Can you imagine your life without horses?

Blimey there is a lot of dedicated people on this forum! OP I havent read all the replies so not sure if anyone has said yes but YES. I can absolutely imagine life without my two horses BUT you are asking in January when I am totally and utterly fed up of winter, lol!

So YES. Life would be filled with gardening, keeping fit, being sociable, taking the dog on lovely long walks, a lot less arguments with the husband ... Yes I can absolutely imagine life without horses and it does look shiny and clean!
 
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At a couple of points in the past, I’ve gone down to 1 horse on the yard (plus one living out). I absolutely don’t know what to do with myself when I have just one to do, I’m done in about five minutes. I like at least 2 on the yard to keep me busy.

I sometimes wonder what it’s like to come home from work in winter and then not have to go back out. I’d like to give it a go a couple of times, but I’d feel guilty leaving the horses to someone else. I don’t get any time off from them- apart from one evening in the summer when I go to Blackpool for the day with friends and Dad does the evening shift at the yard.
 
Honestly? No.

I think my life would an awful lot less bearable without my four legged friends. Of course, it's hard work and in Winter I wonder what on earth I'm doing it for. But no, I couldn't bear it if they weren't there.
 
scats said:
I sometimes wonder what it’s like to come home from work in winter and then not have to go back out. I’d like to give it a go a couple of times, but I’d feel guilty leaving the horses to someone else.
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^^ I do too... when you are heading out again in the dark and rain, and you can look into peoples houses as you drive by and see them looking bright and cozy... that's the time I wish some other mug would go and retrieve mine from the fields and put them to bed so I can just put my feet up! :p

But 30 mins later, with a soft warm nose snuffling into my pockets I soon change my mind. Aren't horses wonderful for lifting the spirits? :)
 
What do people who don't have horses actually do? I asked my therapist (who has never sat on a horse) that question once and I almost contracted a case of terminal boredom before she'd finished the first sentence of her explanation. I just don't get it.
 
Shady said:
No, I'd have to spend more time with the OH, he'd be buried in the woods after the first week of all that *togetherness* :D
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haha :D :D. My mum is due to retire soon, dad is already retired, this is a concern and I wonder if she should get more horses ;).
 
I had 3 years without horses when I was finishing uni/starting out in the big wide world, which was only made bearable because I knew the end goal was to find a career that enabled me to have horses and still be able to have a life. The only other blip I had was the few months after I sold H and before we bought Pops but we were out viewing horses every weekend so I never really felt like I'd gone without (and I made sure everything I would have spent on H went straight into my savings account so I wouldn't realise how much money I'd have without a horse!).

These days I honestly can't imagine not having them in my life, although scarily I have begun to realise it's less about horses in general and more that I can't bear the idea of M not being in my life (so I'm staying far away from the how long do horses live thread). He kept me going after we lost Pops and in the past year has become my absolute world, even when I'm tired and ill he never fails to make me laugh with his cheeky antics and I'm really beginning to think that when the time does come there'll be some incredibly big shoes to fill. I just want to wrap him in bubblewrap and keep him forever.
 
Not at all! We bought this place, over twenty years ago (Sis and I) so that we could keep the four we then had, at home. We have had horses since I was 15, having ridden since the age of seven. For years we have had four mares here, adding one when we have lost one. Having lost the two oldies in November and January we are now down to two and intend to keep it at that. We have both been surprised at how little work it now feels. The only time we have been horseless at all is when the horse we bought when I was 15 died and we lasted about 18 months before we got the next one.
We now also have some sheep at home and when you have your own place it is even more a way of life than a hobby.
 
TelH said:
What do people who don't have horses actually do? I asked my therapist (who has never sat on a horse) that question once and I almost contracted a case of terminal boredom before she'd finished the first sentence of her explanation. I just don't get it.
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Haha, yup, I cannot imagine what I would fill my time with.

I imagine if I didn't have horses I would basically just become what my dad was - a workaholic who never sees their own home in daylight. I have quite an obsessive personality in that I become really over invested in things. Horses is one of the few things that you can become even over invested in without seeming like a nut :p
 
In the last 50 years I've had two three month periods where I didn't own a horse, the last being about 9 years ago. Initially it was nice to have the extra time and lack of dirt (it was winter) but I felt utterly lost and took to helping people with yard jobs just to be around horses. I had been quite badly injured by my pervious horse and sold it but bought a new horse far earlier than was sensible because I wasn't coping without one. Fortunately she has been very good for my recovery mentally and physically.
 
No. I became severely depressed and anxious when my horse had 2 years off to heal. We are on week 6 off for current lameness issue and can already sense those feelings creeping back in even though I go up twice a day, muck out, groom etc.
 
I started riding at riding school when I was 4, own horse at 11, degree in equine business management, worked full time in industry for everyone from stunt yards, eventers, hunt yards, livery and therapy centers. My old boy was horse finally put down October 2016 and gave up working with horses last May aged 30.
I can honestly say that it does feel like a little bit of me died. It has been my absolute life for so may years and although its great in some ways, proper pay and holiday, weekends free, back doesn't hurt every day, don't have to live in a random room or shed anywhere in the country, I really miss it now. I think its realising quite how much it costs to keep a horses now as my boy was semi retired at home with my mum from when i went to uni, and we lived in Norfolk anyway so everything was so much cheaper. I used to ride about 5 a day when at work and now i'm looking at £40 for a riding lesson!
I know i will go back to it someday but in the mean time i'm a bit richer and warmer but a lot sadder!
 
Life without horses is difficult. :(
After 53 years of riding/owning I now have no horse time at all.
What I find hardest to get use to is not HAVING to do something. I have other sports I now do but I don't have to do them unless I want to. With horses they had to be looked after exercised etc.
Also missing the competing element and having something to work towards, analyse, plan etc. Recently taken up archery which in time will fill this void but for now I'm in limbo.
Above all else though it's the one to one connection I miss that no other sport will be able to replace.
 
I’m managing fine with no horses. I lost my final one almost a year ago, after having ridden and owned lots for 40+ years. I miss my horse, and I’d have him back in a heartbeat, but I absolutely don’t miss owning them in general. I’d lost the joy, probably caused by horse overkill, working with them at one point, moving countries, elderly parents, horrible wet winters (surely they weren’t like this years ago?), more cars on the roads, nasty livery yards ..... the list goes on.

I now get my outdoor fix walking my dog, and my spare time is spent doing a lovely civilised indoor pastime. I do read all the winter turnout problem/problem livery yard posts on here, and thank my lucky stars I’m out of it.
 
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Glad your mum is better OP.

My mum was diagnosed with life limiting cancer in July 2016, she is reasonably well at the moment but the inevitable always lingers in the back of your mind. I bought my first horse in September 2016 having ridden for most of my life. In this short 18 months of having Spirit (she was a very cheeky 3yo when I got her) she owes me absolutely nothing; she is my therapy, my escape and my joy.

Of course I could imagine life without her as I didn't have her for the first 25 years of my life, but I wouldn't want to. I also have 2 dogs and an OH which all keep me busy. I figured that a busy me is a happy me and right now that suits me fine.
 
I just couldn't do it, even though I would probably be much better off for it but then having had a spell of two months where I was going to give up, sold the pyscho horse that I had devoted 5 years of my time to, I wanted another. I guess I actually wouldn't be any richer as I would spend the money on other rubbish and I would be dreadfully lonely.
 
Started regular riding lessons at 7 becoming a pony helper at weekends then spending whole summers as a pony helper. Getting share horse at 14 then had to give her up and started saving for my own. College and university got in the way and finally own my own (in my early 30s) no way would I want to be out the horse world. As others have said she is my first thought when I wake and my last at night. I adore every moment with her and love looking after the yard we rent (we have liveries too) and all that goes with it, looking after the land, fencing. All the things that others may moan about but I just love it as to be honest I never thought I’d be able to get me own horse let alone run a little Yard. I used to pretend I had a horse and yard and circle stuff in Robinson’s and Cam equestrian catalogues. Now I can actually do that.

Also without a horse and yard to look after I would be the size of a house :) I’m baffled when others struggle with getting to 10000 steps a day. I work in retail full time too so I’m always moving!!

If I didn’t own my own and couldn’t I would for sure get involved with riding clubs etc as I just love the horse world.
 
Lost my soulmate wondermare in 1993 - around about now actually so 25 years ago! Where did that go? We'd kept my daughter's second pony after she moved up to horses and he went later the same year - my annus horribilis or perhaps just a plain anus of a year!

Being on the yard for getting on twenty years, several generations of young'uns had grown up having her around and later she was certainly Matron, not only did I keep her DIY but also worked on the attached farm part time and ran my business for it so I kept in the loop. In the beginning, folk were very kind with offers of rides etc., but what with the half-hearted style of these things, the saddle or other tack wouldn't be on its rack for some reason so I found out more about some people than I really wanted to know. (There was also the odd one or two that asked if I was going to "replace" my mare...... they are buried in unmarked graves!)

I'd long nursed an arthritic body and what with doing a very physical job I thought there would be no way that could look after a horse the way I like to for another twenty years so I put all my energies into working and consigned my Horsey years to history. I loved every minute of it! "SHE" was the first thing I thought of in the morning and the last thing at night - and no matter what the weather - I always travelled to her like a kid let out of school.
 
PaddyMonty said:
Life without horses is difficult. :(
After 53 years of riding/owning I now have no horse time at all.
What I find hardest to get use to is not HAVING to do something. I have other sports I now do but I don't have to do them unless I want to. With horses they had to be looked after exercised etc.
Also missing the competing element and having something to work towards, analyse, plan etc. Recently taken up archery which in time will fill this void but for now I'm in limbo.
Above all else though it's the one to one connection I miss that no other sport will be able to replace.
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If you ever fancy trying driving I'm not a million miles away. There are lots of people that drive who cant ride anymore. Physical problems arent really an issue for driving, and its not all plodding round the countryside!

I've had periods of time with no horse. It always feels like a part of me is missing. It would make much more sense for me to give up now but I have absolutely no intention of doing so. He is my legs and my sanity most of the time!
 
I am now in my 50's and have been involved with horses in some way since I was 6 - initially just riding progressing eventually to owning. My mare is 23 - I could have her for another 10 years. In my 60's I don't know if I would want to get up in the winter mornings to muck out etc. If I lost her within the next few years - well that's another scenario, I would want to give a horse a home for life so I'm faced with the same dilemma of DIY into my old age, although I'm aware that there are plenty who do.

On balance I am thinking I most likely won't have another and will concentrate on dogs rather than horses. Having said that I have tried to give up horses before and failed so who knows !
 
Yes, I have been horseless several times in the past 50 years: it has it's charms, especially at this time of year.

I am very nearly 60 and can see the end of horse ownership approaching with growing anticipation. I think I can reconcile my increasing lack of agility, enthusiasm and interest with a graceful slide into non-horse activities as long as they include watching some nice riding from the sidelines, and a modicum of gin.

*Although I have recently bought a 6 year old who brings a smile to my face every time I ride her...
 
I'm 70 this year and bought my first horse for my 50th Birthday. I really love having horses, it's everything I imagined it would be when I was a child and more. Mr B is 16 this year so I'm really hoping that he keeps going for the next 5 years (fingers crossed). If and when I lose him (provided I don't go first) it will be very hard as I can't imagine getting to know and trusting another horse. I keep thinking perhaps I should get a little part native as a back up, perhaps a connie/tb about 15 hands that will keep me going until I'm in my 80's. No, I can't imagine a life without horses!!!
 
oldie48 said:
I'm 70 this year and bought my first horse for my 50th Birthday. I really love having horses, it's everything I imagined it would be when I was a child and more. Mr B is 16 this year so I'm really hoping that he keeps going for the next 5 years (fingers crossed). If and when I lose him (provided I don't go first) it will be very hard as I can't imagine getting to know and trusting another horse. I keep thinking perhaps I should get a little part native as a back up, perhaps a connie/tb about 15 hands that will keep me going until I'm in my 80's. No, I can't imagine a life without horses!!!
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I am slightly idolising you for this at a distance - I hope you don't mind
 
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DabDab said:
I am slightly idolising you for this at a distance - I hope you don't mind
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Goodness, don't know what to say! Now if you'd like a proper role model, may I suggest my MIL. 100 this year, doesn't ride but gets out every day unless the weather is competely vile, walks up to a mile with stops, does a crossword every day and is currently doing a fiendishly difficult jigsaw that I would have kicked into touch in five minutes. We play Rummikub after supper and she is as sharp as a knife, still plays a good hand of bridge and the best thing ever, never, ever complains about anything! I idolise her!
 
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Coming from a city family, my dream as a child was to have my own horse, which didn't happen until I was 16. Since then I have been horseless for about six months and hated every minute of it.

I can accept there will be a day when I can no longer ride, I will then buy myself a natty pony and a cart and go scurry driving. But completely horseless - no.
 
oldie48 said:
Goodness, don't know what to say! Now if you'd like a proper role model, may I suggest my MIL. 100 this year, doesn't ride but gets out every day unless the weather is competely vile, walks up to a mile with stops, does a crossword every day and is currently doing a fiendishly difficult jigsaw that I would have kicked into touch in five minutes. We play Rummikub after supper and she is as sharp as a knife, still plays a good hand of bridge and the best thing ever, never, ever complains about anything! I idolise her!
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Wow, she sounds like a force of nature... And now I want to pop round for a game of bridge :D
 
I don't miss it at all. My old b oy was PTS in the autumn and his companion went back to his owner. I must admit for the first few weeks it was odd throwing open the bedroom curtains and not seeing a horse in the paddock - first time ever.
As soon as the weather got cold and wet though I decided it was wonderful!
You do need another hobby though, I have taken up picking up with my dogs and love it, and actually get paid to do it - win, win!
 
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