Not too much to add except:
If you have a dog pack, or even a stray / neighbor hood problem…consider calling a professional. Several of us in our neighborhood called a “varmit hunter” (I swear, that’s what his card said) when a pack of unknown canines was chasing livestock and killing pets. He was reasonable, professional and FAST. In NC, they must be state licensed.
My favorite sign: “Please do not feed your fingers to our horses”
Nuff said!
Be the Boo Radley of the neighborhood
The make 'em think YOU’RE crazy idea can work too.
My DH is known to the neighbor kids as “that crazy-a** guy at the farm” because the few times they’ve ventured onto the property without asking he went nutso on them - yelling, screaming, threatening (you can threaten if you make it conditional - I will kill you IF you come back here) all while waving his arms and getting right up close. They probably did think he’d kill them with his bare hands.
Edited to add that the ‘kids’ in this case were 17 and 18. You’re right, this wouldn’t be the way to deal with 8 year olds. He did not actually say he would kill them ( I think it was more like you will regret ever setting foot here again), that was MY example of a conditional threat. In NH, the live free or die state, you are allowed to make conditional threats concerning people coming onto your property. But that may not be the case everywhere.
While he was actually fairly angry, he was also totally acting, to make them think it would be SO not worth it to come back.
Your dad may be the one who has to do this, but don’t discount the crazy lady on the farm either.
And call the police each and every time you find them or their dogs on the property.
You will not be popular, but you and your horses will be safer.
Hi, I’m sorry for your troubles. My suggestion is do what you have to do to keep your horses completely on your property’s side and then do the other things the other posters suggested with a lawyer drawing up and letter and sending it certified, etc. etc. I think using a lawyer is the better way to go. You don’t want to give these neighbors anything to say against you such as your horses were accessible on their side when their kid fed them or God forbid gets hurt. We had a problem a few years back when our neighbor’s logger tresspassed our property to steal the neighbor next to us trees and our lawyer suggested exactly what the posters here are suggestion with signs and letters and shoring up your property to keep other’s out. Also make sure there’s no dispute about your survey. That is double proof the property is privately yours.
Good luck with everything. I hope it gets better.
Legally, you are treading on very thin ice threatening (even if conditional) while getting up close and waving your arms… especially a grown male to kids… Not saying it wasn’t justified under the circumstances (I wasn’t there), and I know your husband meant them no actual harm… but that’s not exactly what I’d say is clearly all right to do (from a legal / tort perspective), and I’d not recommend to others to threaten with the advice that if it’s conditional it’s okay… It’s not that black and white and different states have different laws…
That said, making them think you’re crazy has it’s distinct advantages!! 
One of the non-posting watchers
Soooooo… how was day one with the “whole family”?
Inquiring minds want to know!!
You could also get some geese - they are very territorial and scarey as heck to kids!
Ooooh - I like this idea! And what about guineas? They’re small but noisey and really hate intruders and make for a good alarm system.
oooh speaking of guard animals
my mom’s family had an “attack rooster” growing up–some of his progeny were still alive when I was growing up. jesus, those things were a menace to deal with–they’re weren’t that nice to the family–and they were downright vicious with strangers!
Second the geese- they are generally nice to those they know, while roosters can be nasty to all comers! But if you don’t mind occasionally having to spray the li’l snots with hoses, roosters are fine too.
The other options could include a spitty llama- again most of them acclimate to their family but will spit at strangers- or a mini donkey, particularly an older jenny. Easy to keep, but will definitely tell you if someone is on the property, and good buddies for horses.
Yes, wasn’t today the day? We do want to know how it went!
More about guineas
And they’re supposed to be good eating too! 
http://www.ansi.okstate.edu/poultry/other/guineafowl/index.htm
[I]“They are usually looked upon as a protection from hawks and a night guard against thieves, as they set up their peculiar screaming when disturbed. No strange person or noise seems to escape their notice.”
[/I]And they’re good tick control.
http://web.uconn.edu/poultry/poultrypages/guineafowlmanagement.html
[I]“Recently, guineas have been used to reduce the deer tick population, associated with Lyme disease.”
[/I]Or how about a male peacock? I swear it sounds like they’re yelling, “Help! Help!” when they start screaming.
You have already warned them about the dog right? They know that you don’t want their animals on your property chasing your animals. Catch the dog and take it to a humane society 5 states away. This way the dog lives, has a chance to be adopted by a non-moron family, and dog is out of your hair. When the dog dosen’t show up and you run into your neighbors you can thank them for being so neighborly. Just remember to look shocked and a bit saddened when they tell you Fido ran away.
Growing up there was a crazy neighbor who chased my brother and me off his property with a crossbow. Seriously.
Probably a stupid thing to do legal-wise, though.
Waiting with bated breath for an update!
do you get along with anybody?
very classy
threatening to kill children is a very classy act. it is however, consistent with the bullsh**t you post elsewhere.
what a treat you are! when your house is on fire, i’m sure u can count on your neighbors to give you a hand.
enjoy.
btw, i’ve recorded your comments about threating to ‘kill’ the children (and sent them to the RCMP), this is ASSAULT and you can be charged with a criminal offence. look it up smart girl, and get ready to get your bail money together. what a nasty little (big?) piece of work you are!!! hope you feel proud when you look in the mirror at night, and that you sleep the sleep of the innocent.
Tropical Storm i am sorry that you have to deal with that. I did not really have that problem (thankfully so far) as my area is very horse related.
I do have a genious for a backyard neighbor (The back of my property butts up to the side of his) who thought it was a lot of fun to bring his just off the track tb over to my horses in the back paddock and let them all say hi. (meanwhile this was with a beer in one hand and a lunge line rather tightly wrapped around his hand. o yea and he is an ‘experinced horse person’ being he had ridden on 10 trail rides his whole life…but that is another story.) I nipped that in the butt very quickly as a. how do i know his horse is not sick? and b. a couple of my horses will kick out and i dont need fences coming down or them getting their feet/shoes caught etc.
I do have a dog that is randomly allowed out of the property she comes from and runs through my feilds. That was until my horse decided that he really didnt like the ‘unknown’ dog (i have 3 that are ok), in my paddocks and he went after her and ‘barely’ missed her. She stopped coming back.
I do not know what is going to happen, though, as my neighbor is selling his house and who knows who will be moving in. sigh.
And GWN i think that TS has the right to keep her neighbors off her property. If she lets or they just feed her horses all the time, they will more than likely start to bite. I have one that if you over hand feed him will get very nippy. That is a problem waiting to happen. If she goes through with all the legalities and telling them to stay away etc. then she will not be liable for her horses biting or kicking the kids or parents b/c they have been warned and are tresspassing. I would go through the same to make sure i dont have to worry about it. That is not being nasty, that is covering her back and making sure her horses will be safe. What if that boy decided to ‘ride’ the 2 year old b/c he can break it knowing as much as he does? I have a very broke gelding that if a beginner got on him would send him through the roof. It is a safetly issue.
Jen
GNW - I’m not even going to bother with you. It’s not worth my time.
As for the rest of you, thank you For nothing else, at least giving me a good laugh at listening to all the possible ways to eliminate my neighbors inconspicuously
As for the situation, I hope its resolved the dog DID get hurt (his paw got stepped on) and the neighbors seemed to realize that I wasn’t lying when I said I had a horse who’d go after him.
As for the kids. They were caught once on the property and promptly grounded. So while the kids might still be spawn, at least I have parental support now
So thank you! And I will be plating caragana bushes on the neighbors side 
i woud hot wre the original fence top to bottom with warning signs and also do another inside fence line i wouldnt want them to feed my horses at all –
or orignal fence line hawthorne bushes then another hot wired fence top to bottom
a i wouldent see them and b it would be hard for them to get in and if they did there clothes would be torn
also if a gate anywhwew near them do as i have done to stop unwanted visiters i have wrap brab wire in between the rungs of the gate and woven it
all the way throught from top to bottom on both my out door gates
as kids used to get in from lane as i dont live on property i had to take means to stop them my fence is 6 ft high stock fencing but its hot wired and then i have post and rail so horses dont lean over and they cannot feed them
i have sign up saying my fenc is hot wire and no feeding and also cctv un wanted vsiters will be procecuted
i feel for you get tough – now – dont let kids come on your property full stop be tough now and lead you life up front from the start show them you mean bisness and arnt gonna be messed with –
oh how i hate neighbours from hell and stupidty
oh and in defence of her so called boy being mr wonderful go getter
say --if he was that great he would be spotted and taught correctly and no pony club member of true quality is taught to harm or do a horse an injustice. such as your kids are doing with mine.
i feel for you – isnt there an nsspc or whatever a child protection unit after all of whome or normal brain cells and mother hood lets a child under the age of 15 roam —
TS, so glad to hear that things are starting to settle down. Sounds like the parents actually got the message, and the dog did, too. Hopefully, the message will last longer with the parents than the dog, though; unless it’s not a big, stoic breed (Lab, Chessie, Newfie, etc.), I’d almost bet you’ll be seeing it again.
GWN, thank you for enabling me to use the ignore button again.
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