[quietann]

So my horse is at a new barn and we have fabulous trails access, so I've been taking her out whenever I can find someone to go with. Yesterday we had lovely weather so 4 of us headed for the adjacent state forest. It's quiet during the week, but more busy on the weekends. Maresy can be very looky, and sometimes spooky, so it's good to get her out to see stuff.

We had some things to get used to, in the form of guys playing paintball (quite scary, though they were polite and ceased their game until we were past), ATVs (definitely worth a worried look, although the ATV-ers were polite and kept their distance), a baby carriage (no particular fear there), two people collecting mushrooms (no problem), lots of mud and water (worth getting snorty about), and...

Sigh. One completely melting down small child. As in screeching, screaming, yelling, and crying, at enormous volume. We heard the kid well before we saw her. All the horses stopped as the child and its people (another child, an old lady with a cane, and an adult man) emerged from the woods onto the dirt road. The other horses were ahead of us and approached very cautiously, but maresy tried her balk/spin routine. I shouted to the others to hang on, and with a little convincing got her following her buddies once again, albeit at a quick, jiggy walk. And the man had the... ignorance... to ask if they could pet the horses, even though the melting down child was screaming and screeching about how scary they were. Um, whatever, but NO, you may not pet the horses! We rode past as quickly and safely as we could. Hopefully the guy does not think all horsepeople are horribly rude, but.... ugh!

(and yes, I do know that sometimes kids just melt down... Poor kid!)

[nrg]

Glad your mare did ok. Noboby likes a screaming toddler (even when they're yours!)

Just to be the parental devil's advocate....I'm sure the poor dad was completely non-horsey and just hoped the opportunity to pet the horses might interupt his daughter's meltdown and didn't mean any harm (or realize that it would/could scare the horses). When your kid is melting down in a public place you look for any distraction you can find!

[twofatponies]

Too funny!

Meltdowns are the worst. I can't stand to be around it. Not sure petting a jigging horse would have helped anyone. A quick apology and exit would have been my response, too!

We always do stop to visit with children, though. Although when we are out riding our horses are usually in work mode, and not particularly interested in being petted. But I figure it's good for them to stand around now and then while we chat.

Yesterday we stopped for a carload of kids, when the mom stopped and rolled down the windows.

Our funniest one was a few weeks ago when we approached a bridge. A guy was there, and held up a huge trout to show us. The horses became wary of the man holding a large fish, and wouldn't go closer. We chatted from a distance about his fishing, then jigged slowly past...

[quietann]

/snicker about the fish.

Oh, I do understand that sometimes kids do just melt. This state forest borders one urban, poor small city (and a couple more suburban but not wealthy towns) and I am just happy to see anyone getting their family out for some fresh air and a walk in the woods, but my guess is that most of these folks know next to nothing about horses. In general, I'll let anyone who's calm pet my horse. She likes the attention!

[LittleblackMorgan]

North Reading by chance?

[quietann]

No, this is the Lowell/Dracut/Tyngsboro State Forest, so I was talking about Lowell. I don't think North Reading is especially urban or poor!

[equineartworks]

Children are evil. They are the spawn of the devil. Especially when they reach 15. Everything in the world that is wrong is their fault.

can you tell what kind of day I have had so far

[Mara]

At the moment, I hate children. All of them. My neighborhood is coalescing into a "childless versus breeders of hellspawn" polarity right now because of about 5 families.
One of the little monsters unscrewed the cap to the sewer cleanout in my yard and threw a brick and all manner of debris into it, causing the sewer to back up into the yard. (Yes, my husband caught the brat shoving a stick down the pipe and ran him off. Of course hindsight is 20/20 and we now wish we'd marched him back over to his house to confront the parents. But DH had somewhere to be. . .)
It cost $300 to get the debris cleaned out. Now the parents are hiding every time they see us, and they won't answer their door.

Hope the little twit gets a case of e coli that makes him good and sick for a few days.

[RNB]

Children are evil. They are the spawn of the devil. Especially when they reach 15. Everything in the world that is wrong is their fault.

can you tell what kind of day I have had so far

[Mach Two]

Ah, the spawn of the loins of the idiot masses. E-coli would be good!

[slc2]

Too bad you didn't get a chance to say, 'Sorry, the horses are scared of the baby crying, if we make them get up close one of us will get thrown off and hurt'. A French parent without a sobbing child told me once the difference between the crying kid and the not crying kid - 'La routine, la routine, la routine'. Kids get tired, get melt downs.

sadly for the band camp story haters, this will force me recall my gelding, who used to run toward any crying child and start nuzzling them(well....any NON crying child as well). Generally brought about even louder cries - of terror.

[EqTrainer]

Funny, my horses are undisturbed by crying children, perhaps they recognize that all young things are vulnerable..

but they dislike whining, near-hysterical over-horsed adults. After all, they trust us to give them an example.

[Zu Zu]

Children are evil. They are the spawn of the devil. Especially when they reach 15. Everything in the world that is wrong is their fault.

can you tell what kind of day I have had so far

I can relate ~ I am allergic to screaming children actually to most children ~ having been a teacher at one point for tooo long!!!

[jn4jenny]

That's not a screaming child problem. That's a stupid parent problem.

[equineartworks]

I can relate ~ I am allergic to screaming children actually to most children ~ having been a teacher at one point for tooo long!!!

Lucky for me DD is an absolute doll for about 360 days of the year.

[JSwan]

Children are evil. They are the spawn of the devil. Especially when they reach 15. Everything in the world that is wrong is their fault.

can you tell what kind of day I have had so far

The really little ones are often sticky.

[equineartworks]

The really little ones are often sticky.

I hear they are delicious tho...

[Woodland]

Children are evil. They are the spawn of the devil. Especially when they reach 15. Everything in the world that is wrong is their fault.

can you tell what kind of day I have had so far

Mine is turning 15 today - I so hope I can be "right" again! I have been wrong with DD since conception - it is slowly improving.

Back when there was a Solid Gold Futurity in Springfield, IL. every fall my Husband decided to handle a meltdown in the area under the cement bleachers in the Colosseum. I was riding a spendy client horse and having a great ride when the melt down occurred. It had been brewing all day. I begged DH to take the child to the truck and "let it all happen". But he was certain I needed video of my ride. I could hear the child wailing and the grumbling of the crowd. But i just loped along pretending it was not my kid.
I was third

[gieriscm]

That's not a screaming child problem. That's a stupid parent problem.

Got to agree here! Though having said that, the opportunity to pet a "horsie" would dry up my little girl's tears in a snap. DH is already resigned to the fact that she'll be getting a pony in a year or so.

[equineartworks]

Got to agree here! Though having said that, the opportunity to pet a "horsie" would dry up my little girl's tears in a snap. DH is already resigned to the fact that she'll be getting a pony in a year or so.

My DH wouldn't even let me get "can we get a..." out of my mouth for 18 years. Now he says "geez, why wouldn't you let DD get a horse all those years. You're so mean".