DEFINITELY-THE MORE THE MERRIER!!!
the neighbors will not be keeping their children or dog at home – you know this - it is time for you to accept it and build the very high, very impermeable (privacy or no-climb or something else that the children/dog cannot get over/under/through) fence around your property as so many here have suggested
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You may want to also plant something hardy, relatively fast growing and THORNY like:
Arnold Hawthorn
Crataegus arnoldiana, Z4 - 18ft.
The Arnold Hawthorn is a dense and spiney low-branched tree with a horizontal and upright growth pattern showing zig-zag-type branch/twig growth. Broadly rounded at maturity with a 15-20 ft. width. Dark glossy green leaves with yellow Fall colour. White flowers produced in profusion followed by bright red fruits produced in late summer. The Arnold Hawthorn is a native tree to the Northeastern US and is one of the earliest hawthorns to provide a fruit display. The fruit is said to have a delicious flavour and can make an excellent dessert fruit when cooked and used in pies, preserves, etc. The fruit can also be dried for later use. Herbal folk medicine uses are also indicated. Useful as an ornamental planting or a barrier tree.
OR
Sea Buckthorn
Hippophae rhamnoides, Z4 - 25ft.
A favourite: Narrow green leaves and thorns, -bears particularly bright orange berries clustered tightly & thickly along the branches which persist through winter, -widely grown in Russia and said to have medicinal propertie. A particularly showy and unusual looking tree when in fruit.
Sadly, that’s my thought.
But one can hope, right?
I’ll give it one more chance. And I am contacting the family lawyer later on this week just to get an idea of what I CAN do that still covers my ass.
Chocomare - good ideas, but they won’t survive the winters this far north. Carraganas are spikey too, and if left, will become pretty much impervious to anything wanting through.
Ah hah! Figured a Canadian horticulturist/botonist would chime in with something similiar yet Frozen-Tundra tough :winkgrin:
Sounds like you need a very high-powered, multi-wired electric fence and some no trespassing signs.
Have you talked to the pony-club people? Sounds like they need to let the parents in on what is and isn;t appropriate behavior for young riders.
hope is all fine and good but it won’t keep your horses from being chased by a dog and run through a fence
won’t keep your horses from taking off a child’s finger as it is reaching over a four foot fence to take the carrot the child is proffering
won’t keep the child from sneaking in when it sees that you are gone and “playing” with your youngsters and getting hurt in the process
you cannot be on the property 24/7 - you know these folks are not going to keep the kids/dog at home - you CAN do your best to provide a barrier to make it excedingly difficult for them to trespass - without said tall/impervious barrier the attorney may be pointing out that the theory of “attractive nuisance” can come into play if anything should happen to trespassing children (see http://insurance.cch.com/Rupps/attractive-nuisance-doctrine.htm )
it is a sad reality that faces all of us that keep horses
wow- you need to stop being so nice. my blood pressure went up just reading your neighbors replies.
i really would have said you are NOT welcome on this property and if i catch you feeding my horses ANYTHING i will present you will the vet bill immediately from having them checked over
get your lawyer to write a letter telling them to keep off your land. call the cops EVERY/ANY time you catch them on your place…
hot wire is your friend…
really, with neighbors like this- the best defense is a good offense. 
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Good luck Tropical Storm. I live in Golden, BC and I’ve had a terrible time with people and their dogs. And yes, I’m a dog lover but man I can’t stand that you can’t keep your damn dog at home. I’ve threatened to shoot them, when I’d rather actually shoot the owner.
Actually I am rather serious about that one.
I’ve gotten to the point that after the first warning, I call the RCMP and actually had one house hold charged. I agree that you need to install hot wire on the bottom and top of your fence. What kind of fencing are you using? Post electric fence signs.
AND RECIND ANY AND ALL INVITATIONS THAT YOU WILL ALLOW DOG OR CHILDREN OVER AT ANY TIME. Sorry to shout about that but these people have no respect and never will. I unfortunately see this all the time. An example, just after I bought my brand new Dodge dually, a Grade 12 student was on the back of it in the staff school parking lot. I didn’t even have the truck for a day before this kid thought it wasn’t a problem to be in the back of my truck. And he thought I was an idiot for being upset. Same as the people who didn’t think it was a big deal to cut our back fence down and dirt bike through the property. Or the ones who thought it was okay to drop their garbage half way down our driveway, or the ones who thought it was cool and funny to let their dog chase the broodmares.
So make them realize that it isn’t them that is the neighbour from hell, it is you! Believe me it won’t get any better without you taking a huge stand. Get the lawyer to write up something and get talking to the RCMP. Please keep us informed and good luck girl.
Nancy!
Wow, TC, I can’t not reply now. I’ve been reading and wincing all along, but never had anything to contribute until now.
STOP being so passive! This is not a wait-and-see situation, not a one-can-hope situation, not a give-them-another-chance. What you need to do, this week, are these things:
- Go ahead and contact a local real estate agency or office with folks in the know who have the lingo and LAWS down pat. Find out what the terms are for disruption of privacy, not being allowed to enjoy your property, feeling harrassed by neighbors, trespassing, etc. Write all these terms down, even ones that only tangently apply to you.
- Call the police and recite all these terms back, stating also that you have gone to the neighbors’ house twice to explain the situation and each time were told they would do with your property (animals such as horses are livestock and therefore property) as they so wish.
- Consider contacting Department of Human Services or Canadian equivalent of gov’t office for neglected/abused/endangered children and elderly. Emphasize large, unpredictable, hard teeth and feet, 1000 pounds plus creatures, turn them into fire breathing monsters…then state that Mommy is encouraging them to interact with said creatures without your permission and experienced presence, with you already stating to her twice that her children could be injured.
- Repeat with Human Society. Ask about laws, ask about trapping, ask how legal it would be for you to bring the dog in the next time it is on your property.
- Keep records of all these, write them down and send one copy to neighbor in the manner stated in previous posts with a cc to “family lawyer” you keep mentioning.
Do them this week before the horses get here. Seriously, be pro-active before you get sued, kids get hurt, horses get hurt or ruined…or, best-case, they are just an effing pain in the ass.
I guess maybe I do walk a little on the redneck side sometimes, but I live in the stix and when in Rome…
Anyway, the Rock Salt Shotgun thing is the best way I have found to deal with this sort of doggy dilemma that 1) won’t hurt the horses, 2) hurt any bystanders, 3) cause permanent damage to the doggy. I love animals I really do, but not chasing my horses. I have one of mine that hasn’t gotten the message yet, but I have a remote controlled shock collar on her and she is starting to get it. Obviously you can’t put a shock collar on the neigbors dog.
For whoever asked about the 12 gauge pistol grip thing, yes it will work with any shotgun you can put 00 buck in. I have found the 12 gauge long barrel to be the best because you have enough range you don’t have to be right on top of it to hit the dog. A 16 gauge works well too. Obviously with a shorter barrel you will have more spread and less range. Not so good for this type of thing but an excellent home defense weapon. So the key is making sure you have enough range to hit the dog, ideally without him knowing you are there.
I"m a police officer and my shotgun at work is a 12 gauge Smith and Wesson pump action, it works great for the rock salt thing.
I just have to say that I cannot believe the audacity of these people. Tell them they can come pet the horses all they want if you can have sex with her husband and see what she says. Better yet, tell them you are a registered sex offender and can’t be around children, and see what she says. I bet that would do it. Be very circumspect, you know, I really didn’t want to get into this but…it might be worth it just to see the look on her face.
Or tell her you used to be a man.
For whoever posted about the neighbor in the retirement home and her poor animals who were left behind, do you have a humane society or animal control you can call? I wish you were in my jurisdiction, I would be over there quick fast and in a hurry.
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Man. The Jenners said it the way I see it.
Why are you being so passive? I saw a problem when you complained that YOU had alienated your neighbors, and not that THEY had alienated you. You’re young, so you have an excuse, but this is your big chance to grow a set.
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You’re young, so you have an excuse,
And also an excuse to be RUDE AS HELL when you need to be.
Maybe that’s the problem. I’m too nice
It’s hard for me. I don’t mind confrontations at all, but being downright blatantly rude is just difficult for me Especially since I’m all like “Frig, can people actually BE this rude?” But maybe its needed…
I have contacted my MD and know exactly what I can do about the dog. if he is on my property, I am within the rights to trap him and throw him down to the Humane Society-and if I cant’ catch him I can contact the police. If it happens again, they get fined up to $2500.
As for the kids, I did take your advice and sicced my parents on them-they’ll have a “talk” (my mother is royally pissed) with the neighbors tonight. Maybe it’ll have a different meaning if a 50 year old versus a 19 year old talks to them. I have also told my parents to tell them that they are not welcome on our property on ANY occasion-maybe it’ll sink in, as my parents ARE the legal owners of the property (doesn’t hurt that my dad looks like a hitman, though, right? ;)).
We’ll see how this plays out.
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ooohhh—good to get your parents involved! Now they know it’s the whole family up against them, and some people don’t take directions well from women and/or people who are younger.
So hope this resolves well for you.
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Don’t really have any comments except, “Good crappin’ Grief!”
I just wanted to be able to ‘watch’ this thread and couldn’t find any buttons for that purpose so I just posted so I can do a search for my posts and find this thread again.
Sounds like a case of the neighbors maybe wanting to be ok but not really taking a 19yo seriously. Maybe your parents’ talk will be more productive. sylvia
Good luck TS!!
I’d love to be a fly on the wall when your parents talk to them!
Steph
neighbors
I found this an interesting thread. Sorry that you have a rotten neighbor. I have one that also believes that her dogs should have “free range.” After dragging home one dog (a day after I called and asked her to remove her Pit Bull from my farm), I told her that the next one of her dogs that I found, I would call the “Animal Control Officer.” After she finished cursing me out, I told her to "have a nice day and keep her dogs on her own farm. The phone # of animal control is programmed into my phones and I will call if needed. A nice fine is always a good deterent.
Love the idea of the “thorny” bushes!!! I may just plant some. Already have the hot wire and the “Posted” signs.
Fortunately, I do have two other neighbors who are wonderful people, but you have my sympathies.
