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Discuss horse riding and ownership on our Horse forum.

Just lost my shit at a walker for feeding.....

84 replies

krustykittens · 13/09/2023 14:41

I know this has been done to death but I just want to vent. We have BHS signs up saying please do not feed and why, electric fencing, and stock fencing to keep ponies back from the path and give people safe access (we live in Scotland with right to roam) and STILL someone insisted on giving my ponies polo mints today. Daughter saw him feeding and she shouted at him to stop from her bedroom window. He looked up and carried on. Shat himself when he saw me running down the path. "I'm so sorry, it's only a polo mint." I lost it, I am ashamed to say, but the fucking entitlement to feed despite numerous signs asking you not to, to ignore someone telling you to stop and only feel bad when it is obvious a confrontation is looming. He KNEW he was in the wrong, but he did it anyway. The worst thing is, one of our ponies has an upset tummy at the moment and this entitled cunt is giving her pure sugar. Herself and another mare were starting to bicker when I legged it down the path, which the signs warn could happen IF YOU FEED! I am going to move our water trough and double fence their summer field next year to make it that little bit harder but I still found tourists trying to take down their electric fencing this summer so they could go in with them and take fucking selfies. I have bought geese and I am really hoping they put the fear of God into people who try and get close to the ponies. Anyone know if it is legal to put blades on the geese feet?! (I am joking. A little). I also want to put a sing up saying, "One of these ponies is a stallion. Only let yourself in here if you want to find out how it feels to be a mare." but daughter says that is going too far......I don't have stallions but these idiots wouldn't know the difference.

OP posts:
gwenneh · 14/09/2023 13:16

Xiaoxiong · 14/09/2023 06:53

Ok I don't feed horses or go too near them in fields as I am quite nervous of their teeth, so I am definitely not a CF horse feeder but I always wondered about the "pulling grass from the edge of the field" prohibition. It's the same as what's in the field itself that the horses appear to be eating - is it that the grass is ok to eat but you don't want the horse habituated to eating anything (even stuff they are eating anyway) from people's hands?

There are quite a few reasons why a horse might not be on grass - their digestion is fairly delicately balanced on a good day. Early grass, spring grass, wet grass, these all affect a horse's gut differently and can cause colic or laminitis, which can permanently cripple or kill.

And yes, hand feeding doesn't agree with some horses or some situations; horses can nip or become pushy because of it, or you might wind up attracting the attention of their pasture mates which can result in either you or the horse you're feeding becoming hurt.

krustykittens · 14/09/2023 15:39

Thanks for all your replies. Your stories are not surprising, which is depressing. Although my jaw did drop at the story of a woman feeding slices of brown bread to a pony in front of the owner!

For everyone asking about the geese, I did consider alpacas or Llamas as I would really enjoy watching ignorant twats getting spat at in the face but they are expensive and a lot of work, so they will be plan b if the geese are not effective. As angry as they can be, I find them quite lovely! We have been keeping them in until they are used to us so they will bond and follow us everywhere and we seem to be making progress. They run to the door of the shed now when we turn up, making these really sweet quibbling noises and are happy to stroll around us or sit at our feet now after they have eaten. Yesterday, they allowed us to stroke them while they ate! They are beautiful birds with pale blue eyes and I am delighted with them already. If we have to move to plan b, they will stay here as pets. I am nervous about letting them out but everyone I know who has them says that they bond very strongly. When out in the field with their charges, they stick close by as they like the safety of numbers and will scream blue murder if anyone comes near the female geese.

Part of me would love to get a bigger dog as a deterrent, even if it is just visual, but I do have a secret weapon in the form of a little toy breed whose yaps go through your brain like a spike. If I see people lingering on the path to their summer field, I let her out to scream abuse at them and put some ear plugs in. They soon move on and being "really fucking annoying" isn't an offence under the Dangerous Dog Act.

We also have an ongoing problem with a local cyclist who seems to find it enraging that I have the field gate to my driveway locked, and rather than follow the right of way, insists on throwing his bike over my gate and using my driveway and garden for access and for a nice sit down for lunch. He is incredibly abusive when being told to leave and we have had to barb wire the gate and fence posts to put him off as well as installing very tall driveway gates. He seems to be goading us into a fight. I haven't seen him for a while but it is hard to catch him all the time. I like the idea of getting more geese and letting them have the run of the yard, lying in wait for him the next time he tries this!

CCTV signs will also be going up as well as cameras as their winter field is out of sight of the house and I really worry when they go up there.

What gets me down is that I really don't want to be like this. I have no problem with right to roam, I use it myself when I ride and walk, but it only works if people are respectful. Too many seem to think it means, "go where you like and do what you want." :(

OP posts:
krustykittens · 14/09/2023 15:53

@UncleHerbie I'm glad I gave you a laugh! I am hoping I can catch people's expressions when they read the sign and maybe do a Tik Tok compilation.

@Dustyblue and @OrderOfTheKookaburra are there no public rights of way in Aus?!

OP posts:
NeunundneunzigHorseBallonz · 14/09/2023 15:55

I would gladly pay to see a movie with Anti-MAMIL Geese in it. I think your geese will need somewhere to swim. How about a crocodile/leech-infested moat?

krustykittens · 14/09/2023 16:00

@NeunundneunzigHorseBallonz My poor babies!

OP posts:
cheezncrackers · 14/09/2023 16:10

There is a real ignorance about the countryside these days and city folk often don't know anything about the countryside code. I grew up in the country and am shocked when people don't know what really common poisonous plants are, how to behave around livestock, to always close gates, not to feed animals, etc. I feel pretty sure that these things are not part of the national curriculum, otherwise people wouldn't be so ignorant, but they should be! The number of kids growing up who don't know how to recognise poisonous plants is scary.

MariePaperRoses · 14/09/2023 16:12

People just don't care.

They even managed to kill a reindeer by ignoring the signs.

https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/reindeer-belonging-christmas-tree-farm-19185400?intsource=amppcontinuereading&inttmedium=amp&intcampaign=continueereadingbutton#amp-readmore-target

MsFannySqueers · 14/09/2023 16:30

An awful worry for you OP. It’s what I call exceptionalism. So many people now think they are ‘special’ and ‘different’. So any rules or signs couldn’t possibly apply to them. They are just for the rest of us plebs. I don’t even think it’s that they are ignorant of the rules or not literate enough to read signs. They just don’t think it applies to them.
Not as dangerous as your situation but we have on our property a No Parking sign. It’s for a very good reason obvious to anyone. If I had a pound for every person who has parked right next to it. I could probably move house with the proceeds.

UncleHerbie · 14/09/2023 16:46

krustykittens · 14/09/2023 15:53

@UncleHerbie I'm glad I gave you a laugh! I am hoping I can catch people's expressions when they read the sign and maybe do a Tik Tok compilation.

@Dustyblue and @OrderOfTheKookaburra are there no public rights of way in Aus?!

That would be hilarious! My stepdaughter leads hacks weekly so I’m a now an equinophile (just made that word up in case anyone’s wondering) She would be 😂😂😂 too if she saw a sign like this.

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