To not move my fence?

[compulsiveliar2019]

About a months ago I move my horses into a new paddock on a small farm. On the farm are 3 cottages. The cottages all have a small private garden but also use of a larger communal garden. In one of the cottages there is a family with 2 young boys.

The communal garden sides onto my paddock. There’s kids swings ect in the garden and is clearly where the kids hang out. The younger one is not hers school age but probably not far off. The older one is in school.

My issue is that the kids are left unsupervised in the garden for blocks of time. They are clearly interested in my horses and constantly stand on the fences, shouting at the horses and generally make a nuisance of themselves. I have now had to padlock the gates so they can’t just walk into the field. They are also very rude. The little one when asked to get down off the fence he was standing on replied “ you can’t tell me what to do you don’t live here”. Followed up by “go away you don’t live here” and “hahaha you don’t live here, your bad”. All silly stuff but at that age I would never have spoken to any adult like that ever!
Yesterday I was trying to fill up the horses water trough. The tap is on the far side of the garden from the paddock. I connected to he hose up and turned it on and walked back to the trough so I could clean and fill it. Just after I had got to the trough the littlest one goes and turns the tap of and shouts “you can’t have any water you don’t live here” and runs off laughing.

This type of thing is happening every day. I’m also repeatedly finding balls and toys in the field with the horses that have clearly been kicked or thrown in. I have now stopped giving them back. At first I thought it was a mistake so kindly put them back in the garden for them. Then when it didn’t stop I went and had a word with the parents along with returning all the things that were in my field. They promptly handed them back to the kids (saying “boys will be boys”, and low and behold they are in the field again next day.

I have now had to put electric fencing up in the paddock to keep the horses away from where the children can see them or throw things at them. I really don’t want to have to move the horses because it’s close to home and has good riding. It’s otherwise a great deal.

The parents have got cross because one of the kids (funny enough the little one) has touched my fence and got a shock (shock will hurt but won’t do any damage). He apparently ran off screaming to his mum and the mum has got really cross and wants the fence removed.

The fence is about 10metres into the field which the children are not supposed to be in. There is no way they can have touched my fence without being somewhere they shouldn’t. AIBU to tell her no the fence stays and to keep better control of her kids?

I would just leave it - don't reply to messages for a bit, let them get used to it. I would, however, put up some signage - even though it's not a ROW.

Oh and there’s far more danger to the kids in them mucking around with horses than an electric fence so it’s not only protecting the horses but the kids too! Since the parents won’t teach them sensible precautions themselves it’s all you can do

The fence is an excellent plan. I hope the parents don’t try and damage it. I agree that a large solid fence on that end may be a better long term deterrent.

At least tell the landlord that you can't use the whole field because of their actions. Then when he gets a next tenant he will know how much to reduce his rent by!

Seriously, someone other than you must be able to explain to them how inapporpriate their behaviour and attitudes are! I don't know anyone who would allow their small child to be in usch a potentially dagngerous situation - spooked horses, not the fence, obviously!

Have you tried to epxlain to the parents how much the vet's blill would be if one of your horses swallowed their kid's toys? And that you would indeed expect them to pay!

Ah compulsive then you are def not BU. I’d be doing the same with the fence to protect the horses too.

You could put in a wildlife camera. Obviously as you are really interested in seeing what wildlife is entering your field. And see what is actually going on. About £50 from Amazon.

You are entitled to protect your horses.

Even if the parents are not animal lovers they should be teaching their children respect for other people and to animals. If they haven't then they have to suffer the consequences.

So tell the parents that as their children are a nuisance to the horses, the fence which is well away from their communal area, stays.

the mum has got really cross and wants the fence removed.

The mum is an bellend who needs to learn how to parent, how to respect other people's space, & how to behave around horses.

Her brats have thrown things into your paddock which could harm your horses. They are deliberately preventing you from going about your yard chores (the tap prank) & making your life unpleasant.

I would put that to the mum, & explain to her than her brats cannot get an electric shock unless they are trespassing, that you have asked them not to trespass, that they have endangered your animals & inconvenienced you, & that rather than bleating about the inevitable consequences of their actions, she could pull her finger out & educate them about how they need to behave.

I don't know what she's worried about as the electric fence is only an issue if she allows her kids to trespass.

Great idea, I think the 10m gap was very generous too 😁

Went for a walk yesterday, miles of electric fence. Didn't go where I wasn't allowed and amazingly I'm shock free. Tell her to keep them out of the field, at this rate your horse will end up eating some crap they threw in.

Such a shame they don't take an intrest in the horses! I bet if they were girls - be differnt;)

I touched a electic fence when i was little it facisnated me in much the same way as a penny put on the railway line told you that its not a good idea to mess about on railway lines seeing what happened to the penny!

The electric fence?. Yep dicovered the effect of a grounding wire later on we tried that on a rather low hanging power pylon the flash and bang were very impressive:)

Serves him right the little tyke. The fence is wholly within your property and he shouldn't have been there at all, so it is his own fault.

If the fence is legal then definitely don’t remove it. Knife any balls that you find and leave them as a warning!

Electric fences are not even close to being in the same league as mantraps.

I never said they were. I said the argument "you wouldn't have got hurt if you weren't somewhere you shouldn't have been" was the same. Which it is.

I also said if the regs allowed for an electric fence, OP should tell the mother to do one. It appears OP is acting legally, so my advice stands.

I wouldn't even consider moving my muck heap close to that corner of the field

I never use this word but this warrents it .

They sound utterly Vile OP.

Keep your fence, its your land and your horses that you are renting , not the loser parents.

I'd be really concerned that they might try to take some kind of revenge on the horses. It's not you being unreasonable OP but the situation would worry me.

I’d sent the parents a letter by registered post telling them that you have installed an electric fence, and the reasons why. Tell them that is formal notice, and note that you have placed it 10m within your property for safety reasons. Remind them that their children are expressly forbidden to enter your land, and that you expect the parents to take due care of their children when they are playing in the communal garden. Note also that horses can become stressed when children shout or throw garden toys at them, and ask that they ensure their children do not do so

What the hell is it with 'ect' instead of 'etc' (et cetera) on every other bloody thread??

Do NOT move your fence for people who can't control their rude, ill-behaved children.

op do they rent the house? is it the same landlord as yours? contact them and explain.

keep your fence.

thats a good idea written letter to the homeowners as above. then its all official.

Keep the electric fence, but mains power it. Chuck up some signs to be sporting.

Alternatively, get the most fucking ugly, industrial looking shit solid fence you possible can - and put it up so they can't see in. now THAT woudl be natural consequences for the parents, can't control your brats, get your view spoiled.

Definitely don't move the fence!

I'm surprised one of these kids hasn't had a horse's hoof in his or her head, frankly - I would think surely even if the children don't realise, their parents must understand that sneaking into someone else's field where there are strange horses and throwing balls around are stupid things to do? Even the nicest horse might spook.

We have horses out the back belonging to our neighbours and I sometimes walk toddler DD out to see them, and she's 2 but still understands she absolutely must not try to get over the fence or try to touch them. Throwing balls into their field would have me furious!

Do they rent or own the cottages? Is the Garner you rent the field from their landlord? Who is responsible for the communal part? I’d be talking to them saying that you need your horses to be safe and the children are throwing things and walking in the field and you are worried for the safety of the kids and the animals. Hopefully that person will write to the cottage owners/re years reiterating that the field is off limits, there’s an electrical fence well within the boundary, and trespassing is an offence and will be prosecuted.