Pony kicked my 2 year old!

Orange Peel. said:
FC- My daughter has been kicked in the head I take it very personally.
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Puppy said:
Well I think that may be your problem.

At the moment you are feeling emotional after the shock and fear of your daughter's close encounter.

However, you can't blame the pony for being a pony, or the owner, who wasn't even there.

It was your actions that brought about the accident. Best to learn from it and not make the same mistakes again.
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I agree with puppy. The pony really didn't do it on purpose. My two ponies share a field with 3 other ponies that belong to children aged 3, 5, and 9. All the ponies are well behaved and will stand while being groomed. However The rule is NO FOOD to be taken into the field under any circumstance, and I have spoken to the girls many times about this and they are all able to explain to me why that is. I also don't let the youngest 2 come in if all ponies are intogether. Some times I will shut the three bigger ponies into another field as the two little children also like to bring them in and turn them out themselves sometimes.

I hope your little one is alright and recovers soon.

Everybody makes mistakes nobody is perfect, and I am sure you have learnt from this one.
 
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It sounds like youre blaming everyone, but you know yourself who put your child in danger :(
I sincerely hope that she is ok, and been checked out at hospital ,what a horrible thing for you to witness and deal with
ponies in a field with anyone handing out titbits is an accident waiting to happen. Its been a hard lesson learned by you all
 
It is a shock when you realise what can happen, I certainly did when I was kicked and I know I've become more safety aware since.

Accidents do happen around horses and people have been killed by kicks when catching a horse in. It's not safe for a 2 yr old to be in a field with loose horses, but you know that now.

Even with a hat on they can still be kicked in the face/body. The other side of the gate is the safest place.
 
lhotse said:
Please don't put human values on a horse. Your daughter was in the way of a pony kicking out because another pony was being fed, it's called animal instinct. The ponies are not in the wrong, they were reacting to food, as they would in a herd. The owner is not in the wrong, even the best behaved pony can kick in this situation, food whilst loose in a field, so saying that it's her fault because the pony isn't well handled doesn't hold water.

The only animal/person in the wrong here is you for putting your daughter in harms way.

Sorry if that sounds harsh, and I'm sure you will have learnt your lesson, but you have to take full reponsibility for putting a 2 yr old in a dangerous situation.

Hope your daughter makes a full recovery.
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I agree with this. You cannot blame the owner or horse. A 2 yr old should not be in a field of horses at all, especially with one who is known to be difficult.
I hope you learn from this, and do not make the same mistake again, as another time your daughter might not be so lucky....
 
Hi I haven't read any replies so apologies if I am repeating anyone. When my sister was 2 or 3 some of the teenage girls on the yard were 'looking after her' (my mum was about on the yard and as teenage girls do they wanted to play with the toddler) they went to bring ponies in from the field and being 'sensible they told her to wait by the gate while they went into to get ponies out, but however it happened she went into the field and got kicked in the head, she suffered a fractured skull and was unconcious for a few days, but she recovered and is perfectly alright. Yes my mum was livid with the girls, but also with herself, ponies, my dad (for forcing her financially to work) and so on and so forth.
The lesson being, horses and children are always going to be an increased risk, and regardless of how this pony behaves you were stupid to have a toddler on the floor in a situation where she could get kicked, why not pick her up instead of trying to shoo the other pony away.
Another brief point: tit bits spoil nice horses and make rude ones worse, don't give them!
 
Why take it "personally":confused: As a mother I totally sympathise with your shock and fear at your little one having an accident. As a nurse I understand (and have seen) how dreadful these accidents can be:( But horses are horses and are not malicious, they do what horses do, kick, bite, shove etc. They are not "bad", they are instictive animals.
Sorry you said no lectures but I would have thought this was an avoidable accident. That said I hope she has no lasting injuries.
 
TBH if I were the YO in this scenario you, your horse, sister and child would be asked to leave my yard. I would not want someone who was so irresponsible on my yard, most especially so if they then blamed me and my pony for the injury to their child! I am glad the child is relatively unharmed, but that is good luck rather than good management.
 
I have two children who have been around my horses since the were babies. They are three and five now and the ponies I now have are as trustworthy as is possible for a pony to be. I allow my children to go into the field or paddock with the loose ponies ONLY when each pony is in a seperate paddock. Although the ponies are as good as can be expected with children, they are not so good with each other when jealousey rears it's ugly head, which can happen whether or not there are polos involved. In this situation it would be possible for my children to be knocked over, kicked or trodden on, so I don't allow it. I don't allow it with older children than yours, with ponies that belong to me, that I know are used to and good with children and I know inside out.

It's not the pony's fault, it's not the owner's fault, it's yours.
 
Sorry your daughter got hurt but it could have been prevented...My son is 4 and has grown up with horses. I own 5 but under no circumstances is he allowed in the fields! Its asking for trouble as my biggest is only 14.2 but he towers over my son. I shudder at the thought of my little boy getting hurt :( Its not the horses fault.... humans trying to change animals behaviour yet again...
 
I cannot understand people who are incapable of taking responsibilities for their actions. OP you know it was your fault, just accept that and learn from it. Your daughter is so lucky that she is not lying in an ICU hospital bed with brain damage at this moment. What could you have been thinking?

I am so glad your daughter is okay but gosh what a scare you must have had. Hopefully you'll never do that again.
 
Your fault not YOs. End of.

You invited your sister and 2 year old to yard so you should have been in control of what they were doing and where they were.

As an adult, I don't like walking in a field of horses so why would you allow a 2 year old in there? Especially when you claim to already know the pony is not well behaved.
 
i hate loose toddlers on yards!!!! I have a cob who is very food orientated and especially in winter can be very very unruly when he wants - yet there is a mum who lets her little toddler come play in the barn with a plastic wheelbarrow or whatever and just toddle around hardly able to walk!!!!!
Every time i have to say ok im bringing my boy in, will you watch your baby - and each time she is like oh it will be fine. #
Well im sorry but it might not!!!!
Im telling you my horse can barge, be silly - he is a 15 plus hand heavy cob and though i try my best to control him i cannot promise!!!!
- He looks for doors - associates doors with food - toddlers on yards scare me to death
 
I hope your daughter was OK - TBH I would not allow a 2 yr old loose in the field with any pony - kids that age move so fast that you can't truly concentrate safely on both pony and child.
 
I havent read every post on this thread so am not 'following' a general mood - but as the mother of a two year old and owner of a big horse and small pony I have to ask 'WHAT were you thinking?'You were lucky and should learn from it - your YM/owner of the other pony should have said the same (IMHO).

Of course it is more important that the child is OK and was checked after a head injury but seriously, two loose animals, feed (in whatever format) and what sounds like dangerous handling. This is how tragedies happen.
 
You take it personally eh?
Muppet.

Grab yourself a mirror and have a look into it. The person you see starring back is the person responsible for this sorry saga.
You're bloody lucky your daughter is nothing more than shocked and a little sore. Blaming the pony/YO etc etc is easier for you because then you don't have to face up to YOUR mistake.
TBH, with your attitude I'm not sure you ought to be around horses anyway
 
you are probably feeling rather shaken up so posters having a go is not going to help. Take it as a lesson learned - no small children in the paddock and never never EVER ! start dolling out treats when there are several horses around. The YO was not responsible, it was your fault. Glad your 2 year old was OK and just learn from the lesson.
 
there's nothing i can add to what has already been said regarding safety and small children, everyone else has said pretty much what i would have :) I hope your daughter is ok with no lasting effects.
 
The only people I feel sorry for here are your 2 year old and your YO.

I can imagine how she was approached by you blaming her for what happened. Having been there before (my horse kicked a dog in her field) then I can understand why the YO was short with you.

That said hope your 2 year old recovers well
 
Sorry, but your a muppet.

YOU took the child to the yard.
YOU let the child into the field.
YOU chose to do this even though you decribe one of the horses as 'tempremental' (your words, not mine)

Its YOUR fault the child was in the way to get kicked.
Not the horses.
Not the yard owners.

YOUR fault. Get it??
Stop blaming everyone else, learn from it and i hope for your kids fault you dont do something quite so stupid again.
 
It was a nasty accident, could have been a lot worse, but could have been avoided too with a little bit of commonsense, especially since you knew the temerament of 'W'

I personally would not let a child or a novice adult into a field with a 'temperamental' horse, my youngster is a well behaved 2 yr old, but he is still only 2 and could harm someone by accident, there are 3 children that are up at my livery yard, between the ages of 5 and 10, all of them are very sensible and aware of horses, I still do not let them in the field, even with me. However, this is not about me, it is about you, you will be more aware of what situations you put yourself or anyone else in around horse from now on I expect.

I understand your emotional response to the horses, it is however a selfish and irrational one, their actions and the circumstances around them do not warrent this kind of naive attitude and if you can not rise above yourself and be objective and not take it personally when a horse does something wrong, then I suggest you sell the horse that is yours and give up horses. As a horse owner you are as responsible for them as you are your child.

I am very glad your daughter is ok, but you have to be objective, the nature of the horse is not to blame and therefore if you can blame this horse for the event and not look at the bigger picture and be objective, then you should not have a horse.
 
I'm quite surprised you've admitted to putting your 2 year old into such a dangerous situation. Normal horse behaviour means there is usually always a hierarchy amongst the herd, and normal horse body language, between each other in their own field isn't always pretty. Fussing loose horses in their own field, with a 2 year old child in the middle is a really dangerous and stupid thing to do. - I don't even let my dog into the field when the horses are out, nor even allow non-horsey friends past the gate, so I really can't understand why you'd let a child that young enter a field with loose horses in, in order to fuss them. Accident waiting to happen and it did. :(

Very sorry to hear it though, and hope your child recovers and hope you've learned a valuable lesson, that even Shetland ponies are not fluffy play things!
 
Hi - I hope your little one is ok.
I`ve got 3 docile - do anything in the field with - cobs. BUT if they get the idea that one or the other is getting horse treat (or polo as in your case) then chaos/pushing/kicking ect ensues. My moto is never hand feed treats unless safely tucked up in stable. Result = 3 polite cobs with decent manners.
 
Vicki_Krystal said:
Sorry, but your a muppet.

YOU took the child to the yard.
YOU let the child into the field.
YOU chose to do this even though you decribe one of the horses as 'tempremental' (your words, not mine)

Its YOUR fault the child was in the way to get kicked.
Not the horses.
Not the yard owners.

YOUR fault. Get it??
Stop blaming everyone else, learn from it and i hope for your kids fault you dont do something quite so stupid again.
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^^^^^

This. When my children were little- and we were on livery- the children waited by the gate until I had caught the ponies.

Now...the kids are older- we have our own grazing......the children know that producing a packet of polos unleashes hell- and its only my horses in there- non of them are nasty- they are just horses.

Don't take small children into a field of loose horses, produce treats - and not expect anything bad to happen.

Hope your little one is OK......and the lesson is learned.:)
 
This is why my almost two year old doesnt come within kicking biting, wheeling around, barging about distance, bolting or otherwise. OH holds little man unless he is half a feild away from them and is holding his hand. to stroke the horses he is always the other side of the gate.

im sorry but this is just basic common sense. We all know that even a pony can kill an adult by accident so allowing the kid in there.. well, you are fecking lucky your child isnt on life support right now.
 
OP I'm glad you're little one is going to be okay.

I think everyone should stop being so critical, hindsight is a wonderful thing and I'm sure OP is regretting the whole incident and has learnt from this.

How many of you have popped your child on bareback at some point or left them alone with a pony in a stable?
 
springer1021 said:
OP I'm glad you're little one is going to be okay.

I think everyone should stop being so critical, hindsight is a wonderful thing and I'm sure OP is regretting the whole incident and has learnt from this.

How many of you have popped your child on bareback at some point or left them alone with a pony in a stable?
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Hmm....slightly different to opening a packet of polos around loose horses....that appears to have been the trigger factor.
 
springer1021 said:
How many of you have popped your child on bareback at some point or left them alone with a pony in a stable?
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- You'd seriously lock a 2 year old child alone in a stable with a pony?

- Leading a toddler around for a few minutes (probably with someone helping to support them) is much safer than what the op did - unless you mean who has put their 2 year old child onto a loose pony in it's field amongst its herd members, whilst waving treats around? :rolleyes:
 
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