I don't feed my horses.

[reindeerlover]

That is what the yard owner and my neighbour are now saying.

That is why they are chewing the fence posts (nothing to do with the fact that they are just hooligans with no manners).

I don't know what they think the big piles of yellow dried grass or greenish damp grass are that appear daily in the fields, or the buckets of weird "cubey things" are that they get given daily in buckets. Who'd have thought that 3 ex-racers and a fat lame hunter could maintain such good condition on a diet of fence posts? Oh yes, of course they haven't seen them without their warm expensive rugs so they are just assuming.

Despite the fact that the 2 fatties WOBBLE when they walk!

I am a little angry and I am actually thinking of excuses for not going to the yard (the private yard, that I pay lots of rent for) just in case the owners are there. Except of course I have to go daily with the water that I take from my bath tap as there has been no water there all month and to wave hamburgers in front of my starving horses and put imaginary hay and haylage in the fields.

 

[Stelzar]

I think all horses have a little nibble at some point in there life don't they, I know my sister went a bit mad at me. The horses had LOADS of grass and still had a little chew. In short of smothering the fences with stop chew stuff that eventually wears off due to rain etc, are they sure that it wasn't there before?

Maybe invest in a lick it tub thingy for them to chew on out in the field or put a large slit in a plastic pipe and put it on the chewed fence bit to discorage them, your not doing anything wrong! Its general wear and tear that the YO should be accustomed to!

 

[reindeerlover]

I think all horses have a little nibble at some point in there life don't they, I know my sister went a bit mad at me. The horses had LOADS of grass and still had a little chew. In short of smothering the fences with stop chew stuff that eventually wears off due to rain etc, are they sure that it wasn't there before?

Maybe invest in a lick it tub thingy for them to chew on out in the field or put a large slit in a plastic pipe and put it on the chewed fence bit to discorage them, your not doing anything wrong! Its general wear and tear that the YO should be accustomed to!

Unfortunately, it is definately my horses that are doing it. They have made a bit of a mess but there was never any suggestion that I would not replace anything that was damaged! I have been given notice to leave so am leaving at the end of January anyway, I'm just upset by this new accusation. The fence posts aren't even expensive!! Grrr

 

[Stelzar]

Oh dear, so if your going to replace them why do you have you been given notice to leave - its not as if you can put your horses on the naughty step now is it? If you move somewhere else won't your horses just chew the fencing there as well? I'd try a line of electric wire around the top of the wooden fencing to prevent them from doing it.

Oh what a pain I really do sympathise with you as my horses used to do it as well, the fencing in my old place was pretty knackered though in the first place so my sister didn't mind too much, didn't leave there by choice re-located.

I hope you find a suitable new home (Probably be good to find somewhere with electric fencing instead that or hedge rows)

 

[Stelzar]

To be honest your best off moving actually sound like your YO and neighbour are dragons, obviously don't know well looked after horses when they see them.

 

[Tnavas]

Fence posts aren't exactly cheap - however the expense comes when you have to dismantle the frnce and replace the chewed posts then re build the fence. TBH if you were grazing at my place with that attitude I'd have given you notice too.

Electric tape is your friend!

 

[xspiralx]

Sadly for every nice, normal horsey person in the world, there are at least 5 completely crazy interfering busybodies.

If it makes you feel any better, I have encountered a number over the years with problems including YO falling in love with my loan horse, refusing to let me move him to a different yard and then telling the owner that I beat him and galloped him in circles for hours, in the hope that she would let them keep him instead.

Another YO threatened to shoot my [thoroughbred] horse for galloping in his field and upsetting her horses [very fat show cobs.]

Horsey people are so fun.... you will be well rid!

 

[reindeerlover]

Fence posts aren't exactly cheap - however the expense comes when you have to dismantle the frnce and replace the chewed posts then re build the fence. TBH if you were grazing at my place with that attitude I'd have given you notice too.

Electric tape is your friend!

Ah Evelyn, you misunderstand me entirely. The fence posts ARE cheap, I have bought them in the past for £2.00 each. They are bashed into the ground and they are strung with electric tape. Not saying there is anything wrong with this type of fencing at all but don't think that this is posh post and rail type fencing with expensive treated wood. They chew the middle of the posts- between the two strands of electric, very bizarre in actual fact, trust me to have weirdos.

The actual point of the post is about the lack of feeding implied.

Spiral- I agree, totally bonkers and if they wanna lose a couple of months payments from me for the sake of £15 worth of fencing then haha to them!

Stelzar- I put them on the naughty step but they ate that too and yes they are dragons.

 

[Natch]

Just a ponder for the future, sorry if this is something you have already tried, but at the next yard would elec fencing with plastic posts be your new best friend?

I know hooligans well. F used to pluck out the plastic posts one by one, despite the fact that this almost certainly meant he got zapped on the lips a few times in the process! If he wasn't doing that, he's stand and kick them (sideways, with a front hoof) until they snapped in half. On second thoughts I'm not sure if plastic posts are the answer at all...

 

[flyingfeet]

Well my new pone was chewing the fence very close to the eleccy wire, and couldn't understand why she was doing it

However fence was down, as had a short, so cleared the fence and mains unit was back up to full power. Oddly haven't seen her chewing since

Granted our fence was the Deer unit (next one up is elephant) and gives you heart palpitations if you touch it (although does also burn off the weeds if they touch it.....)

 

[reindeerlover]

Just a ponder for the future, sorry if this is something you have already tried, but at the next yard would elec fencing with plastic posts be your new best friend?

I know hooligans well. F used to pluck out the plastic posts one by one, despite the fact that this almost certainly meant he got zapped on the lips a few times in the process! If he wasn't doing that, he's stand and kick them (sideways, with a front hoof) until they snapped in half. On second thoughts I'm not sure if plastic posts are the answer at all...

Hahaha, yes I get your point but they always somehow manage to knock down plastic posts and of course break them, stupid annoying beasts. The field I'm moving to (which I had before but has even fewer facilities) has wooden posts with barbed wire at the top and massive hedgerows behind so doesn't seem to cause a problem. Ho- hm, back there for less hassle!

Well my new pone was chewing the fence very close to the eleccy wire, and couldn't understand why she was doing it

However fence was down, as had a short, so cleared the fence and mains unit was back up to full power. Oddly haven't seen her chewing since

Granted our fence was the Deer unit (next one up is elephant) and gives you heart palpitations if you touch it (although does also burn off the weeds if they touch it.....)

Your fencing sounds spectacular, I assume it's mains run? No electric at either yard so poorly old car battery I'm afraid although when OH buys me a shiny big house with land and stuff then I will get Heffalump fencing.