Miniature horse moving into housing estate...

Pinkycharm · 28-10-2014 9:36pm #1

so recently bought a house a few months back in a lovely estate- havent moved in yet because we're doing it up...

A little note was dropped in the door today by one of the neighbours to say she has bought a miniature horse and that it will have free roam of their back garden and house. Note said not to be alarmed if we see her walking it around the estate or if it was ever in the front garden and it shouldn't be too noisy- about the same as a dog barking. I've no issue whatsoever with this- i think its actually quite cute but just wondering is it allowed under local authority etc? No doubt it will be on the list for Santy by a few more in years to come!

Gardens are massive by the way but i suppose because its only like 28 inches high would it be classed as being okay in a back yard of a housing estate.

It just made me wonder today.

what ever happened to the good old fashioned dog!

gozunda · 28-10-2014 9:43pm

Pinkycharm wrote: »

so recently bought a house a few months back in a lovely estate- havent moved in yet because we're doing it up...

A little note was dropped in the door today by one of the neighbours to say she has bought a miniature horse and that it will have free roam of their back garden and house. Note said not to be alarmed if we say her walking it around the estate or if it was ever in the front garden and it shouldn't be too noisy- about the same as a dog barking. I've no issue whatsoever with this- i think its actually quite cute but just wondering is it allowed under local authority etc? No doubt it will be on the list for Santy by a few more in years to come!

Gardens are massive by the way but i suppose because its only like 28 inches high would it be classed as being okay in a back yard of a housing estate.

It just made me wonder today.

what ever happened to the good old fashioned dog!

I believe even a miniature horse would fall under urban regulations on keeping horses (check you local authority website for specifics). I also would have serious concerns about the safety of the animal left wandering around an open housing estate. A horse will pretty much scratch it's *rse on anything, eat plants and poop as it goes (paths, roadway etc). There have been several incidents of kids etc torturing foals and horses that left to wander freely. Not a good idea for the horse as far as I'm concerned.

Ken. · 28-10-2014 9:50pm

I'd be worried about manure collection and storage. It smells awful and for some weird reason the smaller the horse the more they sh!t.

Pinkycharm · 28-10-2014 9:51pm

gozunda wrote: »

I believe even a miniature horse would fall under urban regulations on keeping horses (check you local authority website for specifics). I also would have serious concerns about the safety of the animal left wandering around an open housing estate. A horse will pretty much scratch it's *rse on anything, eat plants and poop as it goes (paths, roadway etc). There have been several incidents of kids etc torturing foals and horses that left to wander freely. Not a good idea for the horse as far as I'm concerned.

Thats what I was wondering with the local authority- i havent actually had a chance to talk to the neighbour so will try call down tomorrow- shes 4 houses away from me so wont make much difference to me noise and smell wise they'res a 6ft wall in back garden and 4ft at front with big gates so i'm not sure it would get out if it did. i wouldn't be worried too much about it being tortured by people in the estate- its a private estate with the majority are elderly and there are very few kids. HOWEVER i do agree that it just seems odd altogether to have one in the first place. they must have went seriously out of their way to research it and get one. Im sure they have to be licensed and micro-chipped like any other urban area normal sized horse

Pinkycharm · 28-10-2014 9:53pm

ken wrote: »

I'd be worried about manure collection and storage. It smells awful and for some weird reason the smaller the horse the more they sh!t.

haha that's one thing I'd be worried about- where are they going to get rid of it!

they are in their 50s so was thinking today it could just be a mid life thing they are having!

handlemaster · 28-10-2014 9:53pm

I think small horses are more vicious also.

gozunda · 28-10-2014 9:55pm

Pinkycharm wrote: »

Thats what I was wondering with the local authority- i havent actually had a chance to talk to the neighbour so will try call down tomorrow- shes 4 houses away from me so wont make much difference to me noise and smell wise they'res a 6ft wall in back garden and 4ft at front with big gates so i'm not sure it would get out if it did. i wouldn't be worried too much about it being tortured by people in the estate- its a private estate with the majority are elderly and there are very few kids. HOWEVER i do agree that it just seems odd altogether to have one in the first place. they must have went seriously out of their way to research it and get one. Im sure they have to be licensed and micro-chipped like any other urban area normal sized horse

Horses must have passports and chipped under present regulations. Horses kept in urban control areas must be registered with the LA afaik. I agree that one horse sby itself is an odd setup. I presume they wil have a small shed and someway of getting rid of the manure? Very odd what people get up to

More about control areas here

http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/environment/animal_welfare_and_control/control_of_horses.html

foggy_lad · 28-10-2014 9:57pm

will the horse be properly........Ah nevermind all that, horses in housing estates are a seriously bad idea and should not be permitted. They don't have the space for this animal unless they have about an acre of a garden and they also need to have insurance in case it kicks any child in the estate or damages property. I would contact the council and any estate management company to express my disapproval of this hair-brained idea.

Pinkycharm · 28-10-2014 10:01pm

thanks everyone!! really appreciate it!! I'll definitely be putting my 2 cents forward in relation to it anyways! But if its all above board I suppose there's nothing much I can do if I'm the only one expressing concerns.

Pinkycharm · 28-10-2014 10:03pm

foggy_lad wrote: »

will the horse be properly........Ah nevermind all that, horses in housing estates are a seriously bad idea and should not be permitted. They don't have the space for this animal unless they have about an acre of a garden and they also need to have insurance in case it kicks any child in the estate or damages property. I would contact the council and any estate management company to express my disapproval of this hair-brained idea.

Garden wouldnt be an acre but would be close enough to it! The garden they have is angled, they have a cornered site so it wraps around their house at the side, i think thats where the "don't be worried if you see it in the front garden" comes in. I agree with insurance- i'll asking if they have that definitely!

Ken. · 28-10-2014 10:21pm

On the plus side for horse manure it is a great fertilizer for flowers. My grandfather use to get horse manure from a neighbour and put it on his roses and they had flowers as big as your head.

Pretzill · 28-10-2014 10:22pm

I live rural and a lot of the neighbours keep horses but then they have land, paddocks, stables etc; The horse dung on the road can be a pain but collected for the garden it makes great manure.

Having said that a horse whether minature or not should have at least an acre, good shelter and a companion. It would probably take less than a week to turn a garden into a quagmire this time of the year - and they'd need passports etc as well as supplementary feed, water source, hay. Not the typical animal for a suburban setting - totally out of context in my opinion.

Pinkycharm · 28-10-2014 10:28pm

Pretzill wrote: »

I live rural and a lot of the neighbours keep horses but then they have land, paddocks, stables etc; The horse dung on the road can be a pain but collected for the garden it makes great manure.

Having said that a horse whether minature or not should have at least an acre, good shelter and a companion. It would probably take less than a week to turn a garden into a quagmire this time of the year - and they'd need passports etc as well as supplementary feed, water source, hay. Not the typical animal for a suburban setting - totally out of context in my opinion.

that's why I think its some sort of crisis for them! Anyways I'll have a word with a few of the neighbours tomorrow and gauge what they think. I can think of one that definitely wont be happy because she nearly killed me for clearing my garden of trees (just because the previous owner had spent loads planting them).

I can see this place being awkward!

L1011 · 28-10-2014 10:41pm

Miniature horses have a purposes as service animals in some cases - they can do the job of a guide dog and they live a lot longer than guide dog breeds; but I'd seriously question the need for and safety of a randomer having one in a housing estate. Sounds like a brief whim they'll regret with potentially nasty results (poorly treated horse in a back garden)

Odelay · 28-10-2014 10:51pm

Pinkycharm wrote: »

so recently bought a house a few months back in a lovely estate- havent moved in yet because we're doing it up...

A little note was dropped in the door today by one of the neighbours to say she has bought a miniature horse and that it will have free roam of their back garden and house. Note said not to be alarmed if we see her walking it around the estate or if it was ever in the front garden and it shouldn't be too noisy- about the same as a dog barking. I've no issue whatsoever with this- i think its actually quite cute but just wondering is it allowed under local authority etc? No doubt it will be on the list for Santy by a few more in years to come!

Gardens are massive by the way but i suppose because its only like 28 inches high would it be classed as being okay in a back yard of a housing estate.

It just made me wonder today.

what ever happened to the good old fashioned dog!

Free roam of garden and house! they haven't a notion what they are at. Feck sake, you want a horse do it properly and keep it with company with another horse on decent land or pay the bucks for a livery. Very hard to find a horse that will live alone.
Btw, I suspect they are getting a Shetland type and not a miniature, miniatures are not easily kept.

foggy_lad · 28-10-2014 11:05pm

Pinkycharm wrote: »

Garden wouldnt be an acre but would be close enough to it! The garden they have is angled, they have a cornered site so it wraps around their house at the side, i think thats where the "don't be worried if you see it in the front garden" comes in. I agree with insurance- i'll asking if they have that definitely!

Insurance won't bring a child out of a coma after a kick in the head from a small horse, these are not like large dogs or cuddly little My Little Pony yokes, They are large heavy and incredibly strong animals that can crush a child against a wall or gate or cripple a child by standing on its foot and then there is the danger if it gets spooked and runs amok.

It will also lower the value of your property having livestock kept so close.

Pinkycharm · 28-10-2014 11:20pm

foggy_lad wrote: »

Insurance won't bring a child out of a coma after a kick in the head from a small horse, these are not like large dogs or cuddly little My Little Pony yokes, They are large heavy and incredibly strong animals that can crush a child against a wall or gate or cripple a child by standing on its foot and then there is the danger if it gets spooked and runs amok.

It will also lower the value of your property having livestock kept so close.

Oh I'm definitely objecting to it no matter what- I don't think its the right place for a pony no matter what size it is- and after paying what I did for the house they can feck off!!

rasgav · 29-10-2014 9:28am

Pinkycharm wrote: »

I've no issue whatsoever with this

Pinkycharm wrote: »

Oh I'm definitely objecting to it no matter what

These people are going to be your neighbours for the foreseeable future. I suggest thinking long and hard before deciding on your approach.

mrsbyrne · 29-10-2014 9:54am

Your local vet or animal welfare group should be able to advise. I think it's incredibly selfish pretentious and self indulgent. She knows perfectly well that her neighbors are going to be annoyed and she seeks to somehow cover herself by warning you in advance. Bloody cheek. What's to stop you from getting a goat or a sheep?

mrbrianj · 29-10-2014 10:34am

If they did not warn you of their intentions - would you have noticed or would it have effected you in any way?

Its like neighbours building an extension- the "what if's" are worse than the final product usually. But I would draw the line at it wondering into my garden or manure outside my house.

On the other hand, you bought the house and have not yet moved in - maybe its the residents committee winding you up!

foggy_lad · 29-10-2014 10:41am

mrbrianj wrote: »

If they did not warn you of their intentions - would you have noticed or would it have effected you in any way?

Its like neighbours building an extension- the "what if's" are worse than the final product usually. But I would draw the line at it wondering into my garden or manure outside my house.

On the other hand, you bought the house and have not yet moved in - maybe its the residents committee winding you up!

The sort of people whom would get and keep a pony in such an inappropriate setting are not really great neighbours anyway in my opinion and will likely not be too concerned when it starts roamingnthe neighbourhood for food.

_Brian · 29-10-2014 10:48am

If you never intend selling your house then it makes no difference.

However in a few years if you intend to sell you'll find that having a horse in a residential garden four doors up will be a problem.

Personally if I went to look at a house and saw the neighbours were keeping horses in the garden, straight away I'd be thinking this is a rough place, maybe settled travellers, no thanks !!

Pinkycharm · 29-10-2014 12:38pm

So went out and had a chat with them this morning- they are toying with the possibility but waiting for approval from the management in the estate.

Its going to be a therapy horse for the local nursing homes- their son has land down the road from the estate so they are thinking of putting it there but don't want it to be alone so they were going to build a shed and bring it up every night.

They used to have a therapy dog but he died last year so I guess they are upgrading!

A few of the neighbours were out and about and have said no already so I doubt anything will come of it.

Stheno · 29-10-2014 12:41pm

Pinkycharm wrote: »

So went out and had a chat with them this morning- they are toying with the possibility but waiting for approval from the management in the estate.

Its going to be a therapy horse for the local nursing homes- their son has land down the road from the estate so they are thinking of putting it there but don't want it to be alone so they were going to build a shed and bring it up every night.

They used to have a therapy dog but he died last year so I guess they are upgrading!

A few of the neighbours were out and about and have said no already so I doubt anything will come of it.

Therapy horse?

Dubl07 · 29-10-2014 12:45pm

Stheno wrote: »

Therapy horse?

It's not as harebrained as it sounds. I've been following Gentle Carousel Miniature Therapy Horses for a long time now and they seem to do great work. Horses are smart animals.

Pretzill · 29-10-2014 12:49pm

Dubl07 wrote: »

It's not as harebrained as it sounds. I've been following Gentle Carousel Miniature Therapy Horses for a long time now and they seem to do great work. Horses are smart animals.

Yeah I've heard of these little guys being used to help people before - they are tiny for a horse but I would still imagine they'd need some equine company - but it sounds like their heart is in the right place so I can think of worse neighbours (emphasis on the Neigh!)

indigo twist · 29-10-2014 1:01pm

Pinkycharm wrote: »

So went out and had a chat with them this morning- they are toying with the possibility but waiting for approval from the management in the estate.

Its going to be a therapy horse for the local nursing homes- their son has land down the road from the estate so they are thinking of putting it there but don't want it to be alone so they were going to build a shed and bring it up every night.

They used to have a therapy dog but he died last year so I guess they are upgrading!

A few of the neighbours were out and about and have said no already so I doubt anything will come of it.

Well, they seem to have the right intentions, and it was decent of them to inform neighbours and seek opinions and reactions before going ahead with it. And I could see how interaction with an animal could certainly be therapeutic for the nursing home residents.

That actually seems really sweet of the owners, that they don't want to leave the horse all alone every night.

Seeing as it will (by the sounds of it) have plenty of land to roam on during the day, and will be well looked after, personally I don't think I'd raise an objection.

runawaybishop · 29-10-2014 3:18pm

foggy_lad wrote: »

Insurance won't bring a child out of a coma after a kick in the head from a small horse, these are not like large dogs or cuddly little My Little Pony yokes, They are large heavy and incredibly strong animals that can crush a child against a wall or gate or cripple a child by standing on its foot and then there is the danger if it gets spooked and runs amok.

It will also lower the value of your property having livestock kept so close.

What are you on about? They are not large incredibly strong animals and require no insurance.

Grolschevik · 29-10-2014 3:34pm

runawaybishop wrote: »

What are you on about? They are not large incredibly strong animals and require no insurance.

You see, it's gone from "miniature horse" to "Shetland pony" to "pony" to "small horse" to "livestock" in the collective imagination...

pwurple · 29-10-2014 3:47pm

Pinkycharm wrote: »

Its going to be a therapy horse for the local nursing homes- their son has land down the road from the estate so they are thinking of putting it there but don't want it to be alone so they were going to build a shed and bring it up every night.

How is the horse going to not be alone in a shed in a housing estate? Are they going to sleep in the shed with it, or are they getting multiple horses to go with it? And how is it going to be transported every day? Small horses can't be ridden, so is it being herded, or stuffed into the back seat of a car, or are they getting a miniture horsebox to go with it?

Sounds completely hair-brained to me.

Yet another mistreated pet will be appearing shortly when it becomes extremely inconvenient. Why on earth people exploit animals like this is beyond me.

runawaybishop · 29-10-2014 3:49pm

pwurple wrote: »

How is the horse going to not be alone in a shed in a housing estate? Are they going to sleep in the shed with it, or are they getting multiple horses to go with it? And how is it going to be transported every day? Small horses can't be ridden, so is it being herded, or stuffed into the back seat of a car, or are they getting a miniture horsebox to go with it?

Sounds completely hair-brained to me.

Yet another mistreated pet will be appearing shortly when it becomes extremely inconvenient. Why on earth people exploit animals like this is beyond me.

The horse will be absolutely fine sleeping alone in a shed at night. Why are you assuming they will not have adequate transport arrangements?

Miniature horse moving into housing estate...

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