horse etiquette

[Tomtint]

Unfortunately we only have one side of the story, however, no one property owner has the right or authority to authorize a nonresident to use a road jointly owned and maintained by 5 people. My suspicions are that the road was there before the land was platted for the 5 lots and was either considered public access or the stable owner had prior permission. Or possibly the road comes with access rights for the use of the equestrian trails. In any case, talk to the offending neighbor.

To clarify points in question. The road was here before the lots were permitted. It was a public road that was then converted to a private road via a planning board decision. IE no public access granted and no town responsibility for maintenance. Road does not grant any other public access by right. The stables in question are a somewhat new 6-7 year old business

 

[ericm979]

I'm unclear, are the stables on the private road (or have an easement to use it) or are they just using it with no easement? If they're on it or have an easement then they should be contributing to road maintenance however the residents arrange that. That makes them at least somewhat responsible for the condition of the road should a rider fall and sue Riders fall often especially on pavement which is slippery for shod horses.

If they're not on the road and are using it with no easement, I'd look into getting them to buy an easement and to contribute to road maintenance. Which may be an uphill battle if they have been using it for free.

If you let them use it for free for too long they may get rights to keep doing it via adverse possession depending on your state laws. Which seems like it could be a mess.


Herbicides in horse manure is a thing. Some years ago my wife got a load from a stables and we put it on her garden beds. The tomatoes barely grew and would not set fruit. She looked up the common herbicides and they were broadleaf specific so I used the rest on the lawn.

 

[tradosaurus]

For those of you who have and ride horses recreationally.. Do your horses wear ass bags when walking on neighbors roads ? My issue is this..We have a neighbor who has stables where students learn to ride. Their horses regularly walk down our gravel road..and leave piles behind them,,I then either have to try and dodge the piles..Or if not possible..run it over. ..Its aggravating to say the least.

I read most of the replies and I'm with you on this. The neighbor with the horse stables is being inconsiderate. I'm generally a non-confrontational type of person but I would suggest talking to the neighbor first and propose a solution that keeps the horse poop out of the road. Can the horses ride on the side of the road? Or does the neighbor own enough acreage to ride on his property?

If the neighbor won't help then if you have a tractor scoop up the poop each Sunday and dump it on his driveway entrance.

 

[Tomtint]

I'm unclear, are the stables on the private road (or have an easement to use it) or are they just using it with no easement? If they're on it or have an easement then they should be contributing to road maintenance however the residents arrange that. That makes them at least somewhat responsible for the condition of the road should a rider fall and sue Riders fall often especially on pavement which is slippery for shod horses.

If they're not on the road and are using it with no easement, I'd look into getting them to buy an easement and to contribute to road maintenance. Which may be an uphill battle if they have been using it for free.

If you let them use it for free for too long they may get rights to keep doing it via adverse possession depending on your state laws. Which seems like it could be a mess.


Herbicides in horse manure is a thing. Some years ago my wife got a load from a stables and we put it on her garden beds. The tomatoes barely grew and would not set fruit. She looked up the common herbicides and they were broadleaf specific so I used the rest on the lawn.

No easement, Stable is not on the road, They are across another street

 

[Tomtint]

I read most of the replies and I'm with you on this. The neighbor with the horse stables is being inconsiderate. I'm generally a non-confrontational type of person but I would suggest talking to the neighbor first and propose a solution that keeps the horse poop out of the road. Can the horses ride on the side of the road? Or does the neighbor own enough acreage to ride on his property?

If the neighbor won't help then if you have a tractor scoop up the poop each Sunday and dump it on his driveway entrance.

My thoughts exactly

 

[Torvy]

Open earlier mentioned the stable riders were using the road to access other trails. There is almost always public right of way on 'private' roads. They are primarily just a way for governments to cut maintenance expenses on roads that are not serving large numbers of citizens. This is completely different than a road that was constructed and maintained solely by the OP and neighbors from the origin of the road.

It would also not be the first time that a local planning board made a decision that was incongruent with state law. Earlier poster mentioned adverse possession, I think there may be a different legal term, but the concept is the same. It has been used for years as access to the trails (which I presume are public?) You may be just manure out of luck.

There is also a different legal concept in joint 'ownership (really conservatorship). Someone tried to point out earlier. If 5 of you 'own' the road and you are the only one who is that upset, you may be need to consider moving.

I see a lot of this type of complaint from city folk who move to a rural setting and expect it to be like the city. I'm a rural kid who has been stuck living in the city for far too long. Sometimes not is best to either adapt or move.

 

[Oaktree]

I see a lot of this type of complaint from city folk who move to a rural setting and expect it to be like the city. I'm a rural kid who has been stuck living in the city for far too long. Sometimes not is best to either adapt or move.

 

[TMGT]

Open earlier mentioned the stable riders were using the road to access other trails. There is almost always public right of way on 'private' roads. They are primarily just a way for governments to cut maintenance expenses on roads that are not serving large numbers of citizens. This is completely different than a road that was constructed and maintained solely by the OP and neighbors from the origin of the road.

It would also not be the first time that a local planning board made a decision that was incongruent with state law. Earlier poster mentioned adverse possession, I think there may be a different legal term, but the concept is the same. It has been used for years as access to the trails (which I presume are public?) You may be just manure out of luck.

There is also a different legal concept in joint 'ownership (really conservatorship). Someone tried to point out earlier. If 5 of you 'own' the road and you are the only one who is that upset, you may be need to consider moving.

I see a lot of this type of complaint from city folk who move to a rural setting and expect it to be like the city. I'm a rural kid who has been stuck living in the city for far too long. Sometimes not is best to either adapt or move.

Accessing and leaving debries on the road are 2 different things, if a delivery truck drops debris in the road I'd expect them to clean it up.
And I don't buy they whole "move to the city" thing, I've lived in a rural area pretty much my whole life, being considerate and cleaning up after yourself shouldn't be ignored just because it involves horses. Also since it's a recreational group I bet a lot of those riders are "city" folk.

It doesn't sound like Tomtint has an issue with the riders, just the mess they feel they shouldn't have to clean up for some reason.

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[Slowpoke Slim]

I think the biggest issue is one of "perspective".

OP is upset because "something" is being left on "his" road.

We're talking about a few horses, maybe not even a few horses every day. More likely it is a couple horses during the week, and a few horses at a time on weekends. I seriously doubt the riding stables operation is very big. They probably use "his road" to access other trails because it is SAFER for the new and untrained riders to ride down a seldom used dirt road then to have to ride around on what would likely be a longer and busier traffic road.

I'm sure they're not doing it just to be JERKS to Tom.

We're also talking about horse apples, which are biodegradable (and do so rather quickly). And horses are not continuous "apple droppers". They can go for miles on a trail without dropping a single apple. So unless Genghis Khan is staging a counter attack and using "Tom's Road" to move his rebel hordes, there just can't be that many apple piles. Are these new, untrained and (presumably) young riders riding all across "Your Road", or are they riding mostly single file down the side? I very seriously doubt this is dump trucks full of manure here. More than likely it is a few apple piles spaced rather far apart, likely down the side of a rural dirt road.

I think Tom is too wrapped up in the "IT'S MINE!" mind set and is unwilling to look at this objectively. I seriously doubt he has looked into the road situation from the standpoint of who is actually legally allowed to use the road, and for what purposes. If "His Road" connects to other roads or trails, he might be "horse apples out of luck", and there was likely an agreement with the county or township that gives others the right to use "His Road". And the impression given from his posts, this is a somewhat rural DIRT road that connects to riding trails.

Also might want to look into local ordinances about livestock moving or use of the road. I've never seen a rural road used for livestock movement that hasn't had "apples" on it. I very seriously doubt there's anything in your local ordinances that prohibit it.

This could end up blowing up in your face in ways you haven't thought about. The Stables could turn around and sue you for harassment.

I suggest you take a breath Tom, and gain some perspective.

 

[K5lwq]

Besides we always had fun throwing the horse apples at each other when we were kids. Might be a fun game with the wife.