RANT: Dad's boss.

Oh boy do I hate this man.

Some of you might remember the threads I posted in the horse welfare section about an old racehorse he owned who was neglected and sick, and ended up dying. Well, yep, same guy and he is still as uncaring and neglectful as ever.

Background: My dad manages three side-by-side properties just out of our city. They are owned by two brothers - One of whom dabbles in breeding racehorses. We keep our horses on this brothers farm for free because dad does a lot of extra work - There are also three other horses that belong to my friends who are paying him agistment to keep them there. We used to have about four paddocks we could rotate between and a shed that used to be two stables for all our stuff.

Not long after Googie died, he decided he was too cheap to keep paying his neice to keep his racehorses at her place, and brought them all out to the farm. Because of this, he took back the shed and we had to convert an old silo into a new shed about half the size. We also lost the use of two of the paddocks, including the best one.

So now there are 29 thoroughbreds. Yep, 29. About 8 of them are unweaned foals. Thoroughbred foals, in paddocks that are fenced for cattle and sheep with barbed wired. I can't see anything wrong with this scenario, can you?

Some of the horses are the older ones who were here originally. There have been a few added to this band, including a reallllly nice mare who isn't too old. But - She has a growth on her stomach. It actually looks like there is a football under the skin on the bottom of her stomach - You can't beleive the size of it until you see it. What does dad's boss do? He thinks it is a hematomea (sp?) and doesn't call a vet. It has been there for months now. This mob is chucked in a back paddock, not fed, and checked on every week or two. They haven't been wormed, had feet done, etc in the whole time we have been here. We tried to treat them for lice (Dad and I) but one is too wild to catch so it is useless.

Then there are the mares and foals - At least he is feeding these ones. We have seen at least one foal almost go through a fence. One of them is dead lame - Started out only mildly lame, then went to no weight at all/cantering on three legs, now back to putting weight on it but still lame. Boss reckons it's a stone bruise and again hasn't gotten the vet.

He had a colt out here for a while who had a big fungal growth on his lip - But such a friendly and pretty boy, we called him fungus and used to give him a bit of attention. He got sent off for training.

Well yesterday we got out and Fungus and another mare are back from training - Just thrown out in the paddock in racing condition, with shoes, no rugs, no feed. He has done this before with horses in racing condition and he doesn't even take the shoes off - They just wear and get torn off eventually. Oh, and on top of it, Fungus is lame.

PLUS - He made us move our horses into a paddock with way too much feed for the ponies because he had a young colt in the neighbouring paddock and he didn't want him going through the fence to get to our mares.

Guess where he put Fungus and the mare? Yup, in the paddock next to the colt.

Oh boy do I hate this guy. It sickens me to see these lame horses without vet attention. Dad can't say anything, I can't say anything. Nobody else who knows anything about horses comes out, so we can't even pretend someone else called the RSPCA.

Now we have to walk our horses through the paddock with Fungus (Now gelded, thankfully) and the mare.

Gah, it just sucks.

What the HECK are ya doing? Call the RSPCA RIGHT NOW!
So you'll just stand by and watch them suffer? That sickens me.
(no offense to you)

I don't know the animal welfare laws in Australia, but is there a way that you can without a doubt get confirmation that the horses would be removed? If so, I'd say just call the RSPCA and when this boss gets pissed, admit it to his face. I completely understand that its your dads job, but there are other, probably better jobs with more benefits and less heartbreaking work conditions available.

I agree with thunderhooves, although not quite the way she phrased it....if you are willing to let these animals suffer without trying to do something, even at your own expense, then you're no better than he is.

It's hard. It's obviously not her decision; it's her dad's. He has a stable job and doesn't want to risk losing it....I can see both sides of the argument. Can you guys call the vet for the horses while your dad's boss obviously pays for it?

Whatever you do, PLEASE do something

No there aren't. We live in a city. This job is my dad's dream job, right below having his own property. His boss doesn't interfere, he basically has free rein to run it how he wants and profit doesn't matter, as his boss is a millionaire and this is just one of numerous real estate holdings he has. We get free agistment, a shed, a place to keep the working dogs, free rein to ride on the property, free hay.

Thank you Equiniphile - I do as much as I can. Back when there were only 6 or so, I wormed them with my own money, and paid for a farrier to come out, though there were two we couldn't catch. Dad feeds the old ones through winter. They are now in a different paddock and it is logistically impossible to do this.

Gah, I shouldn't have posted this. Now i'm bl**dy crying at work. Just so you know, if dad lost his job, I would probably lose the horses. We would have nowhere to put them as all agistment centres in Canberra have a waiting list a mile long. Ditto with the dogs - We couldn't keep 8 dogs in a suburban back yard.

It's harder now because he comes and stays out there to feed the mares/foals.

I do want to say that none of them are starving. While he doesn't feed them there is enough pasture to maintain them - Obviously not nutritionally, but they are still not thin.

Free hay? So why don't you give them some? Like, say your horses are eating more.
*pats back* It's ok, just try to do somehting.........every little thing helps.

We do - In winter when they need it. At the moment we have had phenominal amounts of rain, more than we have had in 8+ years, so they are rolling in grass, which is great.

Oh, random question - Is it harmful to horses to graze on straight lucerne/alfala? I.e. The crop?

We are living in a very tough economy...jobs are scarce. I don't blame you for not wanting to get your dad fired. It's such a big overwhelming mess that I don't even really have any advice for you. I remember your post about the horse that was standing all by itself in the corner and didn't even feel well enough to be with the herd. I also remember that your dad tried to get them to let the horse see a vet and they wouldn't do it, so I think it would be pointless to even try and talk to those guys. It's sad that they care more about their money (especially when they have plenty of it) than a living thing. I'm just not sure there is any help for people like that.

^ I know, and it makes me so angry - He doesn't have money as an excuse, no matter how poor of an excuse. It's just him being a penny pincher. Thankfully the mare with the lump doesn't look to be in pain - But there is definitely something not right.

Shoot 'im and take over his business.

No, but seriously. That's terrible. Take lots of pictures and videos just in case you can find a way to report it. Are you sure you'd get into trouble even if you reported it anonymously? How would the guy know that someone didn't happen to drive buy and see it? I don't see how he could prove that it was you. But I don't blame you for keeping quiet. It must be horrible watching those horses suffer. I'm really sorry. :( Hope things get better for you guys. Maybe another job will come along at a different barn? You just never know.