owning a horse

[touchstone]

I think that there are two categories of non riding horse owner; those who would like to but can't because the horse is too much, too young, too old, ill etc, and to be honest I think most of these people deserve a pat on the back, at least they still care for the horse enough to keep it and treat it well, as in the case of FionaM12, and hopefully one day their confidence issues will be resolved with perseverance, or it may be that a change of horse for some with confidence issues will solve the problem.

Then there are the riders who could ride but don't always. I include myself in this category; after years of working with and owning horses and riding for many hours daily, I can get as much pleasure just hanging out with them as going for a ride. Over the winter I more or less turn away , just riding once or twice a week and start again in the Spring. That's a real luxury to me.

I had two years of no riding due to injuries and I wasn't really that bothered, as long as I still have a horsey 'fix' I'm okay, providing non ridden horses are well looked after it doesn't always mean that there is something wrong with the rider.

 

[MeganLindsx]

I worked at an EXPENSIVE livery yard where this woman was so affraid to ride her horse (who was a very safe cob!!!) that she paid for her horse to be put on full livery. She then struggled to afford it and had to end up selling her car just so she could keep said horse on full livery, never rode it and saw it like twice a week?!?!

Why did she not think to sell the horse?!!!

 

[FionaM12]

I worked at an EXPENSIVE livery yard where this woman was so affraid to ride her horse (who was a very safe cob!!!) that she paid for her horse to be put on full livery. She then struggled to afford it and had to end up selling her car just so she could keep said horse on full livery, never rode it and saw it like twice a week?!?!

Why did she not think to sell the horse?!!!

I expect she did think of this, but loved the horse and hung onto the hope she'd overcome her fear in time.

Presumably it was well cared for on livery, and who knows what personal circumstances stopped her seeing it more often?

 

[MeganLindsx]

possibly but turning up for 15 mins every sunday eve didn't convince me.. especially when she lived about 5 minutes away...

 

[Black_Horse_White]

My horse today knocked my confidence, although I will ride him again if he does it again I may not. He's such a sweet boy and I can afford to keep him as a pet, he won't care if he's not ridden neither will anyone who knows me. I just can't bear the thought of anyone else having him.

 

[FionaM12]

possibly but turning up for 15 mins every sunday eve didn't convince me.. especially when she lived about 5 minutes away...

And why would she need to convince you?

 

[HappyNeds]

Also people buy a horse thinking they will ride more, but find that looking after the blimmin thing picking its poo up , making sure it is comfy and has the right friends takes up all the riding time

THIS!!! This is exactly the case! I so ironically find myself thinking this quite often. I used to ride so much more when I paid to ride other horses, now i own my own there's always so many jobs to do first. And with a busy family/work life there only so many hours in the week, and the poo-picking, caring, checking, feet-picking, water-trough filling etc, takes up most of the ones that arn't working!

I wouldn't give my hairy-boys up though, even though the riding has taken a lower-seat. It was one of the things that surprised me when I bought my first horse - before buying him it was all about the riding, then after getting him I realised that about 90% of my enjoyment and pleasure came from just being around him, looking after him, and chilln' in the field with them. Very odd, but that's how it is for me, and I'm happy and my hairy-boys are happy too

 

[MeganLindsx]

And why would she need to convince you?

She doesn't have to convince me that she 'loves' him... but getting yourself into financial difficulty for a horse that you decide to only see 15 minutes a weeks begs the question why?

 

[FionaM12]

She doesn't have to convince me that she 'loves' him... but getting yourself into financial difficulty for a horse that you decide to only see 15 minutes a weeks begs the question why?

I'm sorry, I don't want to get into an arguement with you so I'll make this my last comment

My point is, it's her business. If the horse is well cared for, what she does with her money's her concern only. Only she knows why she can only see him for such a short time or what her future plans are. She really doesn't have to convince anyone else.





I'll get me coat now.

 

[MeganLindsx]

I'm sorry, I don't want to get into an arguement with you so I'll make this my last comment

My point is, it's her business. If the horse is well cared for, what she does with her money's her concern only. Only she knows why she can only see him for such a short time or what her future plans are. She really doesn't have to convince anyone else.





I'll get me coat now.

LOL i do agree, i think i should keep my nose out

 

[Holly Hocks]

As for me, I would say that I enjoy the day to day care of the horses at least as much as the riding. I would keep them as pets by choice if I could not ride again for any reason. Horses are the most interesting and complicated animals. There is an awful lot of pleasure to be had from them even without the riding. So I do not think that it is a waste of money to buy a young capable horse and never ride it. The horse doesn't care, so long as it is well cared for.

I agree whole heartedly with this. I have a 2 year old (unbroken, obviously!) and a 10 year old TB mare with a LOT of illnesses/injuries - she may be ok to hack out again one day, but it's not definite
I love the day to day care. I love taking the youngster out for walks in hand, and in fact I've never enjoyed owning horses as much, since the pressure of having to ride was taken away.
I rode a friends horse last weekend - a very expensive warmblood. Four of us went out for a hack. To be honest I didn't really enjoy it at all. I would rather have either been doing something on the yard or been taking my dog for a walk.
I suppose the difference is that it's not my confidence that prevents me from riding, it's the current situations of my horses and my preference.
If I never ride again it wouldn't really bother me - there is no horse on the yard that I look at and want to ride, apart from my mare!
It doesn't make you any less a horse person not riding. In fact I spend a lot of my time reading up about various conditions/nutrition and just spending time with the horses.

 

[Moomin1]

I bought my horse two years ago knowing that I wouldn't have much time to ride her regularly. I did mention this to the seller and asked quite clearly whether it would suit my horse living this type of lifestyle as she was ridden daily then. I barely get time to ride once per week, yet my horse is a happy girl and gets every bit of care and attention she needs. I LOVE having her and caring for her even though I don't get to ride as much as I would like. If she became unrideable for whatever reason then she would still stay with me for life despite the fact that I wouldn't be able to afford another or even afford to go to a riding school for a hack now and again if I kept her! Some people just love being around horses. I cannot understand why someone would go out and buy a horse which they are scared of ridden, IF they know that they want to ride and won't be happy if they can't. But other than that I don't think it matters so long as the horse is happy and the owner is happy!

 

[dollyanna]

I recently fulfilled my dream of buying 2 babies to bring up together and hopefully make a driving pair. Almost every time I have mentioned this plan to a horse person, they ask why I want babies, you can't do anything with them for years, its so expensive to keep them when they can't do anything etc etc. They miss the point entirely - there is LOADS for me to do with them for the next 4 years. I get so much pleasure from just visiting them a couple of times a day, having a cuddle and a scratch, watching them come running over, wathing them play and explore the world. They come in 2-3 times a week for feet picking and a little bit of groundwork, usually about 30mins each in total including walking up the road from the field and back. But there is so much I want to do with them I'm not sure I'll fit it all in before they start being ridden and driven!! I actually used to miss the time just spent sitting in a stable with my old girl when I had to try and keep her fit, I would spend hours just walking her out or taking her for a graze (even when she was out at night!) or just watching her be a pony.

I have been ponyless for 8 yrs until the babies arrived, and despite lots and lots of offers to ride and drive, even being given a pony to drive at the winter competitions, none of it gave me the satisfaction that spending half an hour with the babies filling their hay feeder or watching them graze does.

 

[Ladydragon]

Why would you go out and spend time and money looking for a horse then getting said horse and then being to scared to ride?

Not because the horse has scared you but just because you don't have the confidence to ride it??

I mean what an expensive waste of time, No??

I just don't get it. Not having a go I really honestly don't get it

That'll be me...

I bought a yearling after years away from riding because I a) needed something in my life after a bereavement and b) those eyes just nailed me to the spot... She had a terrible injury but survived and I fully intended to keep her as a field ornament if that was all she could hope to be... Nature intervened and she had to be PTS for a gut torsion...

We had a loan pony that the kids started riding on and I dabbled with but she is too small for me really - so went to see a "totally novice ride, bombproof horse" who turned out to be a 4yr old TB in truly awful condition... Cue my heart breaking and buying him because I couldn't leave him where he was... Yep, they probably saw me coming...

I managed to fool him into thinking I was an ultra confident, competent rider in the school bringing him into some condition and teaching him to stretch etc... Am I good enough to hack him out - hell no... He's green and needs a confident rider with automatic riding skills rather than me bobbing panicking about whether I'm using the right leg, hands are correct, how not to bounce with his gigantic trot blah blah... It's all good though - a lovely young lass from the local university rides him and my son (who's a nice, natural rider, albeit still novice) has lessons on him - rides loan pony out on hacks with the other yard rug rats...

I couldn't sell him... I know I've taken a beat up, ready to roll over and die, four year old, and done something right in turning him into a healthy, confident, more able, maturing horse who is as fond of me as I am of him... He'll come as a sole ride for son when his riding is good enough to take him out unsupervised or heck, maybe even my daughter when she adds a few years of age, height and experience... We've got a youngster to fill the space the yearling left and I thoroughly enjoy everything about babies - so long as I don't have to consider dumping my bum in the saddle at braking time...

As for riding... Well, I'm still on the lookout for a larger version of the pony loaned for the kids... She's perfect but too small... When I find that horse I'll be happy to start mincing my way around the lovely hacking areas we have in true 'old lady with budding but very bruised confidence' style...

Why would the OP bother to make a post like that if they didn't intend to spark a debate?

I took it as a genuine question, not a dig... And I'll admit, having the horses and not throwing myself around the countryside on them is a bit odd I guess to many horse riders...

 

[ausipaliboi]

My first horse was an aged beauty and I rode him no matter the time of day or weather. As his age caught up with him I was with him no matter the time of day or weather still - just not to ride. I would spend hours with him between brushing, feeding, following around the paddock, reading a book while he snoozed in the sun, etc.

I now own an 11 yr old fit healthy TB who is very randomly ridden. Even if I have all the time in the world the chances of me putting in the effort to get myself dressed appropriately, take my gear down the paddock, catch groom and saddle and then go out for a ride are about as good as me winning millions tonight in the lotto Actually, simply typing that out has guarenteed I won't bother to actually get on him for at least another month.

After having spent so many years caring for and loving simply the company of my old boy I enjoy so much more than the ridden aspect of horse ownership now. If I am lucky enough that my husband willing agrees to look after our daughter for a few hours to give me time down the paddock, the last thing on my mind would be to go for a ride.

 

[FionaM12]

When I find that horse I'll be happy to start mincing my way around the lovely hacking areas we have in true 'old lady with budding but very bruised confidence' style...

I love this. That's my aim too.

 

[Ladydragon]

I love this. That's my aim too.

Shame we're not in the same area... We could lead rein each other...

 

[FionaM12]

Shame we're not in the same area... We could lead rein each other...