Cutting down on numbers is SO HARD

[poiuytrewq]

I have 5, I’d love to have 2/3 but there’s no one to sell. Unless I sold the one I ride. I seem to fall in the trap of horse retires, I keep it because currently I am lucky enough to have that option as we are at OH’s work so very minimal rent. Then again due to the above I want something to ride.
I was all set to pts the old boy recently, posted about it, he was having a few drugged up good weeks before saying goodbye so that his last time was happy and pain free. However I’ve stopped some of his drugs and he’s doing amazingly! I also have a huuuuuge soft spot for him so as long as he’s like this he stays ?‍
One at livery sounds like absolute heaven.

 

[Antw23uk]

Im amazed at you addicts, lol Why though?

My neighbour has about 7 and she rarely rides one, let alone bring in the others which are a mixture of retired/ half dead/ driving potential and a nice but very fat ridden horse she was given which she has a sharer for at the weekend but he's totalyl wasted with her, the same as her ridden horse!

I genuinely just dont see the point in having them all just standing around in the field doing nothing, especially in winter! She seems to love her little yard and making it pretty and clean but to be honest she would spend just as much time down there, doing nothing, with no horses and have an easier, cheaper life!

 

[milliepops]

Im amazed at you addicts, lol Why though?

My neighbour has about 7 and she rarely rides one, let alone bring in the others which are a mixture of retired/ half dead/ driving potential and a nice but very fat ridden horse she was given which she has a sharer for at the weekend but he's totalyl wasted with her, the same as her ridden horse!

I genuinely just dont see the point in having them all just standing around in the field doing nothing, especially in winter! She seems to love her little yard and making it pretty and clean but to be honest she would spend just as much time down there, doing nothing, with no horses and have an easier, cheaper life!

i expect we will all feel differently, but for me...

i have 4 retirees. one, 25yo horse of a lifetime material. Now my field matriarch, she is useful for teaching others stuff like travelling as she's such an old hand. I had many years of spectacular fun with her and am very happy to have her around in her old age, the alternative for her is to send her back to the charity she came from who will either just do what I am doing in a less personal way, or pts. it is no skin off my nose keeping her, she eats a bit of hay and i do a mortality check each day, that's almost the extent of the care needed winter or summer!

Her mate is 26yo, i knew her as a young horse (same charity) and she came to keep my girl company. also costing peanuts, it is basically inconsequential to keep her around as long as she is comfortable (days are numbered now). as above, it's probably a better quality of life than she would get if sent back at this point.

13yo, retired at 11 and bred a foal, i bought her as a longer term breeding prospect due to her bloodlines anyway and she's got a sunny personality which i adore.

17yo on sick leave since last year, another incredibly special horse to me and i hope she will come right but if she doesn't then I still want to see her every day... nothing to do except Dr Green at this point and see what happens, now in foal.

the other in the field is 2yo, i need mates for her to grow up with so what better than my herd of aunties

they are all pointless if you only assign "point" to a working horse. these guys mean a lot to me in other ways

 

[maya2008]

Im amazed at you addicts, lol Why though?

My neighbour has about 7 and she rarely rides one, let alone bring in the others which are a mixture of retired/ half dead/ driving potential and a nice but very fat ridden horse she was given which she has a sharer for at the weekend but he's totalyl wasted with her, the same as her ridden horse!

I genuinely just dont see the point in having them all just standing around in the field doing nothing, especially in winter! She seems to love her little yard and making it pretty and clean but to be honest she would spend just as much time down there, doing nothing, with no horses and have an easier, cheaper life!

4 of us who ride (so 4 that are ridden daily). One old retired horse. Old retired horse needs a companion when we ride the others, so technically bogof foal is her companion. That’s six.

Kids’ old Shetland is aged and grizzled - loaned her out then she came home with laminitis. Improving speedily at home now so will get a sharer for her once she is better. So 7…

Bogof foal needed a buddy to play with, so there you make it to 8!

 

[eggs]

I had 13 at one point (which was too many!) but over the years old age, illness, freak accidents etc has brought this down to 4 which is far more manageable. I have no intention of increasing this number

I do keep the horses at home which was what made it so easy to build the numbers up ....

 

[Shilasdair]

I've got 2 useless field ornaments and that's probably 2 more than I need.

The most I had was 5 (ridden Tb, GP horse on loan, 2 youngsters and a broodmare).

I just want to be able to have a life!

 

[Antw23uk]

i expect we will all feel differently, but for me...

i have 4 retirees. one, 25yo horse of a lifetime material. Now my field matriarch, she is useful for teaching others stuff like travelling as she's such an old hand. I had many years of spectacular fun with her and am very happy to have her around in her old age, the alternative for her is to send her back to the charity she came from who will either just do what I am doing in a less personal way, or pts. it is no skin off my nose keeping her, she eats a bit of hay and i do a mortality check each day, that's almost the extent of the care needed winter or summer!

Her mate is 26yo, i knew her as a young horse (same charity) and she came to keep my girl company. also costing peanuts, it is basically inconsequential to keep her around as long as she is comfortable (days are numbered now). as above, it's probably a better quality of life than she would get if sent back at this point.

13yo, retired at 11 and bred a foal, i bought her as a longer term breeding prospect due to her bloodlines anyway and she's got a sunny personality which i adore.

17yo on sick leave since last year, another incredibly special horse to me and i hope she will come right but if she doesn't then I still want to see her every day... nothing to do except Dr Green at this point and see what happens, now in foal.

the other in the field is 2yo, i need mates for her to grow up with so what better than my herd of aunties

they are all pointless if you only assign "point" to a working horse. these guys mean a lot to me in other ways

Thanks, i appreciate the reply I do get tempted to 'collect' and when you have land and stables at home you often get offered a freebie (walking vet bills mostly) How i've resisted for six years i dont know but the most i got to was two and that started to feel like a job in the end as they were both ridden.

Perhaps i need another! lol

 

[MereChristmas]

Mine were at home and the most I’ve had is 5, mine, 2x kids, foal, 2 year old. It might have been 6 but retired pony PTS in time between foal and 2 year old.
Over the years I have owned about 12. I have sold 4, the kids ponies and 2 of mine that weren’t suitable for the work I wanted and the rest went to Heaven from here.
Now I am old and I know more than one is too much work so my pony is at livery.
I miss seeing them from the house but I relish the energy I have when I go to ride and the freedom to choose to do other things too and I can have the pony at home whenever I wish.

 

[Bruce17]

Do any of you pony hoarders want to send one my way ?

Arthritic mare currently on sick leave and I have nothing to ride ? ?

 

[Squeak]

I found that when I'd 'overdone it' then it was suddenly easy and a relief to sell. At one stage I had five with four in full work, 3 eventing and one being prepped for eventing as well as a full time job.

I sold 3, all to amazing homes but it was such a relief. If I hadn't of been at point break, I don't think I could have done it as they were all really lovely horses.

So pretty much what I'm saying is... that if you're finding it hard to sell then don't you're obviously coping fine and enjoying them all!

 

[catembi]

Choice of two. A Shetland that I backed and rode bareback when everything else was off sick. An 18 yo ex racer with PSSM who doesn’t load, hack alone, go in his stable unless he feels like it or go faster than walk?

 

[honetpot]

Im amazed at you addicts, lol Why though?

I was that working class child who just loved ponies from as soon as I saw one, which was the rag and bone pony. You used to rush outside to give it some bread, and strike gold if it pooed outside your house.
I was about thirty when I got the very battered Rice trailer and the landrover to pull it, I now have Loddon stables in a barn I never use, but I am living my 1970's dream with the bonus that, unlike David Cassidy, who was pinned up with all my hand painted 'portraits' of my dream ponies, they are still appealing. I like my dogs, but horses make less mess in the house, if I take my boots and coat off in the garage, and they are less demanding of attention.

 

[Patterdale]

Im amazed at you addicts, lol Why though?

I have:

- My ridden horse who will never go anywhere. He’s 6 and jumping 80s now, not the easiest due to his breed but a heart of gold and I love him!

- Two gold dust first riddens that the children ride and who are regular pony club attendees

- 3 year old beautiful section B who I will bring on for the children as I can’t afford a made one!

- two 2 year old Connemaras to make 14.2. One golden dun who has an absolute heart of gold and is beautiful although I think he will be a very steady kind.
One bay who is a serious event prospect, beautifully put together and moves like a dream.

- two dun yearling Connemaras, one to make around 13.2 and one I think might go overheight. Both stunning, the big one absolutely floats and both have outstanding temperaments.

- one sports pony x foal who isn’t weaned yet so will arrive this winter, for keeps as a future eventer.

The Connemaras I am hoping to have huge fun breaking in and bringing on, and with three keen children some of them should prove very useful, as I certainly couldn’t buy ready-made 14.2s, but at 5’1 I can definitely have a go at making them!

One of each age would be more sensible but who out of that lot could you sell!? I tried selling the bay recently but couldn’t go through with it, he’s very special and I think could potentially go do Pony Trials in time. The dun is just outstanding for his temperament, I think he will make a fantastic PC pony but may be too steady? But then again might just be perfect. The bay might end up a fab pony but too sharp for the stage the kids will be at. But might not be!

So there’s my workings out of why I can’t sell any. I’m not buying any more though!!

 

[meleeka]

Im amazed at you addicts, lol Why though?

I genuinely just dont see the point in having them all just standing around in the field doing nothing, especially in winter! She seems to love her little yard and making it pretty and clean but to be honest she would spend just as much time down there, doing nothing, with no horses and have an easier, cheaper life!

I think for some people their hobby is riding and for others it’s horses. That’s like asking what the point of owning a dog is. I don’t own my dogs because I can walk them, I have them because looking after them and being around them makes me happy.

I find it very odd when I hear of people having a horse on full livery and only visiting to ride once a week. They must get something out of it though, or why bother? It’s probably the same reason some people collect horses, because they can ?

 

[MereChristmas]

I find it very odd when I hear of people having a horse on full livery and only visiting to ride once a week. They must get something out of it though, or why bother? It’s probably the same reason some people collect horses, because they can ?

See my post above for my history.

I visit my pony 3 or 4 times a week. I go to to ride and spend time with him.
When he was at home there was always something else demanding my attention and time with him was rushed. Horse time is now quality time not snatched time.

If I had limitless energy and more money maybe I’d be doing it differently

 

[meleeka]

See my post above for my history.

I visit my pony 3 or 4 times a week. I go to to ride and spend time with him.
When he was at home there was always something else demanding my attention and time with him was rushed. Horse time is now quality time not snatched time.

If I had limitless energy and more money maybe I’d be doing it differently

It wasn’t a criticism of anyone who chooses full livery. I can see there are enormous benefits. I was just making the point that people have horses for lots of reasons and it’s not pointless, as someone above commented, to keep a horse (or many), for any of those reasons, even if someone else doesn’t see it like that. We all must get something, worth the money it costs out of ownership.

 

[SatansLittleHelper]

I genuinely just dont see the point in having them all just standing around in the field doing nothing, especially in winter! She seems to love her little yard and making it pretty and clean but to be honest she would spend just as much time down there, doing nothing, with no horses and have an easier, cheaper life!

I guess it's down to how the individual person views them. I personally just enjoy being around my boys, I love riding but its definitely not the be all and end all for me.
I have two and could really do with just having one....but I adore both of them and would seriously struggle if I had to choose between them. I'm just going to have to really tighten my belt coming into winter and hope we survive it..!!!

 

[emilylou]

This thread has made me decide to sell my lovely 4 year old in August. I contemplated selling him and felt such relief I think I'm going to go ahead with it, shame as he's cracking but simplifying things seems to be what I need to do right now. I'm in awe of those of you who are happily managing 7 or 8!!

 

[milliepops]

This thread has made me decide to sell my lovely 4 year old in August. I contemplated selling him and felt such relief I think I'm going to go ahead with it, shame as he's cracking but simplifying things seems to be what I need to do right now. I'm in awe of those of you who are happily managing 7 or 8!!

i sold my 4yo this year as my life was too chaotic to deal with trying to do my best with him at this stage. it was a colossal weight off my shoulders. the people that bought him absolutely adored him and it was totally the right thing to do. he is a straightforward and kind horse so if things were different he would have been nice to keep hold of, but the stress it was adding was completely unmanageable. I hope you find yours a lovely home.

 

[spacefaer]

I'm gradually cutting down.... Had 7 last autumn and threw my toys out of the pram as I could see I wasn't going to be able to do them all properly over the winter by myself so sold two.
Left with 5- three promptly went lame and were on box rest for varying amounts of time over the winter but not in ridden work.
Sold one this spring - down to four...
Accidently bought a very exciting young horse - back up to five,?
Sold one thus week so down to four, two of which are older and so not long long term chaps.
Will probably end up with 3 ?

 

[TPO]

I used to have 3 on DIY, and at one point over two yards, earned less and had a better social life than now. I don't know how I did it to be honest!

I had two for the majority of the time but have been down to 1 since 2016. I took a neglected livery horse on loan in 2017/8 for about 6mths before he was pts and that jump going back up to 2 was knackering.

I'm quite happy just having one and being able to buy what I please without having to worry about necessities for another two.

I get a little but of parental (mum) pressure to get another but have held strong! My mum has 2 so occasionally I have 3 stables to do and what not, I don't know how I did that twice a day around work back in the days before wfh ?

 

[SatansLittleHelper]

I wanted to add on to my post that I keep my horses VERY cheaply at a field a stone's throw from my house. If I had to go onto a livery yard I would never manage with two, financially or physically.