Keeping a horse thats not for you but you love it

[Penny Less]

I have a horse thats been a PIYA since Ive had him, but I love him to bits.
Cant catch, wont hack out alone, but he has the longest eyelashes Ive ever seen and hes so cuddly. Cant bear to part with him. Anyone else

 

[StrawberryFish]

Yep, the Dales mare my mum bought for us to share 16 years ago. Awful in traffic, couldn't load, couldn't catch etc etc - she's now 24, still awful in traffic, can go weeks without my mum able to catch her, still doesn't load but she's one of the family and deeply loved

 

[Mirirab]

Indeed, my horse is afraid of everything and seems to have an attention disorder, and I'm not that great or confident of a rider... But he whickers when he sees me If I could find him a good forever home, I would in a flash, but that's not so easy to find for an imperfect horse.

 

[Cobiau Cymreig Wyllt]

Yep, got not one but TWO of the b*****s! Actually that's not strictly true, the one was definitely that until recently when he finally started to come good...the other one was alright to start with, is now rubbish and only time will tell whether he'll redeem himself or not.
****Sigh***** ****claps palm to forehead and calls self 'Sucker'****

 

[jenz87]

Yup, i have a very psychotic mare who i love to bits. On the floor she is an angel and will go to hell and back for me, but i am now too nervous to ride her. I work with my OH who rides her as he is much braver than me, but i am floor mummy.
Ideally id like a horse i can ride, and feel safe, but i cant bare to part with her, so we make do!

 

[Holly Hocks]

Yep - got a TB mare who has trashed my confidence with her gymnastic displays on the roads. She stresses in her stable, weaves, has cost me all my savings in vets bills......but she is lovely anyway, the hacks are getting better and my confidence is slowly building again. So despite it all she'll be with me for life.

 

[Mince Pie]

Slightly the opposite but I have my cob, he's a total dude and I love him to bits but sometimes to ride he is a bit, well erm, boring

I have totally outgrown him in the terms of ability but I'd never get rid of him!

 

[Mariposa]

Yep, I have a TB mare who I bought from a friend, and who is far too sharp for me. I'm basically scared of her now but now I love her and don't feel I can sell her. Am currently thinking of lending her to someone (braver than me) to play, I'm totally wasting her...I wish I'd never bought her to be honest.

 

[Irishbabygirl]

I have been totally spoit with my now sadly retired push button WB, I love my young Irish thing, but...god he's hard work sometimes!

 

[canteron]

Yep, bought a screwed up Irish Mare a decade ago and have spent 10 years being 'educated' by her - which was sometimes painful, always expensive, but just occassionally rewarding. Everyone said the horse was too much and to sell, but instead I found people to help and just worked away.

Finally, aged 16, she is a complete dude and love her to bits. She has taught me soo much and is now forgiven everything. Completely adore her (and I think she might have grown up a little bit!).

 

[Javabb94]

Yep! Java is Extremely quirky and on a good day he is the best and on a bad day it's awful! Realisticallly he isn't my dream horse although I absolutely love him to pieces! Everyone who meets him does as he has a cute baby face I had him up for sale and I was riding him and burst into tears over it - needless to say he is still here And at the min doing very well

 

[FestiveBoomBoom]

I am just about to advertise my boy having bottled out a couple of times before as he cant do the level of work/competition that I really want to do. It's heartbreaking though because i love him so much but know in my heart that he is not the right horse for me. Although if money were no object there is no way I would sell him

 

[RubyFrench]

My boy is way too green for me/i am too novice for him! But i am trying my damndest with him, paid for reschooling, hacking him alone which he is **** scared at, and i am **** scared at whilst doing it! But i am hoping in the end it will all be worth it, i can barely get him off the yard without him getting very worked off and me either turning for home or me getting off and leading him the way!

But i can just tell he has not been treated very well in the past, i have a feeling he was mistreated and i would never ever subject him to being sold again as i feel like he trusts me now.

But if someone could give me some money so i could buy a second more mature "been there done it" horse without having to sell mine that would be great

 

[Bernster]

Ahh this is making me sad. I think I might be getting to a similar position to a couple of posters - have what I thought was my horse of a lifetime, the most fantastic, safe, honest little fella who has done so much to restore my confidence.

But he's better suited to RC stuff and I want to progress, so have a flashier model now too. Am really hoping to keep the 2 as both are fantastic in different ways, but am having to accept I don't have the time or money to do that long term. I know I should have thought of this before but I am a 'want my cake and eat it' type person !

OH thinks I should sell Mr Reliable, not because of the money, but because he thinks it's not fair for such a good horse to be left to sharers and the occasional ride. He should be out there being someone else's pride and joy.

Oop, getting a bit teary typing this...

 

[Littlelegs]

Kind of. I am too tall really for my 14.2, & outgrew her ability wise years ago. However when one had to go when I divorced, my ideal & much loved eventer was the one, without even thinking about it. After my daughter, she's the most important thing to me. And by the time daughters moved onto her, her 11.1 will be unsuitable. However whilst a share might be on the cards, she won't be going anywhere either.

 

[Wheels]

Yes I had a beautiful and kind tb whom I adored. I struggled with him for 7 years, we had many ups but even more downs. At one point we were jumping 1.20 sj tracks and at other points I was too scared to ride him. Our relationship finally deteriorated when he reared and went over with me whilst hacking but I still kept him for another 3 years as couldn't bear to sell him on. I barely rode him and hubby pointed out that the horse was really never going to be suitable so I sold him on for a small amount of money but to a good home where his issues were fully understood. I loaned myself a gentle giant who is not overly attractive or affectionate but who has boosted my confidence so much that I now feel ready again for something with a bit more spirit (but not quite as much as my previous horse)

 

[Ranyhyn]

I'm coming to that stage with mine, one more issue and she'll go. It's an expensive, time consuming hobby and I just wont entertain doing it if it doesn't suit me any more.

 

[TallulahBright]

I bought my girl when she was 8 months old and the have been (many)!times along the way when I have questioned my judgement. As a 2 year old she was an absolute witch! Now, however, touch wood, I have a wonderful, willing mare and we are both really enjoying the baby work and lessons we are doing. Our instructor thinks she has talent for dressage and jumping and I'm thrilled with her! Love her to bits...

 

[SNORKEY]

Yep, I have a very lovely boy who shies at everything and is a pain to hack and I've always kept him as he's so handsome and I brought him 9 years ago as a yearling. I've tried selling him as I'm pregnant and also have another young cob who suits me better but he's gone lame and now I'm too pregnant to ride him. I'm sure he's done it on purpose so he can't be sold! Now I have a very expensive horse to keep over the winter.

 

[micramadam]

Currently paying for 4 and 3 of them are not for me.
1 is daughter's first pony who is not going anywhere and has a girl come to ride him but doesn't pay a penny for this.
2 - is a 2 year old who will be my daughter's future ride.
3 - has been with us for 6 months now and is my daughter's ride.
4 - is mine but is ridden more often than not by my daughter.

Said daughter is only 18 and not yet earning. Will be a huge relief when she finally finishes studying (another 4 years) and brings some money in to help.

 

[Victoria25]

I bought a nut job of an ex racer last year with the intention of reschooling/selling on ... hmmm thats kind of not going to happen - why I ever even thought Id be able to is beyond me ... oh well another to add to the ever increasing herd even hubbie refuses to talk about my 'maybe' putting him on loan in the future ... lol ok you have the big lump!

 

[risky business]

Yes I have one of those..

We clash very much personality wise and everyday there's some sort of fight or disagreement!

She's cost me endless vet bills and sometimes I really could be doing without it! But 4 years on I'm still doing it...

 

[McNally]

Wow, quite a few of us then!
Ive tried quite a few times to get rid of mine but he comes back after other people decide he's not for them. I now know i cant rehome him. He's been described by a professional reschooling yard as "a generally sweet boy with a bunny brain that only his mother could ever love" They also mentioned if he was a person he'd be sectioned! There advise... nothing really could be done for him other than literally build my life round him.

He's such a sweetheart when things are going his way though!

 

[ellie11987]

Just got a 6 year old Thoroughbred mare (ex-racer), people call me crazy but wouldn't swap her for the world!

 

[Surreydeb]

Yep got my daughters pony who is very sweet and a lovely girl that I just can't bear to part with!

 

[Arizahn]

Yup, I went in search of a quiet, sensible, sturdy type gelding that could live out. I came home with an Arab mare. Not quite what I had been looking for, but she does live out! Regularly tests me as a rider, which is probably a good thing as it keeps me working on improving

 

[Madam Min]

Our boy DJ had lots and lots of issues, think some people thought we were mad to keep perservering with him but he was a character. He didn't turn out as we had hoped when we bought him but despite that we had a lot of fun with him!