For those with multiple horses - why?

Excellent question !!! and one I ask myself quite frequently. I had three big hunters for two decades, they each had 6 years in age difference between them, so as the oldest slowed down the middle one took over and the youngest followed on. I lost the oldest and the youngest in the space of 7 days and made the decision to pack up in 2004.

Family and OH told me I would be hell to live with if I packed up and encouraged me to look for another. Found one within months and the horse took me to some dizzy heights competitively, he broke down in 2011 and I announced I really was packing up.

Anyway, can't dwell on the internet, I need to go and feed - the broken down big boy who enjoys retirement, the two year old filly I bred, and her boyfriend the feral carthorse, another retired mare, the young cob mare I bought to take me hacking gently in my old age, a yearling that 'needed a good home' and of course, the cat.

Hey ho, how did that happen then ?
 
errmm, Its a question I ask myself daily!

I got rid of my one and only horse (daughter had a part loan type thing) as he was unsuitable as a nanny type and I mainly rode to accompany my daughter on hacks.
Loan pony was pts and she was given a present of an unbroken 3 year old *yay*
So I took on a safe semi retired hunter to accompany her- this took us to 2. When we left livery to a rented field I acquired a Shetland companion in case one had to be left behind at any point...then the original horse came home in disgrace! I could have and probably should have said no but he's always had a special little spot in my heart and I figure if he's an idiot for everyone why not for me!?
This makes 3 plus a Shetland pony
I'd dearly love to just have one but there is nothing I can do about the situation as im just too soft!
 
We have 4, my young cob, my daughters ID, our aged retired mother daughter share and her aged companion. Good job we don't have any more land because my youngest daughter has shown an interest and I have the inkling to get her a pony. Ideally we would have just 3 usable horses, but whilst the old girls have quality of life they remain with us. At this time of year its easy, the long winter a distant memory, come January I will be cursing all 4 of them. They cost a fortune and I afford it by never going on holiday/up grading cars/walking around in ancient clothes, charity shop buys and hand me downs.
 
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I was about to tell you I had five. But I have six. Duh. Companion, then companion for the companion, usual stuff. One down south competing (number six!) I think when you have your own fields and dealers as neighbours it is a nightmare. They get something either me, my OH or kids like and hey oh, text to say we are putting x in our field and that's it!
 
Al does because it's pretty much her job! Although technically she owns none of the them :D

Reg is her top eventer atm. But looking ahead, he's now 13 and has had a long old life and it's not fair to expect him to go on indefinitely. So she has Smokes as a talented younger horse coming through. Then she has a paying guest to bring on and then either sell or event :)

She has another 4 to look after and ride, but they're part of a yard she manages so don't count!
 
I have 6 because I can first one had health problems so brought a you youngster then a companion for her. Then another ridden one, then a foal and rescued two Shetlands as well one rehomed now : )
 
Didn't finish! Now old boy facing PTS in a few weeks so deposit on spotty foal so will have three for winter.
 
Somehow lost original post! Only had one sip of wine honest! Had one horse for 13 years then he was retired and moved to own place got youngster to bring on. Then needed companion to keep old boy company when rode new boy - cue Shetland! And then post above!
 
well there was the horse, then the companion, then a younger version of the companion, then the younger version of the horse. the horse was then PTS and got a loan horse. The companion was meant to be a loan but owner didn't want him back, the younger version of the companion wasn't supposed to be a keeper but he's turned out nice and is big enough for me to ride. The loan horse goes back end of the summer so will be at three again. Luckily I don't have more land!
 
I've always had 3 - 5 at any one time. 2 of them are my very first ponies though now retired so they just mooch about (although now teaching my 14 month old son to ride!), so dont know if they count! My grey who I've competed for years did his tendon seriously last year so that's him retired and I would never sell him now as I owe him so much (and who would want a 15yo 16hh TB x Luso - not exactly an obvious companion!). My other horse I was gifted last year so he's the only one I'm competing. In the past, I've usually always had 2 competition horses (and sometimes a young project) - I dont know why, I guess because I could! And because it meant I could have one horse for like eventing / show jumping and the other for WH and RC team stuff etc. I do appreciate now though how much easier it is with just 1 horse in work! I'll soon be moving the 2 horses to my place and the acreage isn't great so I literally wont be able to have anymore!
 
I have 2. I bought one for hacking, however I took a bit of a chance on a feral pony and it turned out she hates hacking. So I bought one that liked it. Didn't sell the first as she is turning out to be a super little jumper, games pony etc.

Actually I have a third too, he is on loan though and has been for nearly 10 years so he doesn't count!
 
2 horses and a mini! one horse is getting old 28 so I bought a baby to bring on until I retire her, but I've put on weight so feel mean riding her so have 3 and haven't ridden since oct. and I have the mini to keep them company whilst I take one of them out! and the fact that he is the most adorable thing in the entire world!!!
 
We've had multiples over the years!

Meg-first pony, still got her and always will have her. She is mine!
Then sister outgrew her a few months later so still being fairly novicey at the time (mum had had a 20 odd year break from horses!) we bought a nutty TB. Gem on the ground but was verging on the point of throwing herself on the ground to get you off.
Next came Otto for my sister to move on to! He broke early so has enjoyed a good few years of retirement!
After Otto came Sophie as mum was fed up of grafting and no riding! Had her 3 years before she went on loan and was then sold on (by mum!) Before Sophie we bought a coloured intended to be my next pony but turned out had a rep as a nasty bucker so that went back and we got her instead.
At some point around this time we had a little shetland called Tink and she was eventually sold on to a 'friend'. Lovely little girl.
Due to Otto 'breaking' sister got a horse on trial which turned out to be a vertical rearer so that went back to the dealer and she bought herself a dumblood called Carson from a private seller, had him a few years he's now off on loan while she travels the globe! I think he is a keeper for her, like Otto.
Had a loan pony Merry for the little kids and one called Joe for a bit too but Joe went back and Merry stayed a few more years.
After Carson was a loan horse called Alfie intended for mum but that was very long and complicated story; he went back after a couple of months.
Got a free colt called Haribo who I didn't like but the liverys adored so after we brought him up to health sold him to them, they still have him.
Merry went back, few months later I bought a mare called Nesta and had her for a year before sending her out on trial to some people who are soon to buy her. (fingers crossed eh...) I usually keep mine but I don't enjoy her and refuse to pay so much for a horse I can't have any fun with but new home sounds great.
In Jan mum got another horse, a yearling (April) called Sapphire! Still got her and I'm hoping mum will keep!

I think again we've had so many 'cos we could' :P
At the moment between us we have 4! Meg, Otto, Carson and Sapphire.
Hopefully in the future I'll have my next horse which will be a homebred. :) Also a keeper.
 
I have 4...

1 retired, 1 only hacks, 1 is my competition horse who is my horse of a lifetime and now 15, 1 is my new 4 year old to start producing, either to be sold next year or kept to compete alongside my boy, not sure et. She's absolutely lovely but struggling a bit with another so she may not stay forever!
 
I have 2

Got the second because the original is a bit of a d!ck to be frank! Have had him for 10 years so couldn't part with him for anything but got sick of getting decked all the time! He hasn't improved with age either. Second came along as wanted something that would hunt and team chase without killing me ... something just a bit less highly strung. Still ride original rat bag every day (well ride and lead and take in turns which I ride) as he likes to hack out ... just about all he will deign to do!!
 
i have smurf cos i was deprived as a child and wasnt allowed a my little pony ( so i bought a full size one - traddy cob) i have fred (sec a) cos i needed a companion quickly for my now deceased dutch warmblood. and i was left 2 shetlands in a will. i am currently on the look out for another as my first love is dressaage and despite my best efforts with smurf ( and he does glying changes now!) he aint ever going to get above medium
 
5 but 3 mine, one came by accident , one was mine and ones my potential broodmare. Other two belong to mum
 
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I'm in the wrong game for someone who is too soft! I do behaviour and training stuff. I have 5 stables and 6 horses - 2 small ponies in one stable - always been that way for them - kinda social thing for them - because they can etc.

Latest was gonna be put to sleep. I had a stable free after losing my old lad...

At the mo I can only ride 2... :-/ One pony to back now he has put the weight on, 1 to back when we have overcome physical and mental stuffs, 1 to back for driving.... eventually, one as class / paddock clown.... Ho hum... :D
 
I have three now, I have had four and I work full time nights to pay for them. I bought Blaze, then got a mare as a companion for her. Mare surprised us with a foal. Then I got a loan pony for my daughter. 2nd mare had to be pts. Then I took on a friend's horse, later rehomed that one.
Loan pony retired and went to live with my friend, then last summer I took on my friend's PBA mare on permanent loan.
So I have Blaze, Jasmine (foal, now 6) and Marygold the PBA
 
Good question Enfys :)
I come from horsey parents so there was always a multitude of horses and ponies around as I was growing up. Some hunters, some sj ponies, some "feel sorry for - poor little blighters", liveries etc.
Sprouting my own wings and going it alone I obviously kept up horsey tradition and had a hunter for myself - then kids came along and OMG, how I loved pony club days :) We seemed to have two or three horses/ponies at a time to share between all of us.

Unfortunately neither kids kept up the riding (although son is currently training to be a farrier - how lucky am I? Just need to marry daughter off to a vet and I'm sorted! ;) )

Now I have 4, my own "best in the world ever" mare who my competition horse, a companion TB that is Psycho, a new big youngster that is aimed for the top and a little piebald cob that has come in for rebacking (as you know!)

TBH 4 horses are much easier than 3 - always stick to an even number :)
 
I have a cob that I ride, a standard shetland that I show, a mini shetland that just looks cute in the field, a section a that also just looks cute and I have just bought a 6 month old gypsy cob foal that will my future riding horse. I rent land and they all live out 24/7 :-)
 
Enfys said:
I was just wondering how on earth I manage to collect so many horses and came to the conclusion that my reason for having them is merely 'because I can' :)

If you have multiple horses why is that?
Click to expand...

I would love 'because I can', desperately looking for house we can afford with about 10 acres and then I will be able to. At the moment just one :(
 
Im down to 2 now. Had miniature shetties and a drum horse filly but due to time and field rent going up I decided to downsize. I could do with only having 1 but couldnt part with either of my boys.
Comanche was bought with a purpose in mind and had the right breeding but I had been looking for a coloured and he is iron grey (shallow I know lol), I bought him anyway but 12 months later saw Jester for sale at a stupid price...on impulse I went to look at him (in truth only because he was big and coloured) and learnt the true meaning of love at first sight. He was slightly neurotic and getting near him was tricky. I took a punt anyway and 10 months later I couldn't love him more if I tried :D
 
Started with 14.2 Fjord for my daughter. (Bribery for moving to The Netherlands!).
Then bought a KWPN mare for cos I was sick of following my daughter around on the bike. (Number 2)
Bred a foaL from the mare for my daughter to eventually ride. He's now 3 yo. (Number 3)
Fjord broke and was never going to be perfect again so last year went out and bought another KWPN mare (number 4).
My mare was PTS beginning of March this year so back down to 3.
Going horse shopping next Sunday for another one. A nice quiet hack for me. Excited!
 
Because i can is good enough reason for me..I have three but would take another on if i came across a nice one...Don't tell my husband!!..If i had to pay livery i would of stopped at two..I am loving having a yearling about the place so would not say no to another young un..
 
Well my story goes: My mum bought a shetland mare and stallion to breed with and bought me a shetland gelding to ride. So we had a foal, that went off to America. We then went to a local tack auction and ended up with a cheap, well bred sec a mare who I rode on then sold. My shetland gelding got a freak illness and was pts so I got a replacement. By this point we had gained another mare and stallion & 2 foals. The foals and first stallion went off to america and the first mare went back to her breeder. Then it was decided that I needed a pony for the Shetland Grand National. So we got Flint. Because of Flint we got his sister. And another mare. Then it was decided that I neededa bigger pony so got Jasper, my fell. Whilst I was getting him going we had a few more foals. Then I decided that I wanted a dartmoor pony because I was fed up with the kids I competed against looking down their nose at me because I still rode a shetland and they had dartys - so I got myself a bigger and better darty - hence Freebie.

Then I started working with racehorses and Kyle broke so naturally I took him home. Shetland population still growing. A couple of years later I got Jeff home from racing. Then he broke so I got Laurel so I had something to ride while Jeff was out. My fell was on loan at this point. Then Gray broke so he came home with me aswell.

Laurel has just gone to his new loan home. Oh and somewhere between Jeff and Laurel my mum decided she wanted a welsh cob - Gerry.

I now have 16 to deal with on a daily basis and a further 3 out on loan lol!

10 shetlands - mostly my mums.
1 welsh cob.
1 fell.
1 dartmoor.
3 tbs.

And here endeth the tale lol!
 
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