Hot Air Balloon

[Bradsmum]

Please tell me if I'm over-reacting. Tonight my neighbour had arranged for a friend to take him and his family up in a hot air balloon. They inflated it and launched off in his field right next to my field with my horses in. The first I knew about it was seeing and hearing the balloon sail over our house. Initially I thought it was just flying over, then OH came out and said it was our neighbours. I immediately went up to the horses field to check them. The old girl was huffing and puffing at the balloon and the TB was at the far end where the support vehicles were coming out of neighbours field. Now I would not want to dictate what they can or can't do but if he had pre-warned me, I could have moved the horses to another field or at least kept an eye on them. I am aware that the burner emits a noise that humans can't hear but animals can and that sometimes they will react to. Luckily I don't think any harm was done but I am annoyed that he didn't have the decency to let me know. Just wondering whether to mention it tomorrow when I see him or whether to just leave it be .

 

[PurBee]

Wow! Is your neighbour an animal person?

Sounds like they’re not, as most animals find a hot air balloon somewhat overwhelming just due to the sheer size and noise of the burners, which are very loud, especially as a passenger in the basket.
I went in one yrs ago, and altho it was nice when drifting without burners silently high up in the air, the size of the thing is frankly, huge…and the burners are like dragons, and the landing is traumatic, very much a fingers crossed affair…youre just in a huge friggin basket, no seat belt or anything to hold you in….so the basket lands by hitting the ground hard and then your dragged along around 100m, then once your eyes are open you realise your sideways and scrambling to get out.
(i think this post has triggered trauma i never knew i had about the experience ?)
Evidently the glass of champagne shoved in hand after terrifying landing serves to mute the trauma?

The really interesting thing about being up in a hot air balloon is the silence up there. You just glide. So it makes all the sounds happening on the surface of the earth amplified. We could hear people talking in their gardens, t.v/radio’s playing…it was amazing really how loud earth activity is. The air ‘space’ acts like an amplifier. So if you were on the ground talking to someone about your neighbour not warning you, they most likely heard your reaction! Thats if the burners weren’t blazing-cant hear anything on ground while they’re going.

I agree, would be nice to be warned, but some folk dont consider others, or dont think its a nuisance due to ignorance of horses/animals etc.

I would mention next time i saw them that the balloon being inflated and taking off in the next field stressed the horses, and altho’ it ended up everyone ok and they calmed down, you’d appreciate them letting you know next time if they’re going to be doing similar unusual/noisy activities beside your paddock, so you have a chance to move the horses. Then go on to explain horses are extremely sensitive to unusual things theyre not used to, and can cause themselves injury when in flight mode. If your neighbour knows nothing about horses. Make it light-hearted and well-intentioned rather than peed-off neighbour rant, and they’re more likely to better understand.

My neighbours friend asked if he could shoot his bullet gun, with bullet range of easily 200ft, across a tiny 1 acre paddock to shoot deer. I said my land is beyond that stamp of land and my horses are grazing there behind the tree belt, literally 120ft south of the shot. Then he asked, after being told that, so it would be ok?
? ?

Glad your horses were ok…probably went into the 3rd phase of fight/flight which is ‘freeze’ when something is so overwhelming!

 

[Bradsmum]

Thanks, you are right they are not animal people. I have explained to him before that the horses are sensitive. When we first moved here there was a car rally stage held on our road (single track, windy lane) which he sponsored. As it was a night stage, I explained the noise and the lights might set the horses off but he was not interested We do get on well with them and they are our only immediate neighbours so will have a word in passing. I too went up in a balloon many years ago. One minute I was looking at the view then glanced down and realised how high we had risen in such a short time! Landing can be quite an experience but we were pretty lucky. Some people really should not have guns

 

[Marigold4]

Thanks, you are right they are not animal people. I have explained to him before that the horses are sensitive. When we first moved here there was a car rally stage held on our road (single track, windy lane) which he sponsored. As it was a night stage, I explained the noise and the lights might set the horses off but he was not interested We do get on well with them and they are our only immediate neighbours so will have a word in passing. I too went up in a balloon many years ago. One minute I was looking at the view then glanced down and realised how high we had risen in such a short time! Landing can be quite an experience but we were pretty lucky. Some people really should not have guns

I had one land unannounced IN my horse field. Horses terrified and broke out of their fencing. Very luckily, they were not injured. The company offered me a bottle of champagne to make up for my upset - I declined.

 

[Tiddlypom]

You're not overreacting.

An equine vet I knew said that he had seen far more injuries to panicking horses after hot air balloon incidents than from conventional low flying fixed wing aircraft/helicopters.

Hot air balloons are a bleddy nuisance, and the operators semi crash land them randomly in the countryside without prior permission, scoop up their equipment and then try to leg it before the landowner turns up.

 

[Goldenstar]

Mine just look we used to get them all the time .

 

[CMcC]

Your neighbour sounds like a bit of a show-off prat (car rallies, personal hot air balloon flights). I have taken an instant dislike to him.
I used to live in an area with frequent hot air balloons. I was leading two ponies up from the field one evening when a hot air balloon came over very low and when immediately above us hit the burners. I think the ponies were used to it as they didn’t react but I leapt about 3 foot in the air and swore at them.
I would have a quiet word with the neighbour when you next seem him, saying you would have appreciated some notice so you could have moved the horses. Make sure he has your mobile number so he can text you before his next extravaganza.

 

[Gloi]

These things always remind me of an incident many years ago. I was at the stables brushing my pony when I saw a balloon passing nearby. A couple of minutes later I heard a massive bang and ran out. Two fields away the balloon was on fire hanging from some pylon wires. It was the middle of winter but I set across the fields towards where it was having to negotiate a couple of ditches on the way. I thought they're all going to be dead. The pilot had dropped the balloon in height so the basket didn't hit the wires but the basket had ended up crashing through the ice on the local canal. People from the next farm we're getting the passengers out of the canal and and apart from being wet and cold they seem to be reasonably in one piece which was pretty lucky.
There was a full front page photo of the burning balloon on next days local paper and the incident has put me off ever going in a balloon.
The balloon was one from a local company that two people out for what were meant to be by pleasure rides. I doubt those riders will be having another go.

 

[ihatework]

Your neighbour sounds like an inconsiderate arse quite frankly. Whilst completely within their rights to do so, if they had half a brain cell the least they could have done is forewarn you

 

[Flowerofthefen]

I went to a natural horsemanship evening where they had guinea pigs for the demo. Got talking to one girl with her horse and she was there as she was riding one day and a hot air balloon came over the hedge really low and her horse bolted. It then became nervous of anything above it. Cant remember if the balloon people or her insurance paid out to get the horse sorted.

 

[millikins]

No I think you are justified in feeling annoyed.
I was walking my dog (not current one) at a well Known beauty spot near me when a balloon appeared. He was obviously much lower than he wanted to be and put the burners on. My poor dog was absolutely terrified and bolted, fortunately away from any roads. When she eventually ventured back she was reactive to any large round objects above her for the rest of her life, this included full moons and paper lampshades. Any actual balloons and it was put her on her lead quick before she runs, she was entirely unworried by fireworks so not usually a timid animal.
I have heard balloon safaris cause far more problems with wildlife than noisy light aircraft.

 

[Bradsmum]

Morning, thanks for your replies. Didn't want to like some as you have had unpleasant experiences but glad outcomes were not too bad. I will remind him that the horses could have reacted badly to this kind of activity and ask him to drop me a line if other activities are likely to take place close to the horses. I should add that he is very quick to offer assistance when we have needed it and we get on well. Actually I am surprised that the owner/pilot of the balloon didn't make us aware as they must have known that animals can react.

 

[Winters100]

Agree that the balloon company should have flagged this.

Since your neighbor is generally helpful I am sure that it was just an oversight, but worth having a very friendly word to just inform you about any unusual activities.

Glad the horses were OK

 

[Pearlsacarolsinger]

I had one land unannounced IN my horse field. Horses terrified and broke out of their fencing. Very luckily, they were not injured. The company offered me a bottle of champagne to make up for my upset - I declined.

When one landed in one of our fields, knocking down a drystone wall, the people involved scuttled away while we were settling the horses down, they didn't even offer to make good the damage! We were furious!

 

[scruffyponies]

One used to take off regularly from the field next to mine (public access, and no rules). They gave it a snort the first time, and watched it a couple of times further, but soon they were ignoring it altogether.

It would have been courtesy for the neighbour to let you know, but now I would be happy that the horses weren't too upset, and you have one less new thing for them to panic about in future.

 

[Flicker]

ugh I hate them.
When we lived in SA on a farm, they used to fly over all the time. The horses were absolutely fine with them but they would come over so bluddy early (to catch the sunrise). My dad and stepmum’s room had a hot tub deck and one morning I heard the usual sounds of the burners and then a huge amount of shouting both from the deck and from the balloons. My stepmum comes out of the room pee’ing herself laughing and says that she and my dad were in the hot tub when the balloons came over. My dad, clearly fed up with them, gets out of the hot tub and goes to fetch the shotgun, and was standing starkers on the deck with the shotgun shouting at the balloons to ‘gerrof my land’ (or the aerial equivalent). We weren’t really bothered by them after that, I think they changed their flight path…

 

[Rowreach]

I had one land unannounced IN my horse field. Horses terrified and broke out of their fencing. Very luckily, they were not injured. The company offered me a bottle of champagne to make up for my upset - I declined.

Yes so did we, a field full of youngsters. My boss parked the tractor across the gate and charged them an extremely large landing fee. The horses were more curious than anything, but that was just good luck.

 

[Annagain]

I'd be annoyed and would ask for a heads up about any strange activity in future.

I don' t think it would bother my boys though, Archie particularly. We once had a paraglider land right in front of us - not really his fault, we were directly underneath him, going in the same direction so he couldn't see us - Arch was the lead horse of a group of 4. Of the other three, one was freaking out and the owner had jumped off, the other two were very suspicious. I think if Arch had reacted we'd have all been in trouble. He was more interested in whether the man that had dropped out of the sky had treats, I had to stop him trampling over the canopy to get to him! He also didn't give a stuff when I went for a hack with a friend from her new house. I knew from the address it was near Cardiff airport but I didn't realise quite how close. Her lane ran paralell to the runway. As we were turning out of the gate a huge plane came in to land and it can't have been more than 70m in front of us. I could see the faces of the passengers through the windows!

 

[Pearlsacarolsinger]

I once came face to face with a balloon as it rose up the steep valley at the end of our lane. Fortunately the unflappable Clydesdale took it in her stride and continued on her way without batting an eye-lid. Because she stayed calm, so did the Appaloosa who was with her - goodness knows what she would have done, if she had been on her own. The balloon carried on rising, so that helped.

 

[luckyoldme]

Funny you should say that ..I came over the 66 this morning and saw a red one.
Haven't seen one for ages.
Having said that maybe it was just lack of knowledge on your neighbours part
It's difficult to know when to address something like this as once the first move is made things can progress and get messy.
I would be hoping it's just a one off

 

[canteron]

I think it’s the balloon company at fault here - clearly your neighbour may be a bit clueless but the balloon company has responsibilities

I would be furious - might even consider reporting them! At least they might be more aware in future.

 

[Bradsmum]

The balloon 'company' is a friend or work associate I believe so not a big company who provide pleasure rides. I've not seen neighbour at all today so not had a chance to have a quiet word.

 

[SatansLittleHelper]

While I would also be pretty pissed off about this I do wonder if your neighbours even realised it could be an issue..?! Esp if they aren't animal oriented people. I'm not sure how my horses would react but I can tell you now that my Great Dane has a nose bleed about them going over the house (even though we have loads of militaryaircraft over our village that neither dogs or horses even flick an ear at...go figure ??) if one started up next to him I'm pretty sure he'd have a straight up heart attack ???

 

[Bradsmum]

I'm sure it didn't even cross his mind so I will tread very carefully and deal with it in a friendly manner.