FFS!! Gate left open

Fii

Fii

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I had a phone call this afternoon from a friend, who told me he had just found one of our ponies grazing on the side of the road:eek: He managed to get pony back in, and he is fine, but the gate had been left open, and there were tyre tracks where a 4x4 had driven through :mad:

I am spitting fury, if he had'nt seen him the pony could be under a lorry by now.

The person who left the gate open better pray i don't find out who they are!!!! :mad::mad:

Sorry all, had to rant!!
 
OMG! I'm not surprised you're furious, I would be too! Who has access to your fields? Could it be a gamekeeper? Could you put a chain and padlock on it?
 
Our yard owner had a moment of madness and because our horses are in electic fencing paddocks she left the 2 gates we shut both open! The horses went through the fence but only went onto the drive way (Which is luckily very long!) and i was furious about this so cant imagen how you feel! Hope it dosent happen again!
 
LaurenM said:
Padlock your gates ASAP.
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I can't.

There are seven main gates onto the property (common land) With bridle paths and footpaths running through it, two entrances have cattle grids, so really no need to have to drive through a gateway.
 
I have no idea what you could do, electric fencing prob wouldn't work by the sounds of it then. Signs wouldn't stop people either but might be worth a go? I would be fuming, it's common courtesy and the highway code to close gates.
 
Happened to me - got a call from the neigbouring property to say they had 3 of my 4 in their garden and they were quite enjoying the dalias and crysanths and would I please come and get them :mad::eek:

Gate was wide open and propped on a stone! No idea why and no one admitted to it!

Two stout motorbike chains on each now.
 
I have grazed ponies on this land for over 30 yrs ( others graze as well) and because it is around a hundres acres, if a gate is left open, they tend not to notice, unless stood right bye it.
I am a member of the management commitee, so hopefully will get some more, signs sorted. Or do some CSI and find the culprit!!
 
We had this happen to us 15 years ago, but it wasn't a very pleasant end, our farmer left the gate open and our prize stallion ran out into an oncoming car, smashed him and the car to bits, still to this day i don't know how he managed to walk to the stable, had to be pts then and there before he came out of shock!, im so paranoid about gates and always double check. x
 
I had same problem,some moron opened the gaye and let my two out,luckily the man upthe road got them in the driveway and shut the bottom gate.Police were informed and now patrol the area.
It is enough to make your blood boil.GlaD THEY DIDNT GO ONTO THE MAIN ROAD.
gLAD THE PONY IS SAFE AND WELL.
 
Ah well, closing a gate is so complicated for people nowadays, so difficult to juggle driving using phone and satnav and then close the gate, do I really have to say it....
 
Beckie65 said:
We had this happen to us 15 years ago, but it wasn't a very pleasant end, our farmer left the gate open and our prize stallion ran out into an oncoming car, smashed him and the car to bits, still to this day i don't know how he managed to walk to the stable, had to be pts then and there before he came out of shock!, im so paranoid about gates and always double check. x
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OMG!!! that is horrendous!!!
 
Beckie65 said:
We had this happen to us 15 years ago, but it wasn't a very pleasant end, our farmer left the gate open and our prize stallion ran out into an oncoming car, smashed him and the car to bits, still to this day i don't know how he managed to walk to the stable, had to be pts then and there before he came out of shock!, im so paranoid about gates and always double check. x
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Very similar story to my mare Lady - was bringing her in from the field and she got loose jumping and hooning about, ran straight past her stable through the open gate and onto the road and ran straight into an oncoming car , took her front leg clean off I have no idea how she managed to stand up just remember her wickering to me to come help her. Devastated wasn't the word to describe how I felt. totally blame myself for not checking it was closed. People think I am neurotic now when it comes to gates/doors being closed - wont even open my lads door now until ive checked the gate and he has a stall chain as backup.
People all to easily think it won't happen to them - but unfortunately it has to happen to someone unlucky for my Lady she paid the price.
 
Remember if you are going to padlock any gates make sure you padlock both sides so the gate can not be lifted of its hinges... a local farmer found this out the hard way

Jon
 
A couple of years back we had some gates go missing in the area (when steel prices were high) and they took a gate off a field with 8 newforesters in and a herd of 3 geldings. Luckily the foresters just went down the track and grazed on the edge of the road and didnt batter an eyelid at the cars on the by pass and luckily the grass was too green too leave so they never crossed the road.

If the geldings decided to follow them it might have been a different story I think.

Yes my blood would boil. Especially on the set up you have with acreage etc.
 
I dont know if this is true but someone I know has a footpath going through their land. Walkers kept leaving it open and the ponies getting out into about 300/400 acres of forestry :eek: In the end he padlocked it and when the council spoke to him and he said explained the situation they agreed he could block the right of way as livestock was being put at risk. Don't know how true it is mind...
 
I think that's awful hun and it makes me mad but Im glad your horses are ok that's the most important thing. I agree people dont shut gates behind them. I run a livery yard and am fed up telling my lot shut the gates they say Im only dropping feed off or i'll be a minute. Like you, it only takes a minute for a horse to run passed you if your bringing it in and get out onto a road it's got to the stage im paranoid about shutting gates just so their horses can be safe. Touch wood we've never ever had a horse get out and long may it continue to be that way.
 
Funny this subject has come up but I found two loose horses on my way to work on Monday.

Another passer by was also on the scene so I just helped to herd the horses into someones garden, called the police and then left them to it, but ...I was wondering if anyone puts any ID etc on their horse to help in such situations? Other than closing gates that is!

For example, I was thinking of sewing some hi-viz strips on my mares rug (in case she gets loose in the dark), or even plaiting a dog tag type thing into her forelock.
She is microchipped but that wouldn't be much help to a passer by.
 
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Sorry if you don't lock or padlock your gates, what else do you expect. If you do and another livery leaves said gates open then they are liable for any damage down or any pony hit by car and damage to car.
 
Echo Bravo said:
Sorry if you don't lock or padlock your gates, what else do you expect. If you do and another livery leaves said gates open then they are liable for any damage down or any pony hit by car and damage to car.
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Sorry you did'nt read the whole thread :rolleyes:
I can't lock the gates!!!
It's not a livery, it's common land, lots of gates, bridle ways and footpaths.

L and B, good idea!:cool:
 
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