Children on yards

Keith_Beef

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this is the thing. The eldest is 6, youngest 3. They try brush my horse and I'm scared they'll get stood on. I ride and they're screeching and kicking stuff on the yard by the school, I want to just muck out in peace and they're asking questions or kicking my bedding about

It's only a matter of time before they cause an accident. It might sound callous, but perhaps the best thing is for one of the kids to have a small accident that wakes up the parents to the danger.

In the meantime I'd have a word with the parents and yard manager.
 

Gingerwitch

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I would simply say to the parent, I dont want to be bothered by your children at all, so please can you keep them away from my stable and horse. It's not up for debate, I am not a paid babysitter, I am here to do my hobby. If you want to pay me a hundred pounds an hour I may consider it on a booking system but other than that it's not negotiable. Thank you.
 

stormox

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If children or dogs belonging to other liveries are on a yard, whatever age, they should be under the control of owner/parent. End of. I wouldnt tolerate them brushing my horse unasked. But kicking their stuff around near school - that wouldnt really bother me as both me and my horse need to learn to focus.
 

canteron

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As a Mum, I also go to the yard to de stress so completely understand, but my suggestion would be to imagine being that young, that inquisitive, that innocent. Freedom for children now a days is rare. We live in a world of screens. Are the Parents around? Could you not offer them 5 minutes of your time and then perhaps suggest that they best get back to Mummy/Daddy before they worry where they are?

I love my children to have freedom but livery yards aren't always the best of places and for that reason, I wouldn't allow my children to run riot. I would however involve them in my duties when they do occasionally have to come to the yard but then request that they sit in a safe place and watch. As a child I was lucky to have the freedom of my Grandads stables but livery yards are different and everyone should be considered. It's a difficult situation but not the children's fault. I hate confrontation. What does the delivery yard owner think?

Lets be honest, its not the children, its the parents. You sound great but some parents do like to 'dump' their children on any poor soul not brave enough to speak out - yes its happened to me, once when a parent went on a 2 hour hack with a 'keep an eye on her will you' as she left!! Poor child.
My suggestion would be to chat to the parents and say you are really happy to give the children 5 minutes of your time and encouragement but it is your precious time, so to forgive you if you can't do that on occassions? See what their reaction is and take it from there!
 

Wishfilly

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Lets be honest, its not the children, its the parents. You sound great but some parents do like to 'dump' their children on any poor soul not brave enough to speak out - yes its happened to me, once when a parent went on a 2 hour hack with a 'keep an eye on her will you' as she left!! Poor child.
My suggestion would be to chat to the parents and say you are really happy to give the children 5 minutes of your time and encouragement but it is your precious time, so to forgive you if you can't do that on occassions? See what their reaction is and take it from there!

That's insane. What if you'd had somewhere else to be? I'm afraid I would have chased after her and refused.
 

KittenInTheTree

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Hi guys. How do you cope with kids on the yard. I'm talking ones who want to come talk to you, help muck etc? I go to the yard to de-stress and relax after work so keen to hear about any ways to move them away swiftly! Always been on an adult only yard however now 4 rug rats running riot

Does the pandemic and all of the related rules on social distancing simply not exist on your yard?
 

paddy555

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at the end of the day if one of these little kids gets too near your tied up horse, he sees something and moves quickly, kids get hit on the head, brain damage and is disabled for life who is going to pay? that is going to be large pay out.

i would return kids to parent and advise I was not prepared to take responsibility for them. I do not have the time to watch their every move to keep them safe. Please keep them with their own horses. I doubt once will be enough so I would repeat until the message gets home. I wouldn't make a joke of the endless returns I would be very serious about it.

This is not the olden days. Nowadays kid gets hurt and parents will sue. Presumably you have insurance.
 

Mrs C

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Does the pandemic and all of the related rules on social distancing simply not exist on your yard?
It's a small yard (I'm talking 5 owners me and mum then 3 others) so no restrictions but you would like to think a bit of common sense was applied. But no. The kids were even brought to the yard when they were off school and nursery due to classmates having it but mum still let them come in stables etc and has never told them to keep their distance
 

Mrs C

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I would simply say to the parent, I dont want to be bothered by your children at all, so please can you keep them away from my stable and horse. It's not up for debate, I am not a paid babysitter, I am here to do my hobby. If you want to pay me a hundred pounds an hour I may consider it on a booking system but other than that it's not negotiable. Thank you.
I wish I was this bold. I'm too soft and need to grow a pair so to speak
 

SO1

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It is a really awkward situation especially on small yard. Is it just you that they are wanting to hang out with or do they also want to help the other liveries too? Do you think the parent is encouraging them to help the other liveries to get them out of their way in order for them to do their jobs and ride in peace?

I think with pre teen children if they want to help with the horses it is the parents responsibility to ask permission of the horse owner so that the owner does not have to upset the children by telling them to go away if they would rather not get involved.

Maybe a word with the parent just say you understand the kids want to help with your horse but you need a bit of personal space and don't feel you are in the right frame of mind to be able to supervise them for long periods of time so if they hang around you and your horse for more than 5 minutes you will be bringing them back to her. Children soon learn, you say you can help for 5 minutes and then after 5 minutes say right time is up lets go back to mum and take them back. It won't take long before they get the message and try and hang out with a different livery.

You mention that they have their own ponies so this is not a pony mad child yearning for time with horses as they do not have their own. I expect hanging out with you is not about being around horses but because they want to be with you maybe they are bit bored with mum and wanting someone to talk to rather than wanting to help with your horse.
 
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PurBee

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It depends on the behaviour of the kids - some are ‘old’ for their wee age and will listen if you say ‘be careful around horses, dont scream and shout, youll freak them out”
Some kids are pure brats. If yours are the bratty type then i would find the parents and explain i’m worried their kids will get hurt running round shrieking their heads off amidst half tonne horses with fast kick reflexes.

Years ago, when i was a wee thing of 12, a friend‘s mum in the village was into horses. Had them at home, a retired TB and a shetland...ginger shitland! On my paper round i’d pass them and give them a stroke if they were close. She never rode them.
I rode the shitland only once - wild bugger threw me off into s humongous pile of nettles in the field - he hadnt been ridden for years - the parents thought it was hilarious...the ride lasted all of 60 seconds, i wasnt getting back on the ginger bucking bronco...took us all ages to catch him!
One day we were grooming them both with her daughters, age 11 and 8 - the 8yr old girl grooming the 16hh docile TB back legs...then she suddenly smacked him on the butt with the brush “naughty horsey“ and instantly received a perfect hoofprint mark in the middle of her forehead - she went flying. She was lucky to be alive! It happened so fast. Her mum asked what had happened and her sister said “she hit harry on the bum with the brush” -and her mum roasted her for being so stupid, as the girl did know from her mum not to be like that with horses but the girl got silly, didnt take the warnings seriously.

So even smart kids who listen and are intrigued need to be told to always behave around horses and the risks drummed into them. That girl was so lucky to survive a rear leg straight-on point-blank kick to her head.
 

Pedantic

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It's a small yard (I'm talking 5 owners me and mum then 3 others) so no restrictions but you would like to think a bit of common sense was applied. But no. The kids were even brought to the yard when they were off school and nursery due to classmates having it but mum still let them come in stables etc and has never told them to keep their distance

NOFA
 

rextherobber

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I honestly cannot remember, as I was growing up, ever witnessing children behaving the way they do now...I certainly wouldn't have been taken somewhere by my parents, and then taken off, running round yelling (nor would they have allowed it!) and this was back in the day when children were dragged around wherever the parents wanted to go, there was no centering the family lifestyle around the children at all... I also work in childcare, and these children can and do behave quietly and respectfully, makes you wonder if this behaviour isn't attention seeking. Many, many people collect their child from the setting and are looking at their phone before they are out of the gate, not asking the child about their day or anything, it's so sad.
 

Gingerwitch

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We have some children on our yard. Our yard owner is super strict. I have adopted one 10 year old, as I often meet her and her dad going for a hack. He is on foot. If I am on one of my sane ones, I ask if she wants to come with me and tell dad the route we are taking. We have loads of hills and loops, so dad stands and watches why we go fast. It's not every time I see them and they get that and they never ask to join me. I offer. We have a great time and her pony is super fast lol. It brings me back to my childhood pony days and puts a grin on my face too.
But that is a well mannered and polite 10 year old who is totally being brought up the correct way. I avoid the bratzila child who is slightly older but very very rude like the plague and even if she demands that she is coming out with me I take one of the nuttier horses out and say no sorry I cant watch you and ride this one.
 

Keith_Beef

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That's insane. What if you'd had somewhere else to be? I'm afraid I would have chased after her and refused.

Some of the comments in this thread about the parents assuming that other adults around the yard will keep an eye on their kids while the parents do their own thing reminds me of the after-school club that my kids were in when in elementary school (5 to 10 years old, or as they say over there "K thru 5") in the US.

The deal was that school finished at 15h30, and for a reasonable fee the children could stay until 18h00 (I think it was) doing other activities; playing outside just under supervision, unorganized, when the weather permitted, or doing art and craft type stuff or playing board games in the hall when the weather was bad.

This was great, it gave me time to get home from work and pick them up, or have a babysitter collect them if I knew I'd be working late or was away and my OH couldn't get to the school for that time.

Some parents, however, were systematically late by about 15 to 30 minutes. There would be a little line of kids waiting outside the school door, with the supervisors, waiting.

So the head of the school board decided that any children who had not been collected within five minutes of the end of the after-school club would be walked in a crocodile down to the town police station and handed over as "abandoned". I don't think it ever had to be put to the test, but the threat of it happening had to be made before those parents made a proper attempt at organising their child care.

What would happen, I wonder, in the UK, if you called the police and said "I've got a young child here on my yard who has been abandoned by its parents"...
 
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pansymouse

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I was at a yard with a gaggle of very badly behaved children from the same family with a very dozy mother. They pestered me and were impervious to being ignored until they managed to trap my fingers in my stable door - the pain was acute and accompanied by a barrage of high volume child unfriendly language. They were warned off going near me after that.
 

Littlebear

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For me livery yards are a place where horses are kept; they are NOT a playground for children, nor are they an exercise area for dogs.

I think I may be alone in disagreeing with this (not the playground part obviously). I always liked over the years that families had a family hobby, parents teaching their kids to ride, people having their dogs and having them out on hacks with them, kids being out in the fresh air and 'helping' to do jobs.
Maybe I just haven't been annoyed really by any kids or dogs, never seen parents leave their kids to others or let them run riot - but its been 35 years I have had horses now so maybe not. I think life would be a bit boring and serious without all of that tbh.
 

fidleyspromise

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This is what riding schools used to be. Dump kids for a day to "learn and care" for horses. That was perfect for those that wanted to be there but such a PITA for dealing either those that didn't want to be there and didn't do jobs right so others ended up redoing them.
There are a couple kids on my yard and I don't mind them at all but they don't pester me and they are very respectful. I wouldn't mind them coming over and asking questions/wanting to be involved but that's my decision. I'm currently teaching my 2 10yr old nieces to ride once a fortnight.
Dogs I have no issue with provided they are under control and their crap is picked up. I hated having dog poop outside my field especially as I picked my dogs ones up.
Noise from the kids would annoy me but I'd put up with it/accept it depending on what they're doing.

Op - when the kids come over I would just say I'm too busy, go back to mum.
I'm Sorry you're not able to relax and enjoy your horse as much as you want.
 

Wishfilly

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Some of the comments in this thread about the parents assuming that other adults around the yard will keep an eye on their kids while the parents do their own thing reminds me of the after-school club that my kids were in when in elementary school (5 to 10 years old, or as they say over there "K thru 5") in the US.

The deal was that school finished at 15h30, and for a reasonable fee the children could stay until 18h00 (I think it was) doing other activities; playing outside just under supervision, unorganized, when the weather permitted, or doing art and craft type stuff or playing board games in the hall when the weather was bad.

This was great, it gave me time to get home from work and pick them up, or have a babysitter collect them if I knew I'd be working late or was away and my OH couldn't get to the school for that time.

Some parents, however, were systematically late by about 15 to 30 minutes. There would be a little line of kids waiting outside the school door, with the supervisors, waiting.

So the head of the school board decided that any children who had not been collected within five minutes of the end of the after-school club would be walked in a crocodile down to the town police station and handed over as "abandoned". I don't think it ever had to be put to the test, but the threat of it happening had to be made before those parents made a proper attempt at organising their child care.

What would happen, I wonder, in the UK, if you called the police and said "I've got a young child here on my yard who has been abandoned by its parents"...

It would be interesting to find out.

As a teacher, some of the things mentioned on this thread are things I'd be potentially obliged to report as safeguarding concerns.
 

Winters100

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I think I may be alone in disagreeing with this (not the playground part obviously). I always liked over the years that families had a family hobby, parents teaching their kids to ride, people having their dogs and having them out on hacks with them, kids being out in the fresh air and 'helping' to do jobs.
Maybe I just haven't been annoyed really by any kids or dogs, never seen parents leave their kids to others or let them run riot - but its been 35 years I have had horses now so maybe not. I think life would be a bit boring and serious without all of that tbh.


Yes, I am with you on this. We have some really nice children at our yard, sure they sometimes get a bit over excited, but I enjoy seeing them having fun and I think it does the horses good to be used to a bit of noise. They are all polite and happy to lend a hand, I might feel differently if we had any little horrors! I do think however that in this case OP is justified in being miffed as children of 3 and 6 are really far too young to be wandering around the yard without being under very close supervision of a parent (and by this I mean within grabbing distance). I would not mind the noise, but it would really worry me having tiny children walking around near my horses purely from a safety issue.
 

ILuvCowparsely

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We don't allow dogs on the yard, if people do take them on a hack they take the horse into the car park and let dog out and then get on. We have had a spate of bad children on the yard, Screaming, running out in front of horses, climbing on the hay, playing with the hay cutting knife, opening two field gates, then climbing over the post and rail to get into donkeys field, mother out of site of the 5 year old. The language the 5 year old came out with shocked me to the core.

Now this bunch do shout and scream sometimes, but all in all are nice kids with nice parents.


Dogs - will never be allowed on the yard
 

Sossigpoker

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Like others have said - grow a pair and tell the parent that you do not want the children anywhere near your horse , stable or stuff. And when the kids approach, just tell them sternly "I'm sorry, this is my private space , please go and see your mother " or something. Kids learn quickly who they adults who don't take any shit are.
 

sportsmansB

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I've basically scared the few kids who ever come near our yard and so now they stay away from me of their own accord
I shout at them if they do something stupid or dangerous, which no one else seems to do, and now they stay out of my way and stop playing football / banging brushes against doors / having water fights if I so much as look at them sideways
Suits me fine - and what can the parents say, if they were doing something dangerous and got shouted at its for their own safety, who can argue with that?
That said I couldn;t give a toss what the parents think of me personally, and I think that helps!
 

dorsetladette

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Children should not be allowed to 'screech' at inappropriate times, it is possible to train them not to. They must soon learn to use 'indoor voices' in certain settings eg, the yard, supermarket etc.

Young children running around a livery yard unsupervised is dangerous, not just annoying.

This /\

A friend of my OH dropped off some fencing at the field for him the other day. He brought his 5 (I think) year old son with him. The child is a bit feral to be honest. But he was told to sit in the truck while they unloaded. He didn't and no one noticed. said child went in the field with my young colt and started pulling on his rug, colt nudged him away and child fell on his knees and screamed. With that the colt turned to run off, but in turning away kicked out and caught the boy on the back of his head. It was horrid to see from a distance and not be able to do anything about it. (I was in another part of the field and saw the last few seconds, but was to far away to get there in time despite my best efforts). The boy is ok, but it really should never of happened.

This incident happened on a large quiet field with only 3 horses so I dread to think what could happen on a livery yard with multiple horses coming and going.
 

Errin Paddywack

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Back in the 70's/80's I rented a small field alongside the canal. There was a mooring there with a lived on narrowboat. Barbed wire round the mooring to keep the horses away. My doctor and his wife (nurse) lived on the boat with their toddler son. We were just coming back from a hack and the other ponies came cantering up to meet us. To our horror the toddler was in the field with them while his mum looked on unconcerned. She couldn't seem to understand just how dangerous it was and was quite put out at being told to get her kid out quick. Still makes my blood run cold thinking about it.
 
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