Equine Squatters!

[Mark]

Oh joy!

Just discovered that someone (you can probably guess from which segment of 'society' they are from), has kindly lifted our five bar gate from its hinges (so as to avoid cutting the chain) and deposited two Ponies in our paddock. Then the sods had the temerity to refit the gate and wrap a chain and lock around the hinged end of the gate and placed a 100 gallon steel water trough across the gate entrance, removing our abilty to access our own land!

All this made possible, because the owners of the Ponies know full-well, that the Police will not intervene in what they call a 'Civil Matter'.

Now I must track down the owner and ask him/her, ever-so-politely, to remove his animals. IF I can find someone willing to admit their ownership, do I expect them to comply? Not really. Such is life I guess.

:furious:

I suppose that now these Ponies are on my land (which neighbours a major road), I will become responsible if they damge themselves or anyone else, or their property. If they break out through the fairly rickety old fencing and onto the road, causing a major road accident, will I be the one held accountable? Probably! Must I therefore shell out £10K to erect suitably safe fencing? Perhaps I should pop up their daily to feed, water a groom the little lovies!!!???

 

[Ian Anderson]

Call the RSPCA.
Tell them that someone has abandoned some animals without water and food and they are in a bad state.

Buy a battery powered grinder and cut their chain off to allow access for the RSPCA to collect the animals

Well that is what I would do!

 

[Doc Kaler]

Sorry that you were the victim of this shameful act.

You might try to contact the "county sheriff" equivalent in the UK as here in Texas, they DO handle horse abandonment cases. Besides, they trespassed on your property, blocked your entrance and "vandalized" your gate!

Perhaps when all is settled you may be allowed to donate them to an Equine Therapy program and they will be well taken care of...

 

[Jack]

The last time I ate horse meat was in Bulgaria!

 

[Mark]

The Ponies are in very good health/condition. One appears to be in Foal. They have left water on site and the field is prime grazing quality grass. So much for us being able to bail it this year!

The RSPCA say they do not get involved, unless the animals are suffering, which they are not. The Police (County Sheriff equiv) will also not involve themselves.

What a world we have created. Too many 'right's and 'protections' for the very people who choose NOT to obey Laws, too few for those of us that do!

All Horses in the UK, MUST have a Passport. If these animals have not (how the hell do I know), I am Legally not permitted to transport them until I have applied for Passports for them (at a cost of course). The Authorities in turn, do not like to issue passports to animals with unknown background! So imagine that will not be a fast or enjoyable experience. Guess where that load of red-taped BS comes from!!!??? You guessed it folks. EUROPE!

 

[Larry L.]

The Ponies are in very good health/condition. One appears to be in Foal. They have left water on site and the field is prime grazing quality grass. So much for us being able to bail it this year!

The RSPCA say they do not get involved, unless the animals are suffering, which they are not. The Police (County Sheriff equiv) will also not involve themselves.

What a world we have created. Too many 'right's and 'protections' for the very people who choose NOT to obey Laws, too few for those of us that do!

All Horses in the UK, MUST have a Passport. If these animals have not (how the hell do I know), I am Legally not permitted to transport them until I have applied for Passports for them (at a cost of course). The Authorities in turn, do not like to issue passports to animals with unknown background! So imagine that will not be a fast or enjoyable experience. Guess where that load of red-taped BS comes from!!!??? You guessed it folks. EUROPE!

...and I thought the "justice" system here in the U.S. was screwed up.

Actually, it wouldn't surprise me at all to find out that we're in exactly the same boat over here in a like situation. We definitely ARE in the same boat re: "Too many 'right's and 'protections' for the very people who choose NOT to obey Laws, too few for those of us that do!"

 

[Malcolm]

Sorry to hear of this. These people are a blight. However I did find this statement at the top of my computer screen a bit ironic!

The Paddock; Enter at your own risk.

 

[Doc Kaler]

Well.....I've heard of people opening gates and letting them out on the loose (quickly closing the gate behind them).....No brands, No "passport", no proof of ownership. Surely then the local police would have to get involved.....I'm certainly not recommending this......

 

[Pete McCluskey.]

Is not possession 9/10's of the law? Now that someone has gifted these animals to you I think you may be within your rights to sell them?
Then given what little I know about U.K. Law probably not.
If they have brands you may be able to trace the owners.

 

[Larry L.]

Well.....I've heard of people opening gates and letting them out on the loose (quickly closing the gate behind them).....No brands, No "passport", no proof of ownership. Surely then the local police would have to get involved.....I'm certainly not recommending this......

Yes, but Mark stated that his property "neighbours a major road". So, if the ponies were to 'escape' somehow, they might be put at risk.

'Catch 22' no matter which way he goes...

 

[Jack]

Let them "escape" and simply deny all knowledge...

 

[Mick Ridley]

Mark,

Sorry to hear about this, but I have an Idea,,,it may work........

Fence of a small area close to the gate, with some Post and Rail Fencing. Put the ponies in this small area.

If the people remove your Post and Rail fencing to allow the ponies in the whole of your field, you will be able, prosecute them for Criminal Damage

 

[Larry L.]

By golly I think I have the solution...depending on whether or not there are trees beside that "major road" in your area. Tie the little hay chompers to one or more of said trees and, ahemmmmm, possibly 'someone' might just 'happen by', see 'em tied up there, and report the 'abandoned' ponies to whatever the proper authority might be over there.

I'm a sage I tell you...

 

[Mark]

We love animals guys, so the letting them loose idea is a no-go. Also, as Larry pointed out, with the road in place, I shudder to think what could happen.

Thanks for the poscomments though guys.

"Paddock-Enter at your own risk!" Well spotted Malcolm

I'll update you all as things progress and I speak to the Legal folk, who no-doubt will fancy a few more of my GBP's. I'll wager they will be able to string this out for a good while yet!

I may photo the Ponies and offer them up on ebay for free, buyer collects! :laugh:

 

[Bob Fechter]

Its not your property anyway. You didn't build it, and it took Government to bring roads and utilities over to it so that it could be used for the common good of all. Do you provide tents, a cabin would be preferable, to your unannounced guests?

 

A friend of mine that something similar happened to some years back painted the offending animals (goats in this case) with non-toxic dye. When the owner turned up to complain he was able to tell them to move their stock.... Not sure how the law in the UK views painting horses, but worth a thought?

 

[Pete McCluskey.]

How big is your paddock? If it is five acres or smaller they will quickly run out of grass then you can report them to the RSPCA as endangered.
I would also tell the story to the local press, in rural areas the word spreads quickly and you may find the owners.
I don't know your law as previously stated, but you could advertise in the local press that if the the owners don't come forward and pay reasonable agistment fees the ponies will be sold to help recover your loss.

At least they are supplying you with free fertiliser.

 

[David Morton]

Would you like them topped. You will not know who did it.
2nd idea, tie them with a 4m rope and let them eat all the hay within that area.
Once its gone, they will certainly start losing weight rapidly. Then the RSPCA will
get off their rich arses and sort something out.
3rd idea, break a front leg on each horse. Do it late at night when no one can see.
I can organise it if you want.

 

[Larry L.]

Would you like them topped. You will not know who did it.
2nd idea, tie them with a 4m rope and let them eat all the hay within that area.
Once its gone, they will certainly start losing weight rapidly. Then the RSPCA will
get off their rich arses and sort something out.
3rd idea, break a front leg on each horse. Do it late at night when no one can see.
I can organise it if you want.

Assuming you're being serious...you'd sentence the ponies to all that because they committed exactly what offense, sir?

They had no say at all regarding what went down. Therefore, they aren't guilty of a darn thing. So, why 'punish' them...? :sad:

Where am I wrong?

 

[David Morton]

Once again, another American sticking his nose into something he has no vested inerest in.

The Pikeys are not a problem you have in the USA. These animals are Pikeys ponies and when times get hard ( ie no money coming in from crime) they actually butcher them for meat. These Pikeys are travellers and vagrants and they colonise land they do not own, piling up old refridgerators, dismantling old cars, piling their rubbish and burning anything they can get.
When the land owner gets eviction rights, they drive off and leave all the crap behind and the clean up costs are rather large. One local farmer near Maidenhead dug a moat all around their caravans and being in the thames valley, it filled up very quickly. They were isolated for nearly a week but the crime rate was vitually zero again during that week. They are the burglers -crime rates go through the roof when they move into an area. In short, they do not give a flying fig ( a shit) about none pikeys. I have found two of them on my property having climbed over the wall into my property when i did not answer the gate to them. The police do not give a fig either because the Pikeys run back into their often huge caravan area and hide so cannot be extricated and the police don't achieve any results that figure on their stats. The Pikeys seem to have immunity from prosecution and even when they are caught, they have no personal identity, no NHS number, nothing that can be traced. In short, they do not exist in any records in this country so that when they are caught again they have no previous (record)
Do me a favour Larry -
Butt out from things that dont affect you. Your country has immense problems that need to be
sorted out first before any of you gives a fig about a couple of old ponies.