Advice please - colt moved in next door..

GinaGem

GinaGem

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I have two fields for my horses, one which boarders with the neighbours field, normal post and rail. The neighbour rents his field out for grazing. Well it seems a colt has been moved in next door and the lady didn't realise we have a mare. She said that when she moved in (Oct) she saw we only had geldings so thought it would be ok (don't know where the colt has been till now as my mare has been in that field since January and the neighbouring field has been empty the whole time).

She has said he has done a couple of coverings so knows what it's all about :eek:

So i don't know what to do. She has suggested either turning them out at different times which is just not an option (mine live out all the time the weather is good) or that she puts 12,000v electric on my fence (is that mains?). I don't want her doing anything to my fence but would electric fencing within the field be good enough? I doubt she's going to want to put up permanent fencing in a field she doesn't own.

And will having a colt next door wind my mare up? My sand school also boarders this field so i don't really want a colt winding her up while riding either? She's mareish enough as it is.

Advice please
 
I've kept my mare with stallions before now & not had a problem. Granted they weren't turned out with a small fence between, but the stables faced the school at one place & it was never an issue. If she has a colt that is even remotely likely to jump out its up to her to make sure the fence is high enough to prevent it.
 
Shouldn't bother your mare once she gets used to it. If lady was to run electric on her side of the fence and make a double fence line to keep the colt back about 2 - 3 meters from the post & rail, that would help to keep thoughts of jumping out of his head. I keep stallions and mares, (geldings too) and have double fencing and gates on all paddocks. They can all see each other, but know they can't get close enough to cause trouble.
 
A 4 yr old entire moved in to a neighbouring field (we have mares). The horse in danger was a different neighbour's gelding. The 4 yr old jumped the very low wall between their fields and tried to run the elderly gelding down. Fortunately there were enough people around to separate them. It is the responsibility of the colt's owner to keep her animal in its own field, without causing you any inconvenience. After a visit from Redwings the colt next to us was gelded - best thing all round!
 
Doesn't that make it a stallion if it has covered mares? I would expect the owner of the colt/stallion to make sure it didn't escape from its field using a stallion height fence!! elec or otherwise. I have had to deal with a small stallion that got out its field to get to a mare in season, it took three of us to get it back to a stable, it would have served the mare and left us with an unwanted foal and all the ramifications of that.
 
1. Its a stallion, not a colt if it is covering.
2. The owner of said stallion has a responsibility to fence it securely.
3. Nobody should be attaching anything to your own fencing
4. Each of you should have a stock-proof fence to retain your own horses.

Its not usually a problem with entires out next door, porvided the fencing is set apart.
However, I would never leave an entire out 24/7 - they have always come in at night for their own safety (this is my own preferred way of managing them). The only exception has been with smaller native stallions I've had in the past - they have been left out at night if with mares/company
 
Thanks, well she is going to put electric up within her field but i've put my own up this morning (and am now soaked :rolleyes:) as this was agreed last night so nothing has been done yet and i needed to turn out this morning. Our normal fencing is about 5ft post and rail with the mesh wire type stuff on their side so it's fairly solid but still jumpable.

I presumed a colt was just young but frankly know nothing about them lol!
 
I think it also depends on the attitude of the young Stallion.

When I bought my horse at 18mths he was in much disgrace as he had jumped the 5 bar gate into the neighbouring field of brood mares and covered 9 of them. Needless to say he was very quickly 'seen to' when he arrived.

He is in his teens now he is still very much a ladies man, and will still jump into other paddocks for a 'visit' given half a chance!
 
It's her responsibility to ensure that her stallion can't get access to your mare. So the onus is on her to make sure her fencing is robust and safe.
 
I'd bloody well get her told! How dare she just assume, and then just leave the colt there with the risk of it jumping the fence (which it inevitably will if he has covered mares before) I've always been careful with my colts, always asked neighbouring fields/stables if their horses are mares and would've been prepared to move had he caused them any trouble.

Also, a colt is a colt until he is three years old.
 
What is the stallion owner going to do when your mare is in season? I had problems with a very naughty polo mare reversing backwards through a hedge to get to my stallion :o It is not only the boys you need to watch! Also any horse that got loose would head straight for him :o

Is she going to be using him this year?

I would say the colt's owner is being far too vague just looking over a fence and 'thinking' you only had geldings. If colt's owner is not living on the property s/he needs to be quite sure what the horse is likely to be up to whilst s/he is not there.
 
You need to tell the owner of the "colt" that she would be responsible for the call out and injection from the vet needed to abort your mare if the colt got to her. She would also be responsible for any other veterinary costs should the colt get in and harm your horses in any way. Oh, and she'd be responsible for the cost of repairing your fence if it should get damaged by her horse's antics. Sometimes people only really take responsibility when it might hit them in the pocket.
 
I agree with box of frogs. I bet this colt is never going to be graded and is kept entire because owners are either lazy [ie cant be bothered to pay for castration],or think it enhances horses value - wrong! Usually colts/stallions have a very frustrating life , and when your mare comes in season I would think 2 electric fencesa nd the low post and rail might not be enough. We kept stallions for 20 yrs , turned out with their family group[ warmbloods at that] , but when a vsiting stallion came he jumped/bulldozed about 5 hedges/rails to get to a mare s filed! The owners of the colt sound novicy and ignorant!
 
Thanks, somewhat worried now. My mare is 20 so i don't want her injured. Should i put her in my summer field for the mo until the electric fencing is sorted. He'd still be able to see her but not quite so close and he'd have to jump two fences not one. I was hoping not to get it trashed as we've had so much rain.
 
Obviously don't endanger your mare but tell the owner she needs to keep her horse elsewhere till fencing done, not you, it might give her the incentive to get it sorted.
 
cornbrodolly said:
I agree with box of frogs. I bet this colt is never going to be graded and is kept entire because owners are either lazy [ie cant be bothered to pay for castration],or think it enhances horses value - wrong! Usually colts/stallions have a very frustrating life , and when your mare comes in season I would think 2 electric fencesa nd the low post and rail might not be enough. We kept stallions for 20 yrs , turned out with their family group[ warmbloods at that] , but when a vsiting stallion came he jumped/bulldozed about 5 hedges/rails to get to a mare s filed! The owners of the colt sound novicy and ignorant!
Click to expand...

^5 This!
 
A lady moved 3 colts into the field near to mine and they soon escaped into an empty padock by my horses, there is a 6ft gap between the two fences thank god as their also riddled in lice. Our mares have been in season more and my gelding has become more protective over them which is a real pain, he doesnt want to be caught as hes too busy herding them about.
The colts also play fight really ruffly as their about 4 yrs old now.
Is she planning on getting them gelded at all? The Only thing she can do for now is put up the electric fencing at least a few foot away from the fence. It really annoys me that people don't think when they are putting colts/ stallions on new grazing and in my case the woman doesn't even care that she's trespassing onto the field next to mine or that her horses are badly kept, and she's ignored the advice given to her by the WHW 😠
 
Oh dear, it transpires that she is worried my mare will hurt him (as she was lashing out across the fence when she turned him out) and she doesn't want me to have a free covering :eek::eek::eek: My mare is 20, I will geld him myself if he tries to cover her!!!! Plus it seems she doesn't want to pay for any broken fencing and wanted us to move our horses into the other field! I can't keep 3 horses on less than an acre!

This came from my friend who met her face to face last night and passed on her number for me to sort it out. I've only spoken by text so far as I wanted to be careful what I said and not be put on the spot.

I don't think the plan is to geld him, she said 'he has already started to cover mares so he knows what he is about'. I'd imagine if she was planning to geld she would have said so we could sort something out temporarily.
 
Just found this:

Stud/Stallion---Male horse 4 yrs or older.
Colt--A male foal up to 4 yrs old.

Just that a colt is under 4 years old.

Have electric fencing up.
 
Tinseltoes said:
Just found this:

Stud/Stallion---Male horse 4 yrs or older.
Colt--A male foal up to 4 yrs old.

Just that a colt is under 4 years old.

Have electric fencing up.
Click to expand...

Doesn't really matter what you call him - many breed societies call them stallions at 2+
Most studs call them stallions when they start their covering career or when they go for grading.

Anyways OP, don't let new neighbour ruffle you too much, try to be diplomatic :)
If you can, put it in writing - eg:
Neighbours duty to fence her stock with fencing suitable to prevent any damage or trespass to your property or livestock.

Tell her its not your problem if she cannot contain her animal(s) safely, you have ensured that YOUR own animals have secure fencing to retain them on your property.
Thank her for her concern in your horses welfare:) but no - you wont be moving your horses to other paddocks just for her convenience.

Good luck! :)
 
gosh she sounds like a knowledgeable responsible owner :rolleyes:. Is it possible to speak to the fields owner about his problematic tenant?
 
Thanks that's what i've done so far. I firstly asked if the land owner could move her to another field but she said he couldn't because there are other mares about.

I very much doubt the land owner cares, he's seems to be the type that is happy as long as he's being paid! But if it continues to be a problem i will approach him. I am keeping an eye on them today and i am expecting her to put the fence up tonight (i'll give the benefit of the doubt that she's at work). If it doesn't i will speak to her again and ask why it hasn't been done and take from there i think.
 
Is the colt getting on with eating or is he fussing at the fence and has your mare stomped off in a huff? My horses love a right old stamp when introducing themselves but once over it they are OK. Trouble is, rails can easily get broken by a stamp (my mare was particularly good at this).

The more I read about this the more I think that colt should have a visit from the vet.
 
Sirocco said:
Oh dear, it transpires that she is worried my mare will hurt him (as she was lashing out across the fence when she turned him out) and she doesn't want me to have a free covering :eek::eek::eek:
.
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I think this is the very sort of irresponsible person who will cause trouble where ever they go, and will not be helping you out. I am sure there is some legislation about stallions.
I had a guy who told me I could not walk my gelding down the road past farm as it upset his stallion [who broke out of his stable], sorry, but if people choose to have entire animals they should look after them properly.
Tell her that I had a mare put in foal, the damages were £3000!
 
Both are acting normal so far, he came over to say hello to mine when i turned them out but nothing that worried me happened. I've been regularly checking out the window. They seem to be grazing normally away from each other. She's not in season at the moment though.

We've had her 16 years and she's not really a fence breaker/jumper but obviously never had her next a stallion. She has had a foal but at a stud which kept them well separated.
 
isnt a stallion under law classed as a dangerous animal like a bull? you should make sure shes insured with public liability and tell her shes totally responsible for safety where this colt is concerned as far as any escapes you can call the police.! personally id tell her you want another post and rail fence on her side with a gap in betweeen and the electric!!
 
archiepoo said:
isnt a stallion under law classed as a dangerous animal like a bull? you should make sure shes insured with public liability and tell her shes totally responsible for safety where this colt is concerned as far as any escapes you can call the police.! personally id tell her you want another post and rail fence on her side with a gap in betweeen and the electric!!
Click to expand...
I don't know how you can make sure she is insured, just make sure you have told her she will be liable for any problems.
 
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