ever feel guilty?

[Jess66]

about considering selling your horse?
over the past years i have always ended up with projects of some sort, which i have enjoyed, but now i find myself wishing for a horse i can just get out and about on, just having fun opposed to "training", but then i feel so guilty on my current horse! not sure if it is the winter blues talking or not!

has anyone else felt like this?

 

[noodle_]

yeah i wrote her ad a few months ago.

Then sat back and realised id have lost all confidence and faith in horses if it wasnt for her showing me that not every horse wants to kill me

i felt awful for saying it out loud and considering it.....

Stuck with it......not there yet but slowly getting there and will be worth it when we do get there (well schooled/winning stuff )

 

[showjumpingfilly]

Yes! I had one horse for 5 years, then felt terrible when I wanted to do BS to a level he would never have been capable of (his limit would have been 1m)
I got another to jump and I knew it meant he had to go, although i kept the two for 18 months. So many times I toyed with the idea of selling the newbie so I could hang on to my best boy but he was wasted with me and I felt he'd enjoy being out doing more - he needed a pc/xc home and it was only something we'd play at at home. Eventually I let a friend sell him for me as I couldn't face showing him off to others.
I don't regret it - he's been a stepping stone to where I am now, and for that I am truly grateful. But it is not easy. It was an extremely difficult decision and I'll never forget leaving him at my friends house and walking away from him. It broke my heart, but he's gone to the perfect home. I will always feel terribly guilty and selfish, but even if I kept the horses at my own house, he would never get the amount of time and attention as he deserves.
So yes - definately feel guilty, but sometimes you just have to let go for both your sakes.

 

[Jess66]

i would feel guilty as he is still a project, he has come on since i've had him this last year and i do love him and know we would get there someday, but i am a student living at home and i know in a few years when i move out/full time job/car etc i will probly have to sell, so i sort of want something i can do all the things i wanted to do for the last remaining years. also i would just love not to have to deal with some issues still remaining, plus i have had a confidence knock and im convinced he could do better with someone else, but then there is the worry that he will get passed from pillar to post as he looks sweet but he can be a handful!

 

[Jess66]

bump? i feel terrible about thinking this, and OH loves my horse and keeps saying i wouldn't dare, but he doesnt get how i feel

 

[showjumpingfilly]

I think most sensible ones are asleep unlike us
Might be better to 'bump' in the morning!

 

[Jess66]

good idea! i cant sleep as i am feeling so bad! but shall try in the morning

 

[Enfys]

No.

I breed to eventually sell.

I buy to sell.

I don't feel guilty about selling them, sometimes I find I actually like them too much to sell, which is why I have 9 horses

Some I just can't wait to sell to be honest.

 

[traceyann]

Yes all mine where projects three of them i could sell if people understand them. And winter and riding are getting me down. This is the first year with four not looking forward to it.

 

[The Fuzzy Furry]

All mine were projects or clients animals for over lots of yrs.

Having taken a short break of 4 yrs or so (and up to 7 with not riding) while older fuzzy was on loan in my yard, once the loan finished & old fuzzy retired, I got myself a fuzzy that would do EXACTLY as I wanted.
We have moments of inspiration but on the whole is a pleasant person to have - and NO, I havent changed my mind & thought about selling - exactly the opposite now we have got to know how each other ticks.
I can 'soup' her up with grub, or tick over from the field.

Is a lovely experience having just the one to ride and was eye opening to start with in going down the yard to just have the 2 to care for! Still feels like a holiday even after over a year of big fuzzy being on the scene with 3 out of 5 empty stables & paddocks not anywhere near as trashed as they used to be

 

[Wagtail]

No, because I have never sold one on. When I buy a horse it's for life, like a dog.

ETA: I realise this is not how everyone feels, but that is just me and everyone has their own way of viewing things.

 

[indiat]

My ponies are with me for life but there are honestly days when this feels like a prison sentence. When I look at how much we spend on them every year, how much time gets put into them, on the days when I am so tired I want to lie down and sleep forever, or I just badly need the money for something else, I wish I could sell them. But it would kill me and the children so it will never happen. But yes, I feel like Cruella de Ville for even letting the thought cross my mind.

 

[Dab]

No, because I have never sold one on. When I buy a horse it's for life, like a dog.

ETA: I realise this is not how everyone feels, but that is just me and everyone has their own way of viewing things.

^^pretty much this^^ but these days i have a horse on 'home for life' loan, he is mine but if anything happens to me or my circumstances change he goes back to the centre. This way i know he will always be well cared for what ever happens.

 

[xTrooperx]

i am going through this now, i know i wont be comfy with my current horse as huge as haven't got my confifence back after a fall from another horse so am really thinking i should sell and get myself a been there done that happy hacker that is a hand or too shorter so i wont be worried about breaking my neck when i fall.

but i just love my boy and we have such a bond?? i would keep him and buy another but i just haven't got the funds for two.

 

[Jess66]

i am going through this now, i know i wont be comfy with my current horse as huge as haven't got my confifence back after a fall from another horse so am really thinking i should sell and get myself a been there done that happy hacker that is a hand or too shorter so i wont be worried about breaking my neck when i fall.

but i just love my boy and we have such a bond?? i would keep him and buy another but i just haven't got the funds for two.

this is my exact position, i adore him and with lots of lessons/groundwork etc we could get there, but it will be soo expensive to get him to the standard that i feel safe in most situations, im so tempted by some of the safe sounding horses

 

[Enfys]

No, because I have never sold one on. When I buy a horse it's for life, like a dog.

Good job someone like me bred them and sold them in the first place then isn't it Note the smiley

I have sold all the horses I have bred (because I breed decent, useful animals to start with) to fabulous homes where they are much loved and lead useful lives, I sold one destined to be a therapy (RDA) horse and they were so pleased with him that they came back and bought a full sister of his too. One of my past horses was sold as a 4 year old, and when I last heard of him had been in the same home for 16 years. I am not arrogant enough to presume that no-one else can look after my horses as well as I can and that by selling them they will suffer.

I have horses because I enjoy breeding (and all my breeding stock are registered) and starting youngsters. I couldn't care less if I never sat on a horse again right now to be honest, if I can't hunt I am not interested in actually riding.

I also have a 22 year old arab out in the paddocks that I haven't bred for the past three years, she occasionally gets ridden but in the main she's just a pasture pet, my mini will never do much and will be with me as long as circumstances dictate he can be and his field mate is a 20 year old grouch of a pony mare that I bought from a rescue centre, so, you see I am not entirely heartless.

 

[leah_x]

Even if its expensive to get him where you want him to be - you still said its possible. Isn't he worth spending all that money on? That would be what I'd do, I could never sell my boy. Even if he cost all the money in the world (sometimes he does) lol

 

[Jazzy B]

i am going through this now, i know i wont be comfy with my current horse as huge as haven't got my confifence back after a fall from another horse so am really thinking i should sell and get myself a been there done that happy hacker that is a hand or too shorter so i wont be worried about breaking my neck when i fall.

but i just love my boy and we have such a bond?? i would keep him and buy another but i just haven't got the funds for two.

this is my exact position, i adore him and with lots of lessons/groundwork etc we could get there, but it will be soo expensive to get him to the standard that i feel safe in most situations, im so tempted by some of the safe sounding horses

I had this situation horse frightened the living daylights out of me. I felt really guilty but he went back to his original owner, who I hope has finally done right by him and I now own the best boy ever who I can do everything I want to. Think if you are going to get rid of something you should be totally honest and know you have done the best for them.

 

[Tonty Tont]

When my pony has done something really naughty, or we are having a really bad day, I have considered letting him go. But then I look at his little face and realise he's with me for life

I would love another horse, one that is more suitable for me and that I can experience more on. But we can only afford one horse, and Tont, however peculiar he can be, is my choice

 

[xTrooperx]

its so hard isn't thankfully i dont fear my horses in any way and fully trust him, its actually me that i have doubts with (my riding, my horse skill etc..will i be able to handle him in stressful situations)
I am giving myself till mid next year to see if i can work on things, if i still feel the same way i will look at selling and knowing i have tried and get my self a bomb prood first horse type thing.

 

[xTrooperx]

isn't it* (sp)

 

[indiat]

Good job someone like me bred them and sold them in the first place then isn't it Note the smiley

I have sold all the horses I have bred (because I breed decent, useful animals to start with) to fabulous homes where they are much loved and lead useful lives, I sold one destined to be a therapy (RDA) horse and they were so pleased with him that they came back and bought a full sister of his too. One of my past horses was sold as a 4 year old, and when I last heard of him had been in the same home for 16 years. I am not arrogant enough to presume that no-one else can look after my horses as well as I can and that by selling them they will suffer.

I have horses because I enjoy breeding (and all my breeding stock are registered) and starting youngsters. I couldn't care less if I never sat on a horse again right now to be honest, if I can't hunt I am not interested in actually riding.

I also have a 22 year old arab out in the paddocks that I haven't bred for the past three years, she occasionally gets ridden but in the main she's just a pasture pet, my mini will never do much and will be with me as long as circumstances dictate he can be and his field mate is a 20 year old grouch of a pony mare that I bought from a rescue centre, so, you see I am not entirely heartless.

I would never have said you were heartless and you are right, it is arrogant to assume you are the only person who can look after your animals well. I think what makes me feel guilty is that we have bonded with our two and love the bones of them and yet on the days when I am stressed/exhausted/skint, I have thought life would be better without them. I know it wouldn't be though, we would end up missing horsies we would go out and buy another one and this one might not be as perfect for us as our two are now.