BO wants my Horse.

[equestrianreba]

I am a struggling horse owner. I love my boy very much, and right now I'm stuck on something and it's really making me stressed out/upset

Comments

[emidala]

What does your boarding contract say?

[equestrianreba]

Don't have a boarding contract with her.

[belle7067]

In most states, it doesn't matter. You aren't paying, so you effectively forfeit ownership of the horse to her.

[creseis_acicula]

THIS. Your BO has been footing your bill, feeding and taking care of your horse, and you expect her to keep doing that with barely any $ trickling in for who knows how long?

[wldhrsjen3]

Look, I'm sorry to say this because I understand what you're going through. But if you've signed a board agreement, you have a responsibility to pay your bills. In full. She has every right to take your horse if you can't afford to keep him. You say you're making as many payments as you can, but if you aren't paying your bills in full it's not a matter of "abandoning" your horse. I know you love him, but you need to take a hard look at your financial situation. If he gets hurt, or colics, who do you think is going to pay for his care? Why should she continue letting you board at a reduced rate? If you can't afford to keep him, you can't afford to keep him. It's not a matter of entitlement, no matter how much you love him.

I'd suggest sitting down with her and talking about a payment plan. Can you work for board? Teach lessons? Lease him?

One way or another, you owe her.

Good luck.

[buymeaclue]

Jinx!

[wldhrsjen3]

You said it much better than I did. :)

[buymeaclue]

No idea on your local laws, but in some areas, yes, she would have every right. It's called a stableman's (or agister's) lien.

I'm sorry you and your horse are in this predicament. These are tough times, and even in good times, stuff happens, and life gets turned upside down.

But I gotta say, I have at least as much sympathy for barn owners, who after all also subject to tough times and end up faced with equally tough choices. Having a barnful of critters that don't stop wanting to eat if their owners stop paying the bills is stressful and upsetting, too.

Best of luck getting it sorted out.

[foalstory]

and to echo this, these often apply REGARDLESS of any boarding agreement.

If anything, it's an abandoned horse on the BO's property. In some states (rules vary wildly), that makes it the BO's horse.

[belle7067]

Last I checked, this is an acceptable method for BOs to get payment when an owner won't or can't pay board. Seen it done. If you signed a contract, read it. It will state this in the contract.

[84trillion]

You go out to her barn to see your horse even though you haven't paid for his care there?

...

Who is paying for the grain that he eats? Who is paying for the bedding he lays on? Who is paying for upkeep of the barn he sleeps in?

Who owns your horse, really?

[foalstory]

according to OP's unlocked journal entries, she actually doesn't go out to see her horse much. Alas, she's locked them down now.

[84trillion]

She said in this post that she sees him as often as she can, which I took to mean as often.

[ihrayne]

She didn't see him all of December and only a couple times in January as she wrote in her journal before the lockdown. :S