I'm Going to Have to Say Goodbye

[Ferrah]

I am fairly sure I am going to have to say goodbye to my two boys that I have worked so hard for.

I got a job that I hate just so I could pay for them, their equipment and upkeep.

Before I bought my boys I called the city bylaw officers so I could be sure that we were allowed to have horses in our suburban neighbourhood. I clean up their manure three to four times a week, they don't have stalls.

I used ot put lime on the manure to cut down smell, but my dad does not let me anymore because he wants the manure for his garden and he can't put it in with lime in it.

Tonight one of our neighbours started yelling at me. He told me that thehorses stink and I have to lime everything right away. I said he should talk to my dad right away because I wasn't quite sure what the best way was to respond. We just had a huge rainfall last night and the horses always smell a bit after a rain.

Then the neighbour said he didn't want to srgue about the issue, but then he started swearing at me and reaming me out and I didn't know what to do or how to respond. I went all called my parents because they were out because I did not know what to do.

Tonight I got the talk from my parents saying I will probably have to find a new home for my horses. I can't afford to board them out like my two riding horses.

I worked so hard for Spyder and Cinnabar and I love them so much. They call to me in the morning and they call to me when I leave them. They are always there for me and they make me feel better even when I am in my worst moods.

I went for a three hour walk today..I'm trying to enjoy my special horses while I still can.

Thanks for letting me vent.

 

[hobbyhorse23]

Oh honey, that's awful.

Can you remove the manure from the property? Maybe advertise it as fertilizer in the local paper and say it's free but must be picked up by X day of the week? Use some kind of covered compost bin that you can line with lime? You might try talking to a local nursery and see if they'd agree to take it regularly. If all else fails, talk to wherever you board your big horses and ask if they'd give you a reduced rate for housing both minis together. Many places will, sort of a two-for-one deal.

I wish you the best of luck with this and know others here will have good ideas to help you. I've always enjoyed reading your stories about your two sweet minis.

Leia

 

[dangerranger]

You know some people are just difficult because they can be. If the county doesnt have a problem with your horses Id just stop talking to him[ your neibor] for a while. and as to the smell I kind of like the smell of horses. Here hoping the neibor wakes up tomorow in a better mood. DR.

 

[Bess Kelly]

I've used sweet PDZ directly on areas that have had manure/urine and it helped tremendously! Might your dad and neighbor be ok with that?

Also, can you pick it up DAILY? Can you and dad form a single contained location to compost? Would a couple of sections of privacy fence around such a compost area help contain the wind drift/odors?

Otherwise, I see no real help for the situation. It may be that the neighbor just doesn't like them there at all and is, therefore, very touchy about "everything". Can't say for sure.

But, sometimes there is no cure for the situation you describe that would work well for the neighbor except removal. I'm so sorry but, we horse owners have to face these challenges. Just wish we could make the dog owners march to the same band.......

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[Casnos Minis]

[SIZE=18pt]I'm so sorry for you. If we had neighbor's like that i would die. Why can't your dad use the manure with lime in it. I know plenty of people that use lime in their gardens and it makes their flowers beautiful. I agree to trying to get some one in to take your maure. I've got to do that just because I need room for more maure. I hope everything woks out for you.[/SIZE]

Christy

 

[Sonya]

I agree pick up the pooh more often, at least once a day/twice if you can. Some garbage companies will take it away too, you'd have to ask the company you use. Some people on the forum who live in residential areas, bag their pooh and the garbage men take it. It sounds like alot of work, but it can be done. Although your zoning allows it, it is no fun living next to a neighbor who is complaining all the time. Your neighbor had no right swearing at you, if he had a problem he should of waited to talk with your parents about it. I hope you don't have to get rid of them. Good luck.

 

[billiethekid40]

Pick up the poop daily, and start liming again... look at it this way, your dad can't use their poop if you find them a new home, so why should it bother him to lose the use of it so you can keep them? The "smell" is likely not even the manure, but rather the urine that soaks into the ground int heir paddock, so pick up the poop DAILY (or even twice a day if that helps), store it in COVERED trash containers, and lime the ground UNDER the poop in the paddock to cut down the PEE smell.

 

[shortymisty]

Seems like the only one that smells is your foul-mouthed neighbor. Geez why do people have to just SUCK! Just make the poo picking up one of your daily chores. After you feed them the poo picking up commences (then toss it into your neighbors yard :new_shocked: NO! just kidding, I really didn't say that) once you get in the routine it doesn't seem like a chore and not as much poo to pick up either. If your neighbor still bullies you tell him politely that you are not breaking in ordinances and offer him some compost for his flowers and such. Of course you know that probably won't work but it may be worth a shot. Sorry you have such a bad neighbor, but don't let him push you around and give up your dream then he wins all the way around.

 

[shortymisty]

Seems like the only one that smells is your foul-mouthed neighbor. Geez why do people have to just SUCK! Just make the poo picking up one of your daily chores. After you feed them the poo picking up commences (then toss it into your neighbors yard :new_shocked: NO! just kidding, I really didn't say that) once you get in the routine it doesn't seem like a chore and not as much poo to pick up either. If your neighbor still bullies you tell him politely that you are not breaking in ordinances and offer him some compost for his flowers and such. Of course you know that probably won't work but it may be worth a shot. Sorry you have such a bad neighbor, but don't let him push you around and give up your dream then he wins all the way around.

 

[Vicky Texas]

I am sorry you have a bad neighbor. We have rotten one's to. I bag all the poop and put

it out for our trash guys to get. Before getting rid of them, try again to talk to your parents

and the neighbor. Maybe call some of the miniature horse owners near you and see if any of

them would keep them for you. Or see if at the boarding place it you can keep them there,

they could share one paddoct or stall. See if in exchange you do some extra work for them

to pay for it.

Wishing you the best

Vicky

 

[Relic]

So sorry to hear that from a young person who worked hard for what she wants. We have been that route and to make life easier for the neighbor from heck and us we decided to move...away from all life within miles. Best thing we ever did as far as l'm concerened. This guy really has no right to get on your back you are a youth and he is an adult. lf the county says you can keep the minis on the property there isn't a whole lot he can do if he doesn't like it except to appeal and then he has to prove you are creating a smell or mess whatever that is not acceptable for anyone living close by. But with just a couple of minis l can't even see how that would affect him if you are picking it up and keeping your paddocks clean. lf that was me and l can also be rude when l have to l would get a mega truckload of freash cow manure hauled in and cover my garden with it on a windy day just for spite but thats also just me sometimes other people just seem to think only what they want/do counts. Good luck l hope you can work things out l know you love your guys.

 

[luvmymini2]

I agree with the others..I pick up manure every morning after I get my 5 babies eating...I work nites and beleive me picking up poop is not what I want to do first thing in the morning,but it does keep the smell and flies down...I would try some of these sugestions first before I gave up my babies...sounds like you really have a bond with them....

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[EAD Minis]

Awww that is just horrible!I woul absolutly be horrified if I had to sell my Roy. If you lived close to me I would offer you cheap boarding!!I hope your neighbour smartens up!! :no:

 

[TinyMiteVillage]

Bless your heart. I hope you get to keep your boys. Sounds like your neighbor just wants to be a butt head........Anyways GOOD LUCK>.........

 

[SandyWI]

What a terrible situation you've been put in by those neighbors! Remember, though, that if an adult swears at you, it's ASSAULT, and that is against the law! Maybe he needs to be reminded of that.

I agree with your father about the lime on the garden. You can't put all that lime into a garden or it will cause the pH of the soil to change and many vegetables and flowers won't thrive.

But Sweet PDZ or Stall Dry are products that are made of clay, and WON'T change the pH of the garden soil, so it's perfectly OK to put those products on the manure and then into the garden.

If your city has no problem with you having those minis, then your neighbor has no legal right to complain. He needs to be reminded of that.

Those pictures of you with your two boys just broke my heart. I can see what a special bond you have with them! No one has the right to break that bond!

 

[Marty]

Don't be so hasty and just hold on a minute will ya?

I don't think this neighbor is complaining on a whim just to be awful. It's probably been building up now for quite a while and it finally came to a head.

First of all, if that was my mom & dad living next door to a smelly manure pile, they'd get pi**ed off too. They paid good money for their retirement home and beleive me, if someone moved in next door with a horse or goat or anything like that, they'd go right to the City and complain big time. If they wanted to live in a rurual area they would have. So I think you are dead wrong in the first place.

You have to consider the neighbor's side of things. It is YOU that brought horses into the city, so asking them to put up with this odor is not fair of you. So you need to just hold your horses there youngin and take a moment to put a reasonable plan in place.

I think you owe the neighbors an apology and tell them you are going to fix the problem and tell them you are very sorry for having inconvenienced them.

Pick up your piles twice daily. Rake the area with a green garden rake. Through some lime around. Put the turds in a black plastic bag and then in a covered garbage can and dispose of it often.

Also be sure to use plenty of bug spray around. Find something for fly control too.

The neighbor also should not have ragged you out. You are not an adult. He should have gone right to your parents who own the property and spoke like a gentleman. So I am sorry that you got reemed out.

Now settle down and scoot!

Go clean up your mess kiddo.

 

[Ferrah]

I certainly understand where he is coming from.

We keep the manure in big black composting bins. I will definately do the things you have suggested.

Somehow I don't feel right apologizing because of how he came at me like that...but my parents will probably make me anyways.

On our block there are two people who own horses and keep them in small pens. They clean their manure out only once a year with a bobcat....Not that them doing that makes it ok in any way for me to do the same.

I will do all the things everyone suggested. We are going to get all the manure hauled out and then I will clean out their pen of poop every morning and night.

I sure hope it works.

 

[Mona]

Well good luck! I would sure hate to see you have to lose your boys.

 

[love_casper]

oh, that's terrible. i have had awful experiences with bad neighbors, myself. hope your boys find loving homes! so sorry that you have to give them up.