having young children and horses

C

clairelouisehorses

Well-Known Member
Joined
6 November 2010
Messages
59
Visit site
Just a nosey question really but how do people manage with young children and horses. I have two children under 4 years of age and find it a struggle some days to fit everything in.
:)
 
I'm interested in this too. I am due my first baby in January and desperate to buy aother horse after he is born (I sold my eventer due to pregnancy) I would love to know if it is realistic to be bale to have a horse and young children!
 
I have to admit I really struggled with two horses and my daughter. I had visions of her sitting in her pram sleeping whilst I grabbed half an hour in the paddock - this Never happened!!

When she was 18 months old, I was mucking out and I turned my back for 30 seconds, when I turned round she was upside down in my horses large water bucket and had stopped breathing, luckily I knew first aid and had to revive her whilst the ambulance arrived, after that she never came up to the stables with me.

She is now 13 so I am only just beginning to enjoy the thought of riding again, so I for one REALLY struggled and feel I missed out on a lot of enjoyment with my horse as I was always rushing back for her.
 
I didnt actually get my horse until my daughter was six weeks old. people said I was mad at the time, but I actually found it quite do - able. but the place I kept horse at, at the time, was literally just down the road, and the facilities were set up so that it was quite child friendly. if the set up was different, I prob would have waited a lot longer. I think it depends on personal circumstances as to how everyone manages. somehow it all seems to get done....know matter how difficult it can be some days.
 
I have 4 boys 9,7,5 and 4 and sold my pc eventer when pregnant with baby No 2 as horse was bored. But got a nice little pocket cob when No 4 was a year old. I did have a supportive Mum and friends but would park car on the yard with window slightly open while baby had his nap to muck out and do yard stuff but if I wanted to ride I had to rely on OH, Mum, friends or Nursery so I could ride. I have had friends who have timed their riding with babys nap in the car and been able to park the car by the school but obviously hacking is out of the question.

Also when we were on livery last year the boys were a great help at the yard and all love putting their waterproofs on and getting dirty. You do need eyes in the back of your head, kids who have it drummed into them how to behave around horses and apply common sense IMO. I also timed our visits to when the yard wasn't so busy whenever possible.

Kids and horses can work but it is a juggle and a compramise and never as carefree and easy as it was before but you just have to work around it.
 
I have 1 son, 4 horses and work full time. Me and my son leave home at 5am to start the horses. He helps now as he's 9 yrs old but when he was younger he use to stay in the car in the warm or play around the yard in the summer. It isn't easy but it can be done
 
Hi, I have four children, 6,4,2 and 11 months and five horses, and 2dogs. My life is absolute mayhem at times but I love it. The kids help at the stables and all have pint size tools of their own. The little ones have always enjoyed watching or napping in the car or pushchair. I can set them to doing little tasks, cleaning buckets, sweeping or tack cleaning while I exercise mine and they are rewarded by riding their own when I am done. We are all fit and healthy, they sleep brilliantly and as I rarely sit on it my sofa will last forever!
It is hard work and there are days when it all goes pearshaped on me, but I am sure I am a better mum for being able to keep a piece of my life before kids alive. I am certainly happier after my weekends hacking while OH does the kids and poo picking!
 
I have 2 children, aged 6 (7 in Jan) and 4. Iam just about to leave the house with them to go and feed and check the mares. Today isn't so bad, the weather is ok, but on horrible days it really is VERY tricky. We have a long uphill walk to the field, and in the wind and rain it is no place for a child, but sometimes its a must. Wrap up and off we go. Takes twice as long mind!! I can rely on my mum alot, and if my OH is home he does stay in with them. Today I have niether!!
When they were babies, they made excellent markers, sitting in the pram in the arena to school round and it was wonderful having a round of applause when I cleared some jumps!! I have fans!!! lol Now they can help building jumps - its their fav thing, I just have to be very clever to nagotiate their wacky designs.... hehe
 
i waited til my youngest was five and my boy lived out all year i moved him nearer home but has to come in nights on new yard winter and i got a cob for kids as they were coming a lot with me thought id give it a try find it hard stabled twice a day and its start of winter once we get to xmas im thinking were half way through winter ) thinking and looking at ways to save time
 
We've always had horses (stallions at stud and also competing) mum just did it- me and my sister just went everywhere with her.

Theres a picture of me as a tiny baby in a carry cot at the side of the ring and you can see mum and dad in the ring, sweet really :p another video at a drive where im stuffed under the seat in a carry cot.

i was 8 weeks premature and the week i was let out of hospital we went down to lampeter stallion show=blizzards and minus figures in a caravan lol think mum had a sling thing to put me in so she was handsfree.

I was never one to roam and do really dangerous stuff, always knew to keep out of the way and horses were sane so didnt matter.
 
xloopylozzax said:
We've always had horses (stallions at stud and also competing) mum just did it- me and my sister just went everywhere with her.

Theres a picture of me as a tiny baby in a carry cot at the side of the ring and you can see mum and dad in the ring, sweet really :p another video at a drive where im stuffed under the seat in a carry cot.

i was 8 weeks premature and the week i was let out of hospital we went down to lampeter stallion show=blizzards and minus figures in a caravan lol think mum had a sling thing to put me in so she was handsfree.

I was never one to roam and do really dangerous stuff, always knew to keep out of the way and horses were sane so didnt matter.
Click to expand...

wow on the circut before you could walk i always worry about my kids round other horses i never let them into the field with others to help bring in i really try to be safety concious all the time but when i look back to what i did when i was young...bareback riding cantering allong the verge/field alongside buses no hat and thought nothing wrong with that on a pony i thought was perfect ....when i look back used to take off and go under branches with me on him and bolt the only way to stop him would be to jump off ......im going back thirty odd years though
 
ive got 3 (one turned 4 last sunday, 2yo & a 7month old) i keep my 2 5 miles from home is 9 acres with NO facilitys (water, electric, school, shelter) so its just a field with no solid fencing either.
my 3 love being up there & ive just got on with it, pregnant,newborn, toddler ect.... its just got to be done.

its not that hard i found as long as you plan ahead.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top