No kids at yards

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Why would you assume that I would think that a wheelchair would spook a horse? Children running about and squealing do. If a person regularly takes their child to a yard and other people have to make allowances for them, ensuring that they are not around the horses hooves, in the hay barn breaking bales etc. then no matter how well behaved the child is, other people are subsidising the parent, by providing free child care of sorts. Regular visits by children hardly equate to an occaisional visitor, or even a sharer who can look after themselves. I find your suggestion that these are of equal intrusion ridiculous, don't you?

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well *theoretically* It could couldnt it? It might squeak...

OP wasnt talking about an unsupervised child... she was talking about a sensible child, with an ADULT looking out for him. And the amount of yards that assume a child is going to be naughty must be quite high, seeing as OP has a large number of yards in her area.
 
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So are dogs, but they're allowed....

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again depends on the yard! any on mine have to be caged when people are riding / lunging / longreining. (ahh - forming plan for large cage for small children
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can please everyone then!!) plus, dogs dont generally tend to sue you......!
i agree, its a pain for people with kids, but look for a suitable yard, dont just blame the YO.

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Yes my 3 year old would sue
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The child was being excessively boistrous, as I posted the child ran down the yard waving her arms about and screaming! This child's mother believed her child was well behaved and knew her way around horses. She was wrong. If I am enjoying my hobby, I do not expect, or want, it to be curtailed by the child of another livery. I doubt very much if my mare would have banged her head because of a gust of wind. She was used to wind, just not to people waving their arms in her face and squealing.
Yard owners can have who they want on their land, thank goodness, if you want to be sure of having just who you want ,and having anybody you want on the yard, do what we did, buy your own.
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So are dogs, but they're allowed....


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I think nearly every person on my yard has a dog at home, but none of use would dream of bringing them to the yard, they are just a nuisance in most cases.
 
well, the head injury wasnt a reaction to 'just having children about' was it? It really was an exception to the rule, and in your case I would probably have felt the same. But for normal children of normal parents it's not fair to have to pay a subsidy because of the faults of other parents.

and trust me, most of us DO keep an eye on their kids, if I can manage to work a yard of 5 horses in stables and another 15 in the field on my own AND keep an eye on an 8yo and a 3yo (who really are NOT angels) then by God anyone can! You have kids and horses you drill safety into the kids as soon as they can start to understand.


It's like saying the kid down the road has an asbo and so all parents should pay a subsidy for extra policing. It's not MY fault someone else can't keep control of their sproglet, so why should I have to pay?
 
Children do make nice jump fillers, soft so they don't hurt your horse's legs.
And you can plant them up to their neck in the muck heap and recreate Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence.
Or, if you have a particularly dangerous horse, you can pop a light child up to see if it is going to buck when you hop on later.
Their little hands are great for cleaning out the grates of drains.
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We all pay for the children of this society, which I have no problem with, I just do not think that people can shout discrimination if an owner of private land chooses not to have children on their land. The woman with the badly behaved child in my example thought her child was well behaved, safety and horse aware, she was wrong.
 
I can see why...it's easier to ban kids altogether than have to say 'ok her kids can come but your kids can't' to someone with the brats. Good way to lose your customers.

Some yards are more family oriented than others. I hope you find somewhere suitable soon.
 
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We all pay for the children of this society, which I have no problem with, I just do not think that people can shout discrimination if an owner of private land chooses not to have children on their land. The woman with the badly behaved child in my example thought her child was well behaved, safety and horse aware, she was wrong.

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I pay for my own childern , thank you very much .
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I am sorry to hear about your horses head .
 
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We all pay for the children of this society, which I have no problem with, I just do not think that people can shout discrimination if an owner of private land chooses not to have children on their land. The woman with the badly behaved child in my example thought her child was well behaved, safety and horse aware, she was wrong.

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I imagine x who lived down the road thought her horses were safe until one jumped out of the field and had a collision with a double decker bus and caused 3 deaths (over 20 years ago now). The fact is that no matter HOW safety concious you are accidents DO happen and it's rather narrowminded to assume that the acts of one child portray the behaviour of all.
If people want to go to a yard and have perfect peace and quiet then your average livery yard isnt the place for that.
What about children who have ponies? by your standards they shouldnt be allowed... because they shouldnt be on livery yards. That's really a rather self centred view, children learn a hell of a lot better being on yards (supervised by adults), and it also would mean that fewer children would own ponies because believe it or not not all of us can afford to buy our own land. Why should we? Just because a 'few' don't like kids?

Segregating a group of society and banning them from a buisness is bordering on discrimination.

If they stopped people from entering supermarkets wearing smelly yard clothes there'd soon be uproar (let's face it, it DOES pose a risk to food safety... along with builders and tramps etc.. would YOU want a pair of pooey hands all over the fruit section if you didnt own a horse? )

It works all ways...
 
I take your point _Charlie_, I have a child myself, and when he did go to the yard when he was younger he was closely supervised, or there for a lesson. When he was very tiny we avoided bigger yards and kept his lead rein pony on small farms where he couldn't bother anybody.

Yes, there should be yards where children can ride their ponies, and learn under supervision, and I take my hat off to anybody who runs one of those yards.

The sad fact is that most of my experience of small children on yards is that they are noisy, disruptive and downright dangerous. I pay a not-so-small fortune for my hobby, so I expect to be able to enjoy it in fairly tranquil surroundings. To this end I have avoided traditional riding schools and pony yards.
 
QR -

In England I didn't allow children under 16 on my yard; wasn't actually an issue as none of my boarders ever brought their children up anyway; actually most of them didn't have children. Dogs were allowed and most people brought their dogs to my yard. All of the people were responsible and cleared up after their dogs; they were all well behaved too.

Over here I don't really have any rules. People bring their children and some bring their dogs. The dogs have all been no problem - whereas every single child who has ever come up here has been a royal pain in the butt! They run around screeching their heads off, doesn't bother the horses but it bothers me! They bounce on our trampoline and swing on the swing without asking permission; they all ask to go in my swimming pool, which I don't really mind because they ask, but to be honest I'd just rather they didn't come here. This is a quiet farm and that's the way we like it - when children come here, it is like we have been taken over by the hoards! The only nice thing about the children coming here, is when they leave to go home!

Sorry I appreciate there must be some children owned by responsible horsey parents out there, but I have never met them I'm afraid.
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Only me and YO on my yard. My 5yo gathers all of the water buckets, cleans and fills them, gathers all of the feed buckets and sets them out for me, she mucks out her pony (after a fashion but she takes it seriously and tries) Takes round hay for the pony and sweeps the yard, then delivers the feeds to the correct stables for me after helping to mix them. Then she brings her pony in and picks out her feet.

She's ran, she's played in the hay, and in the puddles and she's got things wrong at times, but she's learning and YO and her hubby both like having her around. They enjoy a lively little person who makes them smile. Yes she gets told off for things at times, but a bit of tolerance from the adults around her is leading to a well behaved, kind and helpful child.
 
Having read all the posts. I'm not quite sure what the debate is!! Yards are privately owned and it is down to the owner who is or isnt allowed on the property!!

Some yards just dont want kids.

Some holidays are for adults only. Thats just the way it is!!

We have kids, and have to accept that not everyone wants to be surrounded by them! When my kids are all grown up, if I was to choose to go to an 'adult only' yard, I would enjoy the peace!!! (Not saying I would!)

Even the *best* behaved child in the world does pose a risk and will cry/whinge/touch stuff that isnt meant to be touched.....

For the record, I am very open to the fact that my kids are less than perfect (probably why I understand adult only places!), but with a role model like me they are sure to get there soon
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!!!!!!
 
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The sad fact is that most of my experience of small children on yards is that they are noisy, disruptive and downright dangerous. I pay a not-so-small fortune for my hobby, so I expect to be able to enjoy it in fairly tranquil surroundings.

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You've hit the nail on the head there mother_hen. I absolutely agree with you. I think badly behaved children are definitely not 'few' as another poster stated.

Also, YOs can't say 'right, you're kids can come to the yard, but X's can't'. A rule is a rule, you can't make exceptions.
 
I'm very sorry but kids and loose dogs IMO do not belong on yards. I pay £300+ a month to keep my horse in a safe, calm environment and IMO this doesn't include screaming kids and dogs that dig/poo in my horse's bed!

Whilst I have every sympathy with those who have children..... it is a lifestyle choice to have them, I chose not to, and therefore I don't see why I should have to put up with other people's!
If in an EMERGENCY someone has to bring their child/dog with them for whatever reason, it should be well behaved and supervised BY THE PARENT/OWNER or someone with them - it is not the other liveries' responsibilty to prevent kids falling into tractor innards etc.
Sorry if I sound harsh - just my opinion.
And at the end of the day it is the YM/YO perogative to allow or disallow anything on their land. End of.
 
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CAnd you can plant them up to their neck in the muck heap and recreate Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence.
Or, if you have a particularly dangerous horse, you can pop a light child up to see if it is going to buck when you hop on later.
Their little hands are great for cleaning out the grates of drains.
S
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Are you at my yard? I think someone hs been watching me lunge the Moose, with added five year old child....And how else are you meant to brush a horse's belly? Send a five-year old with a body brush under there! Its just like sending them up chimneys, but with less soot.

PS. My daughter comes to the yard with me VERY occasionally. She stays with me all the time, she helps out (this is part of the deal for allowing her to come) and she watches quietly while I lunge. If she has been good and sensible all the time, then she gets a "pony ride" on the Moose after I've lunged her.

i don't generally ride while my daughter's with me, because i know it would be boring for her and that's when she WOULD wander off and get into trouble. We are liveried on a working farm, and there is all sorts of dodgy trouble she could get herself into.
 
I haven't read all the posts to be honest but have to say we bought our own yard a few months back by extending the mortgage and to be somewhere with no one elses kids/dogs is just bliss.

I'm not mad on having kids round yards but my horses did benefit I think from their unpredictability, after all, kids do run around at shows so if horsey has never been used to them you could be in trouble. That said I used to get fed up at one yard where Mum would wander off to the manege etc leaving small son to get up to all sorts. He wasn't naughty he just used to get himself into potential trouble and I resented the moral obligation to keep an eye on him while enjoying my time off!
 
I am on an adult only yard and it is a lot more peaceful than the yard I was on a few years back on which there were lots of children. The thing is though, children do have to start somewhere. A large proportion of us, me included, rode from early childhood onwards and I am sure we'd all have hated to have missed out on that?

I think we have to accept that some yards welcome children and some don't. My daughter is nearly 15 and she is very welcome on my current adult only yard because she is quiet and well behaved. I am also allowed to bring one of her friends up for a ride on the lead rein occasionally, which I think is very decent of the YO.

Sidesaddle, I hope you find a suitable yard soon and/or pass your driving test!
 
I'm actually not sure which is better for your average livery owner , I've been on both and had some very happy years on a small family friendly yard in Sussex, but think this was mainly due to the fact that the people there were actually just nice people, no bitching, and the children well behaved with plenty to do (they had LOTS of animals apart from the horses including goats, chicken, mini ponies, ferrets etc and the children were always encouraged to help with these, so no one was ever bored) This worked really well, as well as having loads of secure land they could run off and play on so it made for a very very nice happy yard. I have been on bigger livery yards here in Surrey where clearly children aren't a good idea, its normally the bigger 50+ horse yards where evryone is a bit secluded from each other, atmosphere plays a very important part in if children are suited, and if its the sort of yard youjust come and do your horse and then go then no, I don't like children on the yard, as often these places are where people go for peace and quiet and don't really want their horse time disturbed. I must say though, that I would rather be on the family friendly relaxed yard any day, as its like having a big extended family and we used to have the most wonderful time at the yard as it wasn't just about the horses, but also had lots of good social aspects to, and i wasn't at all bothered by the children, despite not having any of my own, they were actually quite entertaining!.
 
QR
I'm from a non-horsey family who learnt to ride as a child and got a pony at age eleven. He was kept at the BHS approved riding school where I had learnt along with lots of other kids many on first ponies. It was perfect, but its my idea of hell as an adult. The same way a mostly adults yard full of unpredictable competition horses is not much fun to a child. It makes sense to have different types of yard to suit different needs. Keep looking and I'm sure you'll find something to suit you, your horse and your child.
 
Just got back from mucking out Sen and visited a few of the stables around today. Blaby Mills doesn't have any vacancies at the moment but I put my name down if one comes up. They do take kids though but only if they are well behaved and supervised (which Jake is!).

Have to ring another tonight which *may* take kids, have to find out if they even have any stalls free.

Then I visited one that's near to where Sen is where they def take kids but the stables look tiny, I think Lucy would be too big for them as she's a BIG girl! I don't even think she would be able to get through the stable doors even!

The YO of the place I was dying to go rang me this morning, said that although she would love to have me there (I come highly recommended apparently from various people around!) and she knows how Jake is, she can't bend the rules for me and not for the others who cause the problems. Fair enough.

I may have to rent a field nearby for a few months (well, until I'm ready for my test next year) if worse comes to worse!
 
I never had a problem with the idea of kids at livery yards, even though the yard that I am at discourages them. In a moment of madness the YO agreed to a child girl owner who unfortunatley had two brothers and thus forth there was a never ending list of problems. The boys were bored and the girl didnt respect anyone elses property and had screaming rows with her mum. The problems consisted of:

Boys making dens and leaving debris all over the yard, including other peoples belongings. One of the dens was inside a bush adjascent to the menage which caused a few accidents.

Footballs flying into the school.

Holes dug in the school

Feed being taken by the girl

Property being taken and broken by the girl

As said screaming matching with her mum.

Water being sprayed all over the yard including up the exterior walls of the stable completely freaking all the horses.

Bikes/scooters etc being left behind horses...and riding past them at speed.

The list was endless...I would always prefer a yard without kids now.
 
Slight tangent, but where are the kids supposed to learn if all the livery yards around ban kids. The yards I have been to since I was small have all accepted kids, even ones with big competition horses. The kids are well behaved and do help out or the parents find something quite for the kids to do while they are riding/working.

I sometimes ride over in France and the children there are always practising vaulting (on the vault horse) with mats around in case the fall off, they go up the levels in riding over time, they help around the yard and every child learns to groom, sweep, lead and tack up their pony. There position and seat are more solid than a lot of adults I see and they are very good at riding the ponies/horses. It is the same in the US (where I ride a lot), the yard has every kid bridle up themselves and the kids love it. Yes some of the kids are noisy and a pain but the majority are not and some are very talented little riders that had they not been alllowed to join mummy/daddy on the yard would not probably be riding.

I am a little sad by everyone complaining about kids on yards and wonder if maybe it is the parents that we should be complaining about and how they don't occupy their kids rather than the kids per say.
 
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Slight tangent, but where are the kids supposed to learn if all the livery yards around ban kids. .

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Riding schools, pony club etc.Not all yards ban kids, so pretty much a moot point. If people want kids to be allowed on yards, then those who are on yard that allow them have a responsibility to show the YO that kids aren't a problem. The yard in question used to allow kids, but that was abused so the only people to blame ar those who allowed their kids to run riot, not the YO.
 
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im not saying all kids misbehave, just that they are more of a liability. some horsey kids are really well behaved, they have to be. id just rather not put them in that situation. its just horses for courses i guess ! ! !

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So are dogs, but they're allowed....

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Give me a dog over a child any day....... ABSOLUTELY CANNOT BE DOING WITH THEM.

Was at a yard once that was full of kids - it drove me mad. I am down at a yard to spend time with my horse, not to spend at least half an hour struggling not to be openly rude to some bored child who insisted on following me around like I was the sodding Pied Piper, asking stupidly inane questions such as why I had different brushes for my horse or why it had four legs????
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I actually MOVED in the end because I was so utterly sick of the annoying ankle biters......
 
I am taking liveries on,
My rules on the kids is None under the age of 21.
Can't be doing with loud kids and spoilt teenagers
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My yard is really family friendly - I take my kids down because they have ponies and ride. They have been brought around horses and know how to behave. They are either with me or playing in the muckheap ( i know, don't ask)

I can completely understand why certain yards do not allow kids though. Its a completely different market .....horses for courses as it were. If I didn't have kids, I prob wouldn't want kids all over the place either. When I go to the yard on my own, without my kids, for a bit of ''me'' I do sometimes get irritated by being followed around by the other kids who came to see if my kids were with me, and stayed to 'help' me out. I guess I'm too soft to scare them off!!

There needs to be yards where kids are allowed so
a) parents who own horses can take their kids with them and intorduce them to horses and teach them how to behave around them and
b) for kids to have ponies!!! I mean come on, its not an 'adult only' hobby is it? How many of you started riding as a kid and would have loved one of your own? And if you did, its because the YO allowed you on the yard.

Each to their own.....
 
Lets hope that 'the loud teenagers' turn into quiet adults or a lot of YOs will go out of business.
Maybe we should just make a law that no one under the age of 21 can own a pony cos the way it's going they'll be nowhere for them to be kept unless parents have lots of money to buy own land.
Pony breeders- what's the point of breeding them if the kids can't keep them anywhere?
 
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