neighbours horse grazing in our field .. what would you do ...

A

Amazona

Well-Known Member
Joined
8 February 2006
Messages
223
Location
Midlands
Visit site
Ok so I am putting this out there for my horsey friends opinion / advise ... we have a winter field and a relative has field next door .. One day in November I went to check our horses (only 2 mares) in the winter field to find another strange horse is on our field and chasing our horses around ...it turns out it is a friends of the relatives horse and its suppose to be in next door field but it has broken fence down and come into ours . we had tons of grass as we had rested our field all summer and only just started using it ...we repaired the fence and returned horse back next door .. horse went nuts as clearly a bit of a rig and within an hour he has smashed fence down and back in our field where he is still to this day ..during this time period the other 2 horses from that field have also broken through fence as there is no food in their field .. and we have hay bales put in our feeder every week .. our field is now bare as well as our hay eaten,,, the owner has promised to remove the horse each week but nothing has happened ... and I have now asked for a contribution of £180 for hay (this is since Nov ) have now been told they only think their horses have eaten £30 worth of hay,,, (we are talking 1 Irish Draught , 1 TB and a pony .. and they said its up to us to repair the fence . even though our horses havent been the one to break the fence twice ...and to top it all off the Irish draught is a crib biter and has chewed all our what were immaculate posts..... ... have no idea who actually owns the horse even though have asked .. and no one is attending to it other than me when I check mine ....
 
Could you put electric fence on the high poles along the fence. Your expense again but might work. Tell them if they don't sort it you'll have them removed by the warden
 
unfortunaty we dont have electric at this field and the fence was solid post and rails in hedge and we have ditch on our side so thought that would be enough ..
Ye I am looking into wether we could do abandonment notice or a lein for damage and costs ...
 
there was practically brand new post and rails .. with a hedge growing on our side and a ditch on out side ... we repaired the fence with rails and put hirse back .. we then watched worriedly as he galloped up and down the fence line trying to get back .. he attempted a gate thats betweem the 2 fields but failed so he just went back to where he had made a gap in the hedge and just half jumped ha;f crashed through the newly repaired fence .. we havent gared put him back out as we are so worried we would be reponsible if he badly injures himself trying again .. but the owners have not been near .. and dont seem interested... he is a big 17hh irsh draught
 
I would definately speak to the BHS helpline or another specialist solicitor (if you aren't a BHS member if might be worth joining just to speak to the helpline). I know what I'd probably do but I doubt it is legal!
 
I may have read your post wrong, but I think the horse belongs to your relative's friend and should be in your relative's field. What does your relative say?
 
Can you not put up electric fencing with a battery? If you get a decent sized one it'll deliver a decent sting. My 17hh+ is respectful of even the smallest battery model. Ponies are usually worse. It is more expense but if it keeps him out of your field...Then contact BHS asap regarding the lack of care.
 
I don't understand why you have been feeding and boarding these horses since November. Why didn't you go and buy a battery fence energizer and some wire to keep them out? Of course, you shouldn't have had to, just as I shouldn't have to fence out my neighbour's grass thieving sheep, but sometimes it's just the only sensible way to solve a problem like this.
 
I would have dealt with it 3 months ago, tbh I think it is bizarre you have just fed and looked after these horses all winter. For what that has cost you you could have put them back and rebuilt a wall in between!

Just saw ycbm...hadn't read that first, sorry.
 
we have put the horses back twice and rebuilt a solid post and rail .. we dont want wire as ours are sporthorse broodmares ... twice now the irish draught has galloped round in a blind panic trying to get back to our horses before he crashed though the fence again .. we are worried how liable we are trying again and making the fence even more solid .. which we are going to attepmt this weekend but worried he will badly injure himself and clearly his owner is absent .. we have to feed ours enough to compensate for the extra horses in our field as dont want ours being bullied
 
I hope your sport horse brood mares are not in foal with a possible 'riggy' gelding running amok? I, for sure, would not tolerate that. It is the responsibility of owners to fence their own stock in, not for you to fence them out.
 
Amazona said:
we have put the horses back twice and rebuilt a solid post and rail .. we dont want wire as ours are sporthorse broodmares ... twice now the irish draught has galloped round in a blind panic trying to get back to our horses before he crashed though the fence again .. we are worried how liable we are trying again and making the fence even more solid .. which we are going to attepmt this weekend but worried he will badly injure himself and clearly his owner is absent .. we have to feed ours enough to compensate for the extra horses in our field as dont want ours being bullied
Click to expand...

Your answer is likely to be electric. I don't understand why you would be worried about electric fence wire/tape/rope with brood mares?
 
sport horse said:
I hope your sport horse brood mares are not in foal with a possible 'riggy' gelding running amok? I, for sure, would not tolerate that. It is the responsibility of owners to fence their own stock in, not for you to fence them out.
Click to expand...

If people won't, they won't. It's no good me complaining that I don't want to feed two different owners' flocks of sheep on my field. The only way to stop them is to take responsibility for fencing/walling which is clearly marked on the deeds as theirs. That, or go to court with my neighbours!

I wouldn't have fed those horses all winter, that's for sure!
 
you can get electric fence fixings that you nail onto post and rail...Just put the tape on the IDs side of the new fence, it doesn't have to be anywhere near your mares.
 
own personal experience tells me if his horse crashes through post and rail he isnt going to worry about running straight through some tape then I have a horse galloping round with potentially tape and fencing wrapped round legs after my broodmares .. who I know will then take off in blind panic... the relative has been told week after week to get the horse removed off our fields which she says will happen .. first we were told the following week .. then we were told the horse will be taken away at end of Dec .. and so on and so on .. and just now fed up after looking after some strangers horses all winter .. so asked advice about abandonment or legal processes anyone might know of as they clearly arent taking this serious
 
For goodness sake! Man the hell up and tell them straight to remove their animals and to make sure they dont return! And mean it! Sorry op but you have been a complete doormat and should have dealt with the issue in November!
 
In that case, when you rebuild the fence I would put a large notice on it saying that any animals allowed to fly graze in your field will be subject to an abandonment notice...hopefully your relative will report this to the owner. Unfortunately an abandonment notice gives the owner a few days to reclaim the animal..so this may not solve your problem of repeated fence destruction and hay usage.
It's beginning to look as though the small claims court is the only answer.
 
Amazona said:
own personal experience tells me if his horse crashes through post and rail he isnt going to worry about running straight through some tape then I have a horse galloping round with potentially tape and fencing wrapped round legs after my broodmares .. who I know will then take off in blind panic... the relative has been told week after week to get the horse removed off our fields which she says will happen .. first we were told the following week .. then we were told the horse will be taken away at end of Dec .. and so on and so on .. and just now fed up after looking after some strangers horses all winter .. so asked advice about abandonment or legal processes anyone might know of as they clearly arent taking this serious
Click to expand...

Have you tried touching an electric fence?

You don't just let it run at it. You put it on a lead rope and encourage the horse to sniff it. Then let go pronto. It's a fairly uncommon large horse that will go near it again. He's almost certainly breasting the fence, not charging full pelt at it from a distance. He won't breast a five thousand volt shock tape!

If you are worried about the tape, put it in shorter lengths in clip holders so it pulls apart. Put a knot in each end of three metre lengths, put the ends of each two pieces in a clip holder. If the horse comes though, the tape will open the clip and fall and be too short to damage anyone's legs.

I can't believe you've fed these horses all winter without even giving it a try and standing watching to make sure it works. Such a simple solution.


These:

section_ins_tape.jpg
 
Last edited:
ycbm said:
Have you tried touching an electric fence?

You don't just let it run at it. You put it on a lead rope and encourage the horse to sniff it. Then let go pronto. It's a fairly uncommon large horse that will go near it again. He's almost certainly breasting the fence, not charging full pelt at it from a distance. He won't breast a five thousand volt shock tape!

If you are worried about the tape, put it in shorter lengths in clip holders so it pulls apart. Put a knot in each end of three metre lengths, put the ends of each two pieces in a clip holder. If the horse comes though, the tape will open the clip and fall and be to short to damage anyone's legs.

I can't believe you've fed these horses all winter without even giving it a try and standing watching to make sure it works. Such a simple solution.
Click to expand...

This is so true!
My cobs will walk through a post and rail...but one zap from an electric fence and they give it a wide berth.
 
EKW said:
For goodness sake! Man the hell up and tell them straight to remove their animals and to make sure they dont return! And mean it! Sorry op but you have been a complete doormat and should have dealt with the issue in November!
Click to expand...

^^^
this. go round NOW don't wait til tomorrow. and give your relly whatfor. absolutely ridiculous situation.
 
sorry but if you only have a ditch on your side I think you probably need to fence your side - assuming the post and rail and hedge is theirs?
I'd be tempted to catch the horses and remove them and see if someone comes for them quickly then!
 
Many years ago we had neighbours (horse owner neighbours who rented field) whose ponies kept breaking into our land. We put them back, mended fence. They broke it again and again - same procedure. Then I caught the ponies and kept them in a corrale for three days, the owners finally collected them, waited till we repaired the fence and then put them out again. Next time, I am sorry, but I ushered them out into the lane and up to the local vet (it is a very quiet lane!). Vet took them in and one large bill later the ponies never returned to the field.
 
ycbm said:
Have you tried touching an electric fence?

You don't just let it run at it. You put it on a lead rope and encourage the horse to sniff it. Then let go pronto. It's a fairly uncommon large horse that will go near it again. He's almost certainly breasting the fence, not charging full pelt at it from a distance. He won't breast a five thousand volt shock tape!

If you are worried about the tape, put it in shorter lengths in clip holders so it pulls apart. Put a knot in each end of three metre lengths, put the ends of each two pieces in a clip holder. If the horse comes though, the tape will open the clip and fall and be too short to damage anyone's legs.

I can't believe you've fed these horses all winter without even giving it a try and standing watching to make sure it works. Such a simple solution.

Mine will go through electric fence quite happily. She knows damn well that if she takes a run up it doesn't hurt for long because the connection is broken. This is with a fencer on high setting.
Mains electric might work because that's a real jolt, but not possible at our yard.


These:

section_ins_tape.jpg
Click to expand...

Mine will happily walk through an electric fence. She know damn well if she takes a run up it doesn't hurt long because the connection gets broken. This is with a fencer in high setting.
Mains electric fencing might work as that really gives a jolt, but not possible at our yard.
 
little_critter said:
Mine will happily walk through an electric fence. She know damn well if she takes a run up it doesn't hurt long because the connection gets broken. This is with a fencer in high setting.
Mains electric fencing might work as that really gives a jolt, but not possible at our yard.
Click to expand...

I said uncommon, not unknown. The OP hadn't even tried.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top