«We were told: free up the stables by July 1st.» How the conflict over horses in Ratomka ended

According to the animal owners, they were informed about this on June 26th, and the decision itself was explained by the absence of applications for contract extensions. Only four days were allocated for the horses' removal, two of which fell on a weekend, writes Onliner.by.

The story received widespread publicity: after active discussion over the weekend, a meeting with the center's management took place on Monday.

On Tuesday evening, the owners received written confirmation that the horses could remain at the center until August 1st.

«One day we were informed that the price would increase from June 1st, and the contract was only valid until July 1st»

Kristina (name changed at the request of the interviewee) contacted Onliner. She is the owner of a horse kept in Ratomka. Essentially, the owner pays for the animal's upkeep and stable space.

According to the website, "the cost includes: services of a brigadier, night grooms, use of outdoor sports facilities, winter arena, organic waste removal, bedding, and other production costs. The cost of feed is paid by private horse owners according to actual expenses."

— All our lives we had indefinite contracts. Some horse owners had them for 20 years: they signed, let's say, in 2006 — and nothing changed since then. We paid on time, violated nothing. We always had a very trusting relationship with the center, as it's a small equestrian community where everyone knows each other.

No problems ever arose.

In early April, a message appeared in the private owners' chat: it was necessary to urgently re-sign contracts. The specific reason, as the girl explains, was not named.

— We were given a week, with Saturday, April 4th, set as the deadline, so owners could come even on a weekend. I calmly came on Saturday, took the contract — nobody had familiarized us with it beforehand. Everything happened in a hurry, there were many people, I didn't want to study the document for a long time. But I noticed that the field for the contract's effective date was empty. I asked about it, and they replied: "We'll fill it in later."

I suggested writing the date myself and extending the contract for the standard term — one year, but I was told not to do that.

Perhaps someone will say that we acted incompetently ourselves, as one should not sign a contract without a date. But understand this: if I had refused to sign it at that moment, I would have had to pack my things and leave with my horse. And that's not a suitcase you can just move somewhere else. Such a situation was common for all horse owners. Moreover, Ratomka hosts the only veterinary clinic specializing in horse treatment. So there were reasons to sign the contract under such terms.

According to Kristina, a month later she remembered that she still hadn't received her copy of the contract. She addressed this question to the employee with whom she had signed the documents.

— I was told that the documents were not yet ready — they hadn't been signed yet. Then, on May 21st, a photo of the director's order approving a new price list was sent to our internal chat for private horse owners: previously the cost was 22 rubles per day including VAT, and it became 30 rubles. There hadn't been such a significant increase in a long time before this.

Павялічыць

We quickly organized and, nine days later, sent a collective appeal with 51 signatures to the center. I'll clarify right away: this was not a collective complaint about the price increase. In the appeal, we asked for a calculation of the old and new tariffs with justification — we have this right according to consumer protection law.

In addition, we drew attention to a number of infrastructure shortcomings: they had not been addressed, yet the cost of services was increased. We considered it important to note this to comprehensively understand why the price was increasing and how existing problems were planned to be resolved.

As a third point, we informed the center that we wanted to continue contractual relations. We asked to prepare and provide us with an additional agreement by June 15th — two weeks before the contract's validity period expired, so we would have time to make a decision and, if necessary, find other options. Since there were more than 30 signatures under the appeal, we also asked to organize a general meeting.

Павялічыць

According to Kristina, the appeal was sent to the center's management on June 1st, and the response was received on the 17th.

— Our questions required detailed explanations, and in accordance with legislation, they have the right to respond within a month. There were no issues with that. But there was another point: why hadn't they sent us the additional agreement confirming the possibility of further keeping horses at the center? I decided that since the response to our appeal had been prepared, this agreement should also be provided soon.

Павялічыць

For a week due to personal matters, Kristina did not deal with this issue. And then came June 26th.

— In the private owners' chat, we received a photo of a document instructing us to vacate the stalls (the premises where horses are kept) by July 1st. The document was not sent on Friday morning or at lunchtime — it was sent approximately half an hour before the end of the working day. By the time we received and saw it, there was no possibility to call or come to the location.

Павялічыць

Of course, we were in shock. I saw no way out: there was no one to call or approach for help. We were given 4 days, but effectively we could only seek help on Monday-Tuesday, as the weekend fell in between. So I raised a ruckus on social media, and several other private owners joined in.

According to the girl, letters were also sent to the Ministry of Sports and the Ministry of Anti-Monopoly Regulation and Trade on Friday. The first was transferred to "in progress" status, the second was registered.

— On Sunday morning, international competitions were opening in Ratomka, and the First Deputy Minister of Sports was supposed to arrive. We decided to approach him.

In his presence, the director said that he was not aware that we wanted an extension, that nothing had been received from us, and no one had ever come. We immediately responded that when the situation with the price increase arose, four people had approached them privately. That's why we sent a collective appeal, to give the situation an official character.

However, the conversation still yielded a result: according to Kristina, they agreed to meet with the center's director on Monday morning.

— The center's position is as follows: they were unaware of our desire to extend the contracts, they did not receive applications from us, there was no intention to evict anyone, a misunderstanding arose, and we were allegedly manipulating facts. We were told to write applications for contract extensions, and regarding the auction — that it was not yet certain.

The applications, according to the girl, were written immediately after the meeting.

«I didn't expect such a strong reaction»

Journalists also spoke with Yulia — the owner of a private horse that has been at the center since 2025. The girl was one of those who had been highlighting the problem of potential eviction on social media for the past few days.

In the conversation, Yulia confirmed the information described above. She also signed the appeal requesting justification for the new prices, and in it, she said, the intention to extend the contract was indicated.

— On Friday, June 26th, we received a message that we had to leave. Of course, panic started — there's nowhere to accommodate so many horses. Private owners have different animals: many regularly train and compete, others — like mine — are at the center due to health conditions, and urgent transportation can pose a risk to their life and health.

Павялічыць

The second point: according to legislation, to transport a horse, it must first undergo a 30-day quarantine. The veterinary station does not work on weekends, and there were no comments from the management either.

Without any accusations, I shared this story on social media because I didn't understand how to act. Honestly, I didn't expect such a big reaction. On Monday, they contacted us: I personally met with the director, and overall we had a constructive conversation. He reported — again verbally — that there was no intention to evict anyone, and that there was a desire to make the procedure more transparent and understandable. We did not discuss financial matters — first and foremost, we needed to understand whether we were staying or not, and only then — under what conditions.

Verbally, I received information that no applications had been submitted by the owners. I tried to argue that those who signed the appeal — that was the written notification, as no established form exists.

On Monday, we wrote applications for extension. For now, the panic has somewhat subsided: the director said that the animals can stay there for a month — until August 1st. I asked: what will happen next? I was verbally assured that this month would be used to resolve legal issues.

Павялічыць

According to the interviewee, she asked for all agreements to be officially documented. While the material was being prepared, Yulia reported that on Tuesday evening, the private owners received written notification about the extension of their contracts under the previous conditions until August 1st.

— For us, animals mean a lot: I started training my horse a long time ago, then she developed serious health problems, she became unfit for sport and riding. I bought her and treated her — now she feels great, and that makes me very happy.

To understand: horse owners chose the center as the optimal option. Ratomka is the heart of equestrian sports. For many years, this is where sports results, professional teams, and strong human connections were formed. For private owners, it is especially important to maintain the ability to remain in the familiar infrastructure and under the supervision of specialists, without tearing animals from their usual environment.

Currently, permanent residents express concern about the planned auction for stalls and the risk of a significant increase in the cost of keeping horses. Owners fear not only losing places for their horses but also facing a financial burden that will make staying at the center economically inaccessible.

The center's position: «As of June 25th, not a single application was received in the prescribed manner»

Journalists called the director's reception at the center, but they refused to comment by phone. However, the resonant story was recently commented on to the "Prystaličča" publication.

— Annually, the Republican Center for Olympic Training in Equestrian Sports and Horse Breeding concludes paid service agreements for horse keeping. The term of the current agreements expires on July 1st, 2026. According to clause 6.9 of the agreement, it can be extended for a new term after written notification by the customer to the center no later than 14 calendar days before the expiration of the agreement. As of June 25th, not a single application was received by the center in the prescribed manner.

In this regard, and at the numerous requests of other owners wishing to stable horses at the center, concerning transparent and fair contract conclusion, the center's management is considering the possibility of concluding them on a competitive basis.

A working group will also be created to develop mechanisms for fair and transparent contract conclusion, taking into account the opinions of all stakeholders, — journalists quote Vladimir Kraevsky, Deputy General Director for Core Activities of the Republican Center for Olympic Training in Equestrian Sports and Horse Breeding.

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