Horse Killed at home

del boy

del boy

Senior Jockey
Joined
Nov 16, 2005
Messages
3,786
Location
Ireland
Just a quick query, i dont want to name names etc, but if anyone can help me out or even wants to pm any advice then that would be great.

A lad i know had a mare in training with a trainer in Ireland. Between cost and training fees, the lad has spent 25k on the horse in partnership with one other. They got a phone call last week to say the horse had got lose, ran into a wall, and had to be destroyed. Since then the trainer hasnt explained what happened, apologised or offered any words of sympathy, in fact, has been uncontactable for the most part.

The lads were a bit suspicious as to what had happened to the mare, something doesnt seem to add up. They werent insured, but is there any comeback on the trainer, does he have a duty of care or anything in this case?? or is it a case of hard luck but tough?
 
I think they are within reason to ask for the vets report/post mortum which may have been done on the horse.
I doubt there isn't any come back on the trainer (he may well be upset over the whole incident and finding it hard to explain what has happened in his care. It is a very very hard phone call to make to ring an owner to tell them their horse has had an accident and requires/required euthanasia).
My first action if I was them would be to write to the trainer explaining they are understandibly upset and if he could further any more information as to what had happened they would appreciate it.
 
We lost a young horse once with a broken leg and there isn't a whole lot of emotion when you're told the news. Some lads have seen a lot in racing and it's par for the course that they lose horses. And when they are a little younger, they don't have an emotional attachment to them like if Brave Inca or Carriciola or Yeats collapsed. Not saying it's right, just saying it happens. Jinny, I suggested the same re the post mortem but might be a little late now.
 
I believe that under the animals act any incident/accident involving an animal is subject to that animals insurance unless it can be proved beyond reasonable doubt that a third party was to blame. It would seem on balance that they would have to prove negligence of the trainer, which given some cases that I know of, I feel would be difficult, especially if they were not present and witness to the incident.
 
There is every chance that a post mortem wasn't done if it was an open and shut case of putting the animal down as it had injured itself badly. However there will be a vet's report so he should ask for that or, better still, telephone the vet himself and talk to him about what happened.
 
That's right, Shadz - when Songsheet and I lost our TRADE FAIR colt foal to a broken hock at seven weeks old, we had a full work-up (and invoice) from the vet who attended and put him to sleep. He was away from home at the time, at a satellite stud in Norfolk, but the manager was extremely upset and quite ready to discuss matters. The vet who euthanized the mare should have made out a report and Del Boy's friend is entitled, as the owner, to have a copy of it. There would also have been the issue of using an animal crematorium to dispose of the carcass.
 
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