Anyone with young children got a horse?...am i being selfish?

[Henrietta1]

Hi

Just wondered if anyone out there has young children and a horse. I am planning to buy myself a horse as a 30th birthday present in august. I have waited 20 years very patiently. However, my twins are only 3 years old, they go to nursery term time all day tues and weds and start school next year. We have just moved to live on the farm where the livery is, so the horse will be outside the front door and the stables about 30 seconds away. I feel so guilty to the twins getting the horse. My hubby will turn the horse out before leaving for work in the morning and i am planning to muck out and do any jobs during the day. Problem is when the children are off nursery they will have to hang out at the stables with me, which from a safety point of veiw is fine as all the horses there are turned out and the farm is small and friendly with lots of us living there and it is barely a working farm now. I will have to go out in the evening and feed, pick hooves etc. My husband also has a weekday and a sunday off so its not going to be an everyday thing for the kids.

Am i selfish please be honest.

Thanks Jenni xxx

Certainly not. Call me an old fogey (don't you dare!) but I don't think it does children any harm at all to learn that the sun doesn't shine out of their wotsits and that other creatures need care and people need other outlets.

Let's face it - they will have more fun and more of your attention at the yard than if they are parked in front of the television while you do the housework.

They obviously can't muck out but there are lots of little responsibilities that they can take on like minding the tap when the water buckets are being filled and being in charge of turning off the taps so the water isn't wasted. (Conservation lessons as well as learning to care for animals)

Regarding housework, if you can possibly afford it do consider seriously the poosibility of getting a cleaning lady. Horses and vacuuming don't mix and I haven't dusted my sitting room since last October!

And a calm, placid mother with an outside interest will be very good for them.