keeping mine in or making fencing bigger just wont work at all... shes been known to try and jump out of her stable, and will happily pop over a five bar gate, even if its just cuz someone left her in the field on her own
thankgod we dont have problems with the hunt tanking around right outside our yard or fields... well, we havnt yet lol
The owner or keeper of a horse found straying on the highway commits an offence under the Highways Act 1980 and is liable to a fine not exceeding £1000.
'Keeper' is defined as someone who owns the animal, or has it in his possession; or is head of the household, where a member of that household isunder sixteen and owns the animal or has it in their possession.
Under common law there has never been any legal obligation for a person to fence their land; but an abligation can arise through agreement, or through long use, or where it was customary for fences to be erected/maintained by landowners. Where a person has always maintained fences over many years, the law will assume that he thought he had a duty to do it, and so that person would not be able to say, in law, that he had no duty.
That person has created a liability which also binds his successors in title.
A person whose land or property is damaged by a straying animal can claim for damages.
Section 7 of the Act entitles the person, who suffered damage, to detain the stray, provided it was not under anyone's control at the time he found it straying; he must, within forty eight hours, inform the police of his actions, and they will inform the owner, if known.
Lawful detention of the animal allows him to take one or other of the following courses;
He may claim for damages, or
He may legally sell the animal after fourteen days at market or public auction.
Where the animal is sold, the seller is entitled to keep only such proceeds as cover the cost of the damage he incurred.
This may mean that if yer horse jumps out of its field when the hunt goes past, and causes damage to someone else's land or property, not only may the owner be liable for a financial settlement, but it may result in the horse being sold for only enough money to cover the cost of the damage, which may be a good deal less than the horse is worth.
So, instead of being bullish about the hunt coming past your field, unannounced, and whining on about it in accordance with your anti-hunting views, sure you'd all be better advised to do something solid to ensure that you aren't the victims of a well established law, and end up being financially stung, or losing your horse as a result.
Remember that the hunt will be operating within that law too, but they will have the relevant permissions from the landowners over whose land they hunt, which puts them in a better legal position than most of us.
If that’s the case...this is probably why your OH can hold down a full time job and still find time to manage his stock and farmland.
