Welcome to the “NEW” America!! Everyone is acting rude and dangerous…just because they CAN! Good luck.
OP dropped her one and only missive, 4 days ago, and appears to have scarped off.
Hmmmm!
There have been a rash of those recently.
It’s summer, and Wednesday. Maybe she went on vacation. Maybe people at work are on vacation and she’s swamped.
If it is a business, then perhaps turn the riding ring into the car parking/trailer parking area and make a new riding area more centrally located. Yes, it stinks that you need to do that, but the alternatives are not attractive - closing the business, getting clients hurt etc, etc etc
So I’ve been on both sides of the fence (no pun intended). At my old farm in PA, a road split my property. It was a back country road that was often used as a cut through by bicycle riders to get to a park trail. My property was properly fenced for dog (and horse) containment. I had 1 dog that would run the fenceline and bark at the bikers. He never got out, he never jumped over but he was an ass (I even got an electric zap collar to help break him of the habit). He never truly got over it, but he had a great recall so I could get him back.
On 4 different occasions, the local police were called by the bikers. Finally the last time, after repeating what I have done to mitigate (properly fenced, never got out, I call them back as mine are never out alone) I said “This is my property. We have the right to enjoy it. I understand how it is scary for a biker to come past but the dogs are properly contained. Are we going to continue with you responding to these calls when you know the situation?”
Now- I live on a smaller piece of acreage and my ring and barn are as close as permissible to the property line (not my doing). One neighbor likes to do his things like spray his orchard, ride ATVs etc same time (in evening) as I like to ride. My horses generally have got used to it BUT we did have a great passing conversation when I had the change to say “Yeah- sometimes my horses get flightly when they are caught off guard (like when you drug the beehive across the field with 2 ATVs revving the engine.”
Now- he still does his activities and I do mine- but he does does look over if we are riding and he is doing something and I give him the “it’s all good wave”. Because- he’s cool and we’re adults.
Also- this 4th of July- I talked to my other neighbor who sets off a giant firework display. His property borders one of my fields and my other horse neighbor- who had a horse from the track on stall rest. " Hey- Gene’s horse is on stall rest and super flighty. I won’t turn my guys out in that field if you are going to shoot fireworks there".
Guess what? He shifted where he did it and we lightly sedated the track horse. Mine went out after 11.
Point of my rambling- BO or PO could have a kind chat with the neighbors (that doesn’t always work) or sometimes you just have to suck it up and deal, or move.
It is a good point to consider if a neighbor is intentionally trying to upset the horses, or if they are just doing what anyone might normally do on their property and it’s unintentional bad timing. Lots of people move to the country just so they can ride their ATV’s, shoot, or whatever.
From the neighbor’s point of view, maybe the horse people next door are really annoying because of their insistence on quiet being maintained while they ride. And they ride at the prime times that anyone likes to be out and active on their property.
It can go both ways, and probably most neighbors are willing to have a bit of give & take.
The property where I board has a paddock/ring next to the fenceline, and the neighbor’s backyard runs along part of it. One morning while I was riding there, Mr. Neighbor was outside banging the outdoor grill and doing chores. My OTTB was inclined to be spooky/wary, so I took advantage of the opportunity to circle next to that fence several times and give Spooks a chance to settle down and learn to take things in stride.
There is greenery along the inside of the fence as a screen, but the neighbor did look up and notice the horse giving those indignant nose puffs and rolling the stank eye his way. Bless the neighbor’s heart, he stopped what he was doing and went to do chores somewhere else! Hopefully my horse didn’t learn that if he objects, someone will make everything less noisy for him. (jk, I know he didn’t learn that.) :winkgrin:
Someday I’ll have an opportunity to say hi to those neighbors and ask them never to stop what they are doing for my silly horse. By enjoying their backyard they will be helping his training to be a pleasant riding horse.