BallyRoanBaubles
Buys real biscuits
That’s another thing I’ve found I’m not missing is the travelling to the yard after work in after work traffic
Owning a horse is never a sensible decision… discuss
- Thread starter blitznbobs
- Start date
Goldenstar
Well-Known Member
I don’t have any trouble imagining life without my horses.
It’s the bit between now and then I can’t see my way through.
I had not foreseen that we would leave here before I finished riding I thought I would have my Riding horses retired here and would foster young ones for a charity until we left here so I would know they where not mine.
I have lots of interests outside horses
There’s loads of things I will do when I have more time.
It’s the bit between now and then I can’t see my way through.
I had not foreseen that we would leave here before I finished riding I thought I would have my Riding horses retired here and would foster young ones for a charity until we left here so I would know they where not mine.
I have lots of interests outside horses
There’s loads of things I will do when I have more time.
gallopingby
Well-Known Member
I have only been on a livery yard once, when we moved from one part of the country to another and hadn’t completed the house search. I vowed l would never do it again and haven’t had to despite moving two or three times since. As already said there’s a huge difference between doing the horses in your pyjamas and having to drive to a yard twice a day. I think the commitment to driving however many miles backwards and forwards each day as well as going to work takes a lot of the enjoyment out of having horses at the door.
anguscat
Well-Known Member
Ridiculous 
Insane
Nevertheless, I struggle to think of a better way of finding out so much about oneself.
Insane
Nevertheless, I struggle to think of a better way of finding out so much about oneself.
Lois Lame
Well-Known Member
No. Obviously. Most stuff we humanoids do is not sensible. Ironing, for instance. (I don't iron.)
Wearing a sack with a dropped waist that looks awful but is trendy (I can't remember the year... but in the '70s I think) was daft. Hands up who did this?? Ah! I see you.
lme
Well-Known Member
I’m not sure buying a horse is ever a ‘sensible’ decision but I do think I agree with ycbm that it is easier to justify buying an additional horse if your horses live at home
McFluff
Well-Known Member
I love my horse, he’s my third. But I didn’t get a horse till I was more financially secure (and older, and less brave!). This way I can afford when things go wrong which makes it easier. There are lots of ways to fill your life without them, and ways to spend your money. Leisure pursuits tend to cost money and horses are healthier than some of the alternatives (I remember working out that my horse was cheaper than my MIL drink and smoke habit!).
Sensible? Really depends on your situation and your definition of sensible. And all the various factors.
For me, the answer right now, is yes.
Sensible? Really depends on your situation and your definition of sensible. And all the various factors.
For me, the answer right now, is yes.
SO1
Well-Known Member
Not sensible at all. I never planned to get another after Homey but I had expected him to live longer and not have to be PTS at only 20. I expected him to make his late 20s by which time I would nearly 60.
The year that I was horseless I rode at the riding school a couple of times a week and played Bridge, and other card games I enjoy more frequently but I was lonely and felt something was missing from my life and eventually found Bert. The day after I got Bert my mum got ill and my life changed. If I had not had bought Bert I would not have bought another horse due to situation with my parents. I never thought I would be in a situation where my parents would ever get this bad. I always thought if their health deteriorated that they would be able to manage with help from carers and visiting every other weekend would be enough and not that mum would get a mental health condition that is so bad that her life would potentially depend on my sister, BIL or myself being there every day otherwise she won't eat.
I love spending time with Bert but he is very much a guilty pleasure as I feel bad about enjoying Bert when my mum is struggling so much and really all my weekends and AL should be devoted to looking after my parents and giving my sister and BIL a break who are taking the brunt of my parents care. Thankfully Bert is on full livery and my instructor can ride him 4 times a week so his care would not be compromised if I did have to devote long periods of time to family commitments as long as I can keep working.
Do I regret buying Bert no he is wonderful and I love him and hope we have many many years together. He is my only real pleasure in life at the moment and for the short times I am with him I get respite from the situation with mum and dad. If anything awful happened and I lost Bert I expect I would have no happiness in my life but I would not be able to justify getting another horse whilst my parents need my time.
The year that I was horseless I rode at the riding school a couple of times a week and played Bridge, and other card games I enjoy more frequently but I was lonely and felt something was missing from my life and eventually found Bert. The day after I got Bert my mum got ill and my life changed. If I had not had bought Bert I would not have bought another horse due to situation with my parents. I never thought I would be in a situation where my parents would ever get this bad. I always thought if their health deteriorated that they would be able to manage with help from carers and visiting every other weekend would be enough and not that mum would get a mental health condition that is so bad that her life would potentially depend on my sister, BIL or myself being there every day otherwise she won't eat.
I love spending time with Bert but he is very much a guilty pleasure as I feel bad about enjoying Bert when my mum is struggling so much and really all my weekends and AL should be devoted to looking after my parents and giving my sister and BIL a break who are taking the brunt of my parents care. Thankfully Bert is on full livery and my instructor can ride him 4 times a week so his care would not be compromised if I did have to devote long periods of time to family commitments as long as I can keep working.
Do I regret buying Bert no he is wonderful and I love him and hope we have many many years together. He is my only real pleasure in life at the moment and for the short times I am with him I get respite from the situation with mum and dad. If anything awful happened and I lost Bert I expect I would have no happiness in my life but I would not be able to justify getting another horse whilst my parents need my time.
Marigold4
Well-Known Member
Totally agree about the land factor. I wouldn't own horses if they were at livery. The travel and having to deal with other people interfering would make it a not sensible choice for me. A lot of my enjoyment from my horses is from being able to adjust their management according to their needs, feed them whatever they need, tucking them up at night etc. The rented field is right next to my house so it literally takes 5 mins to turn out in the morning and then I can go back to bed if I want. It is a HUGE tie, having them at home (I do everything myself), but the pay off of seeing my little "family" of horses thrive (I have a mare and two of her foals) is well worth it. The routine and the necessity of being outside even when the weather is awful is definitely good for me - so definitely a sensible decision for me as long as I am fit and well enough to do the heavy work.
Cloball
Well-Known Member
I don't think horses are the be all and end all I have plenty of interests outside of horses and spent large periods of my life without them or not riding. Is it different for those that have always had horses to those who made the choice later in life?
Something about it feeds my inner child though, I'd definitely have to get a dog now though if I could have the horse.
Titchy Reindeer
Well-Known Member
To be honest, it would depend on the details of why I couldn't have horses in my life and what I was capable of having instead. As a horse owner who wasn't allowed to see my horse during lockdown, it was brutal and eventually led to a mental breakdown. It wasn't so much that I didn't know what to do: I'd luckily got my dog 2 months previously, was following an online course and kidnapped all the riding school's tack to clean, but I wasn't allowed to see my horse and it was terrible...
If I could keep physically active enough to distract myself, I might be ok. If not, I'm not sure there are enough books in the world to keep me happy...
Titchy Reindeer
Well-Known Member
To actually answering the question: Owning a horse is probably never objectively sensible. Sure, you could have enough money that that owning is just a drop in the ocean, but there are surely more sensible thing to spend money on. You could earn your living from horses, but there are plenty of ways of earning a living that don't involve horses and are probably less risky and stressful. I read somewhere once that horses break your heart, your bones and your bank balance, which seems to me to be quite true.
On the other hand, when I was still trying to be sensible and wait to have a more stable job, etc... before buying a horse, my mum (who is one of the most sensible and practical people I know) actually encouraged me to buy my own. No it wasn't sensible, but it was what I needed at the time. Thanks to horses, I have seen more sunrises and sunsets than I would have, experienced all weathers that I may have ignored, seen wildlife as I would never have seen it otherwise... So much that beats being sensible any day of the week.
PS: I now have chickens as well. Chickens are the animals to go for if you want to be sensible. Cheap, easy to care for, fun and lay eggs!
On the other hand, when I was still trying to be sensible and wait to have a more stable job, etc... before buying a horse, my mum (who is one of the most sensible and practical people I know) actually encouraged me to buy my own. No it wasn't sensible, but it was what I needed at the time. Thanks to horses, I have seen more sunrises and sunsets than I would have, experienced all weathers that I may have ignored, seen wildlife as I would never have seen it otherwise... So much that beats being sensible any day of the week.
PS: I now have chickens as well. Chickens are the animals to go for if you want to be sensible. Cheap, easy to care for, fun and lay eggs!
rabatsa
Confuddled
Over 63 years of horse/pony ownership I have owned 26 equines of my own, up to four at a time, several times. There have easily been as many, if not more boarders for varying amounts of time.
They have never been my job, always my relaxation. I have bred foals, taken on problems and oldies. Each and every one of them has taught me something, often about myself. I have stayed awake at nights, cried myself to sleep, had super highs and equally deep lows with them. I suspect my current four will be the last, the youngest is 6 and the oldest 23. I suspect the two youngest will outlive me.
I do not know what it is like to have lots of holidays, or spare money.
They have never been my job, always my relaxation. I have bred foals, taken on problems and oldies. Each and every one of them has taught me something, often about myself. I have stayed awake at nights, cried myself to sleep, had super highs and equally deep lows with them. I suspect my current four will be the last, the youngest is 6 and the oldest 23. I suspect the two youngest will outlive me.
I do not know what it is like to have lots of holidays, or spare money.
ycbm
Einstein would be proud of my Insanity...
I've realised fairly recently, maybe the last 3 years, that my love of horses splits in two. I love them as a species, I can't pass a field with them in without looking at them. If I touch one I can treasure the smell on my hands all day. But I have no need to actually own one to satisfy this need, I have plenty of friends whose horses I can cuddle. I also have lower than zero need to be pushing wheelbarrows of horse poop around in all weathers with hands full of arthritis.
Then there's the riding. I loved riding horses because it set me free. It let me fly. Knowing I was risking my neck gave me a belt of adrenaline that would damp down the worst effects of ADHD for a week. (Isn't it astonishing just how many horse lovers are neuro non-typical?) But I got older. And part of being older is that you become physically incapable of doing the things you used to do.
I'd probably be out looking for my next hunter if the two drag packs I used to ride with hadn't folded. In my drag hunting days I thought I'd be the 90 year old still jumping the hedges with the rest of the field following saying "she's HOW old? ". In that respect I feel robbed by the tarmac and concrete now covering areas we used to gallop over.
What a great question BnB, one with no right answer!
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Then there's the riding. I loved riding horses because it set me free. It let me fly. Knowing I was risking my neck gave me a belt of adrenaline that would damp down the worst effects of ADHD for a week. (Isn't it astonishing just how many horse lovers are neuro non-typical?) But I got older. And part of being older is that you become physically incapable of doing the things you used to do.
I'd probably be out looking for my next hunter if the two drag packs I used to ride with hadn't folded. In my drag hunting days I thought I'd be the 90 year old still jumping the hedges with the rest of the field following saying "she's HOW old? ". In that respect I feel robbed by the tarmac and concrete now covering areas we used to gallop over.
What a great question BnB, one with no right answer!
.
blitznbobs
Well-Known Member
The neurodiversity issue is fascinating. (Currently planning my phd in studying this and other relationships so I’m definitely a nerd on the subject) but there is two sides to that
a) neurodiversity is incredibly common in the general population so the fact that there are lots with horses is hardly surprising
and
b) there is evidence (more and more) about the regulatory effect of horse riding and stroking fur that actually do improve regulation… so if you are more inclined to be overwhelmed by sensory stimuli etc etc then gravitating to a hobby that helps makes loads of sense. It is essentially self medicating. If you are neurodiverse and lose that input on a regular basis, it might be worth being aware and finding a) a friends horse to hug/ ride or b) another regulation activity… usually they involve movement or “love” so cuddling stroking etc or exercise… but horses definitely combine the two in a pretty cool package
ycbm
Einstein would be proud of my Insanity...
Possibly include risk taking in your PhD BnB. In people with ADHD there seems to be a huge need to take risk (possibly one reason why so many boys with it end up in prison). I think it's the need for a stimulant to calm the brain, and adrenalin certainly provides that. So jumping the big fixed fences, the huge hedges, were medication for me in my 30s and 40s. I didn't understand that at the time, I just knew I fell apart if the lorry wouldn't start on hunting morning or the horse went lame the day of a BE entry.
There's no "sensible" in horse owning for those people, it's simply a driven need, self medication.
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There's no "sensible" in horse owning for those people, it's simply a driven need, self medication.
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blitznbobs
Well-Known Member
Mine is very science based and is focusing on the levels of oxytocin produced by different activities but there is plenty of research to be done… we are presenting at a conference on all animal based therapies for neurodiversity in Virginia in September … I think the research in this subject is about to explode
canteron
Well-Known Member
How to do escape the relatives at Christmas for a few hours if you don’t have the excuse of a horse!!
blitznbobs
Well-Known Member
This is of course the best excuse ever and I’ve done it at least 5 times over the festive period… on one occasion I just sat in my mares stable for half an hour and watched her eat her hay… but it was a definitely necessary care activity , for me at least.
Snow Falcon
Hoping for drier days
It was perfect when my mum used to host xmas day and boxing day!!
Cortez
Tough but Fair
That’s really interesting, and explains a lot of things. I now spend as much time as I can with my dogs, walking has replaced riding for me, and they are my constant companions.
Cloball
Well-Known Member
I can definitely see how owning a dog would give a lot of the things I appreciate about horses. I love dog sitting for my mum, I like the training, learning and feel aspects as well I might be quite goal orientated 
. I adore my cat but he wants to stay inside all winter and doesn't take me on his hunting sprees. I need a reason to motivate me to go outside I can't do it myself I've tried it has to be for someone/sentient beasts. I have quite bad anxiety and the spiral I get in the mornings trying to convince myself to go outside for a walk because it's good for me and I enjoy it is painful. Much easier if I have plans with OH or as I do now I'm at the yard before OH is out of bed 
My sister thinks I have ADHD (clever academic Psych person) and I've definitely found certain things tricky since I shaved all my hair off ... On the one hand I can't pull out my hair trichotillomania/stimming? /dopamine rush but on the otherhand I feel like the worlds volume has been turned up and my emotional regulation has been much worse. It's always been much better around horses, the hair pulling not necessarily the anxiety
. I adore my cat but he wants to stay inside all winter and doesn't take me on his hunting sprees. I need a reason to motivate me to go outside I can't do it myself I've tried it has to be for someone/sentient beasts. I have quite bad anxiety and the spiral I get in the mornings trying to convince myself to go outside for a walk because it's good for me and I enjoy it is painful. Much easier if I have plans with OH or as I do now I'm at the yard before OH is out of bed My sister thinks I have ADHD (clever academic Psych person) and I've definitely found certain things tricky since I shaved all my hair off ... On the one hand I can't pull out my hair trichotillomania/stimming? /dopamine rush but on the otherhand I feel like the worlds volume has been turned up and my emotional regulation has been much worse. It's always been much better around horses, the hair pulling not necessarily the anxiety
Titchy Reindeer
Well-Known Member
Sounds really interesting. Could you direct us to an abstract when the time is right, please? (I've gone lazy since I got out of science and can rarely be bothered to read whole articles any more). I have several friends who studied or worked in animal based therapies and I'm sure the conference in Virginia will be fascinating. Enjoy and good luck with the PhD.
equinerebel
Well-Known Member
Interesting re:neurodiversity. I got my first horse when I was barely 18. I’m not from a horsey background at all. For whatever reason, they became my “special interest” at 11 and my all or nothing. I learnt everything I possibly could about them and eventing before I finally bought one. I had folders and folders full of things I found interesting. But as these things go, I gradually became less obsessive about them and my interests began to move on.
So that’s where I am now. I have a life outside of horses and I’m currently balancing that with my beloved mare.
So that’s where I am now. I have a life outside of horses and I’m currently balancing that with my beloved mare.
Goldenstar
Well-Known Member
That’s something I can see me doing , I become that mad old lady talking to strangers on the beach .
Clodagh
Well-Known Member
other end of the country, but I’m there ahead of you.
Cortez
Tough but Fair
I'm already there. But without the talking thing, and the beach
Goldenstar
Well-Known Member
I will do the talking thing I love forcing the southerners to talk .I'm already there. But without the talking thing, and the beach
Lexi 123
Well-Known Member
it might be a sensible decision now but I don’t think it’s going to be sensible in the future especially if you don’t own land and have to have your horse on livery . The reason I think this is the cost of livery will get extremely expensive and dly livery is getting rare so I say that going to take normal people away from the sport and the super rich will probably only own horse. We are losing livery yards to housing to over population so there be less and less yards around so less competition driving up prices and demand . Climate change could stop a lot of horse from being turned out as much and could make it very difficult to keep horses in winter and summer as the weather could be unpredictable and crazy , very hot temperatures. I am lot younger than most members on this forum I am in my early twenties I can’t see myself being able to own horse when I am middle age in the future. I feel sorry for anyone who has a young horse that probably would have to make a hard decision in the future if the horse world goes to expensive . I can see lass normal horses being breed it probably be all expensive warmblood competition horse which will price people out of the market.
LEC
Opinions are like bum holes, everyone has one.
They are an addiction. One I would never compromise real life with though. I am not prepared to do things on a limited budget with horses as I like lessons, competing and very nice horses. If it came down to horses or car/mortgage/electricity/food for instance the horses would go. I am quite happy to have crap hair, nails, clothes etc for horses.