Visitor rules of the Meadow

Why these rules exist

The Meadow is not a zoo or an attraction. It is the home of animals that came to us from somewhere they were not doing well — and some of them are large, strong, and have ideas of their own. A horse weighs half a tonne and can kick even when it means no harm. A goat can jump at you. A rooster defends his hens. None of this is bad behaviour on the animal’s part; this is simply what an animal is.

These rules are therefore what we always tell you at the start of a visit — just written down, so you can read them in advance and in peace. It is not a list of prohibitions for their own sake. It is a description of how to behave among our animals so that nobody leaves bitten and the animals are not stressed by the visit either.

These rules are part of every visit — an event listed under Events, a booked experience under the terms for experiences, and volunteer help. By registering or by arriving at the Meadow you confirm that you had the opportunity to read them and that you will follow them. On site we will also tell you the main rules out loud, because the most important things are remembered better when you hear them in the place where they apply.

How to behave around the animals

This is the part you need to know before you enter an enclosure:

• Approach an animal from the front and speak. Never from behind and never silently — a donkey, goat or sheep cannot see you back there and deals with a fright by kicking. Speak up so the animal knows you are coming.
• Enter an enclosure only with one of us. Not because we do not trust you, but because we know which animal is having a bad day today.
• Do not feed anything until we tell you that you may, and what with. Half of our animals are on some kind of diet or medication and a piece of bread can do real harm. With some animals, hand-feeding is also the quickest route to a bitten finger.
• Do not run, shout or make sudden movements. To an animal, a running, shouting person is a cue to flee or to defend itself; neither is a good thing in a paddock with other people in it.
• When we say “not this one”, it means not this one. Some animals brought experiences with them that made them distrustful, and their boundaries cannot be talked round with patience or with a carrot.
• Do not pick animals up and do not try to catch them. Not a hen, not a rabbit, not a cat. An animal defending itself is suddenly surprisingly strong, and a scratch is the better outcome.
• An animal that is walking away from you needs to be allowed to walk away. Do not corner it and do not follow it. An animal with nowhere to retreat starts to defend itself — and at that moment it is in the right.
• Fences are often electrified. Do not touch the wire and do not crawl under it. The shock is not dangerous, but it is unpleasant and it makes you take a step you did not choose.
• Bring your own dog only if agreed in advance and keep it on a lead the whole time at the Meadow. A dog among farm animals is stressful for both sides — even the laziest dog suddenly discovers a role among sheep that you did not know it had.

Children

A child under 15 may come to the Meadow only with an adult who is responsible for them for the whole visit — that is, with their legal guardian, or with an adult whom the legal guardian has authorised in writing to accompany them. That adult is not a visitor who happens to have a child with them; they are the person responsible for the child and must keep the child in sight at all times.

• Around large animals, the adult holds the child’s hand. A horse, a cow or a goat does not expect someone to appear at its legs.
• A child does not feed the animals on their own — they take the feed from an adult and offer it the way we show them.
• A child under 5 goes near poultry and young animals only in arms or holding a hand. This is not only about pecking but also about the hygiene described below.
• Tell us about allergies, epilepsy, asthma or anything else we should know before we start. We have hay, dust, fur, feathers and stinging insects — all at once.

Events where children are handed over to us without an accompanying adult (a school trip, a scout troop, an after-school club) we arrange only by separate agreement and on a written registration form from the legal guardian, containing contact details, health limitations and consent to participation. At such an event we are responsible for the child for its duration — which is exactly why it cannot be arranged through a web form alone.

Hygiene and health

Our farm animals are healthy, under veterinary care and well looked after. Even so, a few things apply that are observed around animals everywhere in the world — some diseases pass between animal and human even when the animal is perfectly fine:

• Wash your hands after contact with the animals — soap and hand sanitiser are available, just ask where.
• No eating, drinking or smoking in the enclosures. Hands that have touched animals and food do not belong together, and fire even less so.
• Watch that children do not put their hands in their mouths and do not eat where there are animals or bedding.
• If you are pregnant, we recommend avoiding contact with young animals, sheep, goats and bedding, and consulting your doctor beforehand. This is not a formality — with certain infections, pregnancy is where the real risk lies.
• If your immune system is weakened — after treatment, with a chronic illness — tell us. We will adjust where we go and what you touch.
• An animal bite or a scratch that draws blood is not a triviality. Tell us straight away and wash the wound; depending on its extent we will recommend a doctor and record the incident.

Getting around the Meadow

• The terrain is a working farm, not a park. Uneven ground, deep grass, mud, potholes, electric fences, tools. Wear sturdy shoes you will not be trying to protect — heels and sandals do not work here.
• The last stretch of the way to the Meadow is on foot — details are on the Getting to the Meadow page. Bear this in mind when planning with a pushchair or with reduced mobility, and write to us in advance so we can work out how to manage it.
• Do not enter farm buildings or go near machinery and equipment without us. This includes the hay barn — hay shifts and slides.
• Fire only in the place we designate and only with our knowledge. There is hay and dry grass all around.
• Close gates behind you — exactly as you found them. An open gate is the most common way an animal ends up where it should not be.
• Do not drink water from hoses or drinkers. It is not intended for people. We will give you drinking water.

Liability — plainly

We are liable for damage caused by our animals. This follows from § 2933 of the Civil Code, and we are liable under it even where we neglected nothing in supervising the animal. These rules change nothing about that and do not try to: nothing in them means that you waive your right to compensation. A provision attempting to do so would be invalid under § 2898 of the Civil Code, which is why there is none here.

So why the rules. Because they work. An animal you do not approach from behind does not kick. And because under § 2918 of the Civil Code, where damage arose partly through the fault of the injured party, it is borne proportionately — someone who was given the rules and went against them bears part of the consequence themselves. This is not about looking for loopholes; it is about there being nothing to sort out in the first place.

Report every injury to us straight away, even one that seems laughable to you. A grazed knee need not be reported, but a bite, a kick, a peck near the eye or a fall does — including when you are leaving and nothing hurts. We will record it, because two hours later it looks entirely different, and above all we will advise you where to go.

We are not liable for belongings left unattended — there is no cloakroom or lockable place at the Meadow. Keep valuables in your car or with you. The animals are also fond of nibbling anything left within reach; a hat placed on a railing is, from their point of view, an offer.

The reverse also applies: if a visitor causes damage to us or to the animals — a broken fence, an injured animal, ruined equipment — they are liable for it under the general rules of the Civil Code. We write this here mainly so that it is clear this is not one-sided.

Photography

We take photographs at events and use them on the website, on Instagram and in the annual report — it is how anyone gets to know about the animals and how money is raised for them. We photograph the course of the event, not portraits of individual people.

Do not want to be in the photographs? Tell any of us at the start, casually is fine — we will not photograph you. And if a photograph is already published somewhere, write to info@nechmerust.org and we will take it down; with no explanation needed of why or what bothers you about it. If a child is recognisable in a photograph, we publish it only with the consent of their legal guardian. Details are in the privacy policy.

Please do take and share your own photos and videos from the visit however you like. Just no drones, please — a drone flying over animals looks like a bird of prey and the herd bolts.

When something does not work out

We may shorten or refuse a visit. This happens for only two reasons: either it is not possible because of the animals and the weather (illness in the herd, a birth, a gale, waterlogged ground), or someone repeatedly disregards these rules and thereby endangers themselves, others or the animals. In the first case we will agree another date with you or refund your money — exactly how is set out in the terms for experiences. In the second case no refund arises.

Animals do not keep to a calendar. The programme may change on the spot — the animal you were looking forward to may be unavailable that day because it is being treated, giving birth, or simply not in the mood. This is not a defect in the service, it is life in a sanctuary; but we always try to make up for it with something else.

Contact and validity

Anything unclear, anything in these rules that does not sit right with you, and anything that happened: info@nechmerust.org. On site, ask any of us — we have yet to hear a stupid question about the animals.

Nech mě růst, z.s.
Registered office: Dandova 2619/13, Horní Počernice, 193 00 Praha
IČ: 19602529, file no. L 77924 (Municipal Court in Prague)
info@nechmerust.org

Last updated: 10 September 2026