I feel like I'm about to do a crazy thing!!! :-(

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1985

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Just wondering if anyone else has ever felt this way, or gotten to this point..

I own a superstar, very well bred young mare (5yrs) who, having been out and about with good results etc, Is now ready to affiliate BD, BS and all the rest of it. in all she is/will be a pretty serious competition horse.

I'm now coming to realise though, that whilst I enjoy looking after her, I don't have "fun" anymore. I can't really afford to get her to the big shows, have lessons every week, etc etc. She's also quite hot and so I can never fully relax whilst riding incase she peeps at something. These are things that wouldn't bother a serious competitor as I have every faith she'll bring home the bacon!

So... After thinking long and hard, I'm going to sell her, and buy myself something fun!! Nothing flashy, just something I can bring out and really enjoy, hack, the odd show if I feel like it. I feel like I've fallen out of love with it all a bit and forgotten why I did it.

I just feel crazy selling this all star horse, for possibly a happy little cob or such!! ?? Has anyone else had a re-assessment of where they are at? Brownies all round, that was rather long...
 
I think we probably re- assess ourselves constantly - it's normal , the only thing i would say is if you could get someone to compete her up to the higher levels , you'd probably find it easier to sell her to someone already looking for a proven horse ( and of course may bring you a higher price , not that that's the be all ) but you'd probably find a better home if she was ' on the circuit' alraedy . Even if you paid someone to do BD , BS it would be money well invested. Still a heart wrenching decision , but if she's got the potential that you think she has i wouldn't hesitate.
 
Dont feel bad about it. 18months ago i bought a youngster by Jumbo to bring on and event. He was the most gorgeous character and as we progressed i realised how talented he was. He also had a sharp streak which sent me flying a couple of times.
Everyone kept telling me he was my horse of a lifetime and he would go to the top SJ and a long way eventing etc.
After one of my falls i began to realise he was too much for me and i was losing the fun out of my riding.
Im at an age now that i want to be able to hack safely, go out with friends and just enjoy myself as well as eventing at a low level. Talent isnt the be all and end all for what i want to do.
I made the very hard decision to sell him and he was gone within a fortnight without even advertising him:eek:
I know i made the right decision and hes gone to a lovely home.
I now have the horrendous job of finding another one!!
You have to put your own feelings first and after all, we pay a huge amount to keep these horses so they should at least be fun.
 
Not crazy at all. Lots of people do what you're considering. Funnily enough I got an email from a friend today whose eventer has now retired. Her new horse is a very pretty coloured cob. She has a very demanding job and just wants to enjoy riding for pleasure without dramas.
 
Riding is meant to be fun (no, honest it is!), so if you're not having fun, you need to look at why. If it's a change of horse that's needed, well a talented young horse like yours is not likely to struggle to find a good home, so I'd go for it.
 
I had a reassessment in a totally different way to you. I had two TBs and then I lost my gelding in October. I had had Tbs for years and always said that I would never get anything else. Whilst my gelding was the best I could have ever hoped for - bombproof to hack, great fun and a real character, when it came to looking for another I got something I had always said I would never get - a 13hh skewbald two year old filly. I enjoy doing the groundwork with her and taking her out in hand on hacks more than I actually enjoy riding. She should be a doddle to break in next year and will be great fun. I decided that I didn't want something I had to ride every day, something which would fret when on it's own in the stable or something going lame every other week, so I got this filly. And I know that if anything was to happen to the TB mare that I would go down the same route again and get another New Forest X youngster to play with and bring on. I want an easier life now which involves enjoying the horses, not making them a chore!
 
Yes, got to that stage about 31 years ago, sick of thoroughbreds and their associated vet bills.

Bought a 5 year old cob and never looked back.

Bit lost now as I have finally retired him this winter
 
Funnily enough, just got in from a hack this morning on my lovely lovely mare and ok she isn't a hugely talented super schooled money winner, she is so much fun to hack, safe but sparky and will jump, low level BE and I wouldn't swap her for any high level sport horse. If your mare doesn't make your heart sing as you ride along. Don't do it I say.
 
I think you are making the right desicion, and yes it happens to a lot of us!

I used to ride other people's big competition horses, thinking it was something I wanted to do, buy a young talented horse and go up through the ranks. I started to not enjoy riding these sorts of horses for reasons as stated by other posters.

A couple of years ago I helped to re-break a welshie that was used for driving. I only hacked him and jumped him in the school, but I had a huge smile on my face the whole way round every hack, and would laugh when he burst into his big welshie canter. It was the most fun I had ever had and I realised that that was what riding as a hobby should be all about! I would have snapped him up in a heartbeat had he been for sale.

When I look to buy I would certainly go for a horse have fun with and do the odd competiton now.
 
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