Spin off from the other thread re. someone sitting on a stabled horse they don't own

[poiuytrewq]

How would your horse handle unknown people coming into its stable, with a child, presumably lifting the child up and onto them?

It made me think, It doesn't change my opinion that it's very very wrong but all horses would react differently to that situation.

My little grey pony would genuinely be delighted at the extra attention, particularly if all he had to do for rewards was to let a child clamber over him. They could have camped in his stable for the weekend and he'd have been thrilled. Very safe and not a bother.

My other little pony is terrified of children and would hide in the back of a stable away from the door if there are children around. I've always told people to leave him alone. He's not as confident and as far as i know has never been ridden, maybe never even broken to ride. I'd pity any child really who had to sit on him! So for him it would be a massive massive trauma if unknown people came in and handled him. I suspect he'd end up circling flat out to try and get away. I'd be double furious if he was ever put in that situation, the other I'd be a bit miffed but probably not completely savage!

Would yours mind really?

 

[Gloi]

Mine wouldn't care. I let friends and other liveries put their kids on him if they want. He likes attention of any sort and isn't scared of much. I do like to be asked though, at least the first time.

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

I doubt most people would even get a head collar on Arabi let alone just get on him Louis would be fine his often had small kids on him but I've always had an adult standing ready to grab the child if need be.

 

[Sprogladite01]

My ridden mare (16hh) would probably allow it but is the type who is very quick to flip if she doesn't like something. So would be very concerned about safety/anyone being unsupervised. She's also only ever ridden by me so not sure if that would freak her out or not.

My little 11hh companion is EXTREMELY nervous and would first try running away (likely to do extremely fast circles round his stable). If people persisted he'd kick.

So yeah, mine aren't particularly user friendly and definitely not something I'd want to test!

 

[9tails]

Mine would snake her head at the bigger one with ears back and teeth bared. The bigger one, if they had any sense, would spin the smaller one away out of reach. She would never allow a stranger to lift somebody onto her back. She may not do snaky head at a small child but I wouldn't trust her not to.

For the record, she doesn't do snaky head at me.

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

When I was a kid there were horses on the marshes I think they belonged to the gypsies.

We used to try and jump on them in the field and leg each other up, crazy thing to do but we were semi feral kids on a death wish.

 

[Bellaboo18]

My shetland would be like your little grey, delighted to see a child, delighted at the treats and happy to oblige. Tbh when we were on a livery yard, I was (perhaps stupidly) happy for friends to pop in with their little ones. They were people I knew well.

I'm not convinced my gelding even knows I'm his owner so would also enjoy the attention and I wouldn't be concerned.

My mare, I think would panic, umm maybe freeze. She's a sensitive soul and really a one person horse (someone else's mess up, I do like my animals to be well rounded individuals!)

 

[CanteringCarrot]

Well, mine is 3 and has only ever had a person on his back a few times, so that concept is still new. He does like attention and interacting with humans though, but I don't know how he feels about kids.

It also may be different if I pop a kid on his back vs someone else doing it. Either way, it's not something we're trying!

 

[Cortez]

None of mine would care, but that's beside the point. I did once come back to find someone had put a saddle on a bay filly and gone for a gentle hack, except they'd taken the wrong bay horse. It was quite amusing really, since the bay filly was three at the time, and had never been ridden before. They did say she was a bit difficult to steer.......

 

[FlyingCircus]

How would my horses handle it? Doubt they'd care.

How would I handle it? I'd make it clear that it was not acceptable, and they'd no longer be welcome on my yard/I'd have serious reservations about staying if YO didn't have strong words.

 

[Wishfilly]

I honestly don't know how my pony would react- he doesn't love kids, and I've never had a child on him. The stable is also very much his chill out space, so I think someone getting on his back there would confuse him. If he was getting a feed/treats, he would probably let someone put a kid on his back, but I wouldn't trust him not to suddenly spin/spook if the situation upset him or something else was bothering him. It might be fine, but I definitely wouldn't take the risk- if a friend's child wanted a sit, I'd get them on carefully at the mounting block!

 

[Snowfilly]

A lot of mine wouldn’t have minded and my little Shetland would have been delighted. She adored kids.

My yellow pony would have smeared them over the floor and the wall and had his ears forward and looked happy while he was doing it. He really really didn’t like anyone in his personal space.

The Clyde would have mugged them for treats and probably caused an accident trying to be friendly while being 18.2

Current pair, old pony would grump about being retired and pull faces but probably allow it, and youngster would pull evil faces and probably bounce a lot. He still finds it incredibly exciting to be doing things, and while there’s no malice, he’s much better worked loose in the field with no pressure on him so strangers in his box and a child would stress him out.

 

[HopOnTrot]

Mine wouldn’t bat an eyelid, my daughter’s pony would pull grumpy faces, she’s ex-riding school and a bit particular about how she’s handled, she is in no way dangerous, she just warns off strangers!

 

[LadyGascoyne]

Mimosa and Miri would both be absolutely fine. They are both very good to handle and genuinely like people.

I would be absolutely furious.

 

[94lunagem]

My two big boys who are no longer with us would have been fine. My big hunter didn’t really like fuss but always tolerated small children and my warmblood was a gentle giant who loved any fuss any extra attention. Both stood as solid as a rock whenever friends kids were plonked on, giving hugs and kisses, grooming etc.

My current two are not child friendly! My Welsh A is traumatised by life in general and generally a bit ridiculous, he will back away snorting from any stranger going into his stable, and will run round his box if someone were to then push trying to catch him. He’s fine with me but even my farrier who he sees regularly, it takes him a while to stop the snorting and eyes on stalks!

My native would worry me because she can be too friendly at times, she loves people but sometimes needs reminding about personal space! She’d be delighted to have hugs, kisses, extra grooming. I’ve never tried putting a child on her but think she’d be fine. But I have VERY strict boundaries about treats as I inherited her with a begging habit, which I’ve worked hard to squash and know slips back in very easily. So supervised she’d be fine, but with a child or inexperienced handler I don’t consider her safe.

 

[Mrs. Jingle]

My old mare probably wouldn't be too keen, particularly if small person wriggled about etc. she would almost certainly shoot forward even contained in a stable. The last horse I bought, the big boy, would usually have not batted an eyelid even if you had to take several attempts to sling said child up on a 17.3 . Please note I said usually, I honestly could not guarantee any horse I have ever owned would not do x y and z......there they would go with small child dangling around their belly behaving away like they have never, ever behaved before. That is the point really isn't it?

 

[Jambarissa]

Big Horse is nervous of people she doesn't know in the stable with her so she'd probably take the door off the hinges on her way out.

Little cob would be irritable but safe enough. Might be fine with enough treats.

Big cob wouldn't notice.

I would still be fuming if it happens.

Our local Facebook is full of pics of kids on my friends Shetland pony when he's turned out in the field. He doesn't even stop grazing, obviously the friend is furious but there isn't actually much that can be done. She's started putting neem oil on his back.

 

[Cloball]

Squish them trying to get them to give her head a scratch, I think she might actually be a large cat

 

[SEL]

Microcob would be fine. She was a kids pony so knows all about that. If the stable door was open though she'd be off to the grass kid or no kid on her back.

The Appy hasn't been sat on in 3 years because she has a bad back. She may be fine, she may bronc. She's also very protective of her space in a stable so good luck to anyone trying!

Babycob hasn't really been around kids so no idea. He'd probably be fine if there were treats.

My temper however would match the Appy's on a bad day.

 

[Boulty]

I would mind very much and would likely threaten to murder them…

The Fuzzball on the other hand would be happy to be used as a climbing frame by multiple small children as long as he was not required to actually stand perfectly still and his eating time wasn’t disrupted. Several toes would likely be squished.

The Welsh idiot when he was around would either have launched child into space and booted the adult or have stood like a rock and behaved like a happy puppy depending on what mood he was in and his opinion of the people involved (this definitely went more on vibes than experience! He was gentle as a lamb with one YMs very sweet and lovely non horsey sister versus murderous towards an absolutely vile but very experienced YM at a different yard)

 

[ihatework]

One of mine wouldn’t give two hoots and would probably just enjoy the attention.
The other two are more sensitive and would likely be a little worried but are kind enough to hopefully not do anything too daft

 

[I'm Dun]

Not one would have cared, and my quirky old boy would have puffed up with pride and been delighted. I don't think a child has ever hurt him, so he likes them and takes it very seriously when he does pony rides.

 

[blitznbobs]

I like children generally but it would feel somewhat just if they put a child on my brood mare… she is incredibly opinionated and she might (and I mean might) tolerate it but then she
Might lose her shite in a big way - it wouldn’t be pretty.

The rest of them wouldn’t give a stuff tbh

 

[scats]

Millie would be fine. Polly would freak out the moment a stranger entered her stable, as would Meg.

 

[Fjord]

Bobbi would be fine, she's great with kids and polite in the stable. Angel, I'm not so sure. She's anxious, I don't stable her but I would be concerned she'd spin and squash an unsuspecting person. I wouldn't be happy with anyone non experienced handling her.

 

[Peglo]

I don’t think Tali would be too bothered but she would need a haynet to make her stand still I’d imagine. She would be delighted about treats.. unless they were mints.

I dare say a child would go the same way as the chicken that landed on Darci. Fortunately that chicken has decent flying skills. She’s not currently in work though.

 

[Spiritedly]

My mare probably wouldn't care neither would little pony.
Big gelding would bite them before they got through the door and big pony would give kisses whilst they were on the ground but launch them into orbit if they were put on his back...he's an unridden companion pony for a reason.

 

[Birker2020]

Bailey wouldn't have cared a jot, i put the dog on her back once to take a photo.

Lari was a lot more sensitive, but then he has KS and SI issues so would object to most things on his back.

To be quite honest I think I'd have been more bemused than angry that someone had put a child on my horses back without my permission. The giving treats wouldn't bother me.

 

[DabDab]

Hetty wouldn't care, particularly if treats were involved.

Arty would be fine if a little baffled and would be expecting to do something other than just stand so probably wouldn't be the easiest to sit a child on as she wondered about.

Pebbles would probably be through the wall and gone into the distance - children are confusing, she doesn't trust strange people, and being sat on in her stable is alien to her and so the native pony panic button would likely be hit.

 

[Dave's Mam]

Dave isn't bothered about people in his stable. The unit for the electric fencing at our yard is in his stable, so he's used to people pootling in & out to switch it on & off work needs done. Not sure about lifting a child on, they'd have to be quick before he inhaled them.