Horse owner bridles at noisy neigh-bour claim

Mandy Young said she was not sure why the complainant believed it was her horses when there were others in the area

A woman has been left shocked and "paranoid" after she received a noise complaint due to the "constant neighing" of her horses.

Mandy Young, 59, keeps 12 horses at her home in Farley Green, near Haverhill in Suffolk, and received the complaint via a West Suffolk Council letter on Tuesday.

She said she had recently been weaning her foals which had caused some noise, but it was "far from constant" and there were other horses in the area.

The council said it was required to investigate all noise complaints, but it would be up to the complainant to provide further details if they felt the issue continued.

The letter, which the council confirmed was genuine, detailed that the authority had been informed of "constant neighing", but it had not been able to substantiate the claims.

"I was a bit shocked," Mrs Young said, regarding the moment she opened the letter.

"It wasn't really something I'd ever imagine someone complaining about.

"They're not loud and they do whinny occasionally, but it's certainly not a constant thing."

Mrs Young keeps several horses and had been weaning some of her foals before she received the complaint

Mrs Young had been weaning several foals from their mothers over the past few weeks and using a new field across the road from her property to help with this.

According to international charity, World Horse Welfare, weaning can be stressful for the foal and vocalisation often happens.

While Mrs Young could only assume it was her horses being noisy, she said it would not have been going on longer than a day or two.

The horse owner said she had been left paranoid by the complaint

"There has been a bit more noise than there usually is, I wouldn't deny that, but to say it's constant whinnying is ridiculous," she continued.

Addressing the complainant, she said: "I am very sorry if it has disturbed you, but it would have been far more constructive to come and talk to me.

"Then I would have been aware that it was disturbing you and I would have tried to do something about it, rather than me getting a letter after the fact when I can't do anything about it."