# The absolute nerve of some strangers.....



## WhattaTroublemaker (Aug 13, 2013)

So I'll warn you's all.. this is going to be an epic rant. I assume some of you had had some run ins with strangers or people who thought they were more horse savvy than you and thought they'd give you some advice that was well..... stupid to say the least. I REALLY hit a doozy today. 

To start, I have an almost two year old appy colt who does some strange things. His quirks are cute, to me. One of these things he will do is lay in the snow until it COMPLETELY covers him. He has a helluva thick winter coat so I don't think it bothers him, as well as access to two run in shelters. So in the middle of a snow storm I'll look out to see this horse shaped mound in the snow, and I'll have to go out and check on him and he'll stand up to greet me and shake it off and run and buck and fart and come for a good scratch. We have never blanketed our horses, they grow SUPER thick fuzzy winter coats and have never needed it. He never shivers or acts miserable and sometimes he does use the shelters. 

Anyway, we had a storm a couple days ago and they all took shelter except the colt. They got out the next day and had a BLAST plowing through the snow drifts. I went inside and next thing I know there's this furious banging on my door. Turns out, this lady WALKED up my unplowed 200 foot driveway to completely FREAK out at me for having my "babies" outside in this "weather" with no "coats" on. Meanwhile it was plus 3 and sunny, just deep snow. I didn't even know what to say. She went on about how I shouldn't own these "beautiful things that god created to be free" especially if I didn't take care of them "properly" and about how this "baby horse" had snow on his back.

Well needless to say I went completely off the deep end. I took her right out to my horses and made her rub them down and and physically feel their coats and then proceeded to tell her to get the heck off my property and never come back or there will be severe consequences. (okay I may have been a little more vulgar.) I escorted her down to her car and took a picture of her license plate and such in case she wanted to call the SPCA or the cops or comes snooping around again. 
Now guys did I over react or no? I really wanted to actually get physical with this lady who was SCREECHING in my face flapping her arms around and scaring my animals. Have you ever been subject to such stupidity in your life??


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## jamesqf (Oct 5, 2009)

WhattaTroublemaker said:


> Turns out, this lady WALKED up my unplowed 200 foot driveway to completely FREAK out at me for having my "babies" outside in this "weather" with no "coats" on. Meanwhile it was plus 3 and sunny, just deep snow. I didn't even know what to say. She went on about how I shouldn't own these "beautiful things that god created to be free" especially if I didn't take care of them "properly" and about how this "baby horse" had snow on his back.


Maybe she should visit my neck of the woods, look at the wild horses out in the hills, and go complain to her god about not putting 'coats' on them?


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## stevenson (Sep 12, 2011)

I would have escorted her off my property so fast she would not have known what happened.
I got turned into animal control for keeping my horses blindfolded all day long, and having socks on them in the summer when its to hot for socks. Fly mask and a leg wrap (that the Vet applied) I also turned in once for "raising" mexican fighting dogs. I still do not know what a Mexican fighting dog is, the dog was queensland x shepard x fence jumper x stray. And was neutered. Some people.


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## WhattaTroublemaker (Aug 13, 2013)

"blindfolded" :lol: :lol: That's probably the worst one I've herd yet! The most horrible part is the fact that we live in a small community so everyone knows each other and everyone knows people do what they need to do to get by. NO ONE knew who this lady was, as I showed her picture to some other horsey people in town.


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## Cordillera Cowboy (Jun 6, 2014)

There was a comedian named Jerry Clower who made a career of telling stories of growing up in rural Mississippi. One of them involved a community rat killing to rid the corn cribs of those pests. Once, on a live talk show appearance, he was berated by another guest for his cruelty in killing the rats. He replied: "Ma'am, I can see that you are a high society city woman. But it's obvious to me that you have been educated beyond your intelligence."

I've met a few folks like that. I've been retired from the Army for 20 years now, but sometimes ol' Sarge still makes an appearance. Civilians don't like ol' Sarge.


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## WhattaTroublemaker (Aug 13, 2013)

Also not me but a friend, she rescued this sad little standy who was skinny minny and had no ears due to frost bite. She had an animal control officer knock one day and ask to have coffee. He sat down and kind of laughed with us and told us how her neighbor called him and said she was "harvesting his ears" every year. He thought she was completely loony and just came down to tell us that her neighbors were total nut cases!


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## karliejaye (Nov 19, 2011)

We had folks come up to the barn during lessons and ask what the deal was blindfolding the pastured horses. Luckily we had a fly mask handy and they felt pretty foolish when they learnt it was just a mesh mask for the horse's comfort. I still laugh about that one.
I sincerely hope that woman learned a thing or two from you and minds her own business from now on. But that may be asking too much!


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## Textan49 (Feb 13, 2015)

At least you had the chance to give her a piece of your mind. I had a paint colt who loved to stretch out flat in the sun for a nap and would sometime snore. I came up to the barn one afternoon to find a very nasty note on the door about me leaving this sick and probably dying horse in the pasture unattended. If he was sleeping where he usually did, he would be hardly visible from the road so was this person trespassing on my property to begin with? This person was very lucky that they left before I got there


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## Textan49 (Feb 13, 2015)

Another time a woman came up to look at a horse I had for sale. I showed her the horse but she kept looking at the others (all the horses were out grazing) and asked about them. I identified them all including our TB stallion but told her that none of them were for sale but I would be happy to saddle the one that was for her. She looked me in the eye and said "Don't bother, I would never buy a horse from you, these horses are obviously all drugged to be so quiet, and that I should be reported " I told her it was time for her to leave


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## Red Gate Farm (Aug 28, 2011)

WhattaTroublemaker said:


> Anyway, we had a storm a couple days ago and they all took shelter except the colt. They got out the next day and had a BLAST plowing through the snow drifts. I went inside and next thing I know there's this furious banging on my door. Turns out, this lady WALKED up my unplowed 200 foot driveway to completely FREAK out at me for having my "babies" outside in this "weather" with no "coats" on. Meanwhile it was plus 3 and sunny, just deep snow. I didn't even know what to say. She went on about how I shouldn't own these "beautiful things that god created to be free" especially if I didn't take care of them "properly" and about how this "baby horse" had snow on his back.


And at this point you start video taping her, smiling, and tell her to please contine! This is going up on YouTube! :wink:


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## egrogan (Jun 1, 2011)

stevenson said:


> I would have escorted her off my property so fast she would not have known what happened.
> I got turned into animal control for keeping my horses blindfolded all day long, and having socks on them in the summer when its to hot for socks. Fly mask and a leg wrap (that the Vet applied)


I've heard the blindfolding thing before, but the "too hot for socks" one is new. :shock: And hysterical


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## DraftyAiresMum (Jun 1, 2011)

Not a horse incident (luckily the non-horsey people in my town know enough to know that they don't know anything and keep to themselves :lol: ), but I've had animal control called on me three times because apparently I'm not feeding my catahoula/BC/Aussie mix who is a hummingbird on crack when it comes to her metabolism. We free feed a good quality food, plus give wet food a few times a week and the dogs always get leftovers when we're done eating, yet you can still count her ribs when she lays down. She's not malnourished/underfed, it's just the way she's built. This last time, someone actually claimed we had abandoned our dogs at our new house and that they were starving, with no food or water in the yard. We had been moving in all day, but had run to the store to pick up some groceries and cleaning products. I got a text from my landlord saying that police were looking for us. We got back to the house and showed the officers that there was a full 2-gallon bucket of fresh water and two food dishes full of food on the back porch, protected from the elements, and that our dogs were fine. They shook their heads and laughed as they left.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## WhattaTroublemaker (Aug 13, 2013)

DraftyAiresMum said:


> Not a horse incident (luckily the non-horsey people in my town know enough to know that they don't know anything and keep to themselves :lol: ), but I've had animal control called on me three times because apparently I'm not feeding my catahoula/BC/Aussie mix who is a hummingbird on crack when it comes to her metabolism. We free feed a good quality food, plus give wet food a few times a week and the dogs always get leftovers when we're done eating, yet you can still count her ribs when she lays down. She's not malnourished/underfed, it's just the way she's built. This last time, someone actually claimed we had abandoned our dogs at our new house and that they were starving, with no food or water in the yard. We had been moving in all day, but had run to the store to pick up some groceries and cleaning products. I got a text from my landlord saying that police were looking for us. We got back to the house and showed the officers that there was a full 2-gallon bucket of fresh water and two food dishes full of food on the back porch, protected from the elements, and that our dogs were fine. They shook their heads and laughed as they left.
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


Oh do I ever hate people like that :evil: We have a shepherd that bit a family friend (who deserved it, mind you) we built this huge luxury run chain for him, so he didn't have to run free in the yard and risk having someone ignore the 'beware of dog' and the "don't tease the dog - he will bite" signs out front again. He gets plenty of exercise on the run, he has sand, woods grassy shade spots, even a few puddles, as well as a super luxury chicken coop turned dog house with more insulation than my own. _It even has windows. _ Some idiot called animal control because "he was tied to a big abandoned house on a three foot chain" the officer didn't even think he had the right address. It's kind of ridiculous because now there's a law about tying them over night. We have to lock him in the barn because he's not a house dog at ALL. He pants and pukes by the door when we bring him in and he cries sometimes in the barn :sad: People are going way too far with "humane solutions for problems. It's like when in horse terms, using a bit CAN be cruel in the wrong hands, but does that mean every bit is cruel, no. Should we ban bits because some people can be cruel? No.


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## Foxhunter (Feb 5, 2012)

One hot summer the RSPCA were called with a complaint that I had mares with babies that were so hungry they were eating the trees.

I had several brood mares with foals at foot and in the heat of the day they would congregate under the Ash trees that formed a copse by the road.

I had told a woman not to feed the horses as this caused shoving and pushing to try to get their share and the foals could easily have been hurt.

The man who ran the RSPCA horse centre about a mile down the road to tell me of the complaint. He said the only thing he could 'do' me with would be obesity. 

He couldn't really book me as three or four of their neglect cases were out in the same field for free!


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## jimmyp (Sep 5, 2013)

Oh lord..... the lady who runs the local shelter lives about a mile down the road. She showed up with a sheriff one day because my competitive bird dogs (run from horse 3-4 days a week for an hour) were too thin, and not properly fed. She proceeded to tell me that they were going to take my dogs, spay/neuter them all, and foster them out. She then proceeded to head out to my barn, to "inspect the horses". I stopped she and the sheriff, told them they would not be entering my barn, and if she ever came back she needed to bring a vet. At this point the sheriff escorted her away. 

they were back in 3hrs with a vet...... The good DR. Whom I had known since i was about 6, and who owns/raises bird dogs himself nearly laughed when she showed him my kennels. I also showed them my feed room with 200lbs of dog feed, and the barn with 1500 bales of hay.
He and the Sheriff, about wet themselves when I blew up on this woman and proceeded to tell her if she stepped on our farm again, I would have the shelter group in court and would take the building and turn it into a puppy mill......

Some folks haven't got a lick of sense.

Jim


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## Incitatus32 (Jan 5, 2013)

Round my parts she'd probably have been shot at on general principles of stupidity and trespassing. :lol: Round here we'd consider it a mercy shooting! 

I've been got a few times. Once a lady made an accusation that me and my BO were starving and beating horses. Turns out she saw the one hard keeping/sick horse on the property who was emaciated at the time and freaked out (although she had to have seen the other 20 fat, happy and healthy horses....) then she informed animal control that we were beating the horses. They came out and saw that the horses had some kick marks from each other and that the sound of 'whips hitting flesh' was me and a few of the other farm hands/kiddos beating each OTHER senseless with whips! :rofl: 

I've also had people call animal control on me for raising 'fighting dogs' (apparently the fact that both of my large dogs are chickens and loudmouths mean that they are bred to fight), and for starving my cats to death and leaving them outside. Turns out they seemed to forget that my cats are perfectly able to come in and outside whenever they please and are all slightly overweight and pudgy (save for one who is ancient and sickly).

Both times I was not nice about them accusing me without warrant. I told them exactly where to shove their bull crap. The animal control officer/cop now laughs and cringes every time he has to deal with me. He said that I can get hotter than a hornet and as patient as a viper with these idiots.


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## SteveDrider (Apr 20, 2014)

Most people are ignorant of the physiological nature of horses, I am often asked how my horses are dealing with the cold, I usually mention how they love the no biting flies part and rolling in the snow. If I explain how they are more like a deer than a human it is apt to sink in. I further explain that they get their inner heat from roughage, appreciate fresh air more than a stuffy barn, and on and on until they glaze over and we change the subject or they escape me. Although its hard, when you know you are right, try to educate the ignorant.


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## LadyDreamer (Jan 25, 2008)

Let them be free, dang it! Stop feeding them and turn them loose to run and frolic and sing songs with their other animal companions just like nature intended! You are a horrible person for confining these beautiful masterpieces in and forcing them into slavery. They have thoughts and feelings just like us. In fact they ARE us in different bodies. That's how it works! You monster! 

*cough*cough*
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Horseychick87 (Feb 5, 2014)

I've seen some of the shenanigans that the non-horsey and animal rights (not animal welfare, there is a difference) people get up to. At best irritating, at worst dangerous/ deadly.

It makes me want to put up a 8 foot tall privacy fence with electrified razor wire around the top, but then the people would be even more curious as to 'what am I hiding?'
Me, nope, not hiding anything, just trying to keep people out of my business and to stop asking why are the horses blindfolded (I've gotten this one too.) Or calling AC because they're laying down, or god forbid they don't have a blanket on in the winter! 
Or and yes I've been asked this. ' Why don't the horses have any food?' My response" Um, because they're on acres of lush grass? What do you want me to do, set up a table with a six course meal for them?" Apparently if horses don't have huge piles of hay in front of them they're being starved...Now I just have no trespassing signs and signs that warn that intruders/ trespassers will be shot.


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## Dreamcatcher Arabians (Nov 14, 2010)

Cordillera Cowboy said:


> There was a comedian named Jerry Clower who made a career of telling stories of growing up in rural Mississippi. One of them involved a community rat killing to rid the corn cribs of those pests. Once, on a live talk show appearance, he was berated by another guest for his cruelty in killing the rats. He replied: "Ma'am, I can see that you are a high society city woman. But it's obvious to me that you have been educated beyond your intelligence."
> 
> I've met a few folks like that. I've been retired from the Army for 20 years now, but sometimes ol' Sarge still makes an appearance. Civilians don't like ol' Sarge.


"Oh Lawd, Shoot this thang! Shoot up in here amongst us, one of us got to have some relief!"

"Marcel took out his chainsaw....."

"How many times have I told you to LICK that knife before you put it in the butter?"

Classic Jerry Clower! LOVE him. :lol:


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## dressagebelle (May 13, 2009)

Wow, the nerve of some people. I never had animal control called out on me before, but lets see, once when I first got my TB mare, and brought her to the stable, a couple people wanted to know what I was doing with "Jamie's" horse. My horse was taller and a bit more refined, but almost identical socks, and star, and same coloring to Jamie's horse. She and I had a good laugh about that one. It took a bit for people to realize they were two different horses. 

Same horse was extremely nervous with whips, and I worked on desensitizing her because I needed the extra little reminder when doing dressage, and she would sometimes "forget" what the leg meant. Well the first few times I carried the whip, if it even tickled her a little bit, she'd kick out, and get mighty upset. So of course people claimed I was smacking her as hard as I could, and that she had whip marks on her. Of course she didn't, and I wasn't even tapping her with the whip, just holding it, she just plain was nervous and over reactive. 

I also had a few people tell me I wasn't riding right. A trainer I had ruined her, and she started to be overall nutty, needing a good solid 5 minutes of bucking bronc bucking before every ride, under saddle, didn't make a darn bit of difference if I turned her out first. I really wanted to tell these people to by all means get on, and ride. She would have dumped them so fast. Of course I didn't want them to try and sue me for bodily injury because of their stupidity, and not believing my horse was just a nut case. Some people are seriously stupid, and it's almost impossible not to go off on them.


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## Blue (Sep 4, 2011)

Omg! In reading all these posts I'm laughing out loud at them. I realize I've been very lucky. Only had the law called on me once for limping horses. Turned out it was for a couple of horses in a pasture next door to me. Not my property, not my horses, "But officer while I have you on the phone, I'm tired of people using that old piece of property to turn horses out that they don't want to take care of anymore and I have to feed and water them." Yeah, that whole situation stopped real quick.

Got called because my GSDs' attacked a neighbor's dog. When the office got there I proceeded to tell him that the dog was out of its yard and came through *my* fence into *my* yard. What do you expect when you let your dogs run loose?
A neighbor lost her little dog, presumably to coyotes, but that was my fault too. I just hung up on that one.

But blindfolds?! Socks?! O my! :rofl::rofl:

And yet, there's starving mistreated animals out there. Where are these busy bodies then? Too afraid to get involved?:think:


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## Jessabel (Mar 19, 2009)

Man, am I glad our pasture isn't on a busy road. :lol:

I've had non-horsey friends ask some funny questions (mostly about the "blindfolds" lol), but I've never had certifiable lunatics walk up to me and start screaming. That lady belongs in a padded room.


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## boots (Jan 16, 2012)

I think you were pretty nice to show her the horse and attempt to teach her something.


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## gigem88 (May 10, 2011)

Sounds like you went easy on her!!!


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## clumsychelsea (Jul 9, 2014)

In the summer our barns horses are kept in a 40 acre pasture alongside the water, and there is a dirt road alongside it that leads to a really nice beach that people frequent when the weather is nice. It's also the dead end of a scenic drive so we get lots of non-horsey people around. You wouldn't believe the questions I've heard.

"Why are they all just standing around under the trees? Are they sick?"

Well, actually it's just hot, ma'am... 

"Can I go inside the field containing 20 horses with this massive bag of carrot slices even though I know nothing about them?"

Only if you have really good health insurance.

"I can't believe he showed us his... his... his THING! That is entirely inappropriate, you should go discipline him for being rude." 

Uh huh. 

"OMG he just kicked at another horse! He isn't safe to be around horses or people, he should be isolated!!"

So should you, apparently. 

Also the amount of people that ask to ride my horse when I have her out is astounding. One time someone asked if I would "take out that big horse with the white hairy feet!!" so they could take pictures with him. They got angry when I said no and that he wasn't even my horse. Sigh.


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## jamesqf (Oct 5, 2009)

LadyDreamer said:


> They have thoughts and feelings just like us. In fact they ARE us in different bodies. That's how it works!


Well, I won't say I entirely disagree with that. But I go out and cross-country ski in the wind & snow (at least when we have any around here :-(), hike all day in the mountains, have been known to spend an hour or so a day lifting heavy weights and contorting my body into odd postures - and that's just the stuff I do for fun! (We won't even talk about work.)


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## JCnGrace (Apr 28, 2013)

This is why I'm glad I don't live in the suburbs anymore.

Used to get frequent visits from AC because of busy bodies reporting things about my horse (he had a barrel that he loved to roll around his pasture so people always thought that it was his empty water supply...not) but the only time I really lost it was one day when I got home from work and had a note on the front door that they had my dog which they had picked up out of MY YARD. I only ranted and raved at the people working the desk a little but I did a lot of ranting and raving to the head honcho and told him if my dog got sick from being in their filthy, nasty a$$ place then AC would be getting the bills from my vet. I think I had steam coming out of my ears I was so mad.


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## stevenson (Sep 12, 2011)

some of these are hilarious. Yeah, i like the hey lady is your horse dead !


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## beau159 (Oct 4, 2010)

Wow. I would have kicked her off my property so fast, her bum would have been hurting for weeks. 

The nerve of some IDIOTS.


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## Blue (Sep 4, 2011)

JCnGrace, just curious. Why did they pick up your dog? Did someone complain? I always worry about mine. People don't like German Shepherds.


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## Roman (Jun 13, 2014)

Unfortunately I don't really have any stories but these are all funny! 

Except a few years ago when we had our Golden Retriever/Lab mix Norton, he was very old at the time like 11-12, when the UPS guy would come deliver the packages (or whoever is was), they'd throw several treats towards Norton and the dog just sat there doing nothing. Lol But you have to be careful I guess. R.I.P Norton.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## jimmyp (Sep 5, 2013)

Roman said:


> Unfortunately I don't really have any stories but these are all funny!
> 
> Except a few years ago when we had our Golden Retriever/Lab mix Norton, he was very old at the time like 11-12, when the UPS guy would come deliver the packages (or whoever is was), they'd throw several treats towards Norton and the dog just sat there doing nothing. Lol But you have to be careful I guess. R.I.P Norton.
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


Ive got 2 sarplaninacs, live stock guard dogs. I came home one day to find the fed ex guy sitting on the bumper of his truck eating his lunch. He had some how locked himself out of the front of his truck and every time he tried to get out of the back to walk around to his side door they would run him back in..... He had called my dad, (only other home in the state with my last name) who lives down the road, to call the beast off. 

When I go there he started to throw a fit (understandably) and I said,"heck the trash man would have sacrificed his lunch". needless to say I have to pick up all Fed Ex packages 2mi away at my dads house.

Jim


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## JCnGrace (Apr 28, 2013)

Blue said:


> JCnGrace, just curious. Why did they pick up your dog? Did someone complain? I always worry about mine. People don't like German Shepherds.


 No reason that I know of. Head honcho said sometimes his officers got lazy and picked up easy dogs to meet their quotas. When I asked him why those kind of officers weren't unemployed he didn't answer. I know she never got "arrested" again. LOL They didn't have a complaint listed and I can't imagine that would have come from any of my neighbors because they all loved her. She was an extremely smart, quiet and gentle dog. The little girls across the road would come over to play with her when I was out messing in the yard and the older couple next door would invite her over for petting sessions when they were sitting out enjoying the weather. She was german shepherd/collie and looked like a shepherd in her coloring with a collie build.


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## Blue (Sep 4, 2011)

jimmy, that's funny. We've had the same UPS driver for years. That happens in a rural area. I would meet him at the gate and he had cookies for each of the dogs. They loved him! One day he had a deliver and the gate was open. Figuring the dogs would be ok with him, he drove up the drive to the house and got out. No problem. Gave them their cookies. No problem. Walked up to the door to set the package down. No problem. When he turned to get back in his truck, all heck broke lose! I was at the other end of the house but heard the commotion and came running. One word and they were all down, but that poor driver refused to come up our drive after that.

Dogs can be different when their owner isn't around.:thumbsup:


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## CrossCountry (May 18, 2013)

I remember once I was at a horsemanship clinic and there was this gelding that let down his *cough**cough* thing, and the person leading the clinic yelled "make him put it away!" and then repeatedly hit it with the rope (hard) until he put it away. I was fuming and actually debated leaving the clinic (it was horrible) but I paid for it so I stayed. I don't know I thought it was weird.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Roman (Jun 13, 2014)

jimmyp said:


> Ive got 2 sarplaninacs, live stock guard dogs. I came home one day to find the fed ex guy sitting on the bumper of his truck eating his lunch. He had some how locked himself out of the front of his truck and every time he tried to get out of the back to walk around to his side door they would run him back in..... He had called my dad, (only other home in the state with my last name) who lives down the road, to call the beast off.
> 
> When I go there he started to throw a fit (understandably) and I said,"heck the trash man would have sacrificed his lunch". needless to say I have to pick up all Fed Ex packages 2mi away at my dads house.
> 
> Jim


:rofl:


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## EncinitasM (Oct 5, 2014)

CrossCountry said:


> I remember once I was at a horsemanship clinic and there was this gelding that let down his *cough**cough* thing, and the person leading the clinic yelled "make him put it away!" and then repeatedly hit it with the rope (hard) until he put it away. I was fuming and actually debated leaving the clinic (it was horrible) but I paid for it so I stayed. I don't know I thought it was weird.
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


That bozo should be hit with a rope (hard) until they stop giving clinics.


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## jaydee (May 10, 2012)

You know there's this wonderful thing that humans can do - it's called 'Ignoring the stuff you don't want hear'
A lot less stressful!!!


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## mred (Jan 7, 2015)

And people wanted to know why I put my fence 60 feet from the highway and left the trees and brush between them. THEY CAN'T SEE MY HORSES. AND THE GATES ARE LOCKED!


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## WhattaTroublemaker (Aug 13, 2013)

Ugh I'm on a couple photog pages and since Easter is going around everyone (mostly mommas) are taking pictures with their kids and their animals such as chickens, horses etc. The amount of people who FREAK at this is amazing. Everyone's telling this woman about how a toddler on the news got its eye pecked out by some crazy ravenous chicken and how no one should ever use live animals in their pictures :lol: Same as a little girl holding her pony, the first comment had to be "she shouldn't be holding that dangerous animal! It could spook and run her over!" ️Smh


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## sarahfromsc (Sep 22, 2013)

These stories certainly make you wonder how society has lasted so long. They also make me want to laugh in bewilderment.


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## greenhaven (Jun 7, 2014)

DraftyAiresMum said:


> We got back to the house and showed the officers that there was a full 2-gallon bucket of fresh water and two food dishes full of food on the back porch, protected from the elements, and that our dogs were fine. They shook their heads and laughed as they left.
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


Personally, I think there should be repercussions against people who blatantly waste law enforcement's time. As someone else has said, there are enough real abuse/neglect cases to keep everyone busy for a lifetime, so 1. Every report needs to be answered unless LE knows the case and 2. Time and resources are a total waste following up on bogus calls.


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## NorthernMama (Mar 12, 2008)

Good job, OP! I would have LOVED to have been there for that.


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## DraftyAiresMum (Jun 1, 2011)

I've had someone claim that I was abusing my horse because I gave him a sharp slap on the flank when he tried to kick me as I was picking out his feet. She spread it all around the barn that I was abusive. When she said to me "I would NEVER hit my horse. It could hurt her." I went off on her. Got right up in her face and told her just how stupid she was. She wouldn't even brush her horse for fear of "hurting" her. This is also the same chick whose bat-crap crazy mare threw me, fractured my ankle, and then came after me while I lay dazed on the ground. My old BO saw me rip her a new one when she said that about not hitting her horse. He came over and congratulated me for doing what everyone had been wanting to do for a while. :lol:
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Cruiser (Aug 28, 2011)

I had the oddest thing happen to me. Bit of back story, a family got a pony for their daughter but no one knows anything about horses. The grandmother had the nerve to yell at me because I don't let anyone else ride my mare, and it was cruel not to let others ride her and not let her be used in a lesson program!

By the way I ride three-four times a week depending on weather, and I don't let other people ride because I pay for everything, I do all the work. And if I want to keep a well trained horse in my back yard and never ride her again, I'll do just that!

Oh the mother also was shocked when I said I'd never keep her had the place she keeps their pony(why would I when I have better trails, large arena, and huge fields and it's cheaper to keep her home) or let her be used in the program. She looked like I slapped her.


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## KigerQueen (Jun 16, 2013)

This is why i want to live on 30+ acres with 4+ acs of trees surrounding my property. people are nosey and stupid. My property will also be guarded by a russian bear hunting dog (caucasian shepherd) and a ****y cowboy with a shotgun.

A cuple of people where i board went after me for "removing my horses winter protection" by giving her a bib clip. Our "winters" are lows in the high 30s and highs in the 50s. while my mare is sweating in her overly thick winter coat. Now that we are already in the 90s and the horses are not even half shed out, my mare is quite happy.


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## DraftyAiresMum (Jun 1, 2011)

KigerQueen said:


> This is why i want to live on 30+ acres with 4+ acs of trees surrounding my property. people are nosey and stupid. My property will also be guarded by a russian bear hunting dog (caucasian shepherd) and a ****y cowboy with a shotgun.
> 
> A cuple of people where i board went after me for "removing my horses winter protection" by giving her a bib clip. Our "winters" are lows in the high 30s and highs in the 50s. while my mare is sweating in her overly thick winter coat. Now that we are already in the 90s and the horses are not even half shed out, my mare is quite happy.


Personally, I think anyone who blankets in Phoenix needs to be shot. :lol: Of course, being from up north, I laugh at people from the Valley and further south who think their winters are jacket-worthy. I have never worn anything heavier than a light hoodie in Phoenix or Tucson. lol


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## loveduffy (Dec 22, 2011)

some body should write these down and make a book  the non horse people


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## Blue (Sep 4, 2011)

DraftyAiresMum said:


> Personally, I think anyone who blankets in Phoenix needs to be shot. :lol: Of course, being from up north, I laugh at people from the Valley and further south who think their winters are jacket-worthy. I have never worn anything heavier than a light hoodie in Phoenix or Tucson. lol


Unless the wind blows. That wind in January can get chilly.


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## Red Gate Farm (Aug 28, 2011)

jaydee said:


> You know there's this wonderful thing that humans can do - it's called 'Ignoring the stuff you don't want hear'
> A lot less stressful!!!


Yeah, my husband knows how to do that! :wink:


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## Blue (Sep 4, 2011)

Red Gate Farm said:


> Yeah, my husband knows how to do that! :wink:


Mine too!


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## dressagebelle (May 13, 2009)

Horses are animals, and while yes you can teach male horses (geldings or stallions) to have manners, that poor horse had NO idea why he was being beat up. Poor guy. Now if he were trying to mount another horse than yes something needs to be done, but really all that for just letting it all hang out. If that offends the clinician, clearly he/she shouldn't be working around animals. 

I once had someone get all up in arms because I was riding a "lame" horse. My first horse had frequent bouts of lameness, but when I'd get the vet out, he was perfectly sound. So I finally had my vet tell me to keep using him like normal, he's either faking it, or there's something going on and I keep giving him a break so by the time the vet gets out there, he's feeling better. The vet wanted me to ride him until he was definitely lame, then he'd (the vet) come out that day and look at the horse. Mind you his "lameness" was just being a little off and sore, nothing crazy. Well I started riding him again, and even though he was just fine, and didn't have another problem with being sore after that, several people at the barn were all freaked that I was riding a "lame" horse, and that there's no way a vet would ever tell anyone to ride a horse until he was sore. I even told them to just call the vet and see what the vet said if they were that worried, and of course no one ever did. Some people are just too nosy where they shouldn't be, but then when there's a real reason to be nosy they leave well enough alone. I agree that if AC is called and there's not even an inkling of a reason someone should be concerned, the person calling AC should be fined, and then shown pictures of what IS a good reason to call AC. Maybe then they won't get repeat calls out to places that are perfectly fine because one person has an issue with another or something.


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## Textan49 (Feb 13, 2015)

I love these posts !

I was at a small rodeo sitting right in front of a young couple. The girl seemed to know nothing about rodeos or horses so the boy friend kept going on about how inhumane everything was and how all the poor animals were abused. I was really getting tired of him distracting everyone with his loud comments. The bareback bronc event came up and when the first horse and rider came out he started yelling "See that strap, it's tied around HIS genitals, that's what makes HIM buck. At that I turned around and said in a loud voice " That horse is a MARE and it's nowhere near HER genitals" There was some snickering from the other people around us but no more comments from the expert


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## dressagebelle (May 13, 2009)

I don't get all the people who get up in arms about the rodeo. Honestly most of the stuff they do at the rodeo is stuff that they do daily on a working ranch, and yet you don't see people picketing outside the farms, just the rodeos. I can't tell you the number of times I've heard people complain that the horses (or bulls) buck because the strap is touching sensitive things. They don't use horses that don't want to buck, and the strap is more a reminder to buck, and once it's off, their job is done. I've been behind the scenes at rodeos, and those animals are some of the most pampered animals around. And they are all sweet too boot. You can go up and pet the broncs, and the bulls, and they have no issues. If they were truly abused, they wouldn't want humans around them at all. 

Anyways, some people just really need to read a book before opening their mouths.


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## bkylem (Sep 21, 2013)

Red Gate Farm said:


> Yeah, my husband knows how to do that! :wink:



. . . As does my wife. Apparently it's not gender specific.


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## kiwi79 (Nov 11, 2011)

Someone commented on how 'cruel' it was that I have my horses on a track system and tease them with all the green grass that is out of their reach on the other side of the hot tape (they always have hay and get an hour a day on grass). Our place is fairly small but the track goes around the entire property and the horses are always on the move. They are also sleek and well muscled and do not have huge grass bellies like other horses around here. I pointed out the neighbours horse in a tiny square paddock over the fence and said I thought that looked like a much more boring life than mine have.


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## Palomine (Oct 30, 2010)

Well these are all very funny, at the same time each of us needs to realize that these nutjobs are in many cases the ones causing animal owners the most problems.

And today's funny story could tomorrow end up with these fools getting your animals seized too.

For instance. There is starting to be a serious push from these fools to provide a shelter for every cow in the fields? And for horses too.

While it has not gained momentum yet to a large extent, it is out there. And will gain ground, if people aren't aware of it.

To wit.

I worked at a TB breeding farm in AL. Owner had to tall shelters put up, maybe 20 by 16, only one side and to north.

There were two of these, easily something the broodmares in that pasture could all have fit under. Maybe 20 feet separated them, one behind the other.

How many horses do you think took advantage?

Come on...there were maybe 15 horses in that field...so give me a guess.

Oh come ON.

Fine...I will tell you since you won't play.

NONE. Unless you count the portion of ONE mare, from ears to muzzle. Only that part of head. Rest of body outside shelter. And the rest of the horses you ask?


Out in sun or rain completely. Why? Because the mare keep her face out of the elements, was the boss. And she was such a witch on wheels, that mere thoughts of hers, dictated what the others did.

And she THOUGHT..do NOT go under that shelter.

She would stand at one end, and every few minutes would pull her head out from under the front shelter, and lean over to make sure no one was under the other one either.

So they all stood and watched her.

And she owned them both.


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## WhattaTroublemaker (Aug 13, 2013)

Palomine said:


> Well these are all very funny, at the same time each of us needs to realize that these nutjobs are in many cases the ones causing animal owners the most problems.
> 
> And today's funny story could tomorrow end up with these fools getting your animals seized too.
> 
> ...


Same here! We have a stripped barn turned shelter with one entrance and our lead mare will stand in the door with her head poking in and that is HER shelter and no one else seems to mind. 
What's actually a huge thing around here is corrupt animal control along with the help of these nuts. We used to know a couple people who were HORRIBLE caretakers for spca horses. They would give these horses to him to "foster" and they would just never leave. A brother and sister ended up breeding probably ten years ago at one "foster home" and they've just been inbreeding since. If someone calls AC and they think "oh what nice horses" those horses will be seized. Then they send them to "foster" homes which are the homes of close friends and relatives who just so happened to tell you how beautiful said horses were a week before they were seized. Corrupt people are everywhere and these nuts just help them out


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## Customcanines (Jun 17, 2012)

I think I can beat all of you. I had a next door neighbor who called animal control about my dogs' incessant barking. The animal control officer happened to be in the neighborhood, and he parked in the alley behind our houses. Turns out it was her dogs that were barking. LOL> Of course, that didn't deter her. A week later animal control called and said that our neighbor had lodged a complaint because a bullfrog in our Koi pond was too loud!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## KigerQueen (Jun 16, 2013)

that person needs a bullfrog sized potato in their tail pipe!!!


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## Textan49 (Feb 13, 2015)

dressagebelle said:


> I don't get all the people who get up in arms about the rodeo. Honestly most of the stuff they do at the rodeo is stuff that they do daily on a working ranch, and yet you don't see people picketing outside the farms, just the rodeos. I can't tell you the number of times I've heard people complain that the horses (or bulls) buck because the strap is touching sensitive things. They don't use horses that don't want to buck, and the strap is more a reminder to buck, and once it's off, their job is done. I've been behind the scenes at rodeos, and those animals are some of the most pampered animals around. And they are all sweet too boot. You can go up and pet the broncs, and the bulls, and they have no issues. If they were truly abused, they wouldn't want humans around them at all.
> 
> Anyways, some people just really need to read a book before opening their mouths.


 I remember a horse trader (actually a square business one) having a pretty and very sweet, black mare that was a saddle bronc but would ride very nicely bareback


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## Textan49 (Feb 13, 2015)

WhattaTroublemaker said:


> What's actually a huge thing around here is corrupt animal control along with the help of these nuts. We used to know a couple people who were HORRIBLE caretakers for spca horses. They would give these horses to him to "foster" and they would just never leave. A brother and sister ended up breeding probably ten years ago at one "foster home" and they've just been inbreeding since. If someone calls AC and they think "oh what nice horses" those horses will be seized. Then they send them to "foster" homes which are the homes of close friends and relatives who just so happened to tell you how beautiful said horses were a week before they were seized. Corrupt people are everywhere and these nuts just help them out


 I haven't seen anything that bad, but I have seen seized animals (with some potential) ending up being "fostered" by friends of the AC officer. The other problem is that the offender usually gets away scot free by just surrendering the animal. No fines, no anything, just walks away.


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## WhattaTroublemaker (Aug 13, 2013)

Textan49 said:


> I haven't seen anything that bad, but I have seen seized animals (with some potential) ending up being "fostered" by friends of the AC officer. The other problem is that the offender usually gets away scot free by just surrendering the animal. No fines, no anything, just walks away.


I've seen some horrible cases here


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## Change (Jul 19, 2014)

I won't bother with any specific stories other than to say I've had my share of run ins with PETA, SPCA, Humane Society and idiots. 

I have 5 pit bulls now. In the past, I've had coyote and wolf crosses, and a lot of horses.


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