Shielding barn and arena from new neighbors, ideas?

[walkinthewalk]

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[QUOTE=MSP;7866655]
Let me clarify a little more.

We asked to buy the property many times and we also asked him to give us first chance at it before putting it on the market. He promised he would! My new neighbor is a real-estate agent and she tracked him down and managed to talk him into selling over the course of 6 months, for far less then he told us what he would want. He just never gave us a chance to buy it and never put it on the market.Sounds like she was selling a tch more than real estate.

Automotive work shop noises… guys playing loud music, large block engines revving, sanding, grinding and compressor noise. Yes, I will wait to see how bad it is before I move my fence but the horses are not going to see anything if the noises are coming from inside a building.Don’t sweat that. Honest. My husband’s work shop is only about 40 feet from the horse barn. He has a bracket racer (Mustang) so there is all kinds of mechanical noises, plus a loud radio coming from the workshop on the weekends; including arcs from the welder. My horses are fine with it, whether they are in their stalls or they are headed to pasture. I often turn two of my horses in the yard where the workshop is and they act like Mr. WTW and his toys don’t exist.

I fail to see the logic of putting up a light and having 50% of it shining on your neighbor’s property. The light is like a street light, very tall, comes on at dusk and off at dawn. It could be the light got put up at the wrong angle. If it bothers you that much, you might ask them to re-adjust it a little. Although, for my part, I’d prefer to have that light and let someone else pay for it. I have two mercury lights at the barn; the one the electric company maintenances, points a bit toward the barn and also into the side yard where the neighbor’s house is only 12 feet from our property line. They are happy for the free lighting.

And then finally, I foster rescue horses many are un-tame and I prefer to have quiet when working with them for my own safety. In general my peaceful home of 15 years has been disrupted and I simply can’t stand it and don’t want to see these people or their cars, trailers and lights.

^^^There it is in a nutshell. I hate change - hate it and I would be reacting the same way as you are - lol lol and that is why I am laughing:lol: But in the words of my SIL’s mom, "have a shot of Jack and get over it:yes:

What you prefer has just come to a screeching halt. You will either have to mentally adapt or sell out and buy enough acreage to where you can plop yourself in the middle of it and know you will never have neighbors closer than a mile away.

This too shall pass, albeit it’s going to take some time after having 15 years of piece and quiet.

As far as the rescue horses, I can sympathize with that but what it means for you is that you will have to stay more alert than before and perhaps even talk with your new neighbors about not running the welder or other spooky pieces of equipment, during those times you’re working with certain rescue horses.

Sounds echo around here and I really would like to find a way to minimize it. I know about echos. I live in a “bowl” up on a hill with a high ridge behind me. If the wind is blowing just right, I can hear the neighbors talking, 1/4 up the road. When the lunatic neighbor, a mile away, starts shooting his rapid fire gun, it sounds as if he’s right on top of us.

Unless you just flat out move, you are going to have to make the mental adjustment because, if you don’t, that angst is going to carry over to the horses. The calm laid back horses will just “get on with it” and say what’s the big deal but, the horses who aren’t sure, are going to feed off your senses. Adjusting to something invading your life style is never fun but, unless you have the money to move, I don’t see that you have much choice, without making an enemy out of your new neighbors. [/QUOTE]

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[GoForAGallop]

[QUOTE=PeanutButterPony;7867280]
She’s in Mississippi. I’m surprised a single wide isn’t required. All this talk about zoning and restrictions is cute. Many places are still WFO with regard to rules.

MSP, I’m sorry that you’re saddened and frustrated by these changes.all those fussing at you deserve a poultry plant to move in next to them. So they can take a pie to someone and change everything.[/QUOTE]

:rolleyes:

We’re not fussing at her, we’re telling her to treat the situation like an adult would, instead of a child who doesn’t want to share the toys they didn’t even pay for in the first place.

OP is already predicting “revving big block engines” and the freakin’ building isn’t even put up yet. :lol: First of all, a real big block engine is a thing of the past, so a true kudos to her neighbors if they’ve built up a nice enough collection of vintage American muscle that they can keep engines revving 24/7. Second, engine revving is not a particularly good diagnostics tool for most automotive issues. She’ll probably hear air tools, the hydraulics from the lift perhaps, all things that my horses have never blinked an eye at, including the flighty TB mare.

Nor has she even asked them to re-aim or shield the light. If they’re decent human beings, I can’t imagine why they wouldn’t be amenable to an easy solution that keeps the light on their property without bothering her.

I just don’t see the point in declaring war. The hustle and bustle will die down once everything is built, they’re probably excited about their new property. I DO see the benefit of having car savvy neighbors next door. I have several friends with their own shops and there’s nothing like getting a brake job done for the cost of parts, beer, and pizza, instead of having to pay $300+ at the “real” mechanics. Or being able to bring a car over before work to diagnose whether that new funny noise can be ignored, or you should take a different vehicle for fear of being stranded.

[trubandloki]

[QUOTE=GoForAGallop;7867464]
:rolleyes:

We’re not fussing at her, we’re telling her to treat the situation like an adult would, instead of a child who doesn’t want to share the toys they didn’t even pay for in the first place.

OP is already predicting “revving big block engines” and the freakin’ building isn’t even put up yet. :lol: First of all, a real big block engine is a thing of the past, so a true kudos to her neighbors if they’ve built up a nice enough collection of vintage American muscle that they can keep engines revving 24/7. Second, engine revving is not a particularly good diagnostics tool for most automotive issues. She’ll probably hear air tools, the hydraulics from the lift perhaps, all things that my horses have never blinked an eye at, including the flighty TB mare.

Nor has she even asked them to re-aim or shield the light. If they’re decent human beings, I can’t imagine why they wouldn’t be amenable to an easy solution that keeps the light on their property without bothering her.

I just don’t see the point in declaring war. The hustle and bustle will die down once everything is built, they’re probably excited about their new property. I DO see the benefit of having car savvy neighbors next door. I have several friends with their own shops and there’s nothing like getting a brake job done for the cost of parts, beer, and pizza, instead of having to pay $300+ at the “real” mechanics. Or being able to bring a car over before work to diagnose whether that new funny noise can be ignored, or you should take a different vehicle for fear of being stranded.[/QUOTE]
I totally agree with this.
The OP is acting just like my neighbor did when we built our house. He even had the nerve to tell the planning board that we were ruining his part of the country long before he got to know us. I can only imagine the posts he would have (or did) make on his collector car forums about annoying horse people and how their horses are going to cause him to have smells and flies and dust and yuck and why does he have to deal with that next door, it is just not fair.

I am another person who is shocked that the OP was allowed to build her riding ring that close to the property line to start with. Wow.

@MSP;7866655

I fail to see the logic of putting up a light and having 50% of it shining on your neighbor’s property. The light is like a street light, very tall, comes on at dusk and off at dawn.

My neighbor (mentioned above) has one of these on the end of their garage. I love the free light at night. Extra lighting that I do not have to pay for, perfect!

OP, I think you need to stop wanting to be so angry. You are not helping yourself or the situation.
The neighbors have no malice towards you. They are not building just to annoy you.

[Pennywell_Bay]

OP, venting is OK, but you need a big dose of “get over it”.

Yes, you can check zoning laws, but make sure your Ps and Qs are dotted in regards to horse zoning, manure management etc.

I’d wait and see what happens. Horses adapt amazingly well. One of my neighbors has a big barn with an indoor baseball set up. Tons of cars in and out, lots of noise. No issue for the horses. Be a good neighbor, even if you don’t think they are.

[Hilary]

I’m sure somewhere on some other bulletin board is some guy moaning that after 15 years of solitude with his car collection, or bee keeping or whathaveyou that he has to deal with a HORSE PERSON next door. The horses are going to poop and there will be dust, and she rides her horse EVERY DAY when she gets home from work, which is when I want to be out in my yard, but the dust from all that riding is going to get all over us. And horses smell, and there will be FLIES! And they whinny and make noises and my kids are going to get kicked or bitten and what if they get out and run around on my lawn… And where there used to be a meadow she’s built this huge barn, and an indoor arena and it’s like living next to Costco’s warehouse.

It goes both ways.

I do agree having had a few really spooky horses that noises & movement they cannot see are far worse than stuff they can see and assess.

[neversaynever]

Try having a large cat rescue with over 260 tigers, lions, etc. nearby. They are less then 1 mile away and we hear them 24/7, especially at feeding times. Friends are within spitting distance, and their two horses don’t bat an eye.

[MSP]

I do not need a mechanic. My grandfather, father, father in law and husband were all mechanics. If anything these people, once they figure this out, will be over wanting to borrow tools. They are not in the least interested in my horses and if I handed them a chicken to pet they would most likely wring its neck and cook it. I don’t care if they have cars or the shop but it would have been nice if they could have built on one of the other 3 sides of their property with NOTHING bordering it. And it would have been nice if they could point the light toward their property and not at mine.

When we built out here it was not zoned, I did my research. The developer put a covenant in place that is stricter than the county residential zoning. In 2004 the county zoned us and we do not have an organized home owners association to enforce the deed restrictions. I called a County Board Supervisor and they have no restrictions on lights and they must follow the zoning ordinance but the county doesn’t enforce deed restrictions. If they build 10’ from property line (zone) and I want to enforce the covenant rule of 50’ I have to hire a lawyer and sue them. The supervisor agreed that it was unfair that all but two properties built under heavier restrictions then the new comers are required to.

Thanks to those that understand that my peace has been broken and I can’t do anything about it but try to shield myself to get a little peace back. I would move in a heartbeat but my DH is not interested so it would be without him. I just don’t want to see these people or their property.

I asked for help in shielding from my neighbors so I can “get over it”. When we started out here it was a field with no one around. We built the house, the barn and we put over 200 posts in ourselves. The arena is part of the horses turn out and my fence line is just a few feet off the property line to maximize my pasture. You can put anything up to the property line except a building. I built a post and rail fence around the property for aesthetics. I don’t have a tractor just a shovel and rake and I work 40 hours a week with a 40 min. to an hour commute. I am in my fifties with health issues now and I am working on my bucket list. I am not interested in dealing with any of this crap or having to start over again.

I would like to plant something that will be tall enough to block the view and the light. I was thinking I could transform that end of my arena fence from post and rail to a solid tall privacy fence, basically a wall. There is a drainage ditch on the property line; ditch is on their side, so a small berm would be a good thing also keeping the water from flowing onto our property. Then I can plant the tree hedge in front of the berm.

The Leyland Cypress has some issues but I think it might work in partial sun. I would like to keep as much space as I can so I don’t want a wide hedge. I also would like it natural and not have to trim it. I will need to check the local garden center to see what is available. Wish I could put up something to give me instant relief but I will have to wait until they grow.

[trubandloki]

Laugh. You do sound just like our neighbor.
He wanted the planning board to make us build our house and barn in a different spot on our property because he did not like where it was proposed to be built, even though where it was being built met all the code requirements, just not his desires.

I say start with a nice solid wood fence for now, while your vegetation grows.

I am sure your new neighbors will be happy you built whatever you built, since you are making broad sweeping assumptions about them just because they dare to build next to you.

[jacksmom]

MSP - I am completely on board with you regarding that light. That would drive me nuts. It’s light pollution and for those of us who enjoy a good view of the stars, it might as well be a switch that turns them off. To me they are pest attractants, they draw the bugs, that draw the predators to the bugs, that draw the predators to them, etc. It always throws me that folks think of lighting as ‘security’. It’s plenty well-lit in town, and the lights don’t seem to deter crime at all.

[MSP]

[QUOTE=trubandloki;7867766]
Laugh. You do sound just like our neighbor.
He wanted the planning board to make us build our house and barn in a different spot on our property because he did not like where it was proposed to be built, even though where it was being built met all the code requirements, just not his desires.

I say start with a nice solid wood fence for now, while your vegetation grows.

I am sure your new neighbors will be happy you built whatever you built, since you are making broad sweeping assumptions about them just because they dare to build next to you.[/QUOTE]

What assumptions would that be? Everything I have said was what they have done, what I have observed or what they have said.

They told me they are building the workshop in the corner of the property near my barn. My barn is my happy place where I go at night to get chores done and spend time with my horses. Of course I am not interested in having a workshop in ear shot. And if I want a security light shining in my yard all night I would have installed one. The light just went up this week and I have this pesky job I have to go to so I haven’t been able to sit on the road side waiting for them to show up.

I have these really cool things called switches; I flip the switch and my lights magically turn on and I flip it again and they shut off! My electrical lines are buried under ground so I don’t have ugly telephone poles to look at. My neighbors don’t have to worry about me being an irritation I was considerate with my planning.

[Plainandtall]

OP- I really feel for you and am dealing with slightly similar situation. My property is a rectangle- about twice as long as it is wide to the road. One long boundary is cow pasture, woods and creek- the back boundary is hayfield and the east boundary is another property that was 50/50 cleared and woods with an old barn right on the property line and an trailer that was under a roof. The old hippies who had lived there split up and moved away but wouldn’t sell the land to us right then. They knew we were interested in expanding our property / protecting our property line from development. It was understood that the land wasn’t for sale due to some messy situation with the divorce and her own incredible possessiveness of the property and what she’d ever had there. She then rented the place to a few backwoods bachelors over the years who were never much trouble. The most recent tennant was >meh< not much of an issue- it seemed he was gone a lot, there was one time I called the cops because I heard a person yelling (like at an intruder or trespasser- “come on out of there I know you are in there”) and then gunshots (yikes! this incident has never been explained or repeated) and when his dog killed my goose (I never confronted him but had told another neighbor who was also having issues with his dog) he came over, apologized profusely and I have never seen the dog again.

then suddenly there was a fence building frenzy over there- not pretty fence- but home cut cedar posts and barbed wire- it went up all along the previously unfenced road frontage- new fence included a locked driveway gate flanked by very intimidating no trespassing signs. Why suddenly such a big change? Was he planning to put livestock there? There has never been livestock- and if he’s thinking of counting on my horse’s fence to hold cattle- ruh-roh Scooby! WTF? Why the sudden improvements to the property that the old hippy lady was INCREDIBLY possessive over (to the point of insisting that tenants still mow the yard her way around the awkward asparagus plants in the yard 10 years after she’d been gone) Suddenly the neighbor’s hunting retreat type place was looking like a compound for some nefarious activity. I had the sinking feeling that she must have finally sold the land outright to the longtime tenant without mentioning it to us. Thanks a lot B*#ch. Then the trailer was torn down and burnt, one stinky bit at a time… and now all fall there has been a flurry of construction activity right close to our property line- not on the far side of their property where the old trailer was which borders uncultivated wild land… no- they have to sidle their house right up against our property line like they might enjoy a little bit of heat off our stove this winter.

The trusses were delivered this week. They also have an obnoxious light which I’m hoping is just for construction security and not their permanent lighting plan- out here the electric company will give each rural homestead a bright streetlight and bill you- you don’t get any control over turning it on or off. As a sky watcher I really like my night skies and when we built our new house I had ours permenantly removed and our night skies are so much nicer- Now if there is the slightest bit of mist in the air at night our neighbor’s homestead glows like a suburban soccer complex.

The corner of my main pasture where I would have to plant the densest pines like 15 years ago to shield us from the intrusion- happens to be my favorite fall foliage corner of my treeline- blazing sassafras.

It’s not the noise of the garage that’s going to spook your horses- they will get used to it and be better animals for it… It’s your nerves which will likely suffer once the atvs or dirt bikes arrive and they need to be fired up and tested at random times- sometimes for no other purpose than to hear the sound they make.

[trubandloki]

[QUOTE=MSP;7867865]
What assumptions would that be? Everything I have said was what they have done, what I have observed or what they have said.[/QUOTE]

@MSP;7867744

If anything these people, once they figure this out, will be over wanting to borrow tools.

They have come over to use your things have they? Or are you assuming they will be takers and only your stuff is good enough for them?

@MSP;7867744

if I handed them a chicken to pet they would most likely wring its neck and cook it.

You have seen them take other people’s livestock and kill it and cook it? Or are you assuming they will dot this because you do not like them?

[MSP]

[QUOTE=trubandloki;7867900]
They have come over to use your things have they? Or are you assuming they will be takers and only your stuff is good enough for them?
You have seen them take other people’s livestock and kill it and cook it? Or are you assuming they will dot this because you do not like them?[/QUOTE]

He is not a mechanic, my husband is. Mechanics have way more specialty tools than the average hobby guy in his early thirties raising a family on a blue collar wage one income house hold that just went through a nasty divorce coming from a very poor country town.

Whose parents live even more country and next to a chicken farm and mention killing and eating fresh chickens in our conversation! Someone posted that I should let them handle my chickens and that was what I was responding to.

[trubandloki]

[QUOTE=MSP;7867954]
He is not a mechanic, my husband is. Mechanics have way more specialty tools than the average hobby guy in his early thirties raising a family on a blue collar wage one income house hold that just went through a nasty divorce coming from a very poor country town.

Whose parents live even more country and next to a chicken farm and mention killing and eating fresh chickens in our conversation! Someone posted that I should let them handle my chickens and that was what I was responding to.[/QUOTE]
So you are still assuming…

I get it, you hate them, you want to hate them. If they were perfect people in every way you would still hate them because they dared to use their property the way they want to use their property instead of how you want them to use their property.

The part you are missing is, the only person you are making miserable here is you. If you spent half the time you are spending hating on these people simply trying to ignore what you consider their intrusion on your world I am betting they would not be bothering you at all.

Your hate is not upsetting their world at all.

I let my hateful neighbor bug me for a bit when we started building. Now I know that I am not the problem, he is. My horses are clean, I keep my paddocks clean, I limit dust, I use fly predators, I do not let my dogs bark, etc.
I am still wrong in my neighbor’s eyes because I dared to buy a piece of land that is next to him.

We did start out by trying to accommodate the neighbor, because we wanted to be a good neighbor. But then we learned it was just impossible to make some people happy. If you are lucky your new neighbor is like us, who still tries to be a good neighbor. If you are not lucky your new neighbor will quickly learn just how mean spirited and hateful you are being and they just might not be so willing to accommodate you.

Ask nicely about the light. I am with others and my guess is the light was put up by the utility company. Put up a wood fence to block your view of them and plant your trees/bushes and keep your hate on your side of the fence.

For the record, I think when most people say the light is a good security measure they mean it keeps the wildlife further away so your animals are less in danger from that.

[Crazy4aOTTB]

I dont have any suggestions as to sheilding the noise or the light but why not try to turn this into a positive! Think of it as free desensitizing training. There are so many things out there that spook horses we can’t avoid it all! Also it sounds like maybe you also got a free security light!

Be friendly to the neighbors and think of what they can do for you? maybe if they are auto people they will come in handy when it comes to fixing and repairing tractors, trailers, trucks etc.

[Flash44]

My neighbors put up those giant blow up lighted snowmen and santa clauses in their front yard, which is right next to my arena. After the first couple days, they were no problem. I would view the activity as a good thing, as it will help desensitize your horses should you take them off the farm to participate in some activity. The horses who are kept at very quiet facilities have the hardest time adjusting to lots of activity. I would set up a tie station at that end of the arena and let them watch the activity and think it over.

I have Leyland Cypresses at one end of my ring, and that’s the “spooky” end because my neighbors kids play in their yard behind the trees, and any slight breeze makes the limbs wave. I’m in the process of cutting down the trees. The horses will do better seeing the kids’ activity while hearing it, rather than wondering where all the noise is coming from and getting a glimpse of activity when the limbs part in the wind.

I also made a tie station near that end of the ring, and now when I tie my horses up there they just go to sleep, no matter what the kids are doing.

[PeteyPie]

I would be irritated too, OP, but you are so limited in your options. I think you should ask them to move the light, and if they will not do that, to redirect the light.

We planted spearmint junipers around part of our back yard. They are a smaller tree, supposedly limited to about 20’ in height, and they have completely grown together into a beautiful hedge. They are about 9’ apart but they would have worked out just as well with a few more feet of spacing. I love the natural look because they need no pruning. They do intrude into the yard a hair, maybe three or four feet is all.

[GoForAGallop]

[QUOTE=trubandloki;7867984]
So you are still assuming…

I get it, you hate them, you want to hate them. If they were perfect people in every way you would still hate them because they dared to use their property the way they want to use their property instead of how you want them to use their property.

The part you are missing is, the only person you are making miserable here is you. If you spent half the time you are spending hating on these people simply trying to ignore what you consider their intrusion on your world I am betting they would not be bothering you at all.

Your hate is not upsetting their world at all. [/QUOTE]

Yep, this.

OP, you’re making it quite clear that you are just intent on being miserable about the situation. By all means, just start lobbing grenades over the fence at this point. What started out as them just enjoying their land will quickly devolve into them PURPOSEFULLY trying to make your life miserable if you continue to be so ridiculous about the whole situation.

You better make sure that your glass house is carefully shored up, because for every stupid complaint you make about “revving engines”, I’m sure they have one to match about horses banging on the gate at 6am.

[MSP]

[QUOTE=trubandloki;7867984]
So you are still assuming…

I get it, you hate them, you want to hate them. If they were perfect people in every way you would still hate them because they dared to use their property the way they want to use their property instead of how you want them to use their property.

The part you are missing is, the only person you are making miserable here is you. If you spent half the time you are spending hating on these people simply trying to ignore what you consider their intrusion on your world I am betting they would not be bothering you at all.

Your hate is not upsetting their world at all.

I let my hateful neighbor bug me for a bit when we started building. Now I know that I am not the problem, he is. My horses are clean, I keep my paddocks clean, I limit dust, I use fly predators, I do not let my dogs bark, etc.
I am still wrong in my neighbor’s eyes because I dared to buy a piece of land that is next to him.

We did start out by trying to accommodate the neighbor, because we wanted to be a good neighbor. But then we learned it was just impossible to make some people happy. If you are lucky your new neighbor is like us, who still tries to be a good neighbor. If you are not lucky your new neighbor will quickly learn just how mean spirited and hateful you are being and they just might not be so willing to accommodate you.

Ask nicely about the light. I am with others and my guess is the light was put up by the utility company. Put up a wood fence to block your view of them and plant your trees/bushes and keep your hate on your side of the fence.

For the record, I think when most people say the light is a good security measure they mean it keeps the wildlife further away so your animals are less in danger from that.[/QUOTE]

I am not your neighbor so stop assuming how I feel and attacking me because I want peace on MY property. I can think whatever I like about them. I haven’t done anything to them but welcome them to the neighborhood and answer question that they had. My first impressions are usually spot on and I have no desire to be friends with them. We have nothing in common.

I can go another 20 years here without ever talking to them again. That is the way this neighborhood works. Some of my other neighbors have feuds that have resulted in concreting drainage pipes, altercations involving police and I have one that loves to call animal control on the family across the street.

If they don’t start anything there won’t be anything. The light is kind of starting something in my book. I like it dark. My animals are properly housed and protected and I don’t need their light.

[MSP]

[QUOTE=GoForAGallop;7868064]
Yep, this.

OP, you’re making it quite clear that you are just intent on being miserable about the situation. By all means, just start lobbing grenades over the fence at this point. What started out as them just enjoying their land will quickly devolve into them PURPOSEFULLY trying to make your life miserable if you continue to be so ridiculous about the whole situation.

You better make sure that your glass house is carefully shored up, because for every stupid complaint you make about “revving engines”, I’m sure they have one to match about horses banging on the gate at 6am.[/QUOTE]

What exactly am I doing to them? So I can’t plant trees on my property without antagonizing the neighbors? I am not lobbing anything onto their property and I haven’t even had a chance to complain about the light. I am hoping to find my peace by planting trees to look at instead of whatever they place in my view.