No one told me...

FlyingCircus

FlyingCircus

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...horse ownership would come with a boat load of worrying about them constantly!

Had my boy 3 months now and my gosh, if it's not one thing, it's another.

Is he too fat?
Is his uneven muscle my fault?
Is the slight curvature in his spine normal/fixable?
Is his shoulder sore or is it from an injury?
Is his new found dislike of near fore being picked up something serious?

Goodness, 3 months in and I feel like I'm already going grey from the worry.
Horsey is on nothing but groundwork until after Christmas then walking under saddle for a few weeks to hopefully build up more of the correct muscles (and even him out!)

Do you ever stop this constant worrying? Or is it just the permanent state of any horse owner? :')
 
It's permanent, sorry! I worry that mine's too hot, too cold, too fat, too thin, bored, happy. He's a kid to me and needs entertaining and feeding and lots of cuddles. I've relaxed over the years, but they can be a worry.
 
Eventually you become so used to worrying that it stops being stressful and settles into a comfortably vague aura of mild concern...
 
I have three, all with their own things to worry me! Sometimes I find myself very concerned about... something... But it takes me a few minutes to remember exactly what I'm so worried about!
 
And you'll get most frustrated because the people that don't give a s*!% turn out randomly with barbed wire, feed what ever is lying around use tack they have from 3 horses ago, never warm up or cool down NEVER have any problems - the more you worry the more things seem to go wrong.
Try only to worry about what you can control and look at your horse as a whole they are pretty good at showing they are unhappy the impossible task is to work out why if/when they are!1
 
My worry, and I have decided it is a bit of OCD..is whether my saddle is in the tight place. Number of times I've got on and off a couple of times at start of a hack to move it backwards or forwards half an inch.
 
Polos Mum said:
And you'll get most frustrated because the people that don't give a s*!% turn out randomly with barbed wire, feed what ever is lying around use tack they have from 3 horses ago, never warm up or cool down NEVER have any problems - the more you worry the more things seem to go wrong.
Try only to worry about what you can control and look at your horse as a whole they are pretty good at showing they are unhappy the impossible task is to work out why if/when they are!1
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Very true and good advice!
 
I recently went through a period of worrying about acorn poisoning. There was a tree dropping it's leaves. Two fields away. I became obsessed with wind direction and checking their field for stray leaves and acorns that might have blown over. Went on for about a week until I realised I needed to get a grip. I've had horses 20+ years... so although I agree it gets better the more you know your horse, I don't think it goes away entirely.
 
Just when you stop worrying, you learn about a new potential ailment, affliction, syndrome or what not and off you again. And once you have experienced a colic, the poo obsession starts and that alone can last for anything up to three years. Anyone who hasn't had a touch of poo obsession is either very very lucky or else very naive in my view!
 
It definitely comes with the territory! When I made the decision to buy my horse many years ago, I couldn't sleep with excitement. Then when he arrived, I couldn't sleep for worrying - I used to drive down to the field at random times of the night to make sure he was ok!
It gradually lessens but never really goes away (as it probably shouldn't). It helps to know that he is totally settled at the yard he is at now, and that everyone there is lovely and that they wouldn't think twice about helping out if there was ever a problem. Happy horse = happy owner!!
 
Echo Bravo said:
Chill out a little, don't go looking for trouble as it will soon find you, just enjoy your horse.
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I try! Haha. Just can't help but notice little niggles and I couldn't live with myself if I realised he was trying to tell me something hurts and I just ignored him.



Thanks everyone...nice to know I'm not alone in this! Haha
 
Fun Times, one of the reasons I like being on DIY livery is so I can count the poos every morning and breathe a sigh of relief when they are all there as usual.

Flying Circus, I found the same when I bought my first horse. The sense of responsibility is overwhelming, far more so than with share or loan horses. I was surprised to feel this way because I cared about my shares and loans as if they were my own, worried about them too, but ultimately they were not mine and it must have made a difference.
 
Firefly9410 said:
Fun Times, one of the reasons I like being on DIY livery is so I can count the poos every morning and breathe a sigh of relief when they are all there as usual.

Flying Circus, I found the same when I bought my first horse. The sense of responsibility is overwhelming, far more so than with share or loan horses. I was surprised to feel this way because I cared about my shares and loans as if they were my own, worried about them too, but ultimately they were not mine and it must have made a difference.
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Quite! I went from having years of shares/part loans but never full loans - so never quite had the responsibility of a horse in entirely my own care. So very different but quite nice to be able to do things my own way and do what I think is best for horsey.
 
Fun Times said:
Just when you stop worrying, you learn about a new potential ailment, affliction, syndrome or what not and off you again. And once you have experienced a colic, the poo obsession starts and that alone can last for anything up to three years. Anyone who hasn't had a touch of poo obsession is either very very lucky or else very naive in my view!
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Agree. Amount and quality is a common prevailing thought for me when mucking out and pooh picking. I know in the summer any less than 20 lots in less than 24 hours (when on 24/7 turn out and I pooh pick daily) is not normal.

This is all well and good but I don't encourage you to bring this up with non-horsey people. They tend to think such knowledge is odd.
 
agmp said:
Agree. Amount and quality is a common prevailing thought for me when mucking out and pooh picking. I know in the summer any less than 20 lots in less than 24 hours (when on 24/7 turn out and I pooh pick daily) is not normal.

This is all well and good but I don't encourage you to bring this up with non-horsey people. They tend to think such knowledge is odd.
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As a fellow poo obsessive I can tell that your horse isnt fat, if I got 20 poops in24 hours I would panic big time! About 12-14 is normal for those of us with lives on Air rotund- ers, #alwaysonrestrictedgrazing ,

I did panic one time when I had 2 in 12 hours muzzle worked too well!
 
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It never goes away! Tonight I went to ride Bob the nota cob and panicked. Swollen throat Both sides . Couldn't find a thermometer , YM bless her came back in to lend me hers (Shame on us ,everyone else had flat battery s or couldn't find one ) Temperature normal (almost)but that still hasn't stopped me worrying.
 
As a relatively new owner of a slightly over sensitive and moody mare, I worry I wont tell the difference between a health problem and just moods. When I first started bringing her in at night she started demonstrating strange mannerisms which sent me into panic and I called the neighbours round as I thought she was in pain. Turned out she was just mightly p*ssed off at being bought off the grass and was letting me know in no uncertain terms!
 
At age 37 with my first horse ( part loaned for years) I spent an evening at my friends 3 nights after getting my mare. I mislaid my phone and had a meltdown cos suddenly I knew I had to be contactable ALWAYS if I wanted to sleep soundly ever again. It is a shock! But as others have said you get used to it. As you get to know your horse more you will feel more comfy. I am nearly 4 years in now and the worry is routine so not noticed. Don't go looking for any issues thou, that can be a nightmare. When you know your horse they will tell when something is wrong. And always know you know your horse better than anyone else. So if helpful advice doesn't seem to suit then don't take it. Enjoy anyway it'll settle down soon.
 
NZJenny said:
Gosh, sounds like I should worry more. Now I have got something to be really worried about and on a Monday too!
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If its monday already then why are you worrying.The rest of us are still on sunday and are worrying about what we will find on monday b£$%^insert smiley face
 
Mike007 said:
If its monday already then why are you worrying.The rest of us are still on sunday and are worrying about what we will find on monday b£$%^insert smiley face
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Don't worry, nothing to report, unless you are in the Phillipines - super typhoon, definatley a worry.
 
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