QUICK - should we have to pay for this?

Boxers

Boxers

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riding today round a public bridleway bordering a sheep field. the bridleway is around the perimeter and there is electric tape spearating the bridleway from the sheep.

So friends pony spooked and went through the tape pulling it out. She fell off and both horses very hyper and upset - no doubt hers got a shock.

Anyway, we tried to re-thread the tape but couldn't. the sheep were the far side of the field.

we rode home and i rang round about 5 people before speaking to the sheep's owner who was not happy. i pointed out that we could've just left it and not said anything, but I had made every effort to find the owner and report it.

anyway, he said we would have to pay for the repairs and stated posts at £2 each. I don;t think the posts were broken, just pulled out and i realise it's a hassle to re-thread the 3 rows of tape.

do you think we should have to pay anything? it was a public bridleway after all and just an accident.
 
No, don't pay! he sounds like a grumpy old farmer, and besides, I have a feeling if he is on a public right of way he should have some sort of third party insurance to cover incidents like that!

tell him so! good luck x
 
I actually think you should either pay or go and fix the fence. If his sheep get out, he'll lose more than a few pounds. You caused the damage and you should put it right. (And this is why all riders/horse owners should have good third part insurance, too.)
 
Of course you should . Your animal damaged his fence. Why should he had to pay for the cost?
And of course you could have just left it, totally endangering his stock. It won't be much, stump it up, and spook train friends pony.
 
Personally I think the damage should be paid for - what about a driver driving into the back of your car 'accidently'?? Would they not be expected to pay?

If the ground by you is as dry as ours and posts pulled out I would expect the lugs the wire runs through would snap??

Presumably, the bridleway runs across said farmers land - the farmer then is being responsible by separating the sheep from the bridleway - personally would not risk the farmer refusing access.

Why should he have to pay for damage caused by others, when, if his sheep get out and cause damage following this he would be liable?
 
Personally, i would go and sort the fence out, useable bridleways are worth looking after and although wrong, the landowner could make things awkward. You caused the damage and to maintain a good relationship I would mend/cough up for it.
 
as everyone knows, a spooking horse is often completely unavoidable, it is hardly the same as someone not paying attention and running into the back of you,,

as you said, you went and told him when you didnt have to; people these days get penalised even when they try to do right!
 
Think of it a different way. If someone was riding past your field fencing and their horse spooked and went through it would you expect them to pay or would you just say "oh dear never mind?"

You'd be cross and want them to pay, no? Well that's probably how the farmer feels.
 
hayleyshep88 said:
No, don't pay! he sounds like a grumpy old farmer, and besides, I have a feeling if he is on a public right of way he should have some sort of third party insurance to cover incidents like that!

tell him so! good luck x
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That 'grumpy old farmer' is trying to make a living while we enjoy our hobby, why should he have to use his insurance and pay a excess because the OP damaged HIS property??
 
Access can not be denied F/P or B/W, if they block it off, county council will be on his back and that would cost him more money. A pony spooking cann't be helped and if he'd any sense he'd have put the post a little further away from bridleway.
 
Looks like opinions are divided.

I told him to go and have a look and then let me know what he thinks, so will await that.

I did offer to meet him there to help repair it, but he declined my offer.
 
jrp204 said:
That 'grumpy old farmer' is trying to make a living while we enjoy our hobby, why should he have to use his insurance and pay a excess because the OP damaged HIS property??
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Did she damage it on purpose? i think not, she offered to help repair it, as said its a few pounds per pole, I think he is making a big deal out of it personally
 
OP does not say how far posts are.. they can't be an infinite distance from the path or there would be no field for sheep...
I farmer can prove enough damage incidents he can probably get the Bw resited/closed as its there for your use, not destruction.
If somebody went through your horses fence-would you expect them to cough up? Or his cows trampled your fence? would you just say'oh dear'?!
 
We aren't lucky enough to have bridle paths in this part of the world so don't know the legal stance but morally you should pay for the damage. It is not fair that he is out of pocket and his time is wasted. Horse owners often depend on the goodwill of land owners and it doesn't help when it is not reciprocated by some riders.
 
Yes I think you should pay for it.
If it was the otherway arround then I'm sure you would expect the same respect.
I accept it wasn't done on purpose but unfortuently damage has been done.
Well done for doing the right thing
 
your pony did the damage so you should pay. It is an accident that it spooked but the pony is yours. he does not have a bottomless pocket.
 
There is actually a legal requirement for width of bridlepaths if farmers fence them off (and as a previous poster said, yes there should be signs on it saying it's electric)

But I definitly think if you have caused damage to the fence that is gonna cost money to fix you should pay for it!!!!!! Why should it come out of the farmers pocket??????? It was your friends horse that caused the damage, yes it was one of those things, but was still her animals fault.

If it was your car the horse had spooked into you would expect the rider to pay, even if it was only small damage.
 
Yes spooking horses can be unavoidable but it was the the riders choice to have the horse in that place at that time so have to say it is their responsibility to repair the damage that was done. Why should someone else have to pay? If its an insurance claim the premiums will go up so just like the person who accidentally hit my car sending it through some iron railings and writing it off ended up shelling out though there was no intent to do it and it was just bad luck I was where he accidentally was ended up paying out then so should the person who was responsible for the horse that caused the damage.
 
I was once in a car that overturned when hit by another driver. The accident was the other driver's fault but the driver of the car I was in had to pay to replace the fence we rolled through off the motorway!

In this case the rider of the pony that caused the damage is almost certainly liable. A few pounds for any snapped poles (it isn't like the farmer is even trying to charge for his time/any escaped sheep!) is hardly unreasonable. If it was a lot of money rider's insurance may cover it. This would probs be below any excess though.
 
Tbh it doesn't sound like it's going to be hugely expensive so I think your friend should agree to pay. It always helps to be on the good side of local farmers :)
 
pay up. (or at least your friend should) as its not his falt her horse spooked- why should he stump the bill. Riders seem to get a bad name so i would pay if it was me as i think its important to keep good relations with other county folk
 
How about go pick up some fencing stakes from your local shop, or ask someone for some, we got loads hanging around on our farm and go fix it, problem solved, can't imagine your horses would have broken the stakes?? go check xx
 
As long as the fencing was placed to allow the legal width of a bridleway, the pony caused damage to private property and your friend should pay for it (if the fencing was blocking the bridleway then he would be liable for any injury to your friends pony and your friend would not have to pay any costs, but I don't think that was the case from what you say). Whether the damage was accidental or on purpose is entirely irrelevant. If a driver accidentally drives through your paddock fence they still have to pay for the damage, they can't get away with it because they didn't mean to. This is why people have third party liability insurance!
 
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