Reported to the RSPCA

I also overheard someone telling their mate about how I was abusing my poor pony because she was shouting to her friend, who was at home, on a hack. Not to mention I was holding a crop while riding, a great horror indeed 🙄

Luckily most people around here are reasonably clued up about it, never had any major issues so far 🤞
 
Our first winter on our field was a horrendously wet one. We found out the hard way that clay land that had been ploughed for over 20 years and only down to grass for about 4 years was not up to the number of horses we had grazing it. 23 acres and on the side of a hill but very wet. We made the mistake of putting the hay out on a fresh spot every day so basically the horses ploughed the whole field, it looked appalling. Someone reported us for the horses standing in mud and we had an inspector come round. I didn't see him but our very straight talking next door neighbour did. Told the inspector that those girls are up here everyday seeing to those horses and that if the inspector could show him a dry field anywhere let him know and he would move his sheep to it. Never heard any more about it and we learned to make sacrifice areas for feeding.
 
I had someone report me for “flies all over the horses and reports they were very distressed”. At the time I rented a lovely hilly field which had access off the back of the farm at the top and off a road at the bottom. Unfortunately the road side one was next to a river and opposite a footpath. Meaning people would come to feed the horses and they would stand head banging by the gate at all the flies off the river.

My pony was 29 years old at that point and had always been head shy, despite us owning him for 15 years. He wouldn’t tolerate a fly mask. I fenced off that entire corner of the field to stop them going near the public and the RSPCA took one look at the healthy horses in a nice, poo picked field and walked away.
 
Thanks everyone for helping me feel better about it all. After a sleepless night I’ve decided I’ll be moving them as soon as possible. I want to enjoy having them, not worry about my care being scrutinised and bitched about by people I haven’t even met and who have no idea what they’re talking about.

It’s a shame as there are a few pony mad kids in the area who I allow to come and spend supervised time with one of the older ponies. I’ve taught them how to groom and other basic pony club stuff, and have given my time freely. They’ll now be missing out but my anxiety is through the roof and this is supposed to be an enjoyable hobby.
 
nagblagger said:
On the back of this complaint could you apply for planning permission for a permanent structure, increase field value etc.😉.
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It’s not my land, it’s rented. I tried to build a shade structure for them when they were in a different part of the field before the last heatwave. Ironically this paddock had barely any shade at all, but was not visible from the footpath, so no complaints. I used steel posts and tarpaulin but the posts buckled with a small bit of wind so had to take it straight down for safety.

Consequently I then spent hours and hours moving all of the fencing to the part of the field that has high hedges for shade and shelter. I also spent hundreds on a pump system to get water from the trough to their new paddocks. And yet I get reported.
 
it would really piss me off to be reported although luckily we are quite far out, and our neighbouring landowners are no problem and would say if there was a problem. Tourists aren't normally that close to them/

I have no time for the RSPCA
Many years ago I reported to them 2 part bred arabs who were living wild (they are tame horses) on the moor. Both had large holes in their sides which I expect were due to moorland stallions taking a chunk out ofthem.
They sent a vet out and traced who was looking after them (or not looking after them) vet was familiar with the details. They belonged to someone banned from keeping horses for 10 years (which was still running) and his practice had been involved in the court case. He advised it was one of the worst they had dealt with.

These arabs were still owned by the old owner but someone (an equally poor horse keeper) had taken them on behalf of the old owner and just turned them out. So they were owned by someone banned from horse keeping.
They were in terrible condition, vet did what he could. Then the RSPCA inspector came out to inspect. Then, wait for the punchline , they handed them in appalling condition back to the banned owner.
WFT was that all about :mad::mad::mad::mad:

To say I was furious was an understatement. If it was now I would just have taken them in and kept them but at the time I didn't have the money to do so.
 
kerrieberry2 said:
do the reporters want to buy you a shelter rather than making complaints! some people have nothing better to do!
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Good point! We got reported to the council for installing a field shelter! Apparently one of the local residents 'didn't like the look of it.'

We did win the case in the end but it was all just bonkers.
 
Nancykitt said:
Good point! We got reported to the council for installing a field shelter! Apparently one of the local residents 'didn't like the look of it.'

We did win the case in the end but it was all just bonkers.
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Im so sorry that happened to you. This is exactly why I haven’t put one up, not even a mobile one. Legally I’d be ok but I don’t want the stress. I’ve already had people threaten me with the council for putting a fence alongside the footpath to stop walkers going up to the ponies. They were upset they wouldn’t be able to use the land to exercise their dogs.

Like, what am I supposed to do here (other than move to somewhere better, which I am). Also we rent, and the cost and hassle of tearing down and transporting a mobile field shelter when we move would be awful.
 
kerrieberry2 said:
do the reporters want to buy you a shelter rather than making complaints! some people have nothing better to do!
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If they’re happy to buy it, deal with the inevitable complaints from walkers, then deal with the council, then dismantle it and transport it when we move, they’re ever so welcome to do so.

No doubt I’d then get complaints that the ponies weren’t using it..
 
Babypony said:
Im so sorry that happened to you. This is exactly why I haven’t put one up, not even a mobile one. Legally I’d be ok but I don’t want the stress. I’ve already had people threaten me with the council for putting a fence alongside the footpath to stop walkers going up to the ponies. They were upset they wouldn’t be able to use the land to exercise their dogs.

Like, what am I supposed to do here (other than move to somewhere better, which I am). Also we rent, and the cost and hassle of tearing down and transporting a mobile field shelter when we move would be awful.
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Unless you’re in Scotland or grazing Open Access-designated land, public right of way is restricted to the footpath, and whatever width it is recorded as in the local Definitive Statement.
If you have another option to graze away from a PROW, probably greater peace of mind and less risk, but I definitely wouldn’t get upset about the RSPCA!
 
Exasperated said:
Unless you’re in Scotland or grazing Open Access-designated land, public right of way is restricted to the footpath, and whatever width it is recorded as in the local Definitive Statement.
If you have another option to graze away from a PROW, probably greater peace of mind and less risk, but I definitely wouldn’t get upset about the RSPCA!
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Unfortunately in order to have the shade they need in this hot weather, I’ve had to move to them to a section of the field that is viewable from the footpath. I’ve not been here long and I’ve already had people cutting their tails and taking fences down. I was going to put electrified fencing along the footpath before this, but I’ve had enough and just want to leave. Any suggestions for grass livery/fields to rent in Hampshire would be gratefully received. Im not too fussed on location, I just want them somewhere safe.
 
Nancykitt said:
Good point! We got reported to the council for installing a field shelter! Apparently one of the local residents 'didn't like the look of it.'

We did win the case in the end but it was all just bonkers.
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Presumably a Planning rather than Welfare complaint?
Annoying, particularly since most horse people go out of their way to use ‘mobile’ shelters, and then even more annoying when their horses hardly ever use them!
A typical concern is that field shelters are the back door route to a permanent structure on that site, x years down the line, but jealousy can’t be ruled out, even if pure ignorance is.
 
Exasperated said:
Presumably a Planning rather than Welfare complaint?
Annoying, particularly since most horse people go out of their way to use ‘mobile’ shelters, and then even more annoying when their horses hardly ever use them!
A typical concern is that field shelters are the back door route to a permanent structure on that site, x years down the line, but jealousy can’t be ruled out, even if pure ignorance is.
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Well it started off as a planning issue but they were then going on about how it 'created mud' and the poor horses were standing in the mud. Y
And yes, they often chose to stand in the pouring rain rather than under the shelter! They did seem to use it a lot more in the hot weather.

It wasn't a busy village apart from one day a year - Good Friday. On that day we had to move the horses well away from the public as we once caught someone trying to feed my daughter's pony a meat and potato pie...
 
Exasperated said:
Presumably a Planning rather than Welfare complaint?
Annoying, particularly since most horse people go out of their way to use ‘mobile’ shelters, and then even more annoying when their horses hardly ever use them!
A typical concern is that field shelters are the back door route to a permanent structure on that site, x years down the line, but jealousy can’t be ruled out, even if pure ignorance is.
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I think, as well, if you are going to keep horses either at livery or on land you rent or own, you have to grow a thick skin. If you know your animals are fit and healthy, or if not, are working with the vet, RSPCA, or indeed, anyone else can turn up and inspect them.
We've had it here, the complaint was about our sheep. RSPCA had passed the concern onto DEFRA who sent a vet out. He was very nice, looked at said sheep, the water and hay available etc, fully understood that it was a malicious complaint because we had told more than one dog walker to keep their pets out of our fields (there are no footpaths on our land), said there were no problems to address and went again.
Interestingly after another episode with a loose dog in with our sheep, the owner in a temper admitted that the complaint had been a malicious one!
 
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