Help, struggling to afford horse

Rache

Rache

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I rescued my 4yo cob x 2 years ago. He's my forever horse, a total gem and after having many issues has come on leaps and bounds.
However I fell ill last autumn and now I'm really struggling to maintain his up keep other then the basics.
Basically he's lightly broken and was going really well, then I became ill and he has had the winter off, which has done him some good. I am now well-ish and looking for work, so far sent out 40+ applications with no luck as yet. But the issue is now my boy is bored and needs work, he's out grown his saddle so needs a new one, and he's been doing ground work, lunging, long reining, walking out in hand, loose poles etc, but he needs to be doing more. But I can't afford a saddle and all the checks that come with getting back on him ie, back, teeth etc. I'm lucky as in my livery is very cheap with amazing extras such as hay and straw included, and he doesn't need anything in the way of extra feed or shoes. I'm just stuck with a amazing horse that is perfect and not being able to enjoy him, or him enjoy being out and doing. As soon as I'm back at work it will be fine and will afford him to go for schooling, saddle and everything else that goes along with that.
Really don't want to sell him but things are looking really bleak. Don't think I could loan him out as saddle etc isn't in place but as well he hasn't learnt to canter yet so has been very lightly broken and don't want him ruined. Anyone have any suggestions?
 
I had a nice pony who I "sold" for various reasons.
Unfortunately, the new "owner" [well actually I still own him!] has not been paying for him, and I provide the hard feed.
However horses are expensive and he will be probably better off in a new home, just advertise as a young horse, and find someone who can cope, they should probably already have horses and saddles........ he does not sound as though he is a "first pony" type.
PS I break my horses bareback, so "no saddle" should not put you off!
you can also do lots of long reining, this will get you fit and will improve his balance and obedience.

Taking almost any job is better than trying to exist.
Have you thought about nursing......... or the police, just try to think outside the box.
 
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He will survive without having a saddle! :confused:


You said you can afford to keep him/feed him etc, just cant afford a saddle/schooling till you get a new job. I dont see this as an issue!

Im sure he will be perfectly happy doing lots of nice fun ground work,Maybe some bareback? then begin proper schooling when your back in work :)

You may think he is bored, but as long as his needs are catered for, and he is happy and healthy im sure he wont mind waiting a few more months before comin back into work with a new saddle ;)

It would be different if you cant afford his livery etc, but schooling/saddles can wait ;)
 
That's the thing I'd be gutted if I sold him then the week after had a job. I'll never be able to afford something of his standard again. Like I said still doing lots of ground work with him and I do sit on him bare back, he just needs more now
 
Rache said:
I rescued my 4yo cob x 2 years ago. He's my forever horse, a total gem and after having many issues has come on leaps and bounds.
However I fell ill last autumn and now I'm really struggling to maintain his up keep other then the basics.
Basically he's lightly broken and was going really well, then I became ill and he has had the winter off, which has done him some good. I am now well-ish and looking for work, so far sent out 40+ applications with no luck as yet. But the issue is now my boy is bored and needs work, he's out grown his saddle so needs a new one, and he's been doing ground work, lunging, long reining, walking out in hand, loose poles etc, but he needs to be doing more. But I can't afford a saddle and all the checks that come with getting back on him ie, back, teeth etc. I'm lucky as in my livery is very cheap with amazing extras such as hay and straw included, and he doesn't need anything in the way of extra feed or shoes. I'm just stuck with a amazing horse that is perfect and not being able to enjoy him, or him enjoy being out and doing. As soon as I'm back at work it will be fine and will afford him to go for schooling, saddle and everything else that goes along with that.
Really don't want to sell him but things are looking really bleak. Don't think I could loan him out as saddle etc isn't in place but as well he hasn't learnt to canter yet so has been very lightly broken and don't want him ruined. Anyone have any suggestions?
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Why do you think he is bored? Try not to be too anthropomorphic about the situation. It wouldn't be any different if he, for whatever reason, COULDN'T be ridden due to a problem with him or his health.

Just carry on doing as much as you can in hand, ensure he has plenty of turn out with other horses, and wait until you can afford a saddle.

My girl hardly ever gets ridden due to my work and family commitments, and she looks like any other horse, being turned out, brought in, etc etc. She certainly doesn't look 'bored'.:)
 
I don't think he needs more, just YOU feel he needs more. As others say I'd be carrying on with the groundwork, ride him barback, and maybe try long reining him, de spookify him with poly bags and umbrellas, and see if you can introduce him to traffic kids on bikes etc.
 
He may just be fed up if not having as much turnout? Just keep him turned away and bring back into work when you are ready.
 
I know he's bored he gets a sod too handle and plays up over stupid things. Ie when he's not bored and his mind is kept busy he's a saint, when its not he's pushy, bargy, and always looking to "play" with some thing, and gets fairly hard to handle. Ie normally he would walk nicely past a bag in the hedge, when he's bored is fun to jump about and just be silly. He wants to learn and gets bored amazingly quickly, can't do the same thing too often and have to keep changing his routine to keep him thinking, too much of the same then he starts to play up. I know he's only going though his teenager I know everything period, but it's depressing knowing that ATM I can't further his education. All the walking over sacks, under things, loading, have been done. He knows the score with them and is looking for something new to do
 
Dubsie said:
I don't think he needs more, just YOU feel he needs more.
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This. Could you not hop on him bareback? I know he's only been lightly broken in but if he's safe enough it could be an option.
Apart from that it sounds like you are doing plenty with him! More than my 4yo who is lucky to get a groom atm and gets pulled in roughly once a fortnight for a lunge :o
 
Could you sell your current saddle and buy a second-hand adjustable synthetic one? Thorowgood and Wintec make excellent synthetic ones and as he is still growing and developing you can keep altering the fit. If your current saddle is a half decent one you should get about £350 for it and that would easily buy 2nd hand Wintec or Thorowgood.
 
I understand why you are feeling low about it, but ask yourself the question, what would you do if, for instance, he had to be unridden due to injury for a year?

It's only the same situation, and you wouldn't be able to do any different (probably less) then. You wouldn't consider selling him (and wouldn't be able to obviously) in that instance, and you (presumably) would not in that instance pts him just because he appears a bit bored until he recovers?:)
 
He sounds fresh rather than bored.

He has years ahead of him, you could just turn him away if necessary

At the end of the day a horse is a luxury, if you came on here saying you couldnt afford your mortgage or bills I would possibly feel sympathetic but not affording a saddle isnt really a struggle
 
You have done some brilliant groundwork with him. Could you put this to use with horse agility? It's something that seems to be really popular in this area at the moment, perhaps there are some local events you could enter?
 
He will be absolutely fine turned away for a little longer. There are so many things you an do from the ground and it will all make him a better horse in the long run.

Get your saddle on eBay and buy a cheap Wintec. You can easily get them from anywhere from £50 on eBay. Maybe put an ad on Facebook and Preloved too. As long as the saddle is sound and fits it doesn't have to be pretty. You can them treat him to a nice new one when you get a job.

Take advantage of your time together just bonding and enjoying each others company. Spook proof him, walk him out on the roads, the possibilities are endless.

Don't give up hope, and definitely don't consider selling him. You will regret that decision for the rest of your life.

God luck on your job search xx
 
My first "job" was "breaking" shetland ponies, we got 10 shillings per pony that could be sat on, and there were 50 ponies, not suggesting this as a career, but really, we had no bridles and no saddles, and we managed fine.
Second "job" was hacking to Hamilton races with the starter's horse, another ten shillings!
Fifty years on [aged 60+], I had to break four ponies without any assistance, so I did a lot of ground work til i knew they were safe to back, this took three to six months rather than six weeks, but they all have great mouths and are good rides.
You would be better to borrow a saddle that fits than a buy wintec, they don't fit my pony, nothing to do with the gullet width.
 
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How about looking at Horse Agility - not to take part, as that can be expensive - but to challenge yourself and him to do the exercises that they do. This working together will mean that he will be much better to ride when you can get on. Linda Tellington-Jones also has lots of ground exercises for horses that make them think and give them lots of body awareness and calmness.

Can you rie him bareback? Or buy a treeless saddle (a good make second-hand) which is one step up from bareback.
 
You could ride bareback, you could look at doing more work in hand (classical dressage people often advocate starting lateral work etc in hand), you could do handy pony/trec type stuff in hand, you could buy/borrow a bareback pad.

You could try to borrow a saddle that would fit well enough, you could see whether your existing saddle could be shimmed padded or adjusted enough to work temporarily, you could sell your saddle to fund a new one or you could sell other stuff (old books, cds, rugs, clothes etc) to fund a saddle.

You could also consider what you can do to earn money. Could you get a part time job that you can do while looking for work? Delivering newspapers or pizzas or stuffing envelopes would earn a bit of cash. Or do you have any skills you could use to earn some extra pocket money? Or could you do some yard jobs for cash? You are allowed to earn a small amount without it affecting your job seekers if I remember correctly.

It might also be worth considering getting a "stop gap job" something like bar work or cleaning while you wait for what you really want to come along.

It sounds a shame to get rid of your horse purely because you can't afford a saddle straight away if you can afford his keep. Heck I work full time but I couldn't afford to just buy a saddle without saving or borrowing so it isn't that unusual to have to make do for a while.
 
Horses don't *need* to be ridden and what you've been doing so far sounds great, maybe you just need to make the in hand stuff more challenging? I am thinking classical dressage stuff. Most horses don't get enough time spent with with on the ground and if he has previously been difficult maybe he would benefit from more of it?

If he's a 'typical' shape cob then a thorowgood cob or other saddle designed for that shape is probably worth a go. There is loads of info online about saddle fitting even on the master saddlers website so you can see if it is drastically wrong. Sometimes I wonder why I bother with saddle fitters.

Good luck with the job hunt!
 
Perhaps why are are freeing up time not riding, you could take the time to PM a lovely HHO member who had the decency to lend you her stuff? A big fat apology and also send the bit back.
 
Oh please a saddle now. urgghhh. The last two saddles I have given to people who I know will use them and never asked(right size etc that would just go mouldy in the cupboard). But bareback or an old hessian potatoe sack will work equally as well. Saddle pad etc.

The other option is for me to have your horse as I dont have one anymore. But I have my old saddle etc just no horse. That will give you more time to look for job. Try bar work good money etc Care work is always available, if you do night duty you could be at home during day.
 
Kat said:
You could try to borrow a saddle that would fit well enough, you could see whether your existing saddle could be shimmed padded or adjusted enough to work temporarily, you could sell your saddle to fund a new one or you could sell other stuff (old books, cds, rugs, clothes etc) to fund a saddle.
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:D Made me laugh that did.
OP I think its time, instead of bury your head in the sand, that you sold the horse and repaid any outstanding debts you may have (starting with the £70 bit you borrowed of BigRed).
 
You could do long reining with him, this could be done on the roads too if they're quiet? Riding a cob bareback might actually be quite comfy if you've got good balance, I once rode a dales and although I could feel his spine, it wasn't uncomfortable. I'd have a neckstrap though just in case.
 
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