Are horses members of the family like dogs are?

[Landcruiser]

In our house the dogs are everyone's - but the horses are mine, and nobody else really deals with them, so it's very different that way. Also, the dogs are actually IN the house, involved in everything we do, unlike the horses. While I love the horses and could never imagine selling them, the rest of the family feel differently, so no, here they are not "family members" in the same way that the dogs are.

 

[smolmaus]

Sometimes I think its a privilege that I got to rescue a pony rather than buying. I can't sell her, I can't breed from her, I took her on on the understanding that she may or may not make a riding pony so just having her around because I loved her was a given from the beginning. Makes things a lot simpler. Especially when I'm trying to explain to a different kind of person why I don't care that she can't do much yet. She's just my wee buddy! My little pal! I just enjoy her company!

I would have her in the house on the couch trying to steal my snacks just like the cats if I could. Would just have to widen all the doors first.

 

[Mrs G]

My horse is definitely part of my family. I was never interested in having a (human!) baby. A horse was all I wanted from being little. He now takes the role of my child - he is dependant on me and is my priority above all else. I was widowed unexpectedly a few years ago and quite honestly he was the one thing that kept me going during a very dark time.

 

[ycbm]

I often read comments suggesting that the writer is critical of people who sell horses. Those people need to remember that nobody would be able to buy one if people didn't.

I also keep horses because i like to ride, Scats. I've only felt the kind of attachment that other people are talking about to one horse in my life. The pain when I lost him was overwhelming. It's a depth of attachment I'm planning to avoid repeating if I can, which is a lot easier now my horse is cared for by other people away from home. I have also deliberately bought a horse who has never known what it is to be a pet, so he can't miss it.
.

 

[scats]

I often read comments suggesting that the writer is critical of people who sell horses. Those people need to remember that nobody would be able to buy one if people didn't.

I also keep horses because i like to ride, Scats. I've only felt the kind of attachment that other people are talking about to one horse in my life. The pain when I lost him was overwhelming. It's a depth of attachment I'm planning to avoid repeating if I can, which is a lot easier now my horse is cared for by other people away from home. I have also deliberately bought a horse who has never known what it is to be a pet, so he can't miss it.
.

The pain when I lost the Diva was indescribable and I honestly feel a bit of me died that day and never fully recovered. Even typing this, I can feel the back of my eyes stinging and I’m pretty much one of the toughest and least emotional people you can get, but she was the bit of me that I hadn’t known was missing and when I lost her, that piece was gone again. I think that losing her so young was the tragedy really. Perhaps I would have felt differently if she’d even made it to her teens, but she was only 10. It still hurts in insane amounts.

 

[Peglo]

Totally agree @ycbm. my horses are pets first, athlete second. For me personally they are family and once they steal my heart that is it. Riding isn’t that important to me compared to having them. So thank goodness there were people who sold their horses so I could have them.
My current cats were both feral kittens when I got them but the same with people who rehome kittens. I don’t think if my cat had kittens (she’s neutered so won’t) I don’t think I’d be able to part with them and end up with all the cats. But as a cat owner I want folk to rehome their kittens so I could have one.
Absolutely no judgement from me, obviously, as I need people to be different from me so I can do me.

 

[paddy555]

I think it depends if you only love the sport or do you genuinely love horses. Before someone bites my hand off I saw this on tictok I found it very interesting. I considered my horse family and will never sell my horse but unfortunately I have met people who have mocked people for having this opinion. https://vm.tiktok.com/ZGJHQW446/

there is also a link to this on the other thread
ie Milestone Equestrian.https://www.facebook.com/milestoneequestrian96


There are some other interesting posts on that FB page.

 

[Toby_Zaphod]

They are certainly like family but cost more to keep than the children.

 

[lme]

I often read comments suggesting that the writer is critical of people who sell horses. Those people need to remember that nobody would be able to buy one if people didn't.

I also keep horses because i like to ride, Scats. I've only felt the kind of attachment that other people are talking about to one horse in my life. The pain when I lost him was overwhelming. It's a depth of attachment I'm planning to avoid repeating if I can, which is a lot easier now my horse is cared for by other people away from home. I have also deliberately bought a horse who has never known what it is to be a pet, so he can't miss i

I often read comments suggesting that the writer is critical of people who sell horses. Those people need to remember that nobody would be able to buy one if people didn't.

I also keep horses because i like to ride, Scats. I've only felt the kind of attachment that other people are talking about to one horse in my life. The pain when I lost him was overwhelming. It's a depth of attachment I'm planning to avoid repeating if I can, which is a lot easier now my horse is cared for by other people away from home. I have also deliberately bought a horse who has never known what it is to be a pet, so he can't miss it.
.

No criticism from me. I’ve bought nice young horses from producers, for whom horses are a job and, as long as the horse is well cared for, see absolutely nothing wrong with owning a horse in order to ride or to to train / compete in a specific discipline. It’s just not why I have horses.

 

[fankino04]

Mines definitely family, if she wasn't I would have sold her when I lost my confidence on her and bought something more suitable, unfortunately I'm too much of a softie for that so now I pay for a field ornament every month and can't afford one to ride. That said she is different to the dogs, as were the cats. I think because the horse lives out independently of me in her own herd I don't worry in the same way about her when I go on holiday for example, the dogs I worry feel abandoned / left with a stranger / might be upset by not knowing what's happening, the horse however as long as my replacement brings food I know will forget in 10 minutes that I haven't been. Cats have always been much less reliant on me than the dogs so again I don't worry when they are out all day, don't notice their absence if they are out for the day in the same way I used to if the dog was at the vets for example, the house felt empty then.

 

[Jenko109]

No. I don't consider my horse as family. He is not like my dogs, who want to be with me and thrive from human interaction.

His family are his herd.

That is not to say that I do not care about my horse. He is after all just a pasture pet now, who I willingly keep well fed on carrots and polos. He will not be sold on as he is in his late teens now and I have made a commitment to him.

 

[scats]

No. I don't consider my horse as family. He is not like my dogs, who want to be with me and thrive from human interaction.

His family are his herd.

Totally this. It was quite obvious when I broke my leg last year. I left the house in the early morning as normal, but didn’t return until late evening. My dogs weren’t alone at any point, but when I got back that night, the three of them greeted me like I’d been gone for years and were clearly very worried about me. They barely left my side the whole time I was out of action.
The first time I went back to visit the horses, it had been 2 weeks. The last Polly saw of me was when I was lying in the middle of a field and she was galloping back home. Millie hadn’t seen me since I left that morning on Polly, only for Polly to return without me.

There’s a fabulous video somewhere on my FB of our first meeting again… it’s safe to say neither of them were particularly interested in the fact I was still alive I got a fleeting glance and then their heads were back down again to the grass.
They are each others family and I’m just the staff member who pops in twice a day!

 

[Griffin]

My horses are family to me and have a home for life. That said, I do understand why people sell their horses, they are expensive and take up too much time to keep if you're not enjoying them.

However, I just like spending time with horses, I don't necessarily need to ride them all the time to enjoy them which perhaps influences how I see them.

 

[windswoo]

Totally this. It was quite obvious when I broke my leg last year. I left the house in the early morning as normal, but didn’t return until late evening. My dogs weren’t alone at any point, but when I got back that night, the three of them greeted me like I’d been gone for years and were clearly very worried about me. They barely left my side the whole time I was out of action.
The first time I went back to visit the horses, it had been 2 weeks. The last Polly saw of me was when I was lying in the middle of a field and she was galloping back home. Millie hadn’t seen me since I left that morning on Polly, only for Polly to return without me.

There’s a fabulous video somewhere on my FB of our first meeting again… it’s safe to say neither of them were particularly interested in the fact I was still alive I got a fleeting glance and then their heads were back down again to the grass.
They are each others family and I’m just the staff member who pops in twice a day!

We've just got back from holiday for two and half weeks, the dogs were with the in-laws and the horses looked after by my field mate.
The dogs went absolutely bonkers when we got back - the horses hardly batted an eyelid.
So in the eyes of the dogs we are their pack and they'd missed us, but the horses no, we are not part of the herd we just turn up and feed. As long as their routine doesn't change they are not bothered.
Me, the animals are very much part of my family and I'd do anything for them. We are lucky that we've got our own land, so they have become field ornaments even though they can be ridden. Would they be if I was paying a livery bill every week?

 

[Elf On A Shelf]

It's a depth of attachment I'm planning to avoid repeating if I can, which is a lot easier now my horse is cared for by other people away from home. I have also deliberately bought a horse who has never known what it is to be a pet, so he can't miss it.
.

What a poor horse that will be. Every horse deserves love and attention. Yes I have worked in racing for many years so I know how these horses are looked after and treated. The staff will treat them as their own as much as they can. But the one thing we all want for them at the end of their racing careers? Someone to love them, look after and give them everything they couldn't have as a top class athlete. To give them the cuddles, the kisses, the scratches, hell even just to sit in their stable and be with them! Get to know them, get to know their personalities and let them Blossom, let them become the horse they should be. We don't want them to carry on going through their lives being ignored and just treated as one of number especially when they are an only horse owner. If you can't give that to the horse then don't get him.

 

[Barton Bounty]

I agree with @Elf On A Shelf and have said already about BB, he absolutely thrives on one to one attention, it did take him a while to settle into a routine from all he had known for 6 years but Id die for him, anything he needs he gets, even if he doesnt need it he still gets it he is on the best of feeding, he is really truly spoiled I think. I get out of my bed at 4.30 am to make sure I see to him before I go to work and we ride every day after work.
I think the way I treat him reflects in the way he is with me because if you watch my videos it is really apparent that he loves me, he really is special and to not give that kind of treatment to any horse would be a disservice
BB was loved by his groom, this is her little girl sitting on him in the stable

 

[fidleyspromise]

My horses are as much a member of my family as my dogs are.
I've got a 21yr old ridden, 16yr old retired/companion and 2 Yr old that will be backed hopefully.
I sold my first horse and always regretted it. It nearly broke me and it took me over 2 yrs to get over so not something I can do lightly unless absolutely no option.

I do love riding and find my mental health suffers if I don't ride. It's my downtime and relaxation going out in the woods for a wander. I enjoy walking in hand with my horse but its just not the same.
My partner is on horsey and would be happy without them so the dogs are ours, the ponies are mine.

I see other people thinking the grass is greener, sell their horse to buy something else and often regret it (in 11 years a couple of people locally have had about 6 horses each). One was looking for her first horse and couldn't find her. Horse was in early 20s.

 

[sunnyone]

Another one for " the horse is family". Love me, love my horse.
When we moved house the priority was for the horses, ourselves we can sort.
When feeling down we turn to the horses, when needing motivation the horses again are there.
We have had a number of dogs whom I've loved deeply but it's the horses I need in my life. Even when working and staying in London I knew I was never more than half a mile from a horse to cheer me.

 

[Time for Tea]

My NF ponies are definitely family, they insist upon it! Yes, they are different to dogs, but they need to be self reliant, as they live outside. I imagine your kennelled pack dog is less attached to its human. Maybe if all our horses lived in a tent with us, nomadic Arab style, it would be different? In any case I am absolutely hopeless at selling mine. Though sometimes needs must, after all they live at least twice as long as the average dog.
We did have a Connemara cross pony once who was quite faithful. When my daughter was doing B test practice on him, they had to swop horses. He stood there for a moment with his new rider, then marched over to my daughter who was on her new horse, and rested his head on her leg. (Ignoring protests from his new jockey!) We loved him dearly. Another time he just wouldn’t go for any other B test riders at all. Just sort of crawled round the arena on a go slow. (quite bold and forward normally) He wasn’t particularly popular amongst the B test group that year…..

 

[scats]

It really does depend on the horse though. My girls want for nothing and are loved, groomed and have time spent with them. My whole world revolves around them and pretty much every decision I make in my life is with them in mind. They’d still rather be with each other

Diva though, I actually think she loved me, if horses can feel such a thing.

 

[ycbm]

What a poor horse that will be. Every horse deserves love and attention. Yes I have worked in racing for many years so I know how these horses are looked after and treated. The staff will treat them as their own as much as they can. But the one thing we all want for them at the end of their racing careers? Someone to love them, look after and give them everything they couldn't have as a top class athlete. To give them the cuddles, the kisses, the scratches, hell even just to sit in their stable and be with them! Get to know them, get to know their personalities and let them Blossom, let them become the horse they should be. We don't want them to carry on going through their lives being ignored and just treated as one of number especially when they are an only horse owner. If you can't give that to the horse then don't get him.

There's nothing unusual about the way I will be keeping him. Like the majority of horses in this country, he will be in livery. Please don't assume that he won't have affectionate care and time spent on him, when all I meant was that he will not have the kind of perfect conditions I was able to offer when I owned a farmhouse and land and "stabling" was group in a barn big enough to ride in.

He does not need your pity.
.

 

[Peglo]

It really does depend on the horse though. My girls want for nothing and are loved, groomed and have time spent with them. My whole world revolves around them and pretty much every decision I make in my life is with them in mind. They’d still rather be with each other

Diva though, I actually think she loved me, if horses can feel such a thing.

I definitely agree. Tali is fond of me but I know I’m not her family like she is mine. She would much rather spend the majority of her time with other horses and that’s how it should be.

I worry about the cats more than her when we’re away because she has who she really needs in her field. But the cats are very much “mine” and don’t like other people. (Loki slept on me for a week or 2 all night the last time we came back from holiday.) but I miss them all the same as my family members.

 

[ycbm]

It really does depend on the horse though. My girls want for nothing and are loved, groomed and have time spent with them. My whole world revolves around them and pretty much every decision I make in my life is with them in mind. They’d still rather be with each other

Diva though, I actually think she loved me, if horses can feel such a thing.

Unless I'm really short of time, which is unusual, I don't leave a horse on turning out until the horse leaves me. Sometimes Ludo would stand with me for as much as 10 minutes until he walked away to roll and eat. Most of my horses have said, thanks, bye! and gone immediately.

 

[Bellalily]

I’ve had horses for 44 years with a gap when babies came along. I only ever sold one, simply because we didn’t click. It all went very wrong and even today I regret doing it. One I had PTS as was chronically lame even in the field, only 12, first pony went out on loan to a wonderful girl who worshipped him until he died aged 26, lost one aged 3 to grass sickness , bought a mare who was my daughter’s and sadly sold as a result of marriage breakdown, still keep in contact with owner, she’s landed on her feet, present two are 28 and 21 and will be with me to the end. They have mostly been kept at livery, but they are my raison d’être, my family and my best friends.

 

[Bellalily]

Unless I'm really short of time, which is unusual, I don't leave a horse on turning out until the horse leaves me. Sometimes Ludo would stand with me for as much as 10 minutes until he walked away to roll and eat. Most of my horses have said, thanks, bye! and gone immediately.

That is so sweet

 

[Elf On A Shelf]

There's nothing unusual about the way I will be keeping him. Like the majority of horses in this country, he will be in livery. Please don't assume that he won't have affectionate care and time spent on him, when all I meant was that he will not have the kind of perfect conditions I was able to offer when I owned a farmhouse and land and "stabling" was group in a barn big enough to ride in.

He does not need your pity.
.

"I deliberately bought a horse that has never known what it is to be a pet, so he can't miss it."

Yup. I pity him. Same as I do quite a lot of Racehorses. It's not an ideal situation so we make the best of what we can whilst we look after them in the hope that when they leave racing they will get everything they have ever wanted or deserved. To come out into their full personalities and to have their very own human. You sound as though you are just going to dump the poor horse on livery and just ride it when you feel like but make no effort to like to appreciate the horse.

 

[Barton Bounty]

This is how much family he is

 

[Bellalily]

Mine neigh when I arrive, they know my car, they wait (or at least our pony does) for his night time snuggles before I go, then returns to his hay, they are both very receptive to my moods and the big man will rest his head on mine if I’m feeling blue.

 

[Elf On A Shelf]

Mine are always pets. They love their hugs and scratches. They will all leave their hay to come over and stand with me - food is a different matter though they are natives after all They will follow me about and root about in my pockets.

Once in a while they think its a great game not to be caught when the spring grass comes through but that only lasts a day or so.

I used to play tag with GrayMo in the field. Jeff was never up for such games, he would rather plonk his head on your shoulder or in your chest just to be touching you.

None of mine have any worries about me being in their space or them being in mine. They would probably come and sit on the couch with me if they could!

I wouldn't be without them.

 

[Cortez]

No, I've never had a pet horse and wouldn't want one. Dogs, on the other and have no purpose other than to be companions in my house. I've been very fond of most of the horses I've had over many years, but they were there for a purpose and I have not been overly sentimental about them. I've been required to ride horses that I actively disliked and I like to think that I treated them exactly the same way as those I was fond of.

Nobody needs to expend any pity for well cared for horses.