# Gipsy Horse Squatters



## unclearthur (18 October 2010)

Anyone had any luck getting rid of gipsy horses grazing without permission?

We've got four of them in a small field. We got caught out this January, as   the field gate is never locked, and five ponies were put there until July. The cheeky ***'s even locked them in! 

Once they left I had the gate chained and padlocked both ends (the scumbags then kindly returned and filled the locks with glue) but over last weekend they cut the padlock off (breaking and entering in my book) and installed another four scrubby youngsters.

I didn't involve the police first time as there's not much they can do, but this time I reported the damage. I still don't believe the police can help (though they did give me a crime number!), so any ideas would be welcome.

http://cavalrytales.wordpress.com


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## HappyHorses:) (18 October 2010)

That it more than rude!
humm not sure what I would do to be honest


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## EAST KENT (18 October 2010)

` Spect the local hunt kennels would be glad of the extra feed


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## Honey08 (18 October 2010)

Gosh how annoying!!!

Could you park a few old tractors/an old lorry across the entrance perhaps. to stop them getting through?

I'd be getting onto my MP/local paper as well.

Best of luck.


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## Dolcé (18 October 2010)

Put a sign on the gate saying that the horses will be impounded and sold if not removed within 7 days, failing that, just remove them and tether them on council land, deny all knowledge of them ever having been in your field - Im sure you will be told it is illegal to move them, well so what?  Why should these people be able to just graze their horses for free, if they don't get 'done' for dumping them in your field how can you be for dumping them on council land!


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## LEXIS-MAGIC (18 October 2010)

Not sure if there is much you can do other than turf the ponies out, relock the gate, and report the ponies running loose??? Not very fair on the ponies though, I know!
Other than that i have no idea! No-one seems interested if they are on private land


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## JadeyyAndLadyy (18 October 2010)

hch4971 said:



			Put a sign on the gate saying that the horses will be impounded and sold if not removed within 7 days, failing that, just remove them and tether them on council land, deny all knowledge of them ever having been in your field - Im sure you will be told it is illegal to move them, well so what?  Why should these people be able to just graze their horses for free, if they don't get 'done' for dumping them in your field how can you be for dumping them on council land!
		
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I agree with this. But dont just threaten with the selling, why dont you actually do it 
Breaking the law i guess, but they put them on your land without permission. Or you could keep them, move them somewhere they cant find and say 'well, you were warned '

Then you would get in the *****. which obviously isnt fair at all.


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## bryngelenponies (18 October 2010)

A friend of mine has had gypsies and their horses living in her field for years now and do you think she can shift them...NO!! For some ridiculous reason they seem to have their own special rules. If I were you I'd put a notice saying that any horses other than your own in that field will be removed- then load them up and put them out onto common land if possible- if not try and be creative about a place to dump them. I guess you could even try locking them into your field so they can't get them back (although they may just leave them there then!) 
Basically there's no legal way you can budge them so you'll have to use your own initiative


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## LizzyandToddy (18 October 2010)

Open the gate usher them out, and just claim they damaged the gate breaking in, and it wouldn't close correctly.
Definatly get in contact with the police, rspca the lot...
Friend of mine had a problem like this a while ago. Police turned a blind eye when she 'left the gate open and the horses wandered out'.


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## JadeyyAndLadyy (18 October 2010)

OP where are you from?
I agree with turning out onto common grounds, if youre anywhere near oxford, would you be able to put them out to Port Meadow??


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## TheEquineOak (18 October 2010)

Gipsies have a bark, and a bite.

A friend of my in laws had this problem and he had his out houses burnt to the ground when he tried to do something about it.

Please be careful


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## SianLizzie (18 October 2010)

Well i think as long as we get to keep the nice coloured mare in paymet of the damage they ave caused 2 the feild then it should all b fine cuz im convinced she would look amazing in hand in the show ring


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## Dubsie (18 October 2010)

There's a field a developer owns near here that from time to time gets gypsy horses dumped on it for the summer.  Problem is as the field has a stream, the RSPCA can't do anything as there's enough grass/scrub/trees (and ragwort) to eat, despite the owners not returning.

From memory, last time the owner got a court order to remove them and it was pasted to the gate with I think 14 or 28 days notice to remove or the ponies would be sold at auction. As far as I know they did get sold, they were removed a few days before the auction (but after the notice time had expired)

can you get some advice on  this (?CAB, solicitor?)


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## unclearthur (18 October 2010)

South Wales  is a bit far. And I won't turn them out onto the road - it's not fair on the horses (or passing drivers).

I wasn't expecting such a great response though - a good few ideas here. Thanks, everyone.


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## nokia (18 October 2010)

some of the advice above sounds good, but actually putting this into practice with a bunch of gipsys can be quite a scarey thing to do.  To be honest i would no do anything like that to upset them, before you know it they can make your life difficult and they hold big grudges against people. Has your area not got a gipsy liasion officer ? Id try contacting them to resolve this, or just find out who the main Gipsy leader is in the area and talk to them.  We have big problems down here with Gipsys coming onto our land, but the farmers and gipsys had a fight in Tenby and the farmers won so they leave well alone now..but i feel for you as i know exactly what they are like.


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## JadeyyAndLadyy (18 October 2010)

SianLizzie said:



			Well i think as long as we get to keep the nice coloured mare in paymet of the damage they ave caused 2 the feild then it should all b fine cuz im convinced she would look amazing in hand in the show ring
		
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^^^^^ THIS!!!

actually, if you dont want them, ill have them


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## joeanne (18 October 2010)

Have PM'd you


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## SianLizzie (18 October 2010)

I think its sick how these horses are treated, all 4 of them were human shy bar 1 which was only a little confident but only enough to nuzzle my hand aswell as them only bein youngstock and by the look of the 2 smaller fillies they only seamed to be around yearling age + from what i could see by lookin at them, i just think itz terriable how these horses get beaten on a lorry n off a lorry to a differant place then beaten bck on 2 a lorry off sum where else when infact these ponies could have a genuine perfectly good life as any sort of pony it wanted to be but clearly these ponies are only money to some people and this i think is due to over breading and gyppo's bein money grabbing idiots who dnt care about the poor animals n how they are treated n i persobnally think its sick and shouldnt b allowed but unfortunatly their is neva goin 2 b a way of stoppin it!


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## Tinypony (18 October 2010)

Please don't turn them out anyone.  Just think, apart from possible damage to ponies, a car driver might die.  We had a horrible accident near us a couple of years ago with loose ponies on the road.  The poor postman who hit one with his van had a very lucky escape.


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## JadeyyAndLadyy (18 October 2010)

SianLizzie said:



			I think its sick how these horses are treated, all 4 of them were human shy bar 1 which was only a little confident but only enough to nuzzle my hand aswell as them only bein youngstock and by the look of the 2 smaller fillies they only seamed to be around yearling age + from what i could see by lookin at them, i just think itz terriable how these horses get beaten on a lorry n off a lorry to a differant place then beaten bck on 2 a lorry off sum where else when infact these ponies could have a genuine perfectly good life as any sort of pony it wanted to be but clearly these ponies are only money to some people and this i think is due to over breading and gyppo's bein money grabbing idiots who dnt care about the poor animals n how they are treated n i persobnally think its sick and shouldnt b allowed but unfortunatly their is neva goin 2 b a way of stoppin it!
		
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This Forum Should Have A 'Like' Button


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## miss_bird (18 October 2010)

If you do know where they live find out who the leader is there is always one and he is normally the most sensible, tray and organise a meeting with him.
The council should have a traveller liason person who could approach them for you and arrange a meeting with yourselves and the liason officer present.
If not the only other course of action is a court order but then you are unfortunaly starting trouble.
It does get my back up as it seems some of these travellers do as they wish and the everyday person does feel threatened when having to approach them.  Why do they feel they can just use any field they so wish, i would not do it nor dare any other horse owner


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## SpruceRI (18 October 2010)

Are you a Gold member of the BHS?  If so, why not ring the legal helpline and ask what your rights are?

I think the sign on the gate stating people have x number of days to remove the horses otherwise they will be sold is the legal way to go.... though I don't see how they can legally be sold seeing as you don't have passports for them!

I don't suppose the gipsy's have either, but there you go!


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## Llewellyn (18 October 2010)

Hahaha my mum has come to stay. She said when it happened to us we went down after dark with a saddle and tried it out, found the gypsies and bought it off them!!! 
Love my mum's approach 
No critisisms to me twas my mum.


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## Cuffey (18 October 2010)

Redwings Advice

http://www.redwings.org.uk/welfare-horse-care-advice-abandonment.php


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## nickslynn (18 October 2010)

I would be tempted to put a note on the gate & send/deliver the owners one if you know where they are, stateing that the field is being sprayed with highly toxic weed killer (you can always google a fatal one and name it!) by a contractor on a certian date say 2 weekends time, and you advise that the ponies need to be removed before this date or the rspca will have to be informed that they are/would be being poisoned!
Make out you are doing them a favour by letting them know, not that you are bl**dy mad and just want rid!
Good luck, I dont envy you having this problem.


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## lachlanandmarcus (18 October 2010)

Also bear in mind that wherever you take the horse they have in the past sometimes been stolen back in raids; the police and welfare charities have to have 'secret' locations for seized horses to be taken to for this reason, so if you are going to move the horse make sure you are very sure you arent being watched or followed.

If the field isnt being actively used the best deterrent is.....ploughing it! Not only cos it makes them move the horses quick when the tractor and plough pull in, but also it stops them coming back as theres nothing for the horses to eat. But thats only a solution if you arent using the land.


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## SianLizzie (18 October 2010)

piccies of the lil ponies them selves - soz the pic qaulity aint very gd, took them on me fone at the time.


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## HappyHorses:) (18 October 2010)

Lock their horses in your field and put an invoice for them on the gate, grass livery, checks, as much as you can put on there including the rent for the last time thery were there.
No rent= no horses. You can take them in lieu of payment.


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## Ladyinred (19 October 2010)

Remove the water supply then call RSPCA and tell them you have four ponies dumped and no water for them. They have to take them then. And don't replace water trough unless you are going to use the field yourself.


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## siennamum (19 October 2010)

Ladyinred said:



			Remove the water supply then call RSPCA and tell them you have four ponies dumped and no water for them. They have to take them then. And don't replace water trough unless you are going to use the field yourself.
		
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This is what I would do. I woudl not do anything to antagonise the gypsys, they might exact revenge. I'd let the RSPCA deal with it.


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## bj_cardiff (19 October 2010)

sorry to hear that you have unwelcome visitors.. I was just wondering why they kept heir horses in there for so long tho. Is the field  grazed at all as I can't see why they'd leave horses in a field with no grass for 6 months? Could you run a lot of sheep with the horses to eat it right down? They'll move on if there's no grazing I'd of thought?


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## the watcher (19 October 2010)

step 1) notice on the gate (and replace it every day if necessary) to the effect that this is private property, that the land owner will fulfill their obligations under welfare legislation and in the event of animals being abandoned there will take appropriate action


step 2) consider whether the land owner has the time and skills to care for these horses in the absence of the horse owners making themselves known. The answer is usually no. Then the land owner should take responsibility for the animals that have been thrust upon them and they could be located to another location where they can be looked after properly. This location must be secret for reasons outlined above. The horses should be registered as found property with the Police.

step 3) when the horse owners make contact  (if they are going to do so it is usually within 24 hours) they can then be told they can have their horses back but costs have been incurred and that they will have to pay for transport away from the field, livery and transport back to a safe location - oh and provide the passports for the horses as identification

In one summer I did this several times for local landowners, twice the horses were paid for and delivered, twice they were not claimed and subsequently sold - and there has not been a single incident of horses being abandoned in fields locally since.


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## Pedantic (19 October 2010)

bj_cardiff said:



			sorry to hear that you have unwelcome visitors.. I was just wondering why they kept heir horses in there for so long tho. Is the field  grazed at all as I can't see why they'd leave horses in a field with no grass for 6 months? Could you run a lot of sheep with the horses to eat it right down? They'll move on if there's no grazing I'd of thought?
		
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Yea go and "buy" some sheep, then when the grass is all gone "buy" some feed and look after them, what a lot of time trouble and expense to sort out a problem which the Police should be sorting, bloody ridiculous.


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## the watcher (19 October 2010)

Pedantic said:



			Yea go and "buy" some sheep, then when the grass is all gone "buy" some feed and look after them, what a lot of time trouble and expense to sort out a problem which the Police should be sorting, bloody ridiculous.
		
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This is a civil matter, not a criminal matter and therefore not the responsibility of the Police. I do understand that some sections of the community expect the Police to manage every aspect of their lives for them, whether that is an appropriate use of public funds or not.


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## ginadrummond (19 October 2010)

Poor ponies.  Being let out, starved of grass, dehydrated.  I think you need to be very careful here.  Gypsies (some) can resort to violent behaviour as previous poster said.  The RSPCA will only step in when there is evidence of actual cruelty (usually about 15 hours before death IMO - or is it only me whose had this experience?).  The poster who suggested the travellers Liason officer and a meeting is about right I think.  Taking the mare in part payment for livery if you were serious would probably work too, but leave you with the problem of the other 3.


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## Maisy (19 October 2010)

I havent read all the replies, but could you not catch all the ponies, then ring the police to tell them there were loose ponies that you have managed to catch, but you dont know where they are from?

That way, the ponies dont run the risk of danger.....


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## SusannaF (19 October 2010)

the watcher said:



			step 1) notice on the gate (and replace it every day if necessary) to the effect that this is private property, that the land owner will fulfill their obligations under welfare legislation and in the event of animals being abandoned there will take appropriate action


step 2) consider whether the land owner has the time and skills to care for these horses in the absence of the horse owners making themselves known. The answer is usually no. Then the land owner should take responsibility for the animals that have been thrust upon them and they could be located to another location where they can be looked after properly. This location must be secret for reasons outlined above. The horses should be registered as found property with the Police.

step 3) when the horse owners make contact  (if they are going to do so it is usually within 24 hours) they can then be told they can have their horses back but costs have been incurred and that they will have to pay for transport away from the field, livery and transport back to a safe location - oh and provide the passports for the horses as identification

In one summer I did this several times for local landowners, twice the horses were paid for and delivered, twice they were not claimed and subsequently sold - and there has not been a single incident of horses being abandoned in fields locally since.
		
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^^^^^^^ This sounds comprehensive, tried and tested.


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## Sandstone1 (19 October 2010)

I cant believe people are saying turn them out on the road etc. Real horse lovers!


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## Laura1234 (19 October 2010)

Don't just turn them out of the field.  
If this was my land, they would be in a lorry the next day and taken away, as OP said, get them passported.  If they want them back, they will have to pay for them.
If you don't want the confrontation, I'd just get them out and if anyone asks, just say the field was broken into and they were taken one night, not your problem - you're not their keeper.  It is difficult to know where to take them though, I appreciate.


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## MerrySherryRider (19 October 2010)

A friend had a large herd left in one of his fields over the winter. He kept an eye on them and ensured they were ok. Come spring the gypsy's took them away but gifted them a few as payment. Turned out to become cracking drive n' ride cobs.


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## nativetyponies (19 October 2010)

EAST KENT said:



			` Spect the local hunt kennels would be glad of the extra feed

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Snigger


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## Ted's mum (19 October 2010)

you lot seriously have no idea that the gypos really dont give a dam about where they put their hosses, and yes they care about them..and yes they will rip your head off 3 times over and not blink an eye......I should know one of my best friends is one!! the guy who owns my fields is irish but not a gypsy and he turned them out on the road..all you can do....who wants someone elses stupid horses in their fields cutting up the ground that has just been re seeded and rolled!!!!! shouldnt be there should they...


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## nativetyponies (19 October 2010)

SianLizzie said:



			piccies of the lil ponies them selves - soz the pic qaulity aint very gd, took them on me fone at the time.




































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Pretty rubbish quality ponies aren't they?..


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## Amymay (19 October 2010)

Tinypony said:



			Please don't turn them out anyone.  Just think, apart from possible damage to ponies, a car driver might die.  We had a horrible accident near us a couple of years ago with loose ponies on the road.  The poor postman who hit one with his van had a very lucky escape.
		
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And quite apart from anything is illegal.


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## Ted's mum (19 October 2010)

yes garbage NP


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## Witchy (19 October 2010)

SianLizzie said:








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Let me know where you are and I'll come and get this one (black) - would like a buddy for my boy


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## JadeyyAndLadyy (19 October 2010)

SianLizzie said:








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Ill have this one


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## jsr (19 October 2010)

Hey I'll have any of them if they are going spare??


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## JadeyyAndLadyy (19 October 2010)

OP, you have people on here willing to take some off your hands 
My suggestions, put a notice outside the field and deliver one to the Gypsies stating they will be rehomed by the weekend if they are not removed. 
At least you have people from here you could trust knowing they have a nice home


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## nativetyponies (19 October 2010)

JadeyyAndLadyy said:



			OP, you have people on here willing to take some off your hands 
My suggestions, put a notice outside the field and deliver one to the Gypsies stating they will be rehomed by the weekend if they are not removed. 
At least you have people from here you could trust knowing they have a nice home 

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and that would be a sure fire way of getting her family threatened and her property damaged

i wouldn't mess with these people if i were you, OP


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## Pipkin (19 October 2010)

unclearthur said:



			South Wales  is a bit far. And I won't turn them out onto the road - it's not fair on the horses (or passing drivers).

I wasn't expecting such a great response though - a good few ideas here. Thanks, everyone.
		
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Where in South Wales...... Quite a strange one as most of the gypsies in S Wales tether them on common land...personally i`d have a word with the Traveller welfare officer...or stick a notice on the gate and say your going to sell them...
Have you seen the gypsies??? soem are harmless others not so much!


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## Amymay (19 October 2010)

nativeponies said:



			and that would be a sure fire way of getting her family threatened and her property damaged

i wouldn't mess with these people if i were you, OP
		
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I agree.  And I see that Joeanne has PM'd you - which is great.


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## nativetyponies (19 October 2010)

poor joeanne ... 

her experience was frightening


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## Witchy (19 October 2010)

still want the black one - PM me if I can come get it


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## penhwnllys_stardust (19 October 2010)

put a big sign on the gate saying 'thank you for the free ponies' they'll soon come and take them back...


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## 3DE (19 October 2010)

Might sound like an odd way of doing it but could you just take the gate off? That way there's nothing keeping their horses in...

You could call the RSPCA and say they have been abandoned and have them removed


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## TinselRider (19 October 2010)

I'd just take them to an auction early one morning, leave the gate open so it looks like the horses have gone.


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## shadowboy (19 October 2010)

How big are they? any bigger than 14.2? I'd have one if  you want shot!


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## Fire_Fly (19 October 2010)

SianLizzie said:








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I'll take this one.


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## JadeyyAndLadyy (19 October 2010)

Fire_Fly said:



			I'll take this one. 

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Ive already bagsied it!!


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## Fire_Fly (19 October 2010)

JadeyyAndLadyy said:



			Ive already bagsied it!! 

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Then there's only one way to settle it....


Figggggggggggghttttttttttt.


*sigh* Ok, I'll choose another.


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## Sparkles (19 October 2010)

I'd wait till they're moved on again and then take the gate off or put something in the way.

I would not move, rehome nor touch or do anything with them. At all.


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## Charem (19 October 2010)

What a pain in the ass! Don't really know what to suggest, but please don't release them on to the road, it's not fair on them or other road users.

Are you a member of BHS? If not it may be worth joining for the legal help, there must be something you can do that doesn't result in horses suffering or your house getting burned down. It disgusts me that people can do this and there should be more laws in place to give people like you a way to deal with this problem. Why the ****** should you have to feed/worry about someone elses horses, it's your field, you may be saving it for feeding your own ect....


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## Mike007 (19 October 2010)

Are the owners Travelers passing through or are they established locals. If it is the former then they will move on and life will return to normal.If the latter then you have a real problem.


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## Debz87 (19 October 2010)

yeah don't just shove them out of the field, or cut off the water supply etc, these are harmless ponies that are not at fault.
I would be pretty irritated if someone left horses on my land etc but you cant blame the animals or make them suffer for it.
The notice advice sounds the way to go, but do contact the rspca and the police, you may need back up if the owners get nasty.
We get Gypsies leaving their horses at the side of the road on any patch of grass, they look a right state, have gone past a few with a police car driving in front of me, they don't do anything.


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## SKY (19 October 2010)

i think i would sit out all night just to catch them out of anger.  that is sooooooo bad.  how rude and just darn right cheeky to do that.  i had a horse dumped in field one time, i mentioned to owner of land we rent.  we where in middle of field and we said that we where going to report this to cruelty as horse had no water and showing signs of colic.  then we found out a local livery had it for trainning and boy never paid they told him to throw it in our field.  i was raging and to make thinkgs worse horse had colic before was put in field and they left it there.  we left, to come back up with head collar to help horse and field owner just was about to phone and report it when looked out her window boy must have been waiting in a near by field and listening to what we where saying, land owner went out and stopped boy to question him, he spilled all bout livery owner told him to put it there and said horse had colic and no water.  he said he was skint didnt know what to do, but had something sorted, he took off with horse and land owner reported to police ect.   but what the cheek of livery doing that and poor horse had colic and was put in a field with lush green grass and no water.

if i was you i would wrap up well and wait for them with someone else and have police on standby to catch them even video field to have proof.


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## Cinnamontoast (19 October 2010)

Binky01 said:



			I'd wait till they're moved on again and then take the gate off or put something in the way.

I would not move, rehome nor touch or do anything with them. At all.
		
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Mike007 said:



			Are the owners Travelers passing through or are they established locals. If it is the former then they will move on and life will return to normal.If the latter then you have a real problem.
		
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Please don't try to remove them. I know it's a total pain, we have the same issue next door to the yard, old bloke owns the land, they took the gate completely out of the hinges to get the ponies in, threatened the land owner who was infirm and unable to do anything. Cops can do nowt cos it's a civil trespass matter. You will have to wait or take out the fencing and make the field unsafe as soon as they move them again. (OH did this one night in a field backing onto the A41 at the owner's insistence once the travellers moved the ponies)


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## 3DE (19 October 2010)

Could you ring the RSPCA and say that the horses have been dumped, end of. Noone is going to check on them or water them. And you have no water supply to that field (wink wink). The RSPCA could seize the horses as abandoned... That is if you can actually get them to get off their asses to do something.


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## Brontie (19 October 2010)

charm said:



			if i was you i would wrap up well and wait for them with someone else and have police on standby to catch them even video field to have proof.
		
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Can I just say, I think this is a *very* bad idea...


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## Sparkles (19 October 2010)

Cinnamon - I said not to remove them...I said wait until they are moved on again and then make the field unsuitable, ie, no gate at all and[or]rubble/hardcore/tanker/all the normal stuff put in the way. 

Don't be waiting round for a stand off no matter how pissed you are, that is a ludicrous idea, just as much as rehoming them is.

I hope you resolve it.

ETA...I think my brain just kicked in gear and you quoted them to just re-say them Cinnamon....I think?


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## Mike007 (19 October 2010)

cinammontoast said:



			Cops can do nowt cos it's a civil trespass matter.
		
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Cops will do nowt because they dont want the hassle. There are numerous criminal implications but they would choose to ignore them .. If you let them.Puts me in mind of a little incident when travellers decided to move on to a sports field next to our stables.I saw the woman who cut the lock ,I could identify her. Called police. Two zombie police idiots arrive ......eventualy!By then ,caravans are streaming in.They say (him and her, police *****) oh you cant do anything because it would be against the law!My comment was "criminal justice ,public order act.and if you dont get an adult here in the next five minutes it is going to go very badly on you!"Suddenly it goes up the chain of command. Next thing ,a serious rank arrives. I quote the regulation and ask " can you enforce the law or has it broken down beyond your recovery!"In very short order 100 tsg arrive in full riot gear , 3 helicopters . Result Field clear,and incidentaly local travelers quietly gratefull because they wont cop the flack for these aresholes!   Final laugh was the shocked looks on the original police zombies faces.


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## the watcher (19 October 2010)

Mike007 said:



			Cops will do nowt because they dont want the hassle. There are numerous criminal implications but they would choose to ignore them .. If you let them.Puts me in mind of a little incident when travellers decided to move on to a sports field next to our stables.I saw the woman who cut the lock ,I could identify her. Called police. Two zombie police idiots arrive ......eventualy!By then ,caravans are streaming in.They say (him and her, police *****) oh you cant do anything because it would be against the law!My comment was "criminal justice ,public order act.and if you dont get an adult here in the next five minutes it is going to go very badly on you!"Suddenly it goes up the chain of command. Next thing ,a serious rank arrives. I quote the regulation and ask " can you enforce the law or has it broken down beyond your recovery!"In very short order 100 tsg arrive in full riot gear , 3 helicopters . Result Field clear,and incidentaly local travelers quietly gratefull because they wont cop the flack for these aresholes!   Final laugh was the shocked looks on the original police zombies faces.
		
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100 TSG? 3 helicopters? Full riot gear?
Really Mike, you need to take more water with it!


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## Mike007 (19 October 2010)

the watcher said:



			100 TSG? 3 helicopters? Full riot gear?
Really Mike, you need to take more water with it!
		
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I strongly suspect it is on record so scoff not . Have got witnesses ,do you realy doubt me!


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## SianLizzie (19 October 2010)

JadeyyAndLadyy said:



			Ill have this one 

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this is the mare that i thought waz the nicest lookin 1 outta them all and thought would look rather nice in hand in the show ring, sorry but shez in my dads feild so kinda think i already had dibs on her LOL sorry 2 say =] x


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## Angelbones (19 October 2010)

the watcher said:



			100 TSG? 3 helicopters? Full riot gear?
Really Mike, you need to take more water with it!
		
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LOL


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## Mike007 (19 October 2010)

I know ,it sounds unlikely, sounds ammusing,buthey ho , I won they lost!Perhaps all those guys streaming in with riot shields and visors were merely my imagination. But in the morning the field was empty so who is laughing!


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## JadeyyAndLadyy (19 October 2010)

SianLizzie said:









this is the mare that i thought waz the nicest lookin 1 outta them all and thought would look rather nice in hand in the show ring, sorry but shez in my dads feild so kinda think i already had dibs on her LOL sorry 2 say =] x
		
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In the case....May i come live you you


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## 3Beasties (19 October 2010)

SianLizzie said:








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Is it just me or does she look like she's in foal?!


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## Fire_Fly (19 October 2010)

3Beasties said:



			Is it just me or does she look like she's in foal?!   

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I thought there was a bit of tubbiness goin on.


First dibs on the foal if correct.  There take that Jadey!


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## SianLizzie (19 October 2010)

JadeyyAndLadyy said:



			In the case....May i come live you you 

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HAHA y not lol, thats if u can get ne where near em 2 catch as all 4 of em were scared of me when i went dwn the feild with the father yesterday as we got told by hear say they were their and all of them were petrified of human contact bar the lil black 1 who waz still scared but more inquiative and actually came over n sniffed my hand.


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## SianLizzie (19 October 2010)

3Beasties said:



			Is it just me or does she look like she's in foal?!   

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well yes their waz that think but then also u dnt no how they have been kept previously and bein gypo ponies it could b dwn to a large worm infestation but i spose would need close looking at to find out but been as u can hardly get near her it could b hard 2 tell.


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## Sparkles (19 October 2010)

Of course she'll probably be in foal, mare's job mainly and a nice little stamp of one at that. 
As for worm infestation, please don't generalise it on the whole as all immediate ones I'm aware of are all wormed up to date from the start. Not all I'm sure...but just saying ones I know are kept on top of,the stallions especially need all the strength they can get for the covering season.

But again, I hope you get it sorted! Keep us updated and definately foal pics wanted if one does pop out overnight sometime


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## SianLizzie (19 October 2010)

Binky01 said:



			Of course she'll probably be in foal, mare's job mainly and a nice little stamp of one at that. 
As for worm infestation, please don't generalise it on the whole as all immediate ones I'm aware of are all wormed up to date from the start. Not all I'm sure...but just saying ones I know are kept on top of,the stallions especially need all the strength they can get for the covering season.

But again, I hope you get it sorted!
		
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aye well their all money on the hoof really in they so wouldnt suprise me if she waz in foal.


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## JadeyyAndLadyy (19 October 2010)

SianLizzie said:



			HAHA y not lol, thats if u can get ne where near em 2 catch as all 4 of em were scared of me when i went dwn the feild with the father yesterday as we got told by hear say they were their and all of them were petrified of human contact bar the lil black 1 who waz still scared but more inquiative and actually came over n sniffed my hand.
		
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Awww  Ill do my best


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## lachlanandmarcus (19 October 2010)

Mike007 said:



			I know ,it sounds unlikely, sounds ammusing,buthey ho , I won they lost!Perhaps all those guys streaming in with riot shields and visors were merely my imagination. But in the morning the field was empty so who is laughing!
		
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I believe you, police wouldnt go into the local council run site near our old place without helicopters and armed support. By the time they ever went in 'John Smith' had long since melted away along with the neighbourhoods belongings. The fly grazed horses were never the guy you caught with them either, always his cousins....hmmm.


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## the watcher (19 October 2010)

SianLizzie said:



			HAHA y not lol, thats if u can get ne where near em 2 catch as all 4 of em were scared of me when i went dwn the feild with the father yesterday as we got told by hear say they were their and all of them were petrified of human contact bar the lil black 1 who waz still scared but more inquiative and actually came over n sniffed my hand.
		
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For heaven's sake, you have totally tipped me over the edge. Get a spell checker or make a little more effort. Please


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## miss_bird (20 October 2010)

AS i have stated before, speak to the council and find out who the traveller liaison officer is there has to be one in every local authority.
This person will be dealing with the travellers on a daily basis, and they are really your only hope of sorting this situation out.
Either that or you leave it be and every year for the foreseeable future they will being in your field for x amount of months
Taking the gate off  or removing some fencing after they have taken the ponies away will not prevent it form happening again, most of the travelling community are builders by trade a bit of missing fencing is not a deterrent in the slightest.
Also people as much as some travelers can be a law unto themselves, there is no need to stereotype them all, i have seen many traveller ponies looking in far better condition than a lot of ponies at livery yards, many travellers will still get a vet to drench a pony for worms once a year which i agree is one of the best methods of a worming programme


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## Equilibrium Ireland (20 October 2010)

the watcher said:



			For heaven's sake, you have totally tipped me over the edge. Get a spell checker or make a little more effort. Please
		
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I am like the worst speller going, and I have to agree! 

Terri


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## ginadrummond (20 October 2010)

Inky_and_Sunny said:



			Could you ring the RSPCA and say that the horses have been dumped, end of. Noone is going to check on them or water them. And you have no water supply to that field (wink wink). The RSPCA could seize the horses as abandoned... That is if you can actually get them to get off their asses to do something.
		
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Yep my experience too.  Even if you can get them to come out, their standard 'this is not cruelty as there has been no..... is a complete pain.  You have to wait until horse is staggering and falling over before they do anything at all.


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## thinlizzy (20 October 2010)

gypsys/travellers can really do what they want im afraid and police dont want to get involved ,paperwork, accused of discrimination, etc ,, if they have been in since january , thats a long time if you go down illegal route ie, removing fencing, locks , they can /will retaliate twenty year ago settled travellers grazed horses on a field owned by a housing agency think it was but greenbelt at the end of an estate the problems caused by these horses going riot etc in the end  the y  fenced it off the owners of field ,housing comitee lovely wooden fencing and they are still there today free of charge to stop them running riot on the private estate .
If you go to court it will take ages and cost lots i really feel sorry for you .
You could put pic in dragon driving were they all frequent to buy and sell cost you five pound saying  found if not collected within fourteen days/whatever the council will sell them at auction , see if that works .
To me it looks like if they have bought youngsters and put them in field now its for the long stay over winter at least .Its unfortunatly not the horses fault ,but maybe if you do use sheep and lots of they might move them , hopefully not into another of your fields ?ps rspca wont do anything as they look really well


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## michelleice (20 October 2010)

going to sound stupid but do you use the field in winter?? if no approach them say there happy to graze over winter but must keep the land up to date, in the spring you want to respray/seed so they need to be off?? saves all the hassle and keeps them sweet and happy and you may get the mare as payment

how do you know there gypsy horses? not being funny but i bet its not just Gypsy's who dump horses on land

mare is possibly a nanny to younger stock ma bey?


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## Amymay (20 October 2010)

Inky_and_Sunny said:



			Might sound like an odd way of doing it but could you just take the gate off? That way there's nothing keeping their horses in...

You could call the RSPCA and say they have been abandoned and have them removed 

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Those of you suggesting taking gates off and letting these horses out on the roads need to take a big dose of reality.

IF the OP did this, and someone was hurt as a result (or god forbid killed) who do you think would be held responsible - and possibly charged with reckless endangerment????

Really - if people can't post with any sort of common sense then please DON'T POST.


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## MerrySherryRider (20 October 2010)

michelleice said:



			going to sound stupid but do you use the field in winter?? if no approach them say there happy to graze over winter but must keep the land up to date, in the spring you want to respray/seed so they need to be off?? saves all the hassle and keeps them sweet and happy and you may get the mare as payment

how do you know there gypsy horses? not being funny but i bet its not just Gypsy's who dump horses on land

mare is possibly a nanny to younger stock ma bey?
		
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I agree with this approach, unless its causing you severe inconvience by having the field grazed, better to negotiate with them. At least this way, you may get some goodwill in leaving the field in a better condition, the ponies can be looked after by the owners (they look in good condition judging by the photo's) and may leave you one as payment.


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## nativetyponies (20 October 2010)

horserider said:



			and may leave you one as payment.
		
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oh yeh, and pigs fly...


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## Bowen4Horses (20 October 2010)

ring your local traveller liaison officer, all local authorities should have one. 

and do it quickly... today's spending review could well mean the post doesn't exist in a couple of months time...


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## nativetyponies (20 October 2010)

clipcloppop said:



			ring your local traveller liaison officer, all local authorities should have one. 

and do it quickly... today's spending review could well mean the post doesn't exist in a couple of months time...
		
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Good.

that'll save the Taxpayer some money....


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## dieseldog (20 October 2010)

We had a gypsy horse turn up on one of our empty fields.  We went down in the lorry and removed it, plus all the elctric fencing they had put up to keep it in.

They managed to contact us in less than 24 hours and came and picked the horse up, which seeing as it was now 40 miles away from where it started probably was a bit of a pain for them.

They never put a horse on the field again.


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## Mithras (20 October 2010)

Do the owners ever visit?  I'd try speaking to them first, to tell them its not acceptable.  If you want them off the land, tell them that.  If you are prepared to have them there for rent, tell them that.  If you can't meet them, I'd put a laminated notice on the gate stating they are using your land for grazing and you expect £x payment per week backdated to £x date, and if no payment is made by 28 days hence, you reserve your right to sell said ponies to recoup your losses and will refund any excess from the proceeds of sale to the owners.

I find it better to stand up to these people.  I have experience - I was doing up a property I lived in and the neighbours were offshoots of a large travelling family.  When I came back from holiday I knew perfectly well they'd been in my garage poking about and trying to take stuff.  So I simply waited til they were all out, moved some of their stuff around a bit and continued to be friendly and polite to them in person.  Nothing of mine was ever touched again and its not my imagination that they treated me with a new respect afterwards.

It might not necessarily be gypsies - it might just be some chancers.  Although what the distinction is, I couldn't say.


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## Bowen4Horses (20 October 2010)

nativeponies said:



			Good.

that'll save the Taxpayer some money....
		
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and i'm sure there are many people out there in local government, (myself included) who aren't so perky about the loss of their jobs...


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## Witchy (20 October 2010)

is my black one a boy or a girl and how big (gets the trailer on the back of the car...)


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## touchstone (20 October 2010)

I'd follow the advice by Redwings regarding abandonment.  My OH has had several problems with horses dumped on land at work, they place an abandonment notice on the gate and make sure the horses are contained and have water and you can guarantee that the day before the horses are due to be sold they disappear.  This has all been done the legal route with proper advice from lawyers, if you simply move or sell the horses I'm pretty sure you could be done for theft, as ludicrous as it is.
I'd certainly be careful about trying to handle things 'their' way, one of my neighbours was visited in the middle of the night by two men with baseball bats after a similar carry on, he ended up in hospital and the perpetrators never caught.


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## Ted's mum (20 October 2010)

gypo's are a breed of their own, i'm sorry but I wouldnt want to get on the wrong side of them!! i would turn the things out on the road, me personnally, and thats what the farmers do around here then block the field entrance! never do they come back


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## SKY (20 October 2010)

as far as i can remember if left on your land for 28 days you have right to cliam them.  also take all gates off and fencing down and tell police and rspca.  that you are doing this as you have the right too.  you are not chasing them on road but taking down what you own and it is the police and rspca problem now if they wonder onto road.


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## Bowen4Horses (20 October 2010)

charm said:



			you are not chasing them on road but taking down what you own and it is the police and rspca problem now if they wonder onto road.
		
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and when they cause a road accident, killing an innocent mother and her children/young boy who has just passed his test/business man on the way to work/old man who fought in the war etc etc... who is responsible for that? hmmm? 


why are people so keen to 'pass the buck' to police? setting horses loose on the road? then saying it's the police's responsibility? 

and then, when the horses endanger life to such an extent, they are forced to do something like shoot them (cos, let's face it, the horses are unhandled, most policemen aren't kelly marks RAs) there will be a thread started on here about how terrible the police are... jeez... 

:mad face:


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## Witchy (20 October 2010)

do NOT take off gates/remove fences and put them in danger, that's just irresponsible   Whether you want them or not, they are on your land and you are responsible for them.

Other than starting this post, have you actually done anything about them/contacted anybody?  The sooner you register them on your land with the council/police/other authorities, the sooner you will have a result.  Putting them and others in danger is NOT the answer!


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## Amymay (20 October 2010)

Ted's mum said:



			i would turn the things out on the road, me personnally, and thats what the farmers do around here then block the field entrance! never do they come back
		
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Again - illegal.

And are we not animal and horse lovers????????


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## Amymay (20 October 2010)

charm said:



			as far as i can remember if left on your land for 28 days you have right to cliam them.  also take all gates off and fencing down and tell police and rspca.  that you are doing this as you have the right too.  you are not chasing them on road but taking down what you own and it is the police and rspca problem now if they wonder onto road.
		
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Wrong
wrong
and Wrong


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## Witchy (20 October 2010)

_"Trespassers can be legally evicted from private land within 24 hours.  Every landowner has the right to remove trespassers from their land under Common Law. This right can be delegated to an agent" _ 

You need to find an "agent" to act on your behalf, this will also keep your identity from them, preventing any repercussions. They will serve common law papers on your behalf or may be able to negotiate the removal of the horses prior to this happening.


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## nativetyponies (20 October 2010)

clipcloppop said:



			and i'm sure there are many people out there in local government, (myself included) who aren't so perky about the loss of their jobs...
		
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i'm in the same boat, so don't assume ..but some "jobs" are a waste of taxpayers money


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## The_snoopster (20 October 2010)

First I would contact the gypsy liason officer, mention to him you need them off asap due to the fact your nasty shire x rig will be moving in and you would not like to see the ponies savaged by him. Also leave a note on the gate stating said rig will be moving in the field in 14 days, if your lucky they may believe you and move out. These people might not realize it,s private land and think its council run land, and if they have been there before with no trouble they will think they can keep coming back whenever they please.
If and when they do move out you really need to sort out some way of deterring them from coming back, if the field is usually empty maybe you should rent it out or use it regually so there is little grass in there so there is no point in them using it to fill their horses bellies before winter. Good luck


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## lachlanandmarcus (20 October 2010)

I really would get it ploughed after the horses are gone. NB If you put up the notice then the day before they will be (as someone else posted) be moved temporarily to another illegal grazing and then back again in a few weeks. So be prepared for that and get that plough in. 

I wouldn't turn them out onto the road for reasons of liability and safety, but I would allow them to 'wander' onto some council owned land and let them deal with it, they are so reluctant to act that they have themselves to blame and it isnt right that a private person should face all the costs of dealing with anti social behaviour like this, its a shared community issue and people would focus on it more if they knew how much of their council tax was dealing with the flytipping, stray horses etc. 

None of the horses at the local (council run official!) site at our old place looked anything other than thin scared frightened and beaten (in front of us), including foals being driven in sulkies until they fell onto their backs onto the road and then beaten for not getting up. My old YO had to attend one being put down by vet and ILPH as it was in such a state. I havent heard of many livery yards where that goes on.....

It certainly might not be the majority of travellers who behave like this and the fantastic treatment and breeding of wonderful gypsy cobs definitely goes on, but all experience Ive had so far suggests that the poor treatment and indiscriminate breeding and fly grazing is much more common, and needs to be dealt with by the authorities, but also by the travelling community themselves too.


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## Bowen4Horses (20 October 2010)

nativeponies said:



			i'm in the same boat, so don't assume ..but some "jobs" are a waste of taxpayers money
		
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in your opinion... personally i've found them to be very useful posts, and far less of a 'waste' than a large proportion of LA jobs.

...regardless, they are still jobs, that give people work... people who may have families to feed. 

oh, and i didn't make any assumptions.


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## KarynK (20 October 2010)

This is advice on the matter given by Hampshire Horsewatch


Frequently asked questions/guidance on the issues of trespassing horses.

It should be noted that this information is supplied to assist land owners to lawfully deal with what is a civil matter,  police do not have any powers to act or legislation to cover trespassing on private land. 
 Further information can be found on the internet or via some of the Horse Welfare charities.

1)	Horses have been placed on land which I own and without my permission.

Make enquiries with neighbours or locals to try and ascertain who owns the animals.  If the person is located and you feel able to approach them, ask them to remove their animals.

2)	I do not know who the owners are or do not want to approach them directly.

Under the Animals Act 1971 you as the land owner can take civil action to have the animals detained and then removed after a period of fourteen days.  You must put notices up stating your intentions and advising owners to remove their livestock.  Appropriate guidance and notices can be found at www.newc.co.uk and searching under abandonment. 

3)	Do I have to tell anyone that I am taking this action?

You must inform your local police within 48 hours of taking the above action i.e. putting the notices up and seizing the animals.  You simply have to inform police to cover your responsibilities under the legislation.

4)	Will the police do anything?

Police will record your intentions/actions but do not have any powers to assist you unless you have an actual incident where you feel it necessary to call us.  Police will attend to &#8216;Prevent a breach of the peace&#8217; should you have an actual problem with the owners on your land, but will be limited in powers unless an actual crime occurs.   

5)	What happens once I put the notices up?

Once notices go up you are effectively telling the owners that you have detained the animals until such time they are claimed or the period of fourteen days has passed, when the animals will be classed as abandoned.  You must be aware that you are legally taking over the &#8216;care and control&#8217; of these animals for that period, but you do not have legal ownership of them.  You need to make sure their needs are met for the duration of the time seized i.e. water supply. 

6)	My field does not have a water supply, what happens if this is not available?

Any concerns regarding the welfare of the animals needs to be raised with the RSPCA who can be contacted on 0300 1234 999 regarding the welfare of the animal or 0300 1234 555 for advice.  The RSPCA also has some powers to leave notices regarding ownership/welfare which can assist them in locating an owner.

7)    What happens after the fourteen days?

Once this period is passed you are allowed to dispose of the animals as appropriate and claim any incurred costs if any money is raised.  

The internet has various sites to address issues around abandoned or trespassing animals, including Bailiffs (Equine Bailiffs) who may be able to assist in the detention and removal of the livestock.  The NFU should also be able to offer advice if requested.


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## the watcher (20 October 2010)

michelleice said:



			how do you know there gypsy horses? not being funny but i bet its not just Gypsy's who dump horses on land
		
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After many, many years of dealing with horses abandoned on land I can say with certainty that it is. Sometimes they are sound and left to roam in a field, sometimes they are tethered and left without access to forage or water, sadly sometimes they are already dead when reported.


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## Cedars (20 October 2010)

Please be careful about the gypsy association.

I have a horse from WHW. When the gentleman came to check up on her, he told me that they loan quite a few of their horses to a local gypsy family. He said that they may not do things the "fluffy bunny" way we do them, BUT the horses are well looked after, well fed, INCREDIBLY well mannered, and they are good horse people.

The people who have dumped horses on your land are, at the end of the day, horrid, disgusting, immoral people, but their association with gypsys may well be as unlinked as me being white, ginger, or driving a ford fiesta. 

Hope you sort it out soon, but I would go down the legal routes as you never know these people. xxx


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## Ted's mum (20 October 2010)

I agree...gypsies DO look after their horses if they are proper gypsies or tinkers...not these fake wannabe gypos!


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## lachlanandmarcus (20 October 2010)

Real romany gypsies have a pride in everything, their horses, everything. The trouble is, by the EU making 'gypsies and travellers' a self defined catch all and called the wider group an ethnic group, it then brings in the much bigger population of self styled travellers who have little in common with ethnic gypsies and romanies. 

The 'travellers' then cause all sorts of bad feeling because of the levels of crime and antisocial behaviour that often comes with their presence, and real gypsies suffer the stigma. The same happens with the horses, all gypsies get a bad name because of the disgusting activities of  bad apples. Which isnt fair but isnt surprising. 

The folk I felt for most at our local site weren't us as neighbours suffering thefts, abuse etc, but the law abiding residents of the site who just tried to keep their head down and live a quiet peaceful life. One of the problems is that many smaller sites are run by one extended family who have got their power by being the hardest and most feared, which doesnt make for a peaceful law abiding existing for the rest of the residents. This is why I dislike smaller multi pitch travellers sites, as it is often better to have a larger more professionally run site, or one which is solely for one extended family.

I think from experience over a number of years that 'fly grazed' horses are almost invariably traveller horses, but they are unlikely to be real gypsy's horses. But with an EU definition that lumps the two together and in the publics eyes gives both (in practice if not in theory) the right to do things that others would be taken to the cleaners for, its not surprising that 'gypsy' and 'traveller' are merged into one.


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## SianLizzie (20 October 2010)

Bump!!!!


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## 3DE (20 October 2010)

amymay said:



			Those of you suggesting taking gates off and letting these horses out on the roads need to take a big dose of reality.

IF the OP did this, and someone was hurt as a result (or god forbid killed) who do you think would be held responsible - and possibly charged with reckless endangerment????

Really - if people can't post with any sort of common sense then please DON'T POST.
		
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ENOUGH OF THE CAPS 

FWIW I didn't say to let the horses out. The OP said that last year they left and she padlocked the gate up. They came back and bolt cut the padlock. I simply suggested that if there wasn't a gate there wouldn't be any way of them keeping the horses in the field in the first place.

I don't know why you assumed that I meant let the horses loose - credit people with a little intelligence and humanity. I think your post says a lot about your personality


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## Tharg (20 October 2010)

So Romanys can do no wrong and travellers do all the crime?

  Rubbish, they can be both as bas as each other and both as good as each other.


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## Amymay (21 October 2010)

Inky_and_Sunny said:



			ENOUGH OF THE CAPS 

FWIW I didn't say to let the horses out. I simply suggested that if there wasn't a gate there wouldn't be any way of them keeping the horses in the field in the first place.
		
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If that's not suggesting letting the horses out - I'm not sure what is.

Either way - why would that even be considered a sensible suggestion?

I'm afraid it says far more about you, than I


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## ginadrummond (21 October 2010)

I'm afraid if you go back and read the whole post there are several people advocating letting them out on the road, or taking away their water etc.  I'm as shocked as you are Amymay.  They are animals and letting them out is negligence not to mention somebody could get killed, starving them of water is cruelty.


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## Ted's mum (21 October 2010)

yes but the people whose fields they have been dumped on are NOT responsible for them...my friend is a farmer and obviously makes his living by the ground he has - he had a field cut for hay...and some gypos decided they wanted to dump their scabby things in his fields....why would he be responsible..he just simply left the gate open and once they had gone he blocked the entrance with an old tractor. simple..that is what I would have done....not my fault the gypo horses were dumped on my ground!!!


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## Amymay (21 October 2010)

yes but the people whose fields they have been dumped on are NOT responsible for them
		
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Actually they will have responsibility.


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## ginadrummond (21 October 2010)

Ted's mum said:



			yes but the people whose fields they have been dumped on are NOT responsible for them...my friend is a farmer and obviously makes his living by the ground he has - he had a field cut for hay...and some gypos decided they wanted to dump their scabby things in his fields....why would he be responsible..he just simply left the gate open and once they had gone he blocked the entrance with an old tractor. simple..that is what I would have done....not my fault the gypo horses were dumped on my ground!!!
		
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They are actually ponies not scabby things, just unlucky in birth.  Still don't deserve to be mown down in the road by a car.  And neither does the driver.


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## Tinypony (21 October 2010)

Drivers die in collisions with horses.  I hope anyone who would let horses and ponies out on roads would be able to live with the consequences.


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## the watcher (21 October 2010)

Ted's mum said:



			yes but the people whose fields they have been dumped on are NOT responsible for them...my friend is a farmer and obviously makes his living by the ground he has - he had a field cut for hay...and some gypos decided they wanted to dump their scabby things in his fields....why would he be responsible..he just simply left the gate open and once they had gone he blocked the entrance with an old tractor. simple..that is what I would have done....not my fault the gypo horses were dumped on my ground!!!
		
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Wrong. If livestock are living on your land the law says you have responsibility for them. It is exactly this point that I use to get horses removed, so that the landowner can fulfill their obligation to properly care for the animals


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## Ted's mum (21 October 2010)

They shouldn't be in the farmers fields then should they!! The gypos bust his lock on the gate too...the cheek...sorry but not his problem


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## Amymay (21 October 2010)

Ted's mum said:



			They shouldn't be in the farmers fields then should they!! The gypos bust his lock on the gate too...the cheek...sorry but not his problem
		
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As has been pointed out several times in this post - the law says differently.

And thank goodness it does.  


Anyway OP - how about an update?????


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## kizzywiz (21 October 2010)

Ted's mum said:



			They shouldn't be in the farmers fields then should they!! The gypos bust his lock on the gate too...the cheek...sorry but not his problem
		
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Lets all just hope that you or one of your family isn't travelling along the road & is in collision with one of these ponies then, God how do you sleep at night...


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## Ted's mum (21 October 2010)

kizzywiz said:



			Lets all just hope that you or one of your family isn't travelling along the road & is in collision with one of these ponies then, God how do you sleep at night...
		
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I would shoot the horses myself if they were on my fields..they have no right to be there at all


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## ginadrummond (21 October 2010)

Its unbelievable isnt it.  I suspect that deliberately letting them out is a criminal offence due to the horrific possible consequences.  Criminal negiligence?


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## ginadrummond (21 October 2010)

Ted's mum said:



			I would shoot the horses myself if they were on my fields..they have no right to be there at all
		
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You wouldn't you know.  If you actually saw them you'd realise that none of this is their fault at all, these poor ponies have done nothing wrong.


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## joeanne (21 October 2010)

Ted's mum said:



			I would shoot the horses myself if they were on my fields..they have no right to be there at all
		
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Good grief you are quite insane!
Why on earth is it the fault of the poor animals that happened to be dumped by a bunch of undesirables?
God forbid YOUR horse should ever escape and end up somewhere it shouldn't be, with someone who has the same mentality you do.


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## Amymay (21 October 2010)

Ted's mum said:



			I would shoot the horses myself if they were on my fields..they have no right to be there at all
		
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Now Ted, I know you to be an animal lover and I also know you to be a compassionate person.

A little scenario for you:  Your horse(s) escape from your field - but are lucky enough to be put in another field, not owned by you, bya kind passer by.

They have no right to be in that field - so the land owner shoots them.........

Would you still feel the same as you do now? 

Come on - this is a people problem, not an animal problem.  And anyone who thinks otherwise really shouldn't have anything to do with animals of _any_ sort......


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## natalia (21 October 2010)

We have 10 acres of grazing land about 10 minutes drive from the yard. this is used for resting horses, holidays ect. so for some part of the year its often empty. There is also a travellers camp in spitting distance from our field. A couple of years ago when our field was empty we drove past to find 5 gypsy ponies in there. So, we got a couple of feed buckets, got head collars on what we could and drove them down the road back to the travellers  camp and put them in there in their car park and shut the gates. Ponies never returned. We also had another very sad case of another 2 yr old dumped in our field nearer the yard. I caught her, brought her home and had her put down (after ILPH had seen her and police informed, police said we couldn't have her PTS but I'm sorry we weren't going to foot a pikeys vets bill) as she was very sick. Again, they haven't dumped anything for a while but I'm sure they will again at some point.


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## siennamum (21 October 2010)

Such hysteria.

I advocated cutting off the water beause then you can call the welfare organisations and inform them the horses have no water. It might mean they act.

There would be nothing to stop you surreptitiously giving them water, just not letting the welfare organisations know.


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## Amymay (21 October 2010)

siennamum said:



			I advocated cutting off the water beause then you can call the welfare organisations and inform them the horses have no water. It might mean they act.
		
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They don't need to have a lack of water for the welfare organisations to act.


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## Alec Swan (21 October 2010)

This isn't going to help the Original Poster,  with whom I have a great deal of sympathy,  but if the horses of others are on your land,  whether invited or not,  then YOU are viewed as the keeper,  in the eyes of the law.

Any attempt to release these horses,  and turn them loose onto the public highway,  would be very irresponsible,  and if proven,  would land the "keeper"(!) in court.

Is that fair?  No,  of course it isn't.  It's just the way that it is.

Alec.


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## ginadrummond (21 October 2010)

amymay said:



			They don't need to have a lack of water for the welfare organisations to act.
		
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Sorry Amymay but most wont act when they should unless the horses are pretty near death.  Its been my experience I'm afraid and from this post I'm not alone.  Unfortunately (and it may be for legal reasons) they are not proactive but reactive.


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## lachlanandmarcus (21 October 2010)

The law has changed so they now can act before suffering occurs where there is a risk of suffering. (It did used to be that suffering had to be takingOut place). 

However they are often still reluctant to use these new powers since they have to justify their decision legally and also may face very angry and aggressive people. So generally they will often only act prior to suffering where the horses concerned are part of a group that are showing suffering ie so they can get them all out of there, or if there has been long term ongoing problems with a horse/owner's care. 

Out of the charities, WHW (ILPH) are the best, RSPCA awful, esp as some of their officers dont know much about horses.

It is a catch 22, if you obey the law and water etc the horse, noone will help cos they arent suffering, if you dont, someone might help the horses but prosecute you! Like fly tipping, its a very unfair situation for private landowners and I believe the law should be changed so that dumping, whether its rubbish or horses, is a police and council responsibility. One reason this would help is that it would become very apparent just how much of this goes on, in which locations, and just how much money this problem costs.


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## 3DE (21 October 2010)

You're really not a very nice person are you. Why the need to misquote me to your own ends?

You quoted me as saying



amymay said:



			Originally Posted by Inky_and_Sunny  View Post
ENOUGH OF THE CAPS

FWIW I didn't say to let the horses out. I simply suggested that if there wasn't a gate there wouldn't be any way of them keeping the horses in the field in the first place.

If that's not suggesting letting the horses out - I'm not sure what is.

Either way - why would that even be considered a sensible suggestion?

I'm afraid it says far more about you, than I 

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What I actually said was



Inky_and_Sunny said:



			ENOUGH OF THE CAPS 

FWIW I didn't say to let the horses out. The OP said that last year they left and she padlocked the gate up. They came back and bolt cut the padlock. I simply suggested that if there wasn't a gate there wouldn't be any way of them keeping the horses in the field in the first place.

I don't know why you assumed that I meant let the horses loose - credit people with a little intelligence and humanity. I think your post says a lot about your personality 

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You horrible, horrible person to cut and paste so it looks bad on me. Right little keyboard commando aren't you? Really make you feel good about yourself does it?


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## Amymay (22 October 2010)

You horrible, horrible person to cut and paste so it looks bad on me. Right little keyboard commando aren't you? Really make you feel good about yourself does it?
		
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Actually I'm a very nice person - as my friends will tell you.  And the only person making you look bad is yourself.

Any one who advocates taking gates of a field in order to allow animals to wander, which could then result in a serious if not fatal accident needs their head examined.

However, in fairness to you - you have not been the only person suggesting this, which in itself is alarming.  But unsuprising given the level of intelligence displayed by some of our members on here.


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## EquestriVan (22 October 2010)

there is a very effective way of dealing with it, but i cant think who needs to do it. i think it's the council. 

Do you own the land or rent ?

A friend has just gone through it and got rid of them, will find out what she did


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## ginadrummond (22 October 2010)

amymay said:



			Actually I'm a very nice person - as my friends will tell you.  And the only person making you look bad is yourself.

Any one who advocates taking gates of a field in order to allow animals to wander, which could then result in a serious if not fatal accident needs their head examined.

However, in fairness to you - you have not been the only person suggesting this, which in itself is alarming.  But unsuprising given the level of intelligence displayed by some of our members on here.
		
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I suppose Amymay that this post has shocked quite a few of us but it is part of being in a forum.  There are some unbelievably stupid replies to posts, mostly from people who clearly have no experience in that field (the breeding and youngstock threads and rants are particularly poor).  I think it is probably because they just type before they think and once things are explored realise the error of their ways.  We all come at things from a different place.  If this happened to me for example I'd look after them, worm them and do the right thing - but that's easy for me cos I've got 30 good acres, great water and am animal daft. I suppose if you have limited grazing and one horse and are not as soft as I am, then things would be different.  I went to school with lots of 'settled' travelling families and although I wouldn't cross them, the OP should defo go down the route of contact via the liaison officer I think.  Most respect the direct approach.  Hope it all works out for him/her and most of all for the ponies.


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## ginadrummond (22 October 2010)

lachlanandmarcus said:



			The law has changed so they now can act before suffering occurs where there is a risk of suffering. (It did used to be that suffering had to be takingOut place). 

However they are often still reluctant to use these new powers since they have to justify their decision legally and also may face very angry and aggressive people. So generally they will often only act prior to suffering where the horses concerned are part of a group that are showing suffering ie so they can get them all out of there, or if there has been long term ongoing problems with a horse/owner's care. 

Out of the charities, WHW (ILPH) are the best, RSPCA awful, esp as some of their officers dont know much about horses.

It is a catch 22, if you obey the law and water etc the horse, noone will help cos they arent suffering, if you dont, someone might help the horses but prosecute you! Like fly tipping, its a very unfair situation for private landowners and I believe the law should be changed so that dumping, whether its rubbish or horses, is a police and council responsibility. One reason this would help is that it would become very apparent just how much of this goes on, in which locations, and just how much money this problem costs.
		
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Yes, I agree about the RSPCA and what's worse is that so many people leave loads of money in their will not knowing how top heavy, bureaucratic and well, wholly ineffective they really are.  I haven't tried the ILPH but know someone who did - but this might have been before the law change.


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## chestnut cob (22 October 2010)

I am probably going to get shot down in flames for this but hey ho...

OP, it might be worth contacting a company like these http://www.sullivansbailiffs.co.uk/gypsies.html

I know someone (won't go in to too much detail) who used a similar company to remove gypsies who were camped on his company's land.  In their case the camp itself was removed by the bailiffs but it has to be worth contacting a bailiff company in your area to see if they can help with removal of the horses.  IIRC in the case I mentioned, the gypsies were removed within about 2 days of the court proceedings starting (I'm sure any legal people on here will correct my accuracy if I have something wrong, I am trying to remember something that happened more than 10 years ago!).


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## lochpearl (22 October 2010)

Inky_and_Sunny said:



			You're really not a very nice person are you. Why the need to misquote me to your own ends?

You quoted me as saying



What I actually said was



You horrible, horrible person to cut and paste so it looks bad on me. Right little keyboard commando aren't you? Really make you feel good about yourself does it?
		
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I am astounded at this quote, firstly this post is not about YOU! Have some respect for the OP. Secondly, Amymay is a very nice and caring person indeed, she also is very knowledgeable and I as the majority of others on this forum value her opinion.


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## siennamum (22 October 2010)

amymay said:



			Actually I'm a very nice person - as my friends will tell you.  And the only person making you look bad is yourself.

Any one who advocates taking gates of a field in order to allow animals to wander, which could then result in a serious if not fatal accident needs their head examined.

However, in fairness to you - you have not been the only person suggesting this, which in itself is alarming.  But unsuprising given the level of intelligence displayed by some of our members on here.
		
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She's not suggesting letting the horses loose on the road. The post is pretty clear if you read it with an open mind, rather than a fervent desire to make people look stupid. I & S says that if there were no gate, people wouldn't put horses is there in the first place. That would bring all sorts of other issues, which I imagine you'll energetically point out, but it is not a suggestion that the horses are rounded up and driven loose down the M4.

Gosh we're all so lucky there are really intelligent people like you to put us all right when we post in a hurry & it's something you can tear apart.


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## miss_bird (22 October 2010)

This post is not about argueing between ourselves.
It is to give advice to someone in a situation and they need help.
Ok so some very silly replies about letting the horses out, that is not constructive to helping the OP as she would be liable.
Op as you ahve started the threat are you going to update us on what has happened and what you have done to sort out your problem.
You have been given some very sound advice on this thread hopefully you have acted on some of it.
I am reiterating what i said in an earlier post get on to the Traveller Liason Person, they are your best help


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