What is everyone's problem with teenage horse owners?

I have never had an issue with teens, and remember never being treated like a child when on yards. Yes people would look out for me, I was on a yard with friends of my parents, and they were always polite, helpful, and thought it was great how enthusiastic I was.
However, I have an issue with some of the bratty, know it all idiots, regardless of age, who can barely ride, but blame it on the horse!
 
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Over the years of owning horses i have seen so many adults pick on teenagers and constantly nagging at them as though they know nothing about horses and they are doing every thing wrong! I have caught a few people behave the same way towards my 13 year old daughter who is very knowledgable about horses although no one seems to give her credit for it.

So.... what is it that makes people think teenagers have no clue about looking after horses when in fact they are more than often more knowldgable than many of us 'oldies':rolleyes:
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In what sort of way?

If it was riding technique/way of going if someone offered me advice having seen me ride and overheard me complaining, I'd try it. If it was medical, I'd be more inclined to speak to someone of a similar age to me or older - would a teenager really look at my horses swollen legs and say "yes, i've seen this before, it's probably cellulitis, call the vet"? As it goes, nobody opinion was that as nobody had ever seen it before and I reside on a yard all older than me (I'm 30, by the way so not really got a foot in either young nor old camp).
 
I was very lucky with the group of adults on my yard when I was younger. I started out at 10 with the YO's daughter's pony on loan, and a lot of the women on the yard used to look out for me and take me riding, and more often than not they'd drop me at home as well (I lived very close to the yard). At the time I didn't quite realise how generous this was, but now I look back and am amazed at how kind and generous they all were! Obviously at 10 I wasn't allowed to ride on my own, and nor was I allowed on the yard when no-one else was there, but quite a few of the women seemed happy to take responsibility for me. I never forced myself on them, but they were always asking me or my mum if I wanted to go riding, and then reassuring my mum that they would drop me off at home afterwards. They made my early experiences of owning a horse really, really amazing :). When I was a teenager I was on the same yard with a fair few of the same people, so I had earned their respect because they had watched me mature over the years and seen how much hard work and dedication I put into caring for my horse (when I was 11 I had outgrown my loan pony so my parents bought me my own Arab mare, who I still own today). Any new people who came to the yard took their lead from the way the other people treated me, so I never felt like anyone looked down on me or didn't listen to me just because I was a teenager. In fact, I remember one lady watching me having a riding lesson on my Arab about 6 months after I got her, and telling me afterwards that I had done so well with her and she was really impressed with how much progress we'd made. And another lady writing me an amazing message in a Christmas card, saying that I was the most dedicated horse owner she knew (this was after my Arab had spent several months on box rest following an accident, and she has seen me going up to the farm 3 times a day, every day). I would have been about 14 at the time. So maybe I was just lucky, but I never felt that anyone looked down on me or treated me as though I didn't know anything, just because I was a child/ teenager. I do think I was very lucky though :D
 
I have two daughters and been on a livery yard with eight teenage girls all of which had ridden since they were about six.
There is a saying if you want to know a anything ask a teenager as they know everything, added to which girls at the age of 12-13 change overnight from those wide eyed pleasure to be with companions you see in American sitcomes to lieing, overmade up little madams. Add the factor of competition with their 'best' friends for best, pony, saddle,my pony can jump higher etc and you have a very volatile cocktail.
The worst aspect of this is the fact they see the yard as an extentsion of their home where they can drop all their rubbish,hay, muck, tack( which parents have paid a fortune for) all over the yard and expect someone else to clear up.Every Mum defends her angel in this as of course they are not the source of the trail of filth and untidyness. I once cleared out the hay store which was a foot deep in hay and found two turnout rugs underneath which I knew belong to some young charmer when they were not claimed they were recycled to charity.
I include my angels in this as well but as I cleared up and shouted after them, I have paid for my spleen. They are now adults and tidying up after boyfriends and I laugh.
Having been though this I can understand other liveries lack of confidence in their abilities comitment, I wish you well in proving them wrong.
 
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I'm a teenager and have been around horses for 10 years(better than 0 years!). I have full responsibility over my horse, although my parents pay. I'm very lucky on the yard I'm on as everyone is extremely helpful, and anything I'm curious about I'll ask no matter how stupid, and they won't make a remark. But I have had some people make me feel extremely small/worthless, they just make assumptions because I'm a teenager. Seriously, half of the teenagers aren't THAT bad.
 
bgb said:
I am 15 and feel like I am being patronised with every decision I make regarding my horse. The yard I am on are mainly people who enjoy hacking and gentle schooling. I got a new horse who has a BE record and who I intend to event which caused quite a stirr. Whenever I lunge him or pull his mane I get looks as if I am sprouting vegetables out of my head. I save up for months with babysitting money to buy rugs and other bits and bobs I need but I just get comments as if they think I am a spoilt brat. I don't "advise" others so I don't need some middle aged grumpy woman to butt in and tell me what to do. I know some teens can be obnoxious but it works two ways.
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FWIW I thought you were a lot older as you come across as mature and quite knowledgeable! (I am A LOT older than you)
 
Well, I'm an old novice in my early 40s, I mostly hack. Since the beginning of my illustrious ridden career in June 2012 I have predominantly ridden out with teens and early 20s on my yard. They've really looked after me (I do have a diamond of a horse too!) haven't seemed to mind my tagging along with them and given me useful and correct advice which has helped my riding come along a lot. They're also very considerate of their horses which means a lot, so overall they know more about riding than I do, so I have plenty to learn from them.
 
at my old yard the people were so rude to me and another teenager there. They looked down on us and literally picked on everything we done. Im not saying im more experienced because im not but they were so rude. Now im at a lovely yard where everyone is treated with respect and we all help eachother, so much better!
 
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I think there can be a big difference between the younger teens and the older ones, many of the older ones may have some work experience or perhaps taken some pony club tests and have some good knowledge combined with riding skills and bravery.

I have known some great teenagers on yards, however I think problems are more likely to occur on yards where there are large numbers of teenagers as well as adults. I always try and respect young people and be friendly and not talk down to them, however it is not always easy if they get the herd mentality and go round in groups and you get the impression they are giggling and talking/lauging about you behind your back and not giving you the same respect as you give them. I do understand that is what being a teenager is about for many and teenage girls can be very hormonal and it is often not their fault as if they do have an "attitude", I think sometimes the parents don't even know what is going on which does not help.

I tend to find the 14-16 age group most challenging as when they get to that age they sometimes don't want to be friendly with adults as it is not "cool", the younger and older ones are often a delight to be around.

What I do find quite sad is the attitude of some teens towards their parents especially if the parents are paying for everything and giving up their spare time to take kids to yards/shows etc.
 
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I've been lucky at my new yard. I look older than I am so people generally listen to my opinion on some things. And due to obsessing over my lady's cushings I'm pretty much a walking cushings dictionary :rolleyes: however I also respect and take on most people's opinions unless they're crazy haha. I've had some really interesting conversations with some of the barefoot people on my yard even though my lady is fully shod currently. They've shown me something to defiantly keep in mind and I respect their management choice. As in turn people respect my slightly poorer looking cushings lady who isn't always rugged up.

But I'm not really much of a teen anymore...approaching 20 and all
 
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I've met idiot teenagers and idiot adults aged 40+ who have owned horses for x amount of years blah blah.

I've also met wonderful knowledgeable teenagers and adults who are willing to learn and want to do the best by their horse 100% of the time.

Age is just a number - it's attitude that matters - a good horseperson should ALWAYS be willing and open to learning more! I hope to include myself in that - I am a 33yo Registered Vet Nurse, but openly admit I am a novice with experience back in my teenage years :D
 
even after 50 years of horse ownership I learn something new every day sometimes from young people, sometimes from the horses themselves and sometimes from the various web pages I frequent
I like young people and have a great deal of respect for those that take the trouble to learn but there are some right numpties coming out of the equine studies courses and degrees
There are also some knowledgeable and charming young people from them too bit like every other walk of life
 
i'm 15 and keep my horse on a yard with a mixture of middle aged women and girls my age, and me and my best friend are definitely looked down on because of our age-whenever we do something or try something new we are looked down on and told that it 'isn't the right way'... Most of the other girls my age are very bitchy and a few are the kind of person who thinks they know everything and won't hesitate to let you know all about it; I keep to myself mostly because it's a really bad atmosphere, me and my mare are doing just fine, as opposed to some of their horses, and I can't help but be annoyed when i'm told i'm 'mucking out the wrong way'-surely everyone is allowed their own methods of doing things? I love being able to learn new things from anybody but if it's unecessary advice given in a patronising way then definitely not... i've bee around horses for 10 years now and take full responsibility for my horse and the welfare of her, so I really dislike it when I get patronised and treated like a child... Not all of the adults at my yard are like this, but I think that the other teenagers there give the rest of us a bad name!
 
We have a couple of teens on the yard I'm on, and I have to say they are smashing. Not even that experienced, but sensible, caring and learning fast. They have a green Arab(!) and are doing tremendously well with her. I also put one out on loan to a teenage girl, it didn't work out but not through any fault of hers, she too was lovely.
 
I think the problem with some teenagers (and their parents) is their idea of what a competent rider is. One of my liveries has been looking for a light competent teenager to share her very nice quality 14.2 pony. Those who have shown interest have been told that she is NOT a novice ride. They all said (and their parents said) they were experienced. Absolutely not the case. Yes they had ridden for 4/5/6/ years, but, as it turned out, only in a school or on quiet, horses-in-a-string hacks. There was no way they were competent to take out a forward going pony on their own. One, on a supervised ride, with my livery riding my horse, was so frightened when something spooked the pony that she baled out!!!

I know there are very many highly competent teenagers out there, especially ones who have had Pony Club experience - in my view one of the best things any young rider can do, but unfortunately there are also quite a few with egos larger than their skills and parents to match.
 
Rose Folly said:
I think the problem with some teenagers (and their parents) is their idea of what a competent rider is. One of my liveries has been looking for a light competent teenager to share her very nice quality 14.2 pony. Those who have shown interest have been told that she is NOT a novice ride. They all said (and their parents said) they were experienced. Absolutely not the case. Yes they had ridden for 4/5/6/ years, but, as it turned out, only in a school or on quiet, horses-in-a-string hacks. There was no way they were competent to take out a forward going pony on their own. One, on a supervised ride, with my livery riding my horse, was so frightened when something spooked the pony that she baled out!!!

I know there are very many highly competent teenagers out there, especially ones who have had Pony Club experience - in my view one of the best things any young rider can do, but unfortunately there are also quite a few with egos larger than their skills and parents to match.
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Oh goodness yes, I used to start ponies and have many a time had my heart in my mouth when a potential rider has turned out to be nowhere near as able as they think....
 
There is a difference between knowledge and experience.

You could have read all the books, magazines, watched DVD's etc and have knowledge on a subject but that doesn't make you experienced.
 
I know some teenagers can be stupid and ditch horses for boys etc. but it all comes down to stereotypical thought doesn't it? Many teenagers (i must say including myself) are knowledgeable and just because we only have 13 years or so of experience, some adults can have less experience if they started riding late. I don't like this thought as age shouldn't matter.
 
There are some idiotic spoilt think they know it all teenagers out there, but then there are some lovely ones who are always willing to learn and take advice. Then there are some incredibly bad adults too who know even less than teens!! For me it purely depends on the individual person.
 
There is good and bad whatever the age. I have seen a very stupid and badly behaved teenager at our yard in the past few months who left her horse in a filthy stable, worked an unfit horse into the ground and spoke complete and utter nonsense all the time she was there. ( she left after two months). On the other hand there are a couple of girls of the same age who help out at the yard and are completely opposite in all ways. They have fit in with all ages, are not know it alls and have a good working knowledge of the yard. They are very willing and helpful and I enjoy their company.
 
just saw an ad for horse on fb that doesnt want teenagers trying the horse out, even though hes described as a fun competitive type, perfect for a competitive teenager no? it peed me off tbh! and i only have a month left of being a teenager :rolleyes:

i got a lot of stick at my old yard and eventually ended up leaving. it was all adults and if anything happened at the yard, if something was broken or went missing it was me they pointed the finger at. always went quiet when i walked by them, and i was only 13 at the time! when i handed in my notice the YO said she knew i was a good kid and that a lot of the liveries up there think they run the place.. adults are worse than the kids more often than not.. IMO anyway!
 
Just stereotyping... I'm not a teenager anymore sadly but it really does annoy me when seemingly normal teens get tarred with the irresponsible and clueless brush..

Horsey folk can all be as bad as each other in my opinion iv met some small children who could ride there pony better than some adults I know! Iv met just as many irresponsible adults and children as much as teenagers..

Not sure what the fascination with them is.. There not all silly there are still human beings..
 
You get too many 'bad apples' as it were for people to feel comfortable.

My sister is 18, and she and a few peers are currently setting out to 'make it' in eventing. They are all determined, hard working and polite individuals who listen to anyone who gives them advice and then thank them politely. They might not take this advice, but once it's given they at least say thank you. They are all starting at the bottom and slowly but surely working their way up- none are under any illusion that it takes anything other than years of effort, non-stop hard work and a lot of luck to get places.

Compare them to the 16yo riders at PC camp (where we all stable manage). They have 2 lessons a day, with the best instructors. They argue, think they're being picked on, complain and grumble almost constantly... And they're generally lovely people, not exactly brats. Teenagers seem to go through a phase of knowing everything, so at the time they're most likely to learn they think they know to much to.
 
Same issue as teenage mums, to an extent. It's a lot of responsibility. Obviously no reason for looking down on them, but most teens aren't usually as serious about horses as those who have worked for them for years, or pay for them ;)
 
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