I have a CF

[Nixandwotsit]

Never thought it would happen to me... a couple of weeks ago a lady came to my yard where I keep my 3 horses to collect a free item I'd offered on FB. She brought two little girls with her... and of course they were ecstatic to stroke ponies. They were also quite shrill LOL! I had to steer them towards the most easy going pony because one of mine isn't all that tolerant, another is poorly so not feeling friendly, but the pony lapped it up. It was a tense time for me to be honest. I put the big intolerant horse in a stable. I had to keep dragging them away from poorly old horse. Made pointed comments about time to go and walked to their car so they had to follow me.
As they were going the kids started talking about coming back... one was asking about coming to ride... Mum was saying maybe they could come brush and give them carrots. I told them they aren't really that sort of horses, not completely easy going. I didn't have insurance to cover children visiting. If you gave the pony carrots you could cause him to get ill (lamminitis). I was very polite.

Yesterday I arrived at the yard, saw a car parked outside. Go to the front and find the three of them on the yard - where my 3 nags are free roaming, screeching, patting, all very excited. Intolerant horse is being a saint thank goodness, poorly horse is looking miserable and trying to hide in a corner. I was nice, but I told Mum that they absolutely can't come and visit alone and actually, I'd rather not have regular visitors. I repeated the bit about insurance and added that the weekends at my yard are my "quiet time" and I like it that way. I have no idea if they'd fed carrots - mum said not.
Today - I'm sat on the yard with a cuppa, surrounded by my herd. I hear a car pull up and who should appear around the stables? The three of them plus dad.
I'm quite assertive so I stood up and as dad was opening the gate I walked towards them with my hand out in a stop gesture and said "No!". Carried on walking through the gate and stood between them and it. Told them that I have a sick horse, I have a horse that isn't particularly kind, I do not have insurance and they are trespassing. Dad was loud - accusing me of spoiling the girls' day - they weren't doing any harm. I just kept repeating "please leave" and they did with many passive aggressive comments between them and little girls wailing.
Tonight on the local FB group - a pointed post about the joys of being in the countryside, how wonderful it is when kind people welcome children who love animals. You get the picture.
I am so not being unreasonable, but I thought it might amuse you all. They'll get a shock, I'm moving to a new yard on Wednesday.

I just dont get some people you told her twice not to pet them and then she turns up witth her husband?

Shocking behaviour! And they’re teaching their children to do the same? No respect for you or your horses.☹️

Parents who just don't say no. Mum thinks if we go see horses then the kids can play with them and get rides. So many parents think animals are play things for children. The parents have no understanding of animals and sadly give the children wrong expectations.
Enjoy your new yard .

Brollypackedforscottishholiday

Leave 3 piles of manure and 3 carrots behind op!!
Imagine if one of the little cherubs had been kicked in the face?

Yes! Do this! Imagine if they let the horses out! They’d soon moan if one of them got kicked

@Sarahlou63

FFS twats 🙄

I am glad you were assertive and saw them off, such a cheek.

I shop at PAH for my dog's treats, and pre Covid often saw a whole family obviously out with the kids just to see the animals. Once a woman was getting the assistant to let her child handle every hamster then said 'right we're going now' and just marched off.

People seem to lose their mind when it comes to horses and ponies. I was so glad when my kids left primary school because every term I was fending off a CF who wanted to come to the yard and ride my horse for free, or have me teach their kids to ride for free or just baby sit their kids at the yard for an afternoon. One woman wanted me to let her child ride my horse whenever he liked when she found out she was an ex-RDA ride. "But he's disabled and I can't afford to send him to RDA lessons!" RDA lessons that were discounted to £5 for a half hour but she had plenty of money for fags and tattoos. Then there was the mum who dropped her kid off to a lesson at the place we were liveried at and then demanded a member of staff tack up my horse for her to ride! She was told no and actually had a go at them, telling them she knew me and they should do what they were told. So they called me and I must have driven like the Dukes Of Hazard, every hair standing on end with rage. I get that people are fascinated with equines but all sense and manners seem to go out the window.

They are proper CFers, and awful that she brought her husband to subdue you. Huge well done for standing your ground.

Cheap fuckers. Pay for bloody lessons.

@Nixandwotsit

I'm staying out of the FB post, my satisfaction comes from knowing I'll not be there next weekend. I was tempted to link to an article about that little girl kicked by a horse that someone was walking out though.

Will they even know that you’re not there next week? Surely they wouldn’t be thinking of returning yet again - no one could be that much of a CF.

Wow those people are SO RUDE… it’ll be really funny when they go back and no horses are there

This reminds me of when I was a teenager and one of my younger sister’s friends met our horses (she was about 9/10).

The next day she was caught by the yard owner trying to take one of them out for ride! The one she’d chosen was known to rear!

I don’t know what it is about horses that make people such dickheads. There’s a local beauty spot near us with a small yard a bit like your set up next to it, with 2 ponies. My DS is 4 and has SEN, and is obsessed with horses, and this is on our regular walking route so he’s seen these ponies most days for several years - they know us, the owners know us. We were there the other day, one of the ponies saw us at the gate, and came over for some fuss, and another family literally barged us out of the way to get to her. I said “she’s a bit head shy around strangers, so be careful” and after finding out it wasn’t my pony, they completely ignored me and one of their horrible kids started waving a massive chunk of cake at her, right in front of the massive signs saying DO NOT FEED. I said not to, very assertively, and they completely ignored me. I can’t tell a lie, I quite enjoyed watching the little fucker get a sharp nip on the wrist .

Peple treat the countryside like their personal theme park! Horses are big and can be dangerous if disturbed. Just the remark about insurance should have been sufficient. I dont even pat a dog without asking the owner as I want to know if hes friendly.

It's astonishing how many people don't understand the dangers of horses.
We often have unsecured horses running loose in our village (owners are lapse at best) and parents take their kids to pet the horses ect with any thought to the danger they are putting little timmy in.
I phoned the police about the horses as they were approaching people and charging cars on the road . Only to be told that they are only horses and not a danger to the public but they'll send an animal control warden to take a look.
Funny thing was after the warden turned up, he rand for back up (5 horses) and then shouted at the officers that horses are very dangerous and these "stupid, funking idiots need to be removed immediately for their own safety" (the people)
That was satisfying to watch

It must be nice to be unable to process the word no.

So sorry about poorly horse, OP.

I recently signed a petition to put speed reduction measures in on the roads in the New Forest. They would make a fortune out of speed cameras... speed limits are ignored. All over the New Forest there are signs saying not to feed the ponies, that are completely ignored by many. Apart from the risk to their health, and the danger to humans, feeding the ponies attracts them to roads and cars. Ponies and donkeys regularly die on the roads and yet people still carry on with their selfish and dangerous behaviour. It's beyond belief. The countryside is beautiful but it's not a theme park.

Don’t you just love seeing the Cheeky Fucker at work?

“You’ve ruined my kids day!”

Erm no mate, That was you. You came to a private yard, knowing you’ve been told not to come on 2 occasions and now a third… and you’re kicking off? No, YOU ruined their day long before I came along.”

Jesus, how dare they? Honestly the nerve of them - I would have been furious too. I have donkeys in with my horses on private land and I find people all the time stood in the field with them. No matter how many signs are up/double padlocked gates. Its actually awful.

I’m sure it’s pester power that made them come back when you said no.

@FOJN

Dad was loud - accusing me of spoiling the girls' day - they weren't doing any harm.

That entitled shit can fuck off. Who cares if the children were or were not doing any harm, your yard, your horses, access by invitation only not by bullying. WTF is wrong with people?

Entitled shit 🤣

Good for you being so assertive, some people and their children can be so entitled with other people’s animals (horses in particular) as they are so expensive, they are definitely CF.

I was half expecting some to say that I could be nicer and maybe arrange for the little girls to come up say once a month for pony petting (as I've seen similar responses on other threads). Good to see we are all outraged and in agreement