Children on yards

I have never been on a yard with more than 5 people on it, so my position to talk about livery yards with children on is very limited.

I am 18, but have been down on yards since I was 14 or so. On my past yard I was always complimented on my behaviour, I was always helpful and polite, in fact, I was more than willing in any situation to stop and talk to the other liveries if they ever had a problem with m I listened and adjusted (though I am talking about things like sweeping hoof pickings out before I rode, not after I returned).

I don't really bring others to the yard I am on now (not becuase I can't, more because at the moment I haven't had the opportunity) and I was first to state the rules to them.

In fact, once I brought up a few family friends to the yard, one little boy ran about and screamed in the yard when someone elses horse was there... I made him go sit cross legged in the tack room for 5 mins until he was willing to behave in a sensible way. The horses owner (a man reknowned for being grumpy, a retired gamekeeper and lecturer at Bishop Burton) later pulled me aside and told me I had done a very good job and was proud to have me on the yard!! Said I showed up the older liveried with my mature and sensible attitude.

On my current yard there are 4 of us. Me 18, another two girls 19 and 22 and one of the girls dads (don't like to guess ;))
Us girls, it must be said, if on the yard at the same time often do act like loons: giggling, skipping about, shrieking occasionally if one of the others splashes us. However we do this when nobody is around to be annoyed at us, and if the YO is on site we respect that and he is willing to come to chat to us as we are allegedly good company.

Oh and because of our silly antics in an environment the horses are used to so don't find threatening, children playing in the street don't scare our horses: trampolines, balls, microscooters, loud horns, screams, water pistols all no problem... that was the plan, honest ;)
 
The past two yards I've been/currently am on have both had children on them and the differences between the two are unbeleivable!

The first yard I had Troy at gave me grief with children all the time. When there were shows on the yards were left wide open for anybody to wander down and for children to run around on like playgrounds (as the barns are massive). Children never got shouted at by parents for running around playing tag, crawling over hay bailes, shouting and squeeling at the top of their voices in an indoor barn with 25 very "high-wired" horses (due to no turn out over the winter).

Accidents started happing, kids falling onto equipment, horses kicking out and still nothing was done. I caught one child ramming chocolate cake into her ponys muzzle and kicking at the ponies stable door... So i confronted her mother, who was not best pleased - but the child said I was lying so obviously the parent gave me hell after that.

The place I'm at now though!... Theres only four kids and the parents are their with them, pretty much at all times. They're careful and not stupid and know the rules of the school and are patient. Much happier at the new yard :)!
 
I personally wouldn't want to be on a yard now with children, so I'd complain to the YO if she's as bad as you're saying.
Also if it's her bad manners in the school that is a big issue, if she's not passing left to left or just generally cutting you up etc... don't move! as long as it's not going to affect your horse!
i don't think doing something confrontational to her would help though!! if she's a brat i'm sure her tantrum/arguing/confrontation skills are leaps ahead of yours!!

Why would she want to be there as well :S when i was younger i was on a big yard with loads of children and it was great.. but that would be my idea of hell now!!
 
If it was another adult, I would calmly tell them to stop running, rules of school and bookings etc. She is 10 - 12 so although I personally think she is old enough to be told nicely you probably won't get anywhere.

So, speak with the parents, and also, get the other liveries toegther and approach the YO - don't go for endless moaning, just say a number of you are concerned because of a,b, & c and please could they address the issue?

If children are to be on yards they should be able to behave themselves. I would certainly tell her not to run and quite sharpley if she ignored me!
 
It is your YO's responsibility to sort this out NOW. I am a YO and if that kid causes a problem by not being supervised then the insurance on the yard will be invalid. I had to specify when I set up my yard that no child under 16 would be at the yard without their parent or guardian present and no one under 12 was to ride unsupervised and that is what it says on my insurance policy (NFU livery yard) I will not have kids charging around, they are there to ride, muck out and be with their horse, they are not there as a play park, creche etc. i will happily ball out a kid that breaks the rules as they stand - including kids that are guests of my liveries. My yard is there for my horses owners to enjoy their horses, not a free for all with bad behaviour. if they can't abide by the rules then they can leave. Running around horses is a no go, screaming is a no go, fighting and shouting is a no go - and that includes adults. My yard is friendly, happy and calm, the horses are all relaxed. We also have a rule about school use - no more than 2 in at any one time (it is 20X40) and lessons have to be booked a week in advance. No lessons can be booked between 4 and 7 as that is the main time that it is wanted by working people - but they can be booked anytime over the weekend as people can fit around. The booking system needs to be done in a more professional way than on a wipe board, how about a diary - so anyone can see if someone has crossed out a name.

Your YO is at fault here not the child - although it is a brat - if it is allowed to get away with that behaviour then it is likely to believe that that behaviour is acceptable.
 
Sounds to me like a job for Pony Club Camp if they still enforce discipline the way they used to! Kids need to learn properly from the beginning and that includes respect for all horses at all times.
 
Thanks everyone :)

ihatework: I do have tolerance for kids, I've worked at a couple of riding schools and have found that most kids are fine. If they have been taught how to behave and they are polite I have no problem.
I was prepared to ignore everything (I'm the shy, quiet one that stays out the way) but when theres quite a lot of us in the school and she is being quite frankly, dangerous, its not on.
She cantered into the affiliated eventer because she wouldnt come off the track and do left to left.
Her mum has a horse too and so she is always around, but tbh I've never met anyone more crazy in my life, she's so hyper and excitable I can't keep up with her conversations. She is there (so should supervise) but her little darling can do nothing wrong in her eyes, and she doesnt check on her when she's riding.
I'm going on holiday at the weekend so will leave it till I come back and then if she does it again I'll say something to YO.
Bosworth: I do agree, the white board doesnt help but I suppose in normal circumstances it works
 
Spudlet said:
OK, next time she misbehaves in the school, here's what I'd do....


Get off your horse and get someone to hold it (him/her? Don't know which you have!).
Get hold of her pony - both reins.
Lead her out of the school.
Shut the gate behind her, and tell her to come back when she has learned the rules of acceptable behaviour in a shared school situation.
If she kicks off - tell her a few home truths in your best scary instructor manner.
If her parents kick off, tell them they should be ashamed to be raising a such a vile brat, and that while they may indulge her, no one else has to so if she want so to play with the grown ups, she'd better learn how to behave with them.

:D
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I absolutely agree, be brave; sieze the moment. I'm sure your fellow livereies will applaud you.
There are 5 children with ponies at our LY they are all delightful well mannered little people.Their enthusiasm and love for their ponies is infectious. They are always supervised by their parents( it is yard policy).
 
Spudlet said:
OK, next time she misbehaves in the school, here's what I'd do....


Get off your horse and get someone to hold it (him/her? Don't know which you have!).
Get hold of her pony - both reins.
Lead her out of the school.
Shut the gate behind her, and tell her to come back when she has learned the rules of acceptable behaviour in a shared school situation.
If she kicks off - tell her a few home truths in your best scary instructor manner.
If her parents kick off, tell them they should be ashamed to be raising a such a vile brat, and that while they may indulge her, no one else has to so if she want so to play with the grown ups, she'd better learn how to behave with them.

:D
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Perfect :D

I don't have a horse (:() But ride at a lovely RS and livery yard. All the kids are supervised with their parents watching them in their lessons. Most of the liverys are adults or older teens, and if I saw a child causing havoc or acting inappropriately I would tell them off and tell their parents, and I'm sure the instructors would support me 100%.

The only really young liverys we have are the owner's two girls, who I would very happily tell off if needs be :D
 
This sort of post really annoys me, not that i don't agree that she needs dealing with because she sounds a complete pain in the arse, but because of the people that are quick to tar most children with the same brush. I wish you could meet my daughter, she is 9 and is quiet and polite, she is sensible round the horses, she comes down to the yard with me at 6 every morning and works her socks off before school (despite me telling her she doesn't have to come down every morning!!) She is popular with the other liveries and they ask her to do little jobs for them (which she is happy to do!) She rides quietly and is always aware of other people. However, I have been in yards where some of the adults have been completely selfish and rude and sometimes dangerous, and they are often harder to deal with!!
 
DipseyDeb said:
This sort of post really annoys me, not that i don't agree that she needs dealing with because she sounds a complete pain in the arse, but because of the people that are quick to tar most children with the same brush. I wish you could meet my daughter, she is 9 and is quiet and polite, she is sensible round the horses, she comes down to the yard with me at 6 every morning and works her socks off before school (despite me telling her she doesn't have to come down every morning!!) She is popular with the other liveries and they ask her to do little jobs for them (which she is happy to do!) She rides quietly and is always aware of other people. However, I have been in yards where some of the adults have been completely selfish and rude and sometimes dangerous, and they are often harder to deal with!!
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I agree, there are loads of horrid children out there that make being near them a horrible experience, but there are nice kids out there, sadly you often don't notice them because they are being quiet and polite.

My nephew is 8 and a wonderfully well behaved child* who can be relied upon to behave appropriately in adult company. He is wonderfully polite and always does as he is asked, never needs telling off. As a result his grandparents his extended family are always willing to take him interesting places.

He comes to the yard for his lessons and also to watch and help on show days. He hasn't got much experience of horses so we always keep a close eye out as he doesn't always realise what sort of thing might frighten a horse but he listens and learns.

There are other nice kids on the yard (as it is a riding school) although not all of them are nice. The nice children are very rewarding though (and I'm not the maternal type) I can remember going out for a hack on my share horse who was happy to hack alone and being accompanied by a 10 year old boy on the pony he shared with his older brother and sister and he made polite conversation all the way and was a pleasure to be with. He's now 15 and still a polite kid who asks how you did in shows and is happy to help people out.

Personally I love to see the little ones on their ponies, and would hate to discourage them.

It is for parents to instill some manners though so that the children are a joy to be around. If they do the reward will be a child who doesn't need watching all the time, who can be trusted to accompany you places and who is easy to find a sitter for. But the responsibility doesn't stop with parents, all relatives and friends should play a part, and no one should tolerate bad behaviour.

FWIW I have told other peoples children off and the teachers I know do it all the time instinctively even if off duty! They will never learn if no one tells them what they are doing is wrong.




*I may be biased but the secretary of our RC, church youth leaders, football coaches etc aren't and it is commented upon all the time!
 
I can see both sides, I'm child free so not maternal at all, but have been on yards with kids virtually my whole horse owning life. Sometimes they have been brats, to be honest I just tell them - I will put up with reasonable behaviour, I don't expect them to be quiet as church mice, but I do expect some form of decorum. I would tell the parents the same if they came asking too!

Why should you put up with such brattish and unreasonable behaviour, tell her, tell her parents and tell the YO!

My own nieces have been on yards with my sister and I since they were in push chairs, they are now 16 and 14 and we have never had complaints about them (well except from one particularly evil woman, but that's another story!) and in fact the last yard we were at was an adult yard and we had to beg the YO to take us - she did luckily, the kids were 6 and 8 at the time - 6 years later when we left on good terms, she has changed her policy and happily accepts children on the yard - so some kids do have a good influence, but then they have had it drummed into them from day 1 that inappropriate behaviour and bad manners are not acceptable - in fact my sister and I have drummed it into them so much that on occasions the opposite has happened and they have been so respectful to adults that some of the scummy nasty middle aged beasts you get on livery yards have done the kind of thing that OP has posted about - changing school bookings etc, forcing the kids out of the school - basic bullying tactics to get what they want (well till they cross paths with aunty......).

It works both ways, unfortunately manners cross the age zones.
 
not everyone under the age of 16 on a livery/riding school is a complete nightmare :rolleyes: I am 13 and as well as look after a horse I help out at a riding school at weekends. Yes there are a few kids who go around yelling, shrieking and swearing loudly(not including me i don't like being stupid on stable yards it could scare the horses!) but most are sensible and do the jobs well.
 
I understand not all kids are like that. And I have met some fantastic kids that help out at riding schools or have lessons.
Its just this one. Spoilt brat. She really does need to learn basic manners and how to ride in a school
 
Havnt read all the replys but it sounds like you need to get your YO involved. Dont worry about it sounding like you are moaning, what she is doing is dangerous and could cause an accident to anyone, or horse around her while she is behaving so bratty
 
Katt said:
Yep, and they need qualifications, and they get breaks and facilities etc.

Not like back in my day when you showed up as early as your parents would allow, did back breaking work ALL day and might if you are lucky get rewarded with a free ride, which would of course be to the field bareback.

There were no qualifications, but it was good experience, there were no official breaks but you ate your pack up sitting on hay bales if it was warm or the muck heap if it was cold. There were no facilities, in fact when I started helping down the yard there was only one tap, and that was for the whole yard. No loo, no handwash facilities.... we thought it was luxury when the YO got a little chemical loo which lived in the horse box, as for when we eventually got a kettle and could have pot noodle for lunch - that was the height of sophistication. There was certainly no such thing as health and safety or minimum wage :eek:

Kids these days don't know they are born!


Psst and they tidy the muck heap with a digger now, not with five little girls weilding forks.
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I'm fifteen and this is exactly what my yard is like :P my dad hates it and thinks we're all being exploited but its good fun :D
except, we have portaloos and a portocabin with a little kitchen...
my worst job is the muck heap. 1 of us, with a pitchfork, chucking poo up into the air. We also have to make steps :(
If we're lucky, one of the boys does it instead :D
we only get free rides if we're up in the holidays and we're not paid.
Brilliant life ;D

Regarding the actual point of the post, I cannot stand rude children. Livery yards are not a babysitting service or a playground and parents should be responsible for their children.
I also feel sorry for her pony with no proper warm up! :(
xx
 
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