We live outside of the city but the city is growing across the road from us and they're building new houses and lots of people are moving into this area. One of our boarders and my mum went into the pasture and along side pasture where the road is, they found like 20 golf balls randomly amongst the pasture. We think some retarded teens were throwing golf balls at our horses. The next day my dad pulled his horse out of the pasture and his forelock was braided with a big pink flullfy hair tie at the end!! I've chased away many people and yelled at them to stop touching our horses but they just keep coming back. I'm almost ready to put up electric fencing on the outside of the fence and hope some retards get zapped. What should I do? I cant have people throwing golf balls at our horses and feeding them random things, especially since they're not just our horses (boarders also) and they dont know if that horse will hurt them. What if they get hurt, I dont need to get sued!! HELP!
Keeping strangers out of the pasture? Haha Starlight! I have a couple signs like that for my bison pasture that I've posted everywhere the fence meets a turnoff from the highway. It has a photo of our bull and says, "Freight Train can make it to the fence in less than 2.3 seconds...can you?" I also have a sign that says "Electric fence...pee on it. I dare ya."
Trespassers are a really big problem for us because our animals are so cool. And people think that just because they're in a fence, they're tame. Our fence is 7 feet tall and we still had people climbing it. Even though our fence wasn't electrified at the time, I put up the electric fence sign. It helped a lot and didn't cost me any more than $2. I put up the electric fence when I kept looking out the window and seeing teenage boys taking my dare...boy were they surprised to discover my mean streak!
I about had a conniption when the county wanted to build a bike trail through our pastures. I convinced all the ranchers around us that this would lead to people messing with our animals and us being sued for other people's stupidity.
Keeping strangers out of the pasture? Get a trespassing sign and put up an electric fence or another, higher fence about five feet or so from the other fence that the horses are in, just so people can't climb over or throw things or get to the horses. I am so sorry to hear that people are messing with your horses and I know it is scary. You don't know what they could be feeding the horses (those retarted teens can really do some damage, even stupid adults). Just find out where you can get a no tresspassing under state law sign. I know it doesn't always work, but it can scare some people away like that probably young girl who braided the forelock.
Another suggestion is build something else near that area and put the horse pen somewhere else, but that costs money. Electric fence might work just fine.
Keeping strangers out of the pasture? It's going to be an ongoing problem bring the fences back away from common space and put up posted signs.
Keeping strangers out of the pasture? I had this problem when I had my horses. I would suggest (if it is in your budget) to put up a tall (6+ feet) chain link fence with barbed wire at the top. That way they could not reach the horses through the fence and they would be less apt to climb it. Unfortunately, short of killing some one, it is almost impossible to stop them from messing with the horses, and yes, you still have that liability issue if some idiot gets hurt. The other things is a solid wood fence, signs, or welded wire with chicken wire to keep out the golf balls. Sadly, the only ways to get them to quit are gonna cost you money. You could always go talk to all the parents on that side of the street and ask for their cooperation, but sadly that will probabally be of little help. You can put up the electric fence on the outside, but you may have to check with the laws of your state / county to see what liability issues you would have from doing that. Sorry I am not much help.
Keeping strangers out of the pasture? I had this problem aswell, I even came home to some stupid parent putting their child on the back of one of my horses that was out in the pasture...luckly it was an older quiet horse, who knows what would have happened if they tried that with one of the young ones...
A huge problem with trespassers is you are held liable if they do something stupid and get themselves hurt. If someone come onto your property and gets injured by one of the horses, they can come back and sue you. Put up no tresspassing signs, also put up signs saying something like 'by entering the property one understands and assumes all risk involved with equine activity.' You should also post a copy of the equine liability act around your farm. Your insurance company may have these signs for you to either get for free or purchase for a low price.
You need to call the police everytime there is suspicious activity on your property, and everytime you catch a trespasser. You could also get a few motion sensor lights to put up so that if any intruders come at night, the lights will flash on. If there is someone innocently wanting to pet your horses on your property, go up to them, explain why they need your permission and supervision around the horses, and maybe offer to bring in a horse for them to pet for a couple mins. By educating people and being somewhat friendly (not too friendly though) you will give them a better understanding of how to act around your horses, and they will understand that you are concerned for their safety as well as your horses, and that you aren't just being mean.
Another trick is to get a donkey for your barn. Donkeys will usually brey- loudly- everytime a stranger comes into the barn, or if something is going on out of the ordinary in the field. they can be great gaurd animals.
Keeping strangers out of the pasture? Call local law enforcement, express your concerns (it puts you on record) Post the property. Set up surveilance, catch them and prosecute them.
Keeping strangers out of the pasture? Post "no trespassing" signs along your fence, and I would also post some signs that say something like "horses bite and may kick- approach at your own risk." The most effective sign I ever saw posted on a farm fence, though, was one that you can try. It has a couple of sillohettes of Rottweiler dogs on it, 1 large and 1 small, and it reads " WE can make it to the fence in 3 seconds-CAN YOU? " The farm that I worked on that had this also had Rottweiler guard dogs which were let out at night to patrol and roam around the property. The farm had an invisible fencing system, and the dogs wore electronic sound collars to keep them from straying. The beauty of this was that passersby knew enough to stay away from the pastures and fences, and they also knew not to feed the horses anything ( it also helped that there were electric wires running along the top of the fences) and yet the people who had legitimate business on the farm were in no way affected by this. This may be something you want to consider.
One other note- not everyone who decides to feed strange horses in a pasture is a "retard" as you put it. These people are well intentioned, at least most of them are. It's just that they are ignorant, and don't realize that feeding horses which one knows nothing about is not only very rude, but it can be dangerous. That's why I suggested you try putting up some signs, and getting a dog or 2 to protect your property. I currently work in the field of Developmental Disabilities, and I can assure you that most of the people who have an Intellectual Disability are not only not interested in horses, many are in fact afraid of them. ( ID's are the new name for what used to be called mental retardation.) The "retards" you are referring to are normal, intelligent people who just happen to be ignorant where horses are concerned, and who need to be reminded that strange animals in a pasture are off-limits and shouldn't be messed with, anymore than they would approach a strange house without permission. Please do not confuse the 2- most people with an ID are only too glad to stay out of situations where they might get hurt or in trouble, and it's not fair to them to say that everyone who is feeding and messing with your horses when they are not supposed to has an ID. Most of them don't, because ID's are something that one is born with, and they are NOT mental illnesses. Mental illness is a transient condition that can be treated and usually cured in most cases. Good luck.
Keeping strangers out of the pasture? Yes, I agree the everybody else.... a chain link fence and a electric fence too.
For surveillance you can use those "wild life cameras"..... they are inexpensive %26amp; you can catch the lil hoodliums in the act.
Post signs so you can have them arrested for trespassing.
Keeping strangers out of the pasture? put up a tresspassing sighn then if they come back who cares if ur horse kicks them it would be their own fault for tresspassing and you gotta get an REALLY STRONG electric fence so they will never come back again !!
also buy a dog and train it to attack people when they are doing bad things so if they come then its their fault also put up beware of dog signs
Keeping strangers out of the pasture? you should put up a sign and say if you see them there will be a 500
$ fine! and you should also put up electric fence!
Keeping strangers out of the pasture? 3 Strands of electric wire for keeping people out :)
For the golf balls, thats a toughy. When I was a kid, my folks had pukey neighbors and they did the same thing. We moved.
Nowadays you can get those security cameras. You might want to think about those and see if you can identify those people, but you would have something for a witness also if you wanted to prosecute.
Keeping strangers out of the pasture? Whoa! getting a dog to attack people? Thats a law suit in the making! That happens, and they will own your place! I understand your problm, I had it, I caught a few people trespassing, asked them if I could ride my 4 wheeler in there back yard, of course they said no. That slowed them down! People are curious, most mean no harm, but if it consists, keep calling the police until there sick of hearing you. They will do something, like visiting the neigbors and warning them just to shut you up! Cameras do work! Especially if the cops show up, you have all the evedince you need! Good luck with this! I know, it can be a headache! Now here in Missouri, its legal to shoot dogs that are chasing any livestock. But not people!
Keeping strangers out of the pasture? Someone said you should post liability and trespassing signs, this is absolutely true! They are spot on. You may also want to include a sign that says, "Please don't feed me, I take fingers too. And if you make me ill, my owner will sue." I once saw it at a show and it made me chuckle.
Someone else suggested dogs. If you keep dogs, I would suggest a German Shepard. We kept them growing up, they are kind and very loyal, they require proper training because of their size but many people are intimidated by them. The thing about the breed is that whenever anyone comes near the property, much like the braying donkey, the bark. They are not to be used as attack dogs, but watchdogs.
I would also suggest you call the police, describe the antics and request they do regular drive-bys when on patrol. We had a similar problem with vandalism of outbuildings at my Grandfather's, spray painting etc. The police wrote the road into their nightly drive-by schedule and I think that was enough to scare the little buggers off.
Keeping strangers out of the pasture? I had this issue when I boarded my horses in the city. People think they can come up from the river into the stables and pet each and every horse they pass by. Not realizing, if they didn't, they are passing along bacteria/germs from one horse to the next (especially if they don't realize a horse is sick that is "away" from the others) and feeding items that some horses can't eat (my gelding couldn't eat the leaves and I would specifically make sure none got in his pen. they would be feeding him when I arrive. boy did they run as I was a mad woman! Next thing I know, I am calling the vet with a hived, high fever horse).
or when I trailer my horses and I need to go into the store to get something: carrots, something to drink or to the tack store etc. I come out with people hanging all over the trailer or grass steams everywhere. I had one kid, not knowing who was on the back on the trailer, stay on as I was pulling away. His mom had the nerv to yell at me! Um, maybe she should teach her kid to leave other people's animals alone and not climb onto my own property!
With your situation, put up warnings of, not touch nor feed the horses. I would also put up an electrical fence, but make sure it is checked daily. some horses have got caught and hurt in them when we used to board at the stables who had them. Luckly, they had the ones that if sensered for a few seconds, it would automatically shut down (so doesn't cause serious injury).
Other than that, not too much you can do but put up a fencing where they can not be reached. (high brick wall or chain fence with wood stripings).
as far as the goft balls, if you see anyone. Call the SPCA on them for animal cruelty (get in big trouble for that in my local area, even in the country where I am at) and call the cops. Get ID (what they are wearing, what house or area it is etc). Sometimes even investing in a camera to monitor once in awhile can help.
They might be playing golf or they might be doing animal cruelty. Either way, it is wrong to do in that zone.
File a complaint with the city if it gets worse or is consistant. Same with the boarders. You really can't get sued for something that you can not stop all the way. You can try to prevent, but it isn't your fault the government is allowing our land to be built up with housing.
Keeping strangers out of the pasture? Definatly look into an electric fence! Or possibly a barb wire fence on the outside of your current fence.
Also look into those signs that say, "Smile your on camera"... even if you don't have a camera, that will deter some of them.
I would also alert the local police as to this, so that they can possibly patrol the area.
Good luck with this.... that's a really frustrating problem!
Keeping strangers out of the pasture? put up an elictric fence
put no tresspassing signs up
contact a local authority and tell them what is going on and see if sometimes they can cruise by and check it out
Keeping strangers out of the pasture? double fencing, one of which should be electric, the other should be a few feet in or out %26amp; stockade or chain link type lined w/barbed wire. Signs everywhere %26amp; maybe even make a flier to leave in all the neighbors mailboxes explaining the law %26amp; trespassing %26amp; how dangerious it is to human %26amp; horse to do stupid things!
