Wording for a sign

[Jessey]

I wondered if you lovely bunch could help me come up with wording for a 'do not feed the horses sign' that stupid people would actually understand

On Friday I was pottering about at the yard and Jess was still in my top paddock, the only one that has a fence onto the lane, but I have signs (10m apart) that say 'Please do not feed the horses, they are on a special diet' and I rarely graze the horses in there, but I had 2 kids running into the property, down the driveway, with a bag of carrots in hand their dad spots me and calls them back. My neighbor then told me they continued down to her field that has a long stretch along the lane and they were merrily feeding her ponies and the dad's answer when challenged was that they always feed all the horses along there

On Saturday a friend and I heard a cho-cho whistle, looked around and there is a woman at my neighbours gate whistling the ponies over, they obviously know the sound and came galloping to her, I could clearly see her feeding them from a carrier bag. I yelled for her not to feed them and she waved and continued, my friend took off down the lane and I went across my field, at the boundry I again asked her not to feed them, she smiled, waved and continued at which point my friend got right up to her and saw her on her way with her carrier bag FULL of BREAD

The fact the ponies knew the whistle and the kids confidently strolled into my yard tells me they are ignoring all signs. My neighbours ponies go running over to a lot of people so its obvious they are fed regularly, one also had choke a few weeks ago on a carrot - my neighbor had only just got out there and doesn't feed carrots.

So how on earth do you convince people that they should not feed the horses? for their own safety, and mine, and my horses too. I have a laminator so can make A4 signs, so it could be quite wordy, but not too wordy that people won't read it....?

 

[orbvalley]

"BEWARE - These horses bite children"

 

[MrA]

I'd try the above!

I'd also try putting some electric fence signs up.

There was a recent story of a horse who coliced and died after being fed something and getting choke, I would be tempted to laminate a print out of the story and attach to the fence with a huge sign saying do not feed these horses anything, please do not risk their lives.

 

[Lemme]

have a look at this

do not feed the horses gate sign - horse lover's Christmas gift

on ebay

 

[joellie]

Do not feed horses as they have allergies which could result in death!!!!

 

[Wally]

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/DO-NOT-FE...564473?hash=item3ad1d5f9f9:g:2-MAAOSwvzRX1TA6 took me a while to realise it was a poem.....thought it was just dreadful Grammar to begin with, but it might get the message across without the threat of breaking their legs if you catch them again

 

[Trewsers]

I would be tempted to run a line of electric along the top rail and put big signs for electric up. It might put them off. Either that or collar the Dad and the woman and tell them your intentions if they carry on, ie, that they'Ll most likely get an electric shock next time they try feeding.
I do see red over things like this, because it's one thing being ignorant in that they genuinely might not know that they should not be feeding - and quite another blatantly carrying on. I might resort to following them home and writing their address down in front of them. When they ask why? Say it's for vets bills and letters from your solicitors.

 

[Ruskii]

Thing is, if you have signs up already and they are ignoring them, chances are they will continue to ignore them. My yard has seasonal caravans and is next to a big chain of holiday homes, he's nosey beggar and is the first to say hello to new people especially if they have a bag of goodies !

The only thing that worked was a line of electric fencing at a GOOD distance so people couldn't feed him. I had a few regulars even moan at me ! But after awhile it was fine. Also I'm wary of signs saying horses bite as you're opening a can of worms for litigation just in case someone gets a finger nipped accidentally.

 

[newforest]

"If you have food Sod Off"

 

[Jessey]

I do have mine electric fenced away from the other bit of lane frontage, though I did once catch a drunk guy who had climbed the barbed wire (ripping the ass out of his jeans), clambered through the electric fence and was in my field feeding my horses crisps!

The top paddock I mostly use for schooling and lunging and losing 10ft would make it too small and the fence is very overgrown with bushes so is actually only accessible in 2 spots totaling about 6ft of fence and if they are coming down the driveway it wouldn't serve much purpose fencing them back from the lane.

The woman that ignored me on Saturday, I believe, was eastern European. Perhaps she didn't understand what we were saying but you would think, in what ever language, if someone starts yelling at you when you start doing something you would stop!

 

[Star the Fell]

How about something along the lines of...


"STOP
Would you feed a child you don't know Peanuts?
PLEASE do not feed my horses as they have allergies which could KILL them"

A lot of people understand the nut allergy thing but assume animals can eat anything and everything safely.

 

[KP nut]

How about trying for a bit of self interest.

******DISEASE CONTROL NOTICE****

BEWARE: THIS HORSE HAS DISEASE WHICH CAN BE SPREAD TO OTHER HORSES AND TO HUMANS. HAND-FEEDING WILL SPREAD DISEASE. DO NOT TOUCH THIS HORSE.

*****DISEASE CONTROL NOTICE******

If anyone asks you can say they have Spattergroit and hope no-one has read Harry Potter.......

 

[Jessey]

Haha I love that idea, I wouldn't like to panic other horse owners that there was some infectious disease on the loose locally though

 

[Mary Poppins]

I would put something like:

"PLEASE do not feed my horses. Last week a horse is this field DIED as a result of being fed by passers by. My elderly horse is on a special diet and I do not want him to die too".

I think you have to write something shocking for anyone to take any notice!

 

[Gimp]

thing with the electric fence folk will probabley just lob grub over to them

 

[newforest]

People do think a horse can eat anything. Though it's possibly the minority of rude ones that just feed.
My cob ties on the yard, people ask if they can stroke her, no one has said can I feed her. I need a sign saying "Oh please, I'm waiting for my fuss"

 

[carthorse]

Feeding could kill me, I have health problems.

If you know the houses that some of the people are from then I'd actually knock on the door & explain to them. And if you decide to run a line of electric along the top of your fence then do it on angled arms so it's harder to reach over without getting zapped.

 

[chunky monkey]

I was reading an article today about conservation ponies that have been introduced to help manage heathland on a common. No surprises they proved popular with the locals, to the point people were feeding them, inspite notices asking them not too.
The only way is to fence them far enough back that people can't lobe the carrots into the paddock.
You can talk to people till your blue in the face. In my experience they will ignore you, and ignore most notices.
I have a notice on a gate where there is a public footpath it says 'Please latch the gate, sheep in field'. How clear can that be. I can't tell you the number of times I go there and the gate is undone.