One or two (or more?)

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FeatherPower

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I just wondered what your experiences were of owning more than one horse and the difference this has made on your life from a time, financial and reward point of view?

What made you make the decision to get more than one?

Do you ever wish you had stuck with just one?

Does twice the horse mean simply twice the time and twice the cost?

Has having two caused even more problems, e.g. you got one as a companion for the other and now neither will hack out alone?

Thanks!!
 
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I just wondered what your experiences were of owning more than one horse and the difference this has made on your life from a time, financial and reward point of view?

What made you make the decision to get more than one?
<font color="blue">Coz mine went lame, so needed another one! </font>

Do you ever wish you had stuck with just one?
<font color="blue"> Id LOVE to have just one, but Id never be without either of my little monsters! </font>

Does twice the horse mean simply twice the time and twice the cost?
<font color="blue"> Yes and yes </font>

Has having two caused even more problems, e.g. you got one as a companion for the other and now neither will hack out alone?
<font color="blue"> At first they were inseparable and it was a realy nightmare, but they are much better now and dont rely on eachother as much. They will still call for each other when being ridden, but are much much better than they used to be </font>

Thanks!!

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I got a young horse in February after my older horse was diagnosed with PSD. My thinking was that the prognosis for the older horse was about 50:50 but having another one to focus on would stop me rushing him back too quickly and give me something to play with over the summer. I kept an open mind about whether I would keep or sell the young one, should the old one make a full recovery.

My feelings are mixed on it. Getting the old one back took a lot of work in any case - I had to work him from the box every day for 16 weeks and then continue building up the exercise - so even though I didn't rush him, I still had two horses effectively in full work. But it did mean I could take the younger one off to play, jump, hack and so on and so I had some fun as well.

Truthfully, I didn't have time for both and one or other always got a bit neglected. I managed to work both of them at least 4 to 5 days per week but I couldn't have done more, and it did impact on other areas of life. In future I would only want one horse if it was actually in full work.

I'm now pregnant, which has changed things more. I can't ride the youngster although I am still riding the old one. I have decided I just have to put the young one in the field until about Jan / Feb and then I will sell him - and pray the old one carries on being sound!

Personally I don't think I would want two again, unless my husband made a fortune and said I could be a house / horse-wife! It didn't fit with a full time job and didn't make me happier, even though I love both very much and have had some really lovely times with each of them in the last few months.

Financially etc - for me it pretty much was twice the time and the money. I think it always will be, unless you are lucky enough to have facilities at home. I made a few small savings, like luckily the rugs and saddles fitted both, but on the whole my livery, shoeing etc bill doubled and so did the time i spent at the yard!

Good luck
 
I have 3
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We have had Millie since she was a foal, she is now 11 and was the first pony we had bought. As she is a Section A and I have always been tall she was never big enough for me to ride (although I did back her) so as soon as I had left school and got a job I bought a horse that I could ride and Millie was used as a companion/Light hack.

I bought Pixie earlier this year when she was 5 months old for no other reason then I wanted one to bring on, realistically it was the wrong thing to do due to the current climate.


I am very lucky as I get free livery on a private yard where I work as a nanny, they are only suppose to be there for the summer but they are now staying until they become short of grass , then Charlie and Pixie will come back home (Millie will stay and be hunted by Little Jockey). If I had to pay livery fees I wouldn't be able to afford more then one horse.

In my case having 3 doesn't mean they cost me 3 times as much. Charlie is a TB so costs me far more to keep then the other 2 put together. He is shod all round and needs feeding up and stabling during winter. Millie only has front shoes on and a bag of food lasts her a couple of months (Charlie gets through one a week
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). Pixie doesn't cost much to keep at all but obviously I have to put time into her as she is so young.

If I was to buy another riding horse for myself then yes the costs probably would double, especially if it was another wimpy TB, but as I only have one horse and two ponies it's slightly different.
 
Wow - totally not the response I was expecting but really really interesting to hear very honest accounts of your experiences.


Numpty question - PSD?
 
Proximal suspensory desmitis - damage to the hind suspensory. Not a good diagnosis or prognosis... about 40% recovery rate unless you have the ligament denerved. Hence the back-up pony!
 
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Proximal suspensory desmitis - damage to the hind suspensory. Not a good diagnosis or prognosis... about 40% recovery rate unless you have the ligament denerved. Hence the back-up pony!

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yikes, :O I hope that your horse is recovering from it though and stays within the 40% (hugs)
 
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I just wondered what your experiences were of owning more than one horse and the difference this has made on your life from a time, financial and reward point of view?

What made you make the decision to get more than one?

ALWAYS HAD 2 AS DON'T LIKE KEEPING 1 ON ITS OWN

Do you ever wish you had stuck with just one?

SOMETIMES IT WOULD BE EASIER, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOUR TRYING TO RIDE 2

Does twice the horse mean simply twice the time and twice the cost?

DEPENDS IF THEY ARE A COMPANION OR RIDDING HORSE BUT THERE IS EXTRA COST YES!

Has having two caused even more problems, e.g. you got one as a companion for the other and now neither will hack out alone?

NEVER 2 MUCH OF A PROB, THEY DO CALL EACHOTHER WHEN OTHER GOES OUT
 
I have 3 horses. I used to have 2 - a Welsh A as a companion/lead rein for my daughter and my 16.1hh gelding. My big gelding has been diagnosed with navicular syndrome and likely to be unsound for a while if at all but I wanted to give him some time to see what the future held for him. Got very fed up of al lthe expense and time spent on two horses I couldnt ride so took another on full loan. It is certainly more expense that I would gladly not have and I do feel I would not want 2 sound horses at any one time for me - if my big lad came sound then I would make a decision as to which one I would keep.

As it is, if he is happy in retirement and as long as I keep him financially then I will have the 3. It obviously costs more becuase of hay/feed/shoeing/insurance and amount of poo I have to pick up but I guess things like putting out hay, making up feeds are more or less the same in terms of effort.
 
I have three, and one is in foal. I can only really do one properly at a time so bought a young pony that I could ride while dix was in foal, that will then be passed on to my son when D is back in work. His old (and will be outgrown) pony will then retire and plasy nanny.
Thats the plan!
Its expensive, tiring and it might just be me but I cannot truly love/bond/whatever more than one at a time.
 
I have two....but I didn't plan it that way. Basically I am a total MUG! I got Monty as a 25yo (ish) tb with a bad temper and arthritis. He is my first horse and I love him to bits but probably not the most sensible thing to do!

He is a rescue and I still ride him but I then started looking after Zoom (and now she's mine whooooop!). It has worked out well since Zoom is only 13 and, as Monty is slowing down, Zoomy is taking off! I keep Monty going by hacking him out 1-2 times a week but I couldn't cope with two in full work.

It costs me twice as much but in terms of time, it's about the same since they both live out and Zoom noshes her din-dins in half the time Monty does! They are pretty attached to each other but it's a bit one-sided. Monty is obsessed bless him! TBH I think Zoom is quite glad of the break when we go out in the lorry but it breaks my heart to see Monty screaming and pacing!
 
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I just wondered what your experiences were of owning more than one horse and the difference this has made on your life from a time, financial and reward point of view?

What made you make the decision to get more than one?
As I compete, its too much to do on one, and so I had 2 ponies on full-time work then an opportunity to ride a horse for someone so had 3 in full time work (in total have 8)

Do you ever wish you had stuck with just one?
Nopppe not at all, I love them all

Does twice the horse mean simply twice the time and twice the cost?
EVen when I just ride 2 is takes my whole day

Has having two caused even more problems, e.g. you got one as a companion for the other and now neither will hack out alone?
Nopee
Thanks!!

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I just wondered what your experiences were of owning more than one horse and the difference this has made on your life from a time, financial and reward point of view?

What made you make the decision to get more than one?

I keep mine at home and therefore a companion is a necessary expense- a friend did keep her horse at mine for awhile then I tried a Shetland on loan but he didn't bond with her very well (she was very independent and couldn't have cared less for company!) so I have recently taken on a second horse on permanent loan as a companion/ hack.

Do you ever wish you had stuck with just one?

Sometimes- esp on cold horrible days when I have two soggy rugs to change
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It would be more difficult if they weren't at home- as they do take up a lot of time. But not really- wouldn't change a thing as I have secretly always wanted two!

Does twice the horse mean simply twice the time and twice the cost?

The new companion isn't in work at the moment as he is pretty much having the winter off following a bone spavin diagnosis last April. So he is relatively cheap to keep- unshod and minimum insurance. They are also a similar size so rugs, etc can be shared. I'm hoping one of Minstral's saddles will fit too, but haven't tried it yet. He will probably only ever be in light work as I work full time and there's no way I could keep two horses in full work.

Has having two caused even more problems, e.g. you got one as a companion for the other and now neither will hack out alone?

My main horse (coloured in sig) and have a great bond so he has no qualms leaving other horses to go on foraging missions but Smithy (grey) does seem to have an issue with being left behind so we will ahve to see how that pans out as he settles in more- might need to get him a companion!!!
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Thanks!!

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What made you make the decision to get more than one?

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Vet said he would never recover from his illness, he was only 9. So got another horse. He did recover and is still alive 25 years later.

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Do you ever wish you had stuck with just one?

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No my second horse is perfect in a different way. I just shouldn't have acquired two more after that.

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Does twice the horse mean simply twice the time and twice the cost?

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Not apart from the rent of stable and field which is multiplied by head count and crucifies me.
One is cheap to keep but breaks everything, two live on thin air. My original horse is now toothless and costs the earth, but he's worth it.

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Has having two caused even more problems, e.g. you got one as a companion for the other and now neither will hack out alone?

[/ QUOTE ] They will all leave each other without fuss but the mare did think she might like to get a bit clingy when we moved yards, but I nipped that in the bud.


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I have three, as previously said costs rocket by head count with stabling etc but some horses are higher maintenance than others. The two natives combined cost less to maintain than my big lad but workload does treble as does the dilemma of horse exercise. The natives are supposed to be my daughter's the big lad my competition horse, I end up looking after all 3!
 
Up until 1 year ago I owned a TB mare. Now I own her and a gelding. Financially it hasn't been too bad. She is on part livery he is on grass (although I am debating whether or not to have him in at the moment).

I wanted to get another for two reasons 1) my mare is getting on a bit and wanted to make sure I had something else to ride (who I knew) when she retires and 2) I just love horses and really wanted another.

Sometimes I think it would be better if I had one because of the lack of time I have. I can really only do weekends with them and by the time I have ridden my mare I am sometimes too tired to work with my boy (although I still do!).

Yes it means twice the time, not twice the cost. It depends on the arrangements of care and livery you have. In terms of having feet trimmed or wormed then yes, twice the cost. It always works out ok though - these thing always have a way of working out.

If you want another, do it. Horses are 50% of my life and worth the time.
 
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