Sheep getting in to our horses field - help!

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Nickf

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We have 2 acres with a pony in it and it is adjacent to common land where sheep wonder.

We have a real big problem with sheep getting into the field and as you all know, grazing is in short supply already due to the bad year plus they are destroying our dry walls and fences in the process of getting in. The other big issue is that once they are in our field they are using it to get in to other people surrounding fields and again knocking down dry stone walls in the process.

The farmer whom lets them roam has many acres of field himself but exercises his common land rights.

We are having to pay for the joining walls between fields to keep being rebuilt.

Does anyone know if I am able to get him to pay for any damaged caused by his sheep?

Is he responsible to keep his sheep out of my field or is the responsibility mine, as I thought it was my responsibility to keep my walls and fences good to keep my horse in and not other animals out?

Any help and advice would be great as I can't afford to keep paying for the walls to be rebuild and if this carries on will have to sell my daughters pony and get rid of the field.

Thanks,

Nick.
 
not sure if this helps at all but my sister lives on a common and its the responsibility of all the houses there to keep the animals grazed on the common land out of their gardens - they have to pay to fence their land to prevent the cattle getting in to their properties
 
Ring your local council and ask them who's responsibility it is to maintain walls and explain the issue - there might be a way of enforcing that the farmer keeps his sheep outside your land.

In the meantime can you string up electric tapes to stop the sheep destroying the walls?
 
Who actually owns the boundaries to your field, if it's you then it's your responsibility to maintain them to keep your livestock in and other people's livestock out.
 
Hi,

I used to own some land with boundary fences to the mountain on two sides. It was entirely my responsibility to keep the fences stock-proof, none of the Commoners would have seen it as their duty to fence other peoples' land, and, as a Commoner myself, if someone on the other side of the mountain had told me I was responsible for his fencing I would have told him where to get off! So, sorry just going by what you say, I should say that it is your responsibility, strengthen your walls then put posts in the top and stockwire it.
 
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