Horses and Neighbors---my vent for the day

[Ottakee]

I was making supper tonight and glanced at the horses and notice a guy and 2 small kids (maybe 4 and 6) inside the fence petting the horses.

 

Now, we have 2 layers of fence----the outside perimeter is for the track (a 16 foot wide track that surrounds the pastures and acts as our dry lot) and then another set of fencing for the 3 pastures out there. They were inside the 1st set and were petting the horses who were in the pasture over the 2nd fence......so technically weren't in the same pasture with the horses but had gone through the first set of electric fencing.

 

The ground was littered with corn husks and they had been feeding the horses. I don't know how long they were out there or how much the horses ate before I got out there but I went out and picked them up and handed them back to the guy who put them back in the bag he had carried them over here in. I know they can be safe for horses but I have one with poor teeth and one with a history of colic so I am very careful about what they eat. He said one of my girls said it was OK before but both girls deny he asked them.

 

I mention to him the dangers of the electric fence which was off but he said he just pushed it down with a stick so they could get through

 

I asked him to PLEASE NOT FEED THE HORSES and that if they wanted to come over and see the horses to COME TO THE HOUSE and we could go out with them. Not sure it sunk in...............as they were leaving I heard him show the kids how to get in and out of the fence without getting zapped.

 

They live behind us across a private drive that his daughter owns so he can easily come and go in the back without setting off our driveway alarms (bought because someone else was in with the horses when we first moved here).

 

I hate to post no tresspassing signs as we ride our horses down other neighbor's trails and we let them use the trail along the barn side of the house to get to the main road and the township park. I just don't want them IN with the horses (and I honestly think that he didn't consider going inside the 1st fence as being IN with them) and I don't want people feeding them without permission.

 

That is my vent. DO NOT FEED other people's horses or go in the fence with them without permission. Even petting them without permission could be dangerous as some horses are quite nippy and might bite little ones thinking they have a treat and there is that rare horse out there that is just mean.

 

How do I politely call him and tell him NOT to go in the fence with the horses and DO NOT FEED them. A bill for colic for the horse could run $1000+ and/or lead to the death of the horse if they get fed the wrong stuff. A kick to a child or adult could lead to serious injury or death.

 

Most horse people would be happy to introduce you and your kids to their horses in a safe manner. Just don't allow your kids to mess with other people's animals without the owner present and giving permission.

 

Done ranting and time to go take care of our horses.

[Remudamom]

Wow, you did a lot better than I would have. That's infuriating. If I caught him again I think I'd let him know that when your horse got sick your lawyer would be sending him the vet bill.

[Ottakee]

I was just surprised and dumbfounded. I didn't want to make a scene in front of the grandkids but hopefully dh will call him tonight.....or I will have to. Vet bills could be very pricey and I don't want the liability of it.

[black_midori]

!!!!!

OMG

!!!!!

 

Unbelievable that someone would do that!! I am seriously offended for you - and I would have been WAY meaner, so kudos to you for keeping your temper! lol

 

I do have a lady who brings her granddaughter by once a week or so to see my horses, but she has already asked permission (and double check when she sees me!) and they never go inside the fences or in with the horses (just pet the 2 that are in an outer barn). She also made sure to ask me what they could feed him!

 

I actually once had a group of kids out & told them they could give the horses stray hay from the ground while I was working with another few kids (siblings). When I went out to feed later, I found that they had opened a brand new bale of hay and used like half of it, then left the remainder spread out all over the barn floor. Seriously?? ARRRRRGH!

[amyx4]

My neighborhood backs up property that boards horses. I make my kids stay on the road when we walk near the property. However, when we walk on that street the horses coming running down to the fecne near the road. I suspect that they do that because people feed the horses. There are signs that signs that say, "Do not feed" and "Do not touch" and there is electric fence. I don't have any additional ideas but dh's buddy had the same problem with his cows. So I'm sending you my sympathy.

[Harriet Vane]

This is not the time to be "nice." You can keep your manners (not yelling or cursing, for example) but you must. be. direct.

 

"I was surprised to see you on my property with my animals when you had not asked my permission. You must ask me before coming on my property. You are not allowed to feed my horses, EVER. If one of them gets colic the vet bill will be quite expensive, and YOU will be responsible. DO NOT FEED MY HORSES. DO NOT SNEAK THROUGH MY ELECTRIC FENCE."

 

I would also make a point of doing this IN PERSON, and say the same thing to the children of the house. Don't just tell the adults.

[gardening momma]

That is my vent. DO NOT FEED other people's horses or go in the fence with them without permission. Even petting them without permission could be dangerous as some horses are quite nippy and might bite little ones thinking they have a treat and there is that rare horse out there that is just mean.

 

How do I politely call him and tell him NOT to go in the fence with the horses and DO NOT FEED them. A bill for colic for the horse could run $1000+ and/or lead to the death of the horse if they get fed the wrong stuff. A kick to a child or adult could lead to serious injury or death.

 

...

 

Just don't allow your kids to mess with other people's animals without the owner present and giving permission.

I would not call, I would send a typewritten letter detailing all of this and send it certified mail with return receipt. Definitely mention the dangers to both human & horse, as well as the cost of potential vet bills and liability issues.

[Gentlemommy]

This is not the time to be "nice." You can keep your manners (not yelling or cursing, for example) but you must. be. direct.

 

"I was surprised to see you on my property with my animals when you had not asked my permission. You must ask me before coming on my property. You are not allowed to feed my horses, EVER. If one of them gets colic the vet bill will be quite expensive, and YOU will be responsible. DO NOT FEED MY HORSES. DO NOT SNEAK THROUGH MY ELECTRIC FENCE."

 

I would also make a point of doing this IN PERSON, and say the same thing to the children of the house. Don't just tell the adults.

 

 

:iagree:I can.not.believe he thought it would be ok to do this. At all.:glare:

[Lang Syne Boardie]

I would not call, I would send a typewritten letter detailing all of this and send it certified mail with return receipt. Definitely mention the dangers to both human & horse, as well as the cost of potential vet bills and liability issues.

 

That's kind of what I was thinking. Also I'd want some sort of proof that I told this man he was trespassing and leading children through an electric fence! Because somebody's going to get hurt, on your land, with this kind of behavior.

[Dory]

I had a pony founder once because of a neighbor who thought they give it some extra treats while I was gone for the weekend. I can completely understand how frustrating it can be. Perhaps a sign indicating to ask the owner before coming onto the property would get the point across. It would probably be better than the approach I took, which was to march over there and tear a strip of the poor guy. That family of neighbors still shies away from me, but at least they don't touch my horses without permission.

I have also caught people crawling into my fences with feral horses, one of which has charged me on more than one occasion.

 

Besides damages to my horses, the other thing that concerns me is that if someone gets hurt in my field, with my horse, I'm held responsible. Even the best horse can sometimes do something stupid, I don't want someone else playing with them without supervision.

[elegantlion]

That's kind of what I was thinking. Also I'd want some sort of proof that I told this man he was trespassing and leading children through an electric fence! Because somebody's going to get hurt, on your land, with this kind of behavior.

 

I like the letter approach too. Then at least have some proof in case something bad would happen. I would also have dh call, if he can be civil (not sure I could be), and explain some country etiquette.

[besroma]

I would not call, I would send a typewritten letter detailing all of this and send it certified mail with return receipt. Definitely mention the dangers to both human & horse, as well as the cost of potential vet bills and liability issues.

 

That's kind of what I was thinking. Also I'd want some sort of proof that I told this man he was trespassing and leading children through an electric fence! Because somebody's going to get hurt, on your land, with this kind of behavior.

 

:iagree:

[mom4him]

I am amazed at the ignorance of some people. That truly is what it is. You don't mess with someone elses animal PERIOD without their permission.

 

When we when on our way to short vaccation the people had two horses and my kids had a blast pulling grass and feeding them BUT I had talked to the owner, new that they were very gentle and she was ok with it.

 

I see the same with dogs all the time. Teach your children that just because an animal 'looks' friendly doesn't mean they are.

[KathyBC]

I know of someone who discovered their neighbour had been feeding their horse the grass clippings from the lawnmower, without permission. They nearly killed the poor thing.

[Ottakee]

I tried calling but the number is disconnected (likely just dropped the land line).

 

I am searching for DO NOT ENTER and NO TRESPASSING plastic signs I can hang on the fence along with DO NOT FEED THE HORSES signs. I hate paying the money but guess I need to do something. I will need some for hte front pasture and then for the 3 sides of the back pasture.

[laundrycrisis]

This is not the time to be "nice." You can keep your manners (not yelling or cursing, for example) but you must. be. direct.

 

"I was surprised to see you on my property with my animals when you had not asked my permission. You must ask me before coming on my property. You are not allowed to feed my horses, EVER. If one of them gets colic the vet bill will be quite expensive, and YOU will be responsible. DO NOT FEED MY HORSES. DO NOT SNEAK THROUGH MY ELECTRIC FENCE."

 

I would also make a point of doing this IN PERSON, and say the same thing to the children of the house. Don't just tell the adults.

 

ITA - not smiling.

[jhschool]

You also need

NO TRESPASSING signs

all along your fence.

 

I would be in favor of the written

letter.

 

Also call your lawyer and find out what you need to do to stay protected (i.e. those people come in and the horse kicks them). What should your actions be? Maybe you should warn them that they will be charged with trespassing and child endangerment if they sneak through your electric fence.

I can't believe someone would have children do this!

I know that colic can kill a horse.

Those people are so ignorant!

[creekland]

With our ponies we've ended up telling people what they can feed them and it has worked out well. At first people would come by with cut apples and/or pick grass/weeds and start feeding them. Naturally, those who were on top of my herd would get a lion's share... and too many apples can easily give them colic. Fortunately, if they get weeds they'll usually spit the out.

 

So, I told them that carrots were ok (they tend to not cause colic even if they eat several) and to be sure to stay outside the fence so their kids don't get trampled. (I showed them how the more dominant ponies are in control and can make the others move quickly without looking where they're going - too dangerous for small kids.) I've also pointed out where there's electric, but a good bit of our fence is just recycled plastic board fencing.

 

The compromise works for us. They stay out and feed a more healthy treat when they stop by.

 

We want our ponies to like people and come up to them, so it's actually good training when I think about it that way. It also only happens once a month or so. If it were a daily occurrence, it would be more of a problem.

 

But yeah, going IN with the ponies and feeding whatever they happen to have (apples, corn, lawn clippings, etc) is quite dangerous. If in doubt about the owner's wishes, don't feed anything (some can bite) and no matter what, STAY OUT.

 

To the OP - take pics next time... esp if colic might be in the future. Otherwise, it's just your word against theirs when it comes to a pricey vet bill (or worse).

[beachrose]

With our ponies we've ended up telling people what they can feed them and it has worked out well. At first people would come by with cut apples and/or pick grass/weeds and start feeding them. Naturally, those who were on top of my herd would get a lion's share... and too many apples can easily give them colic. Fortunately, if they get weeds they'll usually spit the out.

 

So, I told them that carrots were ok (they tend to not cause colic even if they eat several) and to be sure to stay outside the fence so their kids don't get trampled. (I showed them how the more dominant ponies are in control and can make the others move quickly without looking where they're going - too dangerous for small kids.) I've also pointed out where there's electric, but a good bit of our fence is just recycled plastic board fencing.

 

The compromise works for us. They stay out and feed a more healthy treat when they stop by.

 

We want our ponies to like people and come up to them, so it's actually good training when I think about it that way. It also only happens once a month or so. If it were a daily occurrence, it would be more of a problem.

 

But yeah, going IN with the ponies and feeding whatever they happen to have (apples, corn, lawn clippings, etc) is quite dangerous. If in doubt about the owner's wishes, don't feed anything (some can bite) and no matter what, STAY OUT.

 

To the OP - take pics next time... esp if colic might be in the future. Otherwise, it's just your word against theirs when it comes to a pricey vet bill (or worse).

Creekland love how you handled it. These people probably didn't realize,meant no harm. A sign would have prevented it most likely.

[Rebel Yell]

You also need

NO TRESPASSING signs

all along your fence.

 

I would be in favor of the written

letter.

 

Also call your lawyer and find out what you need to do to stay protected (i.e. those people come in and the horse kicks them). What should your actions be? Maybe you should warn them that they will be charged with trespassing and child endangerment if they sneak through your electric fence.

I can't believe someone would have children do this!

I know that colic can kill a horse.

Those people are so ignorant!

 

:iagree:

 

I hate to think this way, but I think it would be wise to have an attorney advise you on what to post so that you're not held financially liable for other people's stupidity. Maybe even have a copies of a letter from your attorney or vet informing them of their responsibilities should their well-intentioned idiocy harm your horses.

 

Or, you could just have set hours as a "petting zoo" and charge people to feed your horses food that they have to purchase from you and do farm chores for you. :D

[ondreeuh]

I tried calling but the number is disconnected (likely just dropped the land line).

 

I am searching for DO NOT ENTER and NO TRESPASSING plastic signs I can hang on the fence along with DO NOT FEED THE HORSES signs. I hate paying the money but guess I need to do something. I will need some for hte front pasture and then for the 3 sides of the back pasture.

 

Yes, you definitely need signs. I would even take photos of the signs and ask your insurance agent to put them in your file. If the idiot gets hurt on your property you can prove that you had posted warnings.

[ashley.h]

I know this is an old post but I completely agree with you~ up to a point though (what I'm about to describe I think I should have been able to step in on behalf of the animal)

Otherwise, always always! ask permission before approaching someone else's animal(s) 

*Okay so I was looking for info regarding what to do for a downed horse; I feel like the owner didn't do anything - (and I've seen horsey ibuprofen, it's called Bute I think? Apple flavored powder in his barn that is for pain/inflammation that might've helped her be able to get up? She kept trying but couldn't, she must have stumbled in a hole or something and sprained her leg) Well he just said 'yeh I know vet is coming in the morning'..

He didn't go out to his barn at all, he did what he always does at dusk when he gets home- cuts all lights off and goes straight to bed.. (he plops a big roll of hay out there for 18 horses once a week, they eat it all in a day and then act like starvin' Marvin's rest of the time but that's another story) and it's not my horse but I was concerned that she was crying and couldn't get up, it was awful.. she didn't make it thru the night and I feel like there was more he could've done besides nothing  (given her the bute stuff for pain, iced her leg etc..so if it was just a sprain she might have been able to get up, lying for too long had her breathing heavy etc.. and she kept rolling over trying to avoid that) and it's heartbreaking that it's not my animal so I can't interfere

[Selkie]

25 minutes ago, ashley.h said:

I know this is an old post but I completely agree with you~ up to a point though (what I'm about to describe I think I should have been able to step in on behalf of the animal)

Otherwise, always always! ask permission before approaching someone else's animal(s) 

*Okay so I was looking for info regarding what to do for a downed horse; I feel like the owner didn't do anything - (and I've seen horsey ibuprofen, it's called Bute I think? Apple flavored powder in his barn that is for pain/inflammation that might've helped her be able to get up? She kept trying but couldn't, she must have stumbled in a hole or something and sprained her leg) Well he just said 'yeh I know vet is coming in the morning'..

He didn't go out to his barn at all, he did what he always does at dusk when he gets home- cuts all lights off and goes straight to bed.. (he plops a big roll of hay out there for 18 horses once a week, they eat it all in a day and then act like starvin' Marvin's rest of the time but that's another story) and it's not my horse but I was concerned that she was crying and couldn't get up, it was awful.. she didn't make it thru the night and I feel like there was more he could've done besides nothing  (given her the bute stuff for pain, iced her leg etc..so if it was just a sprain she might have been able to get up, lying for too long had her breathing heavy etc.. and she kept rolling over trying to avoid that) and it's heartbreaking that it's not my animal so I can't interfere

Do you have a Humane Society in your area or is there some kind of Animal Control department? You can contact them and make a complaint about what happened with this poor horse and also tell them that the horses are not receiving sufficient feed. Often, the complaint can be made anonymously. Sometimes for the Humane Society to get involved, the sheriff's department has to be involved first - so contact the sheriff's department as well.

Thank you for caring about these poor horses - it sounds like a horrible situation for them.

[Jean in Newcastle]

9 year zombie thread. Please, if you have an anecdote of your own to share, start a new thread. I was so confused and spent way too much time reading really old (and no longer relevant) posts before I realized that this was from 2012. 

[Selkie]

10 minutes ago, Jean in Newcastle said:

9 year zombie thread. Please, if you have an anecdote of your own to share, start a new thread. I was so confused and spent way too much time reading really old (and no longer relevant) posts before I realized that this was from 2012. 

I knew it was a zombie thread but answered anyway in hopes that she may get these horses the help they need (assuming it's a real poster, of course!).

[ashley.h]

Never heard the term zombie thread B4, I've never really been on forums B4 either.. i did say sorry I know this is old thread, it didn't occur to me to start new one, but I get it now, thanks for the replies! And goodness yes I'm real (my gosh what has this world come to?! Wowww)

[Tree Frog]

1 hour ago, ashley.h said:

Never heard the term zombie thread B4, I've never really been on forums B4 either.. i did say sorry I know this is old thread, it didn't occur to me to start new one, but I get it now, thanks for the replies! And goodness yes I'm real (my gosh what has this world come to?! Wowww)

Welcome to the forums! I'm glad you're a real person. 🙂 The forums frequently has (bots? people who never return again) make one post on a very old thread and then walk away. Sometimes those posts are on contentious threads and seem designed to stir things up. It doesn't seem to happen as frequently on more recent posts.

 

[Jean in Newcastle]

4 hours ago, Tree Frog said:

Welcome to the forums! I'm glad you're a real person. 🙂 The forums frequently has (bots? people who never return again) make one post on a very old thread and then walk away. Sometimes those posts are on contentious threads and seem designed to stir things up. It doesn't seem to happen as frequently on more recent posts.

 

It’s not just a matter of whether it’s a bot or not. I hadn’t responded to the thread nine years ago so I had to wade through 23 posts to even get to the new one. I was investing time and energy into thinking through solutions for the original poster for an issue she no longer has. Fortunately I realized fairly quickly that something was really off because I know the OP (original poster’s) current situation and knew that things didn’t track. Plus, all the posts from people who aren’t even on the board anymore. Resurrecting a conversation like this is like saying “and furthermore…” and continuing a conversation that was started with someone nine years ago. They aren’t going to know what you are talking about. 

Edited April 13, 2022 by Jean in Newcastle
Typo

[Dianthus]

5 hours ago, ashley.h said:

Never heard the term zombie thread B4, I've never really been on forums B4 either.. i did say sorry I know this is old thread, it didn't occur to me to start new one, but I get it now, thanks for the replies! And goodness yes I'm real (my gosh what has this world come to?! Wowww)

How did you find the thread?