Neighbor Rant

[MajorClementine]

So the neighbor behind me has a large pasture that he mows on a regular basis. He doesn't have any horses or anything just a big empty grassy pasture. He's told me before that I can take my minis out there but I never do because there is no easy access and I have enough yard that they get plenty of grazing time in.

So here is my problem. Every time he mows his pasture he dumps a bunch of grass clippings in with my minis. I've talked to him before about this being potentially dangerous for them but he continues to do it. Today I was ticked off as he did it yet again. My minis have been off grazing for a month because we got a couple of hard freezes and they are in a dry lot now eating hay and grain only. My dogs barked at him and when I went out he hopped on his mower and drove off. He knows I don't want him doing this! So out I go to now bag up a pile of grass clippings he dumped over the fence. He does it to the neighbors to the south of me as well. They have biggies and don't care because they only feed their horses now and then so someone else feeding them anything is better than them eating nothing. So what do I do? I don't want to make and enemy of this neighbor. His grandkids love to pet the minis and give them carrots during the summer and he is very tolerant of my dogs barking at the stray cats (that would be the neighbor to the south, they are overrun). How do I make him understand that if one of my minis goes down due to his feeding them like this I'm coming after him? Sounds harsh but you guys know how much these little horses mean to us. Help.

 

[MyMiniGal]

You would think, because you have told him to stop, he would of...obviously, he doesn't really care what happens to your min's, just that he needs to get rid of the clippings and this is an easy way to do so. Good luck....no fun putting up with neighbors that don't try and live in harmony with one another.

 

[disneyhorse]

I'd tell him that any future vet bills related to colic or death will be sent to him.

Also, I would post "no trespassing or feeding horses" signs on your property.

 

[oakrunfarm]

High voltage electric fence with signs?

I would pick up the phone or go over there and have a serious chat with him. Obviously, he did not understand the first time...

 

[Reignmaker Miniatures]

I'm sure he is like my late father in law and truly believes he is doing your horses a kindness. I might be inclined to put a single strand of electric fence on the inside of the horses pen so they can't reach anything dropped into their pen anyway. Then I would suggest that the minis sure don't need more food than they are getting or they will be obese but full sized horses probably could use all the help they can get. I know the clippings aren't entirely safe for the biggies either but if they are as underfed as you say probably better than nothing. As I understand it, aside from choking if they gobble too fast, the greatest risk is the clippings beginning to rot (happens very quickly in hot weather) which isn't likely to happen with the extra hungry big horses which will clean them up pretty fast anyway.

 

[Minimor]

Actually grass Clippings from a rotary lawn mower ferment in the gut, so it doesn't matter how quickly a big horse might eat them--the problem is that they do eat them. In sufficient amounts the clippings ferment after the horse has eaten them--and thus can be deadly to the horse. Some people get away with feeding them to horses--but sometimes it does in fact kill the horse.

I would explain this to the guy and definitely tell him that if you lose a horse or have a horse become severely ill because of the clippings the bill will be coming to him. I am sure that he does not believe that there can be any harm in feeding clippings to horses....horses eat grass, these are grass clippings, you are being silly. I have encountered that before. Explain to him that horses really and truly have died from eating grass clippings.

 

[MyMiniGal]

I wonder too, if you could find any place on the internet, that you could print up how and why clippings are bad for horses, and then print it up and have them read it, so they would see it isn't coming just from you. May be even have your vet write up something to pass onto them, then tell them, that since you have showed this to them, that you will be sending them the bill, if anything should happen to your horses. I sure pray something can be done before something bad happens to your horses.

 

[Mona]

I would be contacting the police and asking them to pay him a visit, to explain to him the dangers not only to their (horses) health, but also the legal implications of his continuing to do this.

 

[Marty]

I don't want any problems with my neighbors either but sometimes you have to cross that line. You already did speak to him and it didn't set in. I would also be calling the police.

Case in point: I have been friends with the lady across the road for nealy 15 years since they moved in, no problem until she got 3 dogs that kept coming over here and going after my dog Amy. It got to where they were here day and night and even in the middle of the night and half the time I couldn't even let her out to pee for fear they would jump her. I spoke to her and her husband both on countless occasions to no avail about keeping them on their own property. They disregarded it until the day all three came into my yard and attacked my dog, all three jumped her at once in my back yard while we were planting flowers and this time I had video and pictures and called the cops. When the cop saw my evidence he went right over there and told him about the legal problems there were about to face andI was willing to file charges that day. That did it. All three dogs are gone. Stand your ground.

 

[sfmini]

I would send a registered letter, signature required stating that you had previously requested that he stop dumping his grass clippings in your pasture and he continues to ignore your request. Explain the possible damages he could be made responsible for including the value of horses, possible amounts of vet bills, etc.

Explain that the last thing you want is to ruin your good relationship but your animals' health and welfare has to be your number one priority.

 

[shorthorsemom]

I have known horses that have died from eating grass clippings delivered by well intentioned neighbors, this can be DEADLY. You might as well forbid him to do it. One colic, one massive vet bill, one dead mini. Not worth his feelings. Grass clippings have killed many horses.

best wishes to you, good reminder for the forum of how tough it is dealing with well intentioned ignorant people and a reminder not to feed grass clippings. Especially this time of year, with freeze thaw... there could be toxic weeds mixed in the clippings, they could be fermented... Oh my, this would be very distressing for me.

If I told somebody not to do this and they did it again, I would call the police. Nobody feeds my horses anything without my permission. hope you work it out

edited to add. Botulism.. toxic plants, toxic leaves, black walnut, cherry leaves, red maple.. all chopped up together...with grass... Not to mention Choke when horses bolus eat short clipped heating grass... YIKES

How about Yew bushes and the stuff they drop into the grass to be mowed in the clippings. Knew a man who owned horses that ate some yew bush. 2 horses dead in 1 hour.

I didn't read this stuff, actually knew folks that these things happened to.

 

[stormy]

I am wondering if you could get a letter from your veterinarian (on letterhead so it looks official) explaining the dangers of feeding grass clippings to minis, would also back you up if something did happen later showing your neighbor was made aware of the danger.

 

[rabbitsfizz]

Perhaps you could ask him (and I really do think you need to talk to him, yet again, as you have no proof he has dumped the clippings and, even if a horse colicked, you would have no proof that the clippings caused the colic) if he did it (yes, I know you saw him but that is your word against his) If he says he did, tell him you feed your horses, not him, They are not his property, he has NO right to be feeding them. End of the matter- do not discuss it with him, or explain, you have no need to explain your actions to him they are YOUR HORSES!!! Tell him to stop feeding your horses, and if he does it again you will film him and call the police- if you lose a friend, fine. If he is a real friend he will ask why you are SO angry- at which point you are free to explain all and everything to him in words of one syllable - if you can cry because the poor widdle ponies might die because of his actions, all the better. I do not have a problem with playing the little helpless woman in cases like these, not if it has the desired affect.

 

[lucky seven]

Before I got into horses, a neighbor always gave his horses grass clippings, one of them colicked and after the vet visit, he spent the whole night walking his horse up and down his driveway which is a steep hill. He learned his lesson and his legs got quite a workout. Hope you can get through to your neighbor, I would hate to have you lose one of your horses to his stupidity.

 

[susanne]

.

Being a good neighbor is important, but it is a two-way street, and this guy is being far from neighborly. Considering that he has totally disregarded your requests, it is time to take off the kid gloves. Ask for the name of his lawyer and insurance agent, as you will bring suit if this continues. Tell him nicely (southern style) that you're sorry, but you will sue him for the maximum amount should he harm your horses.

I would also plant a thick, tall, horse-safe hedge on your side of the property line. Rugosa roses will do the trick quite nicely. Another choice would be arbor vitae. You can purchase good sized plants for very little, then offset every other plant so that you can create a dense wall in less time. A line of hotwire will keep your horses off of the young plants.

 

[shorthorsemom]

hotwire.. LOL, I would put it on the outside of the fence. Nice idea (for the neighbor). chuckle.

I would set up a game camera to monitor when you are not home..

 

[crookedhalo09]

We have had similar problems with neighbors. They do not throw clippings in to the horses but I have caught them on several occasions feeding the horses SOMETHING but no clue what. I put up a polite handwritten "please do not feed the horses" sign on the side I was catching them on. I am not friendly with these neighbors and have no desire to be (long story but we've had other problems in the past).

A few weeks ago, I caught the teenagers that visit the neighbors again. I went out on the porch and yelled to them that they were trespassing on private property and to leave immediately. The one gave me attitude but they left. So this time my mom made me up some signs to hang around the whole fence. Something along the lines of "Do not feed or touch any of the animals, this is private property and the law will get involved" (it was worded better than that, I just can't remember off the top of my head lol). We also have surveillance cameras on the entire property so they will be caught in the act and the next time it happens the police will be involved.

 

[amysue]

You need to talk to him again to ensure he does not make your minis sick. Perhaps you can ask him to give them all to the other neighbor since they dont mind. Not that I wish any ill will on their horses but it may be a way to keep him from dumping them over your fence. Tell him how strictly you need to moniter your mini's diet and stress how they cannot eat the clippings to try to talk sense into him. If he still does it, call the police after all it is your private property

 

[FurstPlaceMiniatures]

People used to try to feed my dog all the time when shoe would come to school with me. She's an "american" type Golden, the tiny, kind of frail looking kind as opposed to the block headed english type. She was small, not skinny. People thought otherwise.

I played the allergy card ALL the time with her, which was half true actually. But "if that makes her puke, and it probably will, you're cleaning it up" worked like a charm. Especially after she threw up a hot dog on the football field someone snuck her....

I really don't think your neighbor is trying to be mean, I would just go over and talk to him again, be firm but polite. Good luck!

 

[MajorClementine]

So I went to talk with him yet again when he mowed the front lawn again and did the same thing. I know he isn't trying to be rude in any way by feeding them and told him I understood that he was just trying to be friendly with them. I explained to him that grass clippings can be very dangerous. His response was that he has been doing it for years with the neighbor horses and they have been just fine. So I (as kindly as possible) let him know that any vet bills as a result would be sent to him. He let me know he would be calling the cops the next time my dogs barked at the neighbor cats. At that point I just walked away. I don't like playing games. I just don't want his clippings dumped over my fence. I did let animal control know it was happening and signed a statement so there is a "paper trail" if this should become a problem. Hopefully he was just trying to save face and act tough but he really will listen to me and stop feeding them clippings. We'll find out this spring.