A question for Mums......

[Ravenwood]

Do you make your kids do their own ponies before school?

If yes, how old are they and what time do they have to be on the school bus?

Also do you/would you still make them do their own ponies if you had to do your own horses anyway and had plenty of time before work?

 

[Weezy]

This is one of the reasons my boys do not have their own pony - yes if they had one I would make them responsible for it, so until we can have one at home there is no way it is going to happen! I think this is because I always had to do everything horsey for myself, and it taught me great responsibility.

 

[Twinkletoes]

Hmm- Due to be a mum in 2 months and already this question has Sadly lol entered my mind. When I was young I didnt have to do before school but I had to do after school every day without fail, and then cycle home. Best thing I could ever have been 'made' to do and I never once took my parents money or my beloved pony (RIP Peanuts) for granted. It taught me a lot too, and got me a new group of friends outside of school.
Good luck with your decision making x

 

[TGM]

Sometimes is the answer! At the moment all the horses are out anyway, so there is nothing much to do in the morning except for checking they are all still there and healthy.

When the weather gets really foul in the winter they come in over night and then daughter will come down with me to help feed and turn out but there is not time to muck out. Usually she will muck out after school, but if there is a lot on in the evening then I will muck out the stable during the day instead. I wouldn't, however, do chores for her pony if she was sitting inside watching TV though!

 

[Agent XXX999]

Not a parent, but had horses on DIY all through school - they were turned out in the mornings, but went straight to the yard after school and was not allowed to ride until I had mucked out and groomed, then ride, and big trouble if I wasnt finished by 5.55 to get home and do my homework, and have dinner!

In secondary school I used to do the homework I got set in the mornings at lunchtime (geek or what!)

Certanly taught me routine and self control!

 

[Imonone]

Sometimes again for me.

Try to manage them out as much a possible, but as kids didnt go to the catchment school and have to be up and out so early its not that easy.

They generally do ponies on the weekend and after school when they are not having swiming/dance lessons etc. I do the rest of the time and enjoy it!!

 

[Hullabaloo]

I'm not a Mum but an totally amazed that the Mums at our yard do everything for their kids (aged 11 & 15) ponies. The ponies live out all year but in winter the mums hay, feed & check on them and the kids only apprear for their lesson on a Sat morning. I worry that they'll grow up wanting horses but with no idea how much work is involved.
I wasn't allowed a pony as a child but if I had I would've wanted to look after them as much as possible and even if I hadn't my Mum would've made me!

 

[SSM]

Growing up I had to - if I did not look after my pony he would have been sold (so they say

) but from the moment I had my own I always loved every aspect of looking after him.

 

[JaneMBE]

No, Rachel leaves at 7.30 as it is!
Ponies are out 24/7 x 52, and just across the road, which means I get exercise walking over to see them!
However, she does the poo picking (with a friend who rides my horses) so she doesn't get off lightly!

 

[MizElz]

i have always done my horse before school - its not because i had to, but more because it just doesnt seem right to expect mum to do it. that said, there was a time when we had 3 ponies and 2 horses in, during the winter, and i was doing them all before and after school due to my mum being ill, and my dad being a complete selfish n*b....i was only 11 at the time and i ended up with anaemia. things changed a bit after that, but now, having chosen to live at home and commute 2 hours to uni, i still get up to do my horse in the morning! and i get very guilty on the days when mum does force me to let her see to it!

 

[TheBlackMoth]

My girls do everything for their horses. I don't have the physical ability (limited mobility) to be able to even help - let alone do it for them.

This is why I waited until the youngest was 13 before getting one. Once the horses are in at night - they will go down before school, feed and let out for the day. After school they go, muck out, ride and feed.

It's a tough regime and they do get tired - and they don't get much of a life outside horses - but it's what they want - they have chosen it and love it.

 

[TGM]

Just wanted to add that if I muck her pony out for her on days that she doesn't have time, she often makes up for it by doing my two at the weekends without being asked

.

 

[Ravenwood]

A variety of answers here .... to be honest I am really perfectly happy to do the pony, as I have mine to do anyway. I only work part time so time isn't an issue but the kids do have such a long day at school and so much travelling each way plus homework it seems ridiculous to make her do her pony as well. I think I will just insist that she does him at weekends and comes down after school to help do evening stables in the winter which she always want to do anyway.

 

[Gucci_b]

I'm a yummy mummy of two 9 and 6 yrs....My daughter who is 9 yrs old does her pony every day after school/weekends, groom, feed, fill his water bucket, and bring in from the field, then rides. Clean the stable if the pony has been in it, and do his hay nets, that was the deal if she wanted a pony of her own to keep. I do her pony and my horse before the school runs as usally the kids are still running around or doing home work that they forgot they had...hummmm

it's hard in winter with the rain and cold and light!! but we manage.

 

[Salcey]

ditto Ravenwood.
me and OH do the mornings and the kids do evenings and weekends. If they didn't have to get the bus they could maybe manage mornings, TBH I like the peace and quiet of doing it once they're at school!

 

[*hic*]

OOh dear I'm going to buck the trend on this!

Reasons first!

I had a 25 year break from horses and was looking after a pony as a favour when my daughter wanted to have a bit of a go at riding - she would have been happy to have it as a pet had I said no. So she had the odd play and I didn't really encourage her - let's face it I made her ride without stirrups from the first day!

Then she and hubby had a bad accident and all her confidence and courage were completely taken away from her and she was a poor little mite. So we got her a little pony to teach her that she could be in control of not only herself but circumstances beyond that. She's never been the pony-mad little girl that I was but she's come on well and is now riding and bringing on our youngster and has competed successfully at SJ XC and ODE's.

Because we live so far away she has a very long day at school and she needs her sleep so there are not actually enough hours in the day for her to do any more than a short ride plus her homework. In order to keep her happy and interested and sane I do all the work on the horses - had I made her lose sleep to muck out then she'd have given up and I feel it is very important for her self control and self esteem that she carry on riding.

If she is asked to help she will but as a general rule no, I do everything! As she has got older I'm included to say things like "Right you need to have the horses loaded for 10 am tomorrow" and she will make sure the lorry is ready with all necessary kit and that the horses are on board, correctly dressed with feed and water as required so that I just have to come out and drive off. I can tell her that I want the horses bandaged instead of travel booted and she'll do that as well or that they need plaiting and she'll do plaits so she is learning her stable management but no it's definitely me on a day to day basis.

 

[Honeypots]

I don't although they live out so no mucking out to do as such..just poo picking the shelter and paddock.
Sometimes I do it, sometimes she does it. I have all day, she doesn't..
I'd rather she had plenty of time to get up, have a good brekkie and prepare for a day at school.

 

[showjump2003]

I have always looked after my own horses. Luckily my ponies were all kept at home so I didn't have to travel to a yard. At one point when I was in school I had 5 horses who were all out with rugs so I just had to push several barrows up the field in the morning and check the water. Most of my time at school however I had two stabled horses and two out 24/7 so I used to get up at 6.50, rug and chuck the stabled horses out and feed haylage in the field. Had to leave for school at 8. Then after school I'd get home at 4pm and muck out the two stables, bring in and feed.

 

[MurphysMinder]

We are lucky cos ours are kept at home. Daughter always turned out in the morning and mucked out etc at night. Only exception was during run up to gcse and a levels as she spent all her time locked in her bedroom with her books! Now she is at uni I do all the work and try and keep horse exercised. But whenever she is at home she takes over again.

 

[Magicmillbrook]

My daughter has had her own pony at home since she was 13. We now have three ponies and one horse. Most of the year they are all out 24/7 so she does morning check and feed. In the winter I get up and feed in my PJ whilst she gets up, ahter brekie we both turn out, muck out and do hay. We then set off for school/work at 8am.

Daughter gets home first so she starts the poo picking and or putting down beds, making feeds etc. Only exception is when she is ill - which she rarely is because she is fit and healthy from all the work! At weekends if she want to stay over at a friends she has to make sure she does her share before she goes, or she will give me a lie in the next day.

Teaches good work ethic - she knows the sooner she gets on with it the sooner it is done - a valuable lesson for anyone.

 

[skewbaldpony]

Mine do their own but ... er.. we homeschool! So no school bus to catch, we do start lessons at 8 though, and go through til 12.30 - 1ish they can then ride some afternoons though other afternoons there are other things to do.

 

[cobwithattitude]

Our horses live 6 miles away - fortunately the y/o feeds them in school time mornings all yr round and. They are out in summer so we both go in evenings and do poo picking. In the winter, daughter will muck hers out (altho' i am itching to get in there and redo it sometimes

) Think it is good that they do realise their horses need looking after and the effort it takes. However may review the situation depending on school work load. It is good to have her company too.

 

[Christmas_Kate]

No, i don't make then do pony before school. Mornings are a rush as it is, I get to the yard at 7am and have to be home by 7.30am to do the school run, so trying to get them both up by 6.30am, dressed, fed, do ponio, home, bathed, changed and off to school would be hell. They get a lie in whilst I do morning stable. My eldest comes with my after school to muck out / groom etc. Youngest is only 2 so can't really be around much (it's a working yard) but helps alot in the summer when he's out at grass.

 

[brighteyes]

Mine would have a fit if they saw your post! They are desperate to be home schooled. And yes, they jolly well do see to their ponies before and after school.

I'd love to educate them and not have all this high school malarky to contend with - and having them here to do afternoon stables (now) in term-time would be bliss.

 

[Tia]

Yes my children have always done their own ponies - the moment they stop doing them is the moment I sell the ponies.

When the ponies have been stabled, I expect a child of around 10 or 11 to be able to do all chores for their pony. Younger than this and they make such a hash that it really isn't constructive to have them mucking out, however they will be given some of the easier jobs to do.

Over here, all of our horses are turned out 24/7 therefore there isn't anything for my daughter (11) to do in the mornings before she catches the school bus, however I do have to mention that not one day goes by that she doesn't run out there to give Cloud a cuddle before she sets off for the day.

I think it is very important for children to learn the responsibilities of their ponies, albeit perhaps on a smaller scale than it actually is.

 

[colleenmurtagh1]

T's pony is out at the minute but when he was in, T who is 6 yrs old cleans him out himself, feeds and waters him . I will continue to let him do these things as I think he needs to learn responsibilty , and also learn that its not all about the riding and going to shows and having fun . There is hard work involved , Some might say 6 yrs old is too young for a child to be doing all these things ? Personally hes capable of doing it and the majority of the times there is no complaining from him .

I see so many parents that have ponies for their child and they dont get them involved with the cleaning and feeding aspect of owning a pony , whether it be because they dont want them in the way of things or the child blatantly refuses to help out , thats not part of owning a pony in my opinion .

 

[debsflo]

when in my husband feeds as already doing dogs ,chickens etc but my daughter turns out, rugs up etc and will muck out at night. she is 13 and loves her bed and would be quite happy to watch hollyoaks and let me do it. not that she doesnt love her pony.every now and again we have a few words on the whole i think she is responsible but they do have such a lot to do once they get to secondary school its sometimes hard to be strict.

 

[measles]

I certainly think kids should accept the responsibility of their ponies and help. Our younger child is only 4 but he still comes round to catch his pony each evening and groom him - it's wonderful to see him run across the field and throw his arms round the pony (who is utterly safe and stands looking chuffed to bits!).

Elder child is 12yo and has been up before school at 6.45 to do his 3 ponies for the last few years. We feed, muck out turn outand get back in in time for breakfast and leaving for school at 8.10. Dad and I work full time so he needs to be involved, and after school he rides and then before bed does night stables.

We're lucky that the ponies are at home but I believe that if he wants to ride and compete he has to take responsibility for them, building up a relationship with each of them.

 

[Chex]

I had to get up early before school to do Chex since I was 12, but my mum had to drive me there so she was up early too! I preferred it that way, and if I had kids they would definitely have to do the pony before school - part of the responsibility of owning one I think.

 

[Enfys]

[ QUOTE ]
Do you make your kids do their own ponies before school?

If yes, how old are they and what time do they have to be on the school bus?

Also do you/would you still make them do their own ponies if you had to do your own horses anyway and had plenty of time before work?

[/ QUOTE ]

Ours are out 24/7 so nothing really to do to them in the mornings.

The bus arrives for Evie (12) at 7.30am so no time really to get her to do things and keep clean, as it is she still goes to see all the horses and waits at the end of the drive like some modern day Dr. Dolittle, two dogs and at least two or three cats sitting beside her.

She does have her jobs and does them, I do hay as there is no way I am letting her loose with a tractor and round bales, she managed to take the door of the barn off quite nicely with the quad.

Oh heck! Is that the time? (1.40am) I have to be up at 6am!