[Jhorne89]

Today my neighbor who owns 5 horses and barely knows the front end from the back end, decided to tie one of her horses to my gate after I told her I couldn't (well, didn't want) to take her. I used to own said horse, sold her and then my neighbor ended up with her. I'm slightly annoyed, but mostly in awe that a person could just do this. Horse is beautiful, young and completely sound, just needs an experienced rider. I just don't get people.

[SnicklefritzG]

Tied the horse to a gate and left it there? Even after you told her you couldn't take the horse?

Some people have no clue.

[Jhorne89]

Yes! I already have 3 others, one of which is for sale, wasn't planning on taking a fourth. It makes me pity her other horses

[Coanteen]

If you are going to keep horse after this, just make sure you protect yourself with some kind of sales bill, even for $1.

[GoForAGallop]

What is the point of tying a horse to gate when the gate-owner knows where the horse came from? Not the sharpest knife in the drawer, that one?

[SmartAlex]

Did she at least tie a red bow on her halter or something? I'd tell I'd prefer a fruit cake.

[uphill]

guess she got your attention and knew you wouldn't react badly. Hopefully you can help her re-home the horse...it's not the horse's fault.

[Jhorne89]

I told my friend and she said the same thing about the bow. I will talk to her tomorrow and tell her I need a sales receipt. I guess everyone that knows me knows I'm a softie and can't say no. I already rehomed two this year that were dumped on me.

[Nezzy]

where are you located?

[Jhorne89]

Orlando, Florida

[rustbreeches]

Did she at least tie a red bow on her halter or something? I'd tell I'd prefer a fruit cake.

Dear heaven, no! The neighbor might tie her fruitcake self to the gate next!

[Belg]

Couldn't she have waited for christmas morning and attached a card to the halter? :=)

Seriously.. I don't get it either. No means no.. usually.

[Roxyllsk]

Wow ... sounds like she's desperate to get rid of the horse ?

Def get a bill of sale to cover any legal questions.

If there is anything positive to come out of this, at least she didn't dump the horse on Craig's list or at the auction / kill pen or starve the poor thing.

Not that tying the horse to your gate is all that appropriate either LOL. But things could have been worse.

[Guilherme]

The first thing you need to do is call the sheriff and make a report. NOW!!!

There are two reasons for this:

First, the horse is not yours. You are in possession of somebody else's property. You need to protect yourself from a claim that you took that property without cause. Believe me, this CAN happen.

Second, in most places abandonment of animals is a crime. Setting aside the moral or ethical outrage that some work up for this, even in fairly conservative states abandonment is a form of animal cruelty. In some states it's a specific crime. Again, you WANT a police report on this if, for no other reason, to be able to put the costs of proper disposition of this abandoned animal where they belong (i.e., with the owner).

That you once owned this horse is an irrelevancy; you didn't own it, or have any recognized interest in it (you didn't, did you?) at the time it was abandoned.

Call the sheriff. Cover YOUR six.

G.

[Jhorne89]

The first thing you need to do is call the sheriff and make a report. NOW!!!

There are two reasons for this:

First, the horse is not yours. You are in possession of somebody else's property. You need to protect yourself from a claim that you took that property without cause. Believe me, this CAN happen.

Second, in most places abandonment of animals is a crime. Setting aside the moral or ethical outrage that some work up for this, even in fairly conservative states abandonment is a form of animal cruelty. In some states it's a specific crime. Again, you WANT a police report on this if, for no other reason, to be able to put the costs of proper disposition of this abandoned animal where they belong (i.e., with the owner).

That you once owned this horse is an irrelevancy; you didn't own it, or have any recognized interest in it (you didn't, did you?) at the time it was abandoned.

Call the sheriff. Cover YOUR six.

G.

I'm worried about causing a feud though, is there a way to resolve it without making more drama? It's obvious she's nuts, why else would somebody do that? It isn't like I told her once I didn't want the horse, I told her SEVERAL times on top of my husband telling her I couldn't take it. I, thankfully, am in a position where I can take the horse in, just don't really want to.

[GaitedGloryRider]

While in all likelihood she did dump the horse just to cover all bases it might be a good idea to make sure the horse simply didn't get loose, and some passerby or another neighbor tied it to your gate by mistake.

Yeah it's probably a long shot but stranger things have happened.

[Jhorne89]

She actually called my husband and told him. Sad thing is they called hours before but we didn't answer the phone so it makes me wonder if she was tied there for hours. And she was tied with a super long rope and when we got there (mind you, this is our back gate that we rarely use) she had already dug a hole from pawing. I honestly should tattoo "sucker" on my forehead.

[Finzean]

Jhorne89 -
It depends on your states' laws regarding animal abandonment as to whether or not you must involve law enforcement. At one point in NC (not sure now as I haven't done animal control stuff in a long time), a person coming into possession of an animal (whether it was abandoned, running at large, etc.) simply had to post a notice in the local newspaper stating that they had found a lost animal. It could be a simple classified ad in the lost & found, but it had to run for 10 days. If after 10 days no one came forward to claim the animal, then the law considered the person who had found the animal to be its legal owner.

I wonder if you couldn't do the same thing, as well as notify the local animal shelter (if they handle large animals - ours does), and just let the time run out on it and then have legal claim without ever having to involve sheriff and possibly start a feud.

I'd check the laws/ordinances in FL and/or try to get a bill of sale from your neighbor...SOMETHING to cover your butt. My husband says I'm too much a stickler over stuff like this but I operate with full knowledge of Murphy's Law and do anything I can to mitigate the crazy "might happens" that seem to be a part of anything having to do w/horses.

Good luck to you!!

[Posting Trot]

I don't think I'd up the ante with the neighbor by phoning the police. She's obviously in a tough spot (perhaps made tougher by her own lack of sense), and siccing the police on her isn't going to change that.

You should get a bill of sale from her though, just to protect yourself.

People are clueless.

[pinkpony321]

Get a bill of sale, like, yesterday, and take the poor horse in. I wouldn't involve the cops unless this happens again.

I will say that this woman has some nerve!!