Do signs on gates work?

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poiuytrewq

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After moving my horses yesterday into a maybe slightly small area of field as there is way too much grass so I figured they can eat that bit down and have the fence moved a bit each day it occurred to me I've made the gate quite a tight area (at about 2am last night!!)
One of the horses is bit of a bully and evil around food. I'm worried about people feeding them over the gate as the footpath runs past.
I wondered if I put a Do not feed the horses sign up do they tend to work?
 
Sadly they don't tend to work IME :( People seem to think that it doesn't mean them! Over the years we have had a couple of very food sensetive horses and have tried signs. On one memorable ocasion we found a packet of boiled sweets tucked into the wall underneath the sign that explained why we didn't want the horses feeding! More recently we have had to double electric fence behind our drystone walls and have put up signs which are unequivical about the fact that the field is private land and that the animals must not be fed.
I think I would try to fence the gateway back to stop people getting to the horses.
 
Our field has a public footpath running through it and people will feed the horses that I help look after anything and I mean anything. Luckily they Havnt got anything bad yet but I feel it's only a matter of time before someone gives them something bad. I'm not sure if signs work or not but one of them has learnt to nip so that puts people off feeding him.
 
Shay said:
The signs don't stop the feeding - but can limit your liability if someone gets nipped!
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None of them would ever bite a person. I feed the odd hand treat myself and it's not a problem in that way so much it's more that the aggressive one is also the one with hind shoes on (although tbf he's a biter not kicker)
It's my other horses I'm more worried about than people!
Also, yes very good point about WHAT they are getting fed! I've never seen anyone feed them but have seen bits of left over carrot on the floor so know people do!
 
My neighbour who has a footpath has 'please do not feed the horses they are on a special diet' which is true as one has cushings. Not seen anyone or evidence of anyone feeding them yet.
 
Probably depends on who's reading it tbh. Many years ago I had to write a final warning letter threatening further action if the nosey neighbour where I used to graze the ponies kept feeding them despite my pleas that they were laminitic.

More recently, the neighbours here had some building work done and their builders repeatedly parked across the main field gate which was also public access. Despite putting up a proper sign they continued to do it!
 
poiuytrewq said:
After moving my horses yesterday into a maybe slightly small area of field as there is way too much grass so I figured they can eat that bit down and have the fence moved a bit each day it occurred to me I've made the gate quite a tight area (at about 2am last night!!)
One of the horses is bit of a bully and evil around food. I'm worried about people feeding them over the gate as the footpath runs past.
I wondered if I put a Do not feed the horses sign up do they tend to work?
Click to expand...



I would be inclined to run electric fence along an inner track so the public cannot feed the horses
 
Fortunately, I have no roadside frontage but I do have a couple of signs warning about guard dogs. Yes, I know that opens me up to liability if someone is bitten but I'm pretty confident that won't happen.

But it has led to some amusing incidents. Friends sometimes refuse to get out of the car if a kennel gate is open. (The dogs will be in the grass run, they don't get to run around loose without supervision). A gamekeeper friend tried to distract the dog by throwing his child's toys out of the car window. (He really was in serious danger of being licked to death! :D). Then a delivery driver walked past both signs and across the field where we were having a man-work lesson.... (He was safe too, actually, as the dogs only bite when they're told to).

So, do signs work? Only on those who probably act sensibly anyway! :)
 
Love that Kezzabell!

Yes I suppose Dry rot has hit the nail on the head. They might be read and taken notice of by sensible people but it's probably not the sensible people feeding them rubbish.
Roll on next spring when I'll have enough grazing not to use said field!
 
Had the same problem and I bought a sign which greatly reduced the evidence on the floor (pulled grass), but I can never be 100% sure
 
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