# Neighbors horses loose, what would you do?



## dianneS (Feb 8, 2011)

I just drove by my hay guys farm and about five of his horses were standing in the driveway by the barn.  The driveway gate was open and the horses were about 50 yards from a very, very busy road!  

He's not exactly a close neighbor, about 3.5 miles away.  I turned the car around and went back, no one home.  I closed the driveway gate, but it doesn't have a latch, so I secured it as best I could with the chain.  Its really windy today and I hope that gate stays closed?  

I called and left a message at the only number I have for him.  Is there anything else I could have done in this situation?  What would you do?  I'm afraid if I do too much I could get myself in trouble, know what I mean?  Like the good samaritans who get sued by the people they rescue.  I also don't want to get myself hurt.  I wasn't really dressed for horse wrangling at the time.  I just hope everyone is okay?


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## KellyHM (Feb 8, 2011)

I'm assuming you put the horses back in the pasture before you closed the gate?  If so I'd say that's about all you can do for now and I'm sure your neighbor will appreciate you keeping the horses from getting hit by a car.


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## dianneS (Feb 8, 2011)

I got a call from the neighbor and he thanked me profusely for closing his gate.  The horses were safe and sound when he got home.  He had gotten a call at work about the horses being out, but he couldn't leave work and was really worried.  He was so grateful, he offered me 10 free bales of hay!

I was just wondering what the rest of you folks would want someone to do if your horses got out when you weren't around?  I personally would hope that someone would attempt to put mine back in the fence or barn.  I just did what I hope someone would do for me!


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## patandchickens (Feb 8, 2011)

Nope, that's pretty much what I would have done too. I would have taken a good look round the field to make sure there were no parts of fence down (just b/c a gate is open does not *guarantee* that's how they got out) as you probably did yourself, but then just put them back in and relatched the gate.  If I'd had some paper or cardboard with me, and a writing utensil, I would have tried to attach a note to the gate (wrap it tight with the latch chain or something) but your leaving a phone message serves the same purpose.

There's a really cr*ppy boarding/lesson barn just down the road from us that has the worst wooden fences ("attempted fences", I should say) that I have seen in my LIFE, and that's saying something there, and their horses get out almost constantly. When we are driving past and see 'em we put 'em back in and prop the fenceboards back up as best possible, but what can you do. Grrr. That's a lot different than your situation tho.

Pat


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## ThreeBoysChicks (Feb 8, 2011)

You did good!!  All anyone can ask you to do.


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## michickenwrangler (Feb 8, 2011)

We need more good Samaritans like you.


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## Emmetts Dairy (Feb 8, 2011)

Good for you for helping!!!    Its nice to hear positive stories of neighbors helping out!!!

Good job!!!


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## ksalvagno (Feb 8, 2011)

You did good. That is what I would have done. And I would have been very thankful if someone did that for me.


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## terri9630 (Feb 8, 2011)

You did the right thing. Several times I have found my neighbours animals out and either put them back or put them in my pasture (away from my animals) and called the owner or if I didn't know who they belonged to I'd call the sheriff, animal control and local vets incase someone was looking for them.  I wouldn't leave them on the road to get hit.

 As for the boarding stable where the horses are constantly out I would start calling animal control and get them sited.  Maybe that would encourage them to fix the fences.


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## ohne (Feb 9, 2011)

That sounds like you did exactly what you should do. Keep them off the road and call and leave a message. If one of my horses were to get out of their stalls and go for a walk-about I would hope that someone would put them back up were they would be safe. Although they would have to go on a bit of an adventure  and through a couple gates to get to any roads. 


Here is my escaped horse horror story of the week..
The owner of my stable got a phone call the other morning from the neighbor at the end of the lane asking if a horse was missing. Having already done the morning feeding she knew everyone was safe in their stalls and offered to come down and look at the horse to see if perhaps she recognized it or would have some idea of where the horse had come from. She got down there to find a very dead horse stuck in the doorway of their goat barn. After a little searching she found the owners. Turned out the horse was colicing and they had decided that it was getting better and went to bed. A few hours later it tore down the fence and went missing; they went looking and found the other two horses but not the colicing one. Apparently they just figured that it had gone off to die some place. Imagine the horror of a small 4-Her going out to feed his goats and finding that!


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## SDGsoap&dairy (Feb 9, 2011)

ohne said:
			
		

> That sounds like you did exactly what you should do. Keep them off the road and call and leave a message. If one of my horses were to get out of their stalls and go for a walk-about I would hope that someone would put them back up were they would be safe. Although they would have to go on a bit of an adventure  and through a couple gates to get to any roads.
> 
> 
> Here is my escaped horse horror story of the week..
> The owner of my stable got a phone call the other morning from the neighbor at the end of the lane asking if a horse was missing. Having already done the morning feeding she knew everyone was safe in their stalls and offered to come down and look at the horse to see if perhaps she recognized it or would have some idea of where the horse had come from. She got down there to find a very dead horse stuck in the doorway of their goat barn. After a little searching she found the owners. Turned out the horse was colicing and they had decided that it was getting better and went to bed. A few hours later it tore down the fence and went missing; they went looking and found the other two horses but not the colicing one. Apparently they just figured that it had gone off to die some place. Imagine the horror of a small 4-Her going out to feed his goats and finding that!


  That would be awful!

When I was a kid my best friend's mom's gorgeous buckskin QH spooked and jumped a perfectly good 5' fence onto the highway they lived adjacent to and was promptly hit by a logging truck.  Not only was she completely devastated at losing her horse, but she had a hefty lawsuit to deal with.


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## patandchickens (Feb 9, 2011)

terri9630 said:
			
		

> As for the boarding stable where the horses are constantly out I would start calling animal control and get them sited.  Maybe that would encourage them to fix the fences.


No, it doesn't. Animal control has been out lots of times. They can't really do anything, although they don't like the situation any better than anyone else does.

The barn mgmt does "fix" their fences. By propping boards in place, or stringing nonelectrified rope across gaps. Once a year (before summer riding camp season -- it baffles me why any responsible parent would send a kid to ride at a place run like this!), they go thru and replace missing/broken fenceboards... using 2x4s, with a single nail at each end, on the *outsides* of the fenceboards.

It's a busy road, and an accident waiting to happen, but apparently there is nothing else that can legally be done :/

Pat


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## suzie (Mar 7, 2011)

You did well... hopefully anyone who cares for animals would have done much the same.

I saw two dead horses on a road one night - they had escaped from their enclosure and had both been hit by a truck - it is a memory that will stay with me forever - if ever I see any animals (usually cattle) that have escaped their field(s) I will always herd them to a safe place ( field ) and if I cannot find the owner(s) I leave them there - at least they are safe and secure.

I would hope that if my horses and donkeys ever managed to escape their electrified enclosures that a neighbour would do the same as I would!

One of my donkeys did manage to open a gate ( with the help of one of my dogs ) and walk for half a mile along a road with the dog..... we noticed it had gone missing and we recaptured it.... the donkey seemed quite relieved - the dog thought it was highly amusing - the gate is now padlocked!


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## Wild Wind Farm (Mar 9, 2011)

I would be so greatful to anyone who would stop and put my horses back in the pasture if the ever got out!


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## Electric (Mar 9, 2011)

My gelding got loose, and a woman tied him to a telephone pole on the side of the road!


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## sammileah (Mar 9, 2011)

ppl down the road from where i use to live have a bunch of mini horses and 1 old mare.  I stopped several times cause she is an excape artist and i'd see her in the feild.   I always lucked out and someone was home.

on the other side of it.  I've had my critters get out and my neighbors have been so kind as to put them in someplace.  not always the right place but a secure place.


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