Stupid idiot children!!

Buds_mum

Buds_mum

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One of our short routes takes in a circular hack around the estate , usually quiet, few kids playing out. In five years of riding round these roads never had an issue!

Today riding past a garden with perhaps 5 young children playing. Some littley ones and some older children. Didn't really pay much attention, chatting to friend riding close together. All of a sudden, two children,one perhaps 10 another can't of been more than 5, ran across the road, between our two horses around the back of buddy and one PULLED ON HIS TAIL!!

I'm afraid I absolutely lost it! Swung him round and really went through them. Yes they both started crying, bl**dy well pleased they did.

Two girls too. I cant believe how ruddy stupid and unthinking they were. As I told them they could of easily been killed, in many ways!
A) hit by car as they ran across the road without looking
B) kicked in head by either of the 16hh + horses
C) by me! I have never ever been so livid in my life

Buddy is luckily very quiet, he didn't flicker at all, neither did the other mare although she is a kicker so they were very lucky!

I understand not all children are brought up with horse sense, but this is common sense.
So long story short paid the house a visit on my way home from yard guess what? No parents home, kids still playing out .

Really don't know whether to follow up futher :/

Still so mad. Hedious children Grr!

Aaaand breathe!
 
5 young kids playing by a road with no one home to supervise.

jesus id nearly call social services!
 
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And breath again, lucky children that they didn't get kicked and hopefully you gave them a good scare so they wouldn't try it again. But I would go round another day and have a word with them nicely about the dangers of what they did and what could have happened to them and have a gentle word with their mums about them running out into the road, take your horse if need be, make a few friends for him.:D:D If the parents spark off just tell them you were upset that they could have been injured.
 
I would be concerned that 5 young children are being left alone. That, if nothing else, needs reporting.
 
Snooples just what my mum said!

Echo brave, all very well but I work full time and am very busy, don't particularly want to go socialise with other peoples children when I want to be exercising my horse. They aren't mine to educate about blumming road safety.
I certainly was upset, but don't care if I upset them!
 
No absolutely not. I would call the police?!

I am not a liaison officer for untrained children... :/
 
Report the incident to the police and they will visit the children and parents to give advice.
Tbh though, if they cried they've probably learnt their lesson. They were very silly though.
 
No, I wouldn't bother going back. Parents who leave their kids alone are unlikely to be bothered by the incident and parents have a nasty habit of getting very shirty with other people disciplining their children (particularly if they are the less-than-ideal breed of parents that these would appear to be). More aggro than it's worth going back, so I would just hope than you scaring them enough to make them cry will be an adequate deterrent to stop them doing anything so stupid again.
 
Don't really want to bother the police with trivial matters really. Clearly they were egging each other on or daring or something.

I am also kind and polite whilst riding through, however I never encourage children to approach us, may seem mean but they are small and he is large and can be bargy. Wouldn't want a trampled child on my conscience.

I am not a fan of children crying, however rather that then a bad accident
 
Dabdab think your right. Believe you me I don't ever shout at other people's children but they put us and themselves in stupid danger. I would hope they have learnt not to ever do it again. Will avoid the route for a wee while!
 
You lost it......well done! Your big horse - 5 small kids. What were you thinking of - a moment or two to educate a bunch of kids on how to behave around horses - but you just swore at them? Well they will love horses and horse riders and think them of as animals (and riders) to be respected won't they - not! Shame on you really. It could have been your opportunity to be the 'adult; and quietly explain that it is not a good idea to pull on your horses tail - because......(but what a nice horse you have for not giving them both barrels etc.) Live and learn, perhaps?
 
Err sorry did I say I swore?! No I didn't so please read the thread properly before putting your two pence in!

Next some brat swings on my horse's tail I will give the darling creature a lolly pop shall I?

Honestly.
 
As angry as I would've been, I too think it would've been a good opportunity to educate rather than chastise and make them cry.
And poor kids for having a crap life
 
'Lost it' - did you cry or swear?
I am not justifying these kids actions at all ,but clearly they do not understand horses and riders - and it was your opportunity to educate.
 
I have to disagree with the two posters but some kids won't learn if quietly being told and explained blah blah, they will just switch their brains off and stand there staring into space, or just run off. So for some, the best way to educate them is to give them a bit of a shock, and then they will never forget.
The children were not physically harmed, they were just shocked and scared, which will not have a long term physical or psychological negative effect on them, but they will remember this lesson for life, and if it means that they won't put themselves or others in danger again, then that's a very good lesson which may save their lives.
 
Lost it. In my terms does not involve crying or swearing?!

I told them off, I really let them know in a few short words that they could of been killed.

I think they cried because they were surprised somebody told them off!

Maybe poor kids for lack of parent presence but they were very well dressed, well fed children living in a nice area. I think they could be worse off and it certainly doesn't excuse such silly behavior.

Like I say, I am not there to educate on basic life skills. I just want to ride my horse. They should now know that running up behind horses and grabbing their tails is a very stupid and dangerous thing to do.
 
Feral children - what a surprise, but not the kids fault! I am in social housing all is well. I dog walk on a social housing estate 8 miles away.. omg there are just kids running riot everywhere even on school days! Call me a snob if you like but that is just not on!
 
Thank you pingpongpony! :D I agree lol!

Tankgirl, this estate is usually very pleasant. It is only small which will help. A football rolled under buddy's feet last week, the little boy profusely apologised and was lovely, another got off his scooter and carried it past so as to not scare the horses, of course I thanked him.

So these two were not the norm and were behaving dangerously.

Hehe though, feral children :D
 
Im shocked at the people who say you should have politely explained to them correct etiquette around horses!!

They were being absolutely horrible little delinquents who put themselves and others safety at great risk - they required and absolutely severe telling off not a namby pamby pc approach!



Sounds like a group of kids that are severely lacking in discipline and respect, maybe theres a small glimmer they would have taken from the experience to learn some respect before they end up dead..

Whats next " i dare you to pull the horses tail... I dare you to play tig with the moving car..." :rolleyes:

The response from them is promising, at least it had an effect on them, and make them think twice in the future. I know some areas the kids would have told you to ******* off.... too far gone in the no disicple and respect stage :/



Sure if the kids want to stroke the horse, and you politely explain to them the etiquette around horses, the dos and donts etc.... but running up behind a horse and pulling its tail! requires a firmer approach like the op did, imo.
 
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Thank you alainax! I didn't doubt it, clearly wound up excited children do not want to have the manual of horsemanship relayed to them.

I don't know if its just me but some of these groups of preteen children can sometimes be a little intimidating. They have no boundaries and no manners. As said above they travel in feral packs! I guess I was lucky these ones were a little younger!
 
PingPongPony said:
I have to disagree with the two posters but some kids won't learn if quietly being told and explained blah blah, they will just switch their brains off and stand there staring into space, or just run off. So for some, the best way to educate them is to give them a bit of a shock, and then they will never forget.
The children were not physically harmed, they were just shocked and scared, which will not have a long term physical or psychological negative effect on them, but they will remember this lesson for life, and if it means that they won't put themselves or others in danger again, then that's a very good lesson which may save their lives.
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I wrote a post to the effect of this ^ but it disappeared into the ether...
Also, it is not the op's job to educate other peoples children. Children learn a lot from other peoples reactions and seeing the op's outrage at their actions will have made it quite clear to them that that kind of behaviour is not acceptable. When I was a kid I was shouted a lot while around horses (for far lesser acts of silliness), I wasn't negatively affected by it and it was infinitely preferable to having my head kicked in.
 
Sometimes, kids need a good telling off by a stranger to get the picture!

You did nothing wrong, hopefully the shock of you shouting will sink in!!
 
Nah said:
Sometimes, kids need a good telling off by a stranger to get the picture!

You did nothing wrong, hopefully the shock of you shouting will sink in!!
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Yes- but make sure they realise why you are telling them off - and don't just be people about 6 foot taller than them (because you are astride) cursing them......which is how the whole story has been articulated in this post.......!
 
This post makes me feel a little uncomfortable. Firstly op totally agree that what they did was un acceptable, however barging through them could have ended up in a disaster if your horse had reacted and got stressed out.
 
Not a great situ but think I'd have been one to react in the opposite manner and invite them to chat to mine properly at the front ;). But then he was surrounded by 5 holidaying kids on the beach last week lapping it up after they had all been told to approach correctly and his name etc (though they did run up to start). I don't even like kids!
 
dressedkez said:
'Lost it' - did you cry or swear?
I am not justifying these kids actions at all ,but clearly they do not understand horses and riders - and it was your opportunity to educate.
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Sorry but it's not the OP's job to educate other peoples kids. Not sure why this country feels that we have some duty of care towards the Lazy, feckless and/or idiotic, or their offspring.
 
Why not? That sounds like you'd never do anything to help anyone a bit! I am privileged to have the upbringing I had abd despite my general dislike for youngsters I can't imagine thinking so badly about a kid especially one I was making assumptions about in a forum and didn't actually know
 
Shouting and making two little girls cry is one approach to dealing with silliness but as they weren't being cruel or malicious, perhaps a friendly word explaining why running behind horses is dangerous would have been just as effective.

In most neighbourhoods there's usually an adult that shouts at children for playing. These adults aren't respected by the children because they have shown no respect to them.
In contrast adults that are friendly and reasonable with local children tend to get better results in changing their behaviour.
 
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