OK... This is the Question......

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.....what would you do if you could not afford or it was taken away, to keep a horse?.....For example loss of employment,loss of stables or grazing,health or what ever reason ......I would have real withdrawal symptoms on a big scale,as they become a big part of a horse persons life.....so would go to great feats to keep my horse...like a second job(no would not hang on street corners in red light areas!!).......I would do all I could within reason to keep my boy.....would you too!!!!!!!!!
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Well i went into depression after My ds2 was born ( pnd) ... and the only way out of it was to get back into the horses again , I had to sell my mare when i found out i was pregnant with ds2 and it was financial , no time , and just wouldnt have been fair to put my mare out to graze after the amount of work i did to bring her to where she was ( competitive wise)
 
I had a year off horse ownership while I did my first year at uni (now in second) and I can honestly say it drove me crazy. So much so that I changed unis partly so I could move back home and buy a horse! I rode loads of friends' horses but it wasn't the same, I love having my own! I hate having too much spare time too... much better spent on a horse! And money... eek!
 
I would do anything. With Chex age, its unlikely I would find the sort of home I'd want for him, or someone wanting to take on an old horse.
 
Erm, well it happened to me. I got my first pony I was 14. My grades at school were at an all time low, and I hated every minute of it. However, having my pony meant I could finish school and go straight to the yard. I relaxed, had a great time, and we improved together. I taught her everything she knew, and vice versa. I paid for EVERYTHING. My livery, vets, farrier, entry fees, the lot. Looking back I have not one iota of clue how I did it. I worked at the private yard on Sat's and Suns doing their horses, and then on Sundays as well I would work at the pub down the road waitressing.
I did everything to scrape the money together . . and all whilst I was doing it my school grades rocketed. Therefore showing my parents she was good for me, and a sort of necessary respite from my workload.

However, then we hit a plateau. She was a big, chunky cob, and I was competing highly. She could jump forever, but struggled with the bigger dressage movements. I was getting taller by the day and she was not growing anymore! I knew I needed to move on, and I was offered a sponsor to event properly (pay membership and entry fees ect) at the same time as someone offered to be an owner. The lady was buying a horse at the time - and wanted me to have him.
It all seemed too perfect, and I accepted. Me and my little mare had done everything for 2 years together, but I knew it was time to move on. But, accepting to take that second horse on, and saying goodbye to mine was the biggest mistake I have ever made. I had an accident on him, a number of accidents actually, and when we nearly died, I put an end to it.

I had such bad withdrawal symptoms after that from Tess. I was so desperate to have my little pony back, even though I knew we would go no further. My grades dropped again, and stayed very low for a fair while. I would have done anything to have her back . . . but fesibly I just couldn't. I had no money and really TBH no time anymore. A - levels were happening and I knew I had to put more time into them to get the grades back up again.
I still see pics of her in magazines from time to time with her new owner - makes me blubber
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When I was younger I had a pony 'given' to me. I didnt have to pay a penny towards him, and I loved him to bits. Then I got an offer of a bigger, better pony, and took that. I was working all hours to keep him, spending all my time at the stables, and messed up at school. All I wanted to do was ride.
Then I lost the second pony, long story, but he was too much for me, destined to do better things than I could give him.
After that I moved away from horses, convinced I wasnt good enough.
Every day I wished I could have been a better rider, a better carer etc etc. 9 years down the line I got back into things, much to my OH's dismay.
I do still ride, but only on my level. I ride a friend's horse for her, and she's asked me to do some county showing for her this summer, even offered me to have some lessons with a brilliant instructor to get me up to scratch. But TBH I am so worried about letting them both down I don't want to do it. For now, I just enjoy hacking friend's horse and having the od lesson.
We have a ittle pony for the kids, and for now I just enjoy looking after him. He will never ever leave us, until his dying day, as he is truly one in a million. If time, finances etc ever got the better of us I would simply move him out to be a companion to my friend's horse. We wouldnt be without him. We are going to buy another, bigger pony, this year, but again, every instance has been covered, and providing we get the right pony, we will never have to sell it.
I get too attatched to horses....
 
i have had ponies on and off all the time as i was growning up (the begged, borrowed and stolen types that no-one else wants!!)

when i went to uni my comp mare was sold by her owners for a big profit. i was horseless and miserable!!

in the summer between the 1st and 2nd year i fond my current mare unbroken in a field and was very kindly loaned her by her new owner.

shes fab and i still have her!! with out her my world would seem very dull.
once horses are in your life they leave a huge hole when they leave!!
 
Actually..a bit of a holiday from them wouldn't be a bad thing, although I wouldn't ever want to part with the pony..but boy would I be less tired and a lot richer. I always feel this way towards the end of the winter, and once spring is with us nobody could drag the horses away from me, although I wouldn't put them ahead of the needs of my family, for example
 
I had a break from horses a while ago so i could get a job up London and move out. At first it was great and i had an excellent social life but then once i got my flat i didn't have enough money to go out all the time and i started to get really depressed. My OH would work and all my friends would be out shopping etc and i didn't have a car or money to go out and about. Even if i wanted to pop to my mum's i couldn't unless i wanted to trek an hour on the bus.

I would sit in at weekends and cry more or less all day until my OH came home as i was so bored and fed up with my life.

My friend then brought a new horse and asked me to come and see her, i then started riding with her again at weekends and i was much happier but it still wasn't the same.

I eventually moved back home and brought my own horse again and haven't looked back.

Yes i do miss having my own place as me and my OH dont get to spend as much quality time together as we would like but i was so depressed before i wouldn't go back ever again until i know i can afford my horse as well as own my own home.
 
I worry about this a lot. i am at the stage in life when I need to think about ahving children if I am gonig to have them. I would do everything in my power though to keep my horse. i coudln't have a life without horses now, I get so much out of it
 
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