FAO: People with HORSES!

[Lottie86]

Those of you with horses, how do you manage taking a baby/young toddler (non walking) to the yard at times your OH is at work but you needed to go and muck out/groom/exercise your horse?

I've heard a couple of things from popping them in a playpen to leaving them in the car with window open so you can hear them (obv only on v small yards where they would be within eye and earshot) to having them in pushchair next to menage.

What did you do? Any top tips?

 

[suzib76]

I just chose my times very carefully and did the bare minimum when I had to take lana

Some mornings I would have to nip up and turn out before dh went to work and then go muck out etc late, or occasionally I would pull them in if the weather was really bad in winter and then go up later to do the stales once dh was home (he works shifts)

she would just sit in her buggy while I quickly did what needed to be done, I mean grooming isn't essential to the point where I ever had to do it when there was just me and lana up there and tbh unless your horse is in work. For a reason, it's not massively essential that you ride every time either

I have a fatty so once or twice I would lunge him while lana was in her buggy, but mostly I just went up in the evenings when dh was back

Both tuesday and Wednesday this week I was up lungeing at 9.30pm, simply because it was easier to go then

It's much easier now lana is 2, she has her own wee wheelbarrow so will follow me round to the muck heap, and she rides now as well

 

[karlilay]

I very rarely have taken either of mine. When Mad was toddling though, i used to bring some toys in the car and put her in the spare stable lol, was all clean no hay or bedding.

Zach i just keep in the pushchair. But if i have the kids i litrally do the bare min, and do more the next day.

 

[Toms Mummy]

I don't own a horse but my sister does. She has an 11 month old. Usually she has a friend with her or my mum and they either take turns in the menage, or when hacking one will push baby (and usually hold the dogs!) Do you have anyone who can come with you?

Also, my toddler loves helping her brush and feed the horse!

 

[Avalanche]

I generally always took my daughter with me unless I was riding.

I used a backpack carrier most of the time. I personally preferred not to exercise a horse while she was there in case I had an accident. Sometimes a friend would bring her daughter down and we would take turns watching the kids while the other rode or lunged.

On very cold days I would leave her in the car, but I had my own yard back in the UK so was only ever a couple of feet from the car as I'd park it at the fields.

Now I train horses and my daughter never comes with me when I'm working but I make sure that she has her own horsey time where I take her riding at a yard and all the focus is on her. I'm getting a Mustang in August and as he's wild, she won't come to the yard with me at first.