who's are they really?

I checked into this at some point because I feared a boarder had abandoned their horse.

What I was told is that you must provide them a written notice to come get their horses. If they do not reply within so many days, you have the choice to contact the Sheriff's office or to claim the horse.

You can keep those receipts and if they choose to get the horses then you can request payment for your expenses.
If I were you I would politely tell them that they owe you for feeding and caring for the horses and that you will take the horses instead of payment.
If they choose to do this then you get a bill of sale.
If you post no trespassing signs then they cannot just randomly come on your property without permission. As the owner of the property you have a right to control who has access to it and when they can. Shalom

Why are you wondering then? If it's a non-issue and you are willing to care, feed and vet someone else's horses, goody on you. If you're not, but you're doing it anyway, then you are being used. Maybe you'd like to have the horses and think that if you do all this stuff the owners will give them to you? If that's the case, then ask them.

I don't understand the point of the question based on the information that has been provided.

I don't know where you're located but you may want to look in to Stable Keeper Laws also may be known as agister laws, as you may actually have a case of owning the horses.

Im my state of Washington: Equine Legal Solutions - Boarding - Washington Law

RCW 60.56.010 provides Washington persons and businesses with an automatic lien on their customers’ horses to satisfy debts incurred in caring for or providing services to those horses, such as boarding and training. This type of lien is sometimes called an agister’s lien, and it means the facility can refuse to allow a customer’s horses to leave until the bill for those horses is paid in full.


Texas: Protecting Your Horse During a Dispute : Equine Law Blog

You're going to want to Google for your state, and the lien may not be automatic like they are here, but if the ammount you've spent care has not been recouped, you may very well have a couple of new horses.

Guess you don't have to understand the point, I just asked the question, seems other people are doing just fine.


Anyway, to helpful answers, thanks !

Janna, that was quite rude to reply with, especially as its a question many other posters have already asked but you danced around without answering. I think its a very valid inquiry. What is your motive for asking this on a public forum?

I don't think this was rude at all, in fact I think the post she quoted was unnessisarily snarky. This is an absolutly valid question especially for this particular forum.

If the horses or on her land she is required to take care of them or she could be liable for animal cruelty if they are not taken care of, even if they do not belong to her.

Her land = her liability.

These Agister laws have been on the books about as long as country has been around, BECAUSE this was and is such a common problem. They CANNOT take the horses off of your property until they've paid the bills. The automatic lien says they are your horses until the outstanding bills are paid in full or they forfit ownership of the collateral (The horses).

Janna: You are doing the right thing. Working in Horse Rescue you would be surprised at the people who do get arrested and cited because the malnutritioned horses "don't belong to me."
Talk to a local horse specific rescue and they can get you connected with whatever resources you need to formalize taking possession of the lien.
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The question may very well be valid, but so is the inquiry to know the motive. Regardless, leins aren't always automatic, and its not always cut and dry about them having to pay her to take THEIR horses. She hasnt answered if there is a boarding contract, which will make a big difference. Not sure what you are getting defensive about... I think knowing where the mentality is coming from is a valid response to her OP.

Basically, I just wanted answer to the given information.

If the one with the bet bills in my name.
If i'm the one,with the feed bills. Basically everything in my name. They are on my property. And have nothing for them in their name. I wanted to know if anything went down, who would have a bigger advantage, in the end who could most likely end up with them, legally. Because right now it would be like someone walking up, saying random horse is theirs but with no proof, while I do have some things to back Me up.


Biggirlsridewarmbloods, thanks for that !

If there is no contract between you and these people I would gather they could come and get them whenever they wanted . You could take them to court and if you can't produce some sort of contract saying they would pay you x amount of dollars or would pay back for any bills ect I would say you are s.o.l. The system can be tricky sometimes , you need to have everything in writting in order for anything to hold up in court. Have you even mentioned this to the people that owned them , you know about the vet bills and buying feed ? How long of a period of time are we talking that they haven't been out to see them ? And why haven't you talked to them about this?