This message is from: Ingrid Ivic <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> Anyone out there know anything about liability? Anyone ever had this
> happen to them before? How do you protect yourself from any passer-by who
> takes a fancy to go "pat the pretty horses"?
> Jan
>
Hi Jan...Oh dear, I too understand how you feel! Sorry to hear about
what happend. It's a shame isn't it that people are so ignorant to
trespass on YOUR OWN property, mess with YOUR OWN animals, then want to
hold you liable for their further stupidity!! AAaarrggghhh!
Had something similar happen here a few times. I have, since the
first time it happend, put up signs everywhere, on every topic
imaginable....warning against the horses, the dogs, the electric fence,
no hunting or trespassing....etc, etc...(have yet to put one up for bees
though! HA!).
We used to let the horses out in the paddock, in front of the
house...but have since stopped that too. Too many passerbys feeding the
cute ponies...or worse, throwing beer bottles at them! Yes, I will use
it if I am working in the yard, or reading the afternoon mail out there.
But only if I can keep an eye on them...sigh.
Just last week, two days before the foals arrived, we had someone
steal all the chains and latches on every gate on the property! Silly
naieve me...didn't check first...let the fjords run out to the pasture,
looked up and saw the gates were not locked. Eeeek! Ran as fast as I
could to head them off....I was so very fortunate that the minute they
came to grass, (being typical fjords) they stopped and just ate, while I
used baling twine (that magical all-purpose string!) to hold the gates
closed before going back to the barn to grab more chain and locks. Have
remedied this problem by electrifying the fence inside and out...around
the perimeter...with all the proper warning signs. Have very heavy duty
chains and padlocks now...it's all a pain, but worth the peace of mind.
Insurance is expensive...I too inquired about this from my agent.
Approx.$800 yearly, to cover you from head to toe...so to speak! What
else can you do?
Definately not the fun part of horse keeping....
Wishing you the best of luck, Ingrid in Ohio
