Strangers fussing/feeding horses.

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Lolita

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Hello All,

I was just wondering if anyone else has had similar problems. This morning I was doing the ironing and looked out the window to see two people get off there bikes and go feed my horses (bloody mars bars of all things). Am I being unreasonable in thinking this is really stupid behavious, I would never go up to a random horse and pet it?? Thoughts please....Im off to buy a do not fuss the horses sign.
 
I can see both sides.
Side of the people on bikes - perhaps they just wanted to pet your horse and decided to offer it some food they had, after all - how much damage can a bit of mars bar cause, right? Before I owned my own I wouldn't have considered what problem could possibly stem from me giving someones horse a carrot etc..

Your side as the owner - MARS BAR!? ARE U SERIOUS??????? Shall I come and hang over your garden fence and feed your dogs chocolate, should I? HMM??? IDIOTS


I'd put up a sign saying one of the horses is a biter and to please not feed them as they are on special vet prescribed diets for medical conditions, that way no one can get put out!
 
I used not mind passers-by making friends with the horses (our field is on the village street) but unfortunately a holiday cottage has changed things. The varied occupants throughout the summer seem to think that my horses are one of the attractions offered with the let, and a) pat the horses on the ends of their noses, which they hate, and b) offer them all sorts of unsuitable things, especially remembering the parents who proudly told me the kids had made them stop on the way home to buy a loaf of white sliced bread "to feed the horses"! I've now heightened the fence and put a no-mans-land rope inside the gate so they can't touch them. The holiday makers now often hail me to tell me the horses are dead (lying down).

So yes, no fussing, no Mars Bars or anything else.
 
Lol might not be the best time to tell you that APPARENTLY Mars bars contain some banned substances haha! I could understand them giving an apple or some bread to your horses if they are friendly, but chocolate! That would make me worry that they'd be picking up any old poisionous plant from the road side and offering it as well! (or am I just overly cautious!)
 
The farmhouse next to the field is a B&B, so I don't mind people fussing my horses, the horses enjoy it and for some people its the first time they've been so close to a horse.
I'm not keen on them being fed but if its just the occasional tit bit it wouldn't do any harm. Mine would adore a bit of a Mars Bar, they certainly never get treats from me ! It would be a problem if it was a regular occurrence, which lately, it has been, so I've put up a electric fence inside the original fence and explained to the lovely old chap living at the back of the field why feeding them scraps is bad for them.
He was mortified, bless him. He really had no idea.
 
I put signs up at my horses saying not to feed them and not to go in the field with them as they could be allergic to anything they are being fed and I couldn't guarantee their safety.

I hate the school holidays!
 
I get walkers who stop and talk to the ponies, and as they are young and curious they often go over to the field wall and stick their heads over to talk to people. Fortunately I have followed Blue Cross advice and only feed from a bucket, so neither of them will take from a hand, which is really helpful.

I think double fencing with an electric fence and a sign are you best options.
 
cruising_for_you said:
Lol might not be the best time to tell you that APPARENTLY Mars bars contain some banned substances haha!
Click to expand...

Theobromine is banned under FEI (and other) guidelines. "It has been shown that the feeding of 10 M&M's® with peanuts would produce a detectable concentration of theobromine and caffeine in the horse's urine for 48 hours."
 
We once had a silly non horsey man climb into our field with his small daughter to go and pet the horses (big, lairy horses at that). And to make matters worse, he took a carrier bag of carrots and apples in so was mobbed and had to be rescued by the lady who lived over looking the field!! He was very very lucky that he wasn't trampled and his daughter wasn't killed! I can't believe the stupidity of some people.
 
I never realised that some snacks contained banned substances. Thanks for letting me know!! Ive bought a sign warning people not to feed them i thiugh electric fencing would be enough on its own but i guess not! :-)
 
I sem to remember a story many years ago about a racehorse that had won its race testing positive for theobromine. The trainer was aghast, and said he just didn't know how the horse came to have it in his system. It then transpired that the horse had snatched a mars bar off his lad earlier in the day. The horse was disqualified, obviously, and the lad learnt a salutory lesson.
 
Id put up some signs saying please do not feed the horses and a second electric fence. If you catch anyone just point them out and explain.

Like most people though i dont mind people fussing them a bit (as ling as theyre on the outside of the fence!!). Theres a little mare i walk my dog past and she comes rushing over everytime although ive never fed her.. So i dont see anything wrong with that:D
 
My old boy's two fields were separated by a fenced off footpath (about 4' wide) so wherever he was he had passers by offering him and his fieldmates (two youngsters and a 17hh gentle giant) allsorts. At first we didn't mind, but the youngsters in particular soon learned that walkers=treats. Of course the other two didn't want to miss out so all four would hog the fence line and attempt to mug anyone going past. With the path being so narrow, it was very difficult for walkers to avoid them - especially the big boy who could look very imposing and scary and reach right across the path although he'd never hurt anyone. We took photos of them rifling though the pockets of 'passers by' (really a couple of friends who volunteered!) and put them on the stiles into path, asking people not to feed them as it was encouraging the horses to pester walkers. It seemed to work and I don't think people were offended by it.
 
My old loan cob mugged a cyclist of her apples in her cycle basket and nearly knocked the old dear off - same issue passers by fed them! Have do not feed signs but they get ignored or removed so now are fenc away from the path and current horse not as friendly - thank goodness
 
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