Just winter blues or is enough, enough?

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GoneBust

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Have you ever lost total interest in the whole horsey scenerio? Just the way of life it brings with it?

I first started thinking this with my boy just before i went on holiday 2 months ago, but just thought i needed the break. So was determined to put the work back in when i got back. But i got back from holiday to find my boy lame and he then preceeded to be out of work for around 6 weeks due to this lameness. He is now better, but 2 weeks later and i can not just find the energy to want to ride. I am happy to go muck out / groom etc... the basic looking after things that need to be done to keep him warm and happpy, but i just do not have the interest to bring him back into work.
I want to get back in the school and work him and get out and about with shows and everything. But i just can not muster the energy to do the dull teadious walk work and have the same arguments in the school with him ALL over again to get where we need to be.
This will now be the 6th time i have had to bring him back into work after a long break due to problems in a matter of a couple of years. Not sure i can be bothered with it again only to probably be back here in the same situation as soon as something else happens again!!! I know thats life, thats the way things roll with Horses.
Suppose i just need to be reassured that just because i do not want to bring him back into work now, doesn't mean i am never going to want to do it. And that he is going to be ok to be out of work for another month or so, or until i have the interest again.

So nice cup of Tea and BIG slice of cake if you have made it this far in my worldly problems!
 
:) Turn him away for the winter and give yourself a sabbatical for a few months, it won't hurt him, or you, and it isn't a crime to feel the way you do:)

I used to feel like that every year at the end of January, so the horses went out and I had a breather. Now, I keep my horses out full time, I do as much, or as little, with them as I want, sometimes I don't ride for weeks on end, my mare doesn't care. My stress levels have dropped considerably since I stopped beating myself up about having to ride or do this or that.
 
I gave my horse last winter off and it took me the entire summer to get her consistently working again - because I preferred spending time on the ground and couldn't be bothered with the whole kerfuffle of riding.

The past couple of months when I was getting going with her, she lost a shoe and then my shifts interfered and now I'm carless. She ended up with a few days of work and then nothing and if I can't get her back consistantly out soon, I may just turn her away for the winter.

I would maybe just spend time with him, forget riding for the time being and see how you are after winter.
 
enfys said:
:) Turn him away for the winter and give yourself a sabbatical for a few months, it won't hurt him, or you, and it isn't a crime to feel the way you do:)

I used to feel like that every year at the end of January, so the horses went out and I had a breather. Now, I keep my horses out full time, I do as much, or as little, with them as I want, sometimes I don't ride for weeks on end, my mare doesn't care. My stress levels have dropped considerably since I stopped beating myself up about having to ride or do this or that.
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Very sensible advice. It's nice to hear somebody who's not obcessed with making their horse ' work ' for you just because they cost you alot of money to keep and you want to get your monies worth!
 
I've given up beating myself up when I don't have the time or the inclination to ride, particularly during the dark winter months and the run up to Christmas when everything gets so frantic. I like hacking out at the weekends, but equally if I don't have time it's not the end of the world. My horse is perfectly happy either way, she enjoys the attention on the ground and sometimes I think it is quite good to give her a rest as well.

Would echo enfys and give yourself a bit of a break over the winter. Just do what you feel like doing when you feel like doing it and you may well feel the enjoyment coming back.
 
I get the winter blues and I get so fed up with the wet weather and the mud .... god I hate mud :( I often think I would give it all up if I could.

But ... I have realised that my horse doesn't care if I don't ride him everyday, I just ride when I feel like it now :)
 
We've not had any of our three horses in work for months! Mixture of their injuries, our injuries, nervousness and general business.

We love them and we care for them and when they were out we did as much or as little with them as we liked - now they're in at night obviously we have to spend a certain amount of time with them but apart from obviously looking after their health if we dont want to, we don't.

There is NOTHING wrong with turning them away for the winter. Nothing at all. Promise. xxxx
 
my boy had just came off box rest when i got him, so have spent the past 2 months going slowly to bring him back to full soundness this has been lead out in hand, walking ridden 20mins, walking ridden 30mins and now he is sound so he is currently enjoying being turned out for a few hours in the day where we play join up and just have fun and he runs around and gets some exercise and then he is put to bed until tomorrow and i am enjoying it, he is sound, it is winter ugh, 2011 is not far away but far enough to forget about it for the time being but you would be surprised how many people at the livery yard go on at me about Am I going to ride today? If he was ridden he would lose some of the weight he put on whilst on box rest (its winter now). Whilst their poor horses do not get a single day off 2 hours schooling, push push push, they're just making their working days shorter in the long run.
 
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