Yard teen mafias

[stangs]

Came across a truly awful one this afternoon, when I ventured out to a new yard. A bunch of girls no more than 14yo, acting like they ran the place. Arrogant and stand-offish the lot of them. They weren't all bad, mind. They were certainly hard-working and good with the horses, from the little I saw. But their attitude towards people has rather put me off returning there. I'm sure I wasn't that bad, back when I was a yard girl.

Has anyone else had bad experiences with yard teen mafias recently?

 

[Pippity]

Nope! The teenagers on my yard are lovely. Some of them are a bit quiet and subdued around adults, but most of them are chatty and friendly. When I was their age, I was too shy to hold a conversation with an adult as though we were equals, and possibly came off as stand-offish because of it, so I veer towards the most charitable interpretation of their behaviour.

 

[scruffyponies]

Recently attended an event with a 16yo girl. She was in a position to overhear the way some of the older (~40s) ladies were bitching about other riders and was genuinely horrified.

 

[Roasted Chestnuts]

To be fair seen that more for women nearing 40 or over 40 than from teens. Usually it’s just teenager arrogance and a good embarrassment or calling out puts them in their place. It’s the older ones who are more annoying as they have the life experience to truly be nasty ?

 

[Elf On A Shelf]

I'm so glad I am not on a livery yard and I only have to deal with "children" at work! Most of whom are great!

 

[teapot]

I think it’s a stage, or a rite of passage sadly! Have experienced it in a few places.

 

[Christmascinnamoncookie]

Saw it at my old yard and I wanted to kick them all off! They slagged off the ym on social media, were disruptive and disrespectful, disturbed the farrier who was dealing with a tricky horse. Drove me and my horse nuts.

 

[JumpTheMoon1]

Sadly this is happening a lot now.Tell the yard owner and let them know exactly what you seen and how it made you feel.
If you do nothing then nothing will improve.

 

[Barton Bounty]

Rife at the last yard I was at and it was the older ones influencing the younger ones with their crappy attitudes.

 

[Gloi]

To be honest the worst bitchy horse women I know are over 80. Cross they can't ride any more so sit in the gallery ripping everyone to bits.

 

[Barton Bounty]

To be honest the worst bitchy horse women I know are over 80. Cross they can't ride any more so sit in the gallery ripping everyone to bits.

Yip does happen, one lady at the last yard, was 70 and she has the prime spot across from the arena. Used to rip everyone to shreds ?

 

[Cowpony]

I have to say, our yard is lucky enough to have the nicest bunch of teenagers I have ever come across. They are supportive of each other, lovely with the smaller children and polite and confident with the adults. The yard staff won't allow any bitching or bullying and it really shows in the clients.

 

[little_critter]

I feel intimidated by teenagers (takes me back to my school days).
Up till recently I’ve avoided yards with teenagers on, but I was pleasantly surprised by the ones on the last yard; polite, conversational and helpful with the little kids.

 

[Sleipnir]

In my experience, ill behaved teens only run rampant on badly managed yards where they simply do not have enough supervision and/or an older mentor who teaches them the proper behaviour by example.

 

[sjdress]

We have two teenagers on my yard. One Is polite and easy to get along with, the other is rude, messy, lazy and drives me nuts!

 

[luckyoldme]

I just don't get how it works with teenagers.
Years ago I was one and I can remember thinking that at least when I got older I would understand them.
Now I'm older and I don't understand them.
How does that work?

 

[fiwen30]

I just don't get how it works with teenagers.
Years ago I was one and I can remember thinking that at least when I got older I would understand them.
Now I'm older and I don't understand them.
How does that work?

I think it’s your literal brain chemistry - your brain doesn’t fully mature until you’re like 21 or 23, or something.

 

[greenbean10]

the teenagers at my yard were lovely! I used to hack out with them a lot and we never ran out of things to talk about. When my horse got injured she said I could ride hers a few times which I did, and she jumped mine a few times. It’s the older people who were worse at my yard!

 

[JBM]

I’ve recently just had a teenage girl at my yard take the stirrups and girth off my saddle to use it on her own..didn’t ask or tell me
Only know cuz I found them attached to her saddle ?

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

Have known quite a few most of them were fine hacked out with some never known any real nastiness.

 

[Ratface]

Previously, when I have been at yards, it's definitely not the teenagers, it's been the middle-aged "females with fags" mafia. Now at a small private yard. Can be a bit lonely, but better than being bullied!

 

[adamntitch]

Helpers at a riding school I worked at nightmare had to be nipped in the bud

 

[Toby_Zaphod]

I've been on yards where most of the adult horse owners neve seem to ride. They turn it into a coffee club where they sit drinking coffee & take to pee out of anyone that actually spends time grooming & riding heir horse. I've mainly been on yards with adults & there has rarely been teenagers in any number to cause issues & they've been fine. The yard I am on at the moment is a well balanced. When a stable comes available there is rarely a rush to fill it. Any potential liveries are checked out to see that they will fit in with the other liveries so the status quo remains happy.

 

[smolmaus]

I get on better with the teens than their mothers, but they are a bit older (17-19) and I never matured much past their age anyway ?

There was a bit of dramatics earlier in the year with one of the girls but since it was all behind the scenes and never to my face I did the "mature" thing and pretended I didn't know a thing about it and was nicer to her than ever, it must have been infuriating ?

 

[Lady Tinseltime]

It's the way they stare at you when you walk past and then you hear an outburst of hysterical giggling!!

 

[Sealine]

I've known most of the teenagers at my yard since they were born and watched them progress from lead rein ponies through to horses. I take an interest in them and their horses and they are happy to chat. They sometimes get a bit noisy and sometimes they do silly things but they are teenagers after all. Mostly they are lovely.

I'm lucky to be on a yard where a majority of the liveries have been here for many years and we are kind and supportive to each other and welcome new liveries. We don't have any 'fag hags' or bullies. We do get the occasional one but they don't tend to stay long when they realise they won't be tolerated.

 

[BSL2]

It's most probably a lack of confidence and inexperience in how to interact with strangers.

 

[Winters100]

The teenagers on our yard are great, but if they showed any bad attitude or cheek I, or one of the other adults, would not hold back in calling them over and reminding them to have some manners and show respect. OP, have you considered doing this?

 

[ILuvCowparsely]

Came across a truly awful one this afternoon, when I ventured out to a new yard. A bunch of girls no more than 14yo, acting like they ran the place. Arrogant and stand-offish the lot of them. They weren't all bad, mind. They were certainly hard-working and good with the horses, from the little I saw. But their attitude towards people has rather put me off returning there. I'm sure I wasn't that bad, back when I was a yard girl.

Has anyone else had bad experiences with yard teen mafias recently?

The youth of today certainly are not the same as when we were younger.

 

[Winters100]

The youth of today certainly are not the same as when we were younger.

Or is it that the adults of today are not what they were? I am pretty sure that the nature of children has not changed, but it does seem that the attitude of parents, and indeed other adults, towards correcting children has changed. I do not believe that as teenagers we were 'nicer people' than the teens of today, just that those around us had higher expectations of us and were not afraid to hold us to the expected standards of behavior.