Horses pets or working animals??

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FarthingwoodFox

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Personally my horses are working animals, and the day that they cannot do their job (be it riding, jumping etc) I have no qualms selling them.

I know a lot of people see their horses as pets, akin to dogs and the like - and are distraught at the thought of ever parting with them.

So I thought a poll was in order:
 
Applying the question the the ones we have at the moment...pets.

Although I have had no qualms in the past about selling on something that wasnt working out so I suppose Im a 'bit of both' person.
 
Mine are all pets.. no different to my dogs
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Mine doesn't work hard enough to be a working animal!
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Although I would be sad to part with her I would sell her if I had to and have got close to selling her a few times for various reasons. However, she does what I want and I enjoy spending time with her so I guess I am a 'bit of both' person like Spaniel.
 
Somewhere between the two.
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I keep my horses for pleasure, and part of that is their company.

As far as I am aware they are all with me for life (obviously one can't predict the future but that is my intention). My oldie (33) still hacks a couple of times a week but, when he can't - and providing he is well - he will be kept with his friends until the day comes when I have to say goodbye - the same applies to the others.

They have all served me well, given more than I ask and I will do the best I can for them, not only whilst they are working but into old age too.

If horses were my business (dealing, rescuing, breeding or whatever) it would obviously be a different story.
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Mine are both pets ones retired i only ever got a years riding out of him but it makes no difference to me and the other i ride when i feel like it other than that i just enjoy looking after them. Would never sell or get rid of the old one and the other one i loan but have no contact with her owner and never plan to unless i need to.
 
Mine are pets and part of my family and I would never sell them if I could no longer ride them.

Having had all mine from youngsters and backing them myself, I have the sound knowledge that I was/will be the first and last person ever to ride them.

They are great friends and do me proud in competions and general riding, so, I hope that I can repay them the same way in their old age or through illness.
 
Mine mainly hacks but does a bit of competing, I guess Im a bit of both as I sold my last one as I was too tall and wanted to show and do other things.
If the one I have now couldnt do the job I wanted I would still keep him.
 
My old pony and my sisters old pony are purely pets. They've not been ridden for at least ten years but they weren't suitable for selling on and we'll keep them until they need to be PTS in an emergency or due to a deteriorating quality of life. The two horses I've purchased since to do a job have developed health problems at a relatively young age and I've had them PTS, I won't have any more field ornaments. The same goes for horses I buy in the future unless my circumstances change. I would sell on a horse instead of PTS if it could do another job, eg. brood mare
 
Pet. Although he has a job to do and does it well.

He's not treated as a pet, he's treated as a large animal which needs respect and as such never behaves like a pet. But as his 'job' is only minimal work he's classed as a pet to us. The day he can no longer do his job he will live his days out in the field and be treated like a pet.
 
Bought four, one daughters very outgrown pony, on load as a companion but could never sell him; one shettie pet monster
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one retired through injury, my first pony that I could not bear to be without; and one new horsey which I hack out and do a bit of dressage on when I'm not falling off him!!
 
Other. Day to day caring for my horse is a pleasure and I treat her like a pet.. When tacked up she becomes a working animal. The dynamics change as I need to be in charge.
 
mine are family and pets and working animals , i,d sell one on if i wasn,t able to ride and it was doing nothing , otherwise they stay with me , but if i,m buying to sell on its different
 
Somewhere between the two.

They are primarily working animals, and provided they do the job they stay. If they don't do the job they go.

However, if they have done a good job and then get injured they stay, albeit with a different job title!
 
My two are pets and although Motor will be with me for the rest of his life, I do not know at this moment in time what I would do with my TB as he is on permanent loan and cannot go back and I do not know who would have him, but he is not my 'type' as a ridden horse and initially came as a companion 8 years ago and has never gone back
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If I was in the same position again I would have found a 'my type of horse' as his mate
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I hope that does not sound mean, however I do love him as well
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I think all horses or ponies should have some kind of job but if mine ever gets too old to work then I will have no qualms about keeping her & letting her live out her last days in peace.

Bit of both maybe.
 
I would class mine as a pet as he doesn't earn his keep in any way but if my circumstances changed so I couldn't afford to keep him any more then I would sell on. He is a nice type and good all rounder so I think he would find a home fairly easily. I am very attached to him though and I would have to vet the person buying him carefully, as his previous owner did for me!
 
hmm.. I have one pet who I will never sell - I am a bit sentimental about this mare. The other lot are working animals and if they stop working for whatever reason they will have to go, sad as it would be
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If there was a 'both' option I would have clicked that!

I clicked 'pet' because as far as possible my horse has a home for life - I don't want to pass on my responsibility and I think I owe him that. If for some reason I couldn't ride him, that would still stand.

However...I have no qualms in asking him to work. My view is that he gets a lovely home, loads of money spent on him and all he has to do is 1 hour a day work.
 
Mine work but I love them both to bits, esp my TBx - I'll never sell her. I was quite prepared to keep her as a pet when it looked like her health problems might mean I'd never be able to ride them. Only had ponio a short while and I knew I'd have to sell her on so not quite as attatched
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This is a tough one...

I don't think I could put mine in either category, so I put 'other'. Although I love my horses to distraction, they also have to do a job for me. I am fortunate that two of them are mares, one of which who has already produced a lovely colt, so if they cannot do the 'job' they are intended for, they can have a different one
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So I guess in a way, they are with me until the end but still doing a job if that makes sense.

Troy was bred to do a job, therefore I would be really torn if he could not do it because he is my first homebred and I am attached to the gorgeous bugger
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Working animals- I love them to pieces and still haven't truly gotten over selling my mare, but I was never under any illusions that I would keep them forever. I bought them as riding horses/ponies, and if I had no longer been able to ride, I would have sold them to do something else. Yes, I still would have found them- and did find them- amazing homes, and want them to be very happy wherever they are, but at the end of the day, they did a job.
 
PF is a bit of both. I expect her to work, but she has a home for life with me. Other horses I've been less sentimental about; if they don't suit my purposes I've sold them on. It's still sad, but I've always made sure they've gone to lovely new homes.
 
mainly pet but do go shepherding o her and on the accounts is a sheperding animal (does not use diesel)as i said to the accountant we were told to go green what is greener than a horse, but she is here for keeps even when she dies.
 
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