RideCamp: Kids around horses: Farfetched?

[EAMULE@aol.com]

Children around horses terrify me.  Back in 1985 I was the only one in my
boarding barn, actually I was one of two boarders.  I had my QH gelding tied
in the hallway.  As far as I knew I was the only human on the face of the
planet that morning.  No one was around.  

All of a sudden my gelding kicked straight out behind him.  I had NO idea at
that instant why.  Then a small child came into my sight.  I didn't know the
child or that he as anywhere around.  It scared the hell out of me.  I
screamed at the running child and told him never to go behind a horse.  I
could tell by the child's height and my horse's projectory that the hoof
missed him by fractions.

I started looking for an adult and this child's father was standing at the
front door holding a baby.  I screamed at him.  I really don't think he had
any idea how close his child came to being his dead child.  

If my horse had killed that child more than likely I would have been held
responsible and my horse would have been judged dangerous.  The child scared
both my horse and me by coming out of nowhere.  He could have dropped down
from the ceiling and I couldn't have been more surprised.

Another incident occured with friends who let their 2 y.o. daughter roam
around horses in the pasture.  I was nervous around their loose horses because
they had no respect for humans when they were out.  These people let their
Dobermans chase the horses all the time so the horses were used to kicking at
the dogs.  A dog came up and the horse kicked out and hit the little girl
square on the cheek.  

Fortunately the child survived, but she looked like she had been beat with a
baseball bat and I saw her two days AFTER the incident and her mother said she
looked better!  She may require surgery on her cheek bone when she is older.

Horses are not vicious or dangerous by nature, but because of size and their
different way of thinking of survival makes them a force to be watched
closely.

I feel VERY strongly about handling children around horses.  Before a child I
know enters my barn I have its undivided attention and it knows all the rules
before he/she enters the barn.

Ellen
Memhis


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