Boodle
Well-Known Member
I think I just need your experiences/opinions on this one. Apologies in advance for the mammoth post.
As alot of you know my family and I have 5 wonderful horses. Four of these fantastic personalities are retired, Trixie at 33, Shadow at 27, Joey shettie at only 5 but suffering with leg problems and back problems, Boo at 16 with arthritis and problematic pedal bones and finally my sister's TB Rocco who is in full work and being brought on as a 6yr old.
My mum and I are are solely responsible for Blue, my "YO's" (i use the term loosely as her only YO duty is owning the field, she hasn't looked at wonderful boy since his retirement 10yrs ago) 37yr old Arab gelding Blue, ie buying wormer, feeding, grooming, bringing in for farrier etc.
I am also responsible for 2 fantastic horses, a 17hh WB, Pally, and a 16.1hh Friesian Stallion, Bill. With these I arrange farrier, worm, ride, groom, check daily, rug up etc etc. However the owner pays for all their requirements and I also occasionally get some cash in hand for my efforts, which I always say, I should be paying her for giving me this opportunity!
Anyway. Recently I have noticed that my riding is becoming less and less frequent due to the ties the oldies have on me. I have been spending alot of hours in the day poo picking, pulling ragwort in an empty field that we will get use of if I can clear it, grooming, applying fly repellent, taking the old stiff ones for walks in hand, and very occasionally managing to take Boo out for a walking hack for 20 mins or so.
Now, I enjoy these activities, however felt abit down this morning.
Was over at the yard seeing to Shadow, Trixie and Blue when an old school friend rode past the field on her gelding. Went over to say hello and had a chat.
She basically said she thought I was wasting my time with these oldies as they'd never take me anywhere and i'd never progress if I didn't learn to move on and stop being so sentimental. (She sold her mare of 9years after the mare was diagnosed with mild arthritis of the fetlocks). She said I should "unload" these horses that I can't ride because they're just providing me with excess baggage that I will never shake off unless I conciously do it.
I am at my last year in school and would ideally like to go into Rehabilitation of horses, but thinking about it, I couldn't really do this in my area but i'm not willing to leave my oldies behind and would be content to work in a local RS or somewhere similar until such times as I could explore any potential I may have.
After this "run in" with my friend, who I like, but whose outlook on life i generally disagree with, I came back home and talked to my sister. And basically she said, if up to her, she'd probably find good homes for our oldies and move on.
My Mum would be mortified, as was I that she thought this way, however as she is going off to Uni in September she doesen't have to be responsible for our ponies, but she will be selling her youngster, Rocco (first time we'll have ever sold a horse).
So, after that long and rambling post, do you think that I'm too sentimental and am tying myself at an early age to a place where I love but will not be content with forever, or do you think I've got my priorities right?
My boyfriend has all these ambitions of moving away in a few years time to London etc, and most of my friends want to go off to Uni to do this and that (which I have no intention of doing).
It just seems like everyone is enjoying being young and moving on, and i'm already settling down at the age of 16, or that is how my sis put it.
I could never, ever part with my little herd, and I could never, EVER rehome or sell any of them, but these two little conversations got me thinking about what you all would do/have done in this situation.
Sorry for the MAMMOTH post!
Thanks
Kirsty and "The Cripples" (as sis put it).
As alot of you know my family and I have 5 wonderful horses. Four of these fantastic personalities are retired, Trixie at 33, Shadow at 27, Joey shettie at only 5 but suffering with leg problems and back problems, Boo at 16 with arthritis and problematic pedal bones and finally my sister's TB Rocco who is in full work and being brought on as a 6yr old.
My mum and I are are solely responsible for Blue, my "YO's" (i use the term loosely as her only YO duty is owning the field, she hasn't looked at wonderful boy since his retirement 10yrs ago) 37yr old Arab gelding Blue, ie buying wormer, feeding, grooming, bringing in for farrier etc.
I am also responsible for 2 fantastic horses, a 17hh WB, Pally, and a 16.1hh Friesian Stallion, Bill. With these I arrange farrier, worm, ride, groom, check daily, rug up etc etc. However the owner pays for all their requirements and I also occasionally get some cash in hand for my efforts, which I always say, I should be paying her for giving me this opportunity!
Anyway. Recently I have noticed that my riding is becoming less and less frequent due to the ties the oldies have on me. I have been spending alot of hours in the day poo picking, pulling ragwort in an empty field that we will get use of if I can clear it, grooming, applying fly repellent, taking the old stiff ones for walks in hand, and very occasionally managing to take Boo out for a walking hack for 20 mins or so.
Now, I enjoy these activities, however felt abit down this morning.
Was over at the yard seeing to Shadow, Trixie and Blue when an old school friend rode past the field on her gelding. Went over to say hello and had a chat.
She basically said she thought I was wasting my time with these oldies as they'd never take me anywhere and i'd never progress if I didn't learn to move on and stop being so sentimental. (She sold her mare of 9years after the mare was diagnosed with mild arthritis of the fetlocks). She said I should "unload" these horses that I can't ride because they're just providing me with excess baggage that I will never shake off unless I conciously do it.
I am at my last year in school and would ideally like to go into Rehabilitation of horses, but thinking about it, I couldn't really do this in my area but i'm not willing to leave my oldies behind and would be content to work in a local RS or somewhere similar until such times as I could explore any potential I may have.
After this "run in" with my friend, who I like, but whose outlook on life i generally disagree with, I came back home and talked to my sister. And basically she said, if up to her, she'd probably find good homes for our oldies and move on.
My Mum would be mortified, as was I that she thought this way, however as she is going off to Uni in September she doesen't have to be responsible for our ponies, but she will be selling her youngster, Rocco (first time we'll have ever sold a horse).
So, after that long and rambling post, do you think that I'm too sentimental and am tying myself at an early age to a place where I love but will not be content with forever, or do you think I've got my priorities right?
My boyfriend has all these ambitions of moving away in a few years time to London etc, and most of my friends want to go off to Uni to do this and that (which I have no intention of doing).
It just seems like everyone is enjoying being young and moving on, and i'm already settling down at the age of 16, or that is how my sis put it.
I could never, ever part with my little herd, and I could never, EVER rehome or sell any of them, but these two little conversations got me thinking about what you all would do/have done in this situation.
Sorry for the MAMMOTH post!
Thanks
Kirsty and "The Cripples" (as sis put it).
