Do not feed the horses means DO NOT FEED THE HORSES!!!

Kokopelli

Kokopelli

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Koko is kept in a field by a pavement there is no footpath going into their field so people going in are tresspassing! I am not just talking about the odd apple or carrot I catch about 6 people a day feeding them.

Today was the last straw though, someone has gone and got some cut grass and put a knee high pile of it in their field with a blinking laminitic in their. To put this pile in they had to literally walk into his field to put the grass down. If you ask me its just not accpetable they wouldn't like it if I randomly fed their dog! And as they only put one pile down the boys were fighting over it and now my lame horse is even more lame!!

They are not being ignorant as there is a sign on the gate which we bought for £7 saying do not feed the horses, you can't miss it. I feel like we wasted our money on it. Underneath the sign is an explanation to why they cannot feed the horses and if they would like to feed the horses they can come to the barn and ask for permission.

I am just on the end of my teather now I cannot believe people think its acceptable doing this! How do you stop it, I am worried about my horse getting ill from the amount of rubbish passers by are giving him, he used to be scared of starngers in his field and now he'll gladly walk up to them, this is a bad thing as he's probably more likeely to get caught if stolen!

We have tried fencing are off around the gate and they still feed the horses!!! Any ideas?

Hot chocolate for anyone who got this far :)
 
I feel your pain, people regularly feed mine over the fence despite the fact two are practically obese!! Havn't put a sign up yet but I will, they also climb on the already wobbily fence!

Did they put in lawnmower cuttings or picked grass? I would be furious if I caught anyone in my field with my horses. They could get hurt and in this day and age potentially sue you.
 
I said to everyone my horse is very sick and is really mean and kicks and bites (is an angel though) to get rid of people feeding him what ever they have (including chocolate and crisps...). The truth is though, if they want to feed YOUR horse although it's YOUR horse they will give them selves what ever rights they want. Hate people like that, it's your horse and yet they think it's their right to do what they please with it..
 
Unfortunately lots of people will take no notice, my old field was on the school run route and after school you could get there and find a queue of cars feeding the horses all sorts of stuff.
Polite do not feed to horses signs do not seem to work, maybe try 'these horses can bite/kick', but your slight prop there is if it is the same people they know your horses by now
 
Write a sign on A1 paper and laminate it? That'd be big enough :rolleyes:
You could try the horse kicks/bites but if it's the same people they'll know it doesn't!
What about putting an electric fence sign up but not actually electrifying it?

Stupid people :(
 
The problem is they know the horses don't kick or bite now so won't belive that! I can get sued if I don't tell them about electrified fence! Its risdiculous and it was picked grass I think, have no idea where they got it from though as there is no long grass anywhere near the field.
 
You have my sympathy, I understand exactly what you are going through.

We have a footpath that runs along one side of our field. There is a post and rail fence between the path and the field and you cannot get into the field without climbing over the fence.

Last year, my gelding was put in a grazing muzzle, as he is a very good doer. All was well for a month or so and then he started breaking straps on the (Greenguard) muzzle. I finally realised that someone had decided the muzzle was cruel when I found a couple of straps in perfect condition, hidden in some long grass, then some more and finally every 'broken' strap was recovered. In order to try and keep his weight under control, I was riding him seven day a week, but still he was up to 197cm on the weight tape.

A combination of the weather and additional electric tape means that this year he is 186cm!

Oh yeah! I love it when other people decide what's best for my pony :mad:
 
miss_bird said:
Unfortunately lots of people will take no notice, my old field was on the school run route and after school you could get there and find a queue of cars feeding the horses all sorts of stuff.
Polite do not feed to horses signs do not seem to work, maybe try 'these horses can bite/kick', but your slight prop there is if it is the same people they know your horses by now
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Yes this is exactly my problem :rolleyes: don't mind them stroking them etc but they get fed enough :rolleyes: Two need to loose weight so I don't particularly want people feeding them :(

Yes you will need signs to warn people fence is electrified :) Have you got a bad tempered horse you could stick in there for abit?:confused::)
other than that no idea sorry, can't stop them really without sitting there and waiting allday to ask them if they do the opposite of every sign they see:confused::rolleyes:
 
This is a problem. Where I used to live a laminitic Welsh A had a sign on his gate saying 'By order of the Vet, do not feed this pony anything' and I often saw people feeding him right by the sign! They were all kindly asked not to and it was explained why. The owner then put an electric fence 3m in from the gate so that even outstretched hands with carrots couldn't reach him. I then saw that someone had made a hole in the hedge on another side of his paddock so that they could still feed him!
 
Why not add a laminated note saying why it's a problem? They probably think a bit of grass or a carrot won't do any harm, and they're simply clueless. Explain that they could cause colic by feeding grass clippings, and that one of the horses has a condition which is exacerbated by excess feeding, that they're on a controlled diet etc etc.

I was an inveterate feeder of horses as a girl, didn't know any better. The most I'd offer one now was a handful of grass I'd pulled up right by the fence (ie stuff that they could reach themselves).
 
Is it the same people doing it all the time or just random people? If you know who it is, I'd say have a talk with them and explain the health issues face to face. People are so stupid - they really need to have things laid out in words of one syllable.

I don't know what to tell you - that's really awful and without patrolling your fence 24/7, I don't know how you can resolve it. :(
 
Kokopelli said:
The problem is they know the horses don't kick or bite now so won't belive that! I can get sued if I don't tell them about electrified fence! Its risdiculous and it was picked grass I think, have no idea where they got it from though as there is no long grass anywhere near the field.
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I'd wait by the field or get someone to keep an eye out for any feeders and make a dash for them. Explain the dangers of feeding horses and particularly why they should never be given grass cuttings or even picked grass for that matter. Perhaps suggest the cost of the vet bill for what a bout of Colic may amount to and ask them if they want that on their conscience. I've got a feeling I know what their answer will be!

I know its time consuming but its worth it in the end. My parents friends who have land with two natives on did this and never had a spot of bother again.
 
Put a hand written note telling them that you are watching them and if they don't stop you'll get the police involved :D That'd stop me if I was feeding anyone's horses, which I don't, but still :p
 
well you should probably wait for the people to tell them- i'd be FUMING if this happened to mine! and to prevent i have put electric fencing along to put the horses back from the fence, but obviously if they are going into the field this doesnt stop them... maybe safely electric fence the horses off and then wrap barbed wire around the other fence! should stop them climbing over/ squeezing through ;p
 
I feel so lucky that nobody feeds mine!! I have a footpath running through my field but I have never seen anybody feed my boys. However, my area is fairly horse-savvy and most know about the dangers.

It also may have a lot to do with my dog and child chasing mini Shetland!! :D Maybe you could get one of those??

I don't really know what else to suggest! It can't be helping your horses' manners either, mine are all banned from tit-bits in the field because it makes them start nipping me and fighting each other in the field.
 
apercrumbie said:
I feel so lucky that nobody feeds mine!! I have a footpath running through my field but I have never seen anybody feed my boys. However, my area is fairly horse-savvy and most know about the dangers.

It also may have a lot to do with my dog and child chasing mini Shetland!! :D Maybe you could get one of those??

I don't really know what else to suggest! It can't be helping your horses' manners either, mine are all banned from tit-bits in the field because it makes them start nipping me and fighting each other in the field.
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My boy does bite if he gets to much but after a firm telling off he doesn't bite me. They fight between them because of it which s even more frustrating as Koko is lame and he seems to be even more lame now because they were fighting! I just want to move fields, but I can't or he will have to go out with 20 other massive horses who will kick him to death.
 
I made a sign that said

PLEASE DONT FEED MY HORSES
THEY HAVE BEEN POORLY BECAUSE
OF PEOPLE FEEDING THEM


Seems to have worked. I once said to a woman how would you feel if I gave your child a cake without asking... she luckily saw the idea and promptly went. I once caught a woman giving Winston a smack because he chased Toffee off...well my mouth did not stay closed.
 
I had a sign up saying dont feed and caught someone feeding so told them reason she will attack them if hand fed and gets very nasty plus risk of lami as well, so added a new sign up that included this mare is aggressive with food and that seems to have done the trick.
 
I think the electric fence (with a sign on it) is the only way to go, to keep them out of reach. You could also put a sign up saying something like "feeding these horses will kill them - offenders will be reported to the police". I know it's extreme, but it may be the only way, and grass cuttings could well do just that.

Can you block off where these people gain access to the field, with a Trespassers notice ?

The best of luck, sm x
 
I know it would be time consuming, but could you leaflet the houses in the immediate area? Just a small notice exploaining why they should not be fed certain things and what the consequences (for the horses) would be. The people feeding them are most likely animal lovers who don't know they're doing any harm.

If you can't do the leafletting, what about laying in wait and just telling them.
 
electrify the fence and accidentally electrify the gate too ;) Smear the gate in something stinky / slippery (or both) to put them off climbing it? wait somewhere out of sight but where you can see them and jump on them if you catch them at it and then have words?
 
Raych said:
Try and catch them in the act and confront them
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I did this and I had a blazing row with this stupid woman (20's) in the middle of the road at the top of my voice. I thought if I shout I might not assault her. It was April and yes the field did look like the Battle of the Somme but the mare did look like a house side because the field is old ley so even though it looks bare it isn't. Try telling that to an ignoramus.
 
Yep, know the feeling. Our fields are at the back of a housing estate, ya know the sort - old people, young families with children - and EVERYBODY feeds the horses. Extra Strong Mints, Tic Tacs, Polo's, Mars Bars, vegetable choppings of cabbage, toms, onion skins, potato peelings, you name it they'll wang it over the fence.

One lady off our yard once lost her rag and went steaming over to a woman and yelled at her for about ten minutes before storming off. Dont think she feeds any of them anymore!! Albeit, they are residents so wouldn't want to be caught doing it when you've told them not to but it doesn't stop the whole row!

Same as everyone else - electric fencing, signs that the horses kick/bite/do not feed. At least if anything DOES happen, you've signposted it all clearly!! Can you ring citizens advice and find out if you could take any action if you could get a "Feeders" name?
 
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Put an electric fence about 6ft away from the gate,so the horses are away from it and the people cant go near and also put electric fenceing on the gate.

There was this woman I know and she was giving my pair apples and carrots,of course I went off on one and the man who owns the field told her what Id said,she hasnt done it since. People should ask you.
A women was giving some horses bread (not mine) and I said thats not good for them,havent seen her do it since,who knows.
 
My last yard we had a footpath the went right though the middle of our field. We used to get people all the time stopping to feed all sorts of rubbish like crisps, sweets, bread, Sunday dinner peelings, sandwiches etc.
Trouble was my lad was a quite a friendly chap anyway, even before he found out that people carried food around with them. It got to the point where he was stealing school bags and mugging people for their shopping. Everyone thought this was funny (apart from me of course) having a big horse nosing though your school bag to find their lunch box.
But eventually he got in to a nasty habit of chasing people who didn't give him food...ears back, full charge and a large Clydesdale galloping towards you soon makes you drop your bags and run!!!
We put signs up at each end of the field asking people not to feed the horses, we went to the local school and spoke to the headmistress and she mentioned not feeding the horses in the kids assembly. We also put up notices in the local shops.
As a last measure we put up a sign in middle of the field (footpath went diagonally across) saying anyone caught feeding the horses would be reported to the police we put that there was CCTV monitoring the field.
To be honest i left the yard a week later anyway so no longer had the problem but i believe the above helped to stop the unauthorised snacks!!!
 
set an electric fence in 3 feet from the fenceline- far enough in so it at least puts those off who lean over the fence to feed- buy the really tall posts (we have these) and run four strands round (I do this) so people cannot fit their body in between- beleive me it will put off 90% of them!
 
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