zoon
Well-Known Member
Just a little rant and to see if anyone has any suggestions...
I have 3 horses -my 16.2 WB 16yo, rising 2yo 12.2 pony and 9 month old appaloosa colt. 16yo was sold when I was pregnant with my son and appy colt was bought when my son was a few months old (colt had just been born when I bought him so was a while before he actually came down to us). Pony was found by the police in a poor way and came to us as a companion a few months before colt was due to be weaned. Shortly after pony arrived, new owners of my 16.2 contacted me to say that for various reasons, if I didn't take him back he was going to be sold to a dealer. Since I have my own land and had the spare cash, he came back. So by the time my son was 7 months old, I had 3 horses.
Not ideal since I have 3 acres of poorly draining land that turns into a bog over winter and 3 horses who do not mix - despite slow introductions, 16yo constantly chases the colt and has to be separate. Plan was to have colt and pony and that was it - carefully managing the land and we would be ok. Have managed to "borrow" another 3 acres to rest my badly poached fields, but come spring we'll most probably have to move back. There is a possibility that 16yo can stay there, but no idea how likely that is yet. No chance of renting any more land to increase what I already have.
I have come to the conclusion that I cannot sell or loan my 16yo - he is my horse of a life time and I deeply regretted selling him before. I don't belive in fate, but it was bloomin good he found his was back! So he is definately staying. Colt is also definately staying - I searched for years for a foal with his breeding and markings to replace my 16yo when he retires. He'll be my future horse of a life time.
Pony was always going to be a short term companion/project to sell on when colt was older and would have gone on to livery (for facilities, as I don't have a school or much flat land to ride on), but as my 16yo appears to have it in for the colt, it seems selling pony early is not an option. Nor ideal, as I like youngsters to have other youngsters for company.
My only other option I can come up with is putting 16yo on livery, but seriously doubt if I'll be able to stretch my time having horses in different places. I do have a brilliant sharer for my 16yo, but still think it'll be seriously hard. It'll also cost me a lot more than I currently spend - no livery costs, tiny hay costs (I am seriously lucky!), no bedding as they are out 24/7 - will all change if he goes on livery.
So, my plan of having 2 youngsters out in my fields while I enjoy having my baby son has gone up in flames and now I have too many horses on too little land! Any more ideas?
Sorry this has ended up so long - pancakes for all since pancake day is so late this year
I have 3 horses -my 16.2 WB 16yo, rising 2yo 12.2 pony and 9 month old appaloosa colt. 16yo was sold when I was pregnant with my son and appy colt was bought when my son was a few months old (colt had just been born when I bought him so was a while before he actually came down to us). Pony was found by the police in a poor way and came to us as a companion a few months before colt was due to be weaned. Shortly after pony arrived, new owners of my 16.2 contacted me to say that for various reasons, if I didn't take him back he was going to be sold to a dealer. Since I have my own land and had the spare cash, he came back. So by the time my son was 7 months old, I had 3 horses.
Not ideal since I have 3 acres of poorly draining land that turns into a bog over winter and 3 horses who do not mix - despite slow introductions, 16yo constantly chases the colt and has to be separate. Plan was to have colt and pony and that was it - carefully managing the land and we would be ok. Have managed to "borrow" another 3 acres to rest my badly poached fields, but come spring we'll most probably have to move back. There is a possibility that 16yo can stay there, but no idea how likely that is yet. No chance of renting any more land to increase what I already have.
I have come to the conclusion that I cannot sell or loan my 16yo - he is my horse of a life time and I deeply regretted selling him before. I don't belive in fate, but it was bloomin good he found his was back! So he is definately staying. Colt is also definately staying - I searched for years for a foal with his breeding and markings to replace my 16yo when he retires. He'll be my future horse of a life time.
Pony was always going to be a short term companion/project to sell on when colt was older and would have gone on to livery (for facilities, as I don't have a school or much flat land to ride on), but as my 16yo appears to have it in for the colt, it seems selling pony early is not an option. Nor ideal, as I like youngsters to have other youngsters for company.
My only other option I can come up with is putting 16yo on livery, but seriously doubt if I'll be able to stretch my time having horses in different places. I do have a brilliant sharer for my 16yo, but still think it'll be seriously hard. It'll also cost me a lot more than I currently spend - no livery costs, tiny hay costs (I am seriously lucky!), no bedding as they are out 24/7 - will all change if he goes on livery.
So, my plan of having 2 youngsters out in my fields while I enjoy having my baby son has gone up in flames and now I have too many horses on too little land! Any more ideas?
Sorry this has ended up so long - pancakes for all since pancake day is so late this year
