Help! Excuses needed PLEEEEAAASE!!!

noblesteed

noblesteed

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Hi all,

My YO is an elderly farmer who rode when young and likes to have horses around, so rents my friend and I his 2 stables and field. My friend has been there about 15 years. Our field is adjacent to one which is empty this year (farmer sold his sheep) and is used for silage, and we can ride in it as we like as long as we take care of it. So anyway he has been approached by some local people who are losing their grazing (probably because their 4 horses have trashed their field over winter). They want to rent the empty field off him. All fine, we lose our riding field but we can ride in our own one anyway. HOWEVER he is NOW suggesting that the 4 horses (2 babies and 2 field ornaments) join ours and we open the gate so they have the run of both fields. This is to save him reconnecting the drinker in the empty field.
I am not happy about this, having thought about it, it will upskittle our herd, risking injury, it will be difficult to ride in a field full of loose youngsters (!) and just generally a nuisance for bringing in etc. Plus the empty field's grass is too rich for my horse and there is a public footpath in it!!!!
What do I say to the farmer without upsetting him? He is an uppitty old thing and always knows best when it comes to horses!!! I need to put a seed of doubt in his mind... What should I say?

Thanks for your help, LIDL marzipan eggs for all!
 
I'd ask him what is he going to do if a new one is injured and needs to be stabled? Where is it going to go? And is he happy with lots more people coming onto his land everyday and it basically becomming a livery yard? And what about his fields- they'll get trashed and you won't be able to rest any...and what about the added amount of poo...the list is endless! :cool:
 
Are they mares/geldings?
Just say your mare/gelding wouldnt get on with other horses. Or you don't want to risk it. I'm sure he'll understand if he's a horseman!
 
I would plant the seed of liability even thought I hate it. Tell him you are not happy with the situation and if he does decide to do this you will not be held liable for any injury that happens to the other horses and you will be looking to to compensated for any vets bills that occur to your horse.

I would say threaten to leave but you leaving against 4 new liverys won't work.

Is there any way you can electric fence off your bit and give both them and your horses access to the water?
 
If introductions are done carefully, shouldn't be a problem. Newbies to our herd have a week over the fence saying hello and during that time we introduce the horses by riding out together several times. Avoid intergrating them after heavy rain- ground may be slippery and if you're worried stick over reach and brushing boots on for an hour or so.
Fence off a schooling area in the flat part of the field, which can be left open for grazing when not in use.
 
you could also say something about the public footpath going through that field and how your horse doesn't like new people or something like that and say that you feel it would be too risky to his bank account if something happened and a walker sued his butt!
 
Cheers guys, lots of ideas there. I like the walkers idea, my horse LOVES people so much that he MAY actually tread on one! Plus he has been known to chase dogs... hmmmm
Threatening to tape off a starvation area might work too as we had a lami scare last summer (was a bruised sole!) but i could always play on it...
 
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