Curious - How many homes/owners has your horse had ?

4 of mine - only me (26,22,21 and 10)

1 - I'm the 3rd . Breeder, 1 other then me (17, got him at 4)

Pals pony - 3 . Breeder, guy who bought him as weanling, her at aged 4. (now 7)

Other livery - not sure, was a racehorse, then bought off track, then her. (now 21)

All have homes for life
 
^^^ lovely for baby Flower to be in that situation. Given how horses are creatures of habit and routine it must be very disruptive for them to be moving owners / homes regularly.

I think you're right there SEL, I just remember being a bit shocked by how long it took Kira to settle in when I got her - she had been living on her own for a few years and had this really hunted expression. I'm sure a lot of her difficult behaviour was rooted in this deeply unsettled state she was in. She's a complete lamb to have around now, has really grown in confidence and seems very cheerful. I couldn't ever put her through that again!

Salty seemed really characterless by comparison but as she's finding her feet she is really coming out of herself. She didn't seem particularly distressed at being in a new place, but some of them don't wear their hearts on their sleeves :rolleyes:
 
Only one horse here but before I bought her she had 4 owners in 1 year (very quirky) and she was 7 at that point, but prior to that I think only 2 other owners so I'm owner number 7 and I've had her 5 years and she's going nowhere.
 
I don't know... minimum 5 I think! I wish I did know a bit more.

I can see from his passport he was with breeder until he was 4 = 1 owner.

Then went to Austria for 4 years = 2 owners.

Then went back to Germany 2 years = 3 owners (but similar place to breeder...)

Then over to the UK = I assume 4 owners.

Then goes a bit blank for 4 years. He was with the person I bought him off for 6 months and they got him from a dealer 5/6 owners?

That would make me No. 7! Unless something drastic happens he's with me till the end, at 17, he deserves it.

Hes certainly had an interesting life hasn't he ! I bet he could tell you some stories. Its lovely to hear hes finally in a home for life x
 
Mine has had 4 owners, but only lived in 3 places. He's a real local boy, there's than 15 miles distance in total from breeder to where he is now. Essentially he has stayed in the same town all his life :)
He was bred by DB, sold to BI, who in sold him to AT and I bought him from AT. He then stayed on same yard when I bought him.
His breeder has a really distinctive name so I was able to track her down very easily, she sent me foal photos etc which was lovely. Through his other owners I more or less have his full history :)

that's lovely ! Id love to see foal pics of our Finn, but haven't been able to track the breeder down. Your boy must be well known in the area now !
 
No idea!

According to his passport he was nine when he was first passported, although subsequently we think he may have actually been more like four. He arrived from Ireland in 2011, went to a dealer, had a home in Lancashire for a short time, about four months I think, then another in Yorkshire for six months and then I bought him.

So, if he was really nine when passported, he could have previously had a number of owners. He certainly got moved on pretty rapidly when he came to England. It's fair to say he took a long time to settle when I bought him and he is still anxious at times but I've now had him six years and he definitely knows who he belongs to and I feel like I am now his "comfort blanket". We have moved yards three times and each time it has taken less time to settle.
 
I think you're right there SEL, I just remember being a bit shocked by how long it took Kira to settle in when I got her - she had been living on her own for a few years and had this really hunted expression. I'm sure a lot of her difficult behaviour was rooted in this deeply unsettled state she was in. She's a complete lamb to have around now, has really grown in confidence and seems very cheerful. I couldn't ever put her through that again!

Salty seemed really characterless by comparison but as she's finding her feet she is really coming out of herself. She didn't seem particularly distressed at being in a new place, but some of them don't wear their hearts on their sleeves :rolleyes:

SEL, MP, totally agree, it goes a long way to explain why so many take so long to settle.

There are lots of very lucky ponies on this site, who now have longterm/forever homes
 
Fern - 3 owners all by age of 5 months when I got her! One breeder, the guy who brought her and her dam from the sales, and me.

Pete - who knows before I found her aged 5.

Honey - 7 before I got her aged 10.

Red - 5 before I got him aged 15.

Sky - 4 before I got her aged 26.

Lucy 2 that I know of before I got her aged 27.

Peg 2 that I know of before I got her aged 4.
 
Both of mine were bought by a dealer from the breeder, I bought them within 2 days of dealer buying them.
My mare took a long time to settle, she had come from Holland to Scotland, then to me within a few days. She arrived injured so went straight to the vets for 3 days.

Both came over with similar personalities despite being imported 2 years apart. Characteries have really changed
 
I've bred mine or got them from their breeders, I personally would not buy a horse with an unknown history/ multiple homes.
 
Mare 1 - breeder in Belgium until 4yo (1 home), imported to first owner who had her until she was 13 (2 homes), brief loan home (3 homes) and now me (4 homes). She's recently turned 16 and I plan as far as I can to keep her for life as she has some health issues now and I love the bones of her.

Mare 2 - unsure but most likely breeder in Ireland (1 home) until roughly 6 years of age, imported to Scottish dealer (2 homes), then sold to owner before me (3 homes) who kept her for roughly 6 months before I bought her (4 homes) aged 7 two uears ago
 
My mare has had 5 homes in her life, she's 28 and I'm her fifth and forever home :)

My gelding has been all over the show, moved a lot with 6 different owners - I'm the 7th. He's only 8 :/
 
I've bred mine or got them from their breeders, I personally would not buy a horse with an unknown history/ multiple homes.

i wouldn't either if I had the choice. I always seem to end up with big tangles to unpick! It would be nice to know how they had grown up and to be able to decide how to bring them up. Ho hum! Maybe I'll find that winning lottery ticket one day :D
 
From what I have know of Indies background I am her 7th home. She originally came from gypsies so could be more. She is with me for life now.
 
I've bred mine or got them from their breeders, I personally would not buy a horse with an unknown history/ multiple homes.

Horses for courses. I was looking for a robust cob that would be cheap to keep and he has been that *touches wood* and I've quite enjoyed the project he has been to get him to where he is today. However, I didn't have a specific job for him in mind and there is a lot he could not do because of his breeding (or lack of) so I can see why you would go to a breeder if you are looking for something specific.

I wasn't and had a fairly small budget so he was of the type that fitted it and was cheaper, I suspect, because he'd been moved on smartish a couple of times.
 
Im the 2nd owner of my 3 with the 1st being the breeders. I livery on the yard owned by the breeder of 2 of them so they've never actually had to move. They are only 13 months, 13 months and 7 weeks old though :)
 
Salty seemed really characterless by comparison but as she's finding her feet she is really coming out of herself. She didn't seem particularly distressed at being in a new place, but some of them don't wear their hearts on their sleeves :rolleyes:

This is like J. He was quite characterless, didn't seem too unsettled when he came to me but not much about him. But after a few months he came out of his shell and started to have a bit of spark about him.

Hes certainly had an interesting life hasn't he ! I bet he could tell you some stories. Its lovely to hear hes finally in a home for life x

I wish he could talk sometimes! Would love to know more about his past. I've done some digging and found photos of his sire and some stallions from the same sire but nothing on him.

I think he was well looked after when he was in Germany/Austria, there are lots of records of his vaccinations etc from that time. But when he came over to the UK there isn't much to go on. I hope that's just laziness rather then uncaring!
I do often wonder about why he was brought over here, at 10, which would have been his prime really. I sometimes think about writing to Germany and trying to find out but it was years ago now so the address might not even be right!
 
Both Jeff and Gray went from their breeders to sales to training. Gray has been in 2 yards - one here and one in America, Jeff 3 France, Henrietta Knights and the one I work on then to me. All of the others have never had more than 1 (breeder) or 2 homes before us or they are homebred.
 
M - breeder, sold on to producer, then to me
A - breeder, straight to me
W - breeder, straight to me
K - breeder to Ws breeder, to me
 
All three of mine I have bought straight from breeder

The oldest was bred in Shropshire and then the stud moved premises to Brecon when he was a yearling, and then I bought him at 3.5 years and moved him back to Shropshire. Now 9

The second was bred just outside Worcester and lived in the same field until I bought her at 2.5years and moved her 15 miles up the road. Now 4

The last was bred in Gloucestershire and was taken to Malvern sales age 2, where I bought her. Now 3.


Definitely no lottery win required - the sum of the price I paid for all three is £2250 :p
 
Elderly grey mare= Breeder- Riding school- Me/ My family's. Used for hunting and showjumping. Bought her when she was 5/6

Chestnut gelding. Breeder- Owner 1(Don't know anything about him)- Owner 2 (Spare horse of master of drag hunt) Me/My family's. Used for eventing. Bought when he was about 7/8

Grey gelding in avatar. Born in rescue centre- Acquaintance of mine - Me. Used for eventing, dressage and hacking (and the odd bit of showjumping) Fostered as a 7 year old.

All are with me for life. They are family pets more than anything else.
 
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any idea as to why so many by such a young age ?


Highland went from breeder to someone then to another dealer (as a job lot) and then her next owner unfortunately passed away when she was 4 so I got her when she went to a yard for reselling. She's now 16. (I only know this by talking to the second dealer). She's a super pony and my heart pony but she's very confident and has been known to intimidate people plus she's not registered.

New Forest went from stud to another person in her passport and then went to Beaulieu sales where she was bought and brought to Scotland with a few others. I then got her at 3yrs and she now 11. When I got her (and I was told about before going to see her) she was very sharp and spooky.
 
As far as I know breeder in Belgium kept as his mothers / family ride. Imported into UK by dealer then bought by me age 10 now 23.
 
Highland went from breeder to someone then to another dealer (as a job lot) and then her next owner unfortunately passed away when she was 4 so I got her when she went to a yard for reselling. She's now 16. (I only know this by talking to the second dealer). She's a super pony and my heart pony but she's very confident and has been known to intimidate people plus she's not registered.

New Forest went from stud to another person in her passport and then went to Beaulieu sales where she was bought and brought to Scotland with a few others. I then got her at 3yrs and she now 11. When I got her (and I was told about before going to see her) she was very sharp and spooky.

I brought one last year at 3 years who it now turns out has had 6 homes prior to me. No idea why, I'm guessing some is peoples circumstances changing but he was bred in Ireland with good breeding, sold as a weanling, sold again as a yearling whilst still in Ireland then sold as a 3 year old to the UK, sold on again a couple of weeks later, 4 months later sold to me due to owners circumstances (marriage breakdown and loss of house/land) . He not been backed so obviously not been sold due to issues under saddle o think he's just been unlucky. I was unaware of this before purchase as only breeder and 1 other in passport as it wasn't up to date. He's turned out to be quite a handful on the ground, more so than he appeared at viewing but I guess he's unsettled yet again and needs time. He will stay with us for good now and we will take the time he needs
 
My boy has had 7 homes at least before me :( 6 (including his breeder) shown on his passport, 1 more that I know of not shown on his passport, and he's been at a dealer's yard at least once (not on his passport).
He will live out the rest of his days with me. I couldn't sell him if I wanted to anyway, with all his health issues currently! But he won't be going anywhere. I'm going to do my best to get him right and hopefully he can have a few more useful years and some fun with me. Otherwise, if I can't get him right, I'll have to weigh up my options; he's not the type of horse you could just turn away/put on grass livery in retirement, unfortunately.
 
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