Bright Futures Farm is dedicated to finding homes for horses in need.  We speciaLiz Picard Picard Picarde in Thoroughbreds "off the track" but we do accept all breeds.      

Daphne's untimely death

The links you see within the account [below] of what led to Daphne's tragic demise help put the pieces of this horrific incident together. 

 Everything contained herein is documented either via email, phone conversation notes, fax, eyewitness account, photos, video or individual background statements. The main story is in black text.  Observations and comments are in alternate colors.

This is not a gruesome account of what happened to Daphne.  This is an alert to everyone who owns a horse and at some point will have to trust a stranger to care for their beloved friend.

When choosing a hauler [or a farrier or a trainer...] trust your gut.  Don't ask for "references".  Wouldn't you ask your friend to be your reference?   Ask MANY questions, and keep track of the answers.  Don't choose the first person who gives you a great deal.  Sleep on it, go over the conversation again and talk with a friend, to see if they notice any "red flags" that you didn't.   On our links page you will find a list of knowledgeable horse people who transport for us and can be trusted to truly care for your horse, not just attempt to get him from point A to point B.

Had Daphne's death been an accident, I would have accepted it as such, been very sad, and moved on.  However, her death was not a simple accident.  Her death was the result of a series of poor judgment decisions by a man who was admittedly tired and possibly overmedicated when he drove to the farm to pick her up, and by the owners of the company he works for. 

Handbags for Horses was established to help provide revenue for other Equine Welfare Organizations in addition to Bright Futures 7-7-11-07:

I listed a bid request on uship.com for three of our horses to be moved back to our farm.  The former adopter, Audrey Puckey, had abandoned them at her ex boyfriend's farm in VA.  He had just contacted me and told me they needed to "go" by the end of the month.  My truck was out of commission, and the professionals that I usually contract with were unavailable on such short notice, so I had to advertise for a hauler.  That was not a comfortable situation to be in.  I never had to use a complete stranger before.  I logged onto uship.com, a company that allows shippers to provide feedback about a hauler after their horse has been delivered, so that I could search for someone with a good reputation in the industry. 

I titled the ad "Rescue Horses Need Moved".  I had three replies.  One had just begun advertising on uship.com within the last two months with two feedbacks posted - one positive, one neutral.  The second was over my budget.  The third was S&E Transport (187 Woodwind Lane, Crossville, TN  38555*).  They responded within $25 of my target, and I read their bio* on uship.com (click here for that bio).

 I read every single feedback they had been given on uship.com.  There were 38 at the time.  They had 100% positive feedback*, with some very nice comments from people. 

I looked for S&E Transport on the internet to see if I could find any more information about them and I found their web site (click here for copies of pertinent quotes by them describing their hauling practice*).  The site looks attractive and somewhat professionally done, but there are things I see now that raise a flag -- knowing now, what I didn't know then.

Based upon the feedback, and my narrow timeline, and little choice of alternatives, I accepted their bid contingent on following my "requirements" regarding loading my horses, and regarding a straight haul from VA to PA .  Yes, they were "requirements" with the prospective hauler able to say, "Yes, I can meet those requirements.", or "No, I cannot meet those requirements."  Why did I require certain conditions?  Who knows these horses better than I do?  I am certainly not the encyclopedia of horsemanship by any means, but I make it a point to know my horses.  I knew that conventional loading would not work for these horses, and I also knew that their health would be compromised if they were part of a long haul because the temperatures in VA at the time were 110+ (outside a horse trailer) and 90+ at our farm and two of these horses were older, one of those two also being emaciated.

###

7-12-07:

Once I had accepted their bid, Liz Picard called me (1:43 PM).  I spent 40 minutes on the phone with her.  This is what I told her (my requirements):

►One mare, Tiny, 30 yo.  more confident, needs loaded first. 

►Second mare, Daphne, 17 years old, gains confidence from Tiny.  Will follow Tiny anywhere, including onto trailer.  Needs loaded second.

►Third horse, Gordy, 26+ yo emaciated gelding.  Will load anytime for anyone.

►Must load Tiny 1st.  Must have assistance, so therefore, arrive early AM and property owner (Donald) will help.  Owner will walk  Daphne out behind Tiny and that way Daphne can see Tiny walk on and will follow her and Tiny will load easily knowing Daphne is right behind her.

►Can load Gordy last.  (I also told her Gordy's coggins had just expired in June, but his health certificate was still valid and asked her if I needed a new coggins.  She said no.)

►Must do straight haul with AM pickup and evening delivery due to temps and condition/age of horses.

I then asked Liz Picard if they would follow my instructions.  I told her if the horses load in this order, they'll all be on the trailer easily within half an hour.   She said YES.

I asked her if she would guarantee me a straight haul - am pickup and PM delivery due to the excessive heat and Gordy's condition.  She said YES.

She guaranteed me it would be done by the end of July. 

I then, faxed Liz Picard my "requirements" and noted on the fax that if anything changed from format (i.e. they want to pick up another horse, have to lay over somewhere), I did not want them to take this job.  I told her that if she had any questions, or could not do the job as I'd described it to let me know.  

An email from Liz Picard that afternoon (3:55 PM) was written as follows:

I emailed her back (5:19 PM), but heard nothing else until July 25. 

###

7-25-07:

On July 25, 2007 at 11:38 AM, Liz Picard called me to confirm the haul.  She told me my horses were scheduled for pickup on 7/30/07 AM with same day afternoon/evening delivery.  I asked for the name of the hauler and she said "Jim".  I asked for his phone number and she said "He'll call you when he's on the way.  We're in contact with our clients throughout the trip."

###

7-30-07: (the scheduled day of "pickup")

At 10:23 AM I receive a phone call from Donald, the ex boyfriend.  Donald wanted to know why no one picked up the horses, and told me if they aren't off the property by the end of the day, he'll "send them down the road." 

At 10:28 AM I called Liz Picard.  She said they would be picking up the horses that night.  I reminded her of our conversation - pickup the morning of the 30th... AM pickup necessary as Jim would have help...evening drop off due to heat...She didn't remember any of it but assured me she'd pull the paperwork while I waited.  She had another call coming in, kids fighting in the background and a dog barking.  She got rid of the other call, but had no affect on the kids or the dog.

She told me Jim had a breakdown, and that delayed him.   I said that's fine, but what about their "communication with the client".  She said she didn't know why he didn't call me - ..."He's usually so good at that.", she said.

I pressed her about the situation and asked her if there was going to be a problem.  She assured me "no".  She said "We have had trouble getting hold of him today too.  I had to FedEx him his meds, so he's probably just not answering the phone." 

I asked her why he was on medication.  She responded  that it wasn't anything to be worried about.  He had a bad accident and would sleep when he didn't feel well. 

In my opinion, this was the first of many of what I call "excuses". 

If you read the cancellation feedback on uship.com about them... they have had a number of  [what I call] "excuses" for not doing what they promised, and when they replied to feedback from shippers, or left their own, they never actually "address" any negative or neutral comments the shippers make about them.  Instead, they come up with [what I call an excuse] and it appears to me that they try to twist the issue so they don't accept any blame for not showing up and not calling. I believe that you may have to join uship.com to read feedback. But once a member, it is public information for anyone to view.

After talking further, we agreed on a Tuesday am pickup and Tuesday evening delivery (7/31/07).  Liz Picard guaranteed me that even though they now had a four month old foal on the trailer (that she said had been on there for four days already  - you be the judge on this one) that he'd still be able to drop the foal and get to my house that evening.  She assured me that would be the case and that the foal drop was on the way. (I think they dropped the foal in Jessup, MD.  Regardless, they detoured into MD, and had yet a different horse on the trailer when they finally arrived with my two...see below!). 

At 1 PM I had not heard from S&E.  This is the company that guaranteed "constant communication with their client".  I called Donald in VA to ask if he'd heard from them. He said no.

At 1:25 PM I called Liz Picard.  When I reminded her that she said the driver would be in communication with me all along the way, she assured me she'd find out what was going on and get back to me. 

at 5:59 PM Sherry Nuney (co-owner of S&E) called me and told me the driver just called and would be in touch...that he was "on his way".  I told her that he was not to pickup after dark.  I still didn't have his phone number and still had not talked to him personally at this point.  I was ready to call it all off, but I did not know Donald at all, and he appeared to be very adamant about moving the horses "now".  He could become very heated in his conversations and I did not want to take the chance that he would, in fact, ship them "down the road".   If I cancelled with S&E, and started from scratch...I had no idea how long it would take to schedule with someone else, and how many days (if any) Donald would be patient. 

The driver, Jim, finally called me at 6:12 PM.  The initial conversation went just like this:

Jim:  "Hello, this is Jim with S&E.  How are you doing?"

Bev:  "Fine.  How are you?"

Jim:  "Exhausted."

Bev:  "Well, you'll have time to get a good night's sleep once you get there."

He said he was two hours away and would pick the horses up that night.  I asked him if he had received instructions from his office about these horse and he said yes.   Load smallest one first and other will follow.  I told him there was more to it than that, explained the situation to him and told him NOT to load after dark (I told him I had also told Sherry that and she should have relayed that message to him).  I told him to wait until morning.  He said "It will still be daylight when I get there."  I repeated, not to load after dark and that since he's already tired to just park the truck and wait until morning or not to go at all.  He said he'd talk to the owner when he arrived.  I told him the owner may be in bed when he arrives due to his schedule and that was the main reason I needed an AM load. 

I heard nothing again until 9:12 PM.  Sherry called me.  Her call:

Sherry:  "We have a problem.  Jim's been chasin' the horses round the field for an hour and can't catch them.  No one is there to help him and he doesn't know what to do. You told me they'd be in a stall."

Bev:  Tell him what I told you before...STOP. And leave them alone.  They aren't going to come to him now that he's upset them and they weren't in stalls because you were told not to load at night.

Sherry:  "Well, you told us they'd be in stalls and there'd be help to load them.  And, just so you know...them horses are skin and bones."

Bev:  I told you there would be help in the morning, which is when you agreed to arrive and load them.  This man works a midnight shift and is not guaranteed to be available at night.  Tell your driver to stop now and either wait until morning or leave.

Sherry (in a huff):  "I'll call my driver."

The call ended.  I thought it was over.  I expected the driver to call me and say he was leaving and canceling the pickup.  INSTEAD, I get a phone call at 10:15 PM from Sherry.  She said one of the mares is hurt and they are calling a vet.  I asked which one and what's wrong, and she didn't give me any details.  I told her that I wanted the vet's phone number.  She gave it to me.  I called the vet at 10:36 PM.  She said she was on her way.  I asked if she knew what was wrong.  She said one of the mares hurt her leg and the man thought it was bad and he couldn't catch her. 

The driver and the owner, Sherry, blatantly disregarded my instructions to cease efforts to load these horses - MY INSTRUCTIONS WERE GIVEN BEFORE THE DRIVER EVER REACHED THE PICKUP LOCATION.

TIMELINE.....What happened between 9:12 PM and 10:15 PM?  Did Jim continue to chase them and finally catch one close to 10:15 PM or did Jim catch one closer to 9:12 PM and use the rest of the hour to do damage control with his office knowing what happened and how serious it was?  Did Jim even "catch" one and tie her to the window as is detailed below or did he back the trailer up to the stall door (run in type barn - three sides with dutch doors) and try to forcefully separate them to get them on the trailer one at a time which is what he told the police officer (that he backed up to the door) -- NO ONE WILL EVER KNOW? 

At 10: 48 PM I called Sherry back and told her what the vet said about her driver still chasing horses and reminded her that I had given her and the driver SPECIFIC instructions TWO HOURS EARLIER NOT to load that night and to STOP  and leave the horses alone.  I also asked her just exactly what happened with my mare.  She told me that the driver told her he took one mare into the stall and tied her to a window and went to get the other mare.  The first mare broke away and pulled the window out.  She said she didn't know which horse was which, or anything else about the injury.  I told her that he was told NOT to separate the mares.   If this is EVEN the case, no one ever asked me if they would tie, so [if this is the case] he shouldn't have taken it upon himself to just assume they would, then tie one up, separating her from the other, and walk away - especially when he was supposed to know they were co-dependent. 

Interestingly enough, in a subsequent libelous email to me (8-2-2007; 1:43:33 AM), Liz Picard states my mare was injured because she put her leg through a window - which, by the way, would have been impossible to do in that building or with that window.  The rebar was less than two inches apart.

At that point, she became very belligerent with me.  She starts yelling at me..."one of them mares kicked my driver...you didn't tell me they were wild horses...my driver is hurt...don't you even care about my driver?"   It was all I could do to keep from saying "No, I don't".

Some background to the "wild horse" misnomer ...

The vet, Dr. Anna Russau of Catlett, called the Faquier County Sheriff's Department on her way to Donald's house.  She told the dispatcher that she knew of the property owner (Donald) and that she wanted protection when she arrived in case he was there.  The officer who went to the property with her was Deputy Danny Pennington.  I talked with Deputy Pennington myself on August 4, and August 17 2007.  He stated he knew Donald also and was aware of his temper.

At some point in conversations with the vet, deputy and property owner, the driver was told there were two "wild" horses that a neighbor owned that got out and hadn't been caught yet.  Even though I told Sherry twice that my horses were not those horses, she refused to listen.  If she knew anything about horses and hauling, she'd have realized that the coggins tell her where the horse was when the blood was drawn.  All her driver had to do was look at the coggins.  Both of my horses were in PA for coggins.  I believe, while initially there was some confusion about which horses were "wild", that the misnomer "wild horses" given to my horses by Sherry Nuney, was part of a way for S&E to justify the injury and not take blame for their driver's poor judgment and negligence.  On the uship.com web site, in one of their two statements (click here for each feedback statement and response), they indicate my mares were wild, and in a subsequent email to me demanding payment for the transport Liz Picard again refers to my mares as "wild". 

After talking with Anna Russau, I called Faquier County Sheriff's Department as well, and requested Animal Control go to the property to assess the situation and take photographs for me.  I wanted documentation about the condition of my horses, and the situation that the hauler had created.  Faquier County told me I had to call Prince William County Animal Control as, while the house is in Faquier County, the pasture is in Prince William County.   So, I did.  Debie Parrish (now Jefts) took the call and took her camera with her to the scene. 

Dr. Russau called me at 11:13 PM.  She told me that my mare had suffered a compound fracture above her hock.  There was nothing that she could do to save her even if there were a clinic close by.  I asked her if she was quiet and she said both mares are together and calm, and both are very sweet and both let her touch them.   She said that the injured mare's friend was a bit apprehensive and would approach and retreat, because she was distraught over her friend, but that she was receptive to being handled by Dr. Russau.  I gave her permission to allow my mare (whom I thought was Tiny at the time) to be released from her pain.  Dr. Russau asked my permission to sedate my remaining mare as she was very upset and I told her yes. 

At 11:41 PM I called Sherry back and told her exactly what happened, and she offered to pay to bury my horse so that she would not have to be rendered.   Side note, 9/14/07...The burial was $600 and I have not seen one penny. 

Either Sherry Nuney or Liz Picard also promised payment to the vet when they called Dr. Russau.  [As of today, 9-14-07, the vet bill remains unpaid, and no one from S&E has contacted Dr. Russau's office to arrange for payment.]   

Dr. Russau called a man she knew, Al Stivas, who buries horses on his property for people who don't have land of their own, or aren't permitted to do so.  I had to fight with Donald Davis, the property owner, to not call a rendering truck for her the next morning.  What did it matter to him?  I was paying for it and Mr. Stivas would come that night.

I still had no choice about moving the other two horses. Donald Davis was absolutely unbelievable.  Mr. Stivas arrived, and Donald tried to have him arrested for trespassing.  He still wanted the other two horses off the property "now".  I had no truck and it was midnight.  What was I to do?  I asked Dr. Russau if the remaining two horses were fit to travel and she said yes.  I called Sherry Nuney back and asked her if the driver would head straight to my farm from there and she said ..."as soon as he drops off the foal...it's on the way." 

Why should I even think that things would fall into place at this point?  It should be a six hour drive plus the foal drop to get to my farm, so they should arrive about sunrise at the earliest, noon at the latest.  What I didn't know at the time is my horses still had a horrendous twenty-six hours ride in 110 degree temps in a stock trailer before they would finally arrive at my farm!

Dr. Russau helped load my remaining horses - with no trouble [yet this "professional" hauler couldn't even get them to come to him earlier]..... and gave the driver two sedatives for my remaining mare.  Donald calmed down (after my horses had been loaded and the trailer left) and allowed Al Stivas to come back in the morning for my dead mare.  

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8-01-07:

On August 1, at 10:10 AM Dr. Russau called to check on me and the horses.  I told her they hadn't arrived yet. 

Same day at 11:40 AM, Donald called to apologize and to see if the horses had arrived and I told him no. 

At 12:15 PM, I still had not heard from S&E or the driver and called the office to see what was going on.  Liz Picard answered.  She said that her driver was "...sitting in the ER waiting for a Dr. to release him".  I asked where.  She said she didn't know.  Then she said she'd call him and find out when he would leave.  I truly do not believe she even made the call.  It sounded on her end like one of those theatrical "pretend" phone calls whereby I could hear everything she said, and  get the jist of what the phantom on the other end of the call was saying [this is only my observation, and while I can't prove this, I do believe from the way she talked that she never actually made a call]. 

I asked how my horses were.  I guess that was the "wrong" question to ask her.  She was offended that I hadn't asked how her driver was.  Honestly, I didn't really care.  I didn't and still don't believe he was hurt by one of my horses.  My horses aren't malicious.  If he got hurt while attempting to catch, tie, lead, corral or load one of my horses, it was a fright/flight reaction that most horses would exhibit.  It would not have been a malicious "attack" as Sherry said it was.  I told her to have him call me as soon as he was on the road.

Interestingly enough, when Jim arrived at our farm and moved around inside and outside the trailer, he didn't look hurt at all - and we have the entire arrival on videotape. 

Jim called me at 1:17 PM.    He said he was six hours away and would make a fuel stop halfway and otherwise, he'd be traveling stright to my farm.  That should put him at my farm at the earliest, 7:17 PM, and at the latest - allowing for traffic, stops, etc... 9:00 PM. 

It sounds like the worst was over.  Could this nightmare get any worse?  Oh yes.

At 4:52 PM, I get a call from Sherry Nuney.  She left a message (This is the ONLY time I was unreachable... Liz Picard indicated in one of her posts on uship.com that they had to call the vet in Catlett because they couldn't get hold of me.  That wasn't a very smart thing to say.  I have caller ID and I have the date and time every single call came to my house phone and cell phone on record.  They were able to reach me that night (the night Daphne died, and Sherry Nuney made that call from her cell phone.)  I wasn't in the house to answer the phone, as I wasn't expecting the horses until realistically 8:00 at the earliest.  At 5:30 PM, I return the call.  Sherry sounded extremely upset (again, I truly believe her statement below was another form of damage control to divert blame from the driver for my remaining mare's injuries).  She said, ..."that wild mare got to carrying on bouncin' the trailer around, and flipped over in the trailer in a construction zone and my driver had to pull over and call 911 for help to get her back up again.  I have a notion to tell you to just come and get them right now.  If I'da known these were wild horses..."   

I told her [again] that they weren't wild horses, that I had explained that once already,  and my mare collapsed due to heat exhaustion.  I added that it would take longer for me to go there and bring them back in this heat than it would for him to continue the trip from there (not knowing, yet, that he or the owners had the audacity to pick up another horse on the way to my farm!).  I further told her that if she didn't want to bear any further responsibility, he'd complete the delivery and do it safely from that point on. 

Note 11/19/07:  I received a threatening email from  Liz Picard today:  It is below at the end of this story, and my comments are in purple.

To that she responds, "You know, he didn't even stop for medical treatment because he was more concerned about your horses than he was himself...  "

I abruptly told her Liz Picard said he did stop, and asked her which story was true?  She became much less aggressive and said she couldn't wait for these horses to get off their trailer.  Well, neither could I.  I just hoped at this point that they both walked off. 

###

8-2-07:

Jim and Christine Haugh, the original foster family for Tiny and Daphne, came to help with the horses when they arrived. When I told Mrs. Haugh about this horrid series of events, they both wanted to be here to help the remaining horses and also to be witness to what transpired once the truck arrived.  I asked Mrs. Haugh to videotape the entire evening for me, which she did.

12:38 AM the trailer pulls up to the driveway.  The driver, Jim, rolls down his window and Mrs. Haugh and I direct him to the top of the hill to turn around so he can make the turn into the driveway.  As he drives by, Mrs. Haugh comments on the stench.  It's after midnight, the weather is cooler, and we can smell the inside of the trailer as it drives by.  It is quite obvious to me why my remaining mare collapsed (not flipped out then flipped over as Sherry Nuney had stated).  you decide...with the combination of 130 degree temperature inside the trailer that day, the stress of losing her best friend of fifteen years and being chased by a stranger, then the overwhelming stench of ammonia with no ventilation (she was in the first stall - farthest back - of a four horse slant) I am truly amazed that both she and Gordy survived the trip.  I know if I was standing in that kind of stench for twenty six hours in that heat, I'd have been nauseous at least and probably have passed out.

When he exited the truck, the driver walked as if nothing was wrong with him other than exhaustion.  He didn't appear to me, to be a man who had been attacked by a horse (click here).

When he opened the trailer door - he unloaded another horse he'd picked up along the way!  Sherry Nuney and Liz Picard both promised me a straight trip from VA to PA with one foal drop "on the way".  Yet, they picked up yet another horse!  If things had gone "well" with all three horses, and they hadn't promised me they'd come right here, I wouldn't have had an issue with a third horse.  That's what haulers normally do - they tell you.  But that wasn't the agreement  and I had one dead horse, and one injured horse due to heat.

The trailer was filthy inside.  There were no "fresh" shavings in sight. [they stated the last time I looked at their web site, that they provide fresh shavings regularly].  There was no hay in front of any horse although there was a bale on a palette that may have came with the last horse he picked up.  There were water buckets in front of the horses, yet when we checked my horses once they were safely inside stalls, they were both dehydrated (that's on film also).

I told the driver that we [I and Mr. Haugh] would unload my horses.  I didn't want him to touch them again.  As soon as he unloaded the horse he wasn't supposed to have on the trailer, Mr. Haugh and I stepped in and got my two.  I unloaded Gordy and Jim Haugh unloaded our mare.  Neither horse gave us any trouble at all.  Both unloaded easily and walked with us.  Remember,  Sherry Nuney and Liz Picard both said my mares were "wild horses".  The entire unload is on video tape.

When we got them inside the barn, we examined them closely.  Gordy's feet were overgrown and he was truly emaciated (Henneke 1).  My mare had a cut and hematoma on each hip, and one hematoma on her neck.  Her right eye looked like she'd been in a boxing match  and there was a long scrape from the top of her right eyelid across her forehead from Gordy's hoof...

None of these wounds had been treated and they occurred sometime between 4 and 5 PM. This company, S&E, claims (on their web site) they have a first aid kit for emergencies (see previous link to quotes directly from their transport contract).  Maybe, they didn't consider her injuries an emergency?  If that is the case, then what do they consider an emergency?  

My mare also sustained a number of cuts to the inside of her left hind leg where Gordy again stepped on her after she had collapsed.  Those weren't treated or even wiped with a wet cloth.  the blood was dried and caked on them.  Thank goodness they were all superficial.

Please read all of the attached documentation regarding this incident.  If this had been a true "accident", I would not be taking precious time to post all of this for you.  In my opinion this was in no way, shape or form an "accident". 

Interestingly enough, the same driver, Jim, for S&E, was supposed to pick up miniature horses a few days after my haul, near Philadelphia and deliver them to VA.  He never showed up.  The woman, Wendy Susskind, who had contracted with them called a second hauler, Joe Renner, who had also bid on the haul (Wendy had also advertised on uship.com). Joe agreed to take the horses immediately.  She told Joe about her issue with the transporter (click here for her email to me detailing her experience with S&E).  I had already told Joe about my experience with S&E as Joe is one of the people I have listed on my web site as knowledgeable and reliable.  After talking with Wendy and agreeing to haul her minis at the last minute, he called me and told me about Jim, the same driver for S&E that I used.  Jim didn't make the scheduled pickup with Wendy because [she said Liz Picard told her] he was asleep in Atlanta...the owners couldn't waken him for some time...when they finally did, he was allegedly headed to a Dr. to get his medication adjusted [as per Wendy's account of her conversation with Liz Picard]! 

If this man is on medication, what kind of "medication" is it?  If he is on medication, the question becomes...should he even be driving let alone hauling horses if it is something that impairs his ability to make good judgment decisions, and to stay awake?  After I received Wendy's email about her conversation with Liz Picard, I tried to get the Crossville Sheriff's department as well as TN State Patrol to investigate this, but because I had no solid proof [I personally did not "see" him with any medication or take any medication, or see any medication at all in his possession] they would not investigate my concerns. 

There are many people who have posted either neutral  feedback or cancellation comments about their experience with S&E on uship.com.  S&E always states a "reason"  why the driver wasn't in touch with clients when clients mention that to be an "issue" or why he was late. 

I have had a bad experience with this company.  Others have also posted their experiences as being less than positive.  My experience with this company and driver was one of the absolutely worst experiences in my life, and I feel compelled to share this story with you for several reasons. 

The first is ...please, Please be very careful who you hire to transport your horse.  It could be a matter of life or death.

The second is that you can't be a stranger and approach an animal that doesn't know you [after dark or any time] in what the animal perceives to be a threatening manner.

I don't know if this happened with my mares, but it is also something that you must take into account when you load or hire a hauler.  You [and the hauler] must be patient and non threatening when you attempt to do anything with a horse.  You can't assume they tie, you can't assume they are simply being obstinate when they don't do what you ask.  Horses are not generally obstinate.  If they resist to comply with what you are asking [or telling] them to do, they act on instinct.  Instinct for horses is fright/flight.  When a 1000 pound animal decides to flee, if you are caught in the flight, you can become injured. 

How Daphne broke her leg has turned into four different stories by owners and employee of S&E Transport.  I called Prince William County animal Control, Cruelty Division that night to investigate. I knew that if my mares had been handled properly (walked up to quietly, lead clipped on halter, walked TOGETHER  to wherever they were being led)... this probably would not have happened.  Debie Parrish (from Prince William County Animal Control) responded on the scene.  Debie Parrish told me what the investigation revealed (click here for notes from my conversations with Debie Parrish).  And, I know she was there at least two hours if not  longer that night, and went back the following morning to do a walk through in the daylight.

If I, Debie Parrish, Dr. Russau, and Deputy Pennington had all been told the same thing, it would have probably been the truth and I'd have truly known what happened.  But we weren't.  We were each told a different version of the events that happened that night.  And, Debie Parrish said that at no point do those statements coincided completely with the evidence she found. 

So, was this company and the driver negligent?  Did they cause the death of my horse?  I truly believe they did.  They agreed to pick up am and deliver same day pm due to heat.  Am pickup was so that a second handler would be available to hold one horse while the first loaded so that the mares could see each other and know that they were still together.  They did not do that.  Liz Picard did not remember it was a same day haul when I talked to her on the phone on 7-25, and when she still agreed during that conversation to do a Tues am pick up and Tues evening delivery, that still did not happen.  Jim and  Sherry Nuney were both told, by me, not to load Tuesday night.  I told Jim either stay overnight or leave.  My words fell on two sets of deaf ears.  I receive a call from Sherry Nuney at 9:12 pm saying Jim can't catch the mares, and again, for the THIRD TIME, reiterated that he was to stop.  Then, at 10:15 pm she calls me back and tells me one of my mares was hurt.  That's one hour and three minutes after I told her to tell him to stop.  What happened in that time frame?  Only Jim, the driver knows.

Below is the email I received today from Liz Picard that I referred to in a previous paragraph:

Update 11-27-07:

Someone who also had a bad experience with S&E sent me the link to an ad posted by Liz Picard earlier this month...

http://horsetopia.horse-for-sale.org/classifieds/ad256174

We are a rescue.  We know that if you place an ad like that you'll be inundated with horses.  What do you think their plans are for all those horses?  I have some thoughts on that...

*public record