Bird scarers

[Chestnutmare]

Just curious to know what other people's horses are like with the scarers
Just my new yard has one literally in the field next to where my mare is just a hedge between them she's good as gold with them going off every 5 or so mins when I thought she'd be spooky.
How do your horses cope whilst out hacking if one went off?

 

[Suziq77]

My TB doesn't care, my grey pony jumps if I do but doesn't if I don't so I just have to try not to go off into a daydream

 

[debsg]

My cob mare is utterly bombproof and really wouldn't be bothered if one went off right next to her don't think my PBA would do much either! She's seen it all and got the T shirt.
My TB would have a total fit, squeal, buck and fart and probably end up in the next county!

 

[MrsHutt]

They were going off while we were out today! It's odd, I've never noticed them before!? H was fine - I guess he's used to them as they can hear them from their field. They were quite far off, I guess. He is ok with guns (lots round here sometimes) as long as they are not right alongside.

 

[PeterNatt]

Unfortunately these devices can be potentially lethal were they are sited incorrectly.
Were they are positioned close to public right of way such as bridleway, byway or a public highway if a horse rider is unaware that they are there (such as when they are hidden from site behind a hedgerow) and they then suddenly explode (some of them explode up to 4 times in quick succession) they can cause a horse to bolt and even unseat the rider causing the horse to bolt loose.
The latest generation of gas gun bird scarers are very much more powerfull than te conventional ones - the latest generation emitting an explosion of 186 db.
The NFU (National Farmers Union) introduced a code of practice on their use several years ago which states that they shoud be placed well away from public rights of way and public highways, that they should point away from public rights of way and public highways, that they should be baffled with straw bales on the 3 sides that do not emmit the sound so as to throw the explosion forward and that they should be switched off on a Sunday.
The NFU (National Farmers Union) code of practice may be downloaded from the following link:
http://www.nfuonline.com/news/Download-our-bird-scarer-guide/
In the event of you having an accident involving a bird scarer please report it to:
www.horseaccidents.org.uk
Unfortunately a number of landowners/farmers choose to ignore the NFU code of practice and some of those are using these devices in such a way so as to intimidate horse riders in to not using bridleways and byways.

 

[MrSpam]

None of my horses have ever bothered about gas bird scarers, including a lively chap I used to have.
One did go off very close to me on the other side of the hedge - I jumped, horse didn't even flinch. It wasn't near any public rights of way, I was riding across our own farm and OH forgot to tell me!

Now flash harries and those blooming bird kites are a different matter altogether - clearly terrifying even 2 fields away.

 

[Pinkvboots]

I have a few in the fields surrounding mine so my horses are really used to them, we also have so many shoots in the area loud bangs are the norm for us, I can imagine them causing some horses to react if on bridleways though not nice at all.

 

[mirage]

There are lots around us,plus shoots.Knobberpony doesn't bother about them.We went to try a new pony last week and when we were watching him being ridden,a scarer went off in the next field.I nearly fell over in fright,the pony didn't react at all.He came to live with us yesterday.

 

[starryeyed]

Someone's kindly put one just outside our back gate - horses exploded every time for the first couple of days, my mare has now become pretty much immune to it, but the boys still jump every time. It's ruined our hacking as we can't go out past it and it literally is on our doorstep! Sounds like a cannon too, very relaxing at 7am on a sunday!

 

[JFTDWS]

Farmer kindly put one about 10m from the edge of my field - I was extremely grateful as my gun shy then 5 y/old went from launching into the air in panic to nonplussed He's also a lot better about meeting shoots / hearing shot / bird scarers out hacking now too.

 

[Oscar]

A local farmer put 2 at each end of his field that has a bridle path along the edge - but put them directly next to the bridle path!! Luckily I was only walking my dogs when they went off - dogs legged it but my horse would have bolted.

Next day they had been moved so presumably they had received a complaint.

Have heard of a farmer being prosecuted for causing a death and multiple pile up after a rider was thrown, horse ran onto road and killed a driver ofnancar it hit.

Bloody dangerous things that should be very carefully sited.

 

[OWLIE185]

You are quite correct Horselad. Great care should be taken when siting Gas Gun Bird Scarers and they should be placed well away from public rights of ways and public highways and pointing away from them. Not every horse is used to them and they have the potential of causing very serious accident. I have no doubt that there are a minority of landowners/farmers who purposely site them so as to intimidate users of public rights of way.

 

[sodapop]

My livery yard is on a farm and the farmers appear to have bird scarer OCD to the point that I feel like they are happy to take our money but do not really want us riding over their land. They place them on the tracks that we ride around with a typical ride passing within inches of 4-6 gas bird scarers and now they have added the ones that are on a string that they set alight. I am incredibly lucky that my horse will stand quietly next to them when they go off even though some are set to go off 6 times rather than 3. I am slightly more worried about the ones on the string as I don't know if there is a flash from the explosion as they go off. I wouldnt mind but the birds just sit there because it is almost constant noise from so many scarers.

 

[RunToEarth]

Never had a problem, we have them at home and the horses have got used to them very quickly.

Sodapop - the ones you are referring to are rope bangers, and do explode so will cause a flash. We use them at home but I wouldn't think it would be the best thing to use anywhere near public access, are yours private farm rides of public rights of way? Rope bangers can make a very loud sharp bang compared to a gas gun.