Neighbour's Stallion causing problems

[nervous-rec]

Do any of you out there have any suggestions as to how I tackle this problem?
My neighbour breeds ponies - Highland, Welsh and a Dales. When my daughter and I bought our first Spanish horses(stallions at the time) our neighbour insisted that we shouldn't bring them home as they would upset her mares. We had them castrated but kept them in livery in Wiltshire (several hundred miles away) with the dealer. We bought more over the past three years (including another gelding and some mares) but at Christmas we had to bring them all home in a hurry. I won't go into more details about that but we have spent the past six months struggling with lack of stables and fencing. Now we have all our horses out grazing in three fields and each of the geldings has a mare (or two) as company. This stops the geldings fighting with each other which has become an increasing problem over the past few months. Now, however, our neighbour has put a stallion of her own in the field closest to our fields. This is her first stallion. Not only does he continually run the fence line but he has been running with her mares. A few weeks ago she went away on holiday and left a mare with a very young foal in with the stallion. The stallion spent hour after hour chasing the mare round the field until both she and her foal were dropping with exhaustion. This distressed not only my daughter and me but also our mares (all of whom have had foals). When we told the neighbour what had happened she just laughed! Now this is also winding up one of our geldings to the point where he is reverting to some stallion behaviour. He is pacing, dropping weight, aggressive and vitually uncontrollable in the stable. Two weeks ago my daughter couldn't get his bridle on because he was so wound up. We had the vet to check his weight and to make sure he wasn't in pain - nothing. Yesterday a good friend, who also keeps Spanish horses visited to help my daughter with her gelding, as he is getting worse to handle. Whilst the friend eventually managed to get the bridle on (he is a tall strong man) my daughter's attempt left her in casualty with a suspected broken wrist (unfounded luckily). This is a horse that she learned to ride on, who virtually tacks himself up and who is normally easy to handle. Our friend spotted the stallion as soon as he arrived and identified him as the problem. My daughter rang the neighbour to ask politely if they could move the stallion away from our fields but the husband was very unhelpful. He denied that the stallion was causing problems saying he was always quiet and calm!! He also suggested that my daughter send her beloved horse away for 'retraining' and that, if she was stupid enough to ride a large horse (16hh) then she got everything she deserved when she couldn't handle him. My daughter is very distressed about the whole situation.
Any suggestions please?

 

[Libbylou]

Is there any way you can change your fields around, other than putting up fences pannels I dont see what else you can do. Especially if your neighbour isnt willing to listen.

What an awful situation you must be in, you would think being horse owners they would be able to work with you not against you.

 

[Wally]

Leylandii trees lots of them and make a screen so he can't see.

I have stallions and colts and I make sure wherever I put them will not intefere with other folk's horses...not that our lot take much notice.

I don't like the sound of the M&M stallion, any stallion that treated his mares like that would have his bits off pronto and I'd never use him again.

 

[me_n_super_abby]

Sorry to hear abouts your problems. Unfortunately there are people like this and they are a pain in the ar$e! My friend has some next to her and she had to swap fields round and put panelled fences up as suggested. Id say that they either have a 6ft + fence to stare at or come up with another solution. Hope you get it sorted out

 

[eml]

I suspect the problem started when you gave in to the idea you couldn't bring your horses home. Your neighbour sounds 'interesting', good breeders tend to breed one breed only not such a variety but they clearly think they are totally right and can organise you.

Full height panel fencing may make a temporary solution and as Wally says Leylandii will form a block eventually but I suspect your mares especially will still be 'wound up' by the stallion in the neighbouring field.

I am a bit concerned about your geldings fighting with each other and having given them their own mares....this alone, without the neighbours stallion added will add to handling difficulties and should not be happening. We put our young geldings together and yes they play rough games but if we add mares in then the top boys become much less keen on working and more obsessed with 'their' mares. The ultimate solution for us is either a gelding field or the lower ranking geldings in mixed fields and any 'bolshy' boys in with an experienced mare to put them in place.

 

[nervous-rec]

Thanks for all the suggestions.

I understand about putting the geldings in one field, which might be an option now we have split the field with fencing. However, two of the geldings absolutely hate each other with a passion and fight very aggressively. They even patrol the fence if next to each other! The other gelding is more laid back and has been in a field with one of the other two before. He still got bullied a bit but not too badly. I know having the mares in the mix is not helping but finding a mix that stops the fighting, bullying and stressing is not easy. Naranjo, who is the one we are having trouble with, has been used as a stud stallion in the past, so he seems to be reverting to former behaviour. Even if he is taken away from the mares he worries about where they are. We thought about moving him further away from the neighbour's stallion but it is not that easy. The fields back onto each other and his field stretches along the full length of ours. Also, we have put the more placid gelding in the 'middle' paddock to keep the other two geldings further apart.
It is so complicated trying combinations that keep them all happy. Either the mares will be next to the stallion or one or two of the geldings. We just can't escape him. Reading between the lines, from what our neighbour said, I don't think they quite know what to do with him. They have put him as far away from the rest of their horses as they can as they worry about their mares and foals (despite putting a mare and foal in with him!) and their other stock but in the same breath they insist he is no trouble and we should put up with him. Our horses were used to having stallions about the place down in Wiltshire (Spanish horses are rarely gelded so stallions arrived all the time) but they were kept in stallion paddocks, were not near the mares and didn't cover mares in the field next door nor run up and down squealing and shouting 24/7.
I think you are correct - a large, instant hedge is called for.

 

[diplomaticandtactful]

can't advise any more than what the other have said but can only empathise.

Maybe put up a screening panel, bamboo, something like that, or even the green fabric stuff as a temporary fence and grow a stand of leylandii in front of it so that it is dense and they can't see through.

In terms of nuisance, it is a civil matter, so you have to either negotiate or take advice as to whether what they are doing is causing a nuisance and get advice on whether there is legal remedy. I suspect there isn't but if you are a BHS Gold member you will at least get this advice free which will help you work out what to do next.

It's a pity in a way you pandered to the neighbour in the first place, as you have tried to be neighbourly and it seems to be one way. Best thing they could do is get the stallion cut.