varkie
Grand Prix Poster
Grand Prix Poster
Posts: 4,913
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Post by varkie on Dec 29, 2010 15:01:19 GMT 1
My earlier post should of course have stated that despite my picture, my daughter usually wears a hat when leading horses or ponies. This was one of those one off shots, a moment in time. I would of course recommend that all children are provided with safety equipment.
My daughter is allowed to lead my mare into the paddock, but not to unclip her or let her loose.
My daughter actually seems to have a natural horse sense, but I never forget her age or abilities, and she is always supervised when handling the horses and ponies.
I have a background in Health & Safety, and have been responsible for writing procedures, risk assessments, etc so feel I am fairly risk aware. Decisions I make regarding my daughter are made with much thought, and never carelessly. My daughter is very important to me, and I have to balance keeping her safe with allowing her to learn by herself.
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Post by basilhorse on Dec 29, 2010 17:04:45 GMT 1
Thank you so much for your input guys. It is really helpful. Basil is lovely and calm usually but if he spooks he's quick. Forest is even quicker - he's very sharp. Both are ex-racers. Basil is a well-built ex-racer. My youngster is quiet but he's a youngster and he will be solidly built when he's fully grown I think. He's a QH so speedy too. None have ever kicked me or bitten me but Basil has barged me out of the way in the past. I do take her to be around the horses and she helps brush etc but it is always when my focus is entirely on her and I lift her to to reach. I don't think I could do jobs with her around yet unless the horses were behind a fence. That is a lot to do with the sort of horses I have, my level of horsemanship and the facilities I don't have. I think I'm thinking more school age really. Thanks again That's a lovely pic varkie
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Post by medicinepony on Dec 31, 2010 16:33:05 GMT 1
my oldest daughter was 2 days old when she first came with me, dont have any computer pics of that but here is one of her daughter at 2 so she survived to reproduce lol when my girls were young I was able to pay my livery bill by helping out at the livery yard so they spent a lot of time there, it helped that the yard owner had a son the same age so she was happy and they played together they were all scooting around on their little trykes as todlers and there were some breath holding moments when they would do something unexpected like try to cycle underneath the horses while I was picking out their feet lots of dramatic agghhhh moments but we survived and life seemed simpler in those days funny how I am so much more careful (stressed) with my grandchildren around the horses, they are encouraged to take part in everything as long as supervised but not alowed in the fields without an adult, although again I did have a few scary moments after finding the 3 year old in with the stallion . the best thing you can do in these situations is stay calm and pretend its normal until you retrieve the wayward child and then scream ;D and remember to lock the front door and take the key out the door next time I guess these are just the things that you need to think about when you have kids. there are lots of things I can't do with my horses but I do try to make them as kid proof as possible and Im guessing that on a livery yard that although you might be able to kid proof your own horse, you can't guarantee the horse in the next stable is kid proof having re read your post I notice you said when can they be trusted, some are born with horse sense and some need to learn, some people never learn. when would you trust them not to walk in front of a car? my kids think all mums are born with eyes in the back of their heads, thats how we know when they are up to no good lol a bit of a ramble but bottom line there is no right or wrong , only what feels right to you and what your nreves can cope with
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Post by bertie666 on Dec 31, 2010 17:10:04 GMT 1
this is a bit of a side note but would any of u mums recommend any make for a waterproof all in one jobby for a little one? I think he's wearing 12-18 month stuff but he has nothing waterproof so needs like a babyboiler suit!
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Post by basilhorse on Dec 31, 2010 17:49:59 GMT 1
Ella wears a Regatta one
Thanks everyone for input. Ella has been doing the horses with me since she was tiny but has been carried on my back out of the way of the horses. I will carry on like this for the rest of this winter. She will be able to toddle around with me while I poo-pick in the spring and summer (the horses will be in a different field so no danger). I hope that by next winter I will have fencing to keep the horses away from the shelter while Ella and I muck out and fill haybars. She may also be in pre-school part-time from September so I may have some free time then.
I'm not on a livery yard. My horses are at home. I have no yard, just a field shelter in the field. She is unable to walk through the poached mud at the moment so I have to carry her.
I'm sure we'll work it out.
medicinepony - That's the question I'm asking. When do they get road sense? (I assume she'll get horse aware at the same sort of time ish). My daughter is my first so I don't know the answer to that question! My daughter has not ever attempted to run across the road. Does that mean she has road sense? I don't think so. The government don't think children have enough road sense to cross a road without an adult until they are 8 years old apparently.
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Post by highlanderpony2002 on Dec 31, 2010 23:44:14 GMT 1
I bought my grandaughter a ski suit from tkmax it was warm and waterproof covered her from top to toes without a gap in the middle It was great and cost about 15 quid
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