Whinge, moan, God I hate people 😤

[expanding_horizon]

Totally agree with this. I had a similar experience last year. I had taken the horses to another yard for a few weeks, a huge complex which was built partly for the training of the National team, so plenty of top riders there. A friend went to fetch something from my car and accidently set off the panic alarm - flashing lights and horn - and since she could not stop it she had to come and fetch me. I ran to deal with it, and profusely apologised to the lady nearby, whose horse was obviously upset. I had half expected to be yelled at, she is a top rider and it is a serious place. Instead she asked me if I could please do it again, because the horse has to get used to it.

With my own horses I agree that seeing all sorts at home is good for them, and if they cannot cope with unexpected activity at home then how can we expect them to cope with it elsewhere.

I agree lots of things are good training opportunities. But some things are both mundane and potentially dangerous. I remember I used to use an outdoor school with floodlights, and a neighboring yards large dog would play around the school. Appearing and disappearing in the shadows. I think this IS dangerous, and most horses would spook at prey animal suddenly appearing and disappearing in the dark. The yard manager did try and prevent it happening again.

 

[humblepie]

I ride where lots of race horses are exercised, and in quite a windy location. There is pub garden that a lot of racehorses pass. The pub umbrellas are tied shut with shrink wrap plastic when not inuse after a few incidents. A local trainer a few years back had a exercise rider fall from horse off spooking at umbrellas in the wind. He came back in the dead of night and taped all umbrellas shut! Unfortunately the pub cameras caught him doing it, and the pub rang his wife!

I like his style.

 

[McGrools]

That’s hilarious. I hear you and raise you………………at a dressage comp my children were on their ponies as they were also competing, I walked them over to the warm up area. I was on foot, in between the two of them and suddenly an adult (female) of a certain age lost her s*** at us, screaming at the top of her voice to stay away from her and her horse as he would be frightened. I reckon the screaming was what was upsetting her horse.

Thankfully the steward was exceptional at managing the situation. My son said “mummy what was wrong with that lady, why was she shouting”.

 

[Toby_Zaphod]

Unfortunately if you are not careful the yard can turn into a children's play area. The people with children come down, ignore their children & what they are up to & go and ride their horses. The rest of the yard keep on telling the children to leave things alone, come away from there, keep out of the stable etc etc. Our Yard owner tells everyone before the come to the yard that it is not a kinder garden so children under a certain age are not permitted or they stay sitting in the car. That was great but eventually her daughter in law had children & they came down with her, she rode & the kids were a bloody nuisance. They were giving horses the feed from other horses, sometimes it could be dangerous for the horse as some had medications in them. Eventually the YO spoke to her about things & things are better now.

 

[millreef]

Unfortunately if you are not careful the yard can turn into a children's play area. The people with children come down, ignore their children & what they are up to & go and ride their horses. The rest of the yard keep on telling the children to leave things alone, come away from there, keep out of the stable etc etc. Our Yard owner tells everyone before the come to the yard that it is not a kinder garden so children under a certain age are not permitted or they stay sitting in the car. That was great but eventually her daughter in law had children & they came down with her, she rode & the kids were a bloody nuisance. They were giving horses the feed from other horses, sometimes it could be dangerous for the horse as some had medications in them. Eventually the YO spoke to her about things & things are better now.

I agree that when it’s dangerous then something needs to be done.
I haven’t hacked out since I was chased by a camel! Literally a camel made a beeline for us and my poor horse just lost it. She bombed off I to the forest being pursued by a freaking camel, and boy can they run.

 

[Lucky Snowball]

I’m happy to use most distractions as a training tool but it does annoy me when children are messing around without ponies. A yard should not be a place for children to play while the parent deals with their own horse.