Dogs off leads in my horses fields!

[thorphanger]

Which will have been there before you acquired the land no doubt.

 

What has that got to do with it? They own the land yes a public footpath runs through it but dogs should by law be kept on the lead near livestock simples..

[nubile]

Completely and utterly irrelevant, the land has ALWAYS had livestock in it and people have always been ignorant and disrespectful! the foot path is the bain of our lives, threats to burn down stables with horses in it, drunks from the local village pub being aggressive with the children, dogs attacking horses, the list is endless, it seems these days no one has any respect for anyone, nor their property, footpath or not.

 

I'm not saying i don't sympathize with you but you have to see it from the other side too.

I'm an avid walker, but i have a terrible phobia of horses too and i have the right to feel safe when using a right of way.

 

Anyways i'm done here because if i say any more i'll end up being sent on holiday.

[ponybabes]

Yes some dogs do appear to love horses, though the feeling is not always mutual, no horse i have ever known would purposely approach a dog on a lead, to attack it, but should they feel intimidated by one, they most certainly will ! that is their natural reaction, to either fight or run, the horse running 9 times out of ten, will encourage the dog to chase, so where does it end? its pathetic behaviour by inconsiderate morons. Yep the fencing is the way forward.

[ponybabes]

If you are scared of horses DONT walk through the bloody field! it is their home, the footpath is just a priviledge to you! i am scared of cows, so guess what, i dont walk through fields containing them! having been chased by them, i have good reason to be scared, but i can assure you, horses are more likely to ignore you than attack you, unless of course the horse feeding public, another form of ignorant beggars, have been feeding said horses! then you will be in trouble, so all in all Jo Public causes the hassle on footpaths, not the horses themselves, nor the owners! dont feed them and keep dogs on leads, is it really so much to ask?!

[ponybabes]

Oh and no, you dont have a right to feel safe, you have a right to avoid a footpath containing livestock its not our fault horses scare you! and they shall remain on the field til death do us part, sorry!

[nubile]

If you are scared of horses DONT walk through the bloody field!

 

This troll like attitude is exactly why people like you can't be reasoned with.

Me me me.

[Lotti]

Oh no, I realise that the feeling isn't mutual! Hence, whenever I see a horse on a walk, I get hold of my dogs. Dalmatians were bred to run alongside the back end of the horse and my dogs will position themselves there naturally (having had no training!) - not the safest place to be with a horse that has no idea if my dogs are friendly or not!

 

I can see Nubile's point that, as a walker, if you're afraid of horses it'd be nice to have a fence up anyway... I have taken my dogs for walks where we've had to pass through a field of cows (cows terrify me - especially when I have dogs with me!) and I would've loved to have a fence between me and the cows!

 

However, if the horses aren't approaching and you're going to choose a hobby that involves walking through fields where animals may be, it's really not up to the owner of the animals to put a physical barrier up so that you feel safer.

I accept that if I have to pass through a field of cows I do so quietly, calmly and as quickly as possible with my dogs on leads and I wouldn't ever expect someone to put a fence up to make me feel safer - and cows DO approach!

[Lotti]

Of course... if the horse-phobic public who want to walk through your field want to help towards the cost of fencing...

[Elizabeth13]

I feel for your situation.

 

My garden is beside an alleyway (which part we actually own as the land is ours, but it is a public through-way), and also our garden has access through which are neighbors have a right to walk through (ie. bins etc.). Unfortunately I don't think this can be changed, but it is very frustrating as people leave our gates open sometimes and leaves our property literally open to anyone walking by.

 

I hate it as I find it disrespectful, as we have signs on our gate stating to please shut it and also beware of the dog. As you may guess it is annoying because we have a dog and unless i block the gate with the bin I don't feel secure with the dog in the garden (even though i am out there too) as anyone can just open the gate! It doesn't help either that the dog does not like strangers, particularly on his own 'property' and can be quite defensive - which the postman found out!

Also, not long ago 1 out of the 3 properties with access had students in it, and despite their front door being a living room (so in my opinion there was no need to use the back access like a front door) they always came through our garden, leaving gates open and general loitering. Grr!

 

So i do feel for you, although the situations are not the same they are also not totally dissimilar. Perhaps some wire fencing could be a solution? Or is the field too big and the job too expensive? Could not maybe the council help out with this? After all your livestock have a right to safety along with the public using that footpath.

Also, and you may have answered this before - i haven't checked, have you popped up signs requesting dogs to be on lead and/or under control?

 

(P.s. if anyone knows of any way to get out of this allowing neighbors access malarkey then please do tell!)

[Lotti]

Elizabeth, have you thought about putting a shutting mechanism on your gate? It doesn't stop people coming through but at least it'll close itself after rather than getting left open?