WWYD-neighbours stallion causes my horse to have horrible injury

[IfWishesWereHorses]

Long story short. Ok long story long...

My beautiful, clean legged, fabulous mare, was happily grazing in her 2acre paddock (where she's been for over a month)..minding her own business.... when my neighbour decides to move her (feral as hell - Fugly would have a field day) stallion so that it is in the paddock on our boundary RIGHT NEXT DOOR to my mare's paddock. There IS a double fence between the two paddocks, but its barely 5ft across the way, and they can easily touch noses (as proven when I went down there and he came flying over and proceeded to lean on his fence and try to get near me - I could easily touch him). He is a horse who grunts and roars and gallops around the place with even the slightest hint of a mare in the air. He is definitely NOT a quiet passive colt.

So what I can imagine has happened is that my mare has not taken well to his advances over the fenceline, and has turned and double barrelled him, but of course there is wire on the fences there and she's now ripped her leg to shreds (found bits of her on the wire so know where it happened). Please don't tell me I shouldnt have wire fences, we have them here, its never been an issue, and the wire on my side is hot/electric so the usually stay well away - until now.

FWIW I too have a stallion. He is NEVER EVER put on a boundary fenceline with another horse. EVER. He isnt' even colty and is not interested in mares, but still, I just won't ever take that chance.

So for me, to have her be so absolutely irresponsible as to put her horse where he could clearly get at my mare and rark her up, causing the injury, to me its unacceptable. All it would have taken was a ph call to me to say she was moving him and I'd have high tailed it down the back and moved my girl. She has 10 other fields she could have put him in, so god knows why she chose the only one that borders my place.

I plan to take her my vet bills and request at least part payment. WWYD? Do you think that it is fair that I ask her to pay vet bill? I have approx 6 months of bandaging etc ahead of me, not to mention any other vet expenses!

There are no laws that govern this sort of thing here either. And how do you fix stupidty! There is something to be said for gene pool elimination.

photos if anyone is interested...

http://anotherottb4.blogspot.com/

[mustangtrailrider]

Beautiful horse by the way. I do not have an advice, only jingling to wish for a speedy recovery. I hope she heals well and quickly. I too would be upset...

[IfWishesWereHorses]

Thank you, she is my pride and joy and Im totally devastated!!! She's such a sweet sweet mare too.

I just cant believe how people can be so stupid!

[LockeMeadows]

I hate to say it, but your neighbor can do what-ever they like with their own horse on their own property. I am not a fan of wire fence. Move your mare to a safer area and put your fence up so that she can not reach across and touch noses with the stallion. I'm guessing your neighbor might laugh when you ask them to pay even part of the vet bills. Your horse was injured on your property, by your fence, because she kicked out. If the stallion had gotten loose on your property, that would be a whole ‘nother ball game, but that is not what happened.

I'm sorry to hear about your mare and I hope she heals quickly.

[Aussie_Dog]

I hate to say it, but your neighbor can do what-ever they like with their own horse on their own property. I am not a fan of wire fence. Move your mare to a safer area and put your fence up so that she can not reach across and touch noses with the stallion. I'm guessing your neighbor might laugh when you ask them to pay even part of the vet bills. Your horse was injured on your property, by your fence, because she kicked out. If the stallion had gotten loose on your property, that would be a whole ‘nother ball game, but that is not what happened.

I'm sorry to hear about your mare and I hope she heals quickly.

I gotta go with this. It's not the greatest situation, but I don't think there's much you can do. I think that the only thing you can do is to go over to her place (or call on the phone) and explain the situation. She may be apologetic and try to make amends, but at the very least, she may move her stallion to another place. If she gets haughty, then probably you should just move your mare to another spot.

[amdfarm]

While I would be upset also, I have to agree w/ LM on this one. Her horse, her property.

I'm treating one of my horses w/ that same injury, only it goes clear down to his fetlock. He did it himself on a round bale ring, somehow.

Pretty mare, hope she heals fast.

[IfWishesWereHorses]

Thanks.

I did go over and have very stern words with her after the vet had finished. Neighbour accepted that she should have put a hot tape up, and said she normally does, and doesn't know why she didn't do it this time..and then proceeded to go down and put up a tape on her side of the fence.

Her comment was that she didn't know that they could reach over the fence and when I stated it was a common courtesy for anyone owning a stallion that they would do the neighbourly thing and at least RING before moving him. She nodded and agreed to do so in the future, and just kept going back to the "Oh I am sorry I don't know why I didn't put a tape up" thing.

I will be taking the vet bills over. If she refuses to pay, then she will find out real fast just how bad it is to have neighbours that you cant rely on to help you when you need it ;-)

Mind you, this is also the same neighbour who's ram comes over to our farm every single year without fail, and every single year we have to get that damn seriously dangerous beast back (but not before it impregnates my elderly sheep...every year for 6 years)... she can't understand why its such a problem that he keeps coming over...and lets not mention the mares who have busted gates and buggered off down the road because they want OUT of there... and the fillies of her own that she puts on the other side of a fence from stallion and when THEY do what my mare has done, she says "but they grew up together, why would she do that:.

See, you can't fix stupid.

[2DogsFarm]

Sorry for the injury to your mare.
But as L/M & others say you cannot pin the blame on your neighbor.
Like you said:
You can't fix stupid, but you also cannot expect it to act responsibly.

As for becoming a "bad neighbor" - I wouldn't burn that bridge.
You never know whose help you may need one day.

[Posting Trot]

Truthfully I think you were lucky to have a neighbor who apologized for this. Taking the vet bills over and expect her to pay them? Really? I think that's pushing way beyond what you have a right to expect. JMHO.

Her horse, her property.

Do you have hot wire on your fence? Just asking.

[arabhorse2]

IfWishes, you're SOL if you expect your neighbor to pay for injuries your horse sustained by herself, on her own property. In fact, it surprises me that you think somehow your neighbor is responsible for what your horses do on your property.

If one of my horses injures himself because he sees something on my neighbor's property that upsets him, how is that my neighbor's fault? Horses are always on the verge of committing suicide, and if you've had them long enough you know that.

Plus, you already know that this woman is clueless, if your elderly ewe has been impregnated for 6 years running by her ram who keeps getting out. I place part of the blame on you though, because you should have nipped that little romance in the bud after the first year.

You know your neighbor is irresponsible, you've allowed her ram to get passionate with your ewe, and yet somehow you think she should pay part of your vet bill, and you're going to act like the idiot from Hell if she doesn't? Yeah, good plan. :rolleyes:

Suck it up, keep your horses and other animals away from hers as well as you can, be glad she apologized, and deal with it. You can't teach someone responsibility.

Lovely mare. Sorry she hurt herself. It stinks to have them injured like that, and I hope she recovers quickly and completely.

[cowgirljenn]

I stated it was a common courtesy for anyone owning a stallion that they would do the neighbourly thing and at least RING before moving him.


Are you serious? I have a stallion and have fostered several for the rescue, and I'm not about to call my neighbors and ask their permission before putting horses out in a pen/paddock on my property.

You are lucky she apologized. Now, I probably would have said I was sorry, too - IF you had showed up, told me what happened, and asked if we could work together to plan turn out so the horses couldn't get together. If you showed up to yell at me or with 'stern words', I would have told you to get off my property.

[Camstock]

Are you serious? ... If you showed up to yell at me or with 'stern words', I would have told you to get off my property.

Hear, hear.

[fordtraktor]

Absolutely agree with the others. Expecting your neighbor to pay your horse's vet bills is crazy. Your horse was hurt on your land by doing something stupid to herself. You pay.

[kookicat]

Sorry about your mare. I hope she heals well and quickly.

Good fences make good neighbors, though, and I'd be looking to improve your fencing so that you're more protected.

[Jaegermonster]

I think I would put up a stockade fence along that property line inside of the current fence so they can't see each other etc over the fence.

And find a better way to secure the elderly sheep, you've had 6 years to think about it.

[Plumcreek]

I hate to say it, but your neighbor can do what-ever they like with their own horse on their own property. I am not a fan of wire fence. Move your mare to a safer area and put your fence up so that she can not reach across and touch noses with the stallion. I'm guessing your neighbor might laugh when you ask them to pay even part of the vet bills. Your horse was injured on your property, by your fence, because she kicked out. If the stallion had gotten loose on your property, that would be a whole ‘nother ball game, but that is not what happened.

I'm sorry to hear about your mare and I hope she heals quickly.

Unfortunately the above is all that can be said.

My friend was the victim of a neighbor's stallion which came over the fence, kicked her mare, had ahold of a pony, and threatened my friend's husband who tried to run him off. Mare later died from the kick, which had caused an internal rupture. Neighbor denied everything, and even continued to let her stallion out on the shared dead end rural road sides to graze - loose, she had grazed her own pastures down to nothing. Lawsuit in this case got nowhere, as neighbor is psychotic, got a restraining order against my friend's family, claimed threats, etc., and has a deep pocket family.

Law in my state says it is your responsibility to erect a suitable fence to protect your land and stock. Law here also says a loose stallion threatening your family and animals is NOT A DANGEROUS ANIMAL, as a dog doing the same thing would be classified.

[BuddyRoo]

Wow. I'm surprised she even bothered apologizing.

Your horse was on your side of the fence. Her horse was on her side of the fence. You have unsafe fencing and your horse got hurt.

I fail to see how it's the neighbor's responsibility in any way shape or form. Aside from quarantine issues, I fail to see how the fact that they could touch noses over the fence gap is even relevant to this situation?

Why don't you have hot tape on YOUR side?

If you showed up on my porch with this attitude, I'd kindly ask you to leave and then file you away in my head as the crazy horse lady.

[littleum]

Wow. I'm surprised she even bothered apologizing.

Your horse was on your side of the fence. Her horse was on her side of the fence. You have unsafe fencing and your horse got hurt.

I fail to see how it's the neighbor's responsibility in any way shape or form. Aside from quarantine issues, I fail to see how the fact that they could touch noses over the fence gap is even relevant to this situation?

Why don't you have hot tape on YOUR side?

If you showed up on my porch with this attitude, I'd kindly ask you to leave and then file you away in my head as the crazy horse lady.


This.

Reread it.

[Equilibrium]

Well, maybe it's me, but I would always be considerate of my neighbors if I had a stallion on the place. And mostly because I had a stallion.

Not everybody can afford post and rail fencing. 40 acres of fencing on the place we are cost 120,000 euros. Having said that, I've seen horrific accidents with post and rail fencing. And what if she did have this type of fencing and mare still decided to kick, what damage then? Because chances are she would have still tried to kick no matter what fencing. Still going to have serious damage no matter what fencing.

I just really don't like people blaming the type of fencing for the problem. Any flippin' type of fencing can injure a horse. A simple phone call to Ifwisheswerehorses probably would have made her move her mare. And if the lady has 10 other paddocks chances are she's putting this rank colt/stallion as far away from her other horses as possible because from the sound of it he seems a bit of a handful. It sounds like a situation of well my horses are fine and safe, screw anybody else.

We have another farm which borders our property and shared fencelines. It is post and rail with a small hedge dividing the 2, but if I was to get a stallion (which isn't going to happen) I would have the common decencey to let the other farm know or do my best to keep stallion away from the other property. Is it not the neighborly thing to do!

When I lived in Tipp a few years ago I rode a showjumping stallion for a guy. The horse only got out in a small sand arena for 20 mins a day when I didn't ride him. We lived at the top of a mountain with no near horses or neighbors. I had a 3 acre field bordered by ditches/drains/and proper fencing. And to get out of the field you had to walk through a gulley. At top of the gulley was a gate so it was a 6ft jump onto the road. So I said we'd take him for a few weeks to give him some R&R. He had a gelding buddy to be company with and it was going splendidly. Until ----- a man of about 70 came up the lonely road on a pony bareback with 5 other ponies following him. Another man of about 80 was in the car following. Never had I seen these people or ponies anywhere near the place before. Well that stallion took off, jumped a big ditch/ drain/fence, galloped up the gulley and cleared the 6ft gate with ease onto the road. It was a scary sitation that turned out alright thank God! Charlie had to go back home that day.

At any rate, just some common curteousy in this day and age would be nice. Wishes, I hope your mare heals without too much bother.

Terri

[Heinz 57]

Please don't tell me I shouldnt have wire fences, we have them here, its never been an issue, and the wire on my side is hot/electric so the usually stay well away - until now.




Reading comprehension, people. HER fence is hot. Her neighbors WAS NOT (although it sounds like it will be now!).

I'm with the rest, though - its unfortunate, but I doubt you would be able to prove that your neighbor was somehow negligent unless her stallion actually escaped and harassed your mare, which he didn't.

[county]

I agree with Buddy Roo.

[smokygirl]

She doesn't have to call and tell you if she puts any animals in her pastures on her property. If you don't want them touching (and it appears you knew they could), then it's your responsibility to move your mare. The stallion didn't injure your mare. The neighbor didn't injure your mare. Your mare injured herself. Her fault. That makes all the bills her (aka your) responsibility.

The ram however, you can have a beef about (or is it a mutton about), and insist she confine the horny old goat.. err.. sheep.

[Fairview Horse Center]

I would be thankful that I had a nice enough neighbor to understand my concerns, and help me in the future. Asking her to pay the bill is out of line, and may turn that nice willing to try to be cooperative neighbor, into a "the heck with you" one.

[BCLINGER]

IFWISHESWEREHORSES: It's not enough to just tell you you're out of line asking your neighbor to pay the vet bill for some people here. You must be publicly flogged so I can smugly demonstrate how superior I am to you.

By the way, you really are out of line asking her to pay, but I don't feel better than you because of that fact. At least not yet.

Get ready for the pig pile.

[BuddyRoo]

My apologies on missing that the wire was hot on her side...but I still fail to see how it's the neighbor's fault.

I think the apology that was received was already more than gracious if the OP took the attitude with neighbor as was taken here.

[joiedevie99]

I would be thankful that I had a nice enough neighbor to understand my concerns, and help me in the future. Asking her to pay the bill is out of line, and may turn that nice willing to try to be cooperative neighbor, into a "the heck with you" one.

Ditto. I'd keep the neighbor friendly and not go over there making unreasonable demands- which yours are.

[LAZ]

I don't think the neighbor is responsible for your vet bill either, but I'm posting to say that I had good results with a very slow healing wound on my colts leg using Platelet Enriched Plasma.

If the wound is very slow healing you might do some research into the product and see if you have it accessible in your end of the world.

[Lady Counselor]

Just wanted to say that she's a beautiful girl. As ugly as that wound is, I have seen comparably nasty ones heal up really well. Takes time and work.
Sorry that happened to you. It's always the nice horses that get hurt like that.

[Penthilisea]

You can sure ASK her to contribute to the vet bills, but legally you haven't got a leg to stand on. It is a shame, your mare is lovely. Live and learn.

[greysandbays]

So what I can imagine has happened is that my mare has not taken well to his advances over the fenceline, and has turned and double barrelled him, but of course there is wire on the fences there and she's now ripped her leg to shreds (found bits of her on the wire so know where it happened). Please don't tell me I shouldnt have wire fences, we have them here, its never been an issue, and the wire on my side is hot/electric so the usually stay well away - until now.

Unless you actually saw what happened, what you "imagine" isn't worth spit. For all you know, the mare could have laid down/rolled over too close to the fence and hung up in it when she tried to get up. Or she could have been on a "buck 'n' fart spree" and didn't remember to consider the fence.

After all, it's not like OTTB's are known for their common sense. (That's just a little dig because you thought it was so important to get all offended over what you think is the fugliness of the stallion when his quality or lack thereof, even if it WAS his/his owner's fault, is totally irrelevent to the situation. If it had been Man O' War himself, your mare's leg wouldn't be any less shredded.)

[Equibrit]

How come you didn't move the mare when you knew there would be a problem?

[IfWishesWereHorses]

Thanks again guys. I don't agree, but hey, thats what this board is all aboutright?
I started to do another long post but decided whats the point.

I guess I react differently and had my actions caused an accident to one of her horses I"d be over there lickity spit to help rectify things. To expect the same from other people is unrealistic.

My fences are hot and excellent quality. Hers are not (hence losing many sheep, horses, ram [btw he smashes through anything to get out, anyone with suggestions on keeping away please chime in] and probably the stallion sooner or later).

I did not go over and yell and swear and scream. I went over in utter frustration and pleaded with her as to why didn't she RING me first esp when she knows that her stallion is a loaded gun waiting to go off. I didn't yell, scream, abuse. Thats not my style.

Thanks. OVer and out.

[cloudyandcallie]

I hate to say it, but your neighbor can do what-ever they like with their own horse on their own property. I am not a fan of wire fence. Move your mare to a safer area and put your fence up so that she can not reach across and touch noses with the stallion. I'm guessing your neighbor might laugh when you ask them to pay even part of the vet bills. Your horse was injured on your property, by your fence, because she kicked out. If the stallion had gotten loose on your property, that would be a whole ‘nother ball game, but that is not what happened.

I'm sorry to hear about your mare and I hope she heals quickly.

I agree. It's the same as having a vicious dog that runs a fenceline and
"causes" a horse to run and be injured. As long as the stud was on the neighbor's property and didn't jump your fence, you probably have no cause of action. I hope your mare recovers with soundness and no scarring.

[mkevent]

I fully understand your frustration as I have posted here about my neighbors! I think some people really don't realize what they're doing is rude, or dangerous, or whatever-oftentimes, they just don't think! I've had my horse injured because of a spooky shed moved to the edge of my property line. My horses were in the back pasture(behind a treeline),shed was moved to fenceline, horses ran up for lunch and my two year old ran right into the fence because he was busy spooking at a shed that wasn't there that morning! I really wanted to blame my neighbors and was quite angry for a few days, but it really wasn't their fault and since they aren't horse people, they couldn't begin to comprehend why it would have been a problem. Now they have a bunch of spooky things on the side of their house next to my riding ring and I've just resigned myself to laugh at the newest additions. I know they are good people so I've done what I've needed to protect myself and my horses and be appreciative that they do watch out for us as we watch out for them. I have another neighbor with a stallion that got loose(yet another posting on here!) and I did get upset with her because she of all people should have known better! She apologized for me having to catch her stallion twice and even gave me a gift certificate to a local tack shop! I've try to stay sane by realizing that I have no control over what's on the other side of my property lines and although it can be frustrating, it could also be a lot worse,too! None of my neighbors are psycho or revengeful and I consider that a blessing! I know it's hard, but I think the fact that at least your neighbor apologized is a good thing. Maybe you could plant a dense (nonpoisonous) hedgerow between the two properties or run a strand of hot wire high along the top of the fenceline? My mare is a double barrelled kicker,too and I have lots of hotwire between her paddock and the aggressive gelding her paddock is next to. I'm really sorry that your mare got injured and I hope for a speedy recovery but I wouldn't send your neighbor the bill. I think in the long run it will make your life a lot more complicated.

[avezan]

I agree with the majority that the vet bills are your responsibility. I would also try to keep up friendly relations with the neighbor. It was nice of her to apologize. I'm not sure I totally understand what happened, since your fence is hot. I'm not sure that if her fence were hot that anything would have been prevented. I also think it could have happened with any 2 horses and was not caused by the fact that the neighbor's was a stallion. it sucks. Horses will be horses and find ways to injure themselves!

Now, I have a neighbor stallion story. When I bought my place, the neighbor had 7 horses and one was a stallion. All were turned out together (the others were all geldings). They assured me that the stallion was very well behaved and acted like a gelding. Well...yes....around geldings! I brought 4 mares and a gelding to live next door. After hot wiring everything in site, I finally let my horses in the adjoining pasture. And guess what? Stallion hopped the fence and joined my girls. Neighbor got a knock on the door at 1 in the morning asking for help securing the stallion. 2 days later, it was a phone call (I got their phone number in the mean time!) and neighbor husband was REALLY not happy to be dragged out of bed a second time. They moved the stallion to a non-adjoining pasture and tried to sell him. Their horses are all lawn ornaments. They didn't want to geld him because that would be mean. (or some other such reason, I can't remember now) Poor stallion was miserable by himself. They did finally do the deed and he is a happy gelding lawn ornament now. Luckily, no horses were harmed or impregnated during any of these antics. Neighbor and I are on good terms although we have so little in common, we rarely see each other. But the moral of the story is, stay on good terms with your neighbors if at all possible!!

Good luck. Sorry about your mare's leg.

[katarine]

I plan to take her my vet bills and request at least part payment. WWYD? Do you think that it is fair that I ask her to pay vet bill? I have approx 6 months of bandaging etc ahead of me, not to mention any other vet expenses!

WWID? Well, I wouldn't dream of asking her to cover any part of my vet bills. He didn't escape his paddock and directly injure the mare. He farted and snorted and stomped and peed and ran around...and she got wound up and wound up hurting herself. Those are your bills to pay.

The most you might reasonably do is to call her and tell her what happened, and (assuming that your mare's lot is the only place she can be turned out) ask if it would be a burden on her to NOT turn him out there again, given his studdiness + her pissiness. Turn anyone else out there, fine, but him. She's well within her rights to say no, of course.

Look I understand you are angry but she didn't do anything wrong.

[lizathenag]

shoot the ram next time and see if it makes you feel better. . .
(don't forget the next two Ss)(shovel and silence)

[Beasmom]

OP, ask yourself how you'd feel if the shoe were on the other foot. What if your mare had done the Dance of the Seven Veils, drove the stallion into such a passion that HE got hung up in the fence, causing injury and vet expense? Would YOU be willing to pay the vet bills? It's a two-way street, IMO.

Rams and buck goats are hard to deter when "romance' is in the air. Can you lock your ewe in a stall till breeding season passes?

[x-rab]

Sounds like the ram could use an accidental gelding the next time he comes roaming. Do they sell chasity belts for sheep like the ones for dogs in heat? One of those would cool his jets also.

[Doodlebug1]

Please do something to make this safer before your mare comes in season! It sounds like this accident happened before the stallion had serious incentive.

I know it's not 'fair' to have to move your horse - but to save yourself some serious vets bills and a potential baby, please do not let this situation carry on!

[Milocalwinnings]

Unless I misread something, I gathered from your post that you knew the stallion was in the bordering pasture before your mare was injured.
Why exactly did you not move your mare to another pasture? You seem to have realized before she was injured that he was displaying behavior that could be problematic for your mare. I think that you are at least partly at fault for continuing to pasture your mare next to him.

I would not expect the stallion's owner to pay the vet bills. She has every right to turn him out on her property. Sure, it would have been nicer if she let you know first, or chose another pasture away from your mare. But it's your property, and again, unless I misread, you knew before the injury occured that her stallion was along the same fenceline as your mare, yet you continued to leave her there. It was only a matter of time before *something* happened.

[Go Fish]

First off, the OP lives in NZ. Don't assume that liability is assessed the same in NZ as it is in the US.

Secondly, did the stallion encroach over your property line to harrass your mare?

[Amwrider]

You may be facing a few months of bandaging, but threatening the neighbor with paying the bill can give you a lifetime of misery. I think having a bad neighbor is one of the worst miseries a horseperson can go through. Your horse, your fence, your bill.

[Secretariat2]

One thing that comes to mind is why is it the stallion that is always blamed? What if the mare came into heat and was peeing and squealing and getting the stallion into a situation where he injured himself on the fence? I had a mare get loose on my property recently (in the winter and she was not in heat) and she immediately ran across the yard to the stallion's field and flirted outragiously with the poor boy. He stayed on his side of the 3 board fence, but he was sorely provoked by the time I was able to catch the naughty mare and put her back in her field. Mares can be every bit as aggressive as a stallion. It sounds as though the injury didn't happen right away. I would have moved the mare if I felt she would be at risk. I have mares who "show" to geldings and act silly, especially if the fellow is "new" to the area.

[Wigwag]

I can't believe you think someone else should pay for something your horse did to herself on your property. The stallion didn't do anything. Your mare is the one who kicked out at him. Your fence is the one your mare got hung up in. You may not want to hear it (as you stated), but if you choose to have known dangerous fencing then you have to accept the risks that come with it.

I'm just so completely and totally shocked that I couldn't not reply. wow

[Guilherme]

Run a hot wire a couple of feet out from the fence in the mare's paddock and she'll stay off the fence (and largely out of trouble).

The idea of the stallion or mare being "at fault" is absurd. They were both following serveral million years of evolutionary imperative. Darwin remains right.

The stallion owner is not liable for anything except maybe being stupid. The mare owner bears her own loss even though she has done nothing wrong.

Horses hurt themselves all the time 'cause they're horses.

G.

[tkhawk]

It appears you have a load of issues with this neighbour and this issue just tipped it over. I agree with the others-she can keep an elephant in her property-as long as it is within the rules and stays there. Best to fix the other issues on which you have ground and not go after this.

[dkcbr]

I wonder, if the other horse had been a gelding or another mare instead of a stallion and the exact same scenario unfolded, would you still think the owner should pay half of your horse's vet bill?

[Schune]

Honestly, if the stallion had been a mare, gelding, paint, pinto, donkey, miniature pony, etc... this probably still would have happened. Horses are unpredictable at best, and they seem to like to find new and inventive ways to torment their owners.

If I was her, I would say I'm sorry your mare got hurt, but I'm not going to pay for any damages the mare did to herself. The stallion was not on your property and he did not physically injure the mare; she did to herself. A tree on the neighbor's property could have spooked her and caused her to lash out, creating the same injury. Going to demand the neighbor cut down that tree?

[2foals]

The same incident could have occurred with a gelding or another mare of your neighbor's. If you are worried about your horses socializing over the fence with your neighbor's horses, then you could also move your fence over so that it is inset about 10 or 12 feet from the property line to make a wider lane between the two pastures.

I have to agree with others, I don't think your neighbor bears any responsibility--your horse injured herself on your property with your fence. I think that you or anyone else should assume that your neighbors have the right to turn out whatever kind of horses they want in their fields and plan accordingly.

[Whisper]

Yeah, her horse didn't hurt yours, she hurt herself. I agree it would have been considerate of her to let you know first, but she isn't responsible for your vet bills, and asking her is likely to lead to much worse problems with her.

[MistyBlue]

What if your mare had done the Dance of the Seven Veils, drove the stallion into such a passion that HE got hung up in the fence,
Slightly off topic...but I got *such* a funny visual from this quote! :lol: :lol: :lol: Pretty much the exact scene from History of the World movie...where the concubine was doing the sexy dance trying to prove Gregory Hines wasn't a eunuch! :D But with a mare doing the dance along the fence line. :winkgrin: