Help! Stolen horse

[Maddiegirl]

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Ok, so this must be my month for bad stuff to happen to me. I sent my two horses to a "friend" during a rough patch and she agreed to "keep them for me"... This was June 4, 2011. I found out yesterday, apparently by accident, that this friend is a money grubbing *****!!!

Now, she's asserting that I gave her one of the horses and is offering it for sale or has already sold it to her friend. I've tried reasoning with her and the other parties to no avail. I've contacted law enforcement in that area and am waiting for a response from them.

My other horse is still at her property and I'm desperately seeking someone with a truck and trailer willing to help me go and get him while I go after her civilly for the other horse.

If there is anyone out there in SDN land in Texas near Austin/Georgetown/Salado etc with access to a truck and horse trailer and is willing to go to Dallas with me to get my horse please message me.

I will pay for gas and time if needed. I am desperate to get my gelding back before she disposes of him too!

She is not a rational person and is actively hiding my mare from me. She keeps saying see ya in court and indicating that she has a lawyer but refuses to give me this lawyer's name.

I'm absolutely sick over this. She misrepresented herself from the beginning of our arrangement.

I've offered to cover the market cost of field board for the two months my horses were in her custody and she's demanding almost $3500 ($25/day per horse) with "no promises" that she can get my mare back. Or telling me to come get my other horse and "drop it"....

I'm trying to find a lawyer too if anyone out there knows a good one please message me here or email me at [email protected].

I'm desperate!

Thanks for anything!
Kim

 

[Minnerbelle]

OMG Kim, you friend is the absolute worst kind of B**** in the world. I'm so sorry you're going through this. I'll PM you with people you might be able to contact.

 

[awaring1]

So sorry! My family had this happen once. We were leasing one of our Morgans to a man and found out that he had sold her with the papers and everything claiming she belong to him! Luckily the person who bought her understood and we got her back.

Good luck! If I lived in TX with a trailer I would help in a heartbeat.

 

[Lissarae06]

How awful. I can't imagine what you're going through. If this was going on in OK I could help with the lawyer connections but I'm afraid I don't have any in TX. Please keep us updated!

 

[breenie]

The horse world has some crazies. 🙁

I'm so sorry this is happening to you. I'm nowhere near TX, so I'm not of any help, but good luck! You must feel absolutely awful.

 

[WhtsThFrequency]

Cripes, what a situation! I don't have a trailer and don't know anyone who does, but I'll ask around. I hate being technically so close but not able to help 🙁 I've only been here a year so I don't know much about lawyers.

 

[blackangussteak]

.

 

[LMMS]

OMG!!! 😱 I cannot believe a person would even think to do such a thing much less go through with it!! I have a couple of friends in the greater Austin area, but I don't think that any of them has a trailer. I'll do my best to get in touch with them in the next couple of days. If one of them can help you, or knows of someone who can, I'll pop you an email and/or PM.

In the meantime, I'll keep my fingers tightly that this person goes back on her medication and comes to her senses.

Although I'm sure that it's easier said than done, try and hang in there!!!!

 

[bbeventer]

Yikes, I could not imagine going through that. I don't know of anyone down in Texas to get you in contact with though. Best advice I can give is trying to find anything at all in writing between the two of you, emails, AIM messages, etc. that the show that you never turned the horse over to your friend.

Good luck, I hope you get your horse back soon.

 

[flyhi]

How Terrible! Can you get someone you know to 'buy' your horse? Have them go try him out and then ask to trailer him to their vet to do a pre-buy?

Good Luck!

 

[chyactnate]

What a B****!!!! I am going to see who I know in Texas or who my my knows. She usually has pretty good connections. I dont know if you have tried going on the Chronicle of Horse forum (http://www.chronofhorse.com/forum/), there is a lot of great people on there that are from all over the country. They have pretty big hearts so hopefully someone can help you.

Good Luck with everything and I will keep you posted if my mom knows anyone that can do this for you.

 

[Maddiegirl]

Hey everyone:

Thanks for all the responses. It's a terrible situation and the girl is not being cooperative, at all. She's basically dared me to sue her.

I was able to borrow a trailer, and went up there this past weekend to retrieve my gelding and all of his belongings. He is safe at home while I fight this b**** in court.

He looks to have lost some where in the neighborhood of 100 lbs. When we finally got him home, he went to the barn where they hung out and then when to the other side where her stall is, and then ran screaming around the pasture for a half hour.

It literally broke my heart to watch him so upset. They are buddies and have been together for 3 years. They ate out of the same food bowl and never so much as flattened an ear at one another.

Keep thinking good thoughts out there everyone, please. I need all the positive energy I can get right now. I spent over 40 hours awake between Friday morning and midnight Saturday when we finally got my boy home.

The madder I get though, the stronger it makes me. My girl is coming home one way or another.

 

[smilin1590]

Ugh!!! This makes me sooo mad. There are some effed up crazy people out in this world.

Positive thoughts and energy directed your way Maddiegirl

 

[awaring1]

Hey everyone:

Thanks for all the responses. It's a terrible situation and the girl is not being cooperative, at all. She's basically dared me to sue her.

I was able to borrow a trailer, and went up there this past weekend to retrieve my gelding and all of his belongings. He is safe at home while I fight this b**** in court.

He looks to have lost some where in the neighborhood of 100 lbs. When we finally got him home, he went to the barn where they hung out and then when to the other side where her stall is, and then ran screaming around the pasture for a half hour.

It literally broke my heart to watch him so upset. They are buddies and have been together for 3 years. They ate out of the same food bowl and never so much as flattened an ear at one another.

Keep thinking good thoughts out there everyone, please. I need all the positive energy I can get right now. I spent over 40 hours awake between Friday morning and midnight Saturday when we finally got my boy home.

The madder I get though, the stronger it makes me. My girl is coming home one way or another.

Good luck!
I hope everything turns out.

 

[pooter]

Good luck! So glad you at least got your boy home. I'm not really a horse person, but I'd recommend documenting any changes you see in your gelding, especially the weight loss, by photos and/or vet evaluation. Even I know a horse shouldn't lose that much weight in two months, especially when the months in question are June and July. It's a longshot, but she might be more, um, *receptive* if you can threaten her with neglect charges.

 

[Maddiegirl]

Fortunately, he was as fat as a barrel when he went up to her place so the weight loss didn't place him in any danger of being too thin. But, you're right, that is a lot of weight to lose in such a short period of time.

I've also noticed some significant personality changes in him since he got home. He's only been home a week, so I'm hoping it's just the stress of changing his routine and missing his buddy.

He used to be so calm and loving; now, he just seems irritable and agitated. He's even taken to nipping me and turning his backside my way. Clearly he's not a happy camper.

Will be calling the vet this week to evaluate him.

 

[Tegan05]

So glad you got your horse back! I was going to suggest COTH as a resource, but luckily you already found a trailer for transport.

If it does get nasty in court, I'm sure the members of COTH may also have suggestions on equine-focused lawyers. I really hope it doesn't get to that point though!

I wish you the best of luck on getting your mare back as well.

 

[cowgirla]

Fortunately, he was as fat as a barrel when he went up to her place so the weight loss didn't place him in any danger of being too thin. But, you're right, that is a lot of weight to lose in such a short period of time.

I've also noticed some significant personality changes in him since he got home. He's only been home a week, so I'm hoping it's just the stress of changing his routine and missing his buddy.

He used to be so calm and loving; now, he just seems irritable and agitated. He's even taken to nipping me and turning his backside my way. Clearly he's not a happy camper.

Will be calling the vet this week to evaluate him.

Without venturing into medical advice territory, I'm going to suggest you ask your vet about ulcers.

 

[Maddiegirl]

Thanks. I'll mention it to him. I'm giving him about another week to calm down and then going to have the vet come out and give him the once over.

I'm fairly certain his attitude change is due to the upset of his environment, change of routine, and missing his pasture buddy, but will err on the side of caution and get him looked at by a professional if he doesn't improve soon. 🙂

Thanks for all the support everyone! I will keep y'all posted (hopefully with good news) as it comes in...

Now back to the grind of studying biology and chemistry this semester.... 🙄

 

[Maddiegirl]

If it does get nasty in court, I'm sure the members of COTH may also have suggestions on equine-focused lawyers. I really hope it doesn't get to that point though!

I wish you the best of luck on getting your mare back as well.

I'm prepared for a battle in court. These two girls have already proven they will not cooperate and have already made insinuating remarks about my lack of ability to care for the horse, which really ticks me off.

Things like "at least she has no trouble be fed now..." Come on!!! My horses never went hungry. They were never mistreated. They were/are loved like children.

I'm sure this will be dragged into court and I'll be raked over the coals for, of all things, keeping her safe, fat, and happy on my 5 acre property and not in a 500/mo boarding facility like her current horse-nappers.

 

[bbeventer]

Hopefully your mare will be back soon. I know if it was my pony, I would be having 3am adventures on property that wasn't mine.

 

[spicykimchi]

Have you talked to a lawyer yet?

 

[Maddiegirl]

Hopefully your mare will be back soon. I know if it was my pony, I would be having 3am adventures on property that wasn't mine.

Trust me, if I knew where they were hiding her, this would be over already.

 

[Maddiegirl]

Have you talked to a lawyer yet?

Yes, met with the lawyer and we are filing papers today or Monday.

that the Judge sees what crooks these two are!!

 

[Maddiegirl]

In light of the recent turmoil in my life, I realized that I hadn't updated on the situation with my horse that was stolen by a "friend," or maybe I did but forgot where I posted it.

After consulting with our lawyer and trying to find the best strategy to get her back, we ultimately figured out that they buyer was considered a "bonafide purchaser" which essentially meant in the eyes of the law that even though the girl who sold her and I had a dispute over ownership this chick would get to keep my horse anyway. Nevermind, she essentially purchased stolen property there was nothing we could do beyond suing the girl who sold the horse for the value of the horse. In today's sunken horse market, an unregistered grade quarter horse doesn't have much value.

By the time we would have been done with the lawsuit and legal fees we may have recovered $500 if we were lucky.

Secondly, due to the drought and the prices of hay these days, we had to weigh our options financially very carefully. I know the horse is in a great home and is being pampered, so I had to ask myself if it was in her best interest to bring her back home and potentially struggle financially to care for her. Especially since I'm trying to quit my job and get into vet school.

I hate the way it happened, but in light of recent events with my dog I think it may have been a blessing in disguise or if you don't believe in blessings a happy accident. My gelding has adjusted just fine to being an only horse. He's got horsey neighbors on both sides of our property and he's loving all the extra carrots and cookies he gets.

In any event, I miss her but at the same time have made peace with the outcome. At the same time, we realized that the damage occuring to the fencing and the barn was all her doing....it's funny how time and distance give you perspective on things.

Thanks to everyone who offered kind words and support during that crisis...now back to the current crisis. 🙄

 

[finnerma]

Sorry to hear that you won't be getting her back, that must be really hard, but kudos to you for looking on the bright side. Not sure I'd be able to do that!

 

[Maddiegirl]

It took some time for me to get to this place. I'm just happy I still have my gelding.