Categories: Parenting

Hay Ride Safety Tips

Today was a big day. My kids went on their first hay ride without me or their dad. There might have been room for one of us to squeeze on board the trailer, but since other trusted adults were going along, we decided to let our kids take this ride all on their own. They were pretty excited, too. After the ride was over, I thought maybe it would be a good idea to share some of the hay ride safety tips I had in mind when deciding to let the kids ride alone.

Make sure your kids know the rules

If your hay ride is on a trailer with a protective side railing, that’s great. Make sure your kids know not to stand up or lean over the rail, and they should be safe the entire trip. If there is no rail, your kids will need to know not only to avoid standing up, but also to avoid leaning back over the edge of the trailer, pushing the kids next to them or engaging in any other horseplay. If your kids are not old enough or responsible enough to follow the rules, do not let them ride alone.

Keep little ones well attended

My youngest is five, but her big brother and sister are almost eleven. I know that my twins know the rules and are capable of following them. I also trust them to stay seated next to their little sister at all times. I gave them further instructions to physically hold onto her during the trip so she wouldn’t fall off. Little ones should always have an older buddy or a parent to help them stay safe during a hay ride.

Be extra careful in front

If you are sitting near the front of the trailer, you need to exercise extra caution. That is because a fall from the front of the trailer puts you at risk of being run over by the trailer’s wheels, as happened to a 12-year-old boy who died in a fall from a Halloween hayride in 2010. Make sure small children in the front of the trailer are in physical contact with an adult at all times, and that older kids are able to behave and stay seated.

Don’t drink and ride

This should go without saying, especially at a child-friendly event, but drinking is never a good idea when operating or riding on large, moving objects. A Louisiana college student found this out the hard way when he died in a fall from a hayride after consuming alcohol and recreational drugs.

Go slowly over rough terrain

This tip is for the driver. You should always go slowly when driving a hay ride, especially over rough terrain. It can be difficult to keep your balance when riding on a bale of hay, especially if there are no guard rails on the trailer. Take it slowly, and look back every once in a while to make sure everything is still going well in your trailer. Your passengers will be happy for the smoother ride, and everyone will be a lot safer because you were a cautious driver.

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