2yr old dd and horse!

[3kidslou]

Anybody had to deal with toddler and looking after a horse, will have to take dd with me every now and then (hopefully not too much). Hoping to leave her in the car whilst i turn out and then let her help muck out anyone else do this or do u find stables a complete no go area for 2yr olds. Obviously if horses about she wont be running about x just wondered how people work horse, kids?!

I have the nastiest mare on the planet (I am currently nursing a bite on my elbow - she even broke the skin) but she has always been sweetness and light with my DD. Used to bend down and nuzzle her. Obvioulsy you need to be careful, but DD always enjoyed helping.

Get her a lovely little wheelbarrow for christmas, and let her use it if she's good while you turn out?

I did, but it was in a field and small stable yard that we rented, so there weren't any other people, livery renters, etc.

It worked fine. I used to let him play in car (in gear, parked hand brake on and in a slight dip on grass so couldn't be put in motion). Also kept toys on the non horse side of the electric fence: pedal tracker, toy wheel barrow, etc. Bring in and turning out were fine because DS was just the other side of the fence, behind closed stable door and no distance away. Trick with my DS seemed to be that they were special toys that could only be played with at the field, this kept him interested longer.

I used to shut mine in an empty stable with a stack of toys and a biscuit or two.

I do this too. My DD is 2.5 and loves been around the horses. If I have to turn out I usually leave her in the car with wondows open (if not too cold) or ask one of the other girls to just entertain her for a moment.

She loves helping to muck out and is an expert with the sweeping brush

I have 5dc
3 horses
last two dc have been coming to the stables form approx a wk old

just be prepared for lots of "help" and for everything to take twice as long as normal

also if they do get really fed up be prepared to stop and go back later

my horses have to work around the kids, and rarely get done at exactly the same time every day.....

but it suits us all.

Good Luck xx

I am single and have no local family so have always had to go with the DCs to the yard and just manage. It was quite hard when I had no car, and DD was 2, and the field was a walk from the yard, I had to lead Dmare while pushing DD in the pushchair. I have also had stressy times with my feed room looking more like a play room, and both DCs getting wet and muddy (esp. stressful when we were walking there). It can absolutely be done though, and as others have said they usually rather enjoy 'helping' :)

I take nearly two year old ds with me every day , he is firmly strapped in a old three wheeler , after the running under my horse incident , the sheep keep him well occupied , then when its time to poo pick i push pushchair with one hand and pull wheelbarrow behind with other ,its a pain but works ,aslong as you dont fill the wheelbarrow too full !

Hot tip ,dont let them wear brown shoes , ds threw his and it took me forever to find it in the mudbath field

Please be very careful. I have posted on here before abot the local 2 year old boy who was killed because his granny let him play around the yard while she was sorting out her horse. A two year old's head is very low down and close to horses legs. The horse that killed the little boy didn;t lash out or go for him, just span round, while tied on the yard - the little boy was chasing a conker along the floor. His skull was broken. Absolutely awful. The poor Grannie has never forgiven herself.

Your 2 year old will def need to be firmly secured somewhere safe, where a horse can;t accidentally crash into him. Sadly, when my sons were 2 they hated beineg 'secured' so I always left them at home as that tragic incident was very much in my mind.

They come with me now if I am not riding. They are bigger (6 & 8). My normally gentle and kind horse can't stand them though, Ears back etc.

I'm lucky in that have horses at home on the farm, and only need to feed in the field at the moment as they're out. The boys always hoon up to the gate as soon as they hear buckets of food and I make sure DD is the wrong side of the (closed!) gate if she's walking, or strapped into her buggy.

Even though I trust my horse - aged 27 year old TB who is such a gentleman, I just don't think its worth putting them in danger. marge2, that story about a grannie just amkes my blood run cold!

DD does like helping me measure out the food and the horses often get a few mini handfuls of mix extra! And a mini handful of hay!

Hot tip - buy waterproof overalls/ jacket and trousers for your DD so if she falls over in the mud she's not going to get wet. Oh and hat and gloves. You could have a "special" outfit for the yard for her and special mini tools if you can get them - I have no idea if you can though, sorry!

There is a girl at our field who has a cob on loan. I must say she is a lovely kind animal but the girl had only had her a week and she was letting her toddler walk underneath her belly while she was eating her feed. I just don't understand some people.