Been thinking - do we really appreciate our horses?

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Pidge

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Ok a bit deep and meaningful for this early in the morning!
Recent events with Pidge being diagnosed with hock spavin and not knowing whether he would ever be sound again and people's horses on here have got me thinking. Do we actually really appreciate our horses? My instructor put it into perspective the other day when I got dispirited with our uncontrollable canter on the left "you have a sound horse" which after his diagnosis sort of put things into perspective for me.
Reading on here about people whose horses are unsound and unlikely to come sound and for those that have lost their horses kind of makes me takes a step back and think that I am so lucky that Pidge is alive and sound and not to get down about the little things. Have made sure I've given him some tlc each time I see him however rushed I am.
 
Morning Pidge
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I think that coming onto the forum and hearing of other peoples plights does make me appreciate my babies. I make sure that each night before they go out, they have big hugs and a goodnight kiss
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Leading such busy lives we can sometimes forget the important things while we are rushing around within our time restraints. I try to make time to appreciate them - even spending 10 minutes sitting in the field watching them
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When you read poor Thistles thread and know the heartache she will have at 3pm today, I for one will be hugging my girl.
 
I absolutely appreciate all my horses and if I could never ride any of them again would never part with them. They are a huge part of our family and as we don't compete we don't have the pressure I guess of keeping horses sound and competing.

Having said that - touch wood - other than one arthritic pony ours are all okay at the moment. And we knew about the arthritis when we bought the pony, we got her to save her being buted up and sold from home to home as she is such a genuine horse.
 
Yes absolutely, this has been brought home to me in the last few weeks since I rented my own yard. So much nicer to go up there and just "be with them". At livery you dont get to spend time sitting in the field with them etc and just watching them be horses.

I spent nearly 2 hours drinking coffee last night and just sitting watching them and their funny little ways!!

Wasnt remotely interested in riding, was happy just chopping down nettles and watching them!
 
I appreciate mine every day, I wouldnt love them any less or enjoy them any less if I could never ride again, they are as far as Im concerned, part of my family.
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Not sure it's a case of not appreciating them, but sometimes we do take them for granted, especially when you've had a horse for years and never had a problem with them. Take Tweenie, I've owned her for nearly 3 years and she's never been lame, sick or sorry in that time. Never once have I gone to get her out of the stable/field for work and found she couldn't be ridden for any reason. Sort of makes me inadvertently take it for granted that she'll always be ok to be ridden. I never worry over her soundness.

On the other hand, Patches was nearly PTS on humane grounds over her tendon sheath infection. It was touch and go for 48 hours. Then she had the recovery and adhesions that made her quite lame and she required alot of time and effort to get sound again. I never take her for granted as I feel so lucky to have her gotten her back to full soundness again. She battled hard to be back on top form.
 
I think I appreciate mine a lot more than she appreciates me!!!!! As naughty as she can be she always gets lots of attention, hugs and kisses, she loves to play in the field when I'm poo picking.
 
I think at times we all get hung up and trying to achieve perfection - I know I do. Like cantering around a bit too fast, instead of thinking it is a bad thing, think she is on the right leg, it is lovely and forward and yes I am enjoying myself. And when she has the odd spook out hacking I now think she is her own person almost, that will to survive is there and there is no nastieness.

So in rambling, I always try after everytime I have ridden think positivly about what I have achieved and leave the negatives behind. And remind myself how lucky I am she has let me learn on her to become a better rider.

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I totally adore my pony and feel very lucky to have him. I lost my confidence quite badly with my last horse, and feel really fortunate to now have a lovely pony who I can trust, and who in a short space of time has allowed me to get my confidence back enough to gallop across fields and start learning to jump. I think I spend more time than anyone else at the yard just chatting away to my pony, cuddling him and just generally making a fuss of him...everyone else probably thinks I'm mad!
 
I absulutely appreicate pickle, like when he was off for 7 weeks it really made me think. How god he is too me, how well behaved he is. And how loving he is.

When he was off a rode a horse called molly, every jump we faced she seemed to refuse for no reason, that just made me think WOW how much do I appreciate pickle who had only refused less than 5 times in 2 years!
 
There are so many people like Thistle that are having to make that awful decision to let a friend go.It does make me realise that life is short and very precious and to make every day a memory with the horses.Life can be hectic for everyone and there are times when we all grumble about having to get up at stupid o'clock to muck out the pouring rain but we chose to have our animals they dident chose us so we have to be there for them.I love my horse (soon to be two horses) and i wouldent swap 'our' time for all the tea in china.Enjoy and cherish them guys right to the end.
 
It's lovely to read so many posts from people who truly love their horses, regardless of whether they can ride them or not. I intend to keep my two until the very end, as I did with my old chap. I can't ride at the moment, but went up to see mine in the field yesterday. They were all sleepy and chilled in the sunshine, and I gave my lad a good rub all over his withers and back. He was in heaven!!! You can't buy moments like that.
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I'd be lost without my horse. Every day I have to pinch myself when I'm with him cos I still find it hard to believe he's mine. It took me over a year of looking before I found the horse that just fitted- there was nothng wrong with any of the ones I'd looked at but something never felt quite right, but in a weird way, I knew Min was the one for me the moment I walked into the stable, before I'd seen him ridden or tried him and it had nothing to do with his looks- there was just an air about him that said "he's the one". He has his moments as do I but he's so kind, gentle and so willing and so forgiving that I love him and appreciate him more every day. Riding comes second to just "being" and hanging out with him. He follows me around and will chase off any of the other horses who try to come close and will herd me away from them if I try to approach them.
Sorry for waffling on and on- specialist subject!
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I may not have had George long but I can't imagine life without him, I dreamed of having a horse for so long that now I have George I try to savour every moment (not always easy at 5.30am when I need to get done and off to work!). When I was looking for him I began to despair that I would never find the 'one', especially after I fell off one I was trying and broke my nose and finger! But then like Charlyan said I saw George in the stable and that was that! If I could never ride George I would still love him to pieces and enjoy having him.
 
I adore my horse to bits...he makes me laugh just being him and we have been through so much together and learn't together. I have not ridden for 3 months now because of my back and I miss it terribly but still get enormous pleasure from spending time with him and his silly ways!
I have always said he has a home for life and even if he could not be ridden he would still be with me and looked after.
I have felt such pain over the last 3 months...like I never thought possible...with my back and he has always been there for me to cheer me up and whinny to me and stands patiently whilst I cry into his mane when things get too much.
 
I really appreciate my neddy, i don't know what i will do when i can no longer ride him. He crib bites, bites, has kicked me before and has cushings but he really is the best horse i've ever had! He's not that scopey but you can trust him to get you around a course which you know is on his limit. He is so trusting and over the past couple of years (especially after he was dianosed with cushings) i have really built up a very close bond with him. People have branded him as 'evil' when i was at a yard but he is a lot happier on our own land now. Whenever he see's me he always comes over to greet me- you can't call that not loving! I really love how i can trust him completely and how he gets me out of tricky situations. He is the only horse i have really clicked with and i doubt i will have another horse like him anytime soon, at 19 he is getting on a bit but i just try to save him for what i really want to do and what he really enjoys
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My boy found me, I wasn't even looking, how's that for fate!

I don't own him unfortunately but am his full loan and full carer now-he has 26 years under his belt and knows EVERY trick in the book! He has been through and back out the other side of retirement and fought to survive a near fatal knee injury
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, and seems determined to continue to be 'one of the boys' !
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I appreciate him EVERY day! He is the nearest thing I have ever had to having my own horse (he feels like mine and his owner treats him like mine as she has another younger lad)-in 17 months we have built an unbreakable bond, I never thought I would trust a horse like I do him. At one point I wouldn't hack anything, I now hack him alone he has given me so much confidence. He's cheeky, battles with his weight, battles a cough and suffers concussion but in my eyes he is perfect! And I can deal with any of these things as long as he is here with me and is happy and comfortable with his life. Everyone says they can tell he loves me back and that the sparkle in his eyes has come back now he has me, his 'special person' to make a fuss off him! He bosses me around endlessly
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but makes me laugh and smile everyday with his little ways
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and the other day he whinnied at me (he is not a vocal horse and doesn't 'do' that!) and it was truely a special moment! He only has about 30 mins exercise 5/6 days a week to keep him fit enough to hack as this is what he enjoys doing the most and at his age I think he deserves to live for what he enjoys! I regularly spend my evenings just 'being' with him, sitting next to him chatting away, people proabbaly think I am mad but I spend more time with him than anyone else spends with their horses on my yard cos I spend 3/4 hours every evening and 5 hours on sat/sun. And if it gets ot the satge I can't ride him anymore I've told his owner not to expect me to be going anywhere! As much as I love it, its not all about the riding for me its his company which is the most important thing.

I cherish every moment I spend with him and I give him higs and kisses and tell him how much I love him everynight when I tuck him into bed and leave for home
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So yes, I do appreciate my horse
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been really nice reading the responses
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I trust Pidge implicitly as I feel we have really bonded now in the 2 years I've had him. So much so (and yes I know I shouldn't have done it
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) that when coming back from Somerford Park when we loaded him I nipped under his belly
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as had to lead him on the right to get him on the lorry and then I got stuck. Wouldn't even have thought of doing it but I do trust him and couldn't have got out without a struggle. Bad Bad Sue
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I really do appreciate Athena. After a busy day at work, I can't wait to get my hands on her and give her a big hug and a kiss.

I'm forever talking to her whilst she's having a dinner and I'm grooming her! If people could hear me, they'd think I was deluded!!!

Even my other half call her his Little Girl!

To be honest, I can't imagine life without her and even tho I don't ride her as much as I want to, there's no way I'd sell her - I love her too much!!!
 
Ahh reading those responses has made me all emotional! haha
Its so lovely that everyone is so passionate about their horses i know i am about mine but its nice to hear everyone else is. I think the question
"Do our horses know how lucky they are to have us"
springs to mind! I tell my pony that we're lucky to have each other. She brings happiness to my life and i feed her and love her to death what else is there!!
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I have just had the BEST day in ages with my boy...
Had bit of a photo shoot...went on bout 3 hrs...but was fab!
We did something that we had never done before...perhaps wont again too mind....
And probably wasnt the most sensible thing to do...But it just popped into my mind. and went i for it!!
Watch this space for the pics!!!!

I too cannot bear to think of life without him... So, let the good times roll!
 
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