Companion with £60 allowance p.m. urgently requires a home.

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sarfen79

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Hi All, I am hoping someone might be able to help. Due to a pregnancy I need to rehome my gelding. I have owned him for the last 12 years and he has been pretty low maintenance. He is completely sound, has never suffered with anything like laminitis or colic & lives out.

I spent yesterday ringing round all the major charities who are only taking in welfare cases for the foreseeable future. I was told on more than one occasion that the kindest thing might be to have him put down. I am not at a point where I can consider this as an option, so I am using this forum to try and reach as many people as possible.

I am offering him with a £60 per month payment to help meet his costs (I estimate that if you own your land then this should just about cover his day to day costs when averaged over the year.) With a baby on the way I can't afford the cost of keeping him at livery or the work that goes with it.

The only downside to Jake is that he can't be left in a field on his own (he will panic if ALL the other horses are removed)

So if you know of anyone who might be able to offer this lovely gelding a long term home, please send me a mail!

Thanks

Sarah
 
PM henryhorn, I don't know if she still does retirement livery or what the costs are but she will be able to advise you if you are offering a reasonable sum and maybe recommend somewhere if she can't take him.

She quite frequently used to post pics of her herds of horses in beautiful surroundings and she's a very knowledgeable and experienced person. I couldn't think of a better place to retire if I were a horse!
 
itsmylife said:
It may help if you put how old he is, why he can not be ridden etc. Good luck in finding him a home
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Size as well, and location would be good. Sorry I can't help, but I hope you find him somewhere. Make sure you draw up a contract etc. and that he is freezemarked and microchipped. If he is never to be ridden then write this across his passport. I'm sure MHOL etc can give you more advice on making sure his welfare is as secure as it can be.
 
I would guess its do-able. The yard im on offers grazing livery for £15 per week so maybe try some local yards? If you could put some more details I will ask around for you.
 
Further info

He is 15.3HH, TB x (with something fairly hardy - not a fine TB at all!), I am based in Hertfordshire, although if I can find a good home I am happy for him to go anywhere.

He is 19 years old, is completely fit and healthy, was being ridden up to a couple of months ago, only reason I want him to go to a companion home is that he isn't a novice ride, nor will he hack out alone. He has been a good horse to me and I would like him to be able to live out the rest of his life without the stress of someone trying to "reschool" him. He is very good to handle in hand.

He is pretty cheap to keep, no shoes, rarely sees the vet except for annual vacs, no respiratory problems.
 
What about full grass livery? I'm sure both Petasfield riding school in Hertford and Moor Place Equestrian in Much Hadam offer this service.

I'd put up some adverts in local tack shops to see if anyone can help you out.

There is a small rescue sanctury in Bishops Stortford, Animal ARC that sometimes take on horses or may know of someone who is looking for an equine companion.
 
I'm confused to why you can't keep him just cos you are having a baby? Alot of members on here do both, some even work full time to. Agree with Amymay why should a rescue help, the horse isn't a welfare case.
 
I have a friend in Hartford who has a similar horse. He's kept at grass livery and she pops up to see him as and when she can (from what I can gather, the other ladies keep an eye on him when she can't, but it works both ways as she can often do a day time check when most are at work) she has two children under 4 and is doing a Masters, so both time and money are stretched.

I'll ask her for details of where she is and how much, if you'd like? I have read lots of people on HHO say keeping their horse after pregnancy keeps them sane!

Good luck with the baby, and whatever you decide.
 
I looked into retirement livery which it seems you are looking for really and they are more like £60 a week to include everything (hay, feed, looking after, farrier, worming etc). I was looking to charge £55 a week after working out all the above.

If you are able to check on the horse once a day looking for grass livery would be an option (we charge £15 a week) but that doesn't cover food or hay so that would be additional.
 
Just be careful you are not panicking about the baby, things often seem harder than they are. Unless of course you know for some reason that things are going to be very hard after the baby is born..... grass livery sounds like a good idea though! I think you might regret sending him away. I did with my horse, I put him on loan because I was pregnant and worried how I would manage with a baby and I was so depressed, things only got better when I got him back. When I had my horse back I started to enjoy the baby more....
 
He's welcome to come hang out with my crew near Swansea, Wales, but its quite a long drive!!!

Mine lives out with a borrowed filly and another livery's gelding, 10 acres with field shelter on private yard but occasionally brought in during severe weather, but there's space in the barn for another to bed down with my boy so he's not lonely.

Well done for being responsible and trying to sort yourself out, I agree some people can and do manage a horse and a baby but if you feel that your attention will be otherwise required for a while at least you are making sure the horse doesn't suffer for it! For every person who manages a new baby and a horse, there's another who thought they could do it but end up overwhelmed, exhausted and the horse and baby both suffering for it.

Hope you find a good place for him x
 
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