Field ornament - a term that bugs me

[metalmare]

Okay, so it's an expressive term that's used a lot, but I think with thousands of horses currently living in misery or being PTS as they can't find a decent home, nobody who looks after their horse well should be critisised if they don't work it.

Not that my pony isn't in work, he is, but still I think any home where both horse and owner are happy is a good home, regardless of the workload. Lots of sad horses would give anything to be a 'field ornament'.

 

[wellsat]

I don't see it as a criticism, more a term of endearment. I frequently refer to my guinea pig as a lawn ornament.

 

[meesha]

My mare is definately a "field ornament" but I use the term to describe something beautiful that is in my field ! she is lame, has been retired for over 5 years and happy as larry but I suppose she does have a job which is keeping my gelding in line ! I dont think people are necessarily using the term in a negative way !

 

[metalmare]

And used in that context it's quite a sweet term... I think it's often meant unkindly, though.

 

[metalmare]

Or I'm too cynical, more likely

 

[all about Romeo]

I think my TB would much rather be a field ornament then do any type of work given the choice!

 

[Pearlsacarolsinger]

We have a field ornament atm. She worked hard before coming to us and then did everything we asked of her until she got colic aged 25. It took her a long time to recover, so we made the decision to retire her, so she has been a FO for the last 5 years. She doesn't owe us anything and it certainly isn't a derogatory term in our eyes.
We had one who effectively retired aged 12 and lived to be 24, she too was a much loved field ornament. Her only job was to keep any horse left at home company.

I think that it is only a derogatory term in the eyes of some readers, rather than the poster's in most cases.

 

[AngieandBen]

I've got two part time field ornaments they only get hacked occasionaly now. They will be my field ornaments till the day they die. I've even come to the conclusion that I like looking after them just as much as I do riding them.

 

[Dolcé]

LOL, and we have 13 field ornaments at present, with only 1 actually doing any work, but as the term suggests, they make the field look pretty!