People! Neighbors who don't know horses

[Minimor]

Around here we have horse manure--lots of it. Some I burn, some gets spread on garden & around trees, and some gets piled to compost. Neighbors are wanting this manure...

The one neighbor came for some about 3 weeks ago--he had to move part of a pile of spoiled hay to get his big truck through. Instead of moving the part that needed to be moved, he moved the entire pile. Why? I guess just because he could...anyway, he made a mess. Grrr.

Today another neighbor was supposed to haul some manure out of the front corral. He dropped off his truck yesterday & said he'd be here this morning with his tractor. Yes, I said we'd be home this morning. THIS MORNING. He never showed up. We came in at 12:40 & there was a phone message, he was on his way over at 12:30. We were going out for late lunch with friends. Horses were not moved around so we could leave gates open, & I did not have time to open/shut gates for this guy...who was supposed to have been here in the morning (he'd told us he had other places to be afternoon, so could haul only in the morning. Our lunch plans should not have been any problem.) I scribbled a note & stuck it on the door, said sorry, we have to be away, you were supposed to be here in the morning, & I went to shower. I guess he drove in, wandered all over the yard looking for us--never came to the door so never saw the note--got his truck & headed for the gate. Mom shrieked WHAT is he doing??? When I got out there he was about to open the gate (slip rails) & the two Morgans in that corral are right there waiting to come out. This guy is not a horse person & I guarantee that if he opened that gate & drove through, before he could have got back to shut it behind him, those 2 horses would have been out. They may not have gone anywhere, but they would have pigged out on the round bale of 2nd cut alfalfa that is open in the yard (and they sure need that!!) & they wouldn't have let a stranger catch them to put them back in--that would be a good game in their eyes. Besides, I'll bet he planned to leave the gate open while he came back to the yard, got the tractor, loaded the truck, then brought both vehicles back out of the corral. Duuuhhh. Is it only me or do you think it's kind of rude for someone to come much later than agreed upon, then just go ahead and open gates & muck around when that someone hasn't a clue about horses & how to handle them....if it were someone that knew horses & gates, I wouldn't be concerned, but this guy...sorry, I went & chewed him out. First he said he was just going to help himself to the manure, then when I pointed out that the horses would have gotten out, which is the last thing we need, he changed his mind & said he'd looked at them & decided he'd better not bother. Ya, right, that's why he was opening the gate when I got there??

While I'm on a rant...Another neighbor came one time with his weed whacker--thought he'd be helpful & cut some of the tall grass that's in our shelterbelt. Why? Because he felt like it & I guess he thought it would be helpful. Ha. He cut down several little evergreen trees (which were not lost in the grass, my mom had cleared around them.) I showed him a row of little carragana trees & told him not to cut them down. He didn't get them with the weed whacker, but later he showed up with his big riding mower, & when I looked, he was driving right down that row of trees. Mowed 'em all down. He mowed right over our above-ground water line (that goes to the barn). Luckily it's well settled, & was low enough that the mower blades didn't mangle it. This neighbor was trying to be helpful.....how???

Some days I just get soooo tired of people. I told mom I'm putting up no tresspassing signs, but she said that wouldn't apply to this fellow today (in his mind). Okay, a sign that says "no admittance beyond this point if not accompanied by owner????" Or must I put up a gate to the barnyard & keep it padlocked??

Grrrr. Now I have a headache!

 

[Feather1414]

Oh, that really stinks!

 

[susanne]

That's always tricky when you want to maintain good relations with neighbors who THINK they're behaving reasonably, but haven't got a clue about horses or what's important to you.

I'd tell the guy loading manure that, due to liability, your insurance company requires that nobody comes onto the property unless you are right there. Sorry, it's a pain, but no exceptions.

As for mr. tractor-runamok...I don't let anyone with power tools of any sort anywhere near my garden. Not to sound sexist, but it seems like the minute you get a guy behind even a push mower, they want to take out all plant life...strip the world bare. (I know...not all guys are like that, and some women are...). House painters, roofers and anyone working on your house are even worse. Unless this is something you desperately need to have done, I would cite the same inflexible insurance agent...sorry, I appreciate your help in the past, but we simply can't let you do this anymore.

Good luck!

 

[scout]

Is there any where that you can pile the manure that they could get it without going through the fields? That is what I do around here. I can't tell you what to do, I know that it really helps having manure loving neighbors, but keeping them in line, so to speak, can be a prob.

 

[Minimor]

Nah, the way our place is set up (it's an odd shaped lot to start with so the original owner didn't have a lot of choice when he set up the yard) the only choices for manure pile location are 1)front yard or 2) back barnyard. Otherwise it would have to be in the lane between house & hayshed--completely blocking access to the hayshed, so that one doesn't work.

There's nearly always someone home so opening gates & such isn't really a problem...as long as the people show up at the agreed on times. However, I've figured up where to put in some posts--I'll be putting up a couple spans of rail fence & a chain across the remainder of the lane to the back--with a "no admittance unless accompanied by owner" sign. If the sign doesn't stop 'em, a padlocked chain will.

heh heh, Susanne, you got that right--men & their power tools/machines can be scary things. I do know a couple neighbor guys that can be trusted if you show them just what/where to dig/cultivate/mow & they'll do a nice tidy job, but the others, EEEEEK. This fellow today called back tonight & wanted to come over & work up the garden & then load his truck with manure....after dark??? Him, I don't think so.

Speaking of neighbors, I never did get around to telling you guys about the night the neighbor behind us had his fire (he had a big old round straw bale he had lit, & it was smouldering yet when a wind came up) take off--burned out his trees & all along the ditch along our back pasture fence. It also burned a good third of our back pasture, but it must have burned through fast as it didn't light any of our fence posts. I'm actually surprised it stopped--we think he must have woke up & seen it, & was out there putting it out. Wwe are lucky it did get stopped before it got to the sheds--we weren't using that pasture at the time as it was grazed down--what was left was a lot of tall, dry clover, so there was still plenty to burn.

 

[Miniv]

Sounds like you and your neighbors are just TOO close. (We moved farther out to get some privacey

).

I think Susanne has hit on the answer..... Your property liability insurance prohibits ANY activity with a power tool or equipment without you being present....PERIOD.

Pass the word......

MA