# Your children make me want to drink.



## Thoroughbredlover33 (Mar 19, 2014)

Dear Parents with unruly children,

I shouldn't have to babysit when I go riding. I shouldn't have to worry about _*YOUR*_ child running behind my horse and scaring him and getting kicked. I also shouldn't have to worry about them feeding my horse. Sure, feed him hay. But don't you dare sit there and watch your children get their nasty hands in my horse's supplements and then go throwing it on the ground when I'm not there. Supplements are expensive. I shouldn't have to hear your child screaming and throwing a temper tantrum. Your child is being a brat? Don't just let them stay in the barn. Take the pest outside. No one likes hearing screaming children, especially horses.

And for the love of all things holy, do not let your child be unsupervised around the riding ring if they do not listen. I have had too many children run out in front of me mid-canter and I have nearly run several of them over. And parents get mad. Oops. Not my fault your child felt the need to run out in front of a huge animal whose brakes take a moment to kick in. I didn't run them over. Calm down and focus on the fact that your child basically just played chicken with a horse.

Bring your children to the barn. Let them experience horses. It's good. As long as your child knows how to not act like a heathen. I can only take so much of that and so can the horses. If your child acts like some *thing, *then teach them to listen before bringing them around large, dangerous animals, and don't get crappy with me or the barn owner when they get hurt. 

Sincerely, 
A rider who hates having to put up with your undisciplined children.


----------



## waresbear (Jun 18, 2011)

Wow, the things I miss out on not ever having to board my horse. Darn, a reason to drink! Seriously though, this can't be the norm? Although I have never boarded my horses, I have been to a gazillion shows, luckily I have seen no children act those monsters you describe! Phew!


----------



## Missy May (Feb 18, 2012)

Wow, I would say something directly to the parents.


----------



## Palomine (Oct 30, 2010)

Missy May said:


> Wow, I would say something directly to the parents.


Good luck with that one. Usually parents are too busy admiring their PSS sufferer.


----------



## Palomine (Oct 30, 2010)

waresbear said:


> Wow, the things I miss out on not ever having to board my horse. Darn, a reason to drink! Seriously though, this can't be the norm? Although I have never boarded my horses, I have been to a gazillion shows, luckily I have seen no children act those monsters you describe! Phew!


Sadly is more and more the norm I think.

You have too many people that don't grasp the concept that the rest of the world doesn't like their kids.


----------



## aubie (Aug 24, 2013)

It's just that society has become more self absorbed. Its not they don't grasp the world doesn't like their kids, they simply don't care. The world is here from them. The world ends at their nose.


----------



## Palomine (Oct 30, 2010)

Oh I hear your pain..and feel it too.

Can't understand why people breed, if they don't want to raise them, but they do.

Reminds me of the time I was trapped in one of those Burger King lines, in front of me in the next trap, was a woman with 2 PSS sufferers. Girl with big bow in hair, boy little older...maybe 8 and 10ish? Or younger...been many years now. But they were whining, pushing each other, acting like morons.

Well dressed, all of them, had some money. But there were 20 people in that twisting line, I was hungry, and had my 2 with me, who were behaving, albeit same age as the PSS brats.

Finally, I had had it!

I looked at her and told her "I don't know why you didn't just buy 2 poodles and let them act like morons, you could have left them at HOME and the rest of the world wouldn't be tormented with your brats."

Judging by the looks on the brats faces...first time it had dawned on them that others didn't think they were cutesy wootsy...they finally behaved then, mom looked like it was first time it had occurred to her that no one else wanted to be bothered with her morons.

Can't believe how many idiots are out there now.


Are you by any chance a roper? I'd build a loop and see if you couldn't tie 'em in less than 8.


----------



## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

you reall said these words?


"I don't know why you didn't just buy 2 poodles and let them act like morons, you could have left them at HOME and the rest of the world wouldn't be tormented with your brats."


I'd like to have seen that.


----------



## Horseychick87 (Feb 5, 2014)

If I would have acted like that as a kid I would have been in so much trouble I wouldn't have seen the light of day for a long time.

My boyfriend has two boys 4 and 2 (He was married twice), the oldest one lives with his mother and she allows him to act like a wild animal. The youngest one is also allowed to act like a maniac by his mother.

However, when they are with me they will act right or they will be disciplined in some form or fashion. The 2 year old is prone to nasty tantrums when out to eat. When he's with his mother he gets away with it.
Guess what happens when he's with me...he is taught a lesson on proper behavior. 
I'll take him to the restroom, warn him once and make him stop crying/ screaming. If he starts up once we get to the table I take our food and we go sit in the car, he doesn't get his food until he stops acting a fool either. If he refuses to stop I'll start to eat his food as well (I've gained a few unwanted pounds doing this, LOL.) I've had to do it maybe 5 times total, now he knows better he does not like being hungry. He can sit and pout all he wants to so long as he's quite and not bothering other people.

The oldest one is a whole other ball game. His mother is...not right. She lets him act like an animal, and I have a hard time not screaming at her or the kid on a daily basis and it should not be that way, it just shouldn't. He's learned that I'm boss and if I say cut the crud out he better quit or something is gonna happen. But he'll tell mommy dearest and it turns into her threatening to take time away from his dad if I scold him.
So I've learned to keep my voice quiet with him and let him know that he won't do anything fun ever again if he keeps up the attitude. Just this past weekend I let him know if he threw a tantrum over a water gun yet again I'd break it and throw it in the trash. He shaped up pretty darn quickly.

I have banned the kids from coming to any horse shows with me, or to any horse time really, because they are annoying to other people and I know it. Their mothers and even their father may not see it, but I do and I don't want to deal with it or force them on other people that won't find it cute, especially around horses.

I did finally tell their father that other people did not find his kids cute/ funny, but rude and obnoxious. He has since started getting a little tougher on them in public but it's going to be an uphill battle since their mothers allow the behavior the rest of the time and even encourage them to be rude. Sometimes parents are way too indulgent and/ or oblivious that their kid does not have any 'ground manners'.


----------



## Missy May (Feb 18, 2012)

I guess everyone has, at one time or another, had to put up with ill-mannered little horrors, even in their own home (guests). That can get complicated b/c people tend to not want a confrontation with a guest. Ugh.

I am very protective of my horses. Kids that have done something aggressive toward my horses were summarily disciplined by me, but their parents were not offended and second the motion. I don't often discipline other's kids, mind you, and have always felt compelled to tell the parent if they weren't present when I have. I can't imagine a parent letting their kid run around a barn, or rummage through someone's feed. You might consider asking the barn owner to post some sort of sign like, "kids unaccompanied by an adult will be towed".


----------



## Reiningcatsanddogs (Oct 9, 2014)

Having had five children of my own, I don't put up with any crap. If they smell weakness in you or the slightest uncertainty, they will eat you for dinner.  I also used to professionally coach 20 6-12 year olds ice hockey at one time....they can be like a swarm of locust. 

My sister in law on the other hand, has absolutely no idea what discipline is. 

Anyway, her youngest who is about the same age as my youngest came to see the horses for the first time. While we were catching two to ride, he decided it would be a good idea to stand behind the horses at liberty in the pasture and start waving his arms, making weird noises and acting like a lunatic. his mother was standing a few feet away and did nothing, said nothing.

Of course, the one horse he chooses to do this behind is the only one we own that I have ever seen kick at a human. He is also the flighty type. To his credit, the horse never moved a muscle. 

I screamed at my nephew, grabbed his arm and drug his little butt over to the fence and told him to get out of my pasture and not come back until he could behave *he had been told the rules before we all went. I told him I didn't feel like having to drag his dead body or anyone else's back up that hill to the house today. Sorry, but that was the reality of the situation and I put it bluntly.

His mother was horrified, though she said nothing to me about it. Oh, well. She rode as a kid and knows the basic outlines for how to act around horses and knew darn well he was being a dork. She did nothing about it, so I did. I don't regret what I did and said for one second.

He sat and pouted the whole hour while the other two kids rode. His mother was over next to him trying to soothe his bruised feelings. 

Miracles of miracles, the next time he came, this time without his mother, not one problem, he was well enough behaved, that he got to ride and enjoyed it.

Could I have said it differently, sure, but he is the kind of kid who will step over the line, just to see if you will do anything about it. Once he found out I would, we had no further problems. Kids are kind of like horses that way.


----------



## natisha (Jan 11, 2011)

Kids need something to do at a barn. One Mom brought out plastic toys that stayed here. The biggest hit was the shovels as I always have a big pile of dirt easily visible from the indoor arena so Mom could watch the kids throw dirt at each other or whatever else they decided to do.
Another Mom brought horse models & her daughter would spend hours designing pastures & farms in the arena dirt while Mom did her thing. She didn't take up much room & any real horses were under control so there was never a problem.
I would sometimes take kids for a walk in the woods with the dogs & I always brought everyone back.
Sweeping the aisle works too especially as I have a dirt aisle. 
Any kid having a fit found themselves sitting in the car. Mom's doing, not mine. I threatened to put them in the pen with my mean goat with horns.:biglaugh:

I think the activity level at a barn makes a difference too. I'm not a show barn. I board horses for people whose horses are part of their family so the family shows up. I guess I've been lucky that the Mom's had well behaved kids.


----------



## Tihannah (Apr 7, 2015)

I have four children between the ages of 11-15 (the youngest are twins). They wouldn't DARE cut up on me in a public place. Even though they are older, I do not bring them to the barn with me. They know nothing about horses, have no interest, and I'm not going to risk them getting in someone's way or getting hurt by doing something stupid. 

I see parents all the time who's kids are outta control because they're afraid to hurt their feelings or look like a bad parent. They don't realize they look like a bad parent BECAUSE they can't handle their own child. Respect for adults and other people have been thrown out the window with this new millenium methodology and constant fear of "severely damaging" your child for life with discipline. It's ridiculous!


----------



## Missy May (Feb 18, 2012)

Judging from literature, even old movies, it use to be acceptable, even expected, for people to discipline kids that were out of line. Now, people are afraid to. 

When DD was at a barn for their program with her then horse (now mine), this little monster of a girl had the sweetest youth pony. I was alone at the barn one day, DD out w trainer. The awful brat (12-13 yo) with the pony came in, had equally as awful friends with her, and she proceeded to mistreat the poor thing whilst untacking - and was laughing! My auto reaction was to step in, she backed off, thumbed her nose at me and ran off with her friends! I couldn't believe it! I finished untacking the pony for its sake. BUT, I have to admit, I was nervous because I had indeed disciplined someone's ill-mannered, ill-bred future psycho. When I told DD's trainer and the barn manager, they were familiar with the little horror, they said "good!", and not to worry about it, and that they had talked to the parent about the girls behavior several times. I was relieved! THIS is why kids are horrible, society has evolved to where people are _afraid_ to discipline other people's junk. A happy ending though, they sold the pony shortly thereafter to a considerate teen with decent parents.


----------



## zookeeper1991 (Sep 11, 2012)

These stories remind me of a trip to the saddle shop some years ago with my daughters. We were shopping and noticed this mother and daughter in the store. The mom was buying the daughter the whole show outfit: shirt, breeches, jacket, etc... I guess the daughter (who was around 8-ish years old) was getting tired of shopping and began arguing with her mother. She called her mom something very vulgar and other nasty things, and hit her! My girls and I were speechless. The mom didn't offer any discipline whatsoever, and continued to the checkout to buy her daughter all these things for her show.

Made me wonder what she heard at home to learn that kind of language at her age. My kids would have been picking their teeth off the floor had they spoken to me like that and raised a hand to me!


----------



## 4hoofbeat (Jun 27, 2013)

I have three kids, they know the rules - around horses and out in public. 

They will give me an "oh my god did you see that" look when we are somewhere and someones kids are acting up. It's kinda funny.


----------



## Red Gate Farm (Aug 28, 2011)

Unruly children will be given a can of Red Bull and a free kitten.


----------



## DuckDodgers (May 28, 2013)

I absolutely cannot stand ill behaved children at the barn. I would not lay a hand on someone else's child at the barn, but I have absolutely no qualms about having a long talk with the parents or the barn owner. If that doesn't work I can be quite firm with the child if it tries to come near me when I'm out. There will be absolutely NO touching my horse or my tack, and kids WILL be heavily chastised if they don't get out of my space when I'm riding or working with my horse. They have all seemed to catch my drift pretty quickly. 

I'm also not overly thrilled to have to "babysit" when I'm at the barn, but I do recognize that talking to a child/teen and involving them in the horse world can go a long way. We all know the type- curious, inquisitive kids that come up and ask questions about your horse and what you're doing, want to pet him, watch you ride, etc. I'd rather them just leave me alone, but I do remember what it was like to be a young girl who wanted nothing more than to learn more about horses. I appreciated the ladies who would kindly accept that and show me around. So, I try to do the same with well behaved and respectful kids. I've let some help me brush my horse, and on rare occasions I've let some have a short ride on him. Of course, I always make it very clear that they are to do no such thing unless I am there with them. It meant the world to me when I was their age and it seems to mean a lot to them. That said, I've had to draw lines in that department or I'll have girls who won't leave me alone when I'm at the barn. There was one day when a girl was watching me ride. She was young and seemed to get bored. I was cantering along the long side of the arena approaching the entryway to the barn and suddenly this girl jumped through the fence into the arena right in front of me. I had to slam on the brakes and come to a screeching halt or I'd hit her. I gave her two options- take that chair over there and park yourself in the middle of the arena, or keep out when people are riding. I didn't have to tell her twice...


----------



## Jessabel (Mar 19, 2009)

Ohhhh fond memories. I remember yelling at a little girl who almost got trampled by my draft horse because her mother let her in the pasture unsupervised. The little witch gave me this insolent look and went right back to what she was doing. Now _there's_ a child who's never been spanked in her life. 

I was often tempted to lock the children in a stall, but I figured they'd start screaming and that would have been worse. At least if they got trampled, they'd shut up. I'm a terrible person.


----------



## lostastirrup (Jan 6, 2015)

I was always 'the good one' but my mum tells one story about my brother (I would always watch him then not do whatever he was doing) where they were touring a cave and he was acting up and bothering everyone. After a few threats he was taken around the corner for some quality discussions between the back of his pants and the front of a slap. It was a cave- and there was considerable echo. A very remorse brother came back from around the corner and a few people looked shocked and a few others were giving my mother the appreciative nod. The tour then went on without issue. 

When I was about four I was very interested in riding. So we read through The Horse and Pony encyclopedia- the whole thing before we went to the barn for my first lesson. I was the one telling my mother to please walk far away from the butt of the horse or pat it as she goes around- and if she wouldn't mind could she please lift me up so I could do the same.


----------



## mslady254 (May 21, 2013)

I expected and got good behavior from my children and grandchild, using dicipline from loosing priviledges all the way to *gasp* spanking. Once when my grandson was very young,,perhaps 3 or 4 we were walking in a store parking lot and another child was throwing a big hissy fit. As we walked past , he whispered to me "I'll bet he won't get to watch any cartoons for a looooong time'..I thought it interesting that in his little mind,,,parental discipline was universal. Too bad it isnt so!

Fay


----------



## Foxhunter (Feb 5, 2012)

Running a riding school I often had twenty plus children there all day. I didn't mind being a baby sitter at all. I would tell the parents that at the stables it was my rules not theirs. If I had a problem I would deal with it as it happened. I would be fair, if the children got home and complained, to ask me before sympathying with their children. 

Two brothers were the only children left at the stables one hot afternoon. They were waiting for their mother to pick them up. The other children had left to go to the beach and hadn't cleaned up after turning their ponies out. I asked the boys of they could do it. One went willingly, the other swore at me amd ducked as he ran past me. I swung a leg to kick his butt and missed! His mother had arrived and came rushing down to me, I thought she was going to blow her top but she said, "Next time you go to kick Mike, make sure you don't miss!"


----------



## Horseychick87 (Feb 5, 2014)

Foxhunter said:


> I thought she was going to blow her top but she said, "Next time you go to kick Mike, make sure you don't miss!"


 :thumbsup:

I can remember a lady that used to ride at one of my former lesson barns. Some new lady let her 5 year old run wild. He ran into the ring with the lady, she was out just walking around on her old retired show horse and the kid kept running up and trying to kick the horse in the hind legs.
Well she was carrying a dressage whip. Each time the boy came up she'd tag him lightly with the whip on the thigh. She had excellent aim and a light touch so left no marks but did make it sting.
That kid must have been tagged a dozen times before he gave up.
Afterwards she approached the mom and told her what happened and that next time she was going to dismount and lunge the boy if he wasn't taught any manners. The mother just looked at her like she had no clue, apparently she didn't even know where her kid was!


I would never had acted like that in public and especially around animals.


----------



## Foxhunter (Feb 5, 2012)

My sister is a Dental Nurse and they have a lot of children through the surgeries, she says she has to bite her tongue and busy her hands with many of them! 

When a child is polite and thanks them for a sticker or what ever she always remarks, "Thank you, it of so nice to have someone as polite as you, makes a big change!" 

Parents of the polite children cannot believe how some behave.


----------



## Saddlebag (Jan 17, 2011)

Guess what, those same parents take those same kids in to restaurants and allow them to carry on the same way.


----------



## Kotori (Jun 18, 2012)

I always wonder what happened to children's self preservation instinct. I mean, sure, parents should control them, but kids running in front of horses? trying to spook them? Do they play in traffic as well? 

Of course, this makes me think of what my cousin likes to say about stupid people... 'Sometimes, to thin the gene pool, you have to use a little bleach.'


----------



## JCnGrace (Apr 28, 2013)

I have a step-daughter whose children you all could be talking about. She does not believe in discipline at all and those 3 kids run the household. Thank goodness they live out of state and we don't see them but once a year. My minis are terrified of children thanks to them and they are no longer allowed to visit any of our horses without my supervision since obviously you can't trust their mother not to let them chase and throw dirt clods and manure balls at the horses. Man was I PO'D.

The other step-daughter has 1 boy and he's always been a good boy because he was taught to behave. 

It astounds me that 2 girls raised in the same household could have such different views on parenting. I didn't have a thing to do with raising either one because they were grown and on their own by the time I entered the picture so it's not like the younger one (good parent) had any different influence than the older one.


----------



## Foxhunter (Feb 5, 2012)

I have found children no different to horses or dogs to train, tight boundaries to start, firm, fair and fun and with children the right tone of voice and 'that' look!


----------



## Rainaisabelle (Jan 2, 2015)

My parents told when I was a kid I was the absolute Devils spawn literally I would throw the biggest loudest tantrums you ever saw ! And I would be so rude and such. My relatives even told me I was a terror! 

Now that I'm 19 and I see kids acting like absolute pains in the butts all I can think about is that child needs a good flogging. ( not a literal flogging but some sort of discipline, although a good smack wouldn't go amiss. I don't think at the place I have my horse has ever had any child problems except for some kids trying to play soccer in the paddocks which spooked some of the horses.

However I have turned around to one of my friends kids and told them if they keep talking like that to their parents they can go sit in the car and not come out until it was time to go home. She usually laughs and tell me a that I'm the only one who can get them to listen !


----------



## Tack Collector (Nov 10, 2009)

Missy May said:


> Wow, I would say something directly to the parents.



I would, too. In an Army drill sergeant kind of way, complete with obscenities and vehement insults.

I have come to the conclusion that a certain amount of children will just not survive, because they have lazy, stupid, or substance-abusing parents. And I have decided that is nature's selection process, so that those genes are not passed along. Whatever happens to those kids is their fate. They are not my job. I have no children, and I strongly feel that children are solely the responsibility of the the people who made them.


----------



## Saddlebag (Jan 17, 2011)

While at a horse show, a mother was trying to fill out entries for another show. Her daughters were about 12 and 14. They were unbelievably rude to her and yet she continued. They seemed to enjoy berating her in public. Had that been me, the papers would have been shredded, the horses loaded and that would have ended the current show, never mind the next one.


----------



## Maple (Jan 10, 2012)

This is why I found a yard that is child friendly, that lets kids play in the arenas and run around. I've been through many a yard over the years, and I'm beyond aware that those of us with young kids need to be mindful of where we are. 

I wonder how many people commenting have kids. Don't get me wrong - I am consistently praised for the behavior of my children. I am incredibly firm, incredibly strict and my children are taught to darn well behave themselves. My nieces and nephews are somewhat afraid of me and I'm constantly frustrated with how bold they are towards their parents. 

Unfortunately there are wobbles along the way. I've had THAT child who throws herself on the ground in the shop in a tantrum. I've had to take THAT child into the bathroom for a talking to and a good clatter across the backside. I've had my kids say words they shouldn't, sometimes repeatedly. God knows my kids are polar opposites - my girl is a saint in so many ways and my boy? He'll have my heart broken before long. I've had to reiterate a million and one times that he must look where he's going so not to walk into a pony's backside but I swear at times he has the attention span of a gnat. 

While I don't for a second condone a parent turning a blind eye to consistent bad behaviour, I'm also aware that sometimes they can be at a loss of what to do next, where to go or which way they can discipline in public? Me? If that child needs a spanking I'll break the law and do it. Other people might want to wait 5 hours to get them home to the "naughty corner". 

I remember years ago looking at unruly children and criticizing the parents in my mind. Then I had kids, and I realized that sometimes it's not easy. I've had to drag my kids to the yard with me since they were born, because if I wanted my time with the horses I had to - there was no option. Sometimes those Moms are stuck at home with those kids all day and need that time out. I wouldn't begrudge them for it.


----------



## Tack Collector (Nov 10, 2009)

Reiningcatsanddogs said:


> Having had five children of my own, I don't put up with any crap. If they smell weakness in you or the slightest uncertainty, they will eat you for dinner.  I also used to professionally coach 20 6-12 year olds ice hockey at one time....they can be like a swarm of locust.
> 
> ... the kind of kid who will step over the line, just to see if you will do anything about it. Once he found out I would, we had no further problems. Kids are kind of like horses that way.


^ Those are excellent points. My mother is a retired teacher. My dad is ex-military, as well as worked as a coal miner for a few years. Both of them were authoritative parents who gave their kids essential training, and then demanded that we kids apply it and learn how to look out for ourselves. Kids have to be trained and supervised. They aren't born knowing it all, even if they think so.


----------



## Missy May (Feb 18, 2012)

Maple said:


> This is why I found a yard that is child friendly, that lets kids play in the arenas and run around. I've been through many a yard over the years, and I'm beyond aware that those of us with young kids need to be mindful of where we are.
> 
> I wonder how many people commenting have kids. Don't get me wrong - I am consistently praised for the behavior of my children. I am incredibly firm, incredibly strict and my children are taught to darn well behave themselves. My nieces and nephews are somewhat afraid of me and I'm constantly frustrated with how bold they are towards their parents.
> 
> ...


I understand what you are saying. I come from a large family, and it seems the siblings that have no children believe themselves "experts" in childrearing.  However, even though I have a lot of siblings, when we were growing up we wouldn't have_ dared_ to misbehaved in public. No.

I count myself lucky. DD was just one of those kids that was never a problem, and chose friends that were equally as polite. Well behaved children get a lot more opportunities. One of the few "justices" left in our upside-down society. For example, I always enjoyed having her friends over, planning parties, whatnot - and she, in turn, was invited to many functions - including invitations from adults to attend things that interested her. But bad behavior can slam doors of opportunity shut on a child for obvious reasons. It is actually cheating the child to not teach them to behave appropriately.

add. For example and with respect to horses, DD's trainer always commented what a pleasure it was to work with her, and how bratty some kids could be. She gave her extra tack pieces that she thought would help, did her hair for shows, brought her xmas cookies, invited her to her house, etc.,.


----------



## Saddlebag (Jan 17, 2011)

When a kid, it wasn't about me but about not embarrassing my parents. My folks could take us 5 into a high falutin' restaurant and we'd never cause them a moments concern. My father had a way of letting us know that to eat in such a place was a privilege so we were on our best.


----------



## Palomine (Oct 30, 2010)

I used to babysit a friends daughter and her niece, they were maybe 5 or 6 then, my 2 were 8 and 10 or so..but we went down to the vet's, and I had the 4 of them, plus we had daughter's friend with us too, and maybe one more kid as well, long time ago now.

But the ones with me were sitting on the bench in the waiting room, and in walks these genetic nightmare women with 3 or more brats, running and acting like village idiots, just mouthbreathers.

I looked over and Jade, the niece, had eyes as big as saucers as she watched those heathens. We got out to the car and she said "Aunt Mel...did you SEE how those kids were behaving?" She was horrified.

I laughed about it then and am now.


----------



## Palomine (Oct 30, 2010)

I had 5, and they all knew how to act, because they were taught how to act at home and those lessons were utilized at home too.

Also had no problem when older 3 were little, and sister in law at the time had 2, and I babysat 4 or more, with taking all of them some place, and they all behaved.


----------



## Saddlebag (Jan 17, 2011)

I agree with Missy May. Because we were polite kids, this horse crazy kid was invited to farms for two and three weeks to ride to my heart's content. Each summer was spent on several farms. The one farmer/rancher who was retired took me everywhere. That man was so knowledgeable about horses and I was the sponge soaking up his every word.


----------



## beau159 (Oct 4, 2010)

Ugg. I don't have any experiences like that where I board my horses (thank goodness) but I have plenty of experiences with my job. 

I'm an optometrist. Who examines people of all ages. Including kids. And their parents. 

It is just amazing which parents allow them to run rampant in my exam room, trying to touch and play with expensive equipment. And who won't stay sitting in the chair in the corner when they are instructed to do so. And who are just obviously spoiled rotten with no discipline. 

I don't have any children of my own yet, but I have quite a few young nieces and nephews and my 2-year-old nephew has better manners than most of these children. 

And once in a while, you'll get a parent who actually cares and then their child is very well behaved. Puts the mis-behaving spoiled brats to shame. 

I usually just hold my tongue. :icon_rolleyes: One of these days I might snap though!




Red Gate Farm said:


> Unruly children will be given a can of Red Bull and a free kitten.


I thought they were supposed to get a free PUPPY?

Maybe it's a free puppy _and_ a free kitten. 

:charge:

Come to think of this .... maybe I should post this in my exam room? Ha.


----------



## jenkat86 (May 20, 2014)

This reminds me of when I used to board. The stalls had a drop down window in the door. My horse's window always had to be up so she couldn't stick her head out. The reason was because one day she bit the BO's 6 year old daughter on the top of the scalp. One day while the BO and her kids were at the barn, I left. I forgot something so I ran back to the barn. When I walked in, her daughter had my horse by the bottom lip and was trying to blow in her nose. No wonder my horse bit her. The little brat had it coming.


----------



## loveduffy (Dec 22, 2011)

these people raise there pets that same as kid I see it on the trails all the time and I ride a draft


----------



## Foxhunter (Feb 5, 2012)

My mother always said that if you wanted to see how children of a family would turn out, look at how their dog behaved!


----------



## Missy May (Feb 18, 2012)

Foxhunter said:


> My mother always said that if you wanted to see how children of a family would turn out, look at how their dog behaved!


Oh? ***hides haffie under tarp*** Yes, totally agree!!!


----------



## blue eyed pony (Jun 20, 2011)

Foxhunter said:


> My mother always said that if you wanted to see how children of a family would turn out, look at how their dog behaved!


Or their horse!

The brattiest child I've ever had to deal with was from a family with equally bratty horses, from the evil little Shetland right the way up to the dangerously rude 17.2hh Warmblood. And heaven forbid I so much as flicked the rope at ANY of their horses, especially the Warmblood (he was "too expensive to hurt") - I would get screamed at for "hurting the poor baby".

I don't miss stablehanding...


----------



## ForeverSunRider (Jun 27, 2013)

Solution: Post a sign stating that riders are not liable for injuries resulting from interacting with their horse. Michigan has a Michigan Equitation law that basically says that. Then little Jimmy runs behind the horse and gets kicked. Well, sucks to suck 'cause you, as the owner, are covered  

It's probably not that simple but...I wish. We have that sign posted at our barn (we keep our horses on our property) and it kept us from getting sued when my mom's horse sent my dad's secretary to the hospital.


----------



## Foxhunter (Feb 5, 2012)

My sister's children have been reared with manners and an excellent work ethic. They are three very good young adults, all working with people. 
During the school holidays they spent most of the time with me. This I enjoyed most of the time! It was evenings when the eldest and youngest would bicker with each other that drove me to drink. 
One would by lying on the sofa and the other sat on a chair and often rest their feet on the sofa hitch resulted in there being a kicking and shoving match of feet, accompanied by get your feet off, when there was plenty of room. 

I warned the pair they were in for it if they started that evening and brought my dressage whip inside. They started, I warned and when it continued I went after them with the whip. Both ran, I got both. 
The eldest told me this was child abuse and she was going to call her mother. I threw her the phone. She told her mother what had happened and then turned to me and said, "Mum says you are getting old, at one point you would have got us at least three times each!" 

She knew that she would get no sympathy from either parent! 

It never stopped the bickering though they knew when I had had enough. 

Funny thing is that although the eldest is now away teacjphing at High School, when all three are home the bickering between the two still continues!


----------



## DreaMy (Jul 1, 2014)

ForeverSunRider said:


> Solution: Post a sign stating that riders are not liable for injuries resulting from interacting with their horse. Michigan has a Michigan Equitation law that basically says that. Then little Jimmy runs behind the horse and gets kicked. Well, sucks to suck 'cause you, as the owner, are covered
> 
> It's probably not that simple but...I wish. We have that sign posted at our barn (we keep our horses on our property) and it kept us from getting sued when my mom's horse sent my dad's secretary to the hospital.


We have similar in Arizona, basically it states that any equine-related injury is liable to the injured party... unless you can prove that the owners/caretakers/coaches were negligent (e.g. when I got dumped in the Superstitions during a riding lesson my insurance company wanted to go after the coach for negligence for putting me up on an unsuitable horse; other scenarios might be a loose horse injuring someone (if say the property owner didn't keep up with the fencing and that's why the horse got loose); or someone letting someone else up on a horse with faulty tack)

Foxhunter: My mom always said we could bicker but we had to keep our bickering to ourselves. (There was a lot, I shared a room with my older brother for 10 years)


----------

