Little kids and horses

Orchid · 10-31-2007, 10:52 AM

I had to laugh at Bailey last night. Well, to be truthful, I laugh at her pretty much every day, but last night was particularly funny.

Bailey is obsessed with children. She loves them! Unfortunately, she hasn't quite gotten the concept that they are small humans and therefore she is supposed to provide them with personal space. She tends to walk with her nose a quarter inch from either the top of their heads or their shoulders - which is really quite cute but obviously not very safe.

Now, any of you who have had little boys know that they never miss an opportunity to pick up a good stick. Sticks are so multipurpose - they are guns, swords, digging tools, and apparently they are also good for teaching horses to respect your personal space.

Poor Bailey thought she would follow my almost three-year-old around in her typical fashion last night, when suddenly "WHOA - his arm got really long!"

He wasn't trying to whack her, he just wanted to touch her with his stick - but she's had enough lessons in personal space with running into the end of my dressage whip to know that the end of a stick means "you stop here!". She tried to get closer two or three times until she finally gave up. The look on her face was pretty priceless; she was very surprised as well as slightly despondent to discover that even tiny humans have a personal bubble.

Horse poor · 10-31-2007, 10:54 AM

How cute. I'll bet she was really surprised at his reaction.

gbarmranch · 10-31-2007, 11:52 AM

Watching them both learn - humans and horses - is so much fun... Poor Bailey..

MikeysMom · 10-31-2007, 12:56 PM

That's great. Horses and children are fascinating to watch individually. Mix them together and you've got endless hours of captivating entertainment!

StablemasterE · 10-31-2007, 02:15 PM

Its great isnt it?!

I love when the kids get out there with the horses. you never know who's teaching who.

beth55051 · 10-31-2007, 03:52 PM

If only Sam could learn that. He's totally engrossed in little kids (or small adults) when they come over. He's very careful about his feet and in his defense he does have a really long neck but he drools very badly, all over their hair.

**TDH** · 10-31-2007, 03:55 PM

The quizzical looks on their faces - both kids and horses - can be absolutely priceless when you mix the two.

Orchid · 10-31-2007, 08:56 PM

Yep, I remember well the first time I took each of my newborns out to meet the horses - the horses all sniffed the new baby and then gave me the funniest looks: "So that's what you had in there!"

Kathy G. · 11-01-2007, 08:56 PM

The horses wouldn't be near as much fun without the kids to share them with.

barefoot rider · 11-02-2007, 09:51 AM

Regal will turn himself inside out to be able to play with a little kid. He thinks they are the neatest things. I remember we were at a futurity with him as a 3 year old and we had just lined up in the center of the ring and we happened to be facing the restrooms. Well just about the time everyone is settled a blonde boy about 2 or 3 years old runs for the restroom. All you see of this kid is the very top of his head. Regals head came up and he was stretching his neck that way. 2 minutes later the boy come out of the restroom like he's shot out of a cannon right down the side of the arena. The look on Regal's face was like Hey! I'm over here! WAIT! FOR! ME! He actually walked out of the line up and then when he was back in he fidgeted the rest of the time. To this day he loves to take a big whiff of little kids hair. You can almost hear him sigh afterwards. Everybody thinks because he's BIG and a stallion that he's nasty but he's just a big teddy bear and a momma's boy to boot.

Gotta Love Duns · 11-02-2007, 11:20 PM

Thats just too cute!
When a kid is riding Iggy he walks in slow motion, it is the funniest thing to watch!
If they let out a scream or shriek he will stop with what ever foot he has in the air and hold it there and then very sssssllllllllloooooowwwwwwwlllllllllyyyyyyy put it back down. If they giggle his ears will perk, he is such a great old man!

Kathy G. · 11-03-2007, 07:28 AM

Our old man OZ will not even stomp at a fly if a kid is near him. He watches every move they make and is sooo.....careful. If an adult leads him, his head is at a normal level, but if you hand the leadrope to a child, he drops his head down to their shoulder and walks very slowly and carefully.

Nikknock · 11-07-2007, 12:37 PM

My old Arab mare was the same way. With me she was a nut case but with kids she turned into an plow horse. We'd throw my son up on her bare back and she'd literally shift herself under him if he started to lean one way or the other.

She was also my therapy horse that we used with the handicap kids. She helped one boy named Jason, who was autistic, come out of his shell enough to want to get out of wheelchair and start talking, two things that he'd never done prior to being around horses. Last I heard they still had the horse that his parents had bought for him and he was competing in the walk, trot class at the local shows, he's got to be 19 or 20 by now.

version1955 · 11-07-2007, 04:52 PM

Orchid, great thread - thanks!

I was introducing our newest grandchild Maddy to the horses when all of a sudden she reached up and stuck her fist in Penny's nostril and then just grabbed on! Penny didn't do a thing, and then Maddy started crying. Guess she didn't like the horse goobers, huh?

When we had three dogs, Schoenie would protect Jerry from the other dogs from knocking little Jerry over. Schoen isn't too fond of getting close to him, but every so often will walk over and give him a lick. And is at just the right level to nab that ice cream cone or sucker

roberts617 · 11-07-2007, 05:04 PM

Not sure how I missed this thread, but I love it.

I could watch them for hours. My Jules is so attentive to the kids, I love her for it! She is gentle and slow with them. A good thing too, since she is the horse my oldest daughter has chosen for herself.

HorseMomToSage · 11-07-2007, 08:33 PM

When I was younger I snuck out into the pasture and somehow ended up in the middle of the herd. Things got a little wild and they started kicking and running like they do-my dad said my mom's horse "Sissy"(

I know...but we were very country) put herself between me and the other horses so I would not get kicked or run over. What a sweetheart!

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10-31-2007, 10:52 AM
Orchid Bombproof Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Minnesota Posts: 11,048	Little kids and horses I had to laugh at Bailey last night. Well, to be truthful, I laugh at her pretty much every day, but last night was particularly funny. Bailey is obsessed with children. She loves them! Unfortunately, she hasn't quite gotten the concept that they are small humans and therefore she is supposed to provide them with personal space. She tends to walk with her nose a quarter inch from either the top of their heads or their shoulders - which is really quite cute but obviously not very safe. Now, any of you who have had little boys know that they never miss an opportunity to pick up a good stick. Sticks are so multipurpose - they are guns, swords, digging tools, and apparently they are also good for teaching horses to respect your personal space. Poor Bailey thought she would follow my almost three-year-old around in her typical fashion last night, when suddenly "WHOA - his arm got really long!" He wasn't trying to whack her, he just wanted to touch her with his stick - but she's had enough lessons in personal space with running into the end of my dressage whip to know that the end of a stick means "you stop here!". She tried to get closer two or three times until she finally gave up. The look on her face was pretty priceless; she was very surprised as well as slightly despondent to discover that even tiny humans have a personal bubble. __________________ Careful what you wish; Careful what you say; Careful what you wish; You may regret it; Careful what you wish; You just might get it. ~ Metallica, King Nothing

10-31-2007, 10:54 AM
Horse poor Started Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Idaho Posts: 2,775	How cute. I'll bet she was really surprised at his reaction. __________________ Stop telling God how big your storm is. Instead tell the storm how big your God is.

10-31-2007, 11:52 AM
gbarmranch Pasture Pet Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Mayberry Posts: 32,635	Watching them both learn - humans and horses - is so much fun... Poor Bailey.. __________________ http://home.earthlink.net/~vpgann Quality Foundation Quarter Horses If you believe what you like in the Gospel, and reject what you don't like, it is not the Gospel you believe, but yourself." Augustine of Hippo

10-31-2007, 12:56 PM
MikeysMom Long Yearling Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Western PA Posts: 1,016	That's great. Horses and children are fascinating to watch individually. Mix them together and you've got endless hours of captivating entertainment! __________________ What will they think of next? Nothing. There is nothing left to think of.

10-31-2007, 02:15 PM
StablemasterE Coming two Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Middle of the cornfield OH Posts: 1,635	Its great isnt it?! I love when the kids get out there with the horses. you never know who's teaching who. __________________ Silence is Golden but duct tape is silver and easier to get.

10-31-2007, 03:52 PM
beth55051 Bombproof Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: East Central Minnesota Posts: 7,977	If only Sam could learn that. He's totally engrossed in little kids (or small adults) when they come over. He's very careful about his feet and in his defense he does have a really long neck but he drools very badly, all over their hair. __________________ *Until one has loved an animal, part of their soul remains unawakened.*

10-31-2007, 03:55 PM
TDH Welcome and Introductions Moderator Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Iowa Posts: 4,232	The quizzical looks on their faces - both kids and horses - can be absolutely priceless when you mix the two. __________________ "If we ever forget that we're one nation under God, then we will be a nation gone under." - Ronald Reagan

10-31-2007, 08:56 PM
Orchid Bombproof Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Minnesota Posts: 11,048	Yep, I remember well the first time I took each of my newborns out to meet the horses - the horses all sniffed the new baby and then gave me the funniest looks: "So that's what you had in there!" __________________ Careful what you wish; Careful what you say; Careful what you wish; You may regret it; Careful what you wish; You just might get it. ~ Metallica, King Nothing

11-01-2007, 08:56 PM
Kathy G. Yearling Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Tennessee Posts: 870	The horses wouldn't be near as much fun without the kids to share them with. __________________ That which doesn't kill us, only serves to make us stronger.

11-02-2007, 09:51 AM
barefoot rider Yearling Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: Florida Posts: 611	Regal will turn himself inside out to be able to play with a little kid. He thinks they are the neatest things. I remember we were at a futurity with him as a 3 year old and we had just lined up in the center of the ring and we happened to be facing the restrooms. Well just about the time everyone is settled a blonde boy about 2 or 3 years old runs for the restroom. All you see of this kid is the very top of his head. Regals head came up and he was stretching his neck that way. 2 minutes later the boy come out of the restroom like he's shot out of a cannon right down the side of the arena. The look on Regal's face was like Hey! I'm over here! WAIT! FOR! ME! He actually walked out of the line up and then when he was back in he fidgeted the rest of the time. To this day he loves to take a big whiff of little kids hair. You can almost hear him sigh afterwards. Everybody thinks because he's BIG and a stallion that he's nasty but he's just a big teddy bear and a momma's boy to boot. __________________ Barefoot Farms breeding AQHA and APHA horses with outstanding performance and temperament. www.bffarms.com

11-02-2007, 11:20 PM
Gotta Love Duns Bombproof Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Dixonville, Alberta Posts: 10,796	Thats just too cute! When a kid is riding Iggy he walks in slow motion, it is the funniest thing to watch! If they let out a scream or shriek he will stop with what ever foot he has in the air and hold it there and then very sssssllllllllloooooowwwwwwwlllllllllyyyyyyy put it back down. If they giggle his ears will perk, he is such a great old man! __________________ A penny saved is a penny you can spend on your next horse. http://nightfireranch.webs.com/index.htm

11-03-2007, 07:28 AM
Kathy G. Yearling Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Tennessee Posts: 870	Our old man OZ will not even stomp at a fly if a kid is near him. He watches every move they make and is sooo.....careful. If an adult leads him, his head is at a normal level, but if you hand the leadrope to a child, he drops his head down to their shoulder and walks very slowly and carefully. __________________ That which doesn't kill us, only serves to make us stronger.

11-07-2007, 12:37 PM
Nikknock Long Yearling Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Fruitland Park, FL Posts: 1,131	My old Arab mare was the same way. With me she was a nut case but with kids she turned into an plow horse. We'd throw my son up on her bare back and she'd literally shift herself under him if he started to lean one way or the other. She was also my therapy horse that we used with the handicap kids. She helped one boy named Jason, who was autistic, come out of his shell enough to want to get out of wheelchair and start talking, two things that he'd never done prior to being around horses. Last I heard they still had the horse that his parents had bought for him and he was competing in the walk, trot class at the local shows, he's got to be 19 or 20 by now. __________________ [COLOR="DarkOrchid"][B]When life gets complicated and full of s**t...go clean a stall and rid the world of some of it!!![/B][/COLOR]

11-07-2007, 04:52 PM
version1955 Bombproof Member Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: northern MN Posts: 8,747	Orchid, great thread - thanks! I was introducing our newest grandchild Maddy to the horses when all of a sudden she reached up and stuck her fist in Penny's nostril and then just grabbed on! Penny didn't do a thing, and then Maddy started crying. Guess she didn't like the horse goobers, huh? When we had three dogs, Schoenie would protect Jerry from the other dogs from knocking little Jerry over. Schoen isn't too fond of getting close to him, but every so often will walk over and give him a lick. And is at just the right level to nab that ice cream cone or sucker __________________ Ya know how a horse responds better when you're "speaking" horse and she's in the mood to listen? Its like that between God and you too.

11-07-2007, 05:04 PM
roberts617 Kid Safe Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Central Oklahoma Posts: 6,059	Not sure how I missed this thread, but I love it. I could watch them for hours. My Jules is so attentive to the kids, I love her for it! She is gentle and slow with them. A good thing too, since she is the horse my oldest daughter has chosen for herself. __________________ "The only way to have a friend is to be one."

11-07-2007, 08:33 PM
HorseMomToSage Coming two Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: A Whole Other Country-TX Of Course Posts: 1,501	When I was younger I snuck out into the pasture and somehow ended up in the middle of the herd. Things got a little wild and they started kicking and running like they do-my dad said my mom's horse "Sissy"(I know...but we were very country) put herself between me and the other horses so I would not get kicked or run over. What a sweetheart!