FFS! Relative upset after children could not ride my competition horses

[DoubleClearYay]

Argh why do people have to be so frustrating!

I have horses and compete regularly. They are absolutely not safe for beginner riders or children. They are competition horses who would quite literally throw off a beginner who wouldn’t be able to ride them.

anyway, a distant relative asked to bring her kids along to see the horses as they are absolutely fascinated by ponies as loads of kids are. I totally get it, that was once me 20 years ago, but I made them aware that realistically they can’t ride them or sit on them. It’s not a pony ride sort of place and it’s a working competition yard. I said they can come and see them, pet them, give them a treat, brush them etc but realistically it’s not pony trekking. They said that’s fine, the kids just want to see them etc

so they came along and basically it was a complete disaster. The kids kept asking to ride and I explained why they couldn’t, but they were getting really upset and their mum kept insisting I let them just sit for a quick photo or just go for a quick walk. I had to explain that it’s for their kids safety- they absolutely would not be safe on the horses (first of all, there wasn’t even a hat for them). There was tears and arguments and their mum kept saying how ridiculous I was being and I had ruined their afternoon and kept insisting I let them just sit for a quick photo.

the next issue was treats, they had brought several huge bags of apples and wanted to give every single one. I explained how 1 would be enough each for now, and how I don’t want the horses to get a sore tummy etc etc but we could cut another apple up and leave it in their dinner later etc, again there was more drama about how I wouldn’t even let the kids give the horses an apple, and how I was being precious because people have fed horses bags of apples for years and it’s been fine. I literally said they could give an apple each, just not several bags!

later when I came home there was loads of messages sent to my parents about how I was precious, ruined the kids afternoon, made a drama out of sitting on the horse for a picture and how all they could do was pet or brush the horses (exactly the things I said in advance) and how annoyed they are and feel so let down that I wouldn’t let my own cousins sit on my horses for a photo

sorry, I know this is just a rant and im not really asking AIBU because from a safety POV I know I wasn’t being unreasonable, but ffs why do people have to be so difficult sometimes! Would I be unreasonable to message back and tell them where to go?! (Only half joking 😅)

To be honest , you sound really precious. I've had competition horses and its no problem for a kid to sit on. Just say no next time and stop banging on about how super professional your horse are

You just confirmed the pony was more of a liability, I know , had one myself. So why so much drama about your special horses

Virtually everyone with a horse or pony has experienced this. That along with random strangers thinking they are entitled to feed horses. That's why you keep seeing it. Not because it's made up but because there are a lot of entitled knobheads out there.

I know, Im being harsh. But could you not have just said , oh what a shame, its their bed time. Put horse back, shut stable door, tingly laugh. No joke, Edinburgh zoo did this with their giraffes. Sorry, its just too much angst over a situation you had control over. ....wait till menopause.

And there’s someone who doesn’t own a horse ……

Plenty of people act EXACTLY like that . I’ve had colleagues angling to ride my horses despite me pointing out that the two I am a Redwings’s guardian for , I am expressly forbidden to ride because of various health issues , not to mention that one of them ( who we call Moo because she’s black and white and an absolute cow) is actually unbroken to ride . I have pointed out that my unicorn horse who was a retirement present to myself and cost a startling amount of money ( well it shocked me , having not bought a horse properly for 20 years ) is known to have a fit of the vapours and has decked me more than once without warning, just because the sun has gone in, or a leaf has fallen off a tree half a mile away . But no . Still they ask . It’s bloody tedious.

People are so clueless when it comes to horses. Does she know that your horse is worth a 5 figure sum and she probably wouldn’t want to cough up the money if it got colic 🤬