Healthy Horses doing nothing??

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stroppy

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I have noticed that at my new yard and the yard i was at before that most people don't ride, obviously in this weather i can totaly understand it is often not possible, however when the weather is acomodating why if you have a healthy well behaved horse why just leave him/her in the field and not ride?? its not as though horse's are cheap and i don't understand why some people pay a small fortune on there horses yet dont ride???
 
Probably for the same reason they have a cat or a dog. Because it is a much loved pet. It's not for me but each to their own I say. As long as it is well looked after and a fuss made of it why not? :)

Assuming it isn't a brute which is horrible without work. I have one of those and it's a right pain!
 
Guess they like them as pets. Expensive pets. But a bit like cats a lot of people say that about people who own cats (not why don't they ride them) but why keep an animal who does nothing.

Disclaimer: I know cats do stuff just some people don't. :D
 
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I hear of more people doing this lately than i ever have. I know one person who has her horse on full livery and she simply enjoys spending time with him. Her confidence has waned a lot regarding riding but she enjoys simply being around him.

My friend has been unable to ride due to time constraints.
Personally, I enjoy riding and that is my time away from everybody - just me and my pony out hacking.
 
I think some people (don't take it wrong I said SOME not all of them!) who can easily afford a horse have a horse well... to have a horse!
In some yards with horses in full livery most people have jobs with very good money and they only ride sometimes...ie only at the weekend AND if the weather is nice ie (again) not raining, snowing, not too warm, not too cold...I mean only few times a year in the end! (I know some people like that...)
Shame really...
 
I understand where you're coming from but I guess some people may just want the relationship and bond you get with a horse and keep them as overglorified pets and may not actually be that interested in riding? Or may work odd hours?
 
Noel Sous La Neige said:
I think some people (don't take it wrong I said SOME not all of them!) who can easily afford a horse have a horse well... to have a horse!
In some yards with horses in full livery most people have jobs with very good money and they only ride sometimes...ie only at the weekend AND if the weather is nice ie (again) not raining, snowing, not too warm, not too cold...I mean only few times a year in the end! (I know some people like that...)
Shame really...
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Why is it a shame though? Not trying to fight. Just wondering why you think that.
 
I do think they become a status symbol, like a smart car for some people. I used to share a wonderful horse whose very well off teenage owner only saw it once a week and kept it on full livery, he was eventually and very sadly put down due to an accident and the owner went out very soon after and bought another.

Also, someone near me keeps 30 horses, rides 2 of them and breeds a couple of foals out of a couple of mares each year and that's it. The rest of them just fester in herds in fields.
 
I know what you mean, I'm not able to ride Charlie as much I'd like to at this time of the year (frozen ground, dark evenings etc) so I really make the most of him in the spring and summer, he's such a good boy and enjoyable to own it would a shame not to!! :)
But some people don't enjoy the riding as much or maybe are a little nervous, who knows, each to their own I supose!! :)
 
jesstickle said:
Why is it a shame though? Not trying to fight. Just wondering why you think that.
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I have to say, I think it's good for a horse to have a "job" if it's fit and well to do so. Whether it's doing groundwork with owner, hacking or competition, hunting etc. Just like it is important for a dog to have a job/go for regular walks etc, which they see as an essential activity - i.e. a job. I do think that horses with a job of some sort are happier just like people without a job or purpose often get depressed.
 
As long as the horse is happy and healthy then that's what matters. I think its a shame from the perspective that you may feel that the owner is 'missing out' but then as said previously, they may just enjoy fussing them.
 
Surely that poses the whole argument of it being natural for horses to just stay out in herds they dont need to be rugged and fed etc they can actually manage for themselves however because we have domesticated them to be effectively high mainteance pets/working partners they have become dependant on our company etc
I suppose it all depends on your horses character and your lifestyle being matched and also what you consider to be a good horse because some horses will be quite happy just standing around or grazing and not being ridden or fussed or worked too much etc but some need cuddles and schooling or they become aggressive/depressed etc (then again is that them just reacting naturally that if they dont receive constant contact they will just reform to their wild ways) etc etc etc :D
 
Hels_Bells said:
I have to say, I think it's good for a horse to have a "job" if it's fit and well to do so. Whether it's doing groundwork with owner, hacking or competition, hunting etc. Just like it is important for a dog to have a job/go for regular walks etc, which they see as an essential activity - i.e. a job. I do think that horses with a job of some sort are happier just like people without a job or purpose often get depressed.
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Agreed but the horses the post refers to do have a job, even though it isn't every day. I think if you are rich and can have a horse on full livery and ride once a week when the weather is nice why the heck shouldn't you!

I think a lot of people who don't ride do play with their horses though. We have a lady on our yard who hasn't ridden for years but she spends hours with her horse every day. I don't see much wrong in that. I wouldn't want to pay all that money to not ride but meh. If they're both happy I see no harm
 
Hels_Bells said:
I have to say, I think it's good for a horse to have a "job" if it's fit and well to do so. Whether it's doing groundwork with owner, hacking or competition, hunting etc. Just like it is important for a dog to have a job/go for regular walks etc, which they see as an essential activity - i.e. a job. I do think that horses with a job of some sort are happier just like people without a job or purpose often get depressed.
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Whilst i understand where you are coming from, my horse would be over the moon if he was given early retirement! I feel like i'm dragging him from the field as it is! In contrast to him though, there is another horse that hadn't been ridden for 2 years that I have been given the opportunity to ride and he walks out the field at such a pace.
 
Sometimes my daughter gets a lot of riding in and sometimes life and seriously inclement weather get in the way which I think happpens to a lot of people.

So for instance if you moved onto her yard in the last month you would see a lot of people not doing a heck of a lot with their horses, even the school footing hasn't been great. They're on high ground and it gets and stays frozen/slippery up there so really not worth the risk.
 
If a horse is happy and healthy is it such a major problem? There are far worse things that can happen to a horse.

As for having a "job to do" I doubt many horses dream of galloping around Badminton just like young, horse mad girls do.
 
For some people it's not just about the riding but the whole relationship they have with their horse or horses. If I could never ride any of my horses again I'd never give them up.
 
hmmm iv always wondered this!! I know a girl who got one years ago, rode all the time but for the past couple of years the horse has just stood in its stable pretty much everyday except in the summer. Baffles me really as shes only down for literally 30mins a day!! Theres another one who never even comes down, just expects other people to feed her. And a man who got a horse last year put it on full livery, didnt no anything about horses and the horse has now been abandoned so is working in the RS! I personally wouldnt spend a small fortune on an ordament.
 
The last bit of what you said wild spirit i really believe to be untrue, i have seen many horse become depresed and bored doing nothing and this is when the trouble starts, as some many horses these days have become domesticated therefore no longer have there wild behaviors, as long as a horse is well cared for then that's cool but again there are a lot of people that have a horse do nothing with it and also do not take care of them properly, I'm not saying this is them same in every case, but alot it seems to be ths way, there are 3 ponies all owned by different people that have been abandoned, the owners olny come up to pay their rent, but don't bother at all with the ponies and this is on a DIY yard
 
I agree with you in many respects, but I am also mindful of the fact that there are far too many horses for not enough homes and for every horse that sits around "jobless" there is probably another one or two who are mistreated or wind up in bad homes or rehoming centres. Hence I think it's important that horses are bred with a specific job or demand in mind to avoid overbreeding which leads to mistreatment.
 
there are a number of healthy horses that do not very much at my yard, may do a few light hacks a month, not overweight or anything, yet their owners are perfectly happy coming up to fuss with them, as long as the horse is happy an healthy surely there isnt anything wrong with them doing very little. At the moment taz has had about a month off due to the weather, and the ground being to slippy, on the days i could have ridden i didnt bother, as the weathers just going to get bad again, he still comes in at night gets fussed with and goes out in the morning happy as ever, depends its just the horse really, i know horses who hate being in the field all the time, and love to work.
 
2 out of my 3 are youngsters so no explantion needed! The other one is a dinky little 14.2hh. I am too heavy to ride her. I've lost nearly 2 stone since I bought her and pretty much everyone I speak to rolls their eyes when I say I'm too heavy. BUT shes an ex broodie who has previously done a tendon. If it wasnt for that I WOULD ride her! I'm not precocious about weight carrying abilities but I want to be 12 stone before I ride her. Saying all of that, if I get on the scales tomorrow and am less than 13 stone I WILL be hopping on her bareback, not really to ride, but just for a sit and an onboard cuddle <3

On the other side of the coin my sister has the MOST beautiful papered and graded trak mare, she really, really, REALLY looks the part! But she has previously broken her hock and now due to her altered movement has kissing spines. Shes been treated for both and is sound enough for light hacking. However the work she needs to keep her mind sound is too much for her body to cope with :( We struggled for a very long time to try and keep her ticking over, including one of the most horrific few moments of my life! where the mare stood bolt upright and jumped over backwards and landed half on half off my sister, then galloped up and down like a lunatic a few hundred metres from a pretty busy road!!

The best thing we ever did was retire her. Shes gone from a stressy cow bag to a soppy loving mare. She no longer goes stoopid when we come out the the tackroom with a bridle. Her eye is soft and she is content. As much as we'd both love to ride her again (she is unbelievable to ride!) we wont. Her happiness is more important!

It does bother me a bit when there appears to be a yard full of sound horses not being ridden but occasionally there is more to the situation than meets the eye! There isnt a week that goes by without someone offering to ride G or asking why we dont ride her. Its incredibly upsetting as we would like nothing more but for her and our sake we wont put her through it! I just REALLY wish people would stop offering 'helpful' advise or offering to bring her back into work for us, esp as the majority of the people offering wouldnt be able to ride her on her best day never mind her worst!!
 
My gelding wasn't or isn't ridden because a) he needed weight on him and b) I had a rubbish back injury! Ollie now has enough wieght on him but i am still injured. So he is still having a winter out (oh plus shocking weather)....
However, saying all that and I believe giving a reasonable reason for Ollie being in a field, but as of today he is now injured and on 3 months no work :(
 
Are they telling you they don't ride them? In which case, why not ask them?

Or are you a stalker and stay at the yard every minute of every day... any chance people ride when you aren't there? :p
 
Questions:
Are they in good health?
Do they see the vet / farrier etc if and when they need to?
Are they fed a diet that meets their nutritional needs?
Do they have free access to clean water?
Do they have shelter of some kind from the rain and wind?
Do they have rugs if they need them?
Are they happy?

If you can answer yes to all of the above, they are very lucky horses, much luckier than many horses in the world and in this country, and whether or not they are ridden is entirely irrelevant.
 
I think its a similar argument to housecats, or dogs that are bred to be working dogs kept as pets, or buying expensive, fast flash cars for a school run or drive to work. Personal choice - you might not agree, but its not doing anyone any harm!
 
Coz that's really grown up christmasbee ;) its a known fact between everybody on the yard, only a handful of people ride, i've been at this new yard 3 months and ride both of mine everyday apart from when the weather is like this, and when other liveries have seen me riding everday they have commented on the fact that i'm the only one that does, the other few that do ride on ride 3/4 times a week by their own admitence
ps my spelling is shocking i know :D
 
Roast_Spud said:
Questions:
Are they in good health?
Do they see the vet / farrier etc if and when they need to?
Are they fed a diet that meets their nutritional needs?
Do they have free access to clean water?
Do they have shelter of some kind from the rain and wind?
Do they have rugs if they need them?
Are they happy?

If you can answer yes to all of the above, they are very lucky horses, much luckier than many horses in the world and in this country, and whether or not they are ridden is entirely irrelevant.
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The questions of above are all mainly no's.
 
If the horse is out in a field, I have no issue - it's when they're in a stall that I feel it's unfair.

The majority of horses I know would like nothing better than to hang out with their friends, eat, sleep and occasionally be loved on. Come to think of it, I'd rather like a life like that!
 
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