Tierra
Well-Known Member
Think this is nothing more than a minor rant really
In my teens, I had a lovely 6 year old Dutch gelding. He was grade B but had been over faced and basically, aside from tiny tiny fences, would tell you where to go. He was my first dressagey horse if you like... Id always been interested in dressage but no one in the family was. We bought him at the time, for 6k.
Now, I kept him for 3 years.. taking him to 9 years old. In that time, I'll hold my hands up and say he didnt do anything. He was my darling... I was still showjumping due to family pressure and he was the one who i could "prance about on" and do a bit of shoulder in and leg yield and pretend i was a dressage rider.
I sold him when i first moved abroad... as a 9 year old.. to a close friend of mine. She also bought a youngster i had who was very good. I sold both horses to her for £5k (as in.. 2.5 each). This one probably wasnt worth a lot more.. aside from him being very flashy with good papers, he lacked experience. The second horse in the deal was jumping DCs at discovery and without doubt had the scope to go further (and time showed this). But I saw it as her doing me a favour.. i needed the horses gone, fast and i wanted good homes.
During the time she has had my two horses, this one has been almost permanently lame. He passed a 5 star vetting when she took him from me, but after quite a lot of pressure over a summer (they wanted him jumping again), he went severely wrong. Result was he had surgery on his patella.
He hasnt been in a whole lot of work since.. but i know for part of it at least, he's been lame.
I got a phone call from her son earlier explaining that she'd had an accident. One of his youngsters had knocked her off the horse box ramp and she'd ended up having surgery on one of the vertebra at the top of her neck. Its now all pinned together and the doctors said its very very doubtful that she'll ever ride again.
He asked me if i wanted the horse back...
Now immediatly i did... i loved that horse so so much and he's a nice type. He's no world beater, he's 14 now and done basically nothing for most of his life. He'd possibly manage a medium test at a push but no higher and it would require a LOT of work to get him there. They've done nothing with him and he's not had any work done on his schooling since I had him. He's not consistently sound... he's not an easy ride but I still love him.
Then came the next bit... they want £5k.
Now, I dont actually know why i asked the price... once logical thinking started to kick i know that at present, we cant afford to buy another (we want a house damnit!
). We'd always said once we were settled here, we'd look for a youngster for me but wanted something with the potential to go to grand prix.
I feel dreadful because I feel some sort of responsibility to him. When I was a stupid kid and he was the flashy 4 year old on the yard, i remember promising him that id have him. At 6 he came to me but then i let him go. Now i feel i owe it to him. On the other hand.. i feel slightly annoyed at my friend but im not sure I should! I know horse prices are high now and 5k doesnt buy you much.. BUT, by the time i got him here and tacked out, he'd stand me at about 6.5k
That feels a lot of money for a horse that a) I sold her for 2.5k as a 9 year old with a 5 star vetting and a decent amount of potential (prestige saddle and bridle went with him btw) and b) a horse that is now 14, has STILL done nothing and has on-off lameness issues.
I spoke to my mum who just said they were trying to play on my emotions and know how much i like the horse.
So now im both slightly p*ssed off because i feel they're trying to take me for a ride (so to speak) but also guilty and angry at myself for expecting him to either be offered back cheaply or (my mums suggestion) for free knowing he'd have a home for life.
Am i a bad person? Feel free to tell me if i am btw... I just cant decide if im grumpy because i know i cant have him back, or grumpy because i feel ripped off.
In my teens, I had a lovely 6 year old Dutch gelding. He was grade B but had been over faced and basically, aside from tiny tiny fences, would tell you where to go. He was my first dressagey horse if you like... Id always been interested in dressage but no one in the family was. We bought him at the time, for 6k.
Now, I kept him for 3 years.. taking him to 9 years old. In that time, I'll hold my hands up and say he didnt do anything. He was my darling... I was still showjumping due to family pressure and he was the one who i could "prance about on" and do a bit of shoulder in and leg yield and pretend i was a dressage rider.
I sold him when i first moved abroad... as a 9 year old.. to a close friend of mine. She also bought a youngster i had who was very good. I sold both horses to her for £5k (as in.. 2.5 each). This one probably wasnt worth a lot more.. aside from him being very flashy with good papers, he lacked experience. The second horse in the deal was jumping DCs at discovery and without doubt had the scope to go further (and time showed this). But I saw it as her doing me a favour.. i needed the horses gone, fast and i wanted good homes.
During the time she has had my two horses, this one has been almost permanently lame. He passed a 5 star vetting when she took him from me, but after quite a lot of pressure over a summer (they wanted him jumping again), he went severely wrong. Result was he had surgery on his patella.
He hasnt been in a whole lot of work since.. but i know for part of it at least, he's been lame.
I got a phone call from her son earlier explaining that she'd had an accident. One of his youngsters had knocked her off the horse box ramp and she'd ended up having surgery on one of the vertebra at the top of her neck. Its now all pinned together and the doctors said its very very doubtful that she'll ever ride again.
He asked me if i wanted the horse back...
Now immediatly i did... i loved that horse so so much and he's a nice type. He's no world beater, he's 14 now and done basically nothing for most of his life. He'd possibly manage a medium test at a push but no higher and it would require a LOT of work to get him there. They've done nothing with him and he's not had any work done on his schooling since I had him. He's not consistently sound... he's not an easy ride but I still love him.
Then came the next bit... they want £5k.
Now, I dont actually know why i asked the price... once logical thinking started to kick i know that at present, we cant afford to buy another (we want a house damnit!
I feel dreadful because I feel some sort of responsibility to him. When I was a stupid kid and he was the flashy 4 year old on the yard, i remember promising him that id have him. At 6 he came to me but then i let him go. Now i feel i owe it to him. On the other hand.. i feel slightly annoyed at my friend but im not sure I should! I know horse prices are high now and 5k doesnt buy you much.. BUT, by the time i got him here and tacked out, he'd stand me at about 6.5k
That feels a lot of money for a horse that a) I sold her for 2.5k as a 9 year old with a 5 star vetting and a decent amount of potential (prestige saddle and bridle went with him btw) and b) a horse that is now 14, has STILL done nothing and has on-off lameness issues.
I spoke to my mum who just said they were trying to play on my emotions and know how much i like the horse.
So now im both slightly p*ssed off because i feel they're trying to take me for a ride (so to speak) but also guilty and angry at myself for expecting him to either be offered back cheaply or (my mums suggestion) for free knowing he'd have a home for life.
Am i a bad person? Feel free to tell me if i am btw... I just cant decide if im grumpy because i know i cant have him back, or grumpy because i feel ripped off.
