Precious Parenting WTAF

[Babyrhinosarecute]

I am very lucky to live in the New Forest. So I have just been for my daily walk with my dog. Yesterday there were 2 new born donkey foals. I come up the hill to see a family of 2 adults and 2 children, probably 11-12 years , so not young.

The mother of one of the foals was rearing up at their dog, that they’d let go up to it. They did pull it away, it was on a lead, so they had let it do it on purpose. Them the children were going right up close to the donkey and foal, within inches to take photos.
I was too far away to say anything at that point, this went on for a good 5 minutes until I was in talking range.
The mother donkey then decided it had enough and started to run away, because the baby was so young it couldn’t keep up, all the while Dad and 2 children were chasing it!
I asked the mother to stop the children, only to get a mouthful of abuse from the father coming back, he actually said - if my children want to play with them, they can!!!!!
I told him they weren’t pets, he then replied with- I live here and they are owned, so are pets, I replied with - if you did live here, you wouldn’t be so stupid and have more respect .
He told me to fuck off and walked away. WIBU

Not sure it’s precious parenting. I think people like that are just complete arseholes in every facet of their lives. It’s that deadly combination of utter stupidity and nastiness/selfishness.

He sounds like one of those people who'd then go to the daily mail protesting about the wild animals when one of his kids got kicked or trampled! Definitely a grade A w@nker.

They are a pair of twats and they are training their poor children to be twats too. Well done for speaking out, it doesn’t happen enough to these people IMO.

He needs a swift hoof in the nads.

I will be using this phrase for various situations from now on.

Biddie191, I would move them.

My uncle has just moved his rescued shetland pony from the field that adjoins a pub car park. People are still parking there. Pony is called Bundle , and he may look like a Thelwell cartoon come to life, but he is really unpredictable and dangerous.

People have gone in the field to try and feed him, and put their kids on him. He's already chased people, and snatched a woman's cardigan off her, and (apparently) guarded it like a dog. She was most upset!

Oh i so hope the mother is on here and comes across this thread.

YANBU OP. This reminds me of the idiot tourists on Richmond Park who thought it would be a great idea to take selfies posing with wild deer in rutting season, and even put their child on the back on one. One of the tourists was charged by a huge male with enormous antlers. I think they learnt their lesson.

If you know they owners, can they be encouraged to put up signage anywhere near the path?

I’m glad you intervened, thank you! The foal might have died of shock or exhaustion...well done OP. 💐

We're from the same area OP, once had a family of holiday makers come back to the camp site I worked at on their rented bikes threatening to sue us for the donkey kick their 8 yr old child had received. Casually asked them how the situation occurred- mum and new baby donkey, family had encouraged child to feed it their spare sandwiches and then tried to lead the baby donkey away from its mother for a photo!! I got in trouble for 'smirking' about it. Morons.

I'd have added aw, I see you have a small penis, men do that who pick on women.

I’ve seen some ridiculous behaviour in the new forest, with people lifting their toddlers up to stroke ponies. Doesn’t surprise me.

Horrible, ignorant people.

Hope the donkeys are OK, especially the baby one.

Hope the adult donkeys kick them all, then poo on them. Why are humans such idiots?

SuitedandBooted - I will, but it's so frustrating to have to move our ponies to less suitable fields just because knobheads seem to think it's OK for them to go into other people's fields and feed / play with / sit on their livestock. I'm loving to think of the vigilante Shetland stealing (cardigans) from the rich to give to the poor!

Maybe entitled rather than precious.

Scene in new forest some years ago. unfenced road about sunset. A small elderly Micra contain JulyBaby is going slowly along an unfenced road . JulyBaby is driving considerably under the speed limit because she has seen 3 ponies ahead, all of whom seem involved in their own little drama. They are a mare with a foal (not especially young) and a stallion. No words were spoken, but body language was quite enough.

Stallion: Hey baby, I reckon you just got lucky. How about it?
Mare: not interested. I'm grazing
Stallion: But you've never seen a finer stallion that me, how can you turn me down? I'm better than all the others.
Mare: in your dreams mate. (moves further away, but plainly doesn't want to give up this lush supper spot.)
Stallion: I'll fight something to show you then. That's sure to impress you. Look, you see that car coming. I'm not afraid of it!
(Stallion approaches road, waits until Micra is level then lets fly with both rear hooves.)
Stallion: see?
Mare: You prat. I'm going. come on junior.
Foal: But I liked it here. Oh, alright mum. Coming.
30 minutes later, July is examining impressive ding in driver's side door.

Even if he did own them it still wouldn't be ok at all

Who are the 2% who think these people are ok doing what they were doing???

Idiots. I've seen quite a few posts local to me where sheep or lambs have been savaged by dogs off the lead. Don't understand why people can't respect farmland and livestock.

From the New Forest website -

HOW YOU CAN HELP NEW FOREST PONIES
It can be very tempting to get a little closer to the ponies and feed them, however, there is a bylaw which bans the feeding of New Forest livestock. Feeding the ponies can leave you with a £200 fine and a criminal record, and although the ponies may look gentle, they can also kick and bite if you get too close to them.

I'm surprised it's only 2% when you consider the % of the population that think equines, livestock and wildlife are public property and only exist for their personal benefit and amusement. Stupid wankers, I'm just disappointed the donkey didn't kick them repeatedly.

@SuitedandBooted I have a similar Shetland. We joke that it could have had an excellent career as a guard dog. And when necessary move it to whichever field that requires it's services, whether that be a problem with trespassers or a vulnerable companion. Tbf it's not actually dangerous unless people are actually trying to cause harm or with aggressive dogs, generally it just enjoys chasing people and doing minor tailoring alterations to their clothes and belongings.

I also live in the New Forest.

Sounds like visitors (who clearly shouldn't be here atm) rather than locals.

I've had "discussions" in the past with visitors who insist on feeding the ponies by the side of the road even though feeding them on the side of the road means they'll inevitably come up to the roads and approach cars on dark winter evenings and get hit by a car. It's really not rocket science.

There has been a spate of ponies being injured or killed by trespassers feeding them or leaving gates open.

Biddie191

Perhaps we can train him to nick wallets instead

To be fair, uncles only had him for a few months, so some of his behaviour will be down to fear and mistrust, I think. That's the main reason for moving him, - he is a scary little bugger, but he has had a lot of bad experiences ( the vet thinks some scars on him are dog bites). He doesn't need more idiots messing with him.

There's plenty of time to win him round - he will be with us a while, as shetlands can easily live to 30 +, and he's only around 4.

Ohhhh, they are in serious need of a slap.
YANBU.

I do hate it when people don't love and respect animals. They are so vulnerable, and it breaks my heart.

The squirrels thing upthread is just horrific.