Last resort home?

Lisamd

Lisamd

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Bit of an odd post maybe. I have a 2 year old filly at full livery with me. The mare that she is out of is 21 and can only do light hacking or be a companion.

The mare and fillies owner can only afford to keep one horse in livery as she works full time/odd hours so would find it difficult to have the mare on DIY near her (she is 150 miles away from me).

I had the mare at livery for 6 mths before she foaled and have kept the foal on at livery after weaning. The owner was lucky that another friend took the mare in on free livery when she needed to go to wean the foal.

The owner has been asking me for a while if i know what she can do with the mare as the friend didn't want her at her yard anymore. I suggested retirement/grass livery, but it appears that it is too expensive and she can't afford to keep both horses.

Is there a market for mares like this? I feel awful that i can't help with any other suggestions and now she is talking about having her PTS if she can't come up with a solution. I can't take her back for free as i have 4 other horses in work and i also have a full time job too, as well as her filly in full livery.

I know its the age old story of why did she breed it if she can only afford one etc - but i think this really highlights the fact that people need to plan far, far in advance to avoid this type of problem.

Thanks in advance.
 
Oh dear, such a situation makes me rather grumpy! Her older mare isn't disposable now she has her filly. I would suggest she finds time to manage them on part livery/diy near her tbh. I can't see that a retired mare and (I assume) an unbroken filly would really take an awful lot of time.
Failing that, is the mare fit to be ridden? If so perhaps someone could be found to loan her for some happy hacking if that would suit her? If she is in good health then she certainly isn't too old to still do some work.
 
not that sympathetic actually as am in a similar predicament myself..But I did know this day might well come, I sold my other horse a while ago while I could as knew I couldn't keep 2 oldies plus my younger horse. It comes down to simple finances. No idea what your charges are but I will be paying £250 per month grass livery when mine comes home - and I am not 100% sure that she will be OK living out. I will have to see (hence asking earlier for prices of a retirement livery). Otherwise I will have to think about maybe something like DIY. Your friend could try advertising her mare as companion but there would seem to be a lot of them atm. Its not an option for me as my mare has medical problems which can be managed but not something that someone else will want to take on.,
 
:(:(how very sad for the mare, dont feel sorry for the owner at all, as you said if she couldnt afford 2 she should not have bred from her... i think there are good caring homes out there if she is not too big. people seem to want companions who are less than 16hands, and i would feel the same if i was looking...i think some of the charities have waiting lists of people who want ridden horses so it may be worth contacting them for help in rehoming the mare.....if she cant find a really good home then im afraid the kindest thing would be pts(in my opinion) fingers crossed for her..
 
Funny, if I ws looking for a companion I'd go for a big 'un. Little equines to me means naughty, laminitic ponies or stressed-out spoilt Arabs. And I agree with everyone else. Your friend shouldn't have bred from her mare if she can't afford to do the decent thing by the mare. I get totally fed up with people breeding from their horses/dogs irresponsibly. I think your friend's trying to put pressure on you too, in a not very subtle way, to help her out.
 
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