Anyone feel jealous of people having young horses

[Celtic Jewel]

Before people criticise me I know the grass is always is not always greener but not going to lie feel kind of jealous of people who have younger horses that are having a brilliant time going to event or just having fun with there horses not having to worry about their horses health issues or going lame constantly ( I know this isn’t always the case) I have a 15 year old gelding going consistently lame last year due to arthritis and tendon injury never came 100 % right not lame but just not able to do everything like they used to do turned into a happy hacker and i can’t see myself ever jumping again he also looks old he doesn’t loo like a young horse you woul think he is around 20 . i can See myself retiring my horse this horse in a few years time as I can see the issue eventually getting worse and needing retirement unfortunately. Not going to lie there is a lot of very young horse in the yard that are achieving brilliant things and Owner just having fun with there fun with there very young horses i can’t help but feel jealous I don’t show it and I happy for them but was just wondering do people feel the same. .

 

[lynz88]

I can relate. Mine has been semi retired for a good few years with arthritis and all sorts. We went from competing regularly to a happy hacker when not lame. In exchange, he had taught me a lot about horsemanship well beyond riding. It's sometimes hard work to find the motivation to go and see him and not always ride but we make do. I wouldn't trade him for the world though do miss bopping around schooling, jumping, etc. (Not that I've got the proper strength and fitness for it anymore)

 

[9tails]

The durability of many young horses lately is suspect to me. I've noticed a lot of very tall, gangly horses being bred whose joints are super loose and they don't look like they're going to last. I wouldn't want to be shopping for a young riding horse as most of them are going to be field pets early or very well acquainted with the vet. Where are the Heinz 57s that could turn their hoof to anything their owners wanted to do?

 

[SEL]

Ah well I have three aged 14,12 and 6.

All currently have varying degrees of ouchy legs.

Doesn't matter how old they are, they can still get injured.

My friend has a 28yo going strong!

 

[Meredith]

I’m not jealous of the young horses at all. I’m just jealous of the youth of the riders!

 

[HappyHollyDays]

I’m not jealous of the young horses at all. I’m just jealous of the youth of the riders!

Amen to that

 

[SO1]

I have a youngster and he has had two bouts of lameness since I got him in August and done very little with him. He is very smart with lovely paces and passed his vetting with X-rays. Hopefully no more lameness.

I lost my last pony at 20 due to a gastric issue. He started having some lameness issues at 17 with two soft tissue injuries and then arthritis. My youngster who if he remains sound is likely to be great but I still miss my Homey and would rather have him back and retired than be having a youngster due to loosing my old boy. A lot of people have youngsters as they have lost a beloved veteran. Homey never got to enjoy retirement and I so wish that he had lived longer even if I could have just done walk hacks it would have been been a pleasure just having him around.

I did feel jealous when people were riding and Homey was on rehab and box rest for his soft tissue injuries but mainly because having a lame horse is awful for the horse and stressful for the owner.

I am jealous of people who still have their wonderful veterans in their 20s and even 30s.

 

[sassandbells]

I’ll caveat this by saying I do currently have a 6 year old and a rising 3 year old, however I do sympathise.

When I was younger I had an older horse, I was just starting to want to do more as my horse was needing to do less. I used to look at all the others on the yard and be so jealous of all the things they got to do & seeing them progress while I was very much limited. It was frustrating, but I loved him and we enjoyed doing things at his pace even if I wished I could be out competing. The last year of his life all we could do was a short potter about the lanes in hand.

I’ve had three since, my two current ones and one that was sadly put to sleep at 11 after finding multiple issues that couldn’t be resolved. As fun as youngsters are, and seeing the progression is wonderful, I do miss my old boy.

 

[lannerch]

Young horses frequently go wrong, ocd , soft tissue injuries as you increase work loads and do things they are not used to , or silly injuries from being over zealous .
Do not be jealous!

 

[Esyllt]

I have a mare rising five. Bought her as a yearling to be my next riding horse. Started backing her last year, couple of hacks out alone and in company, she was an absolute diamond... She was messing around in the field with her buddy, and did that mad, flat out Arab burst of speed down hill... Forgot she had four legs and did a spectacular rotational fall for the rest of the way down. Luckily didn't break anything, but has done a deep SI injury, so is now a non ridden due to being field sound only and not coming 100% despite veterinary/physio treatment

 

[catembi]

I’m rabidly jealous of anyone with a sound horse which is in work and competing. I have 4 x field ornaments The most rideable, in the loosest sense of the word, is the 20 yo ex racer who has had every ailment known to man plus a generous helping of self harm over the past 14 years…

 

[OrangeAndLemon]

I have a young horse and I'm envious of those out hacking confidently on their well know and well schooled horses.

Mine had colitis so is grumpy but also just doesn't know what's expected of him so it's constant training and learning, even on the simplest of tasks, even just grooming, turning out, bringing in, involves some sort of training and learning.

 

[MissTyc]

I am not jealous of young horses, as my 19yo is his best self like a fine wine, while his "replacement" (also pushing 14 now) is semi-retired in a field, and his "replacement replacement" is a ridiculous 6yo who lacks brains.
However, I wish I could have another 17 years with my 19yo and I am sad that he is getting older and that I won't get to spend the rest of my life pottering about with him.

 

[Bernster]

This makes me think of the the saying “Jealousy is the thief of joy”. Nothing good can come from that.

 

[dapple_grey]

I bought an unbacked 3 year old from Ireland, hoping I'd have him for 20+ years. He went lame at 3, whilst turned away in the field to mature. Took months of vet investigations, MRI and hospital visits to get to the bottom of it. Had coffin joint injections which helped and stayed sound for another summer. Lame again at 4, more investigations including bone scan and another hospital stay. Still couldn't get to the bottom of it so I turned him away in the field for a year. Seemed like he was doing well 6 months in, then randomly broke down and had to be PTS aged 5. I think it'll be a while before I have another youngster as you just don't know whether they'll stand up to ridden work

 

[wiglet]

Nope, not jealous of youngsters at all.
I remember all the hard work involved with bringing on a young horse - the tantrums, the spinning, the stubborn moments, the not wanting to get back on moments but, I did because I was young and I could see the potential in her... and when she did dump me, I used to bounce in those days!!
Of course she turned out lovely and I still have her now, she's 23 but, she will be my last one. I have no desire for another horse.

 

[catembi]

I will tell you what the thief of joy is. Expressing genuine anguish re my horse situation on a thread specifically set up for this purpose and then being snarked at by someone who evidently has no concept of how soul destroying it is to not be able to ride ‘properly’ while desperately wanting to do so.

Do I spend all day eaten up with jealousy? No. Do I feel despair often? Yes. So thank you for your sympathy.

 

[eahotson]

I’m not jealous of the young horses at all. I’m just jealous of the youth of the riders!

Me too

 

[Sealine]

As the owner of a semi-retired 22 year old horse with arthritis I can relate. I don't like to think I'm jealous but I think I probably am a little. I've owned my horse since he was 7 and he's a real all-rounder. We spent many years going to camp, clinics, fun rides, beach rides, hunting, distance rides, eventing, dressage etc. I've now sold my trailer and towing vehicle as I don't plan to have another horse. I have four friends at the yard who are all much younger than me with much younger horses and my horse I provide a sensible, solid hacking escort service to them all I love chatting to them about their progress and plans and giving a bit of advice if asked.

 

[Widgeon]

Personally no, because I have a 14/15 year old who's going strong and we have a lovely time hacking about. But you are clearly jealous of people who have sound, straightforward horses while you're struggling, and I don't think that's unreasonable at all. I'm very sorry you're in the situation you are.

Is a second horse an option at all? Or perhaps a loan / share? Seems like you've been having a lot of the tough part and not much of the fun for a while now. Or even concentrating a bit more on a non-horse hobby? You sound tired, which is understandable.

Interesting though that this thread seems to demonstrate that to a point, age doesn't necessarily correlate with soundness. Which is a bit depressing really, as one would hope / expect that young horses in general would have fewer issues.

 

[lynz88]

Those were my thoughts Widgeon...I am both surprised and not surprised to see the number of youngsters that seem to be worse off than my semi-retired 18 year old (who, by these standards, appears to be well and functioning in contrast, even though I know he isn't).

 

[Cortez]

Jealous? No, that’s a strange way of contemplating the inevitability of time and ageing. Horses get old, just like we do, and with age comes the lessening of physical abilities, aches and pains and all the other indignities. If you want to be out doing all the fun stuff you need to get a horse that is capable of doing it and retire the old guy.

 

[Spotherisk]

I am not jealous of young horses, as my 19yo is his best self like a fine wine, while his "replacement" (also pushing 14 now) is semi-retired in a field, and his "replacement replacement" is a ridiculous 6yo who lacks brains.
However, I wish I could have another 17 years with my 19yo and I am sad that he is getting older and that I won't get to spend the rest of my life pottering about with him.

This! My first horse was sound until the day he was pts, aged 31, owned for 26 years. A definite Heinz 57 and very much missed.

 

[Fransurrey]

No, not jealous of the younger horses. Riders, maybe, but not the horses. Mine is 10 in May but he's already semi-retired before we ever got going (PSSM1 and farrier thinks he has sidebone, too, despite barely getting going!). There's no guarantee with younger horses. My old boy was ridden until aged 26. There's a horse on our yard that is about 30 and she's the most forward going of the lot!

What's your relationship with the young horse owners? Maybe they'd love someone to take their horses out when they're busy with life stuff, or school them over jumps/cross country. Why not have a chat? Great opportunity to have fun without the costs, maybe!

 

[humblepie]

No, as I love having the established relationship with mine but just wish my own was younger again (and me!).

 

[humblepie]

Double posted so deleted the double post but wanted to add yes I can understand how you feel if others are out doing things and you are not but hopefully you and your horse can still have a good time together. And as another poster has put, perhaps one of the others would like some help with their horse.

 

[Bernster]

I will tell you what the thief of joy is. Expressing genuine anguish re my horse situation on a thread specifically set up for this purpose and then being snarked at by someone who evidently has no concept of how soul destroying it is to not be able to ride ‘properly’ while desperately wanting to do so.

Do I spend all day eaten up with jealousy? No. Do I feel despair often? Yes. So thank you for your sympathy.

Apologies if you think my post was directed at you. It wasn’t. I hadn’t read your post when I replied. Certainly no offence intended nor was it meant in any way to be snarky. I’m sorry if it came across that way. I meant that jealousy is a self destructive and negative emotion, not something likely to generate anything positive, and is best avoided or redirected.

 

[Widgeon]

What's your relationship with the young horse owners? Maybe they'd love someone to take their horses out when they're busy with life stuff, or school them over jumps/cross country. Why not have a chat? Great opportunity to have fun without the costs, maybe!

That's a good idea! If people on your yard know and trust you they might jump at the chance of some help with exercising.

 

[Goldie's mum]

Before people criticise me I know the grass is always is not always greener but not going to lie feel kind of jealous of people who have younger horses that are having a brilliant time going to event or just having fun with there horses not having to worry about their horses health issues or going lame constantly ( I know this isn’t always the case) I have a 15 year old gelding going consistently lame last year due to arthritis and tendon injury never came 100 % right not lame but just not able to do everything like they used to do turned into a happy hacker and i can’t see myself ever jumping again he also looks old he doesn’t loo like a young horse you woul think he is around 20 . i can See myself retiring my horse this horse in a few years time as I can see the issue eventually getting worse and needing retirement unfortunately. Not going to lie there is a lot of very young horse in the yard that are achieving brilliant things and Owner just having fun with there fun with there very young horses i can’t help but feel jealous I don’t show it and I happy for them but was just wondering do people feel the same. .

Sorry you are having a bad time with your horse. Sounds like you will need to accept that he will never be a super athletic jumper. That's hard on you.

Jealousy isn't necessarily a bad thing. There's destructive jealousy, on the lines of "I hate seeing people with things I haven't got & i hope it goes wrong for them". NOT saying that's where you are at.
Then there's constructive jealousy, that says " is there a way I can re-jig my life so I can get some of that too ?"

So what can you do?
eg. Get a sharer for your happy hacker? Ride for someone else who's busy or a bit nervous of jumping? Would you consider selling him to a hacking home to finance a new horse?

 

[holeymoley]

I have a 22 and a 2 year old so I’m lucky enough to see both sides of the coin. My 22 year old has served me since he was 3, he has given me the love of horses and the enjoyment enough to do it all again. The youngster, isn’t old enough to be doing anything really but he has a firm head on his shoulders and seems sensible. But. I will miss absolutely everything about my old boy when he comes to retire, we read each other like a book. He’s slowed down over the last few years and that’s fine. I would love him to go on for ever, things like doing gates on top, seeing a hgv/motorbike roaring round the corner knowing he won’t do anything are things I won’t necessarily get back with the youngster. When I fall off the youngster (will happen!) my old boy will be the one I go back to to keep my confidence up. If I didn’t get the youngster just now, I would probably give up horses when the time comes, I have no interest in seeing what others can do on their younger ones, I’ve enjoyed my oldie and will see him through his sore/stiff days. The youngster, I have purely for the love of having horses.