trouble with the shoot again..

H

henryhorn

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www.narramorehorses.blogspot.com
The police have just left, the place sounded like the OK Corral an hour ago when a band of shooters suddenly started beating immediately opposite the entrance to the farm, shouting and banging things then a volley of twelve bores following.
Luckily no-one was actually on a horse in the arena the other side of the hedge, but the remainder galloped about like maniacs, same as last time.
My husband and CCJ shot off in my Range Rover (I assumed a horse had escaped as I was inside oblivious to the noise) and then opened the gate onto the neighbour's land and drove on mad circles between the guns and the pheasants...(Oh my car)
They stopped shooting and husband raved at them about why don't they warn people when they are going to shoot, and unless they moved on he would keep drving..
They came over and said why didn't he tie his horses up, and he then explained he couldn't catch any never mind tie them up..
A row followed and they came home after one of the shooting party pointed his gun at them..
The police arrived and basically explained they were allowed to shoot and there wasn't anything they could do, but they would go and talk to them as they were beating over a footpath and then shotting towards it, something incredibly stupid.
I've rung my neighbour who was unaware of the furore, they rent the land to the farmer who allowed yet another neighbour to extend his shoot over it, and we are on good terms still..
I think all that can happen is they ring and warn when they are likely to be shooting, but feel it is pretty anti-social not to give anyone with horses at least a warning, if C had been getting on the four year old cob she has in for backing, it could have had disastrous consequences..
Now hands up anyone who has met Mr Henryhorn and thinks he is a quiet, shy type..they are the worst it seems when angry. :grins I made him power wash all the mud off my car too...
 
the shooters are a nightmare aren't they!! We have a farm whos land joins to ours, who had a party out shooting this morning.... but they thought it was a good idea to come into our field with their dogs and start shooting.... luckily my horses were still in at the time, but god knows what would have happend if they were out!
 
I know exactly the trouble you're having only we get rough shooting all the time as well as the organised ones. Today I had shooting in two fields adjacent to mine and then when I'd decided enough was enough we'd hack out away from it all we fell across the local meet.

My poor mare was so keen to join in had hell of a job in a snaffle stopping her from taking me hunting in my pink wellies and flourescent bib.
 
We had the shoot this morning too. We had been warned but they normally start around 11 so we made sure we were back from our ride by 10. We were on the corale giving the horses their breakfast when they came down the lane and climbed over our fencing (YO allows it) into the adjacent field. Granted they did actually say good morning, but, no blinking warning that in 3 minutes time they were going to start shooting. Cropi went mad, the pony went mad and the other girl still had her horse outside the corale. Me and the pony decided to abandon their breakfast and get them back to their fields where it was safer for them.

It makes me so mad that they didn't warn us they were going to shoot in the next field. They could see that the horses (well mine) was trying to pull back when they were just walking past, stoopid idots, no idea at all
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I do feel sorry for you. There were lots of organised shoots at random times near where I used to keep the horses & it totally ruined hacking over winter. One day when I could hear them shooting in one direction, I deliberately hacked out in completely the other direction, but they moved while I was out so that they were between me & home. I was on a nervous TBxHann youngster so thought I'd stay at a safe distance & let him watch til they'd finished.

Then some total a**ehole on a quad bike came revving up behind us effectively forcing us onwards & I had no choice but to ride past. It was absolutely terrifying being on a panicking youngster on a wet, steep bridleway heading downhill towards a busy road & to this day I'm grateful we both got home alive.

So weekend hacking became a rushed, early morning affair & I bitterly resented this one group of people effectively annexing the countryside & spoiling it for riders and dog walkers.
 
Sounds like it was a bit of a nightmare again.

We must be very lucky on our yard. There is a shoot over it from time to time, and often we don't get much notice, but the horses are so used to the shooting going on near them that they would barely stop grazing. In fact the only reason they are put away is safety, and so that the guns can actually stand in the paddocks.
 
What a nightmare, I hope nothings hurt.

It makes me so cross when people don't even consider others around them especially shooters, bikers and balloonists, all of which we've had trouble with in the past. One day someone will get killed with this recklessness.
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Good old Range Rover, coping with all that mud. He would have looked pretty silly if he got stuck though !!
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We are plagued with shooting parties at the moment and also a lot of farmers are shooting pigeons and you never know where they are going to pop up next. Last week I stayed safely inside the indoor school because it sounded like the Wild West outside and I swear someone must have had a small cannon as well because every now and then there was a huge boom!
 
Unacceptable behaviour and incorrect advice from the police.

Go straight down to your police station and ask to speak to the firearms officer for that area.

Get yourself a copy of The Code of Good Shooting Practice from The Secretary, Code of Good Shooting Practice, Marford Mill, Rossett, Wrexham LL12 0HL

They are not allowed to shoot near or accross a public highway or a public right of way. Section 161 of the 1980 Highway Act (England and Wales) make it an offence to discharge a firearm within 50 feet of a Highway.

To shoot accross a footpath or bridleway may constitute a public nuisance or wilful obstruction. Information signs should be erected on shoot days on footpaths and bridleways.
 
Mine also got used to it as it was every fortnight. The farmer also had a "banger" in the field so they got used to the noise all year round.
 
"A row followed and they came home after one of the shooting party pointed his gun at them"

Errrrrr, someone pointed a gun at someone, and the police didn't arrest anyone for aiming a firearm at a person, am I missing something or are the police a waste of space, surely the gun owner should have the weapon taken off them and their firearms licence revoked, if I was a bit pissed off for being given a parking ticket and pointed a knife at the person I would be arrested, wouldn't I ?????????????

It's also time something was done about noise pollution, between noisy roads sports cars motorbikes trail bikes fireworks, guns are just an added pain in the ear.
 
I am sure the horses would get used to it, but when it's behind the arena fence which is a bank then the lane and they are immediately next to the hedge, the sound is deafening and of course unexpected when they don't warn anyone!
I feel it's completely anti-social to shoot next to a stud farm (the man in charge lives four fields away) and his dad used to breed section A ponies, they had 60 at one time, so surely they should appreciate the problems?
I am sick and tired of the old excuse of "This is the countryside, put up with it!"
No, we all share the countryside and most of us attempt to get along with our neighbours, if we decided to have a loud music festival you would expect to be warned and asked if they would like the racket stopped by a certain time.
Thank heaven no-one was riding along the lane at the time, it could have been worse.
It will be interesting to see what happens next time, my husband and I disagree re his methods, I'm all for quiet talking if possible, he says bu**er that, let them see he is going to be very pro-active if it happens again..
They did all wander off and shoot some distance away, so it may not happen again.. (he is adamant they can arrest him next time, but I'm going to hide my car keys, he can tazz about on his tractor in future...
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Just as well it wasnt our RR he took,,,, that would have been embarrassing!!!

Merlin is so used to the shooting in the field next to his that when I spoke to the head gunman last week he told me that Merlin actually wanders down the field to see what is going on!!!! He stands the other side of the hedge and watches....... suicidal or stupid..... you decide!!!
 
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