We need the help of Form Members

[Hobbit Horse Shire]

We are in need of your help .. We live in an association that has decided to enact some fencing rules .. Currently we have a 6 wire electric fence because of living in a high coyote & bobcat area .. The new rules would make our fence illegal & therefore we would have to tear it down & build a 3 board horse fence ........

 


Thanks for any help you can give .. If you know of any news articles that we could use that would be great too!

 


Carol & John Pilot

 

I can finally write to all of you who so kindly offered support in our recent battle to keep our electric fence

 


I am happy to let you all know that we just got an email from the Board of the Association stating - "Your request regarding the acceptance of your electric fence as a specialty fence to be accepted under the current by-laws was approved at last night's meeting."

 


We wanted to give a special thanks two members who sent us such convincing letters & photos .. Tony Greaves of Little America and to Stacie of Little Bitz Pony Farm .. Thank you to all the members who prayed & wrote wonderful words of encouragement .. You will never know how grateful we are to have had such support!

 


John & Carol Pilot

 

[Brandi*]

My friends mini donkey was brutally attacked and killed by a pack of dogs a few months ago. They chased him around for about 30 minutes until someone finally heard the noise. There were two donkeys together. One of them survived and the other just couldn't make it. It took a lot of vet bills and time for the surviving miniature donkey to heal. Not to mention the trauma. He was completely shredded on his hind end. His poor neck was torn up from the dogs trying to take him down. Very sad! It seems to me that if electric fencing helps keep our animals in, then it would certainly help to keep animals out! When we were having problems with coyotes around our place, we called the county trapper and he came out and set traps. He gave my dad a temporary gun permit so that he could shoot them if they didn't die in the trap. It was kinda disturbing for me but it's either them or our dogs and animals. The coyotes are very smart and they almost got our min pins a few times. We haven't had any problems since

: Good luck and I hope the committee makes the right decision.

:

 

[hahler]

This last week i lost my little Buffy to the neighbors pack of dogs while i was at nationals. And i have guard dogs out then on sunday nite when i got back from the nationals one of the strays got ahold of my mini wiener dog in the front yard and shattered his back leg so now it has 3 screws in it.

In my opinion an electric fence wont work they will either go over it or under it or between it.

And if a weed touches it and shorts it out then there is no protection.

Ask about chain link on the inside of the wood fence or welded wire something to make it alittle more solid

doesnt hurt to ask

dawn

 

[Jessica H]

Ask about chain link on the inside of the wood fence or welded wire something to make it alittle more soliddoesnt hurt to ask.

That's what I would do. Chain link or horse wire on the inside of the boards.

I've never had any trouble with dogs/coyotes getting my mini. Our town is Coyote City (haha). We see them on a regular basis out at the barn and they never bother us or the horses.

Once my trainer brought out her German Shepherd to the barn(which is so much bigger than Champ). He tried to chase Champ but Champ turned the tables on him and beat the crap out of the dog. So I know he's safe...he can take care of himself.

 

[PaintNminis]

We use cattle Panel

Maybe that would work?

it isn't very expencive either

 

[Katiean]

If you have to put up a wood fence, I would tell them I will do this if I can keep my electric fence or use chain link. If they are unwilling to bend, since this rule was not in effect when you put up your fence, I would let them take me to court. Try to make them responsible for any damages because of the fence change and they would not compromise. I don't believe they can "MAKE" you change your fence. What if you can't afford to change it at their whim? I believe "YOU" can keep the fence the same. But, if you sell the property the new owner would have to change the fence. They can't make new rules as they go just because they are some self appointed butt heads.

 

[ChrystalPaths]

Do a search here and you'll find plenty of dog attacks, coyoote and bear also. I use hot wire. I works great to keep things out as well as in. We have coyotes, stray dogs, cougars and bears. IF they insist on new fencing ask them if they will pay to replace your animal. There isn't a price one can put on that. IF you have to change your fencing I would still use hot wire between the boards. Sucks when others define one's existance! Thus my happy hermit ways in the hollow.

 

[hahler]

Hey just a thought but what about a "grandfather" law?

 

[Hobbit Horse Shire]

The only acceptable fence to the committee is brick .. board or stone .. We've already been told the will NOT allow chain link so I'm sure they would not allow any kind of welded wire fence .. The original by-laws said that if you are going to enclose your ENTIRE property the only choice was the color of the board fence - black or brown!!! They even made us use a board fence to enclose our pool - how stupid is that!

A comment was made about the red tape on the wires .. We explained that if a visual aid so people don't walk into the fence & get zapped .. Before we put the fence up we sent an email to all the families that have children explaining about the fence .. We asked the parents to please tell their children not to touch the fence .. Several of the kids have come over to see the horses & we again remind them about the fence .. The kids have NO problem understanding the fence

The people on the committee have their own "personal" agendas it seems .. This is a "Horse Community" and yet we are the 1st and ONLY owners with horses .. When another property owner tried to move his horses to his property he was told NO .. He lived next store to the president of the association .. He has since sold his home & moved to a place where he can have all the horses he wants

We can't afford to move so we have to find a way out of this situation .. Originally we had hoped to have a miniature donkey and 2 miniature goats to be trained for pet therapy but that has since been nixed

We live in the country on the back side of a mountain not in a suburban neighborhood .. Isn't this the kind of place one would expect to have a bit more freedom?

Thanks so much for all your suggestions .. It's nice to know there are people out there that care enough to reply!

 

[mininik]

Have you considered a livestock guardian dog?

 

[Hosscrazy]

Hopefully Tony will post on this thread as he experienced a series of dog attacks last year:

http://www.miniaturehorsetalk.com/index.ph...f=1&t=54676

Liz R.

 

[Gena]

IME the wolves and dogs in our area would go through the hot wire fence, I watched them do it - we have 2inch white tape, four strands. We never had an attack on our horses but to be safe we put chain link on the inside of the electric tape, and then inside of the chain link we put a strand of white electric rope to keep the horses off of the chain link. It was a triple fence - it kept the dogs and wolves from coming in. I feel bad for you that you are so limited. Maybe suggest to them the use of the white rope electric fencing, easy to see and could be used between the boards.

 

[Flaxenacres]

check the grandfather clause!

 

[Miniv]

I was also going to ask about the "Grandfather law" that most places have for property.

We personally use a lot of electric tape fencing as a part of our perimeter. We have some vinyl and some woven wire fencing, but we also installed a line of electric around the base -- about 6 inches from the ground. The reason for it being lower is that dogs and coyotes prefer to crawl under fences. To date, we have not had a stray dog or any coyotes come through our property, although we have SEEN them on our neighbors.........going AROUND our property. And we know of a den of coyotes exsisting on one of our neighbors, and hear them, so we know we are right in the middle of their territory.

If I were in your shoes.......I'd research the "grandfathering law" first. If that's not an option, I would INFORM them that I would be building the required fence as my finances allowed.......afterall, they can't get blood from a stone! Then, I would STILL install a line of electric on the INSIDE of the fenceline.

In addition, I would be investigating getting one or all -- a livestock guard dog, guard llama(s), and a guard donkey. (We own four large dogs who raise a ruckus when things aren't "right". We also have four llamas in two of our pastures -- who have proven themselves by charging a coyote that was just outside the fenceline, and two donkeys who are up with our "bachelor group" at the far end of our property. So far, so good.) Oh, and we also have a big outside light off our barn and keep the radio playing 24/7.

That's just what we do........Frankly, I don't envy your situation since we moved where we live to get AWAY from being dictated to! That kind of muscling on people drives me nuts.

MA

 

[Katiean]

It seems to me that if you are the only ones with horses you should take it to court because they, as non-horse owners don't know what is needed to keep the horses safe.

 

[Tony]

Have you considered a livestock guardian dog?

The fence they are requiring would not keep the guard dogs at home.

We have had fourteen horses killed by a pack of wild dogs and the electric fence, in your situation, is a requirement that I certainly recommend. We don't have it around our entire 200 acres, but in the one pasture where we do have it we have not lost an animal.

If you would like a letter, I will be happy to write one for you. Contact me directly by email, please, if you think that it would help.

Good luck.

Tony W. Greaves

 

[mininik]

They make invisible fences for dogs, Tony.

:

 

[minis3]

We have electric fence around our horses drylot and pasture and I wouldn't have anything else. Electric is not the most attractive fence but definitely has kept all unwanted creatures away from my horses. And we have coyotes and worthless neighbors who let their dogs run wherever they want.

One day I watched a yellow lab meandering around in the front yard and saw it going towards the pasture. The horses were not in the pasture this day. It walked up to the fence and then went yelping and running as fast as it could go. Have never seen it since.

I hope you can get them to change their minds.

 

[Hobbit Horse Shire]

Some more information .. There is NO grandfather act because we asked about being grandfathered in and they were not about to create one .. We currently fence approx 2.5 acres made up of 2 paddocks We have both rope wire & hot wire spaced 6" apart for the 1st 2' then 8" apart for the last 2'

I personally have seen a dog charge our horses 2 times .. One time the owner was walking down the road with his wife & kids when the dog ran at the horses .. He called the dog but didn't even say a word about being sorry his dog scared the horses .. This same man was at the meeting last night & knew we were talking about his dog charging the horses (we didn't mention any names)

I did read Tony's post and I am sick of heart .. I can not in my worse day imagine how he & his family felt after such a horrible thing .. After seeing the fawn killed by the pack of coyotes & the hopeless & helpless feeling we both experienced I don't know how Tony & his family managed to function day to day knowing the dogs were still out there and that the owners didn't give a dam about their part in this tragedy .. I don't understand people that think animals have no feelings and aren't deserving of love and protection .. All I can think of doing is praying that St. Francis will watch over all of our beloved pets & protect them from harm

 

[hahler]

OK i really do hate to say this but.......

I was told by the local law here that there was nothing they could do about the attacks at my house in the last week. The sheriff told me to do the 3 S's

Shoot

Shovel

and

Shut up

but i wont do it unless i catch them at it and it warrents it