Re: RideCamp: Kids around horses

[Lynette Helgeson <helgeson@lansford.ndak.net>]

Ok, I am a parent and I would never let my children at one year of age
run around my horses feet and under them. Not only are they in danger if
they spook, but also what if they are kicking at flies and the child's
head got in the way. I don't know how good of friends that you are with
this lady, but I think someone ought to sit her down and have a good
talk with her. I know I would. 

Lynette

April Lee wrote:
> 
> At 10:48 PM 2/25/99, Sylvia wrote:
> >is.  When I was 17 I saw a 2 year old child kicked in the head by a yearling
> >colt.  The child died and the colt was shot by an irate father.  I will never
> >forget the experience.  Keep your kids AND DOGS under control.
> 
> That brings to mind a friend of mine.  She has a 1 year old that she takes
> riding with her (short rides, walking only, kid wearing helmet).  She also
> brings him out to the pasture with her everyday to feed her 10 year old
> Arabian gelding.  She raised the gelding from a yearling, so she knows him
> very well and loves him almost as much as she loves the kid.  I say almost
> because if the Arab ever hurt the child, she'd probably shoot the horse.
> 
> However, she does seem a bit reckless...letting the kid run under the horse
> and all around his back legs while the horse is trying to eat.  She's
> usually pretty good about keeping the kid away from my horse (she hates my
> horse...source of problem between friends...different story), but she's not
> so good about the other horses (owned by people other than myself and her).
>  She lets her son walk right up to them and pet them...which is fine, but
> she often says that if any of them hurt him, she'd shoot them.  Most of
> these horses are not violent and would not hurt a kid on purpose.  I see
> the most danger in allowing the kid to not respect the horses.  It might be
> hard to teach a 1 year old respect for horses, but if you can't, I say keep
> the kids under the closest supervision around the horses.  And, for pete's
> sake, keep them out from under the horses' feet.  A horse has big feet and
> can easily knock over a child on accident.  And if you startle pretty much
> any horse (never mind the "spooky" Arabians--not all are spooky, just a
> large number that I have been around...there, did I cover myself?  :) ),
> they will generally act unexpectedly.  I can think of no more spooky thing
> than realizing all the sudden that something is moving underneath you when
> you thought the child was somewhere else.
> 
> No, I'm not a parent.  I am very fond of this one year old we are talking
> about and I have a lot of experience with other children.  Just because I'm
> not a parent, doesn't mean I can't see dangers associated with not
> respecting the nature of a horse.  I believe that there are some horses
> that are VERY GOOD with children, including letting them run underneath
> them... All I'm saying is that horses are not all like that and kids should
> be taught that or kept away from the horses that aren't so good with
> keeping up with where the children are.
> 
> Ok, I'm done...
> :)  April
>    Chattanooga, TN
> 
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=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net.    
Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/RideCamp   
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=