Keeping horses as pets only

[Merlin11]

Does anyone do this and do you enjoy it? I have 2 elderly horses who will live out their days with me and a young highland who is proving a bit of a handful. As I get older I find myself getting less pleasure out of riding and just enjoy the general looking after. Would it be a waste for the highland just to be a pet? I would still do in hand work and exercise with him. I have my own place with land so costs are not too high.

 

[Supertrooper]

Yes mine is just a pet, neither of us are bothered ;-)

 

[happyclappy]

Ruddy computer. Grrr. Sorry


I have broken ones and retired ones and we are ALL happy.

 

[Welly]

Hi, each to her own and if you and your horses are happy why not. I would even go to suggest most people on this site are "pet owners" and ride less than a few times a month. And no it won't be a waste for your highland, you enjoy them!

 

[Merlin11]

Thanks. Nice to know others enjoy just having them as pets. Pretty sure they don't mind.

 

[rowan666]

i have 3 that are just pets, i do abit of inhand showing with them and my mare is ridden now and again mostly by other peoples kids and they are perfectly happy with this so i dont see them as wasted atall, i do have 3 others that are out on loan though because (2 of which) are much happier when they are in regular work/getting out and about to different places more so i did see them as being wasted being jst a pet, hence loaning. so i guess its all down to the individual attitude of the horse/pony as to weather or not they are 'wasted'

 

[canteron]

I have a retired old boy. I have taught him a couple of tricks - laughing at my jokes and saying yes and no to questions. Curiously, this has made him into a bit of a star - much more than when I was riding him!!

 

[oldie48]

Can't help thinking that lots of horses and ponies that are regularly ridden are little more than "pets". Does it matter? I don't think so, as long as they are well cared for, have company and turnout and are not fat!! Seems like a pretty good life to me, I don't think the horse will complain.

 

[twiggy2]

very few horses are anything other than pets these days surely?

 

[Echo Bravo]

My 5 are in what I call a semi retirement home for young horses, happy to hack out or spend their time in field while I muck out their stables etc. Keeps me fit and happy and they don't look too bad either

 

[Mongoose11]

I've ridden twice in 18 months but have a sharer who rides and competes her. I still see to her every day and love her more than ever. She's a wonderful pet 😊

 

[LittleGinger]

My oldie is retired - he wasn't that old when I retired him, actually (about 17?) but he is much happier for it. He loves it and I'm happy as long as he is. I do have my mare for riding.

 

[pippixox]

does the highland think he should be ridden?! as long as they are happy and healthy it does not matter if they are ridden or not even if they are younger.

I do enjoy riding- my mare is currently without a saddle and I am getting very bored! but i also enjoy pottering around the farm when i have time, grooming and feeding, i like the care side

 

[pistolpete]

Six horses at our yard, only one in work at the moment, he has just come back into work after six months off. Think it's more normal for them to be field ornaments than work! Love them all either way!

 

[MDB]

My two are more pets at the moment, albeit one cannot be ridden right now due to ongoing medical issues and the other because I cannot get a decent fitting saddle (we are working on that one). Ideally they would each be ridden only once or twice a week, but even though that is not happening right now I am quite happy with them being pets, I love spending time with them regardless and i am sure that they are quite happy with all the loving and fussing that they get in the mean time.

 

[catkin]

Can't help thinking that lots of horses and ponies that are regularly ridden are little more than "pets". Does it matter? I don't think so, as long as they are well cared for, have company and turnout and are not fat!! Seems like a pretty good life to me, I don't think the horse will complain.

Yep, I've got one of these. She's ridden every day, does a bit of showing and we have regular lessons - but that's because I enjoy her company and she's always keen to go out (as is my dog before anyone says that's a horse who wants to work).

 

[Merlin11]

M

does the highland think he should be ridden?! as long as they are happy and healthy it does not matter if they are ridden or not even if they are younger.

He was recently backed and doesn't appear to enjoy it. Not sure if it is worth persevering with him or just let him be a field ornament.

 

[ilvpippa]

My girl was retired a few months back: she's 13. we hack out the odd time. But she loves being a lady of leisure!! I was worried as she was a hunting fit thoroughbred. But she loves retirement; very affectionate; loving and a donkey to ride now

 

[Barnacle]

If you are happy keeping them as pets, I say go for it. Many horses do enjoy their work but even those horses seem perfectly happy wandering around grazing with their friends. Aren't we all like that? I enjoy my work but if you told me I could just lay about eating and spending time with friends, I'd be quite happy to do that...

I think more people keeping horses as pets is overall a positive thing anyway. People seem to think of horses as disposable vehicles far too much of the time.

 

[hackneylass2]

If they are happy and healthy why not? Barnacle, I agree with you!

 

[OwnedbyJoe]

Nope, not a waste...
UNLESS.. You have one like mine who sulks if you leave the property without him! He gets bored in the paddock (he has 5 paddock companions of varying ages) and NEEDS a job. I would consider it a "waste" if he wasn't in work. The rest of them - meh. They'd be happy as pets.

 

[arlosmum]

My boy is a pet now. I would love to ride him but spinal injuries prevent this. He's very happy. I think he's about 18. My Sec A mare is probably a pet too. My daughter rides her usually every other week or so. She's 21. (pony, daughter's 11).

 

[Horsey Sophie]

Unless you own a horse to make money from as part of a business, I always think they are a pet anyway! Whether an owner chooses do ride or not is another question - if the owner enjoys riding, then great. If not, then on the whole there's no reason why they should ride at all!

 

[Goldenstar]

Personally I think it's very difficult to give horses kept without exercise enough movement to keep them healthy unless your very lucky in your turnout .
Being out in a three acre field say does not provide a horse with enough movement .

 

[BBH]

The only note of caution I would have is that to keep a youngster as a pet, not broken or broken but no ridden work is that IMO you have to assure him a home for life because he will be of little use to anyone else as say an unridden 11yrs old.

I have had pet horses retired and un rideable and a sec A but I have my own land and no livery costs so the 2 older ones saw out their days , one was retired for 15yrs, and the little sec A is on loan now but with the proviso he returns to me if he proves unsuitable to ride or they want to return him. He will then see out his days as a lawn mower and I have always enjoyed taking care of him as a pet . In fact I miss him so much am wanting to find a mini to just have around the place.

 

[Merrymoles]

Mine needs a job and is much nicer to deal with when he's working his usual five days a week - but he's still a pet! His fieldmate, however, could happily retire tomorrow and would love to be "just" a pet.

 

[3OldPonies]

My two are now pets - they will live out their days with me having given me many years of riding pleasure. Having said that though, just because they are now in effect pets, it doesn't mean that the hard work has stopped. They still need all the attention a ridden horse would get in terms of day to day stable/field duties. I only point that out, because I have an friend who seems to think you can just chuck a retired horse out and not bother any more and is thinking of doing just that with the horse that I was thinking of having from her before I was fully aware of his problems - people on this board helped me come to my senses as well - thanks guys - you've saved me from having 3 pets instead of 2

 

[lakesidedreamer]

My boy retired from competition 2 years ago, and spent a year being miserable every time he was left for me to go showing with my new horse. He just wasn't the type to not be the star of the yard. He's now come out of retirement to work with kids in a therapeutic riding centre - he is an ideal candidate for the job, and he's fawned over by 5 or 6 kids every day. He's delirious with all the attention, not to mention the fact he's stabled right beside the tack room- where all the ginger nut biscuits are stored! He's learnt how to con the kids out of those too!

My mare tried retirement (at 23yo) too - she HATED it. She was fine all winter (I guess the old bones were creaky in the cold) but come spring time, I went out hacking with the new lad, and a friend brought the old lad above, we got about 3/4 mile up the road when she appeared behind us, trotting calmly as though she was meant to be there! She pulled up into a walk alongside us until I could leap off and wrap a rein around her neck! We obviously turned for home, where we found all THREE gates between field and road perfectly in tact - my 24yo 14.2 had cleared 2 5bar gates and another that was hung closer to 6ft, without touching them. She was sound the next day too! We brought her back into light work then, and it's never happened since. She's 26yo now, and competing weekly in Trec, including small jumps and 15km orienteering rides. Over the winter we take it a bit easier, with lots of hacking when the weather allows, and a bit of lunging in between to keep the muscle up.

In contrast, my 15yo ex racer thinks retirement would be a wonderful thing - he's keen to give it a go, and I can honestly say he'd be happy as a clam without work, just so long as it didn't effect his grazing or bucket feeds! ;-)

 

[Merlin11]

Thanks for the replies. We will preservere with the highland in the meantime. He is a bit of a handful for me but luckily my OH is still keen to ride him. At least he is healthy and not lame. My main worry with not riding him would be difficulty keeping his weight down. They can have a few acres to run around in during winter but in spring/ summer no more than an acre. I guess I would need to do lots of ground work with him when there is a lot of grass. Having my own place means I can restrict his grazing but still have him out all the time. I like just looking at him and fussing over him and he gets on well with the old boys. Don't think I could face selling him unless to someone very experienced who I know could do a good job with him. Have never sold a horse before so this is new territory for me.

 

[Penny Less]

I have two field ornaments. I do worry a bit that they don't have enough room to exercise, we only have a couple of acres, and no school etc. My guilt is that one is on loan as a companion, and I do feel that perhaps I should be taking on a rescue in this role instead of a horse that the owner would quite readily have back,