What age should kids be left unattended around horses/ponies?

Katikins

Katikins

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I got to thinking about this the other week as I was riding in the school and in the lunging school next door two little girls who are really sweet and always want to help were 'lunging' or 'free-schooling' their little shetland. These two girls are 5 and 6. Mum was off with the baby brother looking after her horse so they were completely unsupervised. Next thing I look over, little pony has managed to get loose from the youngest sister and is merrily trotting out of the gate (which they'd left open) and back to his mates, younger sister is chasing after the pony bawling her eyes out and the other one is following in hysterical laughter covered head to toe in mud!!

To be honest, it was quite an amusing sight and I missed exactly what happened but there could have been a nasty accident.

I think that 5 or 6 is way too young to be left unsupervised with even a saint of a pony. They will often come and ask if they can help bring Tazz in etc which I'm perfectly happy for them to do but I will always keep hold of his headcollar and never leave them alone with him even though he is probably the most laid back horse I've ever known.

So in your opinion, at what point should kids be left alone around horses? Also, feel free to share any interesting/shocking/funny stories :)
 
id say it depends on the kid, cause i know a girl thats 6? and i would trust her alone with her horse
but then i know people the same age and wouldt leave them alone with a cat let alone a horse :p
 
I'd also say it depends on the children - how much experience they've had etc. I think 10is a fair age for a child who knows what they're doing to be left unsupervised with their pony.
 
i got my first pony - who was a nutter - at 7 and i used to just be dropped at the stables and left to fend for myself. If i had kids I would apprehensive doing the same, but i probably would if it was a quiet responsible child, and there would be adults in the vicinity should something happen.
 
RudolphsRider said:
but then i know people the same age and wouldt leave them alone with a cat let alone a horse :p
Click to expand...

That goes for the adults too eh?

I'm all for introducing the young'uns young - my daughters were riding at three but were always supervised till ten when they were big enough to manage - a small pony is stronger than an adult human.

It used to annoy me intensely that one of the legions of girls I've seen grow up, would let her small children run about on the yard, literally under horse's feet and yet otherwise exhibit all the attributes of lisping priviledged middle England - she was completely oblivious to the danger.

Of course, if I was jokingly advising fathers on the same subject I'd say don't let horses anywhere near your daughters until they are at least 17-18 or even 21 as by that time they will be distracted by other matters - less expensive!
 
Really depends on each situation:-

The setup kids/pony are in
Whether anyone else is around in emergency
The pony
The kid
The experience around animals kid has had

I struggle with this one. I would allow 11 year old who has been round horses all her life to be around her pony on the ground doing pretty much anything, when she free schools her in the pen I am happier if she wears a hat of course.

When being ridden I prefer to be around and available even if lurking in the distance somewhere!! (having been told to "leave her to it").

If it is our pony I tend not to worry as much as we know her and in fairness she is quite old!

If it is her around other horses I am not so relaxed....too easy for kiddy to get injured even if they are not shod.

We have two miniatures who I would trust LESS not to kick or bite than the 13.2!!! Shetlands are monsters in the guise of ponies!

Sounds a bit young to be left alone with a couple of em!!:D
 
It would 100% depend on the kid but I would probably say 9 or 10 before I was 100% comfortable. Perhaps younger than that if I was still in sight/hearing.
 
Think it depends very much on the child and the pony. I was given my first pony when I was 8 or 9 and always messed about with him on my own including riding. But then again our private yard is right opposite the house so although nobody would see if I'd fallen off - I guess my parents would have noticed if I'd been out for ages! My pony was only a 5yo at that point, but he was very docile and I only fell off badly twice, but luckily only big gashes needing loads of stitches, nothing broken so I could always run back over to the house!

I'd also go out hacking on my own at that age. I never gave it a second thought back then, neither did my parents I dont think. I dont hack anymore though as the roads have got too dangerous nowadays! Back then you could do that kind of thing.
 
I started riding and handling horses at my RS when I was 6 but always supervised. I got my first pony at 9 and I'm now 15 and hacked on my own for the first time about 2 weeks ago! As much as my parents trust me and my pony, they always walked out with me on a hack because it's not worth risking it if they have the time and are able to come with me, although I am allowed to lunge and school in the paddock on my own but only in the last year or so. However I've been handling the horses on my own for much longer than that.
 
think I was about 9? used to cycle down with my saddle on my cross bar, catch, tack up and toddle off where ever we so pleased! she was a saint of a pony though :)
 
The BHS recommends that children should not be left alone until 12. I think if I child is sensible, has a mobile phone and knows how to behave around horses then I think it is okay for them to be left. I wasn't at the yard on my own until I was 12 but this is because our yard followed BHS rules.
 
Even now at 19 i'm not 100% being completely alone with the horses and riding, just in case something does happen and no ones around (i am a worrier though).

Story of warning...
My best friend used to keep her ponies (think we were like 8-10) just across the road and came and use our yard. She was very unlucky with uncatchable ponies and got kicked twice, once in the arm, once in the head (pony had no shoes) resulting in a lot of blood and a big scar. But as she was on her own she passed out in the field and no one found her for atleast half an hour. The accident could have been far worse, but it just shows how easy accidents can happen, simply by trying to catch a pony and the turning around on you and kicking out.

So no i don't think there ever is a right age to be completely alone with horses, they are big animals and anything can happen.
 
I personally think 6 is too young but it depends on their expierence. I would prob trust them to groom and tack up the pony but not lunge as it is more dangerous. So it all comes on expierence in my opinion :p
 
I was left alone at 9 almost every saturday with a yard full of nutters including 2 stallions (one of which was very grumpy) :p and it wasnt long ago either :rolleyes: At the time i wasnt experienced enough for it at all. I guess i got chucked in at the deep end really!

To be honest if they were mine i wouldnt have trusted me with them, but thats how it is and it worked out fine :)
 
I'd say about the time that they go to secondary school. They need to be a bit stronger to yank back now and again! These ponies are not daft and know exactly how much they can get away with. That being said, I try and make sure they do as much as possible on their own from about 9. I've just started letting my 12yr old son hack out on quiet roads and tracks on his own, as his pony is sensible!
 
I'm one of those that grew up in the 80s and by no means believe in mollycoddling anything - you got Dettol which stung like a barsteward instead the Savol and no chance of wasting a plaster on you unless something was actually severed. I was dropped at the stables from being about 6yrs old but that wouldn't happen now.

I actually wouldn't have a problem with children of 8 or 9 being on their own if things were as they were when I was growing up but my biggest issue is that in this day and age you cannot be careful enough with the suing culture!

If I owned a yard, I wouldn't have children left alone/without a parent or gaurdian on the yard until they are legally classed as adults. Sorry to be a party-pooper about it but you just cannot be too careful these days!!
 
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