Pushchairs at shows

Toffee44

Toffee44

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I saw three near misses today at my local horse show. People walk with their pushchairs in between the horses. I saw horses spooking and backing up on pushchairs and then the person with the push chair looking in disbelief!!!SOme on even walked a pushchair between a horse and a fence (Say a 6-7ft gap) and the horse was already tense and just backed up on this woman with the pushchair just stood there staring at the horse. I took my youngster down for a little walk about at the show and somone came right behind her I even had a green ribbon in her tail lucklily shes safe like that but still there was a kid in that pushchair what if she did kick out?? Sorry but this bugs me its bad manners and the horse will get the blame if something were to happen.

BBQ burgers for reading this :D
 
toffee44 said:
I saw three near misses today at my local horse show. People walk with their pushchairs in between the horses. I saw horses spooking and backing up on pushchairs and then the person with the push chair looking in disbelief!!!SOme on even walked a pushchair between a horse and a fence (Say a 6-7ft gap) and the horse was already tense and just backed up on this woman with the pushchair just stood there staring at the horse. I took my youngster down for a little walk about at the show and somone came right behind her I even had a green ribbon in her tail lucklily shes safe like that but still there was a kid in that pushchair what if she did kick out?? Sorry but this bugs me its bad manners and the horse will get the blame if something were to happen.

BBQ burgers for reading this :D
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People are just selfish and stupid. I got my lot used to pushchairs after aquiring one from a friend that was no longer needed and schooling around it, having someone push it past etc....
 
These would be the same caring parents who push their pushchairs out in the road to make the traffic stop , and sit their children in buggies in busy shops so they are at just the right height to get smacked in the face by every passing hangbag!!!!!!!!! Bring back proper pushchairs , children that stay at home until they are old enough to be at a horse show on their own pony (they are bored stiff or screaming most of the time anyway) and parents that actually want kids. Sorry rant over but I'm fed up with people who have kids (and dogs for that matter ) then proceed to drag them to every social event going regardless of everyones comfort and feelings but their own.
 
I have a young daughter who still needs a pushchair on days out and I just wouldn't risk taking her until she was a) old enough to enjoy it and b) I don't panic the minute anything goes within a mile of her!

It does amaze me why people take such a huge risk, then blame every one but themselves!!

p.s the horses would have run for hills if they saw my bright pink pushchair heading for the show ground lol :)
 
kirinsam said:
These would be the same caring parents who push their pushchairs out in the road to make the traffic stop , and sit their children in buggies in busy shops so they are at just the right height to get smacked in the face by every passing hangbag!!!!!!!!! Bring back proper pushchairs , children that stay at home until they are old enough to be at a horse show on their own pony (they are bored stiff or screaming most of the time anyway) and parents that actually want kids. Sorry rant over but I'm fed up with people who have kids (and dogs for that matter ) then proceed to drag them to every social event going regardless of everyones comfort and feelings but their own.
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A stupid woman did this to me just yesterday, she stopped nice and safe on the kerb but with the front half of her babys pram out on the road, she was gabbing to her friend and i had to swerve round them. Some people are such idiots.
 
It amazes me that so called horse wise parents can be so stupid. If they are at a show there's a high chance that they have horses or are related to someone who owns horses? Surely they should then understand that not every horse at a show is going to be fine if it see's the pushchair???? People need to take more care of themselves and think! Take the pushchair, yes, but don't go mingling round the warm up areas or collecting rings with it.

Slightly off topic, but I saw something today, which typifies stupid people who just don't think 'horse'. There's a riding school at the farm at the end of the road from where our yard is, and the rides were hacking out today and going round the local woods (as it was so hot). I was poo picking my horse’s field and could see a ride going out, there were about 5 people and the horses are complete dobbins, dead to the world usually. One of the parents drove out of the riding school, and quite fast past the string of horses with England flags flapping on his car. This spooked the normally 'dead' ponies, and I just thought you stupid barsteward why would you drive past your daughter on a pony with those flapping flags!
 
I too cringe when I see pushchairs at shows.

Anybody recall the racehorse trampling a pushchair at Southwell racecourse??
Horrendous!
 
moses06 said:
People are just selfish and stupid. I got my lot used to pushchairs after aquiring one from a friend that was no longer needed and schooling around it, having someone push it past etc....
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Admirable. In reality though, how many owners are really in a position to acquire every piece of equipment their horse might spook at? My old retired horse (who is now 33, and we've owned him for most of his life) was trained to be a Police horse. It was back in the 1980's but even he could be unpredictable and would spook at times.

Horses are flight animals, and some horses are bombproof from the beginning, and others are naturally little bags of nerves who despite all the training and desensitising in the world, will still fret. Parents who bring pushchairs to shows should know this, and keep their babies in safer areas away from collecting rings and warm up rings.
 
That is why there are such things a hip carriers and slings!! If we took Emma to something like that we would take buggy and leave it in car then carry her in a sling. If she gets tired someone will go back to car and buggy with her and she can have a nap.

That is IF we ever took her to something like that.

She is too in your face for wound up horses. No fear what so ever!
 
At our local RC we have attempted to avoid this problem by having people walk ways and horse walk ways, this has also been done at one of the local agricultural shows, it did not, however, stop one family with 3 children under seven with a double buggy thinking it was a good idea to have their picnic in the horse walk area!
 
Perhaps though, not as many people ARE as horsewise as we think.

I went to a show yesterday and my parents (in their 70s) came to support me. They arrived by driving across the the warmup area and trying to park in it. Mortified! :D

But - they've been around horses for the last 25 years (They hav people who keep their horses at their farmhouse), going to shows etc with various liveries because it's fun...... .

Just because somebody is at a show, we shouldn't assume that they are horsewise. They should however be more aware that they are around potentially dangerous animals and behave accordingly.
 
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...in defence of parents as well though, if I didn't take my children to shows then I wouldn't get to go :-( My eldest is pretty horsewise and stays away. My baby is carried in a sling or in his pushchair. I have my husband there to watch them. We keep away from other horses as much as humanely possible.

This didn't stop a stupid tart yesterday stopping with her horse in the middle of the shared walkway so that she could talk to friends. The only way past would have been within inches of her horses back legs! I waited patiently for her to finish her conversation and move on but she seemed intent on giving a second by second acccount of her day so far! I asked her to move so I could pass (with buggy and child) and she said "Oh just go past him, he's used to children and pushchairs"
:-O

She looked gobsmacked when I said 'no thank you I would rather not risk it' and then with a lot of tutting, huffing and puffing and "FFS" under her breath she finally moved.

I've spent months drumming it into my son that he should never go behind a horse, I also appreciate that not everyone likes children being at shows so do my best to ensure my children don't impinge on anyone elses enjoyment of the day so I think it would be fair for others to not risk my children with their horses.

Its the age old thing isn't it, its about having respect for other people and unfortunately in every walk of life there are always going to be those that don't respect others.
 
yorksG said:
At our local RC we have attempted to avoid this problem by having people walk ways and horse walk ways, this has also been done at one of the local agricultural shows, it did not, however, stop one family with 3 children under seven with a double buggy thinking it was a good idea to have their picnic in the horse walk area!
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Sounds like your RC show is well run and has had a proper risk assessment done. We were amazed when doing our first ever risk assessment for RC show a few years ago just how many things we picked up that would previously not have been addressed (accidents waiting to happen). I don't think we have ever specifically thought about pushchairs though, so thats something new to consider this year!
 
Stupid things I have seen with pushchairs:

Local PC HT - first incidident there was a woman with a pushchair and child in a packed warm up arena, right slap bang in the middle, talking to daughter/son.

Secondly, bit later in the day, there was one section of the course which went down a track in the woods, about wide enough for one horse, so when horse was coming you had to step off into the brambles. Saw two stupid cows pushing pushchairs down there with two dogs each and about 7 kids aged about four.

Third stupid thing I have seen was at local RS. Parent turns up with young kid for lesson, and one in a pushchair. Abandons pushchair in middle of yard (which is full of ponies and people) and then baby proceeds to be sniffed all over by a dog (which had probably just come back from ratting!)
 
As a mother to a disabled daughter, and a disabled son. I do find it very closed minded of some of you, to suggest that pushchairs/wheelchairs have no place at a horseshow.

I am also a horse owner of many years and my horses have always become used to the pushchairs even the youngsters. You are bound to meet them on hacks out and so it is only sensible to proof your horse of such things, if the opportunity arises.

Please don’t tar all mothers/carers with the same huge brush!

I am always very careful when I take the pram round horses, I keep a safe distance and I tend to park up near an area away from the main traffic, so that horses can easily avoid us and are less likely to spook. It would be a shame if disabled people had to stop attending shows because there wheelchairs where deemed too much for horses to accept. I feel there is wrong in all aspects at times, some competitors at shows also ride recklessly, and have no control over there horses. Its swings both ways, but if everyone stuck to the rules and where aware of each other then accidents god forbid, would be less likely to happen.
 
KingCharles - I'm sorry if my reply to this thread (can't speak for any of the others) gave the impression in any way that I (or my RC) wants to restrict access to shows for small children and disabled people. I really hope it didn't come across like that as we try to be welcoming to everyone. All I was saying was that show organisers should do a risk assessment to try to minimise opportunity for accidents arising. I should also say that my friend and I used to take her daughter who was profoundly disabled and in a wheelchair to loads of shows and I don't recall us ever having any 'incidents'. So long as spectators and competitors are sensible and consider the needs of others everyone should be able to attend events and enjoy themselves. Hope you and your family manage to get out and about this summer and have a great time.
 
KingCharles said:
As a mother to a disabled daughter, and a disabled son. I do find it very closed minded of some of you, to suggest that pushchairs/wheelchairs have no place at a horseshow.

I am also a horse owner of many years and my horses have always become used to the pushchairs even the youngsters. You are bound to meet them on hacks out and so it is only sensible to proof your horse of such things, if the opportunity arises.

Please don’t tar all mothers/carers with the same huge brush!

I am always very careful when I take the pram round horses, I keep a safe distance and I tend to park up near an area away from the main traffic, so that horses can easily avoid us and are less likely to spook. It would be a shame if disabled people had to stop attending shows because there wheelchairs where deemed too much for horses to accept. I feel there is wrong in all aspects at times, some competitors at shows also ride recklessly, and have no control over there horses. Its swings both ways, but if everyone stuck to the rules and where aware of each other then accidents god forbid, would be less likely to happen.
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Absolutley- I agree. My horses are fine with pushchairs- they used to be on a yard with a lot of small children /babies and aren't bothered in the slightests by them.....cylists however are another issue:D

So at shows I don't mind people coming up in pushchairs- as long as they are sensible- and not skimming the back of ponies hooves with them...

Local shows do attract a lot of non-horsey people who genuinely don't know that things scare horses....as you say, perhaps better care needs to be taken by organisers.


Just to say....I was out crossing a M-Way bridge ( it has the proper horse barrier-sides) when a gang of teenagers on bicycles came speeding towards me...horse did his 'Bambi' impression- head/tail in air etc.....I waved the lads to stop- and they did. Oldest lad,bless him, asked if my horse was going to attack him at which point I started laughing and said no....then he realised and said 'He's scared of us isn't he?'....so I said he is yes, but if you just let me get past he'll be fine. Well.....the lads were as quiet as a mouse, moved their bikes out of the way and stood pressed up to the side of the bridge to let me go past- and apologised for scaring my horse.:D

Really made my day they were so polite.....but it also made me think. We know our big scary horses are really total wusses......but people in general just think they are big scary animals and don't expect horses to get scared by bikes, push-chairs, balloons, small dogs, carrier bags etc etc etc......
 
Its the ones that go around in a daze though. I've lost count of the times I've had pushchairs nearly pushed into my horse as the parents push them off before looking where they're going - oh my goodness, theres a 17hh horse here, at a horse show imagine! Or just generally walking into my stationary horses. How do they manage to do this? Lucky my horses have seen it all and barely move!
 
kirinsam said:
These would be the same caring parents who push their pushchairs out in the road to make the traffic stop , and sit their children in buggies in busy shops so they are at just the right height to get smacked in the face by every passing hangbag!!!!!!!!! Bring back proper pushchairs , children that stay at home until they are old enough to be at a horse show on their own pony (they are bored stiff or screaming most of the time anyway) and parents that actually want kids. Sorry rant over but I'm fed up with people who have kids (and dogs for that matter ) then proceed to drag them to every social event going regardless of everyones comfort and feelings but their own.
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I totally agree!!!

Plus I went to the cinema last week and there were two newborns in there!!! totally ruined the film
 
kirinsam said:
Bring back proper pushchairs , children that stay at home until they are old enough to be at a horse show on their own pony (they are bored stiff or screaming most of the time anyway) and parents that actually want kids. Sorry rant over but I'm fed up with people who have kids (and dogs for that matter ) then proceed to drag them to every social event going regardless of everyones comfort and feelings but their own.
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Hmmmmm.

Either...

A) You have children and they stayed at home until aged 10 and you never took them anywhere (poor kids)

OR

B) You don't have children.....:rolleyes:
 
I wish I could have taken a pic of Emma from Sat with my horsie. He had his head right in her buggy looking for food and nibblung her bunny adn she was squealing with laughter and delight and kissing his face and he was just not bothered.

Bikes on the other hand...........diff story all together.

I agree that it is all abotu common sense and being curteous to other people.
 
I noticed at Weston lawns on thursday a sign has appeared between lorry park and walkways to warm up which says 'No pushchairs beyound this point'.
Shame a few idiots seemed to either be incapable of reading or just didn't give a dam. :mad:
 
I don't think it'd be right to ban all pushchairs. At the end of the day we're taking out horses out in public when we go to shows - it's our responsibility to de-sensatise them as much as we possibly can. This is one of the reasons I love my yard. The kids at the yard run around (I stressed supervised) freely, they shout, wave bags, cycle, rollar blade, go sledging in the sand (long story), basically do everything the average child does in open space on nice days. Consequently, even my naturally very spooky tb became very relaxed around things like pushchairs.

I appreciate that it's impossible to let a horse see everything, but I would hope that at horse shows the horse is going to either be desensitised enough to not bother, or the rider competant enough to notice a horse worrying and work to distract/relax it before the situation explodes.

Though I have to admit, some of the stories about people with pushchairs on this thread are pretty jawdropping. In all cases though it sounds more like an idiotic parent problem though, not neccessarily a problem of pushchairs or spooky horses.
 
Have to say, I will be showing this summer once the baby is born, however I doubt the baby will go far from the lorry as my partner will also be coming to assist, and he'd rather sit there with a picnic!


I was at a horse sale in the area and saw a mum pushing her child in the collecting ring with a buggy. The buggy with child then got a a good kick from a horse in there!! But seriously that is really stupid, who would take a buggy in there?
 
kirinsam said:
These would be the same caring parents who push their pushchairs out in the road to make the traffic stop , and sit their children in buggies in busy shops so they are at just the right height to get smacked in the face by every passing hangbag!!!!!!!!! Bring back proper pushchairs , children that stay at home until they are old enough to be at a horse show on their own pony (they are bored stiff or screaming most of the time anyway) and parents that actually want kids. Sorry rant over but I'm fed up with people who have kids (and dogs for that matter ) then proceed to drag them to every social event going regardless of everyones comfort and feelings but their own.
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why don't you suggest an outright ban on reproduction while your at it!

For the record I have a very spooky horse who crapped herself when faced with a buggy at shows. My solution - I now have a baby who sits in buggy with daddy watching me ride, neddy isn't so frightend of my 'grey' buggy now, but put a pink one in front of her, thats a whole other issue!
 
the last show i went to, there was a baby in a pram parked up NEXT to the entrance to the ring... he almost had horses land on him, he had horses spook at him, horses putting their heads into his pram! how is that a responsible thing to do!! it made me so annoyed!! that poor baby sitting in the heat for all that time, and not once did i see anyone come over to check on him!!

my horse wasn't phased by him, but she did almost bash him in the face when i was talking to my friend, so he had a narrow escape really as many other horses did the same and one could have easily bitten him.

as for prams/wheelchairs being pushed around at shows.. fair enough come to the show, but don't take them through a route where horses are. horses are unpredictable and you can't make a hasty escape from a dangerous scenario (e.g. horse rearing into you/reversing into you) if you're in a pram or wheelchair, so why put them at risk.

it really annoys me when just people in general cut you up at shows (on foot, not other horses), but at least if it's a person they can move at the last second, but if it's something with wheels it's more likely my horse would suffer having it pushed into them, because they weren't in an area that's suitable!
 
Dont want to ban reproduction or kids..... I have four actually all attended horse shows on their own ponies apart from one who didnt do horses! But when they were small I took them to days out that were for them not me , ok that means I put my life on hold for a bit but I think that is what being a parent is about. There are lots of safe ways (for your own kids and everyone else) to give your kids life experiences.
 
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