Equines And Children. Interesting behaviours?

Orca

Orca

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I'm finding my new mare's behaviour towards children unusual and interesting. She's intrigued by them. She sniffs them all over (then the ground after they have left very extensively) and behaves in a way which is clearly excitement (to the point I almost expect a squeal but she is quite vocal anyway!).

Although she is incredibly gentle, she is of course asked to 'back-up' and 'stand' out of their space but I wonder where this apparent joy and intrigue might come from? It's as though she can barely contain herself and will make a bee-line, ears pricked hard forwards, towards the nearest small person for a good wuffle, if allowed.

I've noticed she has a similar but not quite so acute interest in magpies and dogs. So, pretty much everything smaller than her that she's met with me so far.

She's 6, green and has previously foaled. Her foal was with her for two years and they were very closely bonded. I don't know whether this might have anything to do with it but it's the only thing I can think of which might (or might not) have any relevance.

Being green, new things are of course exciting by nature but she does not display these behaviours with new inanimate objects or anyone over 4' tall and despite being used to dogs, still finds them fairly interesting. Why has she got a thing for small things? Any thoughts?
 
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oh bless her! I don't have any light to shed, except to say that I have noticed that my 8 YO gelding appears to be absolutely captivated by very young horses - a yearling filly on our yard and also a couple that we encounter at my Ri's yard.
 
Cowpony said:
My sharer has 4 small children and my mare has a real bond with them. They can catch her when the rest of us can't!
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That must be both sweet and frustrating in equal measures! She sounds lovely. This affinity is one of the reasons I chose my mare. She's destined to be a family horse but admittedly, I was expecting her excitement to wane a little ��.

Tobiano said:
oh bless her! I don't have any light to shed, except to say that I have noticed that my 8 YO gelding appears to be absolutely captivated by very young horses - a yearling filly on our yard and also a couple that we encounter at my Ri's yard.
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Isn't it interesting when they display these quirks? Maybe just a matter of character?
 
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We have a 10yr old welshie on the yard who hands down prefers children to adults. I am just about bearable for him, but he is a different animal with children.
Any bond with any animal is precious though, it's lovely your mare is affectionate towards your children.
 
I have a now 5yr old grandson, four horses ranging from a now 5yr old, 12yr old and two mid 20's, all horses have always been careful around my grandson, even the 3yr old (at the time) cob was gentle and quiet around the then 2yr old grandson who loves being involved with the horses, my 17 2hh TB lowers his head to grandsons level when grandson is leading him, as does my 12yr old trotterx, photos show both horses being quietly interested in my grandson, one memorable occasion, grandson went missing, found him in the barn with older grandkids standing on an upturned bucket, surrounded by four horses, heart in mouth I suggested to the older grandkids that it wasn't the safe'st scenario for a young child, but my horses seem to make allowances for age
 
My gelding is like that. There used to be a 1 year old around the yard when her mother brought her up and she would wander over to see harley at times. He would put his head down as low as he could over his stable door so she could pat him. She would pat his nose which he refuses to let me touch at all yet she could touch it no problem. He always looked so happy too ears forward and with a look of "oh my god you are tiny!".

He is the same with a dog there even though it leaps up to try and bite him (i tell it off for that but it's owner usually doesnt). He has no survival instinct as he just keeps his head there. Weird horse.

He will also stand totally still when my mum or 11 year old cousin brush his legs yet no matter how lightly I do it he tends to move around a bit or start grooming me. He seems to know if someone will be scared if he moves too much and behaves for them. He is a sweetie.
 
I have found many animals know when they are young. Big gelding nuzzles kids, and is very tolerant. On the other hand, I was helping out with a little shetland, who was an absolute saint for the children, but would bite the adult handler :D
 
alainax said:
I have found many animals know when they are young. Big gelding nuzzles kids, and is very tolerant. On the other hand, I was helping out with a little shetland, who was an absolute saint for the children, but would bite the adult handler :D
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Oh Shetlands are a different rule altogether. Anything bigger than them is evil according to them and must be destroyed. :P
 
Orca said:
I'm finding my new mare's behaviour towards children unusual and interesting. She's intrigued by them. She sniffs them all over (then the ground after they have left very extensively) and behaves in a way which is clearly excitement (to the point I almost expect a squeal but she is quite vocal anyway!).
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This 4 year old ID is the same age as his little rider. When she leads him, he carries his head low - and close to her. He's well enough behaved by a 4 yearold who's had good basic education - but a different horse with small children He loves them and takes cae of them.

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I love all of these stories! I've had some very nurturing hosses myself, previously and I suppose this is just an extension of that kind of nature. It's the sheer excitement this one is displaying which is also tickling me. Is it likely to abate a little, I wonder? I absolutely love the affinity she has with youngsters but it's currently coupled with almost puppy like joy. A half tonne puppy!
 
My ponies have either grown up or had my children around them since birth (kids and ponies!;)). I've got some wonderful pics and memories of them together.

They seem to have an understanding when small children are about. We had one pony on loan that didn't like me much. Eldest could load her in the trailer no trouble, she'd stand on the bottom of the ramp and refuse if I tried!

I still remember eldest holding Flicka at a show when she was 2 and grooming her everywhere. They have a lovely bond. Unfortunately I think that may lead to me losing her as my riding pony. :(
 
I actually find this kind of behaviour normal, my sec A and filly cob are completely besoted with my 2yr old daughter, the filly loves everyone but particularly children and will play Chase and hide and seek (according to the kids, she is just following them around like a bad smell really lol) although the sec A really does just have a soft spot for my daughter. The sec b we recently sold is also "all for the kids" and just loved to be around them constantly even when he was only 2yrs old the smallest of children could show him inhand, groom, catch, load etc, we used to have a lovely little sec A that we got from beeston apparently unbroken and only ever used as a brood mare that turned out to be an absolute diamond of a first pony and loved the kids so much I will never forget my friends daughter tacking her up then wandered off to get her mum and the pony following like a lamb after her as if to say "I think your supposed to be riding me now" bless her she was an angel
 
My gelding who had had no interest in children previously (other than finding them scary when they shrieked) became besotted with both my babies. From the moment my first was back from hospital he wanted to sniff her and touch her, and he still asks for her to come and pet him every time she's in the yard 4.5 years late. Same with number two. Very weird.
 
I think it's amazing how horses come down to little children's level. My connie loves my little girl and has been with us from bump to little jockey. He used to sniff my then bump and leave his head by my tummy. I have an amazing photo of her in her pushchair about 4/5 months old smiling up at him as he put his head over the stable door towards to ear pricked. The Shetland (who is for my little girl ) is besotted with her - follows her around, calms right down when etc (They are my profile pic) those two are going to have so much fun in years to come.
 
I do think animals are often good with children, not just horses. I've sometimes wondered if it's similar to how (most) people react around young animals - we instinctively adore them! I'm sure it relates to our inbuilt instinct to nurture our own young, which is transferred to other species, and I suppose with animals it work the same way. Both our horses are very good with children. Our incredibly hard to catch Welsh gelding has previously allowed himself to be caught by our YO's then nine year old daughter when he wouldn't allow anyone else to get near him, although I'd say her effect on him is getting less now that she is older and nearly a teenager! And I remember going to see my mare in her loan home and watching as her loaner, a 16 year old girl, brought her in with the help of the four year old daughter of another livery, who was wearing her school uniform and little sandals, and really wanted to hold the leadrope. I was worried that Lulu would step on her tiny feet, but I have never seen a horse be more careful or respectful of the person leading it.
 
My last horse was very good on the ground anyway although slightly imperious sometimes (late cut luistano). But he was a different animal with my stepdaughter. R has an advanced form of a type of MD and has to wear leg braces and has poor motor control, she's also extremely autistic and has learning disabilities. As soon as she's awake, she's talking (mostly loudly :) )-never stops no matter what she's doing-and she would natter away to him for hours while he napped on her shoulder over the door. My old Exmoor was very good with her too and he can be a cheeky wee ***** with adults.
 
HashRouge said:
I do think animals are often good with children, not just horses. I've sometimes wondered if it's similar to how (most) people react around young animals - we instinctively adore them! I'm sure it relates to our inbuilt instinct to nurture our own young, which is transferred to other species, and I suppose with animals it work the same way...
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This makes sense! Orca is my first since having children and although my childhood ponies and particularly my teen horse were child nurturers, this is the first time I've seen that relationship from an outsiders perspective. It's so touching to witness ��.

(... and I'm now doubly glad I choose her!)
 
This is something I adore about horses! My last boy was just like that, obsessed with kids and just beautiful with them. Taught quite a few to ride on him, but beware if you already knew how to ride :P I got him when I was 11 and clearly he didn't see me as a kid, lol!!!!

My current boy is lovely but a handful, well and truly - never nasty, ever, doesn't even enter his head, just excitable and nervous plus big and strong. My little 9yo next door neighbour is a really good little rider and obsessed with horses, and I remember what it was like being that age and not having a horse, so I take her out when I go to my boy sometimes. He's an ANGEL with her. He's 16hh and she's used to a 13hh pony. When he's calm and relaxed (he has 2 modes, totally calm or racehorse wired, I'd never put her on when he's like that but since starting magnesium he's basically never like that anymore) I let her have a ride in a safe enclosed space. We started really slow with her only on the lead as I wasn't sure how he'd be, but he's been incredible with her, she's been jumping and all sorts of things on him and he is just magic for her. Her confidence and skill has improved heaps! I hop on straight after and he goes back to his normal self, which, when calm, is mr. fancy pants I wanna be a grand prix showjumper let's GO HAVE FUN, which I love tbh! He's been just what both of us needed, and I'm very proud of him. I even felt confident enough in him to give a pony ride to a little one the other day, a little girl about 6. He's not a particularly affectionate horse, especially to people he doesn't know, but he leant down and snuffled and kissed her and she was delighted! I gave her a little walk around with her mum and my friend holding on to her as she'd never even sat on a horse before, but I needn't have worried, he walked so slow and carefully and was just magnificent. Horses totally get it.
 
Slightly off topic but I once had a gelding and his field was near a day centre for adults with learning disabilities.

When I first got the gelding he was totally unhandled and everything had to be introduced very slowly. He could be quite suspicious of people and new things so you can imagine my surprise when I arrived one day to find him standing with his head over the field gate being stroked, patted and generally adored by a group of about 7 adults from the day centre. Some of them could be quite jerky in their movements and a little unpredictable but there stood my gelding quietly nuzzling them and accepting their love and attention.

Still get a lump in my throat when I think about that moment. And if anyone ever asks me why I love horses, well that moment sums it up.
 
Lovely stories. My mare is the same too.
Before i got her, she'd become very head shy as she'd been hit over the head whilst on livery. Now 100 times better, she can still be wary if you reach up too fast or catch her by surprise. However, for the little ones, she'll lower her head right down and let them touch her wherever they please without being cautious. She's incredibly gentle with them and her ears are constantly pricked (which is a nice change!).
 
It's lovely isn't it. I read somewhere that horses love children because they perceive only good 'vibes' from them, and no threat. Adults apparently have too much 'stuff' going on in their heads.
 
I'm the opposite I'm afraid. My horse is quite smoochy and affectionate UNLESS you are a child. We have had to yank toddlers away from him at the last minute as he absolutely goes them, teeth bared, ears flat back, the whole bit.
 
DonskiWA said:
I'm the opposite I'm afraid. My horse is quite smoochy and affectionate UNLESS you are a child. We have had to yank toddlers away from him at the last minute as he absolutely goes them, teeth bared, ears flat back, the whole bit.
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I know people who are like that towards children. Teeth bared, the lot ��.
 
DonskiWA said:
I'm the opposite I'm afraid. My horse is quite smoochy and affectionate UNLESS you are a child. We have had to yank toddlers away from him at the last minute as he absolutely goes them, teeth bared, ears flat back, the whole bit.
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the shetand x in my avatar was like this with children and even with me whilst I was pregnant, he always hated them with an absolute passion till one day at the grand old age of 32 he suddenly changed his mind and accepted them but he saddly passed away two years later
 
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