Very small children on a livery yard - driving me mad.

[Merlod]

If they were there before you and the YO won't do anything, then personally i'd be looking for a new yard. I've been on a yard with feral children before and they have been an absolute pain; noisy, messy, annoying, parents not to be seen and I vowed now that I have my own livery yard that I would not have liveries with small children, as when they get to the yard it's like their children cease to exist and then become everybody elses problem.

 

[mytwofriends]

Why on earth should OP have to change her routine to avoid the kids?

Yes, this. Livery yards are for horses and their owners. Sure, bring along your well behaved, appropriate age kids, but please set parameters and keep them under control.

 

[Fidgety]

Yes, this. Livery yards are for horses and their owners. Sure, bring along your well behaved, appropriate age kids, but please set parameters and keep them under control.

At every prospective livery yard I've ever viewed, I always asked what was the policy on young children and dogs. Those that allowed both to roam free were very quickly scratched. I have three of my own little darlings, but the yard was my sanctuary and I made sure I arranged my life so that I could be child free for a couple of hours in order to achieve it.

Richard Madely (love him or loath him) once said of his children that he always had 'what would the coroner say?' in his mind all the time they were in his care. I tend to agree with him .

 

[keri66]

I have a clause in our contract saying children must be supervised at all times.
I don't think I could now be on a yard with a lot of young children.
I moved from one very similar. Nothing was going to be done as they were the yard owners grand kids
Everytime the child was by me I would return it to its mother with the words here's your child I'm not a babysitter.
But also speak with the yard owner or manager.
This is totally unacceptable and incredibly dangerous

 

[Tyssandi]

This may be a bit of a long one so bear with me.
Before I go into the issue I have - understand that I am a Mum of 3 children & I have so been there/done that regarding children & horses.
I am currently on a lovely DIY livery yard. Two liveries have very small children. 1 girl aged 16 months, 1 boy aged 20 months & 1 baby girl aged 6 months. Another livery has a daughter aged about 2.
The children are left to wander around & pretty much do what they like. Anything I put down is walked off with, used to smack the car with, throw into the nearest water. One throws rubbish out of the car onto the yard, walks into my stable & throws bedding around, sometimes eats the horse poo - oh & the best one? - wanders off the school whilst people are schooling their horses/ponies.
The mother quite often leaves the children in the car. So the eldest has the windscreen wipers going, hazard lights flashing, hitting the horn over & over again. Either that or they are screaming at the top of their lungs whilst the mother is down the field/riding/doing whatever.
As a mother myself I feel I can't leave the children unattended if they are just "left" with me on the yard. Neither can I leave a baby screaming without trying to sooth him/her.
The other day the 2 year old was left in the car totally unsupervised whilst the mother watched her pony being ridden in the school. The child was constantly hitting the horn & ended up locking herself in the car. She was left for 45 minutes & in all that time was not checked on once by the mother.
Not only that but it is so dangerous when I am trying to lead/groom/tack up/feed my horses & I have tiny children riding their flaming toy tractors around the yard!
This is my "fun" time! I am meant to enjoy my horse & want to enjoy the time I spend with him - not spend the whole time pulling out small people from water butts & plug sockets! I am sick & tired of them being on the yard! Sometimes the noise & screaming drives me demented!
When mine were small I left them at home with my husband before he went to work (I was up at 5.30am) & again left them at home in the evenings. If my husband wasn't around then I arranged assistance for someone else to do my horse. Having my children on the yard when they were small was not something I was happy with.
I know I sound like a grinch but I am not sure I can stand it anymore. Who is responsible if my very large (18hh) horse was to kick or step on a small child? Who is responsible if something happened to the children whilst left in my care (even though this is not what I have agreed - they are just abandoned with me sometimes)?
Other liveries are also so fed up with it.
I have never seen or experienced anything like it in my life!
What would you do?

In the contract and yard rules it should say * children to be supervised all the time and under control *

 

[Shadowdancing]

How can anyone think this is OK? Apart from the sheer annoyance- the safety issue! Little people with noisy toys running about near huge animals that frighten easily and will either squash them or gallop off and break the riders neck?
OP if many people feel the same I suggest you get together and arrange to meet the YO together. Express your concerns, ask for their views and calmly state- we're very happy overall but some of us will have to leave if this is not addressed. Nothing personal, just for our sanity and safety!

 

[Always Henesy]

Why on earth should OP have to change her routine to avoid the kids?

Yeah thanks. Considering that I also have a young family & these children can sometimes be there all day - it is not possible for me to avoid them.

 

[9tails]

What a nightmare. I've had a similar scenario where a fellow livery was lax in her children's care so I told her that my horse isn't child friendly and to keep them away. Luckily I'm also good at scaring the pants off children with a look. Nobody expects me to care for their kids. I can't understand how these parents think it's acceptable for their children to touch anything that doesn't belong to them.

 

[YorksG]

These children are at risk, I too would report to the local Safeguarding team. They may not do anything, but leaving a child of that age in a car alone is a huge risk, never mind round the horses. These women are irresponsible, and presumably have no idea of the backgrounds of the other liveries, so should think twice before leaving their children unnattended with other people.
If it doesn't alter, then I too would move.

 

[Stockers]

If they were there before you and YO is okay with their conduct I think you'll probably end up moving. Just be clear to YO why you;re going and she might think about addressing it.

I rarely take my 3 YO to yard - and it's my friends house who has three children herself. Yards are not playgrounds.

 

[smja]

I am not a mother, have zero maternal instincts, and don't really like kids.

I'm saying that so you understand when I say that even I am horrified at someone treating their young children like that.

That's not ok, I would speak to the YO citing safety concerns and also speak to social services/safe guarding team/whoever. I would also start looking around for yards as you may end up moving to get away from this, it sounds like it's (understandably!) stressing you out.

 

[Snuffles]

On an old yard a child was kicked in the head by a horse because they ran behind it and ended up being airlifted to hospital,
owner of horse was blamed, not parent of child !

 

[KautoStar1]

Leave. There will be an accident at some stage and you will feel guilty by association. And that would not be your burden to carry.

 

[Antw23uk]

I need to amend my FB advert for a DIY grass livery on my private yard to state NO KIDS. Hateful things they are, errrghhhh!!!!!