ASBO ponies - Lily's grounded!?

Surely the golf course has a responsibility to ensure that the fences and boundaries are sturdy enough to prevent the encroachment of livestock.

I had a similar problem many years ago with my horse who was also about 2 at the time. Popcorn managed to get through a fence and a hedge into the neighbours land, leaving his field buddies behind. Seeing some people he galloped over to them. Problem was that the neighbouring land was an aerodrome and the people he saw had just got in a helicopter. He cantered round and round the helicopter, I guess wanting attention from the people and they couldn't take off. When we go the call from the aerodrome we just went over and called his name and he came galloping back. We couldn't even find the hole he made in the fence but he managed to show us by getting back in through it. He did it several times and each time he made a new hole to get through. In answer, yes our neighbours used to hate us back then!

A similar thing happened to me when my 12.2 wmp buggered off without me. It was awful. He cleared a 4.5 ft hedge beautifully yet would not go 18 inches for me and went onto a golf course and disappeared for about 3 days! I got a rollocking too and had to go all the way round the golf course getting rid of all the divets he has made and told I was never to keep a pony in that field again. You were mortified, I was back in diapers aged 10!

Ha, ha,ha thats funny, sorry, and yes my neighbours (although they've never said anything) must really hate me we have the usual trails of hay and straw coming from the car,mud EVERYWHERE! and to make it worse I bought a trailer and stuck it right in front of the house, so the "really" nosey couple across the road can no longer watch me eating my bloody breakfast in the morning, brilliant, oh and the times when on a hack near home I'll pop home for a cup of tea and let my mare graze in my garden, ooh if looks could kill, this is a real keep up with the jones's cul-de-sac, lol, Georgie.

I think the staff are being exceptionally unreasonable there Mary hon - I really don't see a problem with a nice bit of music and dancing - it's what keeps us all young at heart after all! Heheh - I'd probably get an ASBO for playing my shouty punk CD's too loud and waving bits of chicken about in the street late at night in my nightie - trying to get my naughty cats in for the evening! Aaargh - the neighbours are used to it by now - they think I'm a fruit loop!! :o) xxxxxxxx

Well this doesn't really answer your question but at my trainer has her own personal barn at her house and so she was teaching one of my lessons when she got a phone call. Someone reported that her horses were running free down the road and there were cop cars chasing them. (Hmm lets get the horses more spooked right? ) Anyway so my trainer than called the person that was at her house who feeds them and he told her all her horses were in. So it turned out it wasn't her horses but still haha. I can just picture a couple horses racing around with a cop car trying to chase them around on an old country road haha. Stupid police lol

My neighbours are bullocks. Once my Shetland colt got through the fence and had a field day chasing the "cows". He eventually found HORSES about 2 miles away and visited... Luckily he couldn't get in with them, but that was where I eventually found him.

Were I the golf course neighbor right now, I'd consider suit to cover the cost of repair to those greens. Any idea what your horse's little romp cost that business? Try to the tune of hundreds of dollars. It's not even joking - that's a BIG BIG issue for them.

I would suggest first being very honest. The first rule of horse ownership should be responsiblity. You shouldn't feel embarrassed about it. I'd suggest you NOT sending someone else to take the fall for your responsibility - I'd suggest you going and talking to the greenskeeper, explain your sincere apology and ask what he expects in terms of help fixing the damage your animals have wrought. Be very honest and tell them exactly how you'll fix the problem - and for God's sake, what made you think vegetation was a sufficient 'fence' to contain horses? Plan the fence and put it up to keep the horses safe.

To answer your question, my neighbors don't hate me - because I haven't any at this point near enough to me to matter, We have 40 acres and the horses are in an old orchard. If a responsible horse owner cares for the horses properly, considered their neighbors when they put up fences and outbuildings and maintains their horses responsibly, there should be no problems. It's when people make decisions about fences on adjoining property lines that trouble happens. They often don't consider the safety of the neighbor and his household. Putting up a coupld strands of hot wire or barbed wire on a fenceline that's common or close to a neighbor's lot is not safe nor responsible for your horses or your neighbors. Fencing should be adequate and placed well enough away to keep the horses away from childrens or visitors fingers, away from potential visitors feeding the horses bad things and of such a type as to keep dogs and such from getting in and chasing the horse - such as horse fence or woven wire or something that creates a true barrier.

How do you gain respect? Act respectful - how do you gain trust? Act trustworthy. Be consistent and follow the golden rule - do unto others as you would like them to do to you - put yourself in your neighbors position, were you the golf course greenskeeper, what would make you respect your neighbor who's horses just got out and trashed the greens your paycheck depends upon?

Dear Non-American - I didn't mean to insinuate a darned thing - if you wish detailed answers, give detailed, easy to understand questions. I had no clue whatsoever what "OH" was. You ask for an opinion and an answer I gave it. Here in the US, while you might not agree with it, it IS a common thing for people to seek suit for monetary damage. I don't happen to like it either, but the damage as you describe is costly. All of the additional details you added were lacking details that affect anyone's opinion of the situation. Had I those details, I may have answered slightly differently. The point is one who owns horses is responsible for them. I also didn't 'perceive' your place to be a town garden, I pictured exactly what you said you had. No person should expect any animals to stay within a vegetation hedge. They need a hard boundary, not something they can get thru. Perhaps in future stick to the simple question asked to disallow people to give you their opinions that you didn't want. If you had simply asked the question, I bet you'd have gotten a few stories and very pointed answers without opinions about your situation.

LOL! I don't think my neighbors hate me, but it was a close thing when I first brought the donkey home! He is LOUD! He starts braying around 6:00 am and doesn't respect the weekends. I try to be a good neighbor and offered the neighbors the chance to come meet the cute little guy, I was sure they would love him as much as I do. I overheard one neighbor telling his wife, "I thought he was bigger, he sure sounds bigger!"

http://pets.webshots.com/photo/2527778990080191555...

Lol!! Im sorry but I can imagine you running around cursing them as you watch the golf course being left with hoofmarks everywhere!! horses eh!!!

To answer your question - no I dont think they hate me!! Havent had any fallouts with them, but I dont keep my horses at home so have never reeked havoc in their gardens!

xx