get into that state. And to think that is there top horse, how do they treat the others?.

I think the reason they watched you is to make sure you didn't take photos , as they know they would get into trouble if they got found out.
 
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lauracatlover

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I'll see how things are when I go back to work next tuesday. It's half term this week so that'll give them 1 week to get things 'sorted'

If not then I shall definately do something about it, and as it may be my last day, they can't say anything to try and stop me!
 

babywukong

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Originally Posted by lauracatlover

I'll see how things are when I go back to work next tuesday. It's half term this week so that'll give them 1 week to get things 'sorted'

If not then I shall definately do something about it, and as it may be my last day, they can't say anything to try and stop me!
That's a plan. Do let us know how it goes... By the way, what condition are the rest of the "cheaper" horses in?
 
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lauracatlover

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The other horses seem fine, and all of their stables are ok, too, it is just the stallion that had sores and a really bad stable.


I'll let you know how things are next week when I go back
 
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lauracatlover

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It was my last day yesterday, and it was typical. They didn't let me go down the yard, so I couldn't properly look at Cheeky's leg or the stable really. I only walked by with the dogs, so tried to have a glance every now and then


The reason why is because the boss said me and my friend complained it was too much hard work!


Which, yes we did, but not to their faces!


Anyway, from what I could see the stable has been cleaned out fully now. The boss ordered the usual stable staff to get it sorted. They also put some sort of cream on Cheeky's leg, and when they were lunging him he looked fine


My friend is still working there, so she will check up on him when she goes next week, and if nothing has changed we will definately report them.
 
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