New neighbors riding through our farm

[S1969]

@LCDR

The OP reminds me of some of them, “hobby farm” being the clue. Seems that OP has no interest in becoming a part of the community.,

LOL. I didn’t realize the community gets to treat property like their own, without even an introduction or request.

Glad I don’t live in your community; or maybe glad you don’t live in mine. I’ve had my own issues with people treating my property like the town park. I have yet to say no to anyone who has asked, but I am not fond of people who use it like they were the ones who bought it. It was on the market for some time - they had their chance.

I get that we’d all like to be able to use the open spaces…but, you have to ask. You’re not entitled just because you’re “country born and bred” - or not.

[lenapesadie]

@LCDR

Generally they are mostly country born and bred folk who understand a bit about horses and the people who ride them, but aren’t horsemen themselves. Those people may have restrictions as to where and when to ride, but are generally quite accommodating and friendly.

Weird! I’m from the sticks, and every country born and bred landowner I know would be pissed off at anyone riding on their land without prior permission.

Probably bc it’s rude af to traipse around on someone else’s land before seeking and gaining permission

[Janet]

My farm insurance requires that ANYONE who rides on my land sign a liability release.

That is a good place to start.

[Horse_Rider]

I am with you. I’m from the country and one of the things I tell my city friends who move to the country is that they will need to get used to the idea that there is little to no PUBLIC land. There is a lot of open land but the owners will likely meet you with a shotgun if they catch you frolicking in their fields. Whether they are guarding crops they don’t want crushed, deer hunting sites they don’t want disturbed, or just their privacy, visiting is for friends and most of that is done on the front porch, not the back forty. Having moved to the suburbs, I am aghast at people who will ride right past No Trespassing signs.

[lenapesadie]

Yup.

Did you see a State Park sign? No? That’s someone’s private property and you shouldn’t be there without permission.

Heck. Round here green street signs are public roads and blue street signs are privately maintained roads. Private. I won’t ride my golf cart on a private road unless I know who lives there and am either invited or have permission. Why? Bc I’m not trying to get shot.

[Incantation]

I see you have never been sued by someone you let on your property then? If you had, perhaps you wouldn’t be so dismissive of people not wanting strangers trespassing.

[Horse_Rider]

My God, private roads are terrifying and curse Google maps for trying to use them as shortcuts… People in the country are nice to you in Tractor Supply. They are less nice to you when you creep down their private lane trying to figure out why your GPS is glitching and thinks the dirt track through their field is a country highway.

[S1969]

@lenapesadie

Why? Bc I’m not trying to get shot.

LOL truth.

Most of my neighbors don’t lock their doors. They know that we’re too far out in the sticks for the average thief, and any thief that knows enough about rural areas would worry about getting met with a shotgun in the face.

[SCI]

I live in horse country - Southern Pines - so I may have a different perspective.

I certainly understand your position, and the annoyance it has created for you, but I see your situation as an opportunity. Where I live we have close to 5000 acres dedicated to equestrian use (Walthour Moss Foundation). The Foundation was created by people donating land in order to preserve space for people ride and drive. Subsequently more land has been donated over the years along with easements to ensure people have access and aren’t cut off. This allows people to ride from farm to farm. It is fantastic and I feel very fortunate to have a farm right on the Foundation. Some of my neighbors allow people to ride in their rings while others (mine included) keep theirs closed. Some neighbors have “jump fields” set up with cross country jumps and people are allowed to ride there too. Generally, people know if certain areas are “open” or not and if they don’t know, they ride up and ask. It gives me an opportunity to ride in someone else’s ring if I want, etc.

If I moved to an area like you’ve described, I would be excited to have other horse people in the area. I would approach the neighbors and welcome them to the area. Tell them you saw them riding and just wanted to let them know that is your hay field so you really don’t want it getting torn up, but riding along the perimeter would be ok. Maybe find out if they would like to arrange it so that your farms have trails connecting each other so that you could all enjoy the riding space.

As for insurance/liability, I would post an equine liability law poster at any access point to your property. I require a liability release to be signed by anyone using my ring, but I also informed my insurance company when I moved in that I would occasionally have people riding through my property “without my permission” and wanted them to know this in advance.

[lenapesadie]

@Horse_Rider

People in the country are nice to you in Tractor Supply. They are less nice to you when you creep down their private lane trying to figure out why your GPS is glitching and thinks the dirt track through their field is a country highway.

That’s about right

[trubandloki]

@SCI

As for insurance/liability, I would post an equine liability law poster at any access point to your property.

Before you (general) do this assuming it covers you for anything, make sure this applies in your state, and if it does, make sure you have the exact wording that your state requires.
Not all states have equine limited liability laws that help the land owner.

[lenapesadie]

Right! Country born and bred = Mad Max style round here.

[candyappy]

@Luseride

No trespassing signs to start. Electric braid fence is easy but you should not have to spend money to keep people off of your land.

Sadly, people ignore “no trespassing” signs for the most part. 1 single strand of hot electric fence with " no trespassing" signs hanging from it might do the trick.

Our property borders along a big creek just off the county road. People think nothing of blocking our driveway ( to park) or driving through our planted row crops to fish at the creek at times.

When this happens we do find them and tell them we prefer they not. So far it works.

Personally , as awkward as it may be, I would just go over, welcome them to the neighborhood and ask that they not to ride through your fields to get to the road, if you don’t want them to.

I would go over and talk with the older gentleman and make sure he stays on the perimeter of the field but I would continue to let him ride. It may be that he had an agreement with previous owners and I think he may be more contentious about ground conditions. Have him sign a waiver .

When we lived in MN I had only our 10 acre hayfield to ride on or the paved busy highway. The person who owned the 100’s of acres of crop land adjoining our small 17 acre property let me ride on it after I asked him.

I was grateful and tried to do my best not to damage a thing.

I ride through our hay ground all the time except when the grass is taller and/ or ready to cut. When the grass is short or dormant it does no damage as long as the ground is not too wet or muddy.

[Tarlo_Farm]

Talk first, fence/post later if needed.

[AltersAreUs]

@lenapesadie

Weird! I’m from the sticks, and every country born and bred landowner I know would be pissed off at anyone riding on their land without prior permission

Yep, country born and dairy farm raised and every farmer I know would be pissed about random people riding in & grazing their horses on one of the farmers’ hay fields. That’s just rude!

[Luseride]

Mostly the no trespassing sign is to CYA if someone gets hurt. Sometimes they actually keep people off of your land.

[lenapesadie]

@AltersAreUs

That’s just rude!

Very!

[cutter99]

We moved to a really, REALLY rural area in the South. I was raised and lived in the Northeast for 40 some odd years.

We had been here a few months, when our next door neighbor asked if we had been up on their farm, which is the highest point in our county and you can see into 3 other counties from there.

We had not been invited to go there, and where we are from YOU. DO. NOT. TRESPASS., which is what it is when you are someone else’s property without permission. Where we were from, you would be met with a landowner with a gun, and/ or the police if you did this.

They laughed. They said go up any time you want as long as you close the gate and don’t let the cattle out. We do go up, but always call and ask first.

It is called being neighborly and respecting the property they have worked so hard to have!

[lorilu]

As a fox hunter, doesnt your club receive permission from landowners to ride across their fields? ANd certainly not HAY FIELDS before theya re cut!?!?
ANd the OP was there FIRST - its new folks riding across her land.
\You are really way off base IMHO.

[mommy_peanut]

@4horses

If I didn’t ride on other people’s land, I would not be riding much at all. My friend knows all her neighbors. If I ride at her house we loop through several individual properties and thankfully most people are okay with it- no one has fussed at us yet and most people are happy to see us or come over wanting to pet the horses.

The only alternative is riding on the road which is dangerous due to traffic, has terrible bugs, and is very rocky.

I would probably limit where they can ride through the property - a hot wire strung up can help keep them from venturing further into your property.

This is potentially going to be a huge problem in the future - many people have no where to ride, without trailering off somewhere. At my house, I can ride in a hot sunny 2 acre field, or trailer someplace. Not much fun riding in a circle in the yard. The road has traffic and semi trucks with a 55 mph speed limit.

Talk to your neighbors or establish a crossing area- preferably a perimeter trail around your property so they can still ride without aggravating you.

WOW! Entitled much
How did it become the landowners responsibility to provide horse owners with places to ride