JillA
Well-Known Member
Just trying to get my head around how I downsize/detach myself a little from daily horse care. At the age of 71 I am finding it hard going, especially at this time of year when I always seem to get run down, and although I have help one morning and one afternoon a week it still feels more like a chore than pleasure. Plus since I stopped riding I have found other interests, holidays, painting etc - there is more to life than horses.
I have two retired horses, both special needs lol - one an opinionated 23 year old with PPID, the other a 21 yr old ex chaser who struggles to put weight on, both on my own land 400 yds away from the house. And I am on my own so no-one to take up the slack when it comes to dealing with stuff. Especially a house move!
Choices are:
1.sell up and find somewhere with a few acres and house one site - have been looking for a year or more but small enough house and price tag isn't that easy to find, and the thought of moving is really daunting (again, could be late winter blues) or:-
2.put the two horses in retirement livery and sell my land - but they both need special diets and I'm not sure how happy I would be to have little or no involvement after over 50 years with horses to do or:-
3pay my current helper (who is not very experienced but has an abundance of common sense) to do three or four times as much - but there are no guarantees she will be able to or still be around in a year or two.
Only the first and the second involve burning bridges, the third keeps options open to a degree except savings will be depleted.
So..................difficult one, I don't really think it's fair to ask wwyd but any suggestions?
I have two retired horses, both special needs lol - one an opinionated 23 year old with PPID, the other a 21 yr old ex chaser who struggles to put weight on, both on my own land 400 yds away from the house. And I am on my own so no-one to take up the slack when it comes to dealing with stuff. Especially a house move!
Choices are:
1.sell up and find somewhere with a few acres and house one site - have been looking for a year or more but small enough house and price tag isn't that easy to find, and the thought of moving is really daunting (again, could be late winter blues) or:-
2.put the two horses in retirement livery and sell my land - but they both need special diets and I'm not sure how happy I would be to have little or no involvement after over 50 years with horses to do or:-
3pay my current helper (who is not very experienced but has an abundance of common sense) to do three or four times as much - but there are no guarantees she will be able to or still be around in a year or two.
Only the first and the second involve burning bridges, the third keeps options open to a degree except savings will be depleted.
So..................difficult one, I don't really think it's fair to ask wwyd but any suggestions?