Impartial advice needed on my situation.

Sounds like you have a perfect solution to the horses in the short term - at least winter and it's associated costs will be eased a lot :D

Overall it seems like a really positive day for you - action plan in place with hubby and some potential assistance to be sought with sharers/livery. Light at the end of the tunnel, perhaps? :D
 
Wonderful that you have found a temporary solution and that you can now have some respite from the worry and indecision.

As for the future,well i would suggest you do whatever is best for you and your family.
It's all very well for others to witter on about what you owe your mare and what they would do,but the fact is they aren't in your situation,you are and you must trust your own judgement.

Horses are a hobby and for some of us a pet,but they do not come before people,especially family,and they do not take priority over health and well being.

Good luck with whatever you decide:)
 
Great to hear you've got a solution for the winter.

I keep going back to the part where you say your mare has had a foal that went on to win at the RHS. 18 isn't old for a broodmare. As a broodmare who has produced offspring that are quality enough to win at national level I'm sure you'll find a good breeding home for her in the Spring. Put up some adverts in February/March time detailing her breeding and the achievements of her offspring and you'll probably have a queue of people wanting to either loan her or buy her.

Good luck.
 
Thanks guys. The lady she is going to breeds a few ISH types every year and always seems to sell them quickly. It would be wonderful if she decided to keep her but I'll have to wait and see what she says. Her offspring have been successful, the 3yr old has won a lot in hand and her 2yr old filly won as a foal in a sports horse class against 2 and 3 yr olds so she definitely has good uns :) I'm feeling much more positive about the whole situation now. Yes, there is a chink of light at the end of the tunnel!
 
Hi ya, just wanted to post a quick post to say op I do completely feel for you!! It's All well and good people saying you owe to your old mare etc but when your rock bottom something has to give!! I have a old mare and she's not ridden and is retired with me and I have another mare too .. My old mare is 26 and I completely love her and she is my comfort blanket with everything . But if I got to the point I couldn't Afford her then I would pts as actually I believe that's more unselfish than selling her.. You sound like you have the ideal situation now with the hay man as this gives you time etc. I really hope things get better for you as I think you have such a hard decision to make about it all ...good luck with it All and don't feel bad it's so easy for people to say do this or that but if they were in the same situation then maybe they would do things different. Xxxxxx hugs xxxxx
 
Really pleased you have found a solution for now :)

Just remember pain is there for a reason, and although acupuncture may ease that pain, you really do need to push for an MRI to know exactly what is wrong. xx
 
What a relief! Fingers crossed this loan turns into a permanent home for your mare. I completely understand about the financial problems taking on a place with land can cause. We are constantly 'teetering on the edge' and it can become a trap if you are not careful. We have the added responsibility of running a livery yard. This pays for half of our massive mortgage. If my husband were to lose his job we would go under VERY quickly. It is a real stress to always carry around with you. The we have the problem of if we put the place n the market because we couldn't pay the mortgage, then the liveries would quite understandably panic and leave! And it could take two years or more to sell.

I am sorry if my previous post seemed a little harsh. It is because I am going through such a stressful time with my beautiful mare. I would do anything to keep her alive and comfortable, so your post just hit a nerve. So sorry if it caused you any upset. I hope that your sale goes through quickly and easily. It is such a bad time for selling at present, but it sounds as though your place is lovely.

I can also sympathise with your back problem as I suffered a slipped disc at only 13 which has plagued me throughout my life. I have sacroilliac dysfunction too, and when it's bad it really does drag you down. I cannot take NSAIDs as I have an anaphalaptic reaction to them. I once got addicted to tramadol. Please be careful if that is one of the drugs you are taking. It is evil to withdraw from.
 
The problem is the 3rd mare. She'll be 18 next year and I've had her since a 5yr old. She's bred 3 foals in her life as well as competed at dressage to elementary. She's a lovely mare but hasn't been ridden for well over a year now due to spavin and arthritis in her shoulder. She's so easy to do but I can't find anyone that will take her. I'd give her away free to a friend if I could just so I'd know where she was, but all my friends already have horses and have no room for her. I don't want to advertise her free to a good home to just anyone in case she ended up somewhere dodgy. I've left a message at WHW but no answer yet, I think she's too old for the blood bank and that's all I can think of to do.

My friend suggested I should pts as I don't want her passed from pillar to post but the thought makes me cry my eyes out. I really just want some unbiased advice on what I should do. Please?!

Time to man up to your responsibilities as an owner I think and do the decent thing for this mare that already has so many problems and not shift that responsibility to do the right thing onto someone else. Sorry if that sounds blunt to you.

ETA after reading your post that you have a solution for the winter at least. Good news but it's still just putting off the inevitable for now as arthritis in a broodmare is an awful thing; hopefully things will be clearer later on for you once you've settled down to getting life back on track.
 
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That's fantastic news about your mare, gives you some breathing space and a little hope.

I really hope you get the rest of your troubles sorted out too x
 
Great news for the mare, what will be will be if she stays there or is eventually Pts.

I wouldn't spend anything on the house it still may not sell and your food could be the paint you just put on the wall, if the house is exciting enough and inviting enough it will sell without any cosmetics to make it pretty.

Good luck, prayers
 
Glad you have a breathing space with your horses and also you have had a good conversation with your husband and cleared the air. No matter how bad things are, when you start to address them, you do feel you are more in control and feel better. On the financial side, I can't live without a very basic spreadsheet. It lists ALL my monthly payments (insurance, mortgage, livery etc) in the order the money goes out and the date. That way I know where I should be day to day. I also list all cheques due to come out as find my blacksmith tends to hang onto them for a while!. You do not need to be an excel expert to run a spreadsheet either and it really helps. Also you can then see where you can save money and by this I mean reviewing costs of insurance or telephone etc. Good luck. Constant pain, even a small amount is incredibly debilitating so being in constant pain will seriously reduce your ability to deal with normal life.
 
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