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Tuesday, September 5, 2017

Ponies and Go Karts

The Duggars are always up for a trip to Farmland Adventures in their hometown of Springdale, Arkansas. They have visited this attraction, owned by the Parsons family, many times over the years. Yesterday, Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar and some of their clan spent the day at Farmland Adventures.

Spurgeon Seewald, 22 months old, took his first pony ride.


According to Jessa, he was very excited when he saw the pony.


He was pretty content...


...Until the creature started moving.


Spurgeon clung to Mama Jessa during the entire minute-long ride. 




At the end, Jessa stepped back to take a picture, and Spurgeon lost it. Well, at least he gave it a try.



Spurgeon may have been a little unsure about the pony ride, but the outing was still a blast.

 Meredith Duggar

 Meredith Duggar

 Meredith Duggar, Marcus Duggar, and Josie Duggar

 Spurgeon Seewald and Meredith Duggar

Michael Duggar and Marcus Duggar

If you enjoy this blog, be sure to check out Ellie's other blogs (NashvilleWife.com and BatesFamilyBlog.com).

Photos courtesy duggarfamily.com, theseewaldfamily.com

85 comments:

  1. So thankful for the pics of Josh and Anna's kids! Thank you for that! I wish I could've seen Josh and Ann too but maybe you will post pics of them soon. :)

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    1. I wish they would have put helmets on the children. You just never know. God can not protect them from that. The parents can and should!!

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    2. Yes, God can.😊

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    3. Not from the country are you? Shoes around horses, definitely, but helmets? Please.

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    4. Obviously He did protect them!

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    5. And here we go.....:(

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    6. Do your kids wear helmets while riding in a car?.......cause, well you just never know!

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  2. Such cuties! I am glad they were able to do this!

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  3. No helmets for the children while on a pony ride?

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    1. Oh My Goodness.....I'm just about done with all these
      critical remarks.........😳

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    2. No helmets, no hands, no shoes. Don't say "The parents are right there!" because nobody's within 6 feet or more of little Meredith.

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    3. Do people really take helmets to wear somewhere like that on pony rides? I totally would have never thought of it for my kids!! And I would have my kids go without before I would let them share a public helmet! Way more of a chance of getting lice or something like that vrs. falling off a little pony ride!!!

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    4. Seriously? Helmets? C'mon now! That's a little much...

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    5. Why must someone always point out something "wrong" with everything this family does??? The ponies move so slowly...jumping rope is more dangerous!! Should they put on helmets for that too??

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    6. My thoughts exactly!!!

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    7. Seriously???????

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    8. The parents shouldn't have to think about helmets or supply them. The FARM should be providing them and insisting on them being worn. It's all about liability. The farm should not be taking any chances with children that small. Kids can indeed get hurt on "kiddie" rides.

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    9. Yes, the lice issue is a good reason not to have helmets that are publically shared. Friends got lice from shared sports helmets.

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    10. Pony rides are safe enough if the parents or someone else is nearby:)

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    11. This is getting comical. Why aren't you complaining that they're not in long sleeves so they may get bug bites, while you're at it?

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    12. 2:57 and everyone else that's ranting...I feel so sorry for you children bet they are bubble wrapped. Society has gone overboard keeping kids safe,if everything was as dangerous as they [whoever they is] make it out to be there wouldn't be any survivors from my generation; helmets weren't used for everything a kid does. Oh! maybe they are the helmet manufacturers. Money the objective.Could be!

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    13. Children should wear helmets. And since the children are old enough to have bikes, they can use their own bike helmets and not share.
      In any case, parents should vacuum and wet down the inside of their children's helmets, just in case.

      If no helmets, an adult should walk beside the child in case the child falls. Believe me, I have fallen from a horse and it is not fun! And although a horse is bigger than a pony, I am an adult and much taller than a small child.

      Better safe than have a child with a concussion, even a mild one.

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    14. All these people who claim that parents are bubble-wrapping are the very ones who sue the moment their precious one falls and gets hurt and it's someone else's fault...

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    15. I must be out of the loop when it comes to child helmets, because I managed along with all my friends to raise our children helmet free. They went on pony rides, rode bikes, skate boarded and no helmets. No fractured skulls, no horrible head wounds. I don't know what we would have thought had we seen a Mom or Dad walking through a county fair carrying a helmet to put on their child for a pony ride. Oh wait a minute, I know what we would have thought, we would have thought it was hysterical. LOL

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    16. I’m not saying there’s NO danger to this situation, but really, there’s danger EVERYWHERE. There’s absolutely no way to protect a child from everything, and it’s really not even good to protect children from everything. There’s risk for a bug bite and anaphylactic shock from going outside, the possibility of falling down the front steps of your home, choking on a Lego, getting in a car accident, aspirating water while brushing their teeth, drowning in their goldfish’s bowl…. Letting children have a little freedom and learn to use common sense probably is the best protection of all. A pony is a good place to start.

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    17. I'm sure a waiver or 2 was signed...really people..

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  4. These little ones are blessed to be born into a big happy godly family. Thanks for sharing the sweet pictures...Jane

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  5. Meredith looks so comfortable on those ponies. A natural born rider? Maybe they will get a horse someday. Or just go to nearby stables. She is a cutie pie!!! So is Spurgeon, of course!!! They all are. I love how Spurgeon wants his mom right beside him to feel safe. Precious.

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    1. Go Meredith! I see barrel racing in your future!!

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  6. Referring to Jessa as "Mama Jesse" makes her sound so old! She's only 24.

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    1. She's a mama. If she didn't want to be one at 24, she should have used birth control or not married so young.

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    2. Birth control ? Do you know this family ?........

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  7. Aww fab! On a side note I hate these pony carnival rides (they don't have them in the uk) what a miserable life they must leed.

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    1. They looked like they were having fun to me!

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    2. I think she meant the ponies must have a miserable life, not the kids. I agree

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  8. So glad to see the children, especially Meridith.
    Spurgeon seems so frightened which is unfortunate. I noticed his balance was off unlike Meridith balance posture. I do hope he walks, runs and climbs staying off momma hip.
    Maybe she can return in a week and try again... would be great experience for any child in that age range and confidence builds when many opportunities are provided. So precious..

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    1. It's not at all unusual for a toddler to frightened when placed on an animal considerably bigger than they are. It's pretty hard to tell the state of his balance skills, since he was desperately trying to hang on to his mother or the pony.

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  9. Looks like Meredith enjoyed it! Big smile

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    1. Meredith does look very comfortable and quite capable up there on her pony. That made me smile. My daughter loves horses and on her first ride, she swung up into the saddle as if she was born there. Me? Not so much. I lacked her easy grace. She just instinctively moved with her horse; I just tried to stay on mine. ;)

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  10. Meredith is so cute!

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  11. Poor ponies! They look very unhappy. Wouldn't you be roped outside in the hot sun, walking around in a circle with a strange kid on your back?

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    1. That's their job

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    2. But don't you know - God gave man authority over all the animals. No such thing as animal rights!

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    3. I am against using any tethered animals for entertainment like that.

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    4. They're horses. I'm sure when they're not providing rides, they are well cared for. You must really freak out thinking of how horses have been used as transportation and in battle throughout history. YIKES!

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    5. Ponies always look like that! If you are from the country, most of the time they are out in the sun slowly grazing.

      The look well fed, groomed and their hooves are in good shape. They're okay, really.

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    6. Anon @12:57 - their job?!?! Really?!?! Like these ponies chose and trained for this of their own volition. And to clarify, God gave us dominion of creatures, to be as caretakers; not domination over them.

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    7. You bleeding hearts have got to stop!! You are putting animals above people!! Shame on you!

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    8. 8:14 Seriously?!? Animals who have jobs are generally far more happy than ones that just eat themselves to death in a field. There have actually been animals who’ve died from sadness when they’ve been retired. It’s a pretty cushy life to have children ride you for a few hours between meals and lounging around.

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    9. It should come as comfort then, 10:13, that I am just as worried about Meredith sitting up there by herself, without a helmet, without anyone holding her, as I am about the pony.

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    10. What do you want? The ponies wandering loose? Getting hit by a car, wandering into a barbed wire fence. . .Often these ponies love giving children rides. And these ones clearly weren't abused. It's a sad world when people can't ride a horse without being condemned for abuse.

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  12. Anna having her baby while the kids were at the farm?

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  13. Your kids must have worn plastic gloves to make mud pancakes. Got to watch out for those micro organisms! LOL

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    1. My kids played in dirt, but they never went barefoot around farm animals! That's throwing caution completely to the wind. If you don't step in one thing (from ponies...), you could step on anything else hiding in that grass. My vet says that any injury on a farm or around farm animals is a tetanus case waiting to happen.

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    2. Love it! Thanks for giving me a smile! All these people carrying on about helmets and gloves and heeled boots. Oh my. I had someone criticise me this summer when my one-year-old was playing on the lawn and put a couple blades of grass in her mouth. So dirty. ha ha. yes it is. And so good for kids to explore :)

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    3. No, but unlike her mom, she's never needed to go the ER from an injury (only accompanying other family members). LOL Truth. My extended family has remarked over the years how comfortable I am in Hospitals (specifically ER's)- if my ER had had a loyalty program, I'd have been a card carrying member. LOL

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    4. Buffy: A friends daughter caught an infection at a petting zoo and almost died. She contracted e-coli and went into kidney failure, after being extremely ill she eventually recovered and thankfully did not suffer the permanent kidney damage they feared she might have. The infection was traced back to sheep on the farm. Meredith running around in her bare feet on a farm with dirt and animal waste to walk in has the potential to cause her a serious illness like my friends child. It is not about being an overly cautious helicopter parent, it is about using your common sense to prevent something serious happening, e-coli and tetanus can kill an adult let alone a small child, all it takes is a tiny break in the skin and bacteria can get in and the results can be fatal. I also hope the children washed their hands thoroughly after being with the animals. Nurse here so I know what these infections can do.

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    5. My cat chokes on blades of grass. I can't imagine letting a baby have a handful in their mouth. Grass is impossible to chew or swallow safely at that age.

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    6. No wonder there are so many w ussified 'men' in this world...smh..

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    7. They closed down allowing children to pet farm animals at our state fair, after some cases of Ecoli in adults as well as children. There are now caution signs posted before you enter the animal buildings, and hand washing stations. The signs also warn of possible contamination on shoes, leading to exposure later, after visiting the animals (wherever those shoes go). Parents are also warned about handling dropped items (bottles, pacifiers) while in the building. It's not being silly, it's being realistic. This stuff happens!

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  14. meredith is such a cutie!! she & marcus really favor anna's dads side.
    hopefully we'll be hearing anna had #5 soon!
    spurgeon reminded me of one of my boys. when he was just a bit older than spurgeon, he wanted to go ice skating soooo bad. once on the ice, he panicked. almost made it all the way around when they reversed the skate and we had to turn around! he cried almost the whole time back around but we werent allowed to cut across or carry him (too dangerous). people were looking at me like i was this terrible mom making him go out on the rink. then when we got off the ice & was taking his shoes off, he says "that was fun. can we do it again" lol!

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  15. I would like to know where the helmets for the children are. One pretty important factor. Yes the parents or adults may be near by. But you never know i for one as a parent would never let my children ride a bike or pony without a helmet because you just never know. Very disappointed to see no helmets on the young children.

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    1. You could contact the company and DEMAND that they provide helmets for the childrem. No that won't work. Lice! You can DEMAND parents bring a helmet or no pony rides for their children. That won't work either. There's always the carousel rides. Oh wait! They might need helmets for that in case they fall!

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    2. And I am very disappointed in your comment.

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    3. We either bring our own or in a professional setting provided.
      When I learned to ride quarter horses there were no helmets. Only English with no Horn to hold on to.. come to think of it, I couldn't even reach the studios...lol
      Great way to learn proper seat and balance.
      Merideth had both down pat.

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    4. Meredith is WAY too young to be on that horse without someone holding her tightly AND a helmet!!! Toddlers topple in a split second, all the time.

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    5. For all those posting making fun of people asking about helmets what would your reaction be to a post about one of these children in ICU with a brain injury due to falling off a horse and hitting their head on a stone? Just let that thought sink in for a moment. No one wants that to happen to any child but it does and more often than you might think. Falling from a horse or bike and striking your head can cause a fatal injury, and because it never happened to us as children just means we were lucky and sadly doesn't mean it won't happen to others.

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    6. Didn't one of the grandkids fall badly at a thrift store? And one of the Duggar boys fell off a stage, into an orchestra pit. Accidents do happen. As parents, we are remiss not to do anything we can to prevent them! Especially the obvious dangers, like being up high on a moving object without a helmet.

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    7. If the horse was galloping around, that's one thing. But it was barely moving, and Jessa was right there. Accidents happen. A lot more kids hurt themselves walking/running than falling off a horse.

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  16. The little ones are getting so big! They look so cute on their little ponies. Thanks for sharing!

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  17. Calling her Mama Jessa makes her sound so old and settled. She's only 24!

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    1. Uh, married with 2 kids - she's definitely "settled," regardless of her age. I think that's sort of the intent with these families to marry their girls young.

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    2. But she is settled and a momma of two now. She is older than her time but that was her choice. Joy is starting even younger....

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  18. remember Spurgeon is firstborn and Meredith is fourth...that makes a difference in confidence sometimes bc firstborns tend to be more cautious, of course personality is a factor. and helmets are silly for older kids but definitely not for 1-2 yr olds who are very unstable and top heavy. a pony is high off the ground. i personally probably wouldnt put helmets on, but i also would wait til my kid was older.

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  19. Having had a mom that forced me to stay in scary situations (fear of heights, fear of drowning, fear of deep water) as a toddler/preschooler, insistent that she was "helping me overcome fear by facing it", it actually traumatized me repeatedly. It took me until I was in my 20's to work through each of these things at my own pace. often times, parents minimize/ignore the child's feelings, in favor of the picture perfect outing or event, while thinking/verbalizing that the child is "being silly" or convincing themselves that they're "helping him" by forcing him. That's not love.

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    1. I don't believe in forcing children to do what they're scared of, either (9:45). I was a timid child and needed to step back to observe situations first and size them up before ever trying them myself (or not). Nothing wrong with allowing a child to be cautious and not forcing them. If the child is old enough, you can talk through the situation and talk about what's going on instead. Address their fears, because they're valid. Let them analyze things, with your help, and decide for themselves. I needed baby steps, not forcing.

      That picture where Jessa is laughing and Spurgeon is obviously in distress and wants to get off is not funny.

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    2. If you would read Jessa's original post, you would see that Spurgeon was asking to get on the horse, and kids weren't aloud to get off until after the ride was over.

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    3. I'm so sorry that you were treated that way by a parent. How frightening for you. And the mixed messages you got from her by forcing you into such traumatic situations must have really made you sad/angry/fearful of not only the situation but your mother as well. That is a horrifying way to raise a child.

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  20. Lice, or traumatic brain injury? Hmmm. I pick lice.

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    1. Nothing unkind meant by this, but you can get TBI from almost anything: a car accident, falling down steps, jumping off a table, climbing a tree and falling, furniture falling on them, etc. I don’t know too many parents who require their children to wear helmets when walking around the house or riding to the grocery store, because you simply cannot and should not protect children from everything. Of course there’s an element of danger to riding a pony, but there’s some danger to being alive. It’s probably less risky to ride a pony and have the potential of falling off onto the grass or getting kicked, than riding in a car on the interstate. It’s not wrong to wear a helmet, and yes, no doubt it's safer, but parents do have a choice, and it's not terrible parenting to allow children some freedom.

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    2. I had a traumatic brain injury occur when I was WALKING. Yes, it was slippery, but bottom line is, I was walking. Just walking. You can't go through life wearing a helmet, and it's not helpful to bring your kids up in a figurative padded cell. Jessa was right there. Look, your kids, your choice. Yes, use some common sense, but every parent is going to make slightly different decisions regarding safely. I grew up roaming the woods, some of my friends wouldn't go near the woods but rode their bikes up and down busy streets, which we would never been allowed to do. Just because you make a choice to do or not do something, doesn't make it the ONLY choice.

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  21. When I was a kid 70s, I used to climb trees and sway with them in the breeze, jump my skateboard off the curb, and stand on the banana seat of my bike riding down my winding street. With the exception of skiing, nothing has ever come close to matching those feelings of exhilaration and freedom. THANK GOD I didn't grow up in the bubble wrap generation.

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    1. And I remember, as a kid, the only kids who came to school in casts or on crutches were the kids who had gone skiing.

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  22. Wow, Michael is getting bigger! I can't believe how big Josh and Anna's kids are getting! It just seems like that Meredith was just born! How old are all the kids?Praying for everyone!

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