Horse Owners Who Dont Ride.

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geegee1959

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:)I dont know if this may have being done before,so sorry if it has.I am 53 almost, bar a week:Dand i own 2 Fell Ponies,one is 3.5yrs and the other one is 2.5yrs and i have just taken on a 6yr old unbroken Mare and her almost 6mth old Foal who needed some tlc tbh,yes i am a big softy i know.The thing is i have never really being into the riding side of Horses,more the looking after especially as i have grown older.I used to ride as a Child never a brillient rider tbh,and over the years i haven't really being bothered about riding and i am more nervous these days so why i have ended up with 2 young Fells and an unbroken 6yr old Mare and a Foal is beyond me:Dbut the pleasure i get from just spending time with them everyday is amazing and it suits me perfectly.I enjoy taking my Fells for walks on the road for instance and gaining my Mare and Foals trust(Mare and Foal were left pretty much to their own devices):eek:
The thing is i have had comments such as ''why have you got Horses if you dont ride?or fancy taking on an unbacked 6yr old plus a Foal''.But at the end of the day,my Horses and what i do with them makes me happy.
Does anyone else have Horses but dosen't really care about riding?
 
Doesn't really matter what other people think, so long as they are being looked after properly they won't care if they are being ridden. You've given them the chance of a good life and thats all that matters.
 
I know people who keep horses but don't ride them. Sometimes it's because the horse had lameness problems or is just too old to ride, but some just gave up riding for their own reasons.

It's nobody else's business whether you ride or not IMO. If your animals are well cared for, get enough exercise and you and they are happy, I don't see a problem. :)
 
I do ride my horse but can't say as I'd be the slightest bit bothered if I couldn't. Like you, I just enjoy spending time with her, I could just sit and watch her for hours in fact. I'd love to have the time and resources to 'collect' ponies :)
 
I have 6 field ornaments. 4 ought to be started soon, but in all honestly I enjoy being around them far more than riding.

I'm lucky that I can get out and about on friends horses too. Nice pootle down the pub etc :D

I love just going out on them, but no inclination to ever show etc (although I may be taking my friends pony to her first before the kids get on!)

If I was told tomorrow that I couldn't get on again, it wouldn't upset me too much, losing them all would though.
 
Makes no difference if you ride or not you as long as you look after them and treat them as horses which you are doinmg and not rabbits which sadly to many people do.
 
:)Foxtrot,you know what is really rewarding?seeing my Mare starting to come round and trust me and starting to whinny to me when she see's me,in the short time i have owned her.:)
 
It really doesn't matter what others think. I guess the only thing to consider is their future should something happen to you - but it may well be they'd find a home as a brood mare.

Honest I think I enjoy grooming and in hand work more myself. But Bree will be trained up to do dressage (which I loathe) in case something happens to me.

Paula
 
I can much more easily relate to someone who has horses as pets and doesn't ride, than to someone who only values horses for the 'job' they do. That, I cannot understand. May as well stick to inanimate objects such as cars. When I was very young I guess my favourite part of being with horses was the riding. But it was not everything. Now, I think the taking care of them and just being with them and establishing a close bond is far more important than riding. Riding is just a bonus. :)
 
I used to think it was odd to have horses of rideable age and not ride but since I lost my original mare who was my soul mate i'm not nearly as bothered about riding. My current mare is out of action and I don't enjoy riding my gelding as much so seem to have just got out the habit. I like pottering around with them so if that's what you want to do go for it! I've had ponies in the past that I have loaned out and I get just as much enjoyment out of seeing other people ride my horses as I do doing myself. When i'm proper old i'm going to get some mini's to play with.
 
Can fully relate to the trust part. My mare was an out and out brat when I got her, she made it quite obvious that she did not want to spend her time with people.

I've had her just over a year and people can't believe she's the same horse (an old owner asked if she'd had a brain transplant, lol). I fully believe that if riding had been my main focus she would be the same as when I bought her rather than the sweet, affectionate girl that she has become.

I doubt there's many things more rewarding than caring for less than perfect horses :)
 
I don't think it matters at all that you have horses and don't ride. I know that if I couldn't ride, I would still get pleasure out of just being around them. The only thing that would worry me slightly though is having several unbroken horses (obviously yours are mostly youngsters at the moment, but in a few years time they won't be). If something happened and I had to move them on, I think it would be more difficult if they weren't already broken.

ETS Now I've posted, I see that PaualG has made a similar comment. x
 
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Paulag said:
It really doesn't matter what others think. I guess the only thing to consider is their future should something happen to you - but it may well be they'd find a home as a brood mare.

Honest I think I enjoy grooming and in hand work more myself. But Bree will be trained up to do dressage (which I loathe) in case something happens to me.

Paula[/QUOTE
Paulag,my 2 Fells are Geldings and little Man is a Colt,so it is my Mare that i would worry about if she remained unbroken and i could no longer keep her,Foalie i will be having Gelded.
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JoannaC said:
I used to think it was odd to have horses of rideable age and not ride but since I lost my original mare who was my soul mate i'm not nearly as bothered about riding. My current mare is out of action and I don't enjoy riding my gelding as much so seem to have just got out the habit. I like pottering around with them so if that's what you want to do go for it! I've had ponies in the past that I have loaned out and I get just as much enjoyment out of seeing other people ride my horses as I do doing myself. When i'm proper old i'm going to get some mini's to play with.
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I think this was what changed me. When I gave up my share mare who I adored riding I lost my drive for it. I really clicked with her and can take it or leave it with others. My favourite rides now are out with her owner on her other horse. Best owner/horse for a share I could've asked for.
 
Fells are quite desirable and older unbacked horse isn't necessarily a problem. They're often easier to back later, but only if well handled on the ground.

Luckily between my OH, his father and my friends, one of them would have all mine as all are like me with plenty of unridden. So between us a horse is always for life.
 
Hi, I am new to posting on this site, but have two lovely ponies that I dont ride myself. One is backed and ridden by my grand children and the other is a youngster who will be backed next year. I have only just got into horses and have had some lessons but lack confidence to ride my own ponies. I love them for themselves and spend all my spare time mucking out, grooming and caring for them. Luckily I am at a great livery yard where help and advice is always at hand. One day I will pluck up the courage to do more riding myself, but for now I am just happy knowing they are well cared for and loved. I just wish I had done it when I was younger. (I am 60 now)http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/forums/images/icons/icon7.gif
 
I have a welsh gelding who I bought 5 months ago and due to various issues I have not ridden him much and I am not too bothered. I will just hack him once maybe twice a week till the spring when I hope to get him going properly. I am not bothered not being able to ride and if I couldn't I would be happy as long I could keep him.

I have got a Shetland too who isn't ridden but I take her for walks and she is very content :)
 
I do ride and absolutely love it, however I too enjoy the 'looking after' side far more!

Sometimes when I'm tired after work the thought of riding is a bit of a chore but I still look forward to seeing my boy at the gate, bringing him in and just caring for him :)

If I was told I couldn't ride I'd still keep horses just for the pure joy of bonding with them.
 
I would not give a moments thought what people think...s*d them! I do ride my horse but if anything happened where he had to be retired or a field ornament I would still love my time with him and would not look to buy another horse for riding purposes. I would just look after my boy and forfit the riding element.
 
:)Well i certainly hope to be able to have Horses into my old age anyway and if i dont ride in that time so be it, as long i am capable of being able to look after them that is the only thing that will be important to me,my Mom still goes rambling at the age of 78 so if i am as fit as she is at that age i should be ok:D
 
Me! I've always loved horses but never been into the riding side. Worked for years on riding schools and never once used the free lessons I earnt so everyone thinks im a bit strange :p then got an ex broodmare and a welsh a. I've got on a couple of times but just don't enjoy it but think I would go crazy if I didn't have the ponies! Love driving but it's very expensive so going to be a while before I can get into it properly but until then the ponies will be pets and always will be if they don't like being driven :)
 
It's nobody else's business what you enjoy doing. I do love riding, but love horses more. When I could keep only one when I got divorced, my lovely comp horse who was ideal was the one I sold. It never even occurred to me to sell my childhood pony who I'd outgrown ability wise & strictly speaking legs wise. And after an injury, I refrain from doing the stuff she could do still, in order to have her around longer. Likewise when daughters 11.1 is outgrown, she'll stay for life. Daughter will ride mine, I'll ride other peoples. And then I'll bring on a young 14.2 for daughter to ride when mine can't do more than hack. Which will leave me with 3, & none what I'd call rides for me. But I'd prefer to do that & ride other peoples than ever get rid of current two ponies. I'll only get a riding horse when my old pony is gone, & I don't ever want that to happen, I'd love her to be around, even fully retired, for my entire life.
 
Through my daughter's horses I did 12 years of caring without riding and it gave me such an opportunity to really understand how horses think, interact with each other and also to be fully divested of any romantic notions I may have had about them (and I learned this the hard way!)

Horses were a passion of mine from childhood, but I never did much riding and when my daughter took it up I was very happy just to be "ground crew" and then I put on loads of weight and couldn't possibly have ridden anyway.

Then last year I got quite poorly for a long while and lost a load of weight and my daughter decided to take a break from horses. I was lucky to find great loaners for both her tbs and still be involved with them and other horses through friends but made me realise that actually I could do this for myself. I'd given her the opportunity, she'd enjoyed it, and now it was my turn. So, through a kind friend with a kind weight carrying horse I learned to hang on in some fashion and then an equally kind friend has let me have her lovely mare on loan and I am riding 3-4 times each week. (I have sprained a muscle in my groin though so may have to take a week off I guess :( )

Anyway, long story short, if my loan mare were not able to be ridden I would consider it an honour to continue to care for her as she has cared for me. As for my TBs, though I will never ride their crazy butts I love them and as their owner I owe them a duty of care so if either found themselves homeless or injured pasture pets only I would also gladly look after them. I love riding, but I love the horses more, so it wouldn't bother me if I couldn't ride them.
 
I love riding, the feeling of galloping flat out across the fields and flying over jumps...but I also love grooming, playing loose in the school and other such things! If I had a good riding horse as well as Ned, I'm not sure if I'd ride him as much. He's more fun to play with :P
Like others have said - so long as you and the horse are happy, who cares what you do? :)
 
I'm putting my riding horse out on full loan as I just don't enjoy riding anymore. Not his fault at all, he's an angel, but I have just fallen out of love with it. But I will still have my retired boy to fuss on the weekends and that is enough for me right now.
 
Please don't take this the wrong way, I'm sure your ponies are loved and well looked after but...
when I bought my gelding nearly eighteen years ago, I felt a responsibility to try to improve him whilst he was mine. I had no reason to think I would ever pass him on or sell him, but I was a bit morbid and thought about if anything happened to me and I wasn't around or couldn't look after him myself.
My thoughts were, if he's well behaved and has done some of everything, he would more likely go to someone who would take care of him and he would lead a useful life. Horses that are unbroken and haven't done anything are an unknown quantity and if the owner is no longer around, buyers would be more wary.
That would be my only worry, particularly about the geldings. Over the years, I have known some new owners have bought cheap ponies that have been field ornaments for quite some time, that have turned out to have behavioural problems. Not saying yours have, I'm sure they are very well behaved, just that, if I were looking for ponies, I would shy away from older unbroken ones.
They would not be worth as much as ponies that have been broken, and if they fall into the hands of novice owners, they will not be as experienced at breaking them in and could inadvertantly cause problems. There have been many threads on here about this subject from time to time.
My horse is a pasture ornament now, he's retired at age 24 and I love him to bits. I don't miss riding other horses, but I do miss getting onto that lovely back of his.
 
I feel very similar

I have two ponies under 12hh, I dote on them and thoroughly enjoy having them despite not riding however I am keen to get the older one broken in and being ridden

If (God forbid!) I fall financially flat on my face at any time I hope that my two would find good homes and in order to acheive that they need to be as sellable as possible

My hope with the older one is to find a jockey who wants to take him to PC and shows

The yealing is happy being a pony at the moment but he has had the groundwork of being groomed, led, feet picked up etc
 
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