I have found myself caught in the middle of two friends.
friend A (we'll call her Alice) owns a breeding farm. She sold a mare to friend B (we'll call her Betty.)
Betty continued to board at Alice's barn after purchasing the mare a year ago. She pays board most of the time, on the occasions that it's late, it's only by a week, and this is usually forgiven by Alice, since they've been friends for a long time. The mare needs some major dental work done, the vet quoted it as being $1000-$1500, and he'd know for sure once he got her sedated and could really look in her mouth. He also said that a good floating would help a lot in the mean time (this was 6 months ago). Betty wants to save her money and get all the needed work done. She doesn't know when she'll get it done, however, and in the mean time, the mare is slowly dropping weight. Alice has upped her offered grain, but a lot of it falls on the floor, so it's not really doing any good. She hasn't raised the board rate at all, yet, but she's been bringing the mare in every night (most of her horses are pasture kept), and bought a new wider, flatter bucket for the mare to try to collect the dropping grain, and now has an additional stall to muck every day, and paying for the bedding, and she's been giving the mare extra hay, as well. She's also charging a "friend" rate to board (covering feed and bedding but nothing for labor), anyway, and she's now *losing* money on this mare's monthly board. But, in the name of friendship, she is doing the best she can. She even offered to pay up front for the floating, which Betty refused.
and then, two months ago, Betty got mad at the farrier's wife (can you tell we live in a small town?), and refused to allow the regular farrier to touch her horse. she told Alice she'd call another one out. and 4 weeks went by... nothing. 8 weeks went by... nothing. we're now at the 11 week mark, she won't call a farrier, she won't do anything about teeth, and Alice is bending over backwards to try to help her out.
I called her up and suggested that since the farrier was coming out next weekend, she should put her differences aside and let him do her horse... especially since the farm pays the farm call for him, and he does all the boarders and farm-owned horses in one day. He's also one of the best farriers I've ever seen. He *knows* his stuff, he does a great job, and I've never seen a horse lame or tender after he's trimmed or shod them. but still, she refuses.
so now, Alice has a horse on the farm that needs a float, and a trim, and the owner won't do a damn thing about it. And Alice is too polite (or maybe doesn't have the testicular fortitude) to say "your horse needs this, pay me back and then get it off my property"... but she also feels responsible, because she sold the mare to Betty in the first place. She feels responsible for the mare that she bred, and doesn't want to see her fall into an even *more* neglectful situation... because in the end, it's the horse that matters, right?
and how did I get stuck in the middle of this mess? I don't know. I get calls from Alice worried about the mare, and calls from Betty mad at Alice for talking about raising the board (a whole $20 a month!) to pay for the additional feed costs associated with the inability to chew.
I'm mad that the horse is suffering through all of this. I offered to pay for the feet, if Alice pays for the teeth... but I worry that it will just fall into a pattern of neglect....if we bail her out this time, she'll probably expect us to do it again. Alice has even offered to buy the horse back from Betty, and that has been refused, as well.
*sigh* I hate being stuck in the middle of drama.
friend A (we'll call her Alice) owns a breeding farm. She sold a mare to friend B (we'll call her Betty.)
Betty continued to board at Alice's barn after purchasing the mare a year ago. She pays board most of the time, on the occasions that it's late, it's only by a week, and this is usually forgiven by Alice, since they've been friends for a long time. The mare needs some major dental work done, the vet quoted it as being $1000-$1500, and he'd know for sure once he got her sedated and could really look in her mouth. He also said that a good floating would help a lot in the mean time (this was 6 months ago). Betty wants to save her money and get all the needed work done. She doesn't know when she'll get it done, however, and in the mean time, the mare is slowly dropping weight. Alice has upped her offered grain, but a lot of it falls on the floor, so it's not really doing any good. She hasn't raised the board rate at all, yet, but she's been bringing the mare in every night (most of her horses are pasture kept), and bought a new wider, flatter bucket for the mare to try to collect the dropping grain, and now has an additional stall to muck every day, and paying for the bedding, and she's been giving the mare extra hay, as well. She's also charging a "friend" rate to board (covering feed and bedding but nothing for labor), anyway, and she's now *losing* money on this mare's monthly board. But, in the name of friendship, she is doing the best she can. She even offered to pay up front for the floating, which Betty refused.
and then, two months ago, Betty got mad at the farrier's wife (can you tell we live in a small town?), and refused to allow the regular farrier to touch her horse. she told Alice she'd call another one out. and 4 weeks went by... nothing. 8 weeks went by... nothing. we're now at the 11 week mark, she won't call a farrier, she won't do anything about teeth, and Alice is bending over backwards to try to help her out.
I called her up and suggested that since the farrier was coming out next weekend, she should put her differences aside and let him do her horse... especially since the farm pays the farm call for him, and he does all the boarders and farm-owned horses in one day. He's also one of the best farriers I've ever seen. He *knows* his stuff, he does a great job, and I've never seen a horse lame or tender after he's trimmed or shod them. but still, she refuses.
so now, Alice has a horse on the farm that needs a float, and a trim, and the owner won't do a damn thing about it. And Alice is too polite (or maybe doesn't have the testicular fortitude) to say "your horse needs this, pay me back and then get it off my property"... but she also feels responsible, because she sold the mare to Betty in the first place. She feels responsible for the mare that she bred, and doesn't want to see her fall into an even *more* neglectful situation... because in the end, it's the horse that matters, right?
and how did I get stuck in the middle of this mess? I don't know. I get calls from Alice worried about the mare, and calls from Betty mad at Alice for talking about raising the board (a whole $20 a month!) to pay for the additional feed costs associated with the inability to chew.
I'm mad that the horse is suffering through all of this. I offered to pay for the feet, if Alice pays for the teeth... but I worry that it will just fall into a pattern of neglect....if we bail her out this time, she'll probably expect us to do it again. Alice has even offered to buy the horse back from Betty, and that has been refused, as well.
*sigh* I hate being stuck in the middle of drama.
