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AIBU?

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AIBU to carry on normal garden noise despite neighbour's nervous pony?

57 replies

Wowyam · 13/09/2026 07:23

Farmer next door has a pony he keeps in stable next to our back garden. My daughter likes to swing and use slide in garden and he comes over endlessly to say his horse is nervy and the noise from our garden is causing distress to his animal. Be it playing with a ball, swing, husband using lawn mower, gardener, sewage /oil tanker . He is very wealthy and has threatened legal action if his horse gets so upset . I love our home but i really need to know what to say to him to keep the peace. He is very highly strung and argumentative, he loses staff every after 2 /3 months but that doesnt help us. Any sensible advice on what i can say to him as i hate conflict but he is so unhinged.

OP posts:
Justbrieme · 13/09/2026 18:33

Good fences make good neighbours. I would put up electric gates and close off your home to him. He isn’t reasonable so don’t try reasonable solutions, reach for the unreasonable ones you would not apply normally.

Dr13Hadley · 13/09/2026 18:36

Horses are scared of leaves, shadows and their own farts. He can threaten all the legal action he wants. I doubt very much he’d get anywhere.

ElefantAndCastle · 13/09/2026 19:13

I would laugh and carry on with a normal family life.

nonevernotever · 13/09/2026 19:15

Colinthedaxi · 13/09/2026 08:04

Does the pony live alone? Does it get out the stable? Its living conditions are probably a bigger factor than the garden noise.

Yes this. Horses are herd animals and need company.

SwirlyGates · 13/09/2026 19:18

beaglescurleduplikebagels · 13/09/2026 08:31

A lot of horses are spooked by sight so actually, a fence could help massively.

But also OP, horses need company - if this pony lives alone in a stable constantly then it’s no wonder it’s a nervous wreck.

My horse is much more scared if he can hear strange noises but not see what is causing them, than if he can see the source of the noise.

StormGazing · 13/09/2026 19:20

He just needs to move the pony to a better, quieter area.

SassyJadeCat · 13/09/2026 21:42

Contact your council's Regulatory department and ask for advice. They will be able to tell you what constitutes a noise nuisance and from what you have said you are making reasonable noise. Then you can pass on the advice when he complains next.

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