Is it me? - or am I just becoming an old fogey?

[EllenJay]

At my yard, there are a number of horses either up for sale or looking for a loan home. So currently we have lots of visitors.

Today, one of the horses that is up for loan was being tried out by a young girl. She was there with her mum and her young (under 2 yo) brother. Now I understand that mum wants to see daughter ride potential loan horse - but surely her main priority is ensuring that her toddler is not running under horses that are tied up in the yard.

After taking toddler back to her the first time, I asked her to keep an eye on child as "there are a lot of horses on the yard", after the second time my comments were a little richer.

Now, if I was on a strange yard, at a time when everyone is turning up to turn out/bring in etc, my 2yo child would be clamped to my side.

Earlier in the week, another potential new owner's toddler was teasing one of the dogs on the yard - luckily this was a good natured dog, but the mother didn't know that.

I am not a great H&S fan - but common sense must rule. What are these mothers thinking???

 

[Dancing Queen]

No some people just dont care. the behaviour of some parents is awful.

 

[flying solo]

Completely agree, some people just dont understand how dangerous a yard can be and some kids are out of control and dont listen!

 

[annaellie]

I used to hate it when that happened the parents would soon be kicking off if your horse/ dog hurt there child
When I bought my 17.2 he was a git and would think nothing of kicking out, I used to tie him up at the far end so people wouldn't have to pass him, what do you know some teenagers decided they wanted to sit on wall by the end so had to pass I told them nicely then next time had a rant the third time I spoke to parent who quite clearly informed me said 12 yr old was very capable around horses my response was when he kicks your daughter clean into next week don't come to me some people have no common sense

 

[MerrySherryRider]

I'd be the same as you. No one wants to see a small child injured, but if an accident happened, it'd be the horse/dog that got the blame.

 

[Dancing Queen]

Yes some parents do not teach their children to be responsible - this includes taking responsibility for their actions. There are far too many parents who believe that their child can do no wrong.

 

[muddy boots]

NO - I agree with you totally.

My own pet hate is when these children are brought up and let loose wearing sandals.

 

[flying solo]

Dancing Queen, I think thats why there is so many brats because everyone wants a easy life and letting kids run wild is dashes than teaching right and wrong! My moto is 3 strikes and she's out, tantrum's are a big no-no and have put her in the car to cry so no one else has to hear her being silly when she's grumpy... most people think i'm harsh as she's only 3 but she's well behaved 99.9% of the time

 

[Syrah]

My 2 yr old doesn't come anywhere near the yard or any horses if I'm doing anything that would mean she couldn't be clamped to my side every single second.

She is told in no uncertain terms that she is not to squeal (toddlers do alot of that ), shout, scream and she is to stay by me at all times.

My 5yr old is a bit more savvy and old enough to understand so she is allowed to go off and play with the YO's daughter but she doesn't come with me if I'm riding.

 

[binkymerlin]

i was allways put in the old wooden hay rack when my mom took me to the stables. safest place for me. i dont understand these people? do they not get it? :-@

 

[Geraldine]

My 2 yr old doesn't come anywhere near the yard or any horses if I'm doing anything that would mean she couldn't be clamped to my side every single second. She is told in no uncertain terms that she is not to squeal (toddlers do alot of that ), shout, scream and she is to stay by me at all times.

This ^^^^ with both of my children! Tom is now 12 (I got Bob when he was 5) and Anya is 3 1/2. I trust Bob implicitly - well as much as you can trust any animal - but the pair of them are expected to be impeccably behaved and quiet when they're at the farm (and at all other times too!). I have compunction about shoving them in the car (Anya strapped into her seat) if they start playing up!

They're only children, it's just not worth the risk of them being trodden on or flattened.

Phew - that was a bit long, sorry!!

 

[darkhorse123]

i was allways put in the old wooden hay rack when my mom took me to the stables. safest place for me. i dont understand these people? do they not get it? :-@

#This made me lol - love it !

 

[MochaDun]

I'm an old fogey and happy to admit to it. Common sense sometimes goes out the window and while some may accuse me of being too worried about stuff happening around horses, most of the accidents on our yard where people have got kicked or smacked by a horse have been totally unpredicatable and not intentional by the horses as stuff always happens when you least expect it. Our YO does have a rule about tiny-s on the yard but it gets infringed but then at their risk at that point.

 

[The Fuzzy Furry]

Some of the replies made me grin - for safely I used to shut my (then) toddler in a stable, preferring to tie equines outside - at least I knew where she was!
As she got bigger, sometimes shetland was shoved in there too for company

Stable rug, toys, she was fine for a few mins if I had to sort out something.
Prior to that was strapped into old coach-type pram & parked in corner of yard or in haybarn out of harms way. Occasionally shoved in pram to centre of paddock whilst I schooled round her......

To the OP - once escaping is an accident, more than that then the parent really doesnt give a monkeys IMHO

 

[EllenJay]

To the OP - once escaping is an accident, more than that then the parent really doesnt give a monkeys IMHO

Thank goodness for that - at the yard I was beginning to think that I was in the wrong. The look on the mum's face when I first mentioned that is wasn't safe to let toddle run around was a sight to behold!. Shame as toddler was a lovely kid and deserves better.

 

[classicalfan]

Isn't it also just good manners to make sure one's children don't run amok or get in other people's way? Not to mention the potential danger the poor child is in when unsupervised.

My boot is available should anyone wish to execute a quick kick up the backside.

 

[Ibblebibble]

Isn't it also just good manners to make sure one's children don't run amok or get in other people's way? Not to mention the potential danger the poor child is in when unsupervised.

you would think so wouldn't you, but sadly not it seems, i am so lucky being on farm livery that i don't have to put up with other peoples children around me or my horses lol, only peoples dogs because it's a farm a few seem to think it's acceptable to let their dogs wander freely outside of their own field

 

[PolarSkye]

Anyone with a little one running loose on our yard would be getting a swift earful from the YO, not to mention the other liveries!

My bigger bugbear is adults who should know better - more than once I've had a fellow livery tie up their horse far too close to Kal . . . my boy doesn't kick, but I still wouldn't be tieing another horse up within striking reach - you just never know and if they are both tied up/feeling restricted all they have left (if they feel the need to defend themselves) are their hind feet!

P

 

[mole]

i cant believe that a mother would put their child in such a dangerous situation!! How stupid! my daughter knows that with my horse she can do what she likes as i know my horse is brilliant with her but equally she knows that she should not go up to other horses and that if she has to walk past other horses she gives them a very wide berth. most of the time tho my daughter will be right by my side anyway.

i would never want to put her in undue danger and would never forgive myself if anything happened to her. some people are just mindless

 

[Flicker]

There was a dreadful woman at my old yard who would come past your stable with her 6 year old in tow, if you were inside mucking out or grooming or whatever, and say 'just keep an eye on X for 5 mins for me' and dump her there. 20 minutes later you'd be wanting to ride or go home and the child would still be at your side, limpet-like, and when you tried to track down mum you'd find out she'd gone for a hack with a mate...
Lovely woman

 

[Spotsrock]

#This made me lol - love it !

I used to do this with my friend's daughter when she came with me to the yard, I'd get the old dear in, with help from 2y/o then leave child in hay rack in old dears stable where she couldn't get trodden on and go and get the youngsters in. Would come back to find Lottie sniffing and nuzzling 2y/o and 2 y/o kissing her nose and cuddling her face!! Had the old dear nearly 20 years and 100% trust her, wouldn't do it with any other horse though!! (childs mother was ok with this!!) Same child used to jump with me, little hat and bp, sitting on saddle in front of me, I'd say 'now' and she'd fold so that I could!! Glued to my side, strapped in push chair in an empty stable so she was safe from any loose horses, or in Lottie's hay rack at ALL times.

 

[Tr0uble]

Drives me insane! To my mind, it is the person on the yard who they are visiting who should take responsibility for making sure their visitors are 'under control' and not only the toddlers!!

A previous livery was trying to run a dealer business (made the yard a total nightmare) and I frequently complained about toddlers being allowed to run up to my horses. But one day someone brought all generations with them and the grandad wandered up to my youngster (who was in the stable) and patted him rather clumsily on the face...luckily said youngster is very good natured and forgiving....then he headed to my other horse...I called out to him not to (and he did hear me as he turned and waved me away!) because "the brown one can be unfriendly with strangers, and sometimes bites!) he NEVER bites but I needed something clear!

He continued and as he stepped close my horse nodded his head, as he always does if he's a little stressed (he's not keen on strangers) and the grandad got head butted right between the eyes! Arrrrgh!

I'd put them in the stable so the toddlers wouldn't be able to get tangled up in legs! And that happens!

And before anyone suggests I should have dashed over to prevent the incident, I was, and still am, on crutches with a badly smashed knee cap so dashing anywhere wasn't an option! (and the fact both my horses are safe enough for me to handle whilst on crutches shows they're not bad boys, or dangerous!)

 

[Sheep]

My boot is available...

When I read that I thought you were offering the boot of your car to lock away bad kids!

 

[ThePony]

Kids on yards just worry me! I hate it as I feed responsible if I have seen the kid, makes me feel like I should put them somewhere safe - but where are their bloomin' parents who should be feeling and doing this!

If I am looking after my (much!!) younger sister, if I can avoid taking her to the yard then I do, but if I need to take her (she is far too young to leave her on her own at home) then I take her into the yard and plant her on a set of stone steps that go nowhere and are away from where the horses go. She is instructed not to move a muscle!! At least that way I can be nearby picking feet out etc and getting on with things, but not need eyes in the back of my head to check she is out of harms way. Stresses me out though!

 

[LaurenM]

There was a woman at my last yard that had about 2-3 little ones running around all the time. They would even go through your hand bag!!

 

[mudmonkey17]

There was a dreadful woman at my old yard who would come past your stable with her 6 year old in tow, if you were inside mucking out or grooming or whatever, and say 'just keep an eye on X for 5 mins for me' and dump her there. 20 minutes later you'd be wanting to ride or go home and the child would still be at your side, limpet-like, and when you tried to track down mum you'd find out she'd gone for a hack with a mate...
Lovely woman

Well that one just takes the mick! How cheeky!

 

[moana]

I agree entirely OP - and I am an old fogey

 

[MerrySherryRider]

There was a dreadful woman at my old yard who would come past your stable with her 6 year old in tow, if you were inside mucking out or grooming or whatever, and say 'just keep an eye on X for 5 mins for me' and dump her there. 20 minutes later you'd be wanting to ride or go home and the child would still be at your side, limpet-like, and when you tried to track down mum you'd find out she'd gone for a hack with a mate...
Lovely woman

That made me laugh. We used to have a livery with a 6yr old, a 2 yr old and a new baby. The two little ones were left in the car in freezing winter nights for hours, not because mum was doing the horses, but because she was chatting while watching someone schooling. She'd send the older one off on errands like filling hay nets and carrying straw. Only problem was, the child needed help to reach the stuff and carry it to the stable, so the poor kid would ask (usually me) for help so she didn't get told off.
Great. Mum's chatting, babies are cold and hungry, little girl is having to find someone to help her because mum is drinking coffee and socialising.

 

[Hippona]

There was a dreadful woman at my old yard who would come past your stable with her 6 year old in tow, if you were inside mucking out or grooming or whatever, and say 'just keep an eye on X for 5 mins for me' and dump her there. 20 minutes later you'd be wanting to ride or go home and the child would still be at your side, limpet-like, and when you tried to track down mum you'd find out she'd gone for a hack with a mate...
Lovely woman

When my kids were little I had my horses on DIY livery...my kids would stay by me- doing our stables, in my feedroom etc...out of harms way and within sight of me. They were also taught about how to behave around horses etc. Trouble was....I ended up like the Pied bloody Piper.....doing my chores whilst supervising every bugger elses kids....and where were the mothers? Off having a fag in the tea-room - gossiping- riding in the arena or worse still- yes, gone off for a hack leaving their kids with me without even asking!!:eek

Nightmare.

 

[bluestar]

oh thats a pet hate of mine too! I used to stable at a livery where a woman would always bring her small son and he would kick a ball about all the time. It went under my horses back legs once and he spooked, almost kicking the kid. She then started to pay attention to the child (altho i had a few choice words with her too! ) I was always made to sit in the tack room/feed store/ on a bale or two of hay as a kid!