Does anyone else wish they could be more ' passionate' about horses

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BBH

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When I read some posts on here I almost feel envious about the passion some have for their horses and riding and I can't seem to 'get it' so to speak.

I haven't had any luck with my own, one dropped dead at the age of 8, the next went lame a year after I bought him and has been a field ornament for 10 years and the third I bought as a rescue at the age of 2 and he has turned out to be virtually un-rideable and is a field ornament and is only 9.

I wonder if its because I can't ride them but even when I have had lessons I've really enjoyed them but not so much that I get this ' can't live without them feeling'.

Sorry just musing really .....
 
TBH some times I wish I was less passionate about my horses! I went home in tears last night coz I hadnt spent any time with them. Just did the nessecary and went. I miss them even when I still see them!!!
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Oh my god YES. I know exactly what you mean. sometimes I am in such a rush I do what I need to do and don't really get time to spend more time with them. Then I go home and think "God, what if she thinks I hate her?" what if she's wondering what was wrong?
And sometimes I'll go away for the weekend and my mum will look after her which is fantastic as my mum has a horse too but I'm like - will she think ive negleted her?

pathetic.
 
Im sure you would be, by the sounds of things you just have not had anything to feel passionate about (well perhaps was short lived) so you have forgotten to how to feel excited about something, having a horse to put loads of energy into and feel good about. If you still love riding and want to continue with horses, don't worry you'll get bitten by the bug again, just sounds like you've had a run of bad luck, thats not your fault, just one of those things, one day when you get the a horse that you can enjoy more, you'll get the feeling back!
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Not everyone can show the same sort of 'passion' as other people as we are all emotionally different. It sounds as if you have had some pretty bad luck with horses which has probably questioned your love for the hobby.

I don't doubt you must have an affinity with them to be able to look after your field ornaments. Is there any way you could loan a sound and fun horse for a few months to see if you can get you riding mojo back again? Or perhaps try a break from them for a while?
 
I wish other people were more passionate about horses. My horses always come first, no matter what. Too many people say they love horses but they dont really, not unconditionally. Less and less people these days own horses and put the horses needs before their own feelings, they are too selfish or impatient. That is not being passionate in my eyes.

I think it is very hard if you have had lots of bad luck to feel motivated sometimes. If you have tried with your horses but just had bad luck then it stops you from getting so involved, definately. If you ride and enjoy it, get a chance to improve, achieve something and so on then it makes you more passionate. Dont feel bad about not feeling it sometimes, thats just human psychology. Like a viscious cycle, negativity follows negativity and youve had some sh!t luck! Its de-moralising. if you had a horse that wasnt so unlucky you would feel different thats for sure.

Fingers crossed one day you have a horse that isnt so unlucky.
 
I don't feel very passionate about mine at the moment....

In the past week they have pulled the doors or the garage, trashed the electric fence and escaped from the field. We have to build them a stockade for the winter in the garden and that's a lot of time and energy I'd rather be spending on the house.

I only have my OH to ride with - fine, but he's a novice and not into jumping and schooling. There is nowhere nearby for me to have lessons and competitions are non existent except at the big riding centres. I want to do endurance with Ari but the races are few and far between if you haven't got transport (which I haven't). After a while it just becomes another damn chore to do...

I'm sorry too,I'm just a bit ticked off with it all at the moment
 
Its a horrible thing to say but sometimes i wish I could have a
' clear out' of the broken ones and start again with something to ride but knowing my luck that would break and I'd be back to square one.

I would never have them PTS because I have been brought up to believe animals are for life through thick n thin but I do sometimes resent them.
 
I'm not surprised you struggle to 'get the passion' given the bad luck you have had with horses!

I am sure there will be others that have got it without the need for riding, but for me the ones I have been truly passionate about are ridden horses. Of all the horses I have owned, I think only 3 have got under my skin so much that I would say I adored them and couldnt sell them for any money.

The funny thing is when I adore them I dont want anyone else to ride them but me - not because I ride well or think I am any good, I am decidedly average at best! But I just dont like it
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(silly I know, but its how I know the horse has become super precious to me
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The ones I havent been so fond of I dont mind who rides them
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Yes that makes perfect sense really, I do think you have to ride to have a complete bond with them so to speak ( I know others will disagree) but I think you get closer through shared experiences and there is only so much you can do on the ground.
 
I couldn't keep a horse as a field ornament, but then again my horses are at livery so they cost money, even in a field. I think I have a nice level of reality - I adore riding and I would hate to stop, but I did when I was preg and the boys were young and it wasn't that bad. However now I have Ted I am far more passionate about it than I have been for years
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My enthusiasm for horses has definitely suffered with the ongoing maintainence/stress/cost of having lameness problems with my boy. He was on box rest for about 4mths in total before going up to my parents, and although I love him dearly putting in so much time and money for so little in return really tested my passion for equestrianism as a hobby. I guess it would be different if horses were more central to my life, but I have to work hard to afford them and the extra time and costs incurred by his lameness has been detrimental to other hobbies and interests (as in I have dropped them all!) For the first time in 20yrs I am now an advocate of 'I'd never have another horse' line of thinking
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LOL, tbh I bought my own land when they broke because I was not prepared to pay full livery prices for them. I have built a yard of my own and they are happy as larry but yes the decision to keep them as FO's is easier when you don't have livery costs.
 
teddyt, my life revolves around horses. I haven't taken a day off work for 3 years because to do so means turning out laminitic ponies and I just can't do it. I'm constantly stressing about one horse related problem or another and all my aims in life revolve around horses, so I'd say I'm pretty passionate about them.

I don't, however, attach human emotions to them or apply human principles to them. I have no issue with pts useless horses. OP, there is a way out of the situation, you just have to get on with it.
 
I can so relate to that. Even though I have my own yard if they weren't around I'd have more space and free stables so could offer more liveries and in turn earn more money.

To be fair I can't complain in the summer at all as they live out but they are sport horses and don't winter out so thats when the time/ costs come into it. They are big horses and not cheap.
 
I have no issue with pts useless horses. OP, there is a way out of the situation, you just have to get on with it. [ QUOTE ]


[/ QUOTE ]


I just can't do it. I'm not made that way.
 
I am with you teddyt I love my horse and competition and riding and just spending time with my girlie more than anything. She is my world and now her and I have connected after 8 weeks of having her I couldnt be with out her, I cannot remember the last time i bought new clothes for my self but I bet I am always buying her stuff.
 
I cant do it either. I have PTS a dangeous pony but only after all avenues were exhausted (4 different vets for a start!). It took me 2 years to make the decision but eventually because he could potentially have killed me (and i dont mean riding, he was unpredictable to handle), he was PTS. It was him or me. A very hard decision but the right one.

I have several retired horses, which many people would PTS but my opinion is that they dont deserve to die because they are too old/dangerous/wonky to be ridden anymore. I bought them and they will live for as long as they are able to comfortably, even if i have to make sacrifices for myself. they are safe and happy in the field and i am safe and happy not riding them and knowing they are in the field!

It is understandable to feel resentful, you have put alot of money and emotion into horses that havnt been able to give much back. I have horses like that but i also understand it is not their fault. So i have miserable days but ultimately, like you LHS, i love them and would never PTS if they have a quality of life. I feel that would be selfish of me
 
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I don't, however, attach human emotions to them or apply human principles to them. I have no issue with pts useless horses. OP, there is a way out of the situation, you just have to get on with it.

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I have areal issue with the words "useless horse" in fact that has made me really angry. I understand PTS a horse that has a poor quality of life but when you say useless do you mean useless to you????
 
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when you say useless do you mean useless to you????

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Useless, as in useless - worthless. Can't do a job for you and couldn't do a different job for someone else. The only word that should be included in 95% of adverts on project horses.
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[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
when you say useless do you mean useless to you????

[/ QUOTE ]
Useless, as in useless - worthless. Can't do a job for you and couldn't do a different job for someone else. The only word that should be included in 95% of adverts on project horses.
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[/ QUOTE ]

Sorry but I couldn’t PTS a horse that no longer had a "use" i don’t think a generally health horse should be PTS, to me it is all about the quality of life.

If this rule applied in normal life i think most OH would have been PTS years ago ....
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Sometimes I almost feel lucky that I don't have a horse of my own, because then the enjoyment of riding and generally being around horses is never overshadowed by the cost or work or stress - I can just make the most of every opportunity to be with horses. Then of course I remember all the stuff I'm missing out on being horseless, and realise I would kill for my own horse!
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As to the "PTS useless horses" thing, I don't think I could take that attitude because to me a horse is a pet. You wouldn't have a dog or cat put to sleep because it was no longer useful to you, so it seems odd to think that of a horse. After all, now that we don't NEED horses for transport or work or anything, aren't they basically useless anyway? Except for those who make a living out of riding, for most of us horses are just an expensive hobby which isn't strictly necessary anyway. Hm, I'm probably not making much sense. Ignore me, I'm sleep-deprived.
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I wish I could get the passion back that I had 6 months ago. I have moments of it, but it just isn't the same. My girl has been lame for 5 months, and I no longer really look forward to the yard, as it is so stressful, and at the moment a real money drain for not getting much back.

I really hope I get the passion back again, as I know how it felt and I miss it. I miss being able to go anywhere with her, I miss jumping, I miss schooling. I miss riding without worrying about the horse!! But saying that, I do still love it, I haven't gone to the yard today (friend sorting her, I needed a break) and I kinda wish I had. But at the moment, I really have been wondering if it's all worth it or not.

Charmaine18- yes I understand you view, and I agree with it in some respects. But the difference is that a dog or cat costs about what £200 a year to keep maybe? A horse costs averagely 5k+ per year, depending on livery types etc. We have horses to ride, we don't have dogs to walk (well not many anyway). Hope that makes sense from a different perspective
 
I wish I was as passionate as I was when I was a child/teenager. The reality of having a horse is that they are hard work, and that hard work seems to drain away some of that passion!

To the OP - do you have space for another? Being able to ride and compete for me makes it all worthwhile.
 
I work, eat and sleep horses. I work with them and i am also lucky enough to have my own at home too. I have nearly 4 months off in the summer and i have spent most days with them. I rather equine company to human!! Two are yearlings and one is my sons pony so no riding them for a while but i just have to be with them, i'm not me if i'm not! Don't know if that makes sense!
 
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