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To kick these people out?

999 replies

CompletePushover · 10/01/2014 18:24

7 yrs and this is my first AIBU, and I'm so cowardly I've name changed Grin

So... After years of renting crappy places dh, the 4dcs and I have finally bought a lovely house.

It's great. Needs loads of work doing on it. Lots of potential, completely neglected and now ours. The people who had it before us had some problems and had criminally neglected their animals. The house comes with a field.

Now begins the lovely story. A few years ago Some people passing by saw how neglected the horse in the field was and took it upon themselves to look after it. They did amazing things, built him a shelter, bought him food, trimmed his hooves, all of it.

The horse is a stallion and unbroken but of nice temperament. But it means he can be flighty.

Move on a year and one of the group has taken on most of the care and bought their own horse who now lives rent free in the field.

Two weeks before completion the owner tells us we will be inheriting a cat and that the horses are staying (he's gifted the stallion to the other horse owner)

So... We panicked until lovely horse person came to our door and seemed very nice, and we said they could stay until Easter and then we'd see (rent free).

This all seemed ok, but there have been annoyances: There's no where else to park but in our drive, when we want to wander around the field with the dcs we have to struggle through two horses and it's a nightmare, and now finally we have bought out longed for dog and I can't walk him on my field without someone with me because I can't carry a baby and a puppy and fend off the horses on my own, in December we were told they use one of our sheds for feed, And there are other people who are part of the group who have not introduced themselves to me, but who go on to my field regularly.

So this evening we've let the horse owner know that beyond the end of march we want our field back. At the moment I've used it twice since we moved in and I want to use it daily.

They're not happy. I tell a lie, one is not happy, the other is completely understanding.

I know they did a good thing, I know they put work into the field (shelter and fencing) but I also know they've had free pasture for 18 months in return, and I think it's become a picnic spot for them all.

AIBU? And should I be growing a backbone, because I'm already trying to think of a way to section off some of it, which I know would only end up delaying the inevitable? I'm also worried because I'm in no way insured to have this all going on on my property.

I want nice things for the people who have done good, but at the same time I want to enjoy my home. I also have PND and desperately want to be outside but can't cope with being around people. Just to throw that in there.

OP posts:
BlackeyedSusan · 22/01/2014 08:04

i shall bring ds, then tell him there is no computer and you shall get the most unearthly wailing. if I tell him that md horse womanm is responsible for no computer he might hit scrtch and bite her.

FuckYouChrisAndThatHorse · 22/01/2014 08:08

Susan, that is cunning!

But Wellies, what if a lovely kind person comes along and wants the horses, but then sees how batshit crazy they are and runs screaming?!

YellowDinosaur · 22/01/2014 08:11

Interestingly I've just found an article from late last year in the farmers guardian about fly grazing in Wales and how they are in the process of passing a new bill making this illegal. On a new phone and can't work out how to cut and paste but Google 'will new Welsh legislation solve fly grazing or just displace it'. Preliminary stages of the bill were passed in December....

Perhaps use this in your response to then? Because this will certainly sort them out for you if they her difficult. Just start creating a strong paper tail to show they do not have permission to be there. And I'd also be shortening the deadline in light of the fact they are slagging you off on the Internet and not doing the things you asked of them now.

YellowDinosaur · 22/01/2014 08:11

Bastard autocorrect....

FuckYouChrisAndThatHorse · 22/01/2014 08:16

I will perfect my origami skills and create a strong paper tail :)

That's really useful info, yellow, good to know I may be more protected than I thought.

SaggyOldClothCatPuss · 22/01/2014 08:27

Cam I come to your festival please? I have 2 surly teens who can drive anyone away, a mad dog and Ducky, the most adorable shetland pony in the world!
NOW, I know what you are thinking, "A HORSE!" but she's wee and sweet and all of the kids will love her, and she will restore the innate love of horses that you didn't know you had and that Unreasonable Woman has destroyed, and more importantly, I will bring my own water and leave when requested. Grin
You cant have a festival without pony rides! Wink

FuckYouChrisAndThatHorse · 22/01/2014 08:33

Saggy, Hmm since it's you Grin but you will have to sign something on the way in. I reckon a disclaimer stating that if Ducky is still present after the gong has been sounded, you agree to give everyone free piggy back rides around the field.

Jux · 22/01/2014 08:34

Take screenshots too, just in case.

Jux · 22/01/2014 08:36

I thought only some stallions are territorial?

Meerka · 22/01/2014 08:40

yeeesh they do sound horrendous. Just what you don't need atm.

I would put your side of the story on the message board, people don't always know what's going on if they don't hear the other side. Can be perfectly polite about it.

Really hope that this can get resolved soon. What's your next step, do you know yet?

Egusta · 22/01/2014 08:41

Can't be that territorial if they brought a new horse in without incident.

Fly grazing. A new term for me.

Egusta · 22/01/2014 08:41

I also agree that you should put your side across in a calm reasonable way. Some other person might see how batshit crazy these people are and take the horses to get them out of their hands.

JennyCalendar · 22/01/2014 08:42

Delurking again to say - please take screenshots of the slagging off taking place.

Do you have a local paper there? I would be tempted to contact them about running the story - including showing them your contract with 'vacant possession' on and the message board posts.

You could do a DM sad face by the field.

It could lead with the line:

A family's dream home turns into a nightmare - or should that be nightstallion.

And include snippets like 'out of the goodness of their hearts, they generously let the horses stay over winter for free - even going so far as to pay for the separate water meter for the fields. However, this generosity has been overlooked as the horses' owners are branding her as "unkind" on the Internet after being given 2 months notice to find new pasture."

mistlethrush · 22/01/2014 08:46

Here you go: 30 horse songs

info on fly grazing

My mad dog will be happy to chase Saggy's mad dog round the field at top speed. In fact, the last time she saw horses cantering she decided she would like to play... I had to do quite a lot of screaming to retrieve her Blush

SaggyOldClothCatPuss · 22/01/2014 08:46

Reply and say that yes, you do know that stallions are territorial, but its just fine because you, as his apparent new owners will be doing the decent thing and having him put down at home on his own territory to avoid any discomfort or distress to an elderly animal. Wink

SaggyOldClothCatPuss · 22/01/2014 08:49

Jenny thats inspired! Grin
Chris get in there quick before UW does it first!
Proper Grin @ 'nightstallion'!

FuckYouChrisAndThatHorse · 22/01/2014 08:51

That's true, and which is he? Laid back and easy going and a lovely companion or stressy and territorial and unsafe with dcs?

Any ideas on what I can post. So far I'm thinking:-

Wow. I'm really shocked and saddened that 5 months of free grazing and all the inconveniences related to you using our drive and shed on a daily basis have been so utterly taken for granted. We bought our home with vacant possession. We let you graze your animals for free over the winter, and now we want to use our land for our own purposes (bearing in mind that we can't take our young children or puppy over there to play at all) we are unkind. We even gave you 2 and a half months to find a new home. Yes, initially this was a rescue mission, which we have supported and given to, but now you are facing the very real responsibility of horse ownership. Horses cost money to keep. If you could not afford the livery for a horse then it was irresponsible to get one. I am very disappointed to read that our generosity and kindness is being so misrepresented.

RosegoldRuby · 22/01/2014 08:52

Another lurker de-lurks...

No advice about mad-horse-people, except to say be tough. But I have had a wildflower meadow and it was truly soothing to my stressed and unhappy soul.

Mine came about accidentally. We have a huuuuge back garden and after some building work the garden was levelled. It looked like the waste land. But the next spring all the dormant wildflower seeds sprang into life and we had half an acre of Brecks wildflowers.

It was beautiful, alive with butterflies, bees, all kinds of insects humming away. In the evening it smelt heavenly because of the evening primrose flowers. Wintertime flocks of goldfinches came to feed on the seed heads, particularly the evening primrose.

In the summer I would take a garden chair and sit amongst it. It was glorious. I was seriously depressed after having suffered a series of losses through death and illness and dementia. I was too ill to summon up the energy to get help and no-one around me noticed as they all assumed Mum/Wife could cope with anything. Angry & Sad.

The garden was a light in the darkness. I didn't even need to do anything! It just was. So remember a wild flower meadow is worth fighting for and so is your happiness.

I'm ok now. I'd have been ok-er a lot sooner if I'd got help. But I'm not in darkness anymore. You'll get there too x

FuckYouChrisAndThatHorse · 22/01/2014 08:53

Xposted big time!

Ooh, jenny... That could be a possibility.

Thanks mistle, will check that out.

Grin at the horse songs!

JennyCalendar · 22/01/2014 08:54

Glad I raised a Grin Saggy!

OP, I would still go down the local paper route rather than entering into a message board convo with them. When it is published (because what local reporter would turn this story down?), post the link in response.

FuckYouChrisAndThatHorse · 22/01/2014 08:55

Ruby, that is lovely. I am so sorry you struggled on alone for so long :( what a very beautiful image. I would love that so much.

JennyCalendar · 22/01/2014 08:55

X-post!

mistlethrush · 22/01/2014 09:02

Chris - I don't know what to think about routes - because any answer you put up will, no doubt, be censored - and if you go to the local press they might go to the other side too... (although it might make a cute picture with you and DC and puppy all looking sad with field behind you!)

thegreylady · 22/01/2014 09:08

There is a song called "Saddle up and Ride your Pony" which might be appropriate.
I am to old for camping so must think of other ways of supporting you. Maybe, being a greylady I could haunt the shed and make wooooo noises whenever they appear. I could make cold spots in their wellies and float their grooming/ feeding stuff around. If there is a riding stick around I could make it perform sheds of grey activities about their persons Grin

FuckYouChrisAndThatHorse · 22/01/2014 09:09

We are good at looking sad :(

Grin

I've just contacted a journalist friend of mine to see what she thinks. Hopefully she'll have some ideas