Moral Dilemma

[ihatework]

Post is slightly inspired by a couple of recent threads.

I have a horse. A very nice horse, the type that probably the majority of amateur riders would like to own.

However at the age of 7 he is pretty much a complete loss of use for my purposes (competition).
Due to an accident he isn't, and won't ever be 'competition sound'. He has also been diagnosed with cushings and as such requires some management - so not a 'put him out to grass' prospect.

He is in light hacking work and sound for that purpose. He has all his basic needs met and has a baseline quality of life.

I work long hours and I also own 2 other horses. I do not have the time or if I'm honest, the inclanation to keep & manage this horse for the purposes of light hacking.

What on earth do I do with him?

I have considered PTS. The thought lingers in the back of my head but to be honest I can't see myself doing it. He is a lovely person and I genuinely believe he has a purpose in him.

So then I get onto the loan option. Which I am perfectly willing to consider. I don't like to pass on 'problems' to other people which is kind of my moral dilemma here. I have tentatively started floating out adverts but I don't want this horse passed around, he doesn't deserve that, so he would only go somewhere where it was a 100% perfect fit.

I have to be realistic here, I have an older ornament, my horse of a lifetime. A useless-to-me 7yo (harsh but true), could be someone elses forever horse - and he would likely be much appreciative of more attention than he is currently getting from me!

So what jobs are out there for a young, easy, good looking horse who's physical state is probably more akin to a 20yo! I did wonder about RDA work, but I don't know much about that side of things.

 

[armchair_rider]

How big is he? The RDA group I belong to don't use anything very big because of the difficulty in getting people on and off. He'd have to be quiet and tolerant too. Would he be sound enough for walk and trot tests - para dressage?

What about finding a sharer for him? That way he could live at home but still get more attention than he is now. If he's a nice hack (and can maybe do some very low level comps) he would probably get some interest.

 

[HBrae2]

Do you keep him at home? The ideal would maybe be someone to loan him and do all the looking after and riding but he has to stay at your house / yard. There are lots of people who enjoy going out for hacks and you could maybe make it a bit cheaper than them keeping a loan horse in livery? That way he can't be passed on but he gets the one to one attention and care that he would love.

 

[AmyMay]

If you keep him at home, could you loan him from there. He's the sort of horse an awful lot of people would be interested in. And by keeping him at home with you, you can ensure he's kept healthy and that you are fully involved in his management etc.

 

[madlady]

If it was one of my herd in the same situation I would either get a sharer to take on the day to day care but still ensuring that I had full control over the horse or I would PTS as that option upsets me less than the potential for the horse being passed around from pillar to post given the current economical climate.

 

[ihatework]

No I don't have my own land unfortunately.

The yard costs £125 per week livery (which is part of the problem!), they are doing me a massive favour and allowing this horse to be there on grass livery in their laminitic field for considerably cheaper. But he would really like to come in at night with all the others, he is such a kind tolerant chap and just doesn't kick up a fuss.

He currently has someone hacking him twice a week for free, but I can foresee it getting to a stage where she wants to do a bit more, she is an incredibly capable rider and I think he was just plugging a short term hole for her.
I can't see sharers wanting to cover anywhere near the price of stabling at this yard, but yes he could theoretically have a couple of sharers and stay on grass here. I did try that this summer but it proved tricky, people only seemed to want to come and ride when it suited them and dropped out last minute.

Armchair_rider as for height he is 15.2hh. He is a very tolerant horse, wheteher tolerant enough for RDA I genuinely don't know. Para dressage - not completely out of the question if it was walk / walk&trot level - he struggles with canter in the school now. But he is much more of a hack/jump kind of personality ... schooling bores him, I purchased him for dressage (he went to BD regionals with me), but rapidly realised he enjoyed the jumping side more and prior to accident had been musing about selling him into a PC event home.

 

[AmyMay]

Ooooo soo hard. He sounds like a complete darling.

Would the yard allow DIY for him to reduce costs for a loan?

 

[ihatework]

Ooooo soo hard. He sounds like a complete darling.

Would the yard allow DIY for him to reduce costs for a loan?

DIY stable is £70 a week, just stable and grazing. I physically cannot commit to DIY, so price aside, my experience of sharers can be that they will text on the day to say sorry they cannot look after the horse.

At the moment, as he is out, that doesn't matter. I can rock up at 8 pm in the pitch black lob some hay at him and give him a pat. That is the reality of the situation at the moment and he deserves better!

I'm not willing to move my competition horse from this outstanding yard. And to keep 2 horses at seperate yards just magnifies the issues!

I'll keep plugging away, keep an eye out for sharers, and he'll cope where he is! I might pick up the phone to the local RDA and para co-ordinator, just to sound things out but if anyone has any ingenious ideas on potential jobs for him let me know!

 

[HBrae2]

But rather than a "sharer" which I agree can be a bit hit or miss, what about a loan at the current yard. A loan is different than a share, it is their horse and their responsibility every day. The people I know who have loan ponies / horses you wouldn't know they didn't belong to them if you hadn't been told. This is more attractive to commited people who want their own horse and will look after him properly. Sharing seems to me a bit like just helping out with a horse and having a ride or 2 a week.

 

[Lolita]

Could you do a full loan from the current yard?

 

[ihatework]

The absolutely ideal situation would be to do a full loan from current yard, hell I'd even be a silent owner and offer a financial contribution.

I am however a realist, doubt there would be many takers for a light hack on a £70 pw DIY or £125 pw Part Livery basis though ;P


That said, he is a dude so if anyone wishes to come forward

 

[Annagain]

The absolutely ideal situation would be to do a full loan from current yard, hell I'd even be a silent owner and offer a financial contribution.

I am however a realist, doubt there would be many takers for a light hack on a £70 pw DIY or £125 pw Part Livery basis though ;P


That said, he is a dude so if anyone wishes to come forward

I think you'd be surprised how many people would be happy to take on a reliable, kind horse for hacking and light schooling on loan, even at those prices - especially if you were to contribute a small amount as well. Yes £70 DIY sounds expensive where I am (but may not be that bad where you are!) but if that were to go down to say, £50, and if you maybe offered to keep his insurance going (if he has it) or pay some vet's bills it would sound a lot more attractive.

The other possibility would be to allow him to go elsewhere locally but for you to vet the home thoroughly and to keep a close eye. There are good homes and good loaners out there. I would try word of mouth rather than advertising for that though.

Have you thought of trying http://horses4homes.net/. Not used it myself, but it seems to have a good reputation. You can retain ownership and put them on permanent loan.

 

[AmyMay]

I think you'd be surprised how many people would be happy to take on a reliable, kind horse for hacking and light schooling on loan, even at those prices - especially if you were to contribute a small amount as well.

I absolutely agree.

 

[chestnut cob]

Another thought... what about full loan from your current yard with a view to allowing the loaner to move the horse (to somewhere cheaper, probably) at a later date if things go well? I know you've had problems with sharers but if you get a good loaner who is committed, there is no reason why they won't look after him just as well as you do. You could do a trial period of a few months maybe, and if all goes well and it feels right, you could offer the opportunity for them to move him if they wanted to. You can check on him as often as you like, especially if he is local, and have a watertight contract. I had fabulous loaners for R who looked after him brilliantly, did everything I asked and always consulted with me before changing anything (even when I told them they didn't need to!).

 

[TPO]

Maybe just because I'm a tight Scot but that is a lot of money.

I'm presuming that, even given his young age, time won't heal him?

Tbh from a detached position I'd pts. Yes he could have a life as a light hack with someone experienced enough to know when he wasn't right and manage his cushings etc but I'm guessing no matter where he was you'd still worry that something was missed or someone got carried away and done too much etc

If I was in your position I'm a sap and would carry on as care taker until one of the 2 needed pts then take on another riding horse. I do realise there is no fun in this and burning money etc

Pts is hard for us not them. Due to my equine ocd and ridiculous ' no one would look after them as well as me" attitude I couldn't/ wouldn't loan out or sell a horse with any underlying condition.

Sorry of no help at all but being objective I'd say pts and sleep easy never wondering where he was or how he was doing etc

Horrible that he had the accident to cause all of this. Having horses can be soul destroying

 

[ihatework]

Another thought... what about full loan from your current yard with a view to allowing the loaner to move the horse (to somewhere cheaper, probably) at a later date if things go well? I know you've had problems with sharers but if you get a good loaner who is committed, there is no reason why they won't look after him just as well as you do. You could do a trial period of a few months maybe, and if all goes well and it feels right, you could offer the opportunity for them to move him if they wanted to. You can check on him as often as you like, especially if he is local, and have a watertight contract. I had fabulous loaners for R who looked after him brilliantly, did everything I asked and always consulted with me before changing anything (even when I told them they didn't need to!).

I have no issue with that at all. I'm not a crazy control freak over him thankfully
I don't mind him moving yards, provided within checking distance. But I need to be very sure that he is moving to the right yard/person and for the right reason. I have put in my current advert that loaner would need to commit to trialling from my yard 3-4 times before moving him. My theory on that being if they can't be @rsed to make a small effort like that then they probably aren't a serious long term home!

I want to avoid him being sent back if at all possible. If he needs to come home then obviously I will take him back, but he then needs to go through yard quarentine & strangles testing at not an insignificant cost.

The horses4homes site looks interesting, will take a good look later!

I successfully rehomed a horse (under slightly different circumstances) 3 years ago, on a *shock horror* LWVTB basis and even if I say so myself, I couldn't have done better by that horse and he went to the right home. No regrets.

 

[ihatework]

Maybe just because I'm a tight Scot but that is a lot of money.

I'm presuming that, even given his young age, time won't heal him?

Tbh from a detached position I'd pts. Yes he could have a life as a light hack with someone experienced enough to know when he wasn't right and manage his cushings etc but I'm guessing no matter where he was you'd still worry that something was missed or someone got carried away and done too much etc

If I was in your position I'm a sap and would carry on as care taker until one of the 2 needed pts then take on another riding horse. I do realise there is no fun in this and burning money etc

Pts is hard for us not them. Due to my equine ocd and ridiculous ' no one would look after them as well as me" attitude I couldn't/ wouldn't loan out or sell a horse with any underlying condition.

Sorry of no help at all but being objective I'd say pts and sleep easy never wondering where he was or how he was doing etc

Horrible that he had the accident to cause all of this. Having horses can be soul destroying

You won't be the first, nor the last to say this and it is a very valid view.

I'm lucky in that I only have time to ride & compete one, and having that ridden competition horse is not dependant on whether I keep, shoot or loan the fella in question out.

At the moment I cannot emotionally justify PTS on this horse. Although my objective thoughts support your view!

The horse is fine as he is in his current situation. But I do think, for his sake, there is an even better solution for him if I spend a bit of time and effort trying to make it happen for him

 

[EventingMum]

Don't rule out RDA, not all riders are severely disabled and he could be ideal for riders with mild physical problems or learning difficulties rather than the riders who need to be held when mounted. I know of one horse who I would have never considered RDA material who has taken to it like a duck to water. To me, without knowing all the details, the cushings would be more of a concern than the mild unsoundness if it's not a degenerative condition. As far as loaning or selling as long as whoever takes him is well aware of his problems and limitations and how to manage them I think it could be worth a try.

 

[ihatework]

Don't rule out RDA, not all riders are severely disabled and he could be ideal for riders with mild physical problems or learning difficulties rather than the riders who need to be held when mounted. I know of one horse who I would have never considered RDA material who has taken to it like a duck to water. To me, without knowing all the details, the cushings would be more of a concern than the mild unsoundness if it's not a degenerative condition. As far as loaning or selling as long as whoever takes him is well aware of his problems and limitations and how to manage them I think it could be worth a try.

That's good to know. I have an RDA just up the road, I did ping them an email but will make an effort to call/visit to see what thier situation is and if they are open to taking on a horse at the moment.

It was a comment my ex-OH made that made me think of it. He was completely unhorsey, yet handled this horse from the outset with no problems. He always said he had the character that would do well with disabled/learning difficulties.

 

[Polos Mum]

I have a 21 y/o light hack on loan and it's been going well for more than 2 years now - they are out there.

People also look for companion horses as companion, live on fresh air, ponies can be a big pain in the a**e. So don't rule that out either. Especiallly if he's easy to handle/ look after.

If you offered tp pay for ongoing medication he's no different to any other loan horse.

Yes if he comes back that's a pain but you can reloan or pts at that stage.

 

[MotherOfChickens]

something like this maybe?

http://www.fortunecentre.org/home/

 

[armchair_rider]

That's good to know. I have an RDA just up the road, I did ping them an email but will make an effort to call/visit to see what thier situation is and if they are open to taking on a horse at the moment.

It was a comment my ex-OH made that made me think of it. He was completely unhorsey, yet handled this horse from the outset with no problems. He always said he had the character that would do well with disabled/learning difficulties.

What about therapy places in general then? There are places that use horses as therapy for various kinds of mental illness and you may be able to find one locally.

He doesn't sound too big for RDA provided the place had the right facilities - he'd be too big for us but then we're at a riding school and have no special mounting facilities etc.

 

[Arzada]

Have tried to pm you but your box is full

 

[ihatework]

The fortune centre looks like a fab organisation - temprement wise I reckon he would be ideal for them. Slightly cautious though as I don't really want this horse going in a school day in day out - he just loves hacking, so at best would need a mix of hacking and school (which I know my local RDA does, they do a lot of leading around the woods!)

Have just mucked out my inbox!

Polo's mum - nice to hear there are homes out there, and I agree, more than happy to cover insurance, vets and medication with this horse

 

[humblepie]

I have several friends who are experienced, one even with own stables and grazing who have loan horses and none of the horses they have had were straight forward. I would agree with the others who have said you may well be surprised as to how good a home you could find for him. The above friends none of them compete other than perhaps some local dressage a handful of times a year if that, perhaps some in hand at a local show, that type of thing as they don't have transport of their own. Good luck with whatever you decide to do.

 

[MotherOfChickens]

Have just mucked out my inbox!

Polo's mum - nice to hear there are homes out there, and I agree, more than happy to cover insurance, vets and medication with this horse

I wish you were nearer! don't even have that much grass atm or a school.

 

[Goldenstar]

I too would not give up on finding him a job on a loan basis .
Someone close where you can monitor and if you could pay for the cushings medication I think he could have many happy years .
Ask everybody you know someone will know someone might he might a first horse for a first time owner with you to support them.
He founds a complete sweetheart life is not fair .

 

[Angus' yard]

Sorry if you've mentioned already, but whereabouts are you? And will your boy happily hack alone?

 

[Pearlsasinger]

Do you keep him at home? The ideal would maybe be someone to loan him and do all the looking after and riding but he has to stay at your house / yard. There are lots of people who enjoy going out for hacks and you could maybe make it a bit cheaper than them keeping a loan horse in livery? That way he can't be passed on but he gets the one to one attention and care that he would love.

That would be my advice but if you do want to go down the RDA route, our group does have bigger horses for the heavier riders. They are often weight carrying cobs, so don't know if that would describe your horse. I have known several different types, including hunters and PC games ponies who have had a 2nd job with RDA.

 

[Magicmillbrook]

Sounds like an ideal horse for a returning rider or a mothers hack. I agree that you shouldn't rule out finding a carefully vetted loan home, esp if you were to provide his medication and blood tests. If that didn't work out then consider other options such as a companion home or PTS