# advice about and accident



## Darina (Oct 18, 2015)

Hello all,

I'm looking for help as I don't know what to do.
Few days ago I was at stable where is my horse and lots of others horses and dogs. Owners have dogs with puppies and my horse by accident kick one. How happened this? I went for my horse into yard and puppies followed me. I tried to send them to their owners but they didn't listen. My sister was with me and she has our dog on lead. Puppies still run around. I continued for my horse to take him from yard and after few steps one of puppies jump on my horses leg so horse kick him by accident because my horse is scared from everything.

Puppies had to go to see vet and owners want from me money for the bill. I don't want them pay because i think it wasn't my fault. They should be aware this can happen and they should keep eye on them.
Owners said that if i don't give them money so we will have to continue with lawyers and trial.
I would like to know your opinion. Am I that person who should pay for the bill?

Thank you and apologies for my english


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## Rafa (Jun 18, 2012)

Hello and welcome.

The owner of the puppies is to blame for what happened. If you pay to keep your horse on the yard and there are other horses there, then whoever owns these puppies has a responsibility to keep them safe.

Allowing pups to run free around horses and especially up behind them is a very stupid and irresponsible thing to do.

You are not at fault. You had every right to be there and every right to be doing what you were with your horse.

I would tell the owner of the pups to pay their own vet bills and to take way more care in the future.

Have you spoken to the owner of the yard about this incident?


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## Darina (Oct 18, 2015)

thank you for your answer.

Owners of stable are owners of puppies. I told them that I'm not going to pay them any money but still seems like they wants from me money. I get letter from them about all accident with copy of vet bill. 

Be honest I think they see I'm foreigner so they trying to get some money from me.


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## kimthecat (Aug 11, 2009)

Its not your fault.
Is your horse insured for 3rd party damages ? you could ring the insurance company for advice .
You could consult a Citizens Advice Bureau near you , they might be able to advise you on what to do .


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## Rafa (Jun 18, 2012)

Darina said:


> thank you for your answer.
> 
> Owners of stable are owners of puppies. I told them that I'm not going to pay them any money but still seems like they wants from me money. I get letter from them about all accident with copy of vet bill.
> 
> Be honest I think they see I'm foreigner so they trying to get some money from me.


Well, I think them trying to claim from you is ridiculous.

If they own a Livery Yard, they should know better than to let pups run loose amongst horses. It's asking for an accident.

I feel sorry for the pup, but you were only doing what you were supposed to, they're the ones who failed to take proper care of their pups. It was their negligence that caused this accident, not yours. It's their fault.

The owners of the yard where I keep my horse do allow dogs but have a strict onlead rule. Dogs are not allowed loose.

It's basic common sense really and I don't believe the owners of your livery yard have a leg to stand on.


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## Lil Miss (Dec 11, 2010)

its not your fault at all, its the owner of the dogs fault.
i admit i do let 2 of my dogs run loose in the field while im at the yard (the 3rd has no recall) but we are on a private yard (4 stables which open out right into the field, 5 horses, 2 of which are mine the other 3 belong to the yard owner a sheep and a cat) but i am fully aware that if anything happened to them it is my own fault and likewise if anything happened because of them that is also my fault
no way would i let any of them run loose in a busy livery yard situation either


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## Lurcherlad (Jan 5, 2013)

Definitely not your fault and not your responsibility to pay the vet bill.

If I were you I would be looking to move my horse to a new yard ASAP and then you can distance yourself from these people and ignore their demands for money.

IME some yard owners can be complete t*ssers in situations like this. A friend had a similar situation (over a ripped rug when 2 horses where playing in the field) and it all got very silly when she refused to replace the (old) rug - ending up with the yard owner threatening to turn my friend's horse out of the yard onto the road! She managed to find somewhere to take him that day and I kept my head down and left the following week. I couldn't leave my horse somewhere with people who could behave in this way.


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## lostbear (May 29, 2013)

As others have said - the person responsible is the owner of the pup. Dogs, especially daft puppies, ought not to be playing around near horses.

The only way you would be responsible would be if you deliberately rode your horse into a pile of puppies without a thought to what might happen. You didn't.

Not your responsibility, but unfortunately you will probably need to take your horse somewhere else, and I would do it soon in case they try refusing you access to the premises to force you to pay up (This is very unlikely, but if they're awkward enough to demand money for something that is their responsibility, then you never know. - they just might.


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## Ceiling Kitty (Mar 7, 2010)

I wasn't sure from the post whether the puppies belonged to the yard owners, or one of the other horse owners. I suspect they belong to the yard owners - but in a way it's irrelevant, as anyone who knows anything about horses should know and accept that you don't let young puppies run around under horses' feet and jump all over them. If they have knowingly allowed this to happen, yet are surprised that your horse has been spooked by this and injured the puppies, then they are not particularly horse-savvy people.

Sorry this has happened. I hope the puppies are okay and that your horse has forgotten about it now.

Can you contact a solicitor, just in case? I agree with the others that you may be best looking for a new yard. Whatever the outcome of their 'lawsuit', they are probably going to make things difficult and/or unpleasant for you from now on, and as I said above it doesn't seem that they're that mindful of horses anyway.

Hopefully they have learnt from this and won't let their dogs run loose around other people's horses again in future.


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