"Introducing" horses to the neighbors?

[starhorse]

We’ll be bringing horses home in the next few months. The property had horses several years ago, but I know many new neighbors have come in since then. We’ve met most of our neighbors and they’ve all been positive when hearing we have horses coming home eventually, but I know things change when they really show up.

I was thinking of sending a note to all of our neighbors (there’s a small dead end that runs along one of the pastures, so there are several neighbors abutting the property) “introducing” the horses and offering my contact info (again) if they have any questions or concerns, and just mentioning that if they or their kids would like to meet them to please contact me and I’m happy to arrange that.

I guess my hope would be that this would be a kind gesture, give them an open avenue for any grievances/if the horses ever seem in distress and they need to get a hold of me, and also try to limit self-introductions to the horses over the fence.

Is this asking for issues that I’m not thinking of? Anyone done this before?

[skydy]

I’ve never been in your position so please take this with a grain of salt…

I would be more likely to want to speak with them if possible. That way you can ask them if they have any questions and see where that leads. They may have some knowledge about horses and they may not.

I think you’d have a better chance of working all of the important bits into a conversation, such as, even friendly horses at liberty don’t behave like they do when haltered and under control, they will jump and kick from “high spirits” without warning, it is important for no one to give the horses treats (and the reasons why) or to pet them over the fence, loose dogs or children in the pasture may be seriously injured etc…etc…etc…

Then kindly offer to show the horses to anyone if they are interested in meeting them.

[CHT]

I think a simple note like you describe sounds nice. Not condescending, but friendly and providing your contact information to the benefit of both parties.

[OdieJump]

My horse pasture is surrended by cattle so I’ve never had this problem. Personally I wouldn’t have even told neighbors but I can see how you wouldn’t want anyone feeding them over the fence or actually going in there. Horses aren’t scary but you definitely should not mess with horses that aren’t yours. Maybe you could kindly inform them that horses can be unpredictable and require an experience eye there, and then also that feeding your horses would be dangerous to them and might make them sick (depending on what’s fed I suppose)

[Palm_Beach]

I put up electric fence so there is no feeding over the fence. I only have one neighbor that has a house near my fence and he doesn’t care.

[2DogsFarm]

Even though my pasture is separated from the road by a berm I had put in, IME horses are an Attractive Nuisance some people just have to investigate. :rolleyes:

@starhorse in place of a note - which I DO find a little condescending - how about a sort of reverse Welcome Wagon?
Bake or buy some cookies & invite neighbors over on a weekend.
Intro your horses & talk about:
1- how in spite of how big they are, they have wonky digestive systems < so no unpapproved treating
2- as calm as they may appear in pasture, they can & do act out in ways that can hurt someone not familiar with their body language < so no going into the pastures unaccompanied by you
3- no Photo Ops over the fenceline < so no holding up kids or petting faces if you are not there too

In the almost-15yrs mine have been at home, I have had to address each of the above issues individually with well-meaning neighbors & passersby.
Nothing like coming out to see a complete stranger with a toddler offering your Shameless Beggar horses baby carrots… including the bag :eek:

[Beck]

I’m with 2DogsFarm. Horses are officially regarded by insurance companies as an ‘attractive nuisance’ (as no doubt you have been told) for good reason. Better to talk face-to-face. It is far too easy for them (and their kids, in particular) to skim a note and take away the general impression that you have given them an open invitation to wander in and ‘visit’ the horses any time, unsupervised.

[511]

@starhorse

We’ll be bringing horses home in the next few months. The property had horses several years ago, but I know many new neighbors have come in since then. We’ve met most of our neighbors and they’ve all been positive when hearing we have horses coming home eventually, but I know things change when they really show up.

I was thinking of sending a note to all of our neighbors (there’s a small dead end that runs along one of the pastures, so there are several neighbors abutting the property) “introducing” the horses and offering my contact info (again) if they have any questions or concerns, and just mentioning that if they or their kids would like to meet them to please contact me and I’m happy to arrange that.

I guess my hope would be that this would be a kind gesture, give them an open avenue for any grievances/if the horses ever seem in distress and they need to get a hold of me, and also try to limit self-introductions to the horses over the fence.

Is this asking for issues that I’m not thinking of? Anyone done this before?

How about sending out invitations and making it a 'Coming Home party / BBQ* where the neighbors can mingle and chat and you can explain all the dos and don’ts while you wait for the trailer to arrive, (building up the anticipation) then the horses unload like royalty and all the neighbors escort them to their new home. Horses settle in and the party continues for another hour or so.
Everyone goes home full and happy with knowledge that they have horses in the neighborhood.

*If it is cold change the name of the event from BBQ to ‘Winter Defiance Party.’

[Charanga2011]

Man am I glad that when I bring the horses home we live in the middle of the woods and we don’t have to worry about this! :lol: I agree a note some people might just skim over, others have good ideas on here as well! Good luck and congrats! We just bought the land next to us and are in the process of clearing it (it is heavily wooded) then fencing and barn has to be finished as well as establishing grass…so it is a ways off…sigh. But still excited to be working towards getting them home!

[Bellathemustang]

My mare has been boarded in a pasture backing up to a row of 5-6 houses, and we currently have a neighbor on each side. We are lucky in that both sets of neighbors seem to like horses. Her old neighbors would sit on their porch and watch her, they had my # and would text with anything unusual. That ended up being a huge help when she colicked. I actually wrote letters and delivered to all houses that backed up to her pasture, that way they had my info and I think it does help the ATTRACTIVE become more prominent than the nuisance when they are introduced

The current neighbors include a young girl who was thrilled when the run in shed was delivered Her wish came true when a pony a mini followed

I always introduce the horses, I find people like knowing their names and stories. And I explain things like the fly masks, everyone seems to think I am blindfolding me horses :lol: It helps if you bring treats, especially if your horse prefers to poo right by the high traffic area of the fence line like mine.

[2DogsFarm]

@5

How about sending out invitations and making it a 'Coming Home party / BBQ* where the neighbors can mingle and chat and you can explain all the dos and don’ts while you wait for the trailer to arrive, (building up the anticipation) then the horses unload like royalty and all the neighbors escort them to their new home. Horses settle in and the party continues for another hour or so.
Everyone goes home full and happy with knowledge that they have horses in the neighborhood.

*If it is cold change the name of the event from BBQ to ‘Winter Defiance Party.’

We agree on the general idea, but IIWM & from my experience NOT when the horses first get to the place.
if they are anything like my Newbs, 1st thing they want to do is run & buck in their new fields. You’ll have your hands full getting them unloaded & into stalls or fields.
Not a good time for an audience, especially one that will have lots of questions or even Heaven forfend, want to “help”.

I had a horsy friend with me as I unloaded my 2 & just one neighbor wandered over. She was enough distraction so the process became more unnerving than it should have been.
Let your horses get settled, THEN have the GTG

[starhorse]

Thanks for all of the ideas! I definitely don’t want to sound condescending - I want them to feel free and safe to ask questions or come for a visit but with safe parameters.

We did have a neighborhood/family/friend BBQ in the fall and all of the neighbors came, but there weren’t any horses yet. Maybe we’ll do another spring thing once the horses are a little bit settled. Too much to call it “homecoming?” :lol:

[2DogsFarm]

:lol: DO call it Homecoming.
And provide mums in your “team colors”

[She_s_Pure_Gold]

We have our small farm in the middle of a residential neighborhood on a main road and luckily, in the nearly 6 years, have had very few negative experiences. To the contrary, people LOVE that we maintained the property as a farm. We did not do any formal letter or gathering, but in retrospect I think it would have been a good idea. We ended up doing individual “meet and greets” as people came to say hello and check them out. We would go over safety etc. on each of those occasions. So far it has worked well for us.

My suggestions would be to do both- you can include a brif “ground rules” letter with you invitation to a bbq or whatever- that way everyone gets the info (in writing!) so if people can’t make it, they still get the info.

One thing that we did deliberatly- and I don’t know if you’ve done it already or have the ability to- but there was an existing 3 rail fence along the sidewalk by the paddock- we intentionally set the horse fencing another ~10’ in from it so as to not tempt feeding or petting of the horses, while still allowing them to have reasonably close views/visitation. We’ve since replaced the 3 rail fence with a 4’ picket fence, as the old one was needing replacing and we did on a couple of instances have trespassors climb over/through it. Not possible with the new fence. Highly, highly recommended if you can. Now the only easy way onto our property is via the driveway, right by our house.

Good luck with bringing them home! Enjoy

[BeeHoney]

Honestly, while most people would interpret such a gesture (a nice note or a “welcome” get together) properly, there are going to always be a few that will take it as an open invitation in a manner that you don’t intend. The horses are your property, and your land is your private land. Provided you are following all neighborhood regulations and zoning laws, it really isn’t any of your neighbors’ business whether you have horses or not. Acting as if the horses coming home is some kind of neighborhood event will only serve to make people feel more familiar about trespassing/feeding them/ etc.

Personally, I think that being overly nice about your horses coming home will make it all the more difficult to deal with boundary issues down the road. Being nice and giving warnings at the same time is too much of a mixed message. Being accurate about the dangers of horses and putting in in writing would only make your situation worse should something bad ever happen. I would run a strand of hotwire along the tops of all of your fences and put those little yellow “caution- electric fence” placards up. I would also consider posting a no trespassing sign. I would deal with a trespasser the same way you would deal with anyone who came onto your property to fool with your car or your swimming pool. It’s just not appropriate.

FWIW, I’ve kept horses in a situation where the pasture/barn was bordered by a neighborhood. IME, it’s nearly impossible for many people to “get” the distinction that it might be okay to pet your horses when you are standing there with your permission, but that it’s not okay to hop the fence and pet or feed them whenever they want, and that it’s not okay to “drop in to pet the horses” whenever they want. Realistically, being “nice” will only encourage people to disrespect your privacy and your property. I guess I sound like a grump, but being “nice” inevitably seemed to backfire.

Obviously, be kind and thoughtful to your neighbors in every other way.

[beau159]

@BeeHoney

Honestly, while most people would interpret such a gesture (a nice note or a “welcome” get together) properly, there are going to always be a few that will take it as an open invitation in a manner that you don’t intend. The horses are your property, and your land is your private land. Provided you are following all neighborhood regulations and zoning laws, it really isn’t any of your neighbors’ business whether you have horses or not. Acting as if the horses coming home is some kind of neighborhood event will only serve to make people feel more familiar about trespassing/feeding them/ etc.

Personally, I think that being overly nice about your horses coming home will make it all the more difficult to deal with boundary issues down the road. Being nice and giving warnings at the same time is too much of a mixed message. Being accurate about the dangers of horses and putting in in writing would only make your situation worse should something bad ever happen. I would run a strand of hotwire along the tops of all of your fences and put those little yellow “caution- electric fence” placards up. I would also consider posting a no trespassing sign. I would deal with a trespasser the same way you would deal with anyone who came onto your property to fool with your car or your swimming pool. It’s just not appropriate.

These were my thoughts too.

If you aren’t already good friends with your neighbors, I’m not sure why it would be their business that you are getting horses? As long as you are following appropriate zoning and fencing laws, there shouldn’t be any issue. And if your neighbors already are good friends that you talk to on a somewhat regular basis, of course, you can just tell them in person next time you chat.

If you are worried that people are going to “feel free” to visit your horses, and that’s why you want to send out a letter, then I would put up No Trespassing signs.

I guess if I had neighbors who were only an acquaintence and not actual friends, I would feel weird getting a letter that tells me about their horses.

IMO.

[511]

@2DogsFarm

We agree on the general idea, but IIWM & from my experience NOT when the horses first get to the place.
if they are anything like my Newbs, 1st thing they want to do is run & buck in their new fields. You’ll have your hands full getting them unloaded & into stalls or fields.
Not a good time for an audience, especially one that will have lots of questions or even Heaven forfend, want to “help”.

I had a horsy friend with me as I unloaded my 2 & just one neighbor wandered over. She was enough distraction so the process became more unnerving than it should have been.
Let your horses get settled, THEN have the GTG

I did not consider that point of view, and it is probablyt a good idea as my horses are smaller than the average COTH horse and would be considered ‘honys’ (Don’t judge.)
My neighbors are not horsey and would have stood back and watched. To non horse people horses are overwhelmingly large.

However, it is hard for neighbors to complain about something after they have attended a party in their honor, the other neighbors at the BBQ would (barring something egregious) step up to defend the horses.
I would suggest the OP be proactive and start using feed through fly control from the get go just to be cautious. It may be the other neighbors large dogs or chickens drawing flies but set out fly traps as proof of lack of flies due to your horses.

As was addressed above, lay out boundaries and do nots ‘before’ the horses show up.
Perhaps a facebook page for the horses and including a real time mare stare style camera (They are cheap now…They really are!) and the neighbors can check on the horses from their laptop, tout it as a benefit but it in reality it will be a deterrent, and you never know when a neighbor (or someone 7000 miles away- Make the location anonymous, but you know that) will check the page, see that Pooky is out of his stall and nosing into the grain bin and rat him out on-line .

[TMares]

I was worried when we gained a subdivision in our area/adjacent to my arena/perimeter…and 15 years later exactly one dad approached me to let his daughters pet them. One time. They still smile and wave, but we have no other folks interested in them at all, and yes there are lots of kids.

I have neighbors that I know as friends who would/and have- called or texted if there’s a concern (tree took a fence out, etc).

I thin it would be a little weird to have an event, personally. Maybe once they’ve been home a while and settled in, throw a little neighborhood get together and see what surfaces. In the meanwhile, a well-signed hot wire on the top of the horse fence is everyone’s guardian.

[Beck]

@BeeHoney

Honestly, while most people would interpret such a gesture (a nice note or a “welcome” get together) properly, there are going to always be a few that will take it as an open invitation in a manner that you don’t intend. The horses are your property, and your land is your private land…

Personally, I think that being overly nice about your horses coming home will make it all the more difficult to deal with boundary issues down the road. …

…IME, it’s nearly impossible for many people to “get” the distinction that it might be okay to pet your horses when you are standing there with your permission, but that it’s not okay to hop the fence and pet or feed them whenever they want, and that it’s not okay to “drop in to pet the horses” whenever they want. Realistically, being “nice” will only encourage people to disrespect your privacy and your property. I guess I sound like a grump, but being “nice” inevitably seemed to backfire.

Obviously, be kind and thoughtful to your neighbors in every other way.

This has been my own experience: being ‘nice’ can backfire.

[walkinthewalk]

For years the only rental home on my rural farm road was 12 feet from my barnyard. Nobody ever stayed there beyond their one year lease.

my IR horse also has some injuries that keep him out of the main pasture so the fence we put up right on the boundary line is 12 feet from the rental.

i don’t believe in notes. I always gave the new tenants a couple weeks to settle in, wait until I saw them outside, then would go over, introduce myself and explain what insulin resistance is, why that horse was in the yard, and why I would be grateful if anyone visiting them, especially children, did not feed the horse and would stay away from the fence.

we ran the gamut of having a drug dealer to a vet tech living in that house — oddly enough the drug dealer was the most respectful where my horse was concerned.

the little house was sold last Fall and the owners have horses on their parents farm, so explaining things to them took about 30 seconds, lol

i believe in eye contact, not notes, and the KISS principle (Keep It Simple Stupid) :)