Stable issues

Horse Daughter boards 2 horses at local stable. Really likes the place, likes the owners and other boarders.

There is a herd of cats running around the place and they like to hang out in the tack room where it is heated. BUt they are destructive. Horse Daughter was unhappy to find her felt saddle pad shredded by kitties. Other boarders have suffered similar damage.

Recently HD purchased an Antares close contact jumping saddle, made of calf skin, buttery soft. I think she sold a kidney to raise funds but that's another story.

Today she went to saddle her horse to find the kitties have shredded that lovely calfskin, not only scratching the leather, but putting their claws right through it and tearing it. She had this saddle under several layers of other stuff, to help protect it from kitties, but it didn't work.

She is furious. That is the cleaned up version.

What is protocol in this situation? Stable owner knew cats were a problem and allowed them access to tack room anyway. Or is it, you leave your property at your own risk? Even if stable owner gets rid of cats or locks them out, the damage is done. But I would think anyone with any investment in tack should be raising stink. The stable owner may not be responsible for theft, but when she herself allows the destructive cats into the tack shed, is she liable? I feel bad for HD, she looked high and low for that saddle and was so pleased to have it. It has been massively devalued because there were cats in the tack shed.

What does it say in her boarding contract?

The stable I used to work at had lockers for boarders. Put your stuff in it, padlock it, and no cats were getting into anything not owned by the stable. Seemed logical to me.

What a horrible gut wrenching loss! HD is going to hate me for saying this, but she knew the many cats ran loose and were destructive when she took her saddle in. I feel her pain, and can sympathize, but she should not be surprised this happened. A long life full of such experiences has hardened me to the fact that only you can care for your stuff they way you want it cared for.

Sadly, I agree with Sue.

heda gobbler wrote:Sadly, I agree with Sue.

me too   

Me too. I would not have left my saddle there. Sorry Uno.

Sadly, I agree with you.

The tack room is a shared space, no separate lockers. I told her there is no way I would leave such a valuable bit of leather sitting around...but she said the saddle would more likely sustain damage being lugged in and out of her truck. Well...guess not!

It is regrettable and I do understand how upset she is, but yes, she did know about the cats. Young people! (and cats!)

Now to Google leather repair. When I worked in the furniture store, sometimes leather furniture would arrive with the most horrifying damage, damage that I was positive meant it would go in the garbage. No way. We had a go-to leather lady with a little magic repair kit and I am not joking when I say that woman could work magic. I don't doubt that she could put that saddle back together. It might have little vinyl repairs, but unless you are a leather expert, you'd never be able to see them.

She should get herself a tack locker if she plans to keep her stuff there. That or a .22.
Perhaps enough people will be upset about this, that lockers will be built so no further damage or losses occur? I'd not trust that the cats will be kept out of the area.

With expensive equipment involved, I think I'd be investing in a trunk of some sort (assuming they would let her leave one there).

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I'll agree with the rest~~she is most likely responsible, having known about the cats-- but it might not hurt to just talk to the stable owner to feel out the situation,  maybe they will help cover a portion of the repairs??

what if she found a huge plastic tote that the saddle would fit into?  drill a few holes near the top on the sides for ventilation, add some screening to those holes so mice and other small crawly things cant get in (make the holes too small for even kittens though, just so they dont get any ideas) and then she can leave the saddle in that?  most totes that big even have built in padlock latches, so she could lock it up? (or like fowler said a trunk. sometimes you can find old trunks, wouldnt take much to modify one to make it work? or really-- if her saddle cost that much, investing in a proper tack truck might be worth it. then she could at least move her stuff like that too, no gathering it would already be in one place, and nothing would get damaged)


I'm so sorry for this, it must of been just gut wrenching to have found the saddle damaged

Did she include her costly tack in her house insurance when she moved?

One of life's guarantees: The more expensive the tack, the more likely the mice will eat it. Guess that's true for cats too. I think everything loves expensive leather goods!

Bummer.

ya or her horse council insurance had tack add on as well. I am not sure if its damage or just theft though.

heda gobbler wrote:One of life's guarantees:  The more expensive the tack, the more likely the mice will eat it.  Guess that's true for cats too. I think everything loves expensive leather goods!

Bummer.

The expensive leather is the tastiest. You can really taste the money.

I remember when our Black Lab was teething (she passed on from old age so this was quite a while ago). She ignored all the work boots and went straight from wifey's good new expensive LL Bean leather boots. I think wifey was seriously considering selling her on that day.

Part of me thinks she KNEW the cats were there scratching stuff and it was stupid of her to leave the saddle.

Another part of me wonders about the intelligence of allowing cats into a tack shed when you, as the stable owner, KNOW what your cats do!

I am pretty sure her house insurance would not cover this nor her HCBC. Interesting thoughts though.

uno wrote:Part of me thinks she KNEW the cats were there scratching stuff and it was stupid of her to leave the saddle.

Didn't you say her saddle pad was previously shredded by kitties? She must have known the potential kitty danger.

Maybe the cats were introduced to deal with tack eating mice. There is nothing more frustrating than finding a mouse nest made of bits of red wool and having to go through all my tack to find they have destroyed some saddle pad or horse blanket. Or finding a bridle is useless because mice have almost eaten through the leather. I was actually thinking of getting a "tack room cat" - but now will continue to put all the tack in mouse proof containers and use my mouse traps instead.

uno wrote:I am pretty sure her house insurance would not cover this nor her HCBC. Interesting thoughts though.

It won't just in the general policy (in either case) but you can purchase a rider. I have all my tack covered under my home policy.

HCBC is an add on option not part of general coverage

I feel for your daughter......Every place I have boarded the care and safety of my tack was my responsibility.  I know how hard it is to save the cash for a saddle you like and fits your horse.... When we were showing my tack was covered by my house insurance even though it wasn't always stored on my property