What I have learned from this thread is how important it is to volunteer and help out at our local parks where we are allowed to ride. If we outride our welcome at those parks, the only riding areas left will be paved roads. :no:
Wow! This is a real eye opener for me. I live in a very horsey community and have always “thought” that any place that isn’t fenced is fair game. I follow trails that I know about…and never thought anything of it. There is alot of open space and I never thought anyone owned it. Recently my neighborhood association has formed a committee to establish permanent trails for dirt bikers and horses…hopefully separate ones! I was told that basically all the property is owned property and that whenever I am not riding on an easement of a paved road I am basically tresspassing! WHO KNEW??? :eek:
Most of the folks here don’t seem to mind…and the long term residents are aware of who does mind and clue us newbies in where not to ride. Of course more and more folks are moving up here and fencing off their property. I guess I won’t be able to retire in my little paradise…but will have to move further out in the wilderness in order to be able to ride comfortably. :sadsmile:
Anyway…I have volunteered to help on the committee trying to establish permanent trails.
Who knew? Uh I guess anyone with common sense? If someones front lawn isn’t fenced would you ride on it?
Like I’ve said before and will aggain its called RESPECT its really easy from this thread to see why land owners more and more feel horseback riders do not show any.
My dear County…
I am new to this forum. I have posted 22 times.
I thank you for your warm welcome.
22,222,2222 I really don’t see the differance in the issue. As far as a warm welcome I honestly thought the thread was about riding on property that didn’t belong to people.
But if you want a welcome then hey " welcome "
nicker - if you’re reading this
Nicker — please call me re: puppy - 630-1805 - just got the PM. I was planning on taking him to the rescue this afternoon - I can keep him a little longer if you are interested - no pressure - just want to talk to you more about him.
Cathy Lombardi, DVM
The Oaks Veterinary Clinic - Eq and Farm Services
Smithfield VA
Hey, BklynCwgrl, welcome! 
Now, as for the “who knew,” well, I understand where County is coming from on this one. Mostly because I get it all the time, too. From my perspective, it is beyond my comprehension that people don’t understand that land, in general, is owned, and if you don’t have explicit permission to be on it, you are tresspassing. My four year old son understand the concept of “No Tresspassing,” so, yeah, I don’t get it when people say “who knew?”
For example, my property is clearly, clearly posted - NO TRESSPASSING. We stop people several times a year who say anything from, “The landowner said I could be here,” (um, no I didn’t :lol: ) to “Well, this is a right of way, isn’t?” (um, no, not for you :no: ). So, no, I just don’t GET that people don’t understand that private property is PRIVATE.
So, sorry if you are offended. But as a landowner, I just shake my head in amazment that people don’t understand what seems to be to be a pretty basic concept. Private property is private.
Welcome BklynCwgrl,
I’m glad you realize now, and I hope you help spread the word.
I want to re-emphasize another reason why most of us aren’t going to be thrilled to find yet another person treating land we pay a hella lot of money to buy, keep, and maintain for our own enjoyment as if it’s a public park.
There’s a grey area in a lot of state laws regarding tresspassing and the landowner’s liability. What it boils down to in my state (and this is totally insult on injury) is that under certain circumstances, if someone tresspasses on my land–I.E. is here without my permission–and gets themselves hurt, they can sue ME. WTF, indeed. Even better, one of the things that can give the tresspasser standing in court is if I know, or “should” know, they are tresspassing and I don’t make a huge effort to run them off, install fences or barricades, file police reports, etc.
So, yeah, as if I’m not irritated enough at the invasion of my privacy, I could be looking at the source of a lawsuit that’d take away my home.
yeah but…
I know I will catch some flak for this…in my opinion, there is no good reason, in my particular situation why I should not be allowed to ride on the piece of land I wrote about. It is 400 acres, no one lives there…it is old farmland that will be developed someday. There are farm roads all the way around it and a creek to cross. In Kentucky landowners are implicitly protected from lawsuits due to the fact there is so much “farm animal activity” No one can sue when participating in ANY kind of farm animal activity,due to the inherent risks.
That being said, I have a 100 by 60 lot for my horse, no where to ride except the roads and this piece of land. I ride there. Have 3 times. My horse , a 5 year old OTTB HAS to do more than trot in circles in his paddock. He is too smart and too much horse and WILL cook up some antics to make it fun (for him). I plan on doing CTR in the future, and will be moving when the lease is up next year.
I recently befriended a man and his wife who HAVE permission to ride there, and when it cools down, they will join me, and he has already said (after seeing my horse) that we will trailer to some other places. Sooo, I will take my chances on being confronted…like I said , there is NOTHING on this land, no gates and no signs,so I will ride on…
Cheryl
One word " RESPECT" anyone surprised land owners don’t feel horse people have any?
Respect
Its quite sad, isn’t it?
I know a rider in my area that is forbidden to ride on property I have been allowed on because she simply did not ask for permission to be there. She is a transplanted citiot that knows not what crops are. :no:
It takes a few moments to make lifetime friendships and be good ambassadors - and fewer moments to spoil it for all.
Invisible Blondes on horses
Wildhorse - Bwa ha ha!! I was the “little blonde on the brown horse” who thought no one ever saw me either - WRONG! My parents made me ask for riding permission 40 odd yrs ago and they knew of what they required! Back then is was a lot easier for a cute little blonde chile to beg permission and receive it.
Oh yeah, you are visible. You bet you are. And so are your hoofie prints and poo poo piles.
The neighbor I spoke of rode her horse on a local sod farm a few yrs ago and the owner called me and said “I know it wasn’t you, this was a shod horse, and yours is bare footed. I just wondered if you might guess who it was.” :eek:
What is “common sense” to some, is clearly not common to others. No insult intended, believe me. I grew up near Philadelphia. Yards that were not fenced were fair game for cutting through. We never went too near a house, but kids cut through all the time. If the homeowner didn’t like it, they’d say something, and we’d avoid them in the future. These people were the exceptions, not the rule. There were also quit a few semi-private places where we could walk an play. This was very common and well accepted when I was a kid.
Moving to the country where property lines are jealously guarded came as quite a shock. In the city, we’d be welcome to use any bit of open land as long as we didn’t do any damage. I don’t know if it is still the same where I grew up, but that’s what I remember.
It is pretty obvious to avoid planted fields. I’d call that common sense. Woods? Who would care? That would have been common sense to me, before I learned better years ago. Nowadays one can’t even ride the edge of a field along a road without being warned off.
I can understand the whole liability issue. I can understand wanting people to ask permission to use property. I don’t like it, but I respect it.
What I can’t understand is insulting somebody on this BB who is expressing surprise that she wasn’t able to ride on unfenced property. She didn’t mention riding past “no tresspassing” signs. This is not lack of respect, it is lack of knowledge, now corrected through reading this thread. I suggest that those who expect respect first offer it to others.
BklynCwgrl, I’ve already welcomed you, but here’s another. Thanks for posting your thoughts on this topic. I hope the less than enthusiastic response you received on this thread doesn’t deter you from posting in the future. This is a good BB, especially the Trail riding forum. I was pretty depressed about the lack of places to ride before I got a trailer. My area was much more horse friendly years ago, and it was difficult to find that times had changed. Now that I have a trailer, I can haul to a park to ride. Problem is, even there, inconsiderate horseman are causing damage to the trails, and it is possible we will eventually ba banned from there as well. I hate going in circles around a ring. It’s important to volunteer at these parks and show that horsemen care about maintaining the trails and interacting with others.
Whats respect to some is clearly not to others. I have no intention or desire to give people who trespass respect first before I expect it in return.
I tried being polite when I’d find someone trespassing. The absolutely rude responses, outright lies and sense of entitlement I encounter amaze me.
Sure you can ride on my property, can I drive your new car whenever I want? 
Oh my god, that is such an entitlement mentality.
One good reason that you cannot ride on that land is that you do not own it. Another is that you do not have permission.
SO WHAT if the owner is not doing what you consider to be using the property.
You cannot use something that belongs to someone else simply because you want to.
So what that your horse needs more room. You are the one that bought the horse knowing the limitations of your land. Buy a truck and trailer and go somewhere else to ride. Buy more land. But get over your idea that simply because you want to do something you must be allowed to do it.
If this is the attitude you presented when asking permission to ride there, that may be why the landowner gives permission to others and not to you. I would be concerned that someone with such an entitlement mentality would also not take responsibility for her actions and be likely to sue if she so much as got a hangnail while riding on my property. I feel sorry for your new friends, as you may end up losing them their permission to ride if the landowner finds out they are bringing you over.
Regarding the liability, which is it? No way the person can be liable, or they need to go through certain steps such as putting up signage etc.? Why should the landowner put up signs just to make it convenient for you?
People like you, who believe they are entitled to right of way wherever they want to go and who would sneak over to ride on land that they had expressly been told they do not have permission to ride on are the reason that landowners feel the need to fence their property and keep EVERYONE out.
You are the bad apple spoiling it for others. Take responsibility for finding an appropriate place to exercise your horse and get over yourself.
Nicker, I think the worst one I’ve had so far was the woman I caught riding across my corn feild and when I told her she had no business being there replied " my father is a dentist and I’ll ride where I damn please" This wasn’t a kid she was in her 20’s. I called the sheriff and let the law handle her ignorant a$$.
Riding in Woods
The problem with riding in woods w/o permission?? Well what about those nice hunters that have guns and bow and arrow? (Of which I am one as well!) And I’d sure hate if it I shot you as you tresspassed in my hunting zone. :eek:
Maybe I also make maple syrup in my woods and those ‘hoses between the trees’ are actually another way I pay my taxes. Please don’t knock those down!
Maybe I raise pheasants and some are loose in those woods. Or I feed the local deer and turkeys for my viewing pleasure and you are scaring them off.
Maybe I have downed fence that will at least peal a shoe off your horse, at worst take off your horses hoofie!! :eek:
Worst of all I may run nekkid thru my woods and you don’t want to see that!!
(Apologies to Aunt Ester if she is reading this.)
County, I wasn’t referring to giving trespassers respect. I was referring to respecting the points of view of fellow BBers. You have a right to defend your property any way you see fit within the law. I have no business telling you how to treat tresspassers, and wasn’t trying to.
I’m not somebody who rides uninvited on other people’s property. I may have done as a kid, through ignorance of the rules. I have never disrespected b or argued with anybody who warned me off a property. When I’ve been caught riding the edge of a field along a road, I always apologized and made sure not to do it again.
All I’m saying is that not everybody understands these rules. Sometimes you are dealing with people who don’t know any better. If a person argues with you about their right to be on your property, they are in the wrong and being disrespectful. I do wonder, though, whether a polite attitude might get you a little more cooperation than a negative one. Some of the farmers who objected to me riding on their property have become friends. Nice people all around. I even helped them milk a time or two when they were short handed.
My parents have about 30 acres, and they don’t mind allowing the residents of the housing development behind them to walk or even ride on the property. They DO mind people taking down fencing and cutting down trees, as occasionally happens. If they didn’t want people to walk on their property, they’d need to post signs and enforce them. Otherwise, people assume that you don’t mind sharing. Like it or not, that is the prevailing attitude. It’s not necessarily disrespectful–more like it is just hard to understand how people would mind others walking on property that doesn’t seem to be in use. This is not necessarily disrespect.
