Do you ever regret getting your horse/getting into horses.

mightymammoth

mightymammoth

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Hi,

Just wondering if anyone else ever regrets getting their horse or getting into horse's full stop.

Ive had my first horse since october (although had a full loan before), bought him as a happy hack and had him two star vetted. To cut a long story short he has been lame 4 times since boxing day with intermitant lameness. He has seen the vet/physio/saddle fitter and have the vet coming again on wens morning.

I love him to bits and wont part with him but part of me wishes I could jack it all in. I just feel so disheartend, upset and worried. Maybe I have been very naive but this isnt how I thought it would be.

Just wondered if anyone else ever thought the same or if I just need to pull myself together :rolleyes:
 
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Yes! All the time when it starts to go wrong, days o lameness, bad day at the yard, but thankfully it doesn't last long. I can't do what I really want with mine due to arthritis now, but a quick ambition adjustment, and I love him so much just being around him is a joy.
 
I should add I have had thirteen wonderful healthy years. But I realise I was very lucky and feel for you. Chin up and give your ned a big hug, it makes all things better.
 
Sometimes..
It is only when I see someone out riding a horse or posting pictures of their horses on facebook and I don't have a horse or haven't ridden in ages and i'm like Jealous and I get furious and frustrated with myself. But then I kick myself for thinking it and ho hum, horse lover. :D!
 
With my chestnut mare - yes. I can remember one hack about a month after I bought her (nearly seven years ago) and I was almost in tears as we returned to the yard. She was about as lively as a moribund donkey and I was sure that I'd bought the wrong horse. :( However she soon turned into a nappy, reary madam and I longed for the quiet version of her to return (she sure showed me to be careful what you wish for :p ).

Anyway, she's now had practically a year off on field rest with hoof trouble so I understand your worries and fears RE lameness. I can't wait to bring her back into work and I really don't care if she's quiet or nappy - just sound. :D
 
Almost on a daily basis but as I am in my 60s and have been at this lark for over 60 years now, even trying to stop would be a waste of energy!:rolleyes:

But I do feel for you OP - that sounds like VERY bad luck with your first horse. I really hope your vet can offer some good news.

And no, it isnt normal to be caught up in a continuing spiral of lameness issues. I have often gone several years without any health problems, and then I could have a year of everything on the place limping about like they are only fit for the big meadow in the sky! But somehow it all works out, one way or the other.

Fingers crossed you will get some enjoyable horse owning time this summer.:)
 
Blimey, that's a big question!
Life would be much simpler, less busy and I'd probably be a lot richer but, no, I don't regret it at all.
It sounds like you are having a tough time but keep your chin up and carry on. The good times with horses do make up for the bad times otherwise none of us would be here (well apart from the odd masochist I guess) and as a previous poster said, even if you can only cuddle your horse it can make you feel better.
Good luck in getting his issues sorted - by June you might be forgetting this ever happened!
 
I can honestly say that, having owned horses for 36 years, I have never felt that way, even during the tough times of losing one or varying other traumas. Horses have enriched my life but, at the same time, ensured I shall never be wealthy. :rolleyes: Just being around them is healing and therapeutic after a stressful day at work. You may just be unfortunate at having had these lameness issues so early on or maybe you have been duped into buying an unsound horse. Whatever the case, I hope that the problems will be resolved and that you can go on to appreciate fully the real benefits of horse ownership.
 
Never regretted having my own but there were times when I was working with horses, shovelling ahit in mid winter that I longed to give it all up and get a 'normal' job!
 
I have many times. I got my first horse in October age 40 and I although I haven't had your bad luck it has been a total roller coaster. I lost my confidence ( still working on that one) didn't settle at livery yard and various other things . I have Gone between keeping her and selling her more times than I've had hot dinners. It's definitely getting better there are more good times than bad ( although riding her is still nerve wracking)
I think when we first get a horse it's a dream come true and the harsh reality is we have to work hard to make things work . And things don't always go to plan especially in your case.
I hope thing get better for you soon. X
 
pintoarabian said:
I can honestly say that, having owned horses for 36 years, I have never felt that way, even during the tough times of losing one or varying other traumas. Horses have enriched my life but, at the same time, ensured I shall never be wealthy. :rolleyes: Just being around them is healing and therapeutic after a stressful day at work. You may just be unfortunate at having had these lameness issues so early on or maybe you have been duped into buying an unsound horse. Whatever the case, I hope that the problems will be resolved and that you can go on to appreciate fully the real benefits of horse ownership.
Click to expand...

I very much agree, horses have greatly enriched my life & i am proud that my 15 yr old daughter spends her days out in the fresh air learning the ups & downs about life rather than in shopping centres hanging round in gangs. However, i feel your pain with the lameness issues, it can be utterly heartbreaking & i do often wish that it was knitting or a rabbit breeding bug that had bitten me :-)
 
Financially - yes!!
I wish I could have my boy at home too as all teh issues I have had (& continue to have) at yards is the bain of my life.
I love him to bits though & couldnt ever sell him, no matter how tough it got.
 
only in the depths of winter when i'm battling wind, rain and mud!!;):D
I think having your first horse can be quite an eye opener, suddenly everything is your responsibility and there's no one to fall back on like when you loan.
 
Regret it? No.

Question my sanity? Frequently.

I'm sitting at work waiting for some lab stuff to finish, thinking I would kill just to be able to drive straight home right now and not have to stop at the yard to sort them (thus getting back home about 10)... But in reality, if I didn't have to, I'd only miss them and be bored :o I often wonder why I have them - in the depths of winter, when they're injured, when I'm busy and tired, when they're over-excitable freaks - then I spend a minute in their company, see Fergs waiting for me with his ears forward, get a kiss from the yearling or a hug from J and I forget every doubt I've ever had.

You've been very unlucky. It does seem unfair, but life is, unfortunately, rarely fair :( Hope things pick up for you.
 
The only regret that I have is that I wish I had bought a house when I was younger instead of spending all my money on horses. If I had bought a house back then, I would be in a more financially secure position to be able to spend more money on horses. Still want to buy a house, but it will be harder now that I am older.
 
Never but we have always had horses , all my family have them if one is lame there is always another to ride.

I can see how it must get you down if you have one on livery that goes wrong, get some fields and get more than one its much better actually ignore me my son refers to me as the mad horse woman.
On a serious note I can not imagine not having them my parents still ride and hunt I could not be without my horses or dogs.
 
6 years into horse ownership for me.

I had my first horse put down in September 2010. She was my baby. I bought her as a 4 year old off the track and brought her on myself.

We had years of rodeo displays with resulted in my coming off. Issues with hacking (could never hack out of walk) she could be an arse to handle. We had intermittent lameness that vets thought was me being paranoid, she had alot of time off as a pet. But scrub past that she was the most loyal beautiful horse I have ever had the immense pleasure of meeting. At the end she was 99% well behaved hehe! She was a sweet sweet horse.

She had a slipped disk in her back that had probibily been there for years and it was decided she would be put to sleep. I was absolutely devastated, but I wouldn't have changed a minute of it!!

I now have another horse, I couldn't be without an expensive lawnmower :D

So no, I would never ever regret having a horse. They keep me sane, and on my toes ;)
 
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A colleauge recently brought a load of clothes in to work, some of them never worn! Her friend had bought them, then changed her mind. This is what people without horses do to spend their money and fill their time :eek:, well some of them anyway :D
Horse owning takes so much of our time and so much of our emotion, with no time off for good behaviour. Our second horse was a nightmare (often called the pig on wheels!) But she stayed with us for 24 years and I still miss her, four years on from her being pts. So no, never wanted to give up, but have wished for ill horses to be well and for the weather to be better, and every year around this time, I wish that winter were shorter and that spring was here now!
 
Honestly? I don't know.

Today was a really bad day for me - I have no idea why.
I struggled to get out of bed and this past week have been crying and on an emotional roller coaster.

The horses, OH, life in general just has me down.

I've lost my motivation to ride. Ponies are both sound and healthy. one is waiting to be backed and one is ready to ride. How foolish am I, when there are people desperate to ride and can't, yet I can and don't have the will?

I do think my life would be so much easier without them, but then I would never leave the house, interact with people and I do love my ponies and wouldn't be without them.

Sigh > Hopefully, my motivation will come back soon.
 
I dont regret any of my horses as they are given to me so im of a thought suck and see. I do regret having got in to horses the worry no money
 
I think you have so much financially and emotionally invested in horses it is hard not to worry. I have been through times where it is the vet every other week, and then times where I am lucky if called the vet within a three year period.

With lameness, wherever possible, (and after diagnosis) go for turnout. I believe that most lamness gets better with time. The less you fuss, the quicker they get better.
 
Sometimes in winter when there is horizontal rain and a gale and I have to go out and feed them. And when everyone else is going off on nice sunny holidays and I have to stay and look after the neds. But this doesn't happen too often. I am a lot happier now than before i had them. it is a worry when they are not right though. i think you have been quite unlucky and things are bound to get better soon. just enjoy the bonding time if you can.
 
victoria1980x said:
Hi,

Just wondering if anyone else ever regrets getting their horse or getting into horse's full stop.

Ive had my first horse since october (although had a full loan before), bought him as a happy hack and had him two star vetted. To cut a long story short he has been lame 4 times since boxing day with intermitant lameness. He has seen the vet/physio/saddle fitter and have the vet coming again on wens morning.

I love him to bits and wont part with him but part of me wishes I could jack it all in. I just feel so disheartend, upset and worried. Maybe I have been very naive but this isnt how I thought it would be.

Just wondered if anyone else ever thought the same or if I just need to pull myself together :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

I bought my mare at 6 months old, she is now 18yrs and has only been ridden for the last 2 1/2 years due to different lameness issues during her life, I have had other horses aswell as her but there were times when she was my only horse and it was hard to watch everyone else going off competing, hacking and enjoying themselves whilst I couldn't even get on my horse.

At the time I can say there were moments that I felt like you but looking but in hindsight I wouldn't change it now, having a horse used to be all about riding and now because I had so long with her not being ridden I found other enjoyment in it that I otherwise wouldn't have, I never really appreciated the enjoyment in grooming and just spending time with a horse when it wasn't riding before and my god do I appreciate her now, she has after all these years of patience become by far the best horse Ive ever had (and Ive had a few) she is competing at BD and is a lovely hack, will take me over fences out and about and is just a lovely horse to have around.

I wouldn't change any of what happened now, bare with your horse, enjoy spending the time with him and when he comes right remember to be grateful for what you have :)
 
I think it's the time of year. I sometimes feel so tired and long to just have a day or even an afternoon off here and there to get out of the 'rut' so to speak. Roll on spring time once the weather improves it does lift my spirits, and In general I would never be able to live without horses, but sometimes I think you wouldn't be human if you never felt abit down!! Xx
 
All the time, i don't know if it's because i'm getting older and want a quieter life but i am getting bored of the 'dramas' that horses cause! Wouldn't have the guts to make the decision to be without them tough, think i'm just having run of bad luck.
 
benson and Donovan I dont regret for a minute.
But sadly I do regret getting Charlie. He was not the right horse for us, had many many problems and we rushed into buying him. Sadly it all went wrong and he is now over rainbow bridge.
 
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