if you didn't have a horse....

But do you think you'd still live in the same place. Do the same job etc?

It was that Tracy champman song thst got me thinking

I've got a fast cat but if someone asked me to do.a runner with them, I never could. Boredom gets my mind going mad haha

Love the fast cat! You could do a lot with one of them.
 
Truth be told though, I am now looking at a life beyond horses. With saying goodbye to two of our OAP's and will be saying goodbye to another before the summer (depends how he copes when the ground solidifies) the herd is naturally depleting. I envisage in the next 6-8 years, I will be horseless and looking to do other things.

Won't ever stop riding, just won't be an owner. Who knows? Might come sooner than that!
 
I force myself to go and do stuff because the other option is to sit in the house: eat and drink and grow fat and depressed. Today I am in house because the gym and most other places are closed and its too wet to do much else.
Last week I went to museums and I intend to self educate in art and archaeology [there are a lot of courses online], but unfortunately it feels more like going back to school rather than having fun. I play bridge online quite a lot.. I've been there and done photography, tried local art classes, but only once. I would like to try making stuff, modelling or something, but have not really done anything about it, thought about jewellery but am not creative!
House is still mildly chaotic, just as it was when I had the horses, so no change there except there is absolutely no smell of horsey stuff, though still have too much of my tack and clothing.
I am:
a) able to buy stuff I don't need
b) two stone heavier than two years ago
c) bored

Sorry you're feeling like this. Think about getting another horse!!!
 
I would be less happy but just as poor as I spent nearly as much on lessons and competing before I bought the horse as I do on keeping the horse. Any surplus went on stuff like a nice car, beauty treatments and clothes, now that money goes on rugs, tack, and horse stuff. I did a bit more hiking before I bought the horse too.
 
I'd be sat here looking at my bank account thinking how rich I am !!

I actually don't know what I would do I've had horses for so long there would be a huge gaping hole.

I'd probably do agility again with my dogs
 
I would not be a teacher for a start, because I only took the work to pay for the horses, I can survive on very little. As an artist you learn that one quickly. My horses keep me happy and I enjoy them and their company but in order to have them I do a job that makes me unhappy a lot of the time. Catch22.
 
I lost my horse in the summer so am having a break. I still have one on retirement livery to pay for but that's only £200pm all in so I have money spare for a change ....

So far weve been on holiday at half term and over Xmas
I can actually buy myself clothes and get my hair done
I do yoga and ballet classes a few times a week and run
On a Saturday morning I can get myself a coffee and a magazine and relax.

I miss my horses but am appreciating the extra time and money
 
I probably would be continuing the life I had 2 1/2 years ago- I never really had any hobbies and the 'friends' I had I'd probably still think were wonderful people.

Having Red showed me how truly supportive most of them aren't, and gave me purpose.

Ax
 
I often wonder what people without horses actually spend their money on and what on earth they do with their free time?

I'd have too much free time. A lot of spare money. Wouldn't be at Uni. Wouldn't have my fantastic friends. And would probably be several sizes larger!

It doesn't matter how skint, exhausted and anti-social having horses makes me, I wouldn't change them for the world. They're my pick me up after a bad day, my "me" time and give me the most fun.
 
I'd be travelling. The one thing I regret is knowing that I can't leave the country for extended periods of time. I would love to do as many of my friends so and spend three months of every year in a foreign country.
 
I'd have probably gone to uni (the main reason I didn't was because I didn't want to leave the horses!). I wouldn't be in the job I have now, as wouldn't need to pay for all the vets bills. I would love to be travelling/ideally working abroad, I love going to new places and would love to have a few years of seeing new places / meeting new people, I see so many photos of people I know out and about doing exactly that but I'm too attached to go and do it too!
 
I'd be away every weekend doing different walks and go on more holidays, would drive a smaller car and probably have a cleaner house!
 
Wow. I have just caught up with these. Didn't expect so many replies.

If I didn't Have horses. I'd probably be able to afford the car that I can only dream of owning now. A nice range rover to tow my trailer. But how pointless would that be without a horse

I think I'd have travelled a lot but each time I've tried, the horses have stopped it.
 
I've only been loaning for a year, yet I can't remember what I used to do?! I don't think I did anything. I used to lie in late and go to work, or work a morning and nap in the afternoon and watch a lot of TV. Didn't really go out much. Although would spend more time on my personal appearance.

I actually do more now with a pony. I have to get up now, and as I'm up and about I tend to have more time as I'm not in bed until late morning. Spending more on the pony means I make food at home instead of buying food and lunch when out, so eating better. Even joined the gym to do exercise classes to help my riding. I wear minimal make up, so save money there.

Therefore having a pony makes me a healthier, happier and more active person. Just wish I got back into horses sooner and now can't imagine what I would do without one!
 
Although I have ridden since I was 7, there was a huge gap from age 16 until two and a half years ago when i didn't really have horses in my life.

What i did was:

shop a lot
study (did a degree!)
get drunk and go out
become a parent and get married
be generally bored and unfulfilled.

Can honestly say that since deciding to get a horse I have ever felt happier. Cannot honestly imagine myself without one and the lifestyle it entails!
 
I'll be selling up next spring when I finish my a levels and get ready to go to uni. It will be so strange not having the consistency of getting up and going to the yard after 10 years of doing it but I think the break will actually do me good and help me decide if I want to get another. (I really don't have much motivation to ride or do more than the basics anymore)
If I didn't have a horse now I would probably be doing considerably better in school and also triple & high jump training at a club again
 
Oh my God! Now there's a question

If I didn't have a horse (plural) I would not be living here where it is about -10C at 2.20pm.

I would be in Belize, living there, full time :D Not a pipedream, it will be a certainty very shortly :)
 
I'd not have to work so much i.e. have the second job. I would have the same main job just more part-time :D and probably another dog and more poultry.

I would still be running-which I miss but I grew up with ponies and while I had to wait to get my own as an adult until I was 35, I always intended to have my own again. Although not born near a moor, I've always been drawn to them, so maybe I would still be living here but could have the odd holiday. There would be more pairs of boots.
 
I just cant even imagine life without horses, its in the blood I think and its quite simply a way of life having had them for ever. I would go insane without them.

I'm lucky enough to still be able to go on holiday three times a year as my family step in and live in my house and horse sit so we can still go away and unwind.
 
I work with horses, so perhaps not too bad for me, although will be sad when my mare goes, as she is my lifetime sort of horse. I will not get another. I would love to go on 2 holidays a year, one sunny hot beach type and another skiing, so perhaps 'pony money' that I'd have saved would go towards that?
 
Top