Extraordinary expenses - seeking opinions

[lee1869]

My daughter is 15 and has been riding horses since she was 11 years old. While living with me she co-boarded a horse. She was responsible for all of the expenses; she worked at a part-time job to pay for the co-boarding and tack and she worked at the stable in exchange for lessons. I did NOT pay for any costs associated with this activity because I did not have the necessary funds to do so.
Without consultation and/or approval by me, her dad allowed her to buy a horse. He worked out a budget with her to pay all expenses for this horse. I, again was not involved in the decision making process and did/do not agree with owning a horse.
She has now moved in with him and he is seeking child support plus extraordinary expenses for the horse board, lessons, etc.
These expenses would completely destroy me financially. I have not demonstrated a pattern of providing for a horse in the past and I am therefore of the opinion that I should not be responsible for this expense - especially when I did not agree to or approve of it. Section 7 of the Family Law Act can be grey in this area. I'm wondering if anyone has had a similar experience and what their end result was.
Looking forward to hearing from you.

 

[About_Time]

My guess would be that you wouldn't be on the hook for the horse, but might be on the hook for your share of lessons. You didn't pay these traditionally, but they would almost certainly fall under Section 7. An argument could certainly be made in court. The defence I would suggest you offer is that the lessons were only agreed to in the context of her paying, and that the status quo backs up this arrangement.

As for the actual horse, I wouldn't worry as much. Your ex bought the horse without consulting you and you have never paid anything towards it. More importantly, OWNING a horse is not necessary for your daughter to engage in the extra-curricular activity of horseback riding. We'd all like to buy our daughters ponies, but we can't expect our ex's to help pay for it.

 

[dinkyface]

You are making sense to me!

I'll play devil's advocate:
- Is your daughter a particularly gifted rider i.e. she shows extensively and has a winning record, or teacher indicates that she has a special talent that is languishing? If so, he would have more of an argument that you should contribute.
- Is there any way he can claim that, given your employment skills/training/experience, that you are underemployed?

 

[lee1869]

Thank you for the feedback.
Here are the answers to your questions.
My daughter is a good rider, competes in local "schooling" shows and usually comes home with a few ribbons, but she is certainly not headed for the Olympics and riding will not be a career for her but rather a recreational sport.
My position in my defence was to that effect - that a co-boarding arrangement is a more reasonable and affordable option for families of modest means.
I have been with the same employer for 20 years and my wages are governed by a collective agreement. Unfortunately, our wage increases for most of my tenure with this employer fall below the cost of living increases...(that's another story!)