How many people realistically keep their horse as a pet?

[Jaycee]

According to my last yard owner mine were "just pets" because they didn't do a specific job!

 

[Copperpot]

One of mine is now. 9 and retired due to a various leg issues. He's field sound, so for the next 15 odd years he will be a pet

 

[ponypilotmum]

Unless you derive a livelihood from it, then any horse is a pet.

The hunt does not pay the average subscriber to hunt, therefore even a hunt horse is a pet. An animal which does not earn you a living IS a pet. It is a means of enjoyment.

You don't use them to get to work or breed them to sell or for meat. They don't even plough the fields for you.

How much it's ridden or how much you pay for it's keep doesn't make an iota of difference to that.

Why do people 'up' themselves so much they need to believe their horse is anything other than a big pet which they choose to have for their own happiness? Whether you get happiness from riding or not is your choice.

I'd estimate that most equine pets aren't ridden. But they're fed and loved so it doesn't matter.

 

[Ibblebibble]

At the previous yard I had Mollie on, I knew many of the liveries weren't ridden because their owners told me so. They hadn't been ridden for years.

fair comment, i have been asked if i ever ride mine by people who 'never see me' and it's also been insinuated that i don't visit them every day just because the farm nosey parkers haven't witnessed me being there the fact that i don't work 9-5 means i go at random times, often deliberately to avoid the nosey ones

 

[Caol Ila]

What's a "pet?" As opposed to....?

The OED says: "An animal (typically one which is domestic or tame) kept for pleasure or companionship." Apparently it's etymologically derived from the Scots Gaelic word peata, meaning "tame animal."

I read the OED definition as asserting that horses who aren't working animals or integral to their owner's livelihoods are pets, regardless of how many times a week they are ridden or competed.

I suspect that among horsepeople, there is arguably a slightly different convention regarding the usage of "pet," signifying a horse you don't ride or ride infrequently.

 

[FionaM12]

fair comment, i have been asked if i ever ride mine by people who 'never see me' and it's also been insinuated that i don't visit them every day just because the farm nosey parkers haven't witnessed me being there the fact that i don't work 9-5 means i go at random times, often deliberately to avoid the nosey ones

I work strange hours so I'm often on the yard alone. The good thing is the arena's empty and I quite like the peacefulness of being on my own.

Maybe people think I never ride Mollie. They never say so if they do.

 

[StoptheCavalry]

My horse is a pet and he is treated like one, and I love him like one.

He gets ridden twice a week (1-2hr hacks each day) although will do more with him on days off and in the summer, I don't have any facilities at the new yard so no option to school properly although I do try to do a bit while hacking. I'm not really interested in competing him, just as long as we both have fun I'm happy.

 

[Pinkvboots]

I think its more common nowadays to not ride all the time, many of the yards I have been to in recent years have so many liveries that really dont do that much with there horses compared to many years ago everyone seemed to ride everyday no matter what, maybe its a time thing now? Do people work more who knows.
It does make you think if this has an effect on the horses themselves, seems there are so many different conditions about now which horses never seemed to have years back or maybe we just were not aware of them then.

 

[NOISYGIRL]

My horse is 34 in Jan, he had a tendon injury 28 April this year, I've recently been told I can bring him back into work very slowly, trouble is vet doesn't want me to ride in the school in case its too soft to aggrevate the tendon, as that's the only place I can ride in the winter, there's no point in starting the regime off. I've decided to wait until spring to see if I want to start riding again or retire him. Its a shame as before this he was ridden on a daily basis and was quite fit. If I do decide to retire him then he will be an expensive ornament but who cares, I love him and he loves me as he's spoilt wrotten, I'm not a throw away owner who once he's not fit for purpose he's in for the chop ! He will live in luxury for the rest of his days.

He's carried me around for god knows how long, I will return the favour and look after him until the sad day comes that he departs this world.

 

[Flame_]

Depends how the term pet is used. Mine are ridden but they are not my livelihood, they are my hobby. I enjoy every aspect of having horses for riding, for companionship and for the pleasure of being outdoors.

Any horse that is not owned by a professional, is surely a pet, even if the owner only wishes to keep it for as long as its healthy enough to be ridden at whatever level they choose.

I don't think this definition qualifies horses as pets. To me, the only expectation you have of pets is companionship and something to care for and look after. If you have higher expectations of a horse, and if it doesn't meet them you will no longer be prepared to maintain its long tern upkeep costs then you can't see your horse as a pet. I think of most horses as working animals. Not working to make their owners a living, but working to earn their own feed/vet/upkeep costs. Pets don't actually have to do anything, except be there for you to enjoy being with, horses often have to perform.

Flame became a pet, kept once unrideable purely because I was attached to her and enjoyed her company and taking care of her. I think my current riding horse might get the same status one day but most of my riding horses are bought on the terms that as long as they carry my backside around they can stay. If not, they go, one way or another.

 

[Irishcobs]

I've owned my gelding for nearly 11 yrs. He was rescued and had a bad start to live. He is 1/10 lame (conformation and history problems) and so can not do a huge amount of work so he is basically my pet. He is kept at home with one of my mares as a companion and will get the odd hack if he is sound and I have a spare 1/2 hour.
I know its not quite the same as if I was paying to keep just him in livery.

 

[Scoutie]

Both my horses are pets, my pets both work. I work abroad and come home each weekend to ride, one I hunt and the other is just starting on his show jumping career. As I am not around they both have to be kept fit so are on full livery. I know I can't do this work myself, I am not planning on working abroad for the rest of my career so this is how I have to look after them as I don't want to sell them. That said even when I worked in the UK I did not have time to look after them myself. I care very much for my horses, just because I don't look after their everyday needs myself does not mean that I don't love them nor does it mean that they don't know who I am (Oscar kicks his door each time he hears my voice, he doesn't do this for anyone else). I have had horses with the same person for 17 years, I trust her completely and my horses are shining with health and fitness.

I admire people who look after their own horses, I wish this was possible but I work too long hours and travel too much. Life is about compromise, this is how I have chosen to compromise, others would have chosen a differnt route and not followed my career.

 

[RutlandH2O]

Because they can afford it. Because they want to.
Because they don't have to justify to anyone else their reasons why.....

^^^This!!

I have Shire horses, a late Clyde, several donkeys, 8 pet sheep, dogs, hens...they are all pets. I bought them to be pets. All of the horses get the care and attention ridden horses should receive. I just prefer to remain at their sides not on their backs.

It never ceases to amaze me why this question keeps coming up on the forum. What does it matter to those people who ride? The other day, there was a post from someone who was receiving negative comments about her horse where people were referring to it as a 'carthorse.' Having read all the posts in that thread, it was clear that all those negative remarks were from riders. Is there something in their DNA that makes them either insensitive to other people's feelings, or is it simply jealousy?

 

[showqa]

Think my two horses know that they are pets!! They are ridden 6 times a week, hacking, schooling, bit of jumping. We take ourslevs off to the cross country course for a blast and we do a bit of comp dressage and attend clinics. I ensure that they are fit and healthy but, although they're kept to quite a routine etc, they are hugely expensive, utterly non productive pets!!! Love 'em to bits.

 

[Cortez]

I have four horses; all of them are much-loved, none is a pet. They all go out to work and earn their (and my) living. My friends have LOTS of horsey pets, most are not ridden, or infrequently so; we all treat our horses with love, care and respect. Does it really matter if they are called pets or something else as long as they fulfil what is required of them, and we treat them properly?

 

[FairyLights]

Both my horses are pets. I dont even ride them yet as they are only 2 years old. If I could never ride them it would be ok. I just LOVE them.

 

[Caol Ila]

OED aside, I suppose I'm not interested in keeping horses just to have big furry critters to cuddle -- I have them to ride. Of course, my mare has given so many years of amazing service that I will give her a well-earned retirement when the time comes, but other than that, I see horse riding as one of my sports of choice and my horses have to earn their keep carrying my bum around. Five or six days per week of riding keeps me hillfit enough so I don't fall over walking up a mountain, even if I've gone a month without any hiking.

I could care less what anyone else does. So long as the horse is happy and well treated, I don't care whether its owner rides or not.

 

[MerrySherryRider]

I don't think this definition qualifies horses as pets. To me, the only expectation you have of pets is companionship and something to care for and look after. If you have higher expectations of a horse, and if it doesn't meet them you will no longer be prepared to maintain its long tern upkeep costs then you can't see your horse as a pet. I think of most horses as working animals. Not working to make their owners a living, but working to earn their own feed/vet/upkeep costs. Pets don't actually have to do anything, except be there for you to enjoy being with, horses often have to perform.

Flame became a pet, kept once unrideable purely because I was attached to her and enjoyed her company and taking care of her. I think my current riding horse might get the same status one day but most of my riding horses are bought on the terms that as long as they carry my backside around they can stay. If not, they go, one way or another.

I agree with some of what you say, for those owners who sell/loan/PTS horses that can no longer do whatever their role was, then yes, perhaps they do not fall into the pet category. Such as when there is no sentimentality, even though, they may receive as much care as the 'friends for life'.

I suppose, your definition of a working horse is one that the owner buys with the intention of pursuing her hobby until it is no longer of use.

I guess, though, I get slightly irked by wannabe's I meet, who say, my horse is not a pet, he's a working animal as they toddle off to the dressage at the local RS. Its almost as though they wear a badge of superiority, with the I-am-a-real-horserider mentality.

Its nice to see so many professionals who are happy to keep pets otherwise Dolendo and Escapado, amongst others would have been sent to the knackers yard.

 

[PandorasJar]

I've got more than a few who I'd class as pets. They'll be backed and ridden next year probably but riding isn't the be all and end all to me. I enjoy them.
That being said they're all on my own land. If I was paying for school/good hacking I'd get one I could hop on as and when