Do you buy a horse to keep it for life?

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eahotson

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Personally I do not.Although I think the present one may well be with me for life and can do anything I am ever likely to want. I don't think there is anything wrong in selling a horse that is unsuitable for you though, or that you have out grown.For instance, much is made (rightly) of buying a horse that is suitable for you NOW.You may want to do more than it is capable in a couple of years.If you keep it, both of you may become bored and frusrated with each other.Or a horse may simply be not what you thought it was when you bought it.I have always sought to get my horses good and suitable homes when I pass them on and always loose money
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Anyway that is my opinion.Wonder what other people think.
 
Depends on the horse (obv) and the stage it is at in its life IMO.

When I was a kid, I kept my ponies for about 4 years each. When I sold them on, they were in their late teens but still very healthy and they both went to homes where they would have a useful life. e.g. my first pony went to a family with several little girls - she taught them all to ride, one after the other.
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I had to sell them on as I could only afford to keep one horse, so when I outgrew them there was no option.

Now I would sell on a horse if we were no longer right for each other, provided it was fit and well enough to have a good life with someone else. That's only fair really.

The horse I have at the moment is with me for life though. She is 12 now and I've had her 5 years - she's a keeper. She isn't really the horse I wanted originally but she fits like a glove. I hope she will have a long and happy retirement with me when she comes to the end of her working life as she has turned out to be my horse of a lifetime.
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My current horse is for life because he's 26 and no one else would want him! However, we were listing all the ponies we've had up till our current mounts, and in 8 years, my sister has had as many ponies- either she's outgrown them heightwise or abilitywise or in one case the horse bacame unsafe for her to ride and went back to its old owner. Reggie hopefully will be here or a very long time though!
 
Im also a horse keeper for life, though i do agree if the horse turned out not to be what it was expected to be or you outgrew it in ability or height then there i think the horse would be better going to a more suitable home.

Havent experienced that problem yet though and my three i would hope will stay with me through there happy years of life.
 
My horse was bought at 3.5 with the sole intention of bringing him on my way and him seeing me out till I want to stop riding. He is rising 5 now and I am 45 so we can creak about together in 20 years time.
 
Yes, I do. For me, the most important thing is the 'click' between me and the horse, I wouldn't buy one without it. As long as the click is there, they stay with me for life, no matter what. However, if I got the horse home and found the click wasn't there, or after time it went away, I would consider selling, but knowing me couldn't do it and end up loaning them out!
Blimey I wrote the word click a lot!
 
My current one will never be sold unless i really, really had to. He is my first pony and i have been through so much with him that i would never sell him. He has an eye condition (uveitus) aswell and seeing how many people i've met that wouldnt bother with the medication he has to be on it would seriously worry me. He follows me round like a dog and calls every time he sees me and ofnten comes tortting/cantering over. We were a bad match to begin with but im so glad ive kept him as we are perfect now and he's turned into a lovely pony
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I don't think i would have a problem selling another horse though, as i ride others now to bring them on or get ready to sell. I want a youngster next but a pony so i would probably end up selling it after a year or two.

ETS If i were to sell a horse i would also be very picky about the home it goes to and want to keep in touch if possible!
 
I'm a lifer
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My horses are pets...just like I would sell my dogs, I wouldn't sell my horses either.

There are far too many horses being passed from pillar to post because people aren't prepared to take responsibilty for their mistakes or want more, more, more.


IMO of course
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I buy mine with the view they have toi be sellable. I thought Goddy was my horse for life, but it just didn't work out that way, though in a few years time he would have been perfect, as a horse to really enjoy and play with. Lucky was brouyght with the view of selling her possibly in the future, BUT it depends on how well she takes to being an event horse... or whether I decide I like her too much
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I buy with the intention to keep for life. I don't aspire to be a great eventer, or for that matter to jump a 3ft SJ course at a local show, so hopefully my expectations are low enough for most horses' ability
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I also see them as pets - with me for life.

However, I would change my mind if I decided I was seriously over or under horsed.
 
I bought Merls to be with me for life even though we had some pretty hair raising experience's along the way and I kept him for as long as I could...would never have sold him.

Mins I bought from SIL to keep Merls company at the time she settled him down and I was light enough to ride her and yes she's with me til the day she joins merly's.

Any of the animals I get are with me for life if its at all possible but if they were not for me then yes I would sell on to the more suitable home.
 
My intention is certainly to keep mine for life. My first was bought as a 'bombprro plod' but was actually a very insecure mare who bucked, reared, bolted and spooked at her own poo. We get on much better these days, we have a better understanding of each other. But she is a quirky horse with a heart of gold. I'd be worried that if I did sell her things would go wrong and she'd end up in trouble. And anyway I've learned to love her little ways. So here she will stay. Then there are the three mini shets who are firmly bonded as a family..how could I risk them being split up? And they are no trouble anyway, lovely kind animals. The last is an ID foal that I probably won't ride for five years but who, with a bit of luck, will be the horse of my dreams >g<
 
I think OP's first post is sot on. And like KatB, I always buy with the view in mind of possibly selling on. And so far, I have always sold them by the time they are 12 at least. But I would consider keeping one longer. I don't want to end up with loads of horses. But if I had my own land and didn't need to pay for livery, I would probably keep them rather than sell them on. I've always managed to sell for a profit, but a small one.
 
i bought my current one, with the intention of keeping him six months and getting rid, four years later I still have him (although he is far from perfect). However when he cant be ridden its off to the hunt for him.
 
Ponies no. I couldn't afford to keep them all as pets. New horse yes. When I go off to uni I will either stay home, take her with me or my mum will ride her and compete in dressage and take her hunting. However if she turns out be unsuitable she will be sold, better to go to someone who gets on better with her but I don't think this will happen!
 
IMO it's difficult to 'grow out a horse' past the age of about 30. You are likely to know what level you want to compete at by mid to late 20's, let be honest if you're going to the top you're likely to be doing it by then.

I have no problem with people selling horse's that are not compatable, it can take a year or so to really get to know a horse and in that time you might just find your personalities don't click.

What REALLY bugs me is people selling on horses at 14 -15 just before they get to the 'older' horse stage of selling cos they can't be fannied with a horse in it's late teens early twenties.

I peronally buy every horse with the intention of keeping it for life, the only one that has ever been sold was a competition horse that I no longer wanted to compete. He was 8 and loved jumping which I just couldn't be bothered with (mainly the BSJA scene that put me off) so he went to be a jumper and I went onto endurance horse.

My current horse is 24 in March and won't be going anywhere, she's still on work (hacked 4 times a week min) and once she's out of work she can retire as the field bully
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Yes. I have sold on two occasions, though.
Once I failed and sold and have regretted it greatly. I was stressed out with the realisation I needed to sell, for all our good, picked the home very carefully and afterwards, once he had gone, wished I hadn't sold him. The person was not as genuine as I thought, didn't love him (looked after him OK) and soon afterwards sold him on again. He is now in a very good home, so far as I know but boy, do I regret it. He'd have been perfect for us now.

The other sale was before I suddenly changed to this never sell mentality, and she had a home for life and died (with this family) after many happy years and in her late twenties. I am still friends with her owners.

The four I have now, I will keep.

As a previous poster, I have bought the ones I want and which will fulfill all I will ever need to do, so no reason to change, but I don't question those who sell and swap - just hope their horses land on their feet.
 
when i took my gelding on 4 years ago i promised his old owner he would have a home for life and i will stick by that until his time comes. i wouldn't be without him now. however when i brought my mare i purchased her with the view to bring her on and sell. this may not happen as the longer she stays the more i love her and the better we progress.

the stage i am at the moment i want a horse i can progress with, all the time my mare is capable of doing this she isn't going anywhere. once we have reached her potential i will have to make the decision.
 
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IMO it's difficult to 'grow out a horse' past the age of about 30. You are likely to know what level you want to compete at by mid to late 20's, let be honest if you're going to the top you're likely to be doing it by then.

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Depends on when you buy the horse - if you buy a youngster you won't necessarily know what it will be capable of until it is broken and in consistent work - and even then, if you have high hopes competition-wise, you don't necessarily know if it will make it until you start going up through the grades.
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I will 'outgrow' my horse, (I'm 27) I'm sure - she's a 15hh cobx and is happy at Novice eventing - Intermediate will be a stretch for her but I'd like to go further if I'm capable of it. She's staying put either way though
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I'd rather have 10 horses, work 12hr shifts 7 days a week and never ride than keep buying and selling.
To me, a horse is a partner, a friend...I can't just break ties and leave them with an uncertain future because I've decided I want to do something else.

I have 3 horses that most people would either sell or shoot.
One gelding is retired, another is too small for me (and his rider gave up to have a family) and my mare cannot be ridden or bred from.
The first two are companions for each other and my one riding horse so there's never one left alone in the field and the mare is with the Beaufort Embryo Transfer centre...i still own her, so if she can no longer be of use to them, I'll take her back.
 
I have sold a horse in the past, Turned out she wasn't as described, she was the first horse i brought and i partly blame myself for rushing into it but i sold her onto a suitable home and made sure by putting her out on loan first.
Monty i brought with the intention of bringing him on and keeping him so i plan to keep him for life
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. The other pony i have is on loan to me so i have no say in that.
 
I bought my horse hoping he was the right horse for me and I would be keeping him for life. However if he had turned out to be unsuitable or I hadn't enjoyed riding him then he would have been sold.
A horse is too big a commitment in time and money for me to keep if I didn't get any fun from him. Luckily we get on fine
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When I buy a horse I try to make sure that it is near to what I want as possible, but as with horses they always end up testing you in some way or another.

When I was younger I had ponies that I grew out of and had to sell to buy a bigger one. But over the past 25 years all the horse I have had have ended their lives with me. ( I have been unlucky enough to loose them to illness and injury) My current two give me the odd moments of stress as all horses can, but on the whole they are both good horses that don't have any problems and will be in my care for as long as I can afford to keep them.

I find that some horses can happily move from home to home, while others not, My two give me alot of pleasure and are happy and for that reason they will stay with me. They are family members and not commodities and that's how I look at it.
 
Ideally yes, but sometimes things just don't work out the way you planned.

My previous horse just wasn't right for me so after 3 years of trying to get on with him I made the difficult decision to sell. He was only 8 at the time and my hope was that by selling him then his next home might be his long term one. As it happens his new owner is selling him on, he's now 11 and not the easiest horse to handle so I think the chances of him finding a good long term home are reducing fast. I feel sorry for the way things are working out for him but he never did anything for me except eat away at my confidence and take the joy out of riding for me.

Current horse is the complete opposite, he's a joy to own and even though he was at least partly responsible for the badly broken leg I'm currently laid up with, I still thinks he's perfect for me. If he broke down completely tomorrow I hope I'll always be a position to take care of him for the rest of his days, I just love having him around.
 
My current horse is with me for life (unless I can persuade his lovely loaner to take him) - because he's now 16, has issues with shoeing, won't load and can't really do much in terms of competing etc anymore - but would only be suitable for a confident happy hacker as he can be a plonker.

I have sold younger horses in the past that I have grown out of (in terms of what I want to do / ability etc)
 
When I used to have lots of horses, then I had a notable distinction between those that I could/would resell (generally project ponies and youngsters) and those that were with me for life.

The two I have now are undoubtedly with me for life (not least as one is an oldie and the other one broken so no one else would want them!
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). If I am well enough to ride again next year then I hope to buy a new riding horse. The aim there would be that it would once again be a horse who I can offer a home for life to
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BUT, I can't guarantee that about horse I've yet to meet.
 
It varies.
Emerald is with me for life, she is part of the family. I bought a youngish mare to keep her company a few years ago, to bring on and see how she developed. That one was sold as our circumstances changed.
I have responsibility for a friend's horse that is out on loan and he bounces back occasionally, again I see him as a lifetime responsibility unless his loaner buys him.
The youngster I have bred I have bred for myself and to keep for life.

Over all that though, a very wise breeding friend of mine once said that if I received a very good offer for a horse, particularly the youngster, I should accept it without hesitation. Her view being that life is uncertain, any sound horse could break down tomorrow and all opportunities should be seized.

If I ever get that offer I will consider her advice
 
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