If u could no longer compete would u still have a horse?

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Therightone

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I have never competed in any type of horse event. (wouldn't even know where to start tbh) I just enjoy owning horses and hacking out.

Anyway I had to go to a local competition yard for some other reason a few days ago and wow! A lot of the young girls there are very competitive. I was speaking to a couple of girls that couldn't understand why I had a horse if I wasn't into any horse sports. One girl explained how her friend sold on her horse as she couldn't handle the pressure to win??


Is this common??
 
People have horses for all sorts of reasons. I like to have a goal and competing can provide that but competing is just part of the overall picture not the main focus. I enjoy training the most, followed by hacking and the actual competing comes in last as I get quite nervous. i don't mind competitive riders but I'm a bit put off by competitive parents, many of them can't ride as well as their children but are quite horrible at competitions and I feel very sorry for the kids!
 
I competed as and when I could, having a horse to enjoy daily, for me is far greater than the need to compete. Can't beat a cold crisp early morning hack on your own!

With my youngster, I do hope to compete a little more but it will not be my main focus.
 
I used to compete but it was never what I bought a horse for. It was an interesting side line, a day out and it gave focus to our schooling sessions. I had to school a lot more than I wanted to, due to lack of hacking. I like riding a well balanced, supple and responsive horse but did not see any point in training higher than that unless we were competing.

I knew a girl who kept a photo of a much loved and sorely missed horse on her desk at work. She said she had sold it years ago because she had taken that horse as far as it could go competitively. Then she had given up riding and horses altogether because she could not afford to buy another horse to compete. I completely failed to understand her logic.

I have horses for relaxation, fresh air and exercise.
 
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I like to compete (only low level unaff stuff) as it gives me a goal to aim towards, but equally do not think it is the be all and end all of horse ownership. Exceptions possibly being those who do it for a living, but even then I'm a bit on the fence about it.

If these girls were at a competition yard, I think the expectancy to do well is much higher and the pressure is on to get results.
 
MileAMinute said:
I like to compete (only low level unaff stuff) as it gives me a goal to aim towards, but equally do not think it is the be all and end all of horse ownership. Exceptions possibly being those who do it for a living, but even then I'm a bit on the fence about it [/QUOTE
^^^^^^^
This! My OH+ compete at lower levels +we do find a competition gives you focus but its far from the be all+ end all!! I love the partnership i have with my mare+ after a horrid day @ work i can de stress +relax!
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KatPT-that's lovely! The aim is to do agility and showing with our mini when he's older (yearling),would love to be able to train him as beautifully as you have yours 😀
I just hack and school a little these days. I am very careful with my mare's joints (she's 20 and has had previous issues with her near fore)-would love to do more with her and take her to local dressage as she is a dream to ride,but keeping her sound and in light work matters more to me.
 
Before I finally got a horse of my own I would go to horse shows and competitions as a spectator and wish I could join in. Now I have a horse but no transport - friends have taken me out to the odd comp and we have them at my yard but I have to say I find it so stressful - not how I imagined at all. People suggest if I did it more often it wouldnt be such a big deal to us but I just dont want to have to keep going thru the trauma with the faint hope it will get easier 'one day'. Much prefer schooling, lessons and hacking and just enjoying him. He is my dream come true and I dont need a rosette to prove it!
 
I'm not interested in showing, SJ, eventing. I live to hack, but I do have a keen competitive streak, so endurance was the natural choice! I had to stop competing for a season (serious lack of funds) and whilst i was grateful to still have my horse and be able to hack out,I really missed having a plan and target.

But obviously if you made me choose, I'd rather stop competing than sell my beloved horse.
 
I like to compete to challenge myself as much as anything. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't competitive, but I think I'm quite pragmatic about it too. I know I'm never going to be a GP Dressage rider, but damn it I could give it a decent go endurance riding.

The over riding factor is it has to be fun. Horses are a very expensive way to be miserable. I hadn't considered not owning a horse, but when I'm too decrepited to actually ride I'm having a fast pony with wheels and I'm going to Scurry.
 
I would always find a way of competing. I love going out with my horse and it gives me a much needed focus and drive to keep going. I might do less, but wouldn't stop!
 
I do not own my horses to compete. It is part of what I do. When my horse had to be retired from competition, due to injury, it never occurred to me to replace him. When he fully retired I did start riding my other horse and yes we do compete, low level stuff but it is not the be all and end all. Variety is the spice of life, we hack, we do lessons, we hack , we do showing shows. He is only 5, so imho to young to jump yet. I think as long as you have fun you pick what you do. Competing is stressful but it challenges you at the same time and pushes you, it does get easier. I would miss it if I stopped but it would not mean that I would stop riding. Far from it! :)
 
Yes. I like and need things to look forward to and places to go with horse, if I couldn't have those I'd give up, but other people and competitiveness, particularly in equestrianism tend to nark me off. I lack the need to measure myself and my horse against other people and theirs.
 
Its a hard one . I am completely smashed up ,and even jumping a 1m showjump course is now a mental battle.I love hacking yet it isnt everything. I really miss going drag hunting yet I know that I would have serious problems. But I live in hope .18 months ago it was all I could do to complete a walk and trot test without passing out. But things have got better and so I am optimistic.
 
I do love competing and hunting and I look forward to days out. I like setting goals and working towards them. I have one horse I don't compete, but I do hunt him. Don't ride him much unless he's being got fit for hunting, kept fit for hunting or hunting. He's my mother's happy hack the rest of the time, which she is very happy doing - as is the horse. I'd rather put my time into my eventer for competition purposes.

Would I have horses. Yes I would, I love having them around and I do enjoy training them. I'd probably buy young horses, educate them and then sell on instead though... Don't think I could keep a horse around that would be competitive and not compete it... That said neither of my current horses would be going anywhere, I'd just have to have baby horses around too to entertain me :biggrin3:
 
I enjoy competing but do it for fun, not to win. I would still keep horses if I couldn't compete but it would probably mean me selling current horse and getting something different. As much as I love her I don't think she would enjoy life as a hacker, she finds it very boring even when combined with other stuff!
 
I like to compete but it isn't everything to me...it's for fun not to win. I love having the horses around, looking after them, schooling, hacking, having lessons and spending time with them-competing is an added extra.
 
I love competing, always have and always will, My mare has now decided she does not want to any more and I don't want to make her, so I am looking for something else. I gave it a try over the summer but I miss it too much. So keeping my mare for hacking and 'fun' stuff and getting another to compete.
To answer you question yes I would. still have a horse without competing but the fun for me it working towards something rather then just riding!
 
I enjoy competing but have been ill this year = no competing.
I bought one horse as a companion. Both horses are with me for as long as I can look after them :)

Mrs G - I found the nerves hit me a lot the first season. After competing regularly the nerves did leave and I really enjoyed myself but can see why some people don't want to go through that. I felt like I was going to be sick every show day until I got my first class out of the way.
 
I love the training process and spend a lot more time on that than in the ring - I would have horses if I couldn't compete but I like having that goal to work towards even if due to life commitments I don't get in the ring very often
 
about once every three years I feel as though I should go and do something-dressage/showing/whatever. I then remember why I cannot be ar5ed the rest of the time. So yes, I have three equines, I do not compete. heck, due to ridden horse having lameness issues and then PTS and the others being too young I've scarcely ridden in the last three years (not that I am recommending that way of doing things)
 
I have two horses and never really competed other than a couple of things on the yard, I've helped at more shows than I've taken part in. So yes I will have horses and not compete.
 
Yes, but I would move yards to somewhere with extensive and varied hacking. I love hacking when you can go for miles on good ground for long steady canters, paddle in ponds, cross streams and jump fallen trees. Not so delirious about trekking up and down the road! would keep my current (vaguely competition) horses too as I've spent time getting them going how I like them to ride. If I lost them I would buy another nice type that would be 'wasted' just hacking.
I compete as a goal/ marker of my horses'/ my training and progress, and also to have a nice day out chatting to folk!
 
If I was answering this question a few years ago I would probably have said that I wouldn't keep horses if I wasn't going to compete but these days I definitely would. In fact I haven't competed for about 2 years now anyway.

At the moment I am just loving training my horse for the sake of training, for the sake of his well being and development and because I just love teaching him new things. I also love hacking but I always hacked even when competing a lot so that hasn't changed.

I would like to compete again one day... or maybe I wouldn't - I have a lot of people around me who nag me to get my horse out there, who think you can't ride if you don't compete, who think competing is everything and how can you measure success without competing? And that you have nothing to work towards if you aren't competing. Well I have my own ideas on those things, at the moment I'm just enjoying my horsie life :)
 
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