Going From One Horse to Two!

B

Bootz

Member
Joined
7 April 2006
Messages
15
Visit site
Would love to know who has made this transition and how have they coped?! I have been thinking of getting a second horse for a number of lovely different reasons....have written out the pros and cons but really wobbling with the xtra commitment.....this happened when I got my first mare but of course it was the best thing I ever did! Both would be kept on DIY livery (with turnout help) ..... many thanks.
 
Bootz i am thinking the exact same thing as you just now, want to get a second horse,just slightly scared dont really know why as i worked on a yard of 30 odd horses for 4 years still 2 of my own is different lol
smile.gif
x
 

I did this because I wanted to start competing again and at 25 my boy wasn't up to it.

I bought a just-backed 5 yr old who needed an awful lot of time spent on her which I didn't really have, so I "loaned" out the older horse. He stayed on the same yard and I still looked after him and paid for everything apart from his shoes, but at least he was being ridden.

Time will be the biggest problem, but I never regretted it - wish I could do it again now!
 
Beware.... i had one.... eventurally justified having a 2nd one, and within 18 months i had 3 ! now how did that happen?????

Tbh - if you get a "clean one" it really helps and i feed the same food to each one - just in different amounts. I was also luck that 2 are the same rug size - but it is hard carrying 3 lots of tack around at a weekend!

I love having multi horses - especially if they are "different" ie i have 3 totally different type of horses and i personally cannot see the point in having 2 the same - as each one of mine teaches me a different skill in riding and thats what i have them for.

Good luck - let us know how you get on (by the way it isnt just twice the fun - its twice the shoeing - twice the vacinations - twice the dentist - so make a full list and dont scrimp on the costings - be sure you can afford it financially)
 
Insure BOTH of them, particularly avoid the 'ah I won't bother to insure the one worth b**** all' scenario.

Unlike me..... £1000 quid later...

Right now I'd say don't do it unless you have bottomless cash and time but I may change my mind in the spring
smile.gif
 
Thank you everyone.....Gingerwitch, absolutely right about the financial side - Think it's the "twice the shoes" bit that really makes me wince!!
 
[ QUOTE ]
Twice the work BUT twice the fun !! - go for it ...............

[/ QUOTE ]

ooh she's a devil - lol
cool.gif
My YO has 4 and manages with her liveries too! What're your work commitments? If little an d your finances can cope - go for it
grin.gif
 
I bred from my mare and the first year wasn't too bad...but after that it was total hell! He was a real handful and would not let his mother out of his sight and caused no end of trouble. I always rode her out after his first year so he could get used to it....he didn't!

He also refused totally to go out into the field first..and then refused to go out into the field second! Life was a nightmare and then he put me in hospital for 6 weeks - and, do you know what, I still loved him.

It broke my heart to sell him - but I had to. He was better away from his mother.

Oh how I wish that my experience had been a good one..I envy those who have had such a great time.

Good luck!
 
i went from 1 to 2 to then 4 and then down to 3. I found 2 was ok as you have to do one anyway and two pairs of hands means you can carry 2 water buckets,2 feeds and a rug in each hand. I def struggled a little on my own with 3+ but at the time i was quite ill which didnt help! 3 you always have to do 2 trips for everything as there just arnt enough hands for 1 trip! I like the fact you have different horses to ride,i mainly rode and lead but doing 2 trips did take most of my morning up! Now i ride and lead 2 then leave the other in his stable and then take him out on his own. One is out of work at the mo so not too bad but still mucking out etc to do. Leading all 3 in on my own is interesting esp when they are up themselves!!!! I do a lot of elbowing in the shoulder! I would def have 2 forever now,my 4th is coming back for good soon so will have my hands full but am hoping to have some sharers, have weekend help now and again but they only give a small donation.
 
[ QUOTE ]
Beware.... i had one.... eventurally justified having a 2nd one, and within 18 months i had 3 ! now how did that happen?????

[/ QUOTE ]

Ha ha, same here, cept I ended up with 3 in less than a year!! Had one who needed long term rest so got new mare to keep me going. Didn't get on with her and put her up for sale after 7 months BUT bought new gelding before she had left so had 3 for a month! Swore too much work and would never do again
grin.gif


Then had just so much fun with new gelding last year that decided I wanted yet another one to share his workload and have now had 3 for the past five months. Picked right horse again and I'm having a ball; love all of them. Helps that only riding 2, but mucking out 3, and I haven't complained once and am thoroughly enjoying myself, and not bothered by the winter at all - how sad is that !

Go for it, but work out your money carefully. Mine are all the same height and rug size, etc. (though not planned that way) though they all do have their own individual stuff, but at least I can swap stuff around if they break anything.

Also, choose your new horsey carefully; get it right and you really do have twice the fun; get it wrong like I did with the first mare and it all just becomes a chore. Good luck, let us know what you decide.
laugh.gif
 
i found that it wasn't really the extra work, but the extra riding that I didn't have time for. If one horse is semi-retired that would be easier.

Also the double cost of the shoeing is quite a sting! I tended not to notice the extra costs so much until then!
 
Weelll....I started off with one, now have 3 on DIY.....

TBH...once you get in a routine, and find ways of short-cutting (eg- rubber matting/shavings etc ) and get organised ( make up haynets in advance etc ) the extra work isn't that different between 1 and 2- but the difference between 1 and 3 is a killer somehow
confused.gif


Also...if you end up like me, all 3 are different sizes and have different feeding requirements which is a pain in the butt - otherwise I suppose you could 'double up' on stuff.....so get one the same size as your current horse
grin.gif
 
PMSL! Gingerwitch - That's exactly what happened to me last year - started out with one... then got another... then another... So now I've got 3 stables to muck out each day - I find that I'm more organised and just get on with it now - whereas I'd drift about abit aimlessly when doing just one!
blush.gif

Kate x
 
one became two as I fell in love with a friends horse coming to the end of box rest, so he came on loan and all my costs doubled as did the time... unfortunatly he ended up going back so back to one again. Then when I least expected it one became two again costs doubled and I ran around like a headless chicken Fortunatly with the help of a 2nd job and fabulous sharers I coped..... then two became 3 with the arrival of a companion pony and again costs went up and time became shorter. Then sadly 3 became 2 and then a few months later 2 became 1 and sharers and 2nd job went and now I wonder how I ever did it.

I don't regret it, but in my mind one owner and 2/3 horses can never give the 1:1 that some horses need.... and all my 3 suffered as they needed 100% 1:1 time from me. I loved all of them dearly and wouldn't have not had them but we would have all benefited if I could have spent far more time with each of them
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top