What does everyone do with babies/ children when riding?

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Doolally

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17 February 2014
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Hi, I was just wondering what everyone did with their little ones when they were riding out (in the sand school). I have one horse at a local livery yard but onto riding at the weekends at the moment when my husband can babysit. i don't have any family nearby so think my only option is to get childcare but interested to know at everyone else does!
Thanks!
 
How old are the children? I used to be able to time their feeds / sleeps to give me an hour to tack up and ride, when they were very small. They would be either in the car or in the pushchair depending on weather. I could park either right next to the arena. Sometimes I used to pay the groom at the yard to have the baby in her house (very nearby), she was herself a mum of slightly older children and totally trustworthy. I also used one of the yard teenagers to take him for walks in the pushchair while I rode! Try asking around for less formal childcare, if there is someone you trust and can keep the baby/child close by.

If they are older (i.e. walking) it's harder! I am in the process of setting up a 'wendy house' at the yard which is an old shed (with windows), and am going to put some toys and little chairs in there. My hope is that during summer they can see it as their room and have fun in there and the adjoining field without coming close to the big horses. They are old enough though to go where they are told.

Good luck!
 
Depends on their age. When my daughter was a very little baby I'd bundle her up, feed her and she'd sleep in pram parked by the school, or in car within earshot. Those were the days! Didn't last long to be honest. Now she's a toddler I can't do anything 😂 I ride on the weekends and evenings when husband home and she's in bed (it's been a loooong winter!).
 
Great thanks for your replys. I had thought of the car as the car park is right by the school or in the pram. She is only a few months but as you say it gets more difficult when they are running around! I like the idea of the Wendy house!!
 
I only ride when I have child care. I might be more paranoid than most but what would happen if you had a nasty fall?
 
I used to collect my son from nursery after work so he was tired, by the time I had driven to the yard he was fast asleep so would park next to the arena and he wouldn't wake up for a good hour and a half!!
 
My daughter is 4 and she comes with me. She is used to being around the horses and loves it. She is very independent and knows that what I say, goes. We have set up 'safe' places where she can go to if horse is upset or things aren't going to plan. If I say she needs to stay out the way, she does. There are always at least 3 other people about, including her Dad who also works at the yard. We alternate between who is doing the safest job as to who has my daughter. I try not to take her with me if I can, but sometimes I have no option.
 
My daughter has had to be in the car while I've done many things from a young age. I think it's the safest place when in sight and obviously allowing for the weather etc.
 
This
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This is about a year ago but this is still our routine, I have 3 horses on DIY and my husband works away Monday to Friday so bubs has had to come with me almost everyday. I try to time it for when he's hungry and give him sandwiches or something when I start and I limit riding to 1/2 hour if he's stuck in the pram.
He's now almost 2 so I can do this with him first
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to tire him out!!
I am very lucky, he's such a tolerant boy but it has been his routine since day one
 
MiniBoo1 was a Velcro baby so I only ever managed to ride once with her sleeping in the buggy (and a delivery arrived so even that didn't work out). I had to arrange childcare to ride, it's even worse when they are toddlers and can get up to no good but don't listen to much yet.
 
My 2 are 2yr and 4yr now. The 4yr old is at an age where everything I do is boring and rubbish lol so I ride in the evening now when they are in bed and at weekend when partner is around. At a few months old they would park up in buggy or car and sleep whilst I rode... Those days were easy!!!
In sept my eldest starts school and youngest starts pre school so will have 2/3 mornings a week to myself for a few hours to ride. Can't wait!!!
 
I ride/work my horse very early in the morning when OH and kids are still sleeping or in evenings/weekends when OH will look after them. My oldest is 10 and has his own pony though so that makes things easier. Total nightmare on the yard with the 4 year old though, I try not to do it.
 
I'm planning on doing in hand work with the horse alongside walking the dog by going down early and getting home before the oh goes to work at 7am, then I'll get mini ready for nursery. I don't really have much I can do at the stables with her there as we have no arena. She's good at running to the tack room if we are moving horses about etc, but I need to work on her going close to them when tied up. Although that kind of my fault, as she may come to me, not realising how close she's going,she needs escorting around really. I do get her to brush her pony ( a 4yo for backing this year) but only ever under heavy supervision, he's pretty chilled but only young but it's good to get him used to little people!

I ride at weekends otherwise and leave her with the oh, although I'm always feeling guilty for having too much me time so I'm always rushing.
 
My twins are 3 and we can only afford formal childcare while I'm at work so there were no glorious times when I could go off and ride while they are elsewhere. My parents are local and are happy to help with the kids but they consider the horse my "responsibility and luxury" so they have made it clear they won't look after them for me to ride, I struggle to persuade them to cover me for an hour if the saddler/dentist is coming!
All my riding is done after they're in bed (thank god for floodlit arenas) and I try and fit a hack in on weekends. Most people on my yard must think my boy only gets a couple of rides a fortnight when in fact he gets at least 4 a week but when I arrive at 8-8.30pm most of them are long gone!
The kids love him and they do get to have the odd sit on but I have to watch them all like a hawk because he's too big and they're oblivious to the consequences.
When they were tiny there was no chance of getting a ride in while they slept, 2 children = twice the risk of them waking up!
 
I ride first thing in the morning - OH leaves for work at 7.50 a.m in the winter and will take daughter to nursery for me so I can ride until 8.20ish when I have to get ready for work myself.

In the summer if I want to ride, I have to get up at about 5 a.m as OH leaves far earlier.

Four years down the line - I've got pretty good at it!!
 
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