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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Horses escaping

28 replies

1982mommaof4 · 30/09/2023 22:44

We live next to a field where a lady keeps horses. She has been there for years, we have been there for 14. The horses have escaped around 5 times over the 14 years.
We live in a country lane with a sharp bend, so when they are in the road it is dangerous. Those four times the horses have been in our garden and completely ruined our lawn. We have never said anything however fast forward to Thursday ...we heard them in the garden at 3 in the morning. They the left our garden onto the road (8 horses) we contacted 101 due to them being out in the road.
My husband has spoken to the lady today.. she went completely crazy at him, telling us it's our responsibility to keep them out of the garden.. now my husband is fuming and said he wants her to pay for the damage to our garden. My AIBU is to think it's not our responsibility to keep them out?

OP posts:
SymbolicSymbals · 30/09/2023 22:49

Of course it isn’t, it’s her responsibility to keep her horses in.

Original poster
1982mommaof4 · 30/09/2023 22:51

@SymbolicSymbals thank you, she seemed so certain. The boundaries are ours. Her field all around our boundaries.

OP posts:
Trivium4all · 30/09/2023 22:53

This seems weird...is the fencing in good condition? Is someone leaving her gate open? How did they get into the garden?

Original poster
1982mommaof4 · 30/09/2023 22:56

The boundary is like hedge and growth with some wire fencing. Our house is in the middle of a circle of land and her fields surround it apart from the front which is the road. No neighbours just surrounding fields. Her fences in the back fields aren't great. She just homes unwanted horses there. No stables just land with chickens and horses. We think they got in the road and came up our drive

OP posts:
LisaD1 · 30/09/2023 22:58

Horse owner here. It is absolutely her responsibility to keep her horses in. I hope for her sake she has public liability insurance for when the inevitable accident happens on the road!

Original poster
1982mommaof4 · 30/09/2023 22:59

@LisaD1 this is my worry. Cars speed so fast on the bend.

OP posts:
Original poster
1982mommaof4 · 30/09/2023 23:01

Alphabet1spaghetti2 · 30/09/2023 22:59

Show her this? https://www.bhs.org.uk/horse-care-and-welfare/health-care-management/pasture-management/fencing/

as far as understand it’s her problem not yours. Doesn’t matter what your boundary is marked by. She would still have to make her fields and horses secure.

edit. I assume you are uk based

Edited

Thank you

OP posts:
Wrapunzel · 30/09/2023 23:03

Also a (multiple) horse owner, if your boundaries were horse-proof would she go next door and next door and next door until she found someone to blame? Ffs it's totally her responsibility.

Wrapunzel · 30/09/2023 23:03

(Not having a go at you, OP, saying she's just looking for someone to blame)

DyslexicPoster · 30/09/2023 23:04

Horses get loose in our village. Once they got onto a minor A road but it leads onto a major A toad. I'm surprised no one was killed on the minor A road, the police passed my call onto 999. Its bloody dangerous. Once is mistake, twice is bad luck but five times? That's feckless. If they get hit by a car something will die garanteed

Original poster
1982mommaof4 · 30/09/2023 23:05

Thank you everyone, I hate confrontation and I don't like to be the bad guy... I love the nature but I also have four children who now can't play in the garden until we sort out all of the holes. We definitely cannot afford to fence the whole boundary 😵‍💫

OP posts:
PimpMyFridge · 30/09/2023 23:07

Legally horses count as livestock and secure boundaries is the responsibility of the owner. You could sue her if you wanted... not suggestng you should, but the law is on your side not hers here.
We had to look this up once with a neighbour of ours and it was unequivocal.

CrotchetyQuaver · 30/09/2023 23:11

Are you in the New Forest?
The rule there is that home owners need to fence the forest run animals out, but when it comes to field fencing, it's up to the field owner/user to stop them getting out.
She sounds like yet another batty horse owner. I have my own horses, I think it can send you a bit nutty long term.

No doubt she will plead poverty next. Does she own the field or rent it, you might do better if you can track down the land owner

Original poster
1982mommaof4 · 30/09/2023 23:15

CrotchetyQuaver · 30/09/2023 23:11

Are you in the New Forest?
The rule there is that home owners need to fence the forest run animals out, but when it comes to field fencing, it's up to the field owner/user to stop them getting out.
She sounds like yet another batty horse owner. I have my own horses, I think it can send you a bit nutty long term.

No doubt she will plead poverty next. Does she own the field or rent it, you might do better if you can track down the land owner

She has been there for 20 years but the farmer said she doesn't rent, he believes she sort of set up there and no one ever questioned. We are currently trying to find out who owns the land.

OP posts:
Original poster
1982mommaof4 · 30/09/2023 23:16

@CrotchetyQuaver No not new forest

OP posts:
underneaththeash · 30/09/2023 23:18

Get two quotes to repair and send her a letter before action for small claims

HolidayBurden · 30/09/2023 23:28

There are areas - such as the New Forest, and other places where animals are permitted to roam - in which it is indeed your responsibility to fence animals out.
The animals where I live are on common land and farmers have grazing rights. If an animal comes to harm in your garden you are liable here.
We have trouble with people moving in and leaving garden gates open and it doesn't go well.

Snippit · 01/10/2023 00:33

When I had a horse I had public liability insurance just for peace of mind should something happen to a third party. But if she’s got severs horses she may not have bothered due to costs.

Her horses have damaged your property and the least she can do is pay for the damage.

I found in the horsey world that some owners are absolutely nuts, I was glad to get out of it, such a bitchy environment.

VeryGoodVeryNice · 01/10/2023 02:13

You’re not wrong OP, she is. The thing is with horsey people, a lot of them are nuts. I say this as someone who has had horses most of my life.

Vvvvvvvvv · 01/10/2023 05:31

Oh god! Horse owner here with what sounds like an almost identical set up as you/ your neighbour! We've lived here 25 years and our horses have escaped three times (once a livery left a gate open, once I left a gate open, once they went through the fencing whilst terrified in a storm). Every time they've gotten out it's made my blood run absolutely cold, and we've offered to and then paid up on neighbours lawn repairs without question! It shouldn't happen, but if it does the best you can do is try and make repairs the best you can and learn from it! The onus isn't on you!

Onthebuckle · 01/10/2023 06:22

Absolutely her responsibility to keep the horses out of your garden, another horse owner here and also can concur a lot of horse owners are nuts and have come across so many over the years who will blame everyone but themselves whenever anything goes wrong. I hope she has public liability insurance.

rwalker · 01/10/2023 06:34

Bill her for damage and threaten small claims court
these horses could cause a fatal accident report her to council and speak to local pcso

hattie43 · 01/10/2023 07:44

VeryGoodVeryNice · 01/10/2023 02:13

You’re not wrong OP, she is. The thing is with horsey people, a lot of them are nuts. I say this as someone who has had horses most of my life.

This .
Also as a 30yr period of horse ownership.
The amount of posts on our local FB page about escaped horses is unreal and one day a serious accident will happen .
If you have horses keep the fencing in good order