Jilba
Joined: 26 Aug 2007
Posts: 13
 |
 Posted: Fri May 02, 2008 1:21 pm Post subject: Leasing...Beware |
  |
|
The following is a TRUE story. As told to me, by my bellydance teacher. I know most loans or leases of horse go well, but....we all need to beware!
10 years ago she and her husband, not 'horse-people' rescued a starving pony. With a lot TLC Ginger turned quickly into a reliable family pony, with a talent for kids and pony club.
The family quickly out grew Ginger, and with other horses to ride, Ginger was loaned to some long-time friends. There too, he out-grew the family, and with the owner's permission, was loaned or free-leased on again. By this time he's well over 20, but still going strong.
Imagine the owner's horror, when, on attending Packenham horse sale out of curiosity (they'd never attended before) they find Ginger in a pen and BEING SOLD. Not only was an attempt to sell their pony in place, but the poor old boy was in shocking condition. Extremely thin, dehydrated, covered in rain scald and sores, and his feet long overgrown and badly cracked. Brittany, all of 15, tackled one of the toughest stock and station agents I know, while her mother, Rhonda, went in search of Ginger's seller.
To cut a long story short, the local knacker man backed Rhonda and Brittany up that this was their pony (he was involved in the original rescue and knew they hadn't sold Ginger) while Rhonda's husband tracked down photos of Ginger and found the original people who Ginger had been loaned to.
The original loaners agreed they'd lent Ginger on, with Rhonda's permission, not they'd given him to the woman who was trying to sell him. By 4pm Ginger was back home with Rhonda and Brittany, being given a bath, a feed, and vet. examination.
The woman who tried to sell him is not being prosecuted for attempted livestock theft as the vet who attended Ginger, and the RSPCA are putting in place prosecution for severe neglect of Ginger, and her own horses. Let's hope for a successful prosecution!
Rhonda knows that she is partly responsible for the situation, as she should have kept a better eye on Ginger and his whereabouts. I guess you think it won't happen to you. But it can, and we need to think about loaned and leased horses more often. I've heard a couple of horror stories, but this time it happened a nice person I know.
One shudders to think what would have happened if they'd gone on to Dandenong shopping that day, instead of stopping by the horse sale.
|
|
