Horses

[Somshine]

So I have a hypothetical question for you who have horses. Say you grew up with horses. And now you don't have any. But you have a neighbor who does. They were left the house property and pets (with a trust fund for the animals) they live out of state and spend a total of probably about 2 months at the residence. Other than that they get routine vet and farrier care etc... and someone who comes twice a day to feed/water them. Except it's not quite as it should be. If you didn't have to go feed, get or buy hay and feed, clean stalls cut grass stuff like that. Just go over there clean the horses feet, brush him, fly spray and do the regular hands on care as well as make sure the water troughs are clean full and fresh if they haven't been done properly, what would that'd be worth?

 

[Somshine]

Not replacing the twice a day feed and water person. But the personal care and grooming for the animal as well as making sure the water is clean fresh and full.

 

[Azhtann]

It would depend on how well behaved the horses were and if you could talk them into letting you ride as well.

 

[littledog]

So I have a hypothetical question for you who have horses. Say you grew up with horses. And now you don't have any. But you have a neighbor who does. They were left the house property and pets (with a trust fund for the animals) they live out of state and spend a total of probably about 2 months at the residence. Other than that they get routine vet and farrier care etc... and someone who comes twice a day to feed/water them. Except it's not quite as it should be. If you didn't have to go feed, get or buy hay and feed, clean stalls cut grass stuff like that. Just go over there clean the horses feet, brush him, fly spray and do the regular hands on care as well as make sure the water troughs are clean full and fresh if they haven't been done properly, what would that'd be worth?

That's quite an interesting scenario! It sounds like the owners are not "horse people", but were left with the responsibility to care for their now-deceased relative's horses, along with enough money to pay someone for routine care.
It's great that that the deceased people cared enough to do the responsible thing, and left a trust fund for their animals to be cared for, kudos to them! So much more than most people do!
But now, if nobody really has a stake in these animals (beyond being paid for routine care) how can the caretaker really be trusted to do more than the minimum of providing food and water - and depending on how old these horses are, and their condition, is this really the best that should be done for them?
Not to take away that leaving a trust fund for vet and farrier care and daily care is huge - probably more than most people do for their beloved animals!
But, if the horses are retirees, what if they come down with conditions common to old horses, such as Cushing's syndrome so they need medication, or if their teeth deteriorate so they need to be fed soaked food? What happens if they get injured? Who makes the decisions for them? Is it up to the vet to determine more care that they need, and if so, who gets paid to give them extra care they need, and who arranges and oversees that person (if any?)

If the horses are still young or middle-aged and potentially rideable, just making sure they have basic care is not doing them justice.

If they were my horses and I was now dead but had left a trust for their long-term care, I would want the trust fund to do a long-term lease, to a person who wants to ride them, train them, and care for them daily, to be with them when the vet or farrier comes and consult with them about their care, to check them daily for injuries, to groom them, ride them in shows or on trails or whatever they enjoy together. And when the horse ages until the long-term leaser can no longer afford their care, or graduates to a younger and more competitive horse, they can return the horse to the Trust, who will humanely euthanize the horse.

Yikes, you're making me think too much about what will happen with my own beloved horses! I'm pretty old, but fortunately my horses are seniors too, so I will probably outlive them.

Anyway, when it comes to your hypothetical situation, I would definitely try to talk to the family, also to the vet and farrier when they show up, to get a clue about the horses' conditions, put a bug in their ear about potentially leasing them from the Trust, if they're still sound and rideable.

If all that can be done after talking to the responsible people is providing better care for the horses in terms of grooming, cleaning their water troughs, and checking for injuries daily, you should suggest 1 hour per horse per day at whatever minimum wage is in your state. Which is pretty crappy, but better than nothing (since I suspect you are already doing that - hypothetically, LOL) and maybe the care you do could lead to a good reference for horse care in the future.