What do I do?? Holiday makers!

dominobrown

dominobrown

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Today I caught holiday makers for a 2nd time feeding my horses over the gate. My other 2 horse (mares) don't go near them but my gelding does (the one that goes to competitions etc!) goes up to them. This is the first time is has happened as my road is really quiet but my neighbours have built holiday cottages so the people are coming on their bikes and feeding my horse. So far (i speid on them today from the stables) have just been patting them and feeding him grass, but obviously I havnt seen if they have fed him anything else.
The first time I caught them I was riding past and said something like 'please don't feed those horses as they may bite'. The people seem nice but obviously dont know much about horses and I hope they don't go into the field (it is paddlocked) or feed him rubbish. Luckily he is not on resticted grazing or anything.
What do I do? I don't want to spoil their holiday, but also dont want people feeding my horse rubbish or tresspassing across my land.
 
I used to keep my horses in a field that had a post and rail fence adjoining a camp site.... possibly even worse situation, especially as one of my gees was laminitic!

What I did was electric fence a metre or so away from the fence and put warning signs on the fence to say it was electrified. Most non-country folk think that touching electric fencing will kill them! This way the horses couldn't hang there heads over the fence.

I also put up a laminated sign saying that my pony had a condition very similar to diabetes and that she was fed on a diet strictly controlled by her owner and that feeding her could kill her. They didn't know which horse it was, so it seemed to do the trick.

I also asked the campsite owner to ask new arrivals not to feed the horses when they checked in.

Good luck. It is a real battle!
 
Put up a sign like this...

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or more seriously....

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A stables that I work at has a field that backs onto a holiday park. Someone kept throwing potato peelings over, only 1 of the horses ate them and it was like somebody had sedated her! We put up electric fence and loads of signs telling people not to feed the horses.
 
I think I will put of bit of fencing up. Good ideas, I may try making a sign. p.s if one of their kids gets bitten or kicked I wont be responsible ??? because on occasions my horse will bite.
 
We always put some electric fencing inside the gate, not too far but far enough to stop them feeding or easily tossing food to the animals. Signs will help a little, but far too many people ignore signs, or are not familiar with the language.
 
I would ask the neighbour to stipulate that the horses are NOT a part of the holiday, or a public park! All livestock in fields BELONG to other people and should be treated as such. It may sound harsh, but you are not being paid to suplement your neighbours holiday giving experience.
 
I would ask the neighbour to include a note as Wobblywibble says: 'Please do not feed or pet the horses in the adjacent field, one of them has a nasty bite'

Could impact on repeat business for the holiday cottages if someone did get bitten, and yes I'm sure you'd be liable if they did bite.
 
I totally agree with what has been said, but isn't it the same legal position as having a sign that says "beware of the dog", which in a court of law now amits that your animal is dangerous!

I would check with your insurance company before displaying a sign that says your horse bites as you may be liable should it kick or bite? (Stupid country what is happening to common sense!)
 
Notice: "I'm glad you like my lovely horses. However, one is on a special diet, and given the wrong food, even carrots or apples, could die. So please don't feed them anything at all."
That worked for me when I was next to a caravan site.
I do think that you could ask your neighbour to put a notice in the holiday cottatges. Not saying that your horses bite, but something along the lines of the fact that they are nothing to do with the cottages, and should not be fed anything at all because one has a serious medical condition.
 
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